Some sequestration ‘humor’…

Posted on by July 15, 2013

A random selection of various ‘humorous’ out of office email responses from various locations…

1. I’m currently out of the office on furlough. If you don’t understand what this means, please go to your bank, take out 20% of your last paycheck and burn it….

2. I’m currently out of the office on furlough. I will be sitting at home sipping on Jose Cuervo, because it’s at least 20% cheaper than the good tequila.

3. I am currently out of the office on furlough. I am not allowed to do any work that would be related to my job. However if you need some manual labor, you may find me at Home Depot parking lot. Strong back, work cheap, se habla español.

4. I am currently out of the office on furlough. I have incredibly easy access to a phone and email, but I assure you, I cannot & will not use it for work purposes.

5. I am currently on furlough, and now care 20% less that I am not available to respond.

6. I am currently on furlough, but appreciate the solidarity of congress members for their support. Rep. John Bohener has announced he will now reduce his use of spray-on tan so he will be 20% less orange.  In solidarity, I will cry 20% more.

7. I am sorry, I am currently out of the office on furlough, which has Reduced all DoD resources by 20%. For further information, plea….

8. I’m on furlough, which means I am not getting paid. Bite me.

9. I am currently out of the office on furlough. You cannot contact me, that is illegal.

10. I am currently out of office on furlough. 20% of all incoming messages will automatically be deleted.

11. I am currently out of office on furlough. Enjoy your reduction in government provided services.

12. I am currently out of office on furlough. If you need to contact me I’ll be on the corner of K and 10th with the DFAS coffee cup, panhandling.

13. I am currently out of office on furlough. Since I am not being paid, please contact someone who is.

14. I am currently out of office on furlough (defined in the government Thesaurus as being on vacation or the government dictionary as having been laid off). If you need assistance contact a government contractor or military person who is still working and being paid for it.

15. I am currently on furlough and prohibited by law from checking my e-mail, so you will not get a response to this message. As opposed to when I am not on furlough, and am just ignoring you.

16. Hello, I am currently out of the office on furlough. I would ask you to contact my boss or his/her boss for assistance, but they are out on furlough too.

17. I am currently out of office on furlough. It is forced time off without pay. Please contact Congress for assistance. They are actually not working, but still getting paid for it.

18. Hello, I am currently out of the office on furlough. Please contact CNN for assistance. They know all of the solutions and answers, but no one listens.

19. I am currently on furlough, since it is illegal for me to answer email, I’m made a rule so all incoming email today goes directly to my Deleted Items folder.

The impacts (at least on the Navy) are pretty significant from the folks I’m talking to… And will only get worse apparently since there is another $52B cut coming in FY-14 along with the probability of mandatory furloughs continuing next year.

Air Force One…

Posted on by July 14, 2013

Over the mil-email chain I got this one this morning, hadn’t seen it in a while, but it’s worth watching…

Caution, it IS an hour long, but it’s extremely well done by NATGEO.

Once again, we see the Air Force personnel (and many others), who work behind the scenes to make sure the bird DOES represent the USA well. Also some nice history pieces spread throughout.

And you’re right, I’m staying away from all the crap out there today… Needed a little positive pick me up!

Range time…

Posted on by July 14, 2013

I decided to wimp out today, rather than driving all the way out to the outdoor range, I just went over to NRA.

It was PACKED!!! Waited 45 minutes for a lane, and as expected the conversation was revolving around the Zimmerman verdict and it’s impact.  One of the more interesting comments was from a younger black couple (both CCW’ing), who said it was totally hosed up. Martin was a wanna be thug, and as far as they were concerned the jury was right; and that if the left kept pursuing it, there would be a bigger divide than any of us could overcome. The lady commented on the death toll in Chicago and Baltimore and wondered where the outrage on the left was for ‘those’ deaths.  Nobody had a good answer for that one…

Soooo, shooting…

50 round of 22/45 to warm up, trying to get some kind of rhythm going and actually start hitting where I ‘thought’ I was aiming, and getting the front sight/trigger press to start being a functional component of my shooting again.

Worked through the 1911 (little over a half a box), 25 rounds of .38 through the Python, 12 rounds through the Kahr (monthly cycle of ammo and mags) of draw/fire 2 rounds at a time, then another 10 rounds because I was not as accurate as I should be with it (no idea where the other box of 9mm disappeared to).  25 rounds through the Mustang, and another 25 rounds of  22/45 to end the day.  By the time I quit, the groups were finally coming back down and the front sight/press was second nature again.  Drawing from under a button down shirt compared to a polo shirt is a good bit different due to the materials used, and the way they react and bunch up when you grab them.  I need to practice that and dry fire more at home…

I wish they did allow pics at the NRA, as there was a truly cute little girl shooting a zebra striped pink AR in 22…  And the dad’s patience and the mother’s big smile were great!!!

