Typical AVG Odds is a painting by Alaskan Artist Terry Pyles. His website is HERE.
He’s a photorealistic painter, and all his work is excellent!
Thanks to Hunter for the link, and always happy to feature an American artist!
A paraprosdokian is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence is unexpected and oft times very humorous.
If I had a dollar for every girl that found me unattractive, they’d eventually find me attractive.
I find it ironic that the colors red, white, and blue stand for freedom, until they’re flashing behind you.
Today a man knocked on my door and asked for a small donation towards the local swimming pool, so I gave him a glass of water.
Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity. I
I’m great at multi-tasking — I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at once .
If you can smile when things go wrong, you have someone in mind to blame.
Take my advice — I’m not using it.
My wife and I were happy for twenty years; then we met .
Hospitality is the art of making guests feel like they’re at home when you wish they were.
Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes.
Ever stop to think and forget to start again?
Women spend more time wondering what men are thinking than men spend thinking.
He who laughs last thinks slowest.
Is it wrong that only one company makes the game Monopoly?
Women sometimes make fools of men, but most guys are the do-it-yourself type.
I was going to give him a nasty look, but he already had one.
Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
I was going to wear my camouflage shirt today, but I couldn’t find it.
If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving is not for you.
Sometimes I wake up grumpy; other times I let her sleep.
If tomatoes are technically a fruit, is ketchup a smoothie?
Money is the root of all wealth.
No matter how much you push the envelope, it’ll still be stationery.
It’s time for the Littoral Combat Ship, better known in the Navy as the Little Crappy Ship to be a thing of the past…
The Yemeni rebel’s attack on the MV Swift last week should be making people stop and think…
This is the result of ONE outdated missile C-802 hitting the Swift.
OBTW, the Swift is aluminum, as are all the LCS… Full article HERE, death toll was 22, probably the entire crew aboard.
As originally conceptualized by CNO Clark, it was supposed to replace 30 FFG-7 Oliver Hazard Perry Class frigates, 14 MCM Avenger Class mine countermeasures vessels, and 12 MHC-51 Osprey Class coastal mine hunters. Those were/are three VERY distinct mission sets…
Navy Fact Sheet, HERE. Wiki HERE. Global Security.org, HERE.
And the ship had to be able to do 40-50kts in a ‘standard’ sea state…
It was also supposed to be minimally manned, as all the damage control and operational systems were to be computerized and all the ‘crew’ needed to do was watch the systems perform. Originally the concept was 75 total crew, including an aviation det and a ‘mission package’ det. Bottom line was around 40 bodies to actually run the ship itself…
The FFG it replace was ‘minimally manned’ at 176 personnel for comparison.
And due to the complexity, no junior sailors would be given orders. E-5 was the minimum rank required…
Then there were the mission modules- ASW, Mine Warfare and Surface Attack. Supposedly changeable in 96 hours or less…
In 2012 report by Rear Admiral Samuel Perez, faulted the ships for both manpower and firepower necessary to actually complete their missions and they were potentially a problem in the small waterways and harbors they could be expected to operate in (Of note, then Captain Sam Perez was the Commodore of DESRON 15 out of Yokosuka, and definitely knew what he was talking about).
Yeah, right…
Oh yeah, and crew survivability??? Well, they were supposed to take a hit and allow the crew to abandon ship.
There have been problems with basic operation of the ships from the start- Blue screens of death (ship going DIW), maintenance issues (maintenance crews are shore based), equipment failures, etc. Defense Industry Daily has a good article, HERE on the whole program.
Last week, one of the LCS got a cracked hull trying to get out of Mayport ahead of Hurricane Matthew, so they went to sea patching a hole in the boat… Article HERE.
Problems continued to surface with the crews, even after the expansion to 60 personnel. This requires three-four crews to adequately man/fight the ship, as the crews have to rotate out every 4-5 months (supposedly) for ‘crew rest’ and retraining. This was, believe it or not, an improvement from the original manning concept and length of time the crew could actually manage the ship without running the crew into the ground.
So they moved the mission from littoral to ‘offshore’ with the CSG, but if the LCS runs at speed, it also means it needs to fuel up about every three days… There aren’t enough tankers to go around and meet that requirements.
I could go on, but my BP is about peaked now… IMHO, the Navy needs to stop throwing good money after bad, kill the whole program and go back to the DDG-51 Arleigh Burke class before we lose a bunch of sailors needlessly. The DDGs work, have a proven track record, and can and are being updated…
Just my $.02 worth (I really wish they still had the cents symbol)… Sigh
The US Navy is 241 years old today..
