The REST of the story…

Posted on by March 6, 2013

The Date

The news say that the date in New York for the Lightbringer and missus cost $24,000, here’s what you DON’T know.

Three days before “dinner” a C-17 flew Marines and the helicopter maintenance equipment to JFK Airport .

The day before “dinner” a C-17 the USSS and the motorcade to JFK Airport

The crew of 5 spent two days and nights at the Hilton in Times Square. Average hotel bill: $621.66 plus $64 a day in per diem. The USSS guys were at a different Hilton in NYC, so figure that cost another $14,000 (or so) plus per diem. The Marines had to have cost as much and were there four days, so figure another $55,000 plus per diem (for 44 Marines).

The C-17s were supposed to fly the motorcade back and go home, but the Air Force was so short of C-17’s (ya know, that pesky little war in the Mid-East that needs heavy lift support) that they were re-tasked to take the motorcade back, return to JFK and take the helicopter back to Quantico ..

When the one bird got back to JFK, while the pilot was turning the plane around to park, he noticed a rotor blade sticking out of the hangar where the helicopter was parked. After shutting down they walked over to the hanger and were surprised to find FIVE helicopters, not ONE.

After talking to the Marines guarding the “fleet” and found that they were flying all five helicopters home and the C-17 was only transporting the Marines and the maintenance equipment. Additionally, they were told that the White House requested FIVE helicopters. The Marines had spent all morning trying to figure out how much it cost them to come and they figured it cost them $140,000 to stay there and the trip’s total had to be about $1,000,000.

We heard that the President didn’t use Air Force One (the 747), he came in on THREE Air Force Lear jets.

So, date night consisted of:
2 C-17’s flying three missions, 3 Lear jets, 5 Helicopters,
Presidential Motorcade, 44 Marines, more than 20 USSS personnel on our plane.. Who knows what it cost the NYPD and NY Port Authority (at the airport) in overtime.

These are the same people that chastised the automobile CEO’s for using their aircraft. It further proves that the media only use the facts that make the President look good and hide any facts that will detract from his persona…

Is this the ‘change’ we expected???

Talk with friends and those who are not blinded by charisma. More and more folks I know who voted for Obama are very disappointed and sorry they did so.

The Emperor’s clothes on a grand scale. “Transparency”? Remember, 2010 is just around the corner. All we have to do is survive long enough…


Is it 2012 YET??? sigh…

Sunrise…

Posted on by March 6, 2013

Sitting on the front porch with a cup of coffee watching the sun rise as you listen to the stillness of the morning is always a special time…


It’s that time of year, it’s time to go hunting! This post from Brigid captured the ‘high’ of bird hunting, both literally and figuratively.

Hearing only the ruffles and flourishes of the creek as it runs down it’s course, the birds chirping as the first light of morning turns the low clouds pink against the night sky, then the reds and orange colors start to stand out and ever so slowly the blues and greens of the hill side and background fill in…

The dog snuffling up under your hand, looking for a handout and the smell of bacon flying.

It doesn’t get much better than that…

And then reality intrudes in the form of the first screaming baby of the morning…

Reminding me I’m really sitting on the hotel balcony, drinking lousy hotel coffee, listening to the fountain by the pool. And the birds, well they’re fighting over the Nutrigrain bar one of the little rats with wings stole off the table when I sat it down…

And I don’t have a dog anymore because of my travel schedule…

sigh…

I do the three S’s, and head over to the Hale Koa for a quick breakfast. They have a good (and cheap) buffet for the military folks. It’s interesting that at 0630 in the morning the place is full! Obviously even on vacation military folks get up early!

I’m enjoying a MUCH better cup of coffee as the hostess seats a family next to me- It’s a young Marine who has lost both legs, and has just been fitted with new prosthetics. His wife is hovering anxiously, as his Mother and Dad look on with a mixture of pride and pain in their faces…

They are semi-arguing about whether he should be trying to walk or use the wheelchair, and he is adamant that by God he WILL walk into and out of the restaurant…

I go up and go through the line, and decide what the heck, an omelet is MUCH better than scrambled; I go off and get some fruit and come back to find the Marine standing balanced on his new legs and canes. I asked him how long, he tells me three weeks, and he’s having problems re-establishing his balance points. I joke with him about not drinking too many beers, and he grins and tells me it’s two beers and he falls over…

At that point, he smiles and says there ain’t no point in getting back up, so a couple more don’t hurt. He said the real frustration was his wife and family wanting to baby him, and all he wants is to get back in shape and get back to his unit.

His wife comes over and picks up his omelet and finishes filling his plate, as he maneuvers back to his table, and it gets quiet as everybody digs into the food.

