Especially if he works for Boeing…
OR, just put some cameras on it and fly it over the neighborhood 🙂
h/t JP
Especially if he works for Boeing…
Especially if he works for Boeing…
Senator Tom Coburn from Oklahoma has just released Wastebook 2011, detailing the (at least) $6.5B in waste just this year…
The one that REALLY chaps my ass is the $35M for the conventions, whyinhell, if the parties are getting all these @#& donations, are WE having to pay for their conventions???
The one that REALLY chaps my ass is the $35M for the conventions, whyinhell, if the parties are getting all these @#& donations, are WE having to pay for their conventions???
Examples of wasteful spending highlighted in “Wastebook 2011” include:
• $75,000 to promote awareness about the role Michigan plays in producing Christmas trees & poinsettias. (Yeah, right…)
• $15.3 million for one of the infamous Bridges to Nowhere in Alaska. (WTF?)
• $113,227 for video game preservation center in New York. (Why?)
• $550,000 for a documentary about how rock music contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union. (Yeah, right…)
• $48,700 for 2nd annual Hawaii Chocolate Festival, to promote Hawaii’s chocolate industry. (WTF?)
• $350,000 to support an International Art Exhibition in Venice, Italy. (Why?)
• $10 million for a remake of “Sesame Street” for Pakistan. (Why again?)
• $35 million allocated for political party conventions in 2012. (YGTBSM!)
• $765,828 to subsidize “pancakes for yuppies” in the nation’s capital. (Dems Pandering to the Base?)
• $764,825 to study how college students use mobile devices for social networking. (Dems Pandering to the Base?)
And in the mean time, the Super-committee fell on it’s ass, so now we will see massive cuts in the military to pay for entitlements while our military and defense gets cut to the bone…
And the Obamallama and family will spend in the neighborhood of $5M on their 17 day vacation, since they traveled separately, and have changed locations, and are putting their entourages up in high end hotels (which don’t have government rate rooms enough for everyone)…
My mantra for 2012 is Re-Elect = NONEÂ
As far as I’m concerned, we need to get rid of every damn one of those congresscritters, impose term limits and start over… Â
It’s no longer funny, we ARE becoming a second tier, if not third tier country in just a few short years; all due to partisanship on BOTH sides of the isle and congresscritters that simply don’t give a shit about either the people OR the country, they ONLY care about lining their own pockets…
Just can’t seem to get in the mood this year, I’m guessing it’s at least partially because Christmas lights and palm trees just don’t work too well…
And the 250+ lb Hawaiian serving the Kailua pig, even if he IS wearing a Hawaiian Christmas shirt and Santa hat, just ain’t gettin it… Â And the kid surfing in the Santa suit? Â All I can say is I hope he doesn’t fall, he’ll drown in that outfit…
But I DID find a good stocking stuffer…
ONLY in Hawaii, single serving SPAM… Â LOL
And I was out and about WAY too early, because I kept waking up at 0600 DC time…. Â So, a sunrise Hawaiian style with an early arrival on final to 08 Right at Honolulu
And finally, on the way back to the airport, a double rainbow. Â Sorry for the lousy resolution, but it was REALLY a bright double and very visible to the naked eye!
So things ARE looking up… 🙂Â
And for those who believe, a ‘digital’ Christmas story HEREÂ Â
If you and yours are travelling for the holidays, I wish each and everyone a safe trip and a whole lot of patience!!!
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy (insert your greeting of choice here)!!!
Road tripping (and falling) yet again… sigh…
Work all day, fly half way to location, sleep a couple of hours, get up, back to airport, fly to location, go to meetings, try to go to next meeting only to find out the car you’ve been rented has EXPIRED plates… Â Miss meeting… Â Sigh…
The more interesting part were two ladies, one on each flight that are worth comparing…
First flight, former supermodel (name withheld to protect the guilty). Â Pushed her way to the front of the boarding line, like it was her ‘right’. Â Bitched, moaned, whined, and yapped to seatmate the ENTIRE flight. Â Nothing was done right, she about wore out the flight attendant call button, it was ALL about her…
Second flight, elite female athlete (Triathlete). Â
Lady’s name is Shonny Vanlandingham, she is the XTERRA Triathlete 2011 female champion, very personable, very smart and VERY intense! Â If you’ve ever had the chance to actually talk to one of these folks, they are literally on a different plane (both mentally and athletically) than the rest of us.