Got back and did the clean everything routine, which pretty much killed the rest of the day.  But like any other tool, they DO need to cleaned/maintained properly if they are going to be reliable (and actually I’m two weeks behind on the carry pistols) and cycling the mags from the bag to the carry pistol.

Which does bring up a thought, how many magazines do most folks keep for each pistol?

For all but the BHP, I have at least six mags and am constantly on the lookout for more in most cases.  My issue is that I only want OEM or quality (Wilson/Brown/C&S or that caliber) spare mags. I think I’ve got probably 16 mags for the Glock 17, but I bought all those years ago and have rejuvenated them at least a couple of times (keepers/followers/springs).

OBTW, if anybody happens to have any ‘extra’ BHP mags, I’ll gladly take them off your hands… Just sayin… 🙂

Zimmerman not guilty…

Posted on by July 14, 2013

It is interesting to watch this play out in the media, the WAPO above the fold headline this morning was “Fla. man freed in Martin killing” with a subhead of Zimmerman is found not guilty.

There were riots in Oakland, CA over the acquittal, but that seems to be about it…

Now the ‘spin’ is the amorphous “they” (Jackson, Sharpton, the NAACP and other hate mongers) want the DOJ to investigate Zimmerman for racial profiling, and civil rights violations against Martin. However, DOJ is tainted with the revelations of the CRS participation in the protests in Sanford, FL.

What “I” find ironic is that if this had been white on white, or black on black, or hispanic on hispanic or any combination that didn’t involve a black victim and an other race shooter, this case would most probably have never risen to a chargeable offense…  And of course the “theys” out there are blaming the fact that the jury didn’t have any blacks and “they” weren’t properly represented (actual facts be damned once again)…

And the real kicker was this last night…

State Attorney Angela Corey said after the verdict that she believed second-degree murder was the appropriate charge because Zimmerman’s mindset “fit the bill of second-degree murder.”

The sad fact is that a young man was shot and killed, but the bottom line is the FACTS never supported either a racial profiling, or Zimmerman doing anything that ANY neighborhood patrol wouldn’t do; especially with an unknown person wandering through the neighborhood in the rain when there had already been a spate of robberies in that neighborhood.  When you take all the social media and social commentary out of the mix, the evidence never proved that Zimmerman was out there with malice aforethought and the intent to shoot anyone.  I was going to write a long post on this, but I’d just point you to Peter at BRM, he does an outstanding job with THIS post of laying out all the issues and options.

Peter raises a host of excellent points, and the whole article bears reading and thoughtful contemplation…

Edit- And now Harry Reid (spit) has apparently chimed in that Zimmerman should be further prosecuted… WTF???

Ode to old age…

Posted on by July 13, 2013

As I was lying around, pondering the problems of the world, I realized that at my age I don’t really give a hoot anymore.

If walking is good for your health, the postman would be immortal.

A whale swims all day, only eats fish, drinks water, but is still fat.

A rabbit runs and hops and only lives 15 years, while a tortoise doesn’t run and does mostly nothing, yet it lives for 150 years.

And you tell me to exercise?? I don’t think so.

Just grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked, the good fortune to remember the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference.

Now that I’m older here’s what I’ve discovered:

1. I started out with nothing, and I still have most of it.

2. My wild oats are mostly enjoyed with prunes and all-bran.

3. I finally got my head together, and now my body is falling apart.

4. Funny, I don’t remember being absent-minded.

5. Funny, I don’t remember being absent-minded.

6. If all is not lost, then where the heck is it ?

7. It was a whole lot easier to get older, than to get wiser.

8. Some days, you’re the top dog; some days you’re the hydrant.

9. I wish the buck really did stop here; I sure could use a few of them.

10. Kids in the back seat cause accidents.

11. Accidents in the back seat cause kids.

12. It’s hard to make a comeback when you haven’t been anywhere.

13. The world only beats a path to your door when you’re in the bathroom.

14. If God wanted me to touch my toes, he’d have put them on my knees.

15. When I’m finally holding all the right cards, everyone wants to play chess.

16. It’s not hard to meet expenses . . . they’re everywhere.

17. The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.

18. These days, I spend a lot of time thinking about the hereafter . . .I go somewhere to get something, and then wonder what I’m “here after”.

