Points to ponder…

Posted on by May 9, 2019

From various places…

Life is not a fairy tale! If you lose your shoe at midnight, you’re drunk

Liberals:           “Don’t let unvaccinated kids into our schools!” Same liberal:    “Let thousands of unvaccinated illegal immigrants in!”

If women are upset at Trump’s naughty words, who in the hell bought 80 million copies of 50 Shades of Gray?

Jim Comey answered “I don’t know,” “I don’t recall,” and “I don’t remember” 236 times while under oath…But remembered enough to write a book.

Not one feminist has defended Sarah Sanders. It seems women’s rights only matter if those women are liberal.

Every woman has the right to be believed… Unless you are raped by Bill Clinton, beaten by Keith Ellison, groped by Cory Booker or killed by Ted Kennedy.

Chelsea Clinton got out of college and got a job at NBC that paid $600,000 per year. Yet her mom flies around the country speaking out about white privilege.

If a dead body was found in the trunk of Hillary’s car, the FBI would ask Donald Trump why he did it!

SOCIALISM: An idea that is so good that it has to be mandatory!

Bernie Sanders walks into a bar and Yells… “Free drinks for everyone!” Looks around and says “Who’s buying?”

What is the difference between an Illegal immigrant and E.T.? E.T. learned to speak English and went home.

You know that you live in a great country when even the people that absolutely detest it refuse to leave. Candace Owens

The law allowing for the separation of children from their parents who cross the border illegally was signed by Bill Clinton in 1997, why is it a problem now?

68 people were killed in mass shootings in 2018. Did you know that about 2000 were killed by illegal aliens?

Democrats say you can’t give a lethal injection to killers, rapist, pedophiles and school shooters but you can give a lethal injection to an infant.

And just like that they went from being against foreign interference in our elections to allowing non-citizens to vote in our elections.

Watching the left come up with schemes to “catch Trump” is like watching Wile E. Coyote trying to catch Road Runner.

Over 1 million kids are living in poverty in America. But Democrats fight for illegal aliens.

Pennsylvania officials have admitted to finding names of 11,198 non-citizens registered to vote on the states rolls.

They sent more troops and armament to arrest Roger Stone than they sent to defend Benghazi.

It’s a sad day when it is easier to abort an American child than it is to deport an illegal alien.

60 years ago, Venezuela was 4th on the world economic freedom index.       Today they are 179th and their citizens are dying of starvation. In only 10 years, Venezuela was destroyed by democratic socialism.

Russia donated $0.00 to the Trump campaign. Russia donated $145,600,000 to the Clinton Foundation. But Trump was the one investigated!

Nancy Pelosi invited illegal aliens to the State of the Union. President Trump Invited victims of illegal aliens to the State of the union. Let that sink in.

A socialist is basically a communist that doesn’t have the power to take everything from their citizens at gunpoint … Yet!

Liberals feel the same way about firearms as they do about wealth. It’s okay for them but not for you.

A party that supports abortion over Life, illegals aliens over its citizens, and refugees over its veterans is going to lecture me on morals. Don’t think so.

Sweden is the rape capital of Europe, Thanks to third world immigration. Keep that in mind when the socialist say that we should be like Sweden.

How do you walk 3000 miles across Mexico without food or support and show up at our border 100 pounds Overweight and with a cellphone?

If you think capitalism is the problem, there are 195 other countries where you can get a whole lot less of it.

Democrats booed God but clapped and cheered about killing babies. Give that a thought.

“We spend $18B a year on healthcare for illegal aliens, and the Democrats can’t find $5 billion for border security.

Alexandria Ocasio Cortez wants to ban cars, ban planes, give out universal income and thinks socialism works. She calls Donald Trump crazy.

Bernie Sanders owns 3 houses and has a Net worth of over a million dollars. Hasn’t taken in a single refugee.

“The problem with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people’s money. Margaret Thatcher

The electoral college worked fine until Hillary Clinton lost in 2016. The Democrats now want to abolish it.

The supreme court has had 9 justices Since 1868. Now the Democrats say it needs to be expanded to nullify the conservatives on the court.

It is now clear, Bob Mueller quit digging when all of the tunnels led back to Hillary and Obama.

If walls and guns don’t work; then why are celebrities and politicians surrounded by them?