She is recovering from an ACL injury, and I’m nothing short of amazed at the level of commitment, intensity, and confidence she exhibits. Â Also, the sheer mental and physical toughness to compete year after year at an elite level.Â
Also, her travel schedule and splitting time between Colorado (high altitude training), and Hawaii (base training), competing world-wide, in addition to being a late comer (29 to triathletics), just boggles the mind. Â Plus, she’s very knowledgeable about what is going on in the world, and very loyal to her sponsors (Loyalty? What a NOVEL concept)… Â
And at the same time, she was very humble and considers herself ‘lucky’ to be able to do something she loves and actually make a living at it…
But then she IS originally from Texas, has a very nice smile (and likes to shoot too)!
Of the two, Ms. Vanlandingham is a MUCH better role model and, to my mind, the much more impressive of the two…
APHORISMS-
1. The nicest thing about the future is . . . That it always starts tomorrow.
2. Money will buy a fine dog, but only kindness will make him wag his tail.
3. If you don’t have a sense of humor, you probably don’t have any sense at all.
4. Seat belts are not as confining as wheelchairs.
5. A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you’re in deep water.
6. How come it takes so little time for a child who is afraid of the dark to become a teenager who wants to stay out all night?
7. Business conventions are important . . . because they demonstrate how many people a company can operate without.
8. Why is it that at class reunions you feel younger than everyone else looks?
9. Scratch a cat . . . And you will have a permanent job.
10. No one has more driving ambition than the teenage boy who wants to buy a car.
11. There are no new sins; the old ones just get more publicity.
12. There are worse things than getting a call for a wrong number at 4 a.m. – like, it could be the right number.
13. No one ever says “It’s only a game” when their team is winning.
14. I’ve reached the age where ‘happy hour’ is a nap.
15. Be careful about reading the fine print . . . there’s no way you’re going to like it.
16. The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket.
17. Do you realize that, in about 40 years, we’ll have thousands of old ladies running around with tattoos? (And rap music will be the Golden Oldies!)
18. Money can’t buy happiness — but somehow it’s more comfortable to cry in a Cadillac than in a Yugo.
19. After 60, if you don’t wake up aching in every joint, you’re probably dead.
20. Always be yourself because the people that matter don’t mind . . . And the ones that mind don’t matter.
21. Life isn’t tied with a bow . . . But it’s still a gift.
“REMEMBER….POLITICIANS AND DIAPERS SHOULD BE CHANGED OFTEN AND FOR THE SAME REASON”.
And one more contrast on the Occupy crap…
Both pictures were taken on December the 7th of the respective years…
And HEREÂ is a link to a good post by Mike McDaniel over at Gun Values Board about women, shooting and gun ownership. Mike used to be one of the writers at Confederate Yankee…
And once again, the House has passed a bill to keep the government funded and extend payroll tax cuts, and sent it to the Senate, and SFB Reid says it’s DOA… At this point, I’d happily just tell them to shut the damn government down and ALL of them go home…
My mantra for 2012 is Re-Elect = NONE!!!
Survived another physical… sigh…
Why is it, you spend at least TWO hours shuffling from place to place within one building and still end up wasting at least an hour and a half just sitting???
Just for S&Gs I timed how long it actually took to get everything done today…
Log in- 30 sec
Wait-10 min
Nurse (BP, Temp, Weight, Pulse)- 2 min
Wait- 15 min
EKG- 7 minutes
Wait- 22 min
X-Ray- 4 minutes
Wait- 19 min
Lab work- 3 minutes
Wait- 29 min
Doctor- 8 minutes
Check out 30 sec
Sooooo… 95 minutes of waiting for 25 minutes of actually doing the things that are required for a physical (and I was the second one in the door)…
And I REALLY wish he’d take that damn ring off BEFORE the finger wave… sigh…
Oddly enough, he had a litho hanging on the wall titled “The Day They Made The Doctors Wait”
We had a little ‘discussion’ over that, and he was at least apologetic about the wait, which is more than I can say for most of em… He actually knocked the price down a bit too!