101021-N-7642M-164
BOSTON (Oct. 21, 2010) USS Constitution fires a 21-gun salute toward Fort Independence on Castle Island during an underway to celebrate the 213th launching day anniversary of the ship. Constitution is the worldÕs oldest commissioned warship afloat. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kathryn E. Macdonald/Released)
Sadly, it seems 241 years of tradition have pretty much been destroyed in the last 8 years by the current administration’s use of the military as a social justice experiment…
And the latest insult to the Navy is doing away with ‘ratings’ per se, now people will just be addressed by Petty Officer XXX and no rating identified. I wonder what’s next? Taking away designation badges? Aircrew badges? Pilot/NFO/jump wings? Budweisers???
Sigh…
Well Seasoned Fool’s post, HERE reminded me a friend had sent me some pictures of trains and cars/trucks that had been staged for ‘back in the day’ type photography…
2-8-0 #43 Nevada Northern, Ely , Nevada . New Hope & Ivyland at New Hope
King Road in Owosso , Michigan , Pere Marquette 1225, a 2-8-4 Berkshire, pours it on with a freight from history next to a Ford Model A pickup recreating a scene from the good old days.
Southern 2-8-0 #610 at Rock Spring , Georgia (Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum)
Heber City, Utah. Union Pacific 2-8-0 #618 and a 1953 Buick Super. 
Heber City, Utah. Union Pacific 2-8-0 #618 and a 1953 Chevy pickup. 
These came from a retired Navy Chief who is a train nut… Beautiful, and evocative of a time of ‘elegance’ in railroad travel (at least for the US)…
h/t Chief
With Abbott and Costello…
COSTELLO: I want to talk about the unemployment rate in America .
ABBOTT: Good Subject. Terrible Times. It’s 5.6%.
COSTELLO: That many people are out of work?
ABBOTT: No, that’s 23%.
COSTELLO: You just said 5.6%.
ABBOTT: 5.6% Unemployed.
COSTELLO: Right 5.6% out of work.
ABBOTT: No, that’s 23%.
COSTELLO: Okay, so it’s 23% unemployed.
ABBOTT: No, that’s 5.6%.
COSTELLO: WAIT A MINUTE. Is it 5.6% or 23%?
ABBOTT: 5.6% are unemployed. 23% are out of work.
COSTELLO: If you are out of work you are unemployed.
ABBOTT: No, Obama said you can’t count the “Out of Work” as the unemployed. You have to look for work to be unemployed.
COSTELLO: BUT THEY ARE OUT OF WORK!!!
ABBOTT: No, you miss his point.
COSTELLO: What point?
BOTT: Someone who doesn’t look for work can’t be counted with those who look for work. It wouldn’t be fair.
COSTELLO: To whom?
ABBOTT: The unemployed.
COSTELLO: But ALL of them are out of work.
ABBOTT:No, the unemployed are actively looking for work.
Those who are out of work gave up looking and if you give up, you are no longer in the ranks of the unemployed.
COSTELLO: So if you’re off the unemployment roles that would count as less unemployment?
ABBOTT: Unemployment would go down. Absolutely!
COSTELLO: The unemployment just goes down because you don’t look for work?
ABBOTT: Absolutely it goes down. That’s how it gets to 5.6%. Otherwise it would be 23%.
COSTELLO: Wait, I got a question for you. That means there are two ways to bringdown the unemployment number?
ABBOTT: Two ways is correct.
COSTELLO: Unemployment can go down if someone gets a job?
ABBOTT: Correct.
COSTELLO: And unemployment can also go down if you stop looking for a job?
ABBOTT: Bingo.
COSTELLO: So there are two ways to bring unemployment down, and the easier of the two is to have people stop looking for work.
ABBOTT: Now you’re thinking like a Democrat.
COSTELLO: I don’t even know what the hell I just said!
ABBOTT: Now you’re thinking like Hillary
Whomever did this is absolutely brilliant!!!
I wonder how much if this is true???
Veteran FBI agents say FBI Director James Comey has permanently damaged the bureau’s reputation for uncompromising investigations with his “cowardly” whitewash of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s mishandling of classified information using an unauthorized private email server.
Full article at the NY Post, HERE.