Katy Perry: “No barriers, no borders we all just need to coexist.” She lives in a $19 Million mansion in a gated community surrounded by security.

Maxine Waters opposes voter ID laws; She thinks that they are racist. You need to have a photo ID to attend her town hall meetings.

h/t JP

Kabuki theater… again…

Posted on by May 8, 2019

Welp, the dems running the House Judiciary Committee voted to hold the AG in contempt yesterday for following the law!

I’ve been curious how far they would go, especially since not a single democrat is recorded as actually going to the SCIF and reviewing the less redacted Mueller report. Frankly I was amazed at the rhetoric I heard spouted yesterday, both against the AG and the president, along with the Chairman, Nadler saying there is now a constitutional crisis… Really? How about you’re throwing a hissy fit because you didn’t get your way?

The House Judiciary Committee voted on Wednesday to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress for failing to turn over special counsel Robert Mueller’s unredacted report — the most significant escalation yet in the ongoing oversight battle between Democrats and the Trump administration.

Full article, HERE.

Courtesy of Rev Paul, these words would be something that the dems should think about deeply…

Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
If there IS a constitutional crisis, it’s because the dems are doing their damnest to overturn, yet again, the 2016 election, and in the process destroy this country because they don’t want to actually obey the laws they were sworn to uphold…

Old people…

Posted on by May 6, 2019
I’m passing this on, because I did not want to be the only old person receiving it.
Actually, it’s not a bad thing to be called, as you will see.
1.      Old People are easy to spot at sporting events; during the playing of the National Anthem.  Old People remove their caps and stand at attention and, sing without embarrassment.  They know the words, and believe in them.
2.      Old People remember World War II, Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, Normandy and Hitler.
3.      They remember the Atomic Age, the Korean War, The Cold War, the Jet Age and the Moon Landing.  They remember the 50 plus Peace-keeping Missions from 1945 to 2005, not to mention Vietnam.
4.      If you bump into an Old Person on the sidewalk, they will apologize.  If you pass an Old Person on the street, he will nod or tip his cap to a lady. Old People trust strangers and are courteous to women.
5.      Old People hold the door for the next person, and always, when walking, make certain the lady is on the inside for protection.
6.      Old People get embarrassed if someone curses in front of women and children, and they don’t like the filth or dirty language on TV or in movies today.
7.      Old People have moral courage, and personal integrity. They seldom brag, unless it’s about their children or grandchildren.
8.      It’s Old People who remove their hats, while eating in a restaurant in respect for the ladies and guests.
9.      It’s the Old People who know our great country is protected, not by politicians, but by the young men and women in the military serving their country.
10.  This country needs Old People, with their work ethic, sense of responsibility, pride in their country and decent values.
And old people carry revolvers with all the bluing worn off. They know how to use them, and aren’t afraid TO use them…
We need them now more than ever.

12 years…

Posted on by April 29, 2019

I stuck my oar into the blogging world 12 years ago, never thinking I’d still be doing it today…

This was the first post I ever did.

I’m new to this whole arena, but thought I’d give it a try. I guess I fall in the “silent majority” as we have been deemed, I’ve never sought publicity, sued anyone for spilling my coffee, sure as hell ain’t a movie star; well, you get the drift…

I’m mid-50’s have a decent job, two decent kids trying hard to make their own way in the world today, and a lot of frustration with what is happening to the US of A. Being from the South, I hunt, fish, and shoot guns; so that immediately makes me one of those “rabid rednecks” to quote some out there. I did have a pickup, but it’s hard to park it where I work, so I drive a Pontiac… sure do miss the truck though… sigh…

As a retired military type, it really hurts to see the crap we are putting the folks in service through today. I lived through that in Vietnam, and I take the time to thank every Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine for their service when I get the chance. Most of the kids (I’m Southern so I can say that) are doing the best they can with what they have. They believe in the job they and others are doing in the Sandbox, and are pretty upset by the media coverage they get.

Anyway, I’m going to try this for a while and see what happens… thanks for reading and commenting…

Old NFO

Sadly, things really haven’t gotten all that much better over the years. No question we’ve seen ups and downs, but the hate and discontent today is scary.

Since I started, 4,350 posts, over 60,000 comments, over 6,000,000 views so far… Honestly I’m amazed that y’all have put up with my brain drippings that long! 😀

Thank you to my loyal readers, and thank you for your support and comments!