So bottom line, at least according to him I’m good to go-
   But I need a job with less stress…
   I need to take regular breaks and move around…
   He’s referring me for my neck/back problems…
   I need to stop drinking so much coffee…
   I need to eat better…
   I need to exercise more…
Sigh… Â At least I don’t need another colonoscopy (for at least 5 years)
Seriously folks, get a physical on a regular or semi-regular basis; it might just save your life!
This came over the transom via e-mail late this evening…
I believe this is BZ‘s Congressman, but in any case, I’m 1000% behind what he has to say…
By Buck McKeon…
In parks and city squares across the nation, America’s youth claim that they are “the 99 percent.” That is, the 99 percent of Americans the Occupy Wall Street group believes are struggling through economic hardships and inequality.Â
Their villain is the 1 percent — the purveyors of power who the movement holds accountable for our fiscal woes.
 As chairman of the Armed Services Committee, I support a somewhat different 1 percent. Despite ten years of war, we have been kept safe by 1 percent of Americans who have volunteered to wear the uniform, volunteered to stand a post and volunteered to keep us safe.Â
At a time when our nation faces such grave financial challenges and we debate vigorously over how to right our fiscal ship, we must remember that we are a nation at war, and that every day our troops leave the wire, walk long patrols across unforgiving terrain, keeping us free from harm, bearing hardships in the name of our flag and our freedom.
The deeds and actions of Occupy Wall Street boast household recognition. But how many households know Army Specialist Jesse Snow?Â
During a tough fight in Afghanistan, Snow crawled on his belly into withering enemy fire, dragging two of his wounded teammates back towards a friendly position using his body as a shield and giving his life to save his comrades.
How many know Capt. Ademola Fabayo, an immigrant from Nigeria who was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroic plunge into an intense firefight, in an attempt in vain to save four of his Marines?
Several months ago, I visited Fort Jackson, S.C., to watch 500 new recruits graduate from U.S. Army Basic training. They stood quietly and proudly at attention, with adoring families looking on, having volunteered to serve their nation during wartime. Eight of those young men and women were immigrants, earning their citizenship through their service. I am very proud that my granddaughter was among them.
They were among the 1 percent who volunteered to wear the uniform, so that the 99 percent can assemble and speak out free from fear of the draft. Â
 It is instructive to consider the stark differences between these two different youth movements.
The 99 percent argues its poverty using $300 smart phones. The 1 percent endures long hours, modest pay and the harshness of combat, but demands nothing. Â
 The 99 percent demands that the government pay back their student loans, often for expensive degrees in academic fields not adequate to compete in today’s tough employment market.Â
The 1 percent who wear the uniform enters into a social compact with the government, offering four years of wartime service in exchange for a GI Bill that will cover the cost of tuition at a state, not private, university. Some soldiers attend night classes after a full day of work, disrupting their education for long deployments to places like Iraq and Afghanistan.
The 99 percent insist that they be provided full benefits, retirement and health care, simply for being born a U.S. citizen.Â
But when Washington discussed cutting military benefits, retirement, and health care, the 1 percent in uniform sat quietly by, pressing on with their service and their sacrifices.
The 99 percent insists our enemies are internal, loudly lamenting their misfortune due the schemes of an ever-changing host of antagonists. But the 1 percent in uniform does not complain, does not lament, does not fall victim to self pity or doubt.Â
They quietly fight a real enemy, one that would do great harm and bring horrific violence to our fellow citizens if only afforded the opportunity.
Over the last several months, Washington has stalled over how to resolve America’s debt crisis. In this debate, some have set up a series of false choices, pretending that higher taxes and more domestic spending could make our nation prosperous again and that cuts to our military will not make us less safe.
In reality, the 1 percent in uniform have taken on an enormously tough job in an increasingly dangerous world, one they continue to perform though politicians in Washington threaten to cut their equipment and benefits dramatically.
I have made it my mission to ensure that these false choices are exposed and our obligations to those who serve — and those who have served before them — are met first.Â
This week, we learned that the committee formed for and charged with finding needed savings has failed to do its job, and now, unfortunately, America’s military is facing cuts that will devastate the armed forces and force us to break faith with service members. I do not accept that outcome.