On the other hand, it appears the NY Times posted the entire transcript of the Trump/Bush tape word for word on page 1. It’s funny to see all the MSM trying to say this is abhorrent behavior, NO men talk like this… What little I heard, it sounds more like typical locker room bragging…
I’m glad I didn’t have access to the debate, so I didn’t have to listen to the BS that seems to have occurred…
It also appears that ‘more’ Hollyweird types have pitched in on how bad Trump is… Guess they’ve paid for Hillary, so they want to play reindeer games with her in the White House…
My question is, does anybody really give a crap about what some dancing monkey in Hollyweird says? What are their REAL qualifications to speak on anything? The fact that they can memorize lines and vomit them verbatim and get paid for it???
I would highly recommend you go read this article by Mr. Angelo Codevilla, called After the Republic, HERE…
All we know is the choice that faces us at this stage: either America continues in the same direction, but faster and without restraint, or there’s the hazy possibility of something else… Sigh…
Kicking the soapbox back in the corner and looking for the BP meds…
Must come to an end… Sigh
Our annual gathering has once again come to an end.
Refreshed in mind, if not body, it’s time to rejoin the mass of humanity.
Three days of no TV, no internet and turning $$$ into smoke and noise with good friends from all over the country make for a special time.
Thanks to all!!!
Preserving Aviation History on canvas is Roy Grinnell’s forte’ and it has brought him worldwide recognition as an aviation artist of the highest caliber. Roy’s documentation of aerial combat events has given him the honor of being the official artist of the American Fighter Aces Association. Over the years, Roy has painted over 28 original oil paintings for the American Fighter Aces Association depicting combat missions of the top American Aces of WW1, WW11, Korean War and the Vietnam War. These Aces include WW1 Aces George Vaughn, Douglas Campbell and Ray Brooks, WW11 Aces including Tex Hill, Joe Foss, Gabby Gabreski, Marion Carl, Rex Barber, Alex Vraciu, Chuck Yeager, Chuck Older, Robert L. Scott, Korean War Aces Boots Blesse and Guy Bordelon, and Vietnam War Ace Steve Ritchie. In 2004 at the American Fighter Aces Reunion in Seattle, Washington, Roy was made an “Honorary Ace.” Roy’s original oil paintings have been displayed at the Museum of Flight, Boeing Field, Seattle, Washington, in the Personal Courage Wing and the Dahlberg Research Center. His website is HERE.
The following has been circulating among the LEO community…..
I wonder how much of this is ‘humor’ and how much is a response to the ‘new’ NYPD leadership…
NEW MANDATED TRAINING AT THE BILL diLOUSEYO POLICE ACADEMY – BODY CAMERA AND USE OF FIREARM/DEADLY FORCE.
When confronted by a person with a gun you SHALL do the following:
1. Face the person with the gun.
2. Direct your body camera at the person. Stand very still.
3. Try to have your camera capture the person shooting at you.
4. Do not duck or turn away or the camera will not get the best shot.
5. After the suspect fires several shots at you, shout DROP THE GUN! several times as loud as you can. Use every non-lethal tool available before drawing your gun. Start with Pepper Spray, then go to your Taser. Work your way up the Force Ladder, always pausing to allow enough time for the suspect to surrender before taking the next step. If that doesn’t work, throw your baton as a last resort then try to shoot the gun out of his hand. If the suspect doesn’t stop shooting and apologize you may try a well-placed non-fatal shot to the leg. Should your shot accidentally kill the person there is a problem.
6. If you are still alive at this point call your attorney. Call your bank and refinance your home to pay the fees.
7. Keep in mind that you will never be promoted. You will be investigated by the attorney general, the FBI, local district attorney’s office and The Civil Rights Division of the Federal Government and other tax supported people. The ACLU, NAACP, BLM, the press, Sharpton and the very Reverend Jackson will comment and say you are a very bad person and all police need retraining.
8. Do not expect an invitation to the White House for a beer.
9. If allowed to remain on the job during the minimum two year investigation you will be assigned to a desk or cleaning the restrooms at the station.
10. While waiting for trial, be sure to respond slowly to calls for help and assistance, back off at the first sign of trouble, do not stop obvious gang members or any minority person (all persons are a minority in this country), do not initiate any action on your own, pretend that you are blind if necessary, never remove your gun from the holster and always be very nice to those under the age of 18 no matter what physical threat or verbal abuse you may be subject to.
11. Remember, everything will be released to the press. You will receive hate mail at your home and for the safety of your family you must move them (preferably out of state) pending your trial.
12. If fired, consider becoming trans-gendered and registering as a Democrat.
And the latest from NRA Media-
Bottom line, SCOTUS and 2A are on the line…