I’m deep in thought as to what has to be accomplished, and really not paying attention until I realize all of the men and some of the wives are stopping by the Marines table on the way out, sometimes a handshake, sometimes a quiet word, sometimes just a pat of the shoulder…

Tears are streaming down his wife’s face, and his mother’s too. His dad is trying not to tear up and the Marine is just stunned. I get up to leave and I wish him the best, thank him and leave. I ask at the cashier for their bill, intending to buy them breakfast, only to find out it was already done and the cashier says everybody is asking to pay…

Things like this remind me that when it’s all said and done, the military DOES take care of it’s own, both officially and unofficially…

The military is really a multi-generational family, accepting and supporting the kids who are on the front lines today, regardless of branch or anything else; unlike those who pay lip service when the cameras are on, and do their damnest to cut the funding as soon as the cameras go off…

Sigh…

Cat Herding, Number 438…

Posted on by March 6, 2013

Well, I’m at it again… sigh…


If I could clone myself TWICE, I ‘might’ break even…

At least I DO have some professionals on this one, they’ve actually READ the documents- Gee, what a novel concept!

Enough with the @#&* rain already, EVERY time I went outside today it rained; even worse, not a single time did I have a short walk…

Right now my wallet and contents, notebook and clothes are hanging/lying all over place trying to get them semi-dry. Now my cell phone is hissing at me, which is ‘probably’ NOT a good thing …

And no, I’m not changing my callsign to Rainman or Joe Blitzfk…

Oh yeah, it’s Clue Bat time-

I don’t care if you’re a hundred pound brain, you NEVER buy non-refundable airline tickets and you sure as hell don’t buy non-refundable PREPAID hotel nights…

If you ever work for the Government, you KNOW the schedule IS going to change. I’m NOT responsible for your screw up, and no, I’m NOT going to push to get the original schedule back. Shut up and use this as a learning experience (and quitcher bitching)!!!

If you are going to put out a document, at least roofpread it… it’s not MY fault you left something in there that shouldn’t be; and yes, you WILL have to put out a correction, I’m not doing it for you! sigh…

And before you ask, NO you can’t go to the hotel and ‘freshen up’ before the meeting because you’re tired from flying. If you have an issue with it, you should have flown in the day before. It’s not like you didn’t know this was coming…

In other news, or lack thereof, three days with no newspapers, very little TV and not hearing anything about the crap going on in DC is actually pretty nice. The down side, I’m worried about what is going on that I’m NOT seeing/hearing.

I have a pounding in my ears, oh never mind, it’s the drums… DAYUM… I didn’t know a grass skirt could move like that!!! She must have a wind up spring in there somewhere!!! That makes me tired just watching… 🙂

And the rest of the movements aren’t bad either!

Well, back to the salt mines. Break is over, and tomorrow is another work day.

Sigh…

You know you are a cop if:..

Posted on by March 6, 2013

This one goes out to Lawdog, Wyatt, Matt, JPG, CT Cop, Pawpaw, CPDCoppur, and all those on the thin Blue line…

Some of us DO appreciate what you do…

1) You have the bladder capacity of five people.

2) You have ever restrained someone & it was not a sexual experience.

3) You believe that 50% of people are a waste of good air.

4) Your idea of a good time is a “man with a gun” call.

5) You conduct a criminal record check on anyone who seems friendly towards you.

6) You believe in the aerial spraying of Prozac & birth control pills.

7) You disbelieve 90% of what you hear & 75% of what you see.

8) You have your weekends off planned for a year.

9) You believe the government should require a permit to reproduce.

10) You refer to your favorite restaurant by the intersection at which it’s located.

11) You have ever wanted to hold a seminar entitled: “Suicide…getting it right the first time.”

12) You ever had to put the phone on hold before you begin laughing uncontrollably.

13) You think caffeine should be available in IV form..

14) You believe anyone who says, “I only had two beers” is going to blow more than a .15

15) You find out a lot about paranoia just by following people around.

16) Anyone has ever said to you, “There are people killing other people out there and you are here messing with me.”

17) People flag you down on the street & ask you directions to strange places…and you know where they’re located.

18) You can discuss where you are going to eat with your partner while standing over a dead body.

19) You are the only person introduced at social gatherings by profession. (ISN’T THIS THE TRUTH)

20) You walk into places & people think it’s high comedy to grab their buddy & shout, “They’ve come to get you, Bill.”

21) You do not see daylight from November until May.

22) People shout, “I didn’t do it!” when you walk into a room & think they’re being hugely funny & original.

23) A week’s worth of laundry consists of 5 T-shirts, 5 pairs of socks, & 5 pairs of underwear.