Our military has already contributed nearly a half-trillion dollars to deficit reduction. Those who have given us so much, have nothing more to give.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said he doesn’t want to be the secretary who hollows out defense. Likewise, I will not be the armed services chairman who presides over crippling our military. I will not let these sequestration cuts stand. I will be introducing legislation in the coming days to prevent cuts that will do catastrophic damage to our men and women in uniform and our national security
We should not seek to disparage legitimate concerns about the tough economic hardships plaguing our nation. But nor should we look to this protest movement as a viable exponent of recovery or revitalization.
It is the 1 percent, not the 99 percent, that will bring its integrity and its character into law, government and business and spread it to all corners of society. They are our greatest hope, and they are our way forward.Â
Let’s pause and remember that this special class of citizen, this 1 percent, is the model for citizenship, service and salvation from our despair and our woes.Â
And to those two professors that don’t believe the military deserves anything, like care packages, etc… Why don’t you go pound sand down a rabbit hole somewhere, or even better yet, why don’t YOU go downrange and see how good you really are in that environment???
Bet both of them would be shitting their pants in the first 5 seconds of the first firefight, and be screaming for somebody to help them…
I would truly love for some returned Vets, or some older Vets, in Class As to go ‘audit’ these gents courses…
Just sayin…
Made a quick trip out to Indy for the short notice blog meet, and was met with another @&*(#$ Chicken Pot Pie… sigh… Â You can read about it over at Brigid’s HERE.
It was nice to meet some new folks and FINALLY meet the ‘infamous’ Uncle Jay (good folks, and travels ‘almost’ as much as I do).
It was interesting to note that it was a round table, but Tam ended up at the ‘head’ of the table (back to the window, sunlight masking her movements), and Roberta ended up anchoring the table at the 6 o’clock position…
Good food, good friends, good times, it just doesn’t get any better!
You are doin it rong…
You have a good charity that you are working with (Children’s Hospice), but your execution at IAD this morning leaves a LOT to be desired…
When you close the diamond checkpoint with 10 people trying to get in and NONE of your group ready to go, that’ll cause some heartburn, and the little shooing motion??? All I can say is get over it, you’d little power trip is not impressing anyone!
And in the insult to injury department, closing the far end D gate is a nice gesture for the kids, closing the ONLY smoking area in that terminal is not gong to win you any friends with either the passengers OR your co-workers…
And the gratuitous comment about our not needing to smoke, with the little supercilious sniff at the end? well lemme just say you’re lucky there were kids close to us or you would have gotten a comment back that would probably have kept me from flying today!!!
As an OBTW, I do happen to be GS with y’all, and if you REALLY piss me off, I can probably take about half a million dollars a year worth of business to American…
Just sayin…
Since we’re coming up on Christmas…
Here’s the guide to calorie-burning activities and the number of calories per hour they consume.
Beating around the bush. . . . . . . . .75
Jumping to conclusions . . . . . . . . ..100
Climbing the walls . . . . . . . . . . ……150
Swallowing your pride. . . . . . . … . .50
Passing the buck . . . . . . . . . . . …….25
Throwing your weight around
(depending on your weight). . . …. . 50-300
Dragging your heels. . . . . . . . . …… 100
Pushing your luck. . . . . . . . . . . …….250
Making mountains out of molehills. 500
Hitting the nail on the head . . . . … .50
Wading through paperwork . . . . Â . 300
Bending over backwards . . . . . . . . 75
Jumping on the bandwagon . . . . . . 200
Balancing the books. . . . . . . . . . ….25
Running around in circles. . . . . . . .350
Eating crow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225
Tooting your own horn. . . . . . . . . .25
Climbing the ladder of success . . . 750
Pulling out the stops. . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Adding fuel to the fire. . . . . . . . . . 160
Wrapping it up at the day’s end. . . 12
Opening a can of worms . . . . . . . . 50
Putting your foot in your mouth. . .300
Starting the ball rolling. . . . . . . . . . 90
Going over the edge. . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Picking up the pieces after. . . . . . . 350
Counting eggs before they hatch. . .6
Calling it quits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
You may use as necessary to figure out your holiday exercise schedule… or not… 🙂