The Twenty-First Anniversary of TDR

Well, The Dignified Rant is 21 years old today. No. Please. Stop. Your cheering is embarrassing me.

Since last year I ended my weekly post of memes, And Now For Something Completely Different, that for awhile I enjoyed. It got tedious. This was the last post. I still do them for the daily posts and sometimes I make them for the Weekend Data Dump. I do miss altering song lyrics for the introductions.

And the Winter War of 2022 was regularized as a weekly post with updates as necessary. Although I will also put war information in the Weekend Data Dump if it isn't really breaking news. And sometimes in separate related posts not labeled for the war. I confess the distinction is hazy in my mind for what I put where.

I also resumed occasional non-security issue posts, such as this and this. Hey, it's my blog.

Last year I highlighted 20 years of posts for the big 2-0.

So how about a dozen defense and foreign affairs posts from the last twelve months to celebrate reaching 21 years?

I worry that the continental United States is no longer a sanctuary to project power overseas.

I really don't like the European Union.

Do we need a drone combat air patrol to defend forward troops from drone swarm attacks?

The Russian threat to the NATO Baltic states.

Does Xi Jinping actually know what is going on inside China?

I don't think we are simulating a Chinese invasion of Taiwan with the right definition of victory and defeat.

Will precision offensive and defensive firepower, persistent surveillance, and artificial intelligence create static high-speed battles of attrition?

Is the Marine Littoral Regiment the right way to support the Navy?

Stop flinging your panties at unmanned surface vessels.

The Air Force finally wins its long struggle to rid itself of the A-10.

America's efforts to defeat Russia in Ukraine are part of a long American struggle to keep the Atlantic Ocean from being our first line of defense for the east coast.

Ukraine's big counteroffensive doesn't seem to be doing much.

Anyway. I'm trying to write more for publication. And this year I have finally felt somewhat motivated to do so. I scored an initial success in the July issue of Army magazine. Hopefully I'll have more. So far it isn't interfering with my intended reduced blogging output. But 21 years is a long time for solo blogging.

Heck, technically I have two blogs if you include this one.

Admittedly I'm often distracted from formal writing by the lack of need to publish to make my mortgage payment or eat. So far I keep my cat in the lifestyle she's become accustomed to without that kind of effort.

I imagine I have another year in me. I still enjoy it and think I contribute useful perspectives. And it helps me organize my thoughts and keep up on national security issues. 

It at least keeps my day drinking down to socially acceptable levels.

Thanks to my readers for hanging in there when shiny new Twitter (Now with freedom of speech!) beckons.

NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here.