24) You’ve ever referred to Tuesday as “my weekend”, or “this is my Friday”.

25) You’ve ever written off guns & ammunition as a business deduction..

26) You believe that unspeakable evils will befall you if anyone says, “Boy, it sure is quiet tonight.”

27) Discussing dismemberment over a meal seems perfectly normal to you.

28) You find humor in other people’s stupidity.

29) You have left more meals on the restaurant table than you’ve eaten.

30) You feel good when you hear, “these handcuffs are too tight”.

ARRRGGGHHHH!!!

Posted on by March 6, 2013


I’m stuck at work, waiting on phone calls and emails, not necessarily in that order…

Missing the 9-12/Tea Party on the Mall, bored to tears… Only internet for “play” and that is slow as hell…

A couple of additional pics from Japan for y’all.

This is the ADM Burke O Club at Yoko, they are doing some work around the front to remove a driveway and upgrade the parking. No bid deal, right?

Not so fast, they have taken pictures of the rock garden, and numbered the rocks, so they can replace them in EXACTLY the same position… Gotta admire the Japanese work ethic!!!

And this is a 21 car parking “garage” that is one car deep behind an apartment building just outside the gate…


Now if you count, you’ll note 24 ‘holes’; That is so that the cars on the lower levels can be mechanically moved back and forth to allow the cars above them to be lowered to the road…

It takes about 5 minutes to ‘shuffle’ the cars for a top rack car to actually make it to the ground, but it was interesting to watch while I was drinking my coffee in the mornings…


Sigh… It’s the ‘little’ things…


I REALLY wanted to make it to the mall, and from the Fox site, looks like the turnout is MUCH larger than expected! I hope Turk, Newbius and the others are having fun down there…


I expect good posts from them tonight (hint, hint)!

Oh yeah, one more thing- Georgia Bulldogs will wear a patch honoring the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (who are currently deployed to Afganistan) tonight when they play the South Carolina Gamecocks… Funny thing is, my friend who is an ETT team lead for them is from Columbia, and a USC Grad… That oughta make things interesting in the team hut tonight… 🙂

And a follow up…

Posted on by March 6, 2013

Oops, it appears Joe Wilson was right, the Lightbringer DID lie (or at least fudge the hell out of it) about the illegal aliens…

I’m not a lawyer, yada, yada, yada, BUT, according to a couple of Constitutional lawyers that were discussing this in the elevator today; if, in fact a public option is provided for ALL, then it MUST be provided for the illegal aliens under the Constitution. Something to the effect that no one (legal or illegal) can be denied something if it is provided for everyone by Federal Law….

They were going back and forth on which article and pretty much said the 14th Amendment.

They were also discussing the California case (Perpetua of Carthage posted HERE). The 9th Circus overturned the application and SCOTUS refused to hear it, which would further cement the requirement and allow the ACLU to immediately bring suit (and charge the US government lawyers fees)…

The other thing that didn’t quite ring true was the “savings” from Medicare through elimination of fraud, waste and abuse.

Ah…er… if you ALREADY know about the F,W,A to the point you know how much it is, WHYINHELL aren’t they doing something about it??? Oh, never mind, it’s that dirty word, Tort Reform…

Oh yeah, one other thing, how can it be debt neutral IF IT COSTS $900 BILLION??? Now I know I’m not a rocket surgeon, but last time I looked, if you ADD $$, that means COSTS GO UP (and they sure as hell are not going to cut anything, they will just authorize overruns like they do now)!

Or am I missing something here???

Sigh… Going back to my corner now… And I ‘almost’ had my blood pressure back down… dammit

Oh yeah, h/t to Perpetua

The ‘Speech"…

Posted on by March 6, 2013

I was NOT impressed…

When you counter your own website that’s not good…

More half truths and evasions- WHERE IS TORT REFORM?

While it was camouflaged, I think he’s STILL pushing single payer. If a company has the choice of continuing health care costs (which can run 8-10%), or paying an 8% penalty, what would YOU do if you were worried about the bottom line???

Especially when that penalty becomes tax deductable???

Sigh…

How did we survive…

Posted on by March 6, 2013

First and foremost, Happy Labor Day to all! I hope your most exciting labor was walking to the grill for another burger or dog… 🙂

Black and White- Those of you under age 40? You won’t understand.

You could hardly see for all the snow, spread the rabbit ears as far as they go.

Pull a chair up to the TV set,’Good Night, David. Good Night, Chet.’

My Mom used to cut chicken, chop eggs and spread mayo on the same cutting board with the same knife and no bleach, but we didn’t seem to get food poisoning.