19. Funny, I don’t remember being absent-minded.

20. HAVE I SENT THIS MESSAGE TO YOU BEFORE???

h/t ummm, errr, oh yeah, Craig 🙂

Nightmares are no more, 69 years of service has ended…

Posted on by July 13, 2013

Hand Salute!

VMA-513_insignia present

After nearly seven decades of service, Marine Attack Squadron 513 (VMA-513) was officially deactivated during a ceremony Friday morning at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.

/snip/

“Some would say it is a sad day,” Smith said. “I choose to believe it is a proud day, a day where we all get to pay homage to the unit that will forever maintain its honor and winning record – having kicked butt in almost every major war and conflict for the last 69 years.”

/snip/

The squadron’s nickname, “Flying Nightmares,” was coined by Lt. Col. James Anderson, the unit’s Commanding Officer, during the Korean War. Anderson thought the moniker was appropriate because during March 1951 the squadron’s 15 F7F Tigercats and 15 F4U-5N Corsairs provided the sole night fighter air defense and interdiction support for all the U.N. forces at war on the Korean peninsula. 

Just before the escalation of the Vietnam War, the squadron received the F-4 Phantom II jet fighter and was re-designated VMFA-513, a fighter attack squadron. In June 1965, the Nightmares were sent to Vietnam for five months of combat. In August 1965, the unit supported the 7th Marine Regiment during Operation Starlite, the first major American operation of the war.

The colors were struck, cased and along with other historical memorabilia from VMA-513, will be packed up and sent to the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Va.

Read the whole article HERE.  You can also go read the squadron history HERE.

Ready, Two!

They did good and went out on top.  Can’t ask much more than that…

h/t JP

Zero Tolerance in the Navy…

Posted on by July 12, 2013

Former Secretary Lehman (also ex A-6 BN), hits all the key points…

The bottom line???

Those old attributes of naval leaders ­ willingness to take intelligent calculated risk, self-confidence, even a certain swagger ­ that are invaluable in wartime are the very ones that make them particularly vulnerable in today’s zero-tolerance Navy. The political correctness thought-police, like Inspector Javert in “Les Misérables,” are out to get them and are relentless

A new naval culture of risk aversion has been created. Men and women with the potential of great naval leadership are not the type to accept such an environment, and they are leaving in numbers that will set records when the economy recovers.

Go HERE and read the entire article…

In the military today, time is the commodity and risk is the currency…  And “I” for one am afraid they are spending the currency faster than it’s being ameliorated…

Some ‘real’ Navy Leaders…

Nimitz, Halsey, King. None of these gents would have ever made it past LCDR in today’s PC Navy…

Quotes from the week…

Posted on by July 12, 2013

Finally back home and CONNECTIVITY…. sigh…

Week of meetings- Random quotes and ‘overheard’ statements…

“I wonder where my hatchet is?” after an hour of circling a question and then a decision to ‘table’ the question…

“It’s $300 every six months. Yeah, $800 a year sounds about right.  Whut???”

“Is he going to be disappointed?  Dunno, don’t care; he’s my boss, not my Daddy.”

“My guys are clueless.”  “The girls?” “NOT going there…”

“I’m not prepared to die on ‘that’ hill today!”

“We’re going on an anniversary trip too.”  “When is that?” “I dunno…”

“If they could just make veggies out of beef…” Two women talking about dieting during a break.

ONLY good thing about the week?

I got to have lunch with Navy One and Lil’ Chantilly!!! That made the whole trip worth it! Great folks and a very pleasant interlude in an otherwise PITA week.

WTF, AGAIN???

Posted on by July 11, 2013
Apparently from an interview in Africa…
AP reporter Ramona Darlington, who attended the conference asked President Obama to explain what the profile of an American domestic terrorists is? Obama responded by saying,“Typically domestic terrorists in the U.S. are people who cling to obsolete beliefs from the time of the American Revolution. They are conservative Christians, reactionary Republicans and conspiracy theorists many of whom belong to racist hate groups.”

“Tea Partiers commonly own guns and stock up ammunition and food in anticipation of starting another civil war to overthrow the will of the governing body who represent all of the American people. We are prepared for any contingency and don’t expect to see any kind of large insurrection. Americans are capitalists who are much more interested in seeing America move forward. These terrorists groups are small in size and really present little danger,” the President added.

Anybody have a clue as to the veracity of these comments???  If they are true, puts a LOT of what’s been happening in context… Just sayin…

They did it, er… IT did it…

Posted on by July 10, 2013

X-47B first arrested landing on USS GHW BUSH…

Lots more work to do, including “Blue Water” ops, e.g. really crappy weather, etc…

But good for them!

An now a blast from the past…

Well, actually two…  This is the full Discovery program on Top Gun (44 minutes)