 

Random musings…

Posted on by May 5, 2019

This weekend once again proved that our ‘tribe’ is a bit different… LOL

From education, or lack thereof, to water law, to irrigation, to cattle, to writing, to Germany and pictures of 13th century houses/hotels, to pay scales, to ‘values’ of paramedics and LEOs compared to trash contractors (who are usually better paid than either of the other groups), to cooking steaks, varieties of cast iron, to writing short stories on spec, or when requested, and on and on…

And those were just a FEW of the conversations I caught bits and pieces of, while another group was clustered between the kitchen and the den, and I know they were talking construction, old vs. new, and refurbishing a home into a B&B, cars, car repairs, plus who knows what else.

The other interesting thing is that we can agree to disagree and NOT get angry at others for different beliefs/ideas because we actually LISTEN to what others say. I don’t think I saw a single person on their cell phone other than taking or making a call the entire weekend! Of course most of us grew up without those ‘conveniences’, so that doesn’t really bother most of us. The young lady that came with her parents was included in the ‘adult’ conversations, and we came away thinking she is one SMART young lady, who can hold her own, and has a good head on her shoulders (credit her and her parents for that).

People drifted from group to group of conversations, munching on the food and, most importantly, cleaning up after themselves! THANK YOU THANK YOU…

I think we were all recharged by the weekend, or at least I will be when I get some sleep, and I think Peter enjoyed it, all things considered, so we’re calling it a win.

Now if will just stop raining long enough for me to get the @#$(%*# yard mowed… sigh…

Party…

Posted on by May 4, 2019

We did a little party for Peter Grant (Bayou Renaissance Man) to celebrate his FINALLY becoming an American citizen after nine long years of slogging through the system!

There was food, there were drinks, and about 20 folks showed up from various places. As usual with the usual suspects, the conversations veered widely across the spectrum of military, government, writing, and many other topics as various people dropped in and out of the conversations…

And we gave him a little something to remember the day! 🙂

Thanks to those who came from out of town, and who helped put this together!

 

 

For want of a nail…

Posted on by May 1, 2019

It’s an electronic one, but still…

A key tool in the U.S. Navy’s fight against Russian and Chinese submarines weighs eight pounds, is three feet long and it doesn’t even explode.

The sonobuoy is an expendable, waterborne sensor that has been air-dropped by the hundreds to detect enemy subs, a go-to capability for America and its allies for decades. The Pentagon wants to buy 204,000 sonobuoys in its fiscal 2020 budget request, a 50 percent spending increase over 2018.

While this might seem to be pretty trivial, it’s not! The joint company that currently makes sonobuoys is in deep trouble, and probably will not be able to deliver on the order.

Full article, HERE.

I can honestly say we’ve dropped millions of sonobuoys over the years, and they were and are the primary means to locate submarines. Without them, we’ll be pissing in the wind… This is yet another fallout of the military sequestration under Obama. They cut the orders back to minimums, which didn’t allow the companies to upgrade and keep top employees.

Sigh…

TBT…

Posted on by May 2, 2019

Hard to believe this was nine years ago…

Some pics from a ‘business’ trip to Sicily.

The obligatory shot of Mt. Etna… and it wasn’t trying to erupt! Yay!

The castle town of Motta… NARROW streets, as in ONE chariot wide…

The Greek theater at Sircusa, still used on occasion.

And about a hundred yards away, a Roman amphitheater, built using the marble from the Greek theater above. Bonus points if you know who died in Sircusa in 212 BC, and when the amphitheater was built.

This Greek theater is in Taromina, and you can see Mt. Etna in the background. It too is still used, they had done a Greek play the week before we were there. You can also see the coastline to the left of the picture.

And another view from Taromina, looking out over the Mediterranean.

Hard to believe the first time I was there was 1978… Lots of changes on the base over the years, out in ‘town’, not so much… 🙂 Most of the towns have ‘only’ been there a thousand years or longer…

One ‘interesting’ tidbit, there was an actual archeological dig going on at a trash dump outside Catania, as people have been dumping stuff there for almost 2000 years!!!

Answers to the earlier questions below the fold. Continue reading →

Posted in TBT

Book Promo…

Posted on by April 30, 2019

Living on the dry line is SUCH fun… Thunder and lightning, and rain, oh my!

So you get next week’s book promo early, since I already had it done.