My Mom used to defrost hamburger on the counter and I used to eat it raw sometimes, too. Our school sandwiches were wrapped in wax paper in a brown paper bag, not in ice pack coolers, but I can’t remember getting e.coli.

Almost all of us would have rather gone swimming in the lake instead of a pristine pool (talk about boring), no beach closures then.

The term cell phone would have conjured up a phone in a jail cell, and a pager was the school PA system.

We all took gym, not PE…and risked permanent injury with a pair of high top Ked’s (only worn in gym) instead of having cross-training athletic shoes with air cushion soles and built in light reflectors. I can’t recall any injuries but they must have
happened because they tell us how much safer we are now. Flunking gym was not an option… even for stupid kids! I guess PE must be much harder than gym.

Speaking of school, we all said prayers and sang the national anthem, and staying in detention after school caught all sorts of negative attention.

We must have had horribly damaged psyches. What an archaic health system we had then. Remember school nurses? Ours wore a hat and everything.

I thought that I was supposed to accomplish something before I was allowed to be proud of myself.

I just can’t recall how bored we were without computers, Play Station, Nintendo, X-box or 270 digital TV cable stations.

Oh yeah… and where was the Benadryl and sterilization kit when I got that bee sting? I could have been killed!

We played ‘king of the hill’ on piles of gravel left on vacant construction sites, and when we got hurt, Mom pulled out the 48-cent bottle of mercurochrome (kids liked it better because it didn’t sting like iodine did) and then we got our butt spanked.

Now it’s a trip to the emergency room, followed by a 10-day dose of a $49 bottle of antibiotics, and then Mom calls the attorney to sue the contractor for leaving a horribly vicious pile of gravel where it was such a threat.

We didn’t act up at the neighbor’s house either, because if we did we got our butt spanked there and then we got our butt spanked again when we got home.

I recall Donny Reynolds from next door coming over and doing his tricks on the front stoop, just before he fell off.

Little did his Mom know that she could have owned our house.

Instead, she picked him up and swatted him for being such a goof. It was a neighborhood run amuck.

To top it off, not a single person I knew had ever been told that they were from a dysfunctional family. How could we possibly have known that?

We needed to get into group therapy and anger management classes, but we never did.

We were obviously so duped by so many societal ills, that we didn’t even notice that the entire country wasn’t taking Prozac!

How did we ever survive?

And in other news,

Jones the power Tsar has resigned, because we slandered him… yeah, right…

And the MSM FINALLY did at least one story on him today, must have been a REALLY slow news day!

Step away from the Sake…

Posted on by March 6, 2013

Oh man, I ‘know’ better than to go out running on a weeknight…


A few of us decided to go up to Roppongi last night since we didn’t have anything better to do after the meetings ended for the day…

Soooo, off we go to the train station, two hours later we get up there, and start trying to find any of the old haunts.

Now let me put this in context, the last time ANY of us were up there was at least five years ago. In Tokyo, especially the nightclub district, that is ancient history. In other words, we didn’t find a single place that looked familiar!!!

After taking our bearings on the Tokyo tower (important for later), off we went. And the arguments started…

Cheap beer (well relatively speaking), hostess bars (entertainment, but you have to buy the bar girls drinks), music bars (LOUD, I SWEAR NONE OF THOSE KIDS CAN HEAR A JET PLANE), food (me), and the whole time we are standing in the street arguing, we’re watching people stream around us like water around a boulder, and they are ALL 20 years younger than we are… sigh…

So we finally decide to hit a couple of places, then eat, and then head back. Now the argument was upstairs or downstairs bar. In Roppongi you can have a four-story building with a bar on each floor, or two bars per floor, and they will be different types, have entirely different décor, and wildly different availability of booze and prices.

We started at the Fiesta, an upstairs bar, fairly quiet after sticking our heads in ONE OF THE LOUD BARS. It was actually decent and the beer wasn’t outrageous (about $8 for a one liter Sapporo).

After that beer, we decided to wander again, and ended up in a hostess bar, so that was a $20 beer, and of course one of the guys bites on having some sake…

And the downward spiral began…

Another bar and this time three guys are drinking sake, I’m switching to coffee and wondering if we’re EVER gonna eat. And we’re trying to figure out how we’re gonna get everybody back in one piece. And on to the next bar… Sigh…


By now it’s about 10:00pm, so we finally outvote the drinkers and decide to eat. Yea me! Only problem, one of the guys sweet tooth has kicked in, so he sees these desserts in the window (by the way, they are ALL plastic copies), he just has to have one.

So now dinner has just been reduced to dessert, and oh by the way, the cheap ones were about $8, plus coffee $4, plus liqueur $10. And now the decision process of ‘which’ of the 30 offerings does everybody want starts, and we’re looