Word Of The Day: Gormless -- October 24, 2016

This House Of Cards Has Fallen

NOAA transitions from a science-based agency to a propaganda machine for the warmists.

The NOAA from the linked article below:

“I can confirm that as of October 24, 2016, it will be a complete 11 years since a major hurricane has struck the United States, as defined by the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale of being a Category 3 or higher,” meteorologist Dennis Feltgen, spokesman for NOAA’s National Hurricane Center, told CNSNews.com.

From CNS News, the truth finally comes out (something that won't be report by David Muir on ABC News:

• for the US: eleven (11) years of hurricane drought despite warnings of more frequent, more severe hurricanes due to rising CO2
• the current streak of no major hurricane landfalls onto the US mainland remains intact
• the last major hurricane to hit US mainland: Hurricane Wilma, October 24, 2005
• Category 3 apparently is the definition of "major hurricane"; sustained wind speeds of 111 mph or more and strong storm surges
• longest stretch since record-keeping began going back to 1851
• second-longest stretch ended 147 years ago: 8 years, 11 months (1860 - 1869)
• third-longest stretch, 5 years, 11 months (1900 - 1906)
• four major hurricanes hit US in 2005 (Dennis, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma) but none since
• Hurricane Matthew: Category 1 when it finally hit US mainland -- Category 1 -- no wonder we heard so little about it after all that hype -- and never reported at the time, as I recall
• even Hurricane Sandy has been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone by the time it hit mainland, New Jersey, October 29, 2012

More at the link. From there is goes into a testy interchange between reporters who want scientific answers to scientific questions, and the NOAA spokespeople providing politically-correct responses.

Gormless.

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Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution

Nathaniel Philbrick

c. 2016

DDS: 973.4 PHI

Chapter 11

The Pangs of a Dying Man

Early December, 1779.

Continental Army taking up qtrs in Morristown, NJ, which had served as Geo Washington's hqtrs in the aftermath of the victories at Trenton and Princeton.

Valley Force has always been reported as the severest winter, but in fact, the winter of 1778 was mild compared to the present winter, 1779 - 1780. January, 1780, the coldest in recorded history of the eastern US.

Now, Arnold's court-martial, postponed since June, could go forward.

Court-martials "fairly routine." -- Philbrick. Really?

Regardless, the court martial over trivial "crimes" compared to what Benedict Arnold was doing now.

Guilty, but minor reprimand by Geo Washington.

Arnold contemplating giving up West Point to the British.

The Connecticut army mutiny over money stunned Geo Washington.

Then news that Charleston had fallen to the British. 

The country was losing its appetite for war. In the end, it all came down to money.

On his way to Connecticut, Arnold stops at West Point, which he said he had never seen before.

He scouted West Point; saw its flaws.

Two things needed to happen: Clinton (Brit) had to return from Charleston, and Benedict Arnold needed to be appointed commander of West Point.

Clinton trusted Arnold: readied an army of 6,000 troops to attack Newport.

French Army arrives at Newport, but "too tired" to fight.

Washington could have panicked. His army was on the west side of the Hudson, starving and ill-equipped. This was in May after a harsh winter. The French were about to be attacked in Rhode Island, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Geo Washington's brilliant plan: cross the Hudson farther south (King's Ferry) and attack NYC from the south. Fewer Brits in NYC now and Clinton would have to abandon Newport and come to the aid of NYC.

By now, Arnold had staked everything on West Point.

Arnold raises an army and money from Congress; meets up with Washington on the west side of the Hudson, where Geo Washington is putting his troops across the Hudson at Verplanck's Point. July, 1779. 

Huge victory for Geo Washington at Stony Point, King's Ferry, Verplanck's Point -- July 31 - August, 1779.

Geo Washington gives Benedict Arnold command of West Point.