Click on the covers to go to the books.

NASA Mission AS-506 Apollo 11 Owners’ Workshop Manual

The blurb-

On 20 July 1969, US astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon. NASA Mission AS-506 Apollo 11 Owners’ Workshop Manual is the story of the Apollo 11 mission and the ‘space hardware’ that made it all possible. This manual looks at the evolution and design of the mighty Saturn V rocket, the Command and Service Modules, and the Lunar Module. It describes the space suits worn by the crew and their special life support and communications systems. We learn about how the Apollo 11 mission was flown – from launch procedures to ‘flying’ the Saturn V and the ‘LEM’, and from moon walking to the earth re-entry procedure. This new edition of the book celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

This book has a lot of background/technical info on both NASA and the Apollo missions. Highly recommended if you’re old enough to remember them!

And second, A Dance with Death: Soviet Airwomen in WWII by Anne Noggle.

The blurb-

In their own vivid words, the women members of the Soviet air force recount their dramatic efforts against the German forces in World War II. These brave women, the first ever to fly in combat, proved that women could be among the best of warriors, withstanding the rigors of combat and downing the enemy. 

The women who tell their stories here began the war mostly as inexperienced girls—many of them teenagers. In support of their homeland, they volunteered to serve as bomber and fighter pilots, navigator-bombardiers, gunners, and support crews. Flying against the Luftwaffe, they saw many of their friends—as well as many of their foes—fall to earth in flames. Their three combat Air Force regiments fought as many as one thousand missions during the war.

For their heroism and success against the enemy, two of the women’s regiments were honored by designation as “Guard” regiments. At least thirty women were decorated with the gold star of Hero of the Soviet Union, their nation’s highest award.

But equally courageous were the women’s efforts to show the Red Army that they were entirely adequate to the great role they sought. For even though Stalin had decreed equality for both sexes, the women had to grapple initially with deep distrust from male pilots and Red Army officers, against whom they eventually prevailed.

War, Stalin-era politics, and human emotion mix in these gripping, first-person accounts. Supported by photographs of the women at war, the stories are unforgettable. Portraits of the women as they are now, taken by award-winning photographer Anne Noggle, add the perspective of time to the experiences of the survivors of this great dance with death.

Both fascinating and horrifying at the same time, it truly shows that women CAN do anything they set their minds to.

h/t to Guy and Stretch for the recommendations!

Book Promo…

Posted on by April 30, 2019

Brigid Johnson has a new book out- True Course: Lessons from a life aloft.

I was honored to be a beta reader for it, and I will tell you it’s damn good! The kindle version should be available shortly.

As always, click on the cover to go to the book!

The blurb-

From award-winning, best-selling author Brigid Johnson comes the tale of how one woman’s life in the sky forged an unforgettable destiny. Raised in a small factory town in the 1960s, when aviation was predominantly a male profession, with parents who didn’t support her ambitions, Brigid nevertheless learned to fly. Hers was a busy life of setting limits and learning philosophies of growth and risk well beyond her years, even as she juggled two jobs, college, and a rescue Siberian husky whose wandering spirit put her own to shame. From first solo to an airline career, and finally a decision to hang up her wings for another profession when her elderly father needed her care, Brigid captures with understanding, humor, and grace the moments that change the path of our lives. With lyrical expression of her love for flight, she writes old and new stories of family, adventure, and the thrill of taking to the sky. True Course is more than a memoir or a story of the lure of aviation-it’s a story of learning to let the spirit soar and unfurling the wings of personal freedom, an inspiration to adventurers everywhere.

Next up, Peter Nealen’s first in the new series, Escalation- Maelstrom Rising.

The blurb-

A Storm is About to Break…

The mission was straightforward enough. Infiltrate civil-war-torn Slovakia, rescue the hostage, then get out undetected.

Except that it’s not Matt Bowen’s first rodeo. He and his teammates know well just how badly things can go once the metal meets the meat.

But even these hardened combat veterans aren’t ready for what’s about to go down…

A coordinated surprise attack. Massacres in the countryside. The next world war might have just kicked off, in a storm of blood, fire, and betrayal.

Read the visceral, hard-hitting action thriller that will leave your ears ringing!

Peter writes from the grunt’s eye view, and has the background to make it work! He also does his research, and his running and gunning are on the money.

You won’t go wrong with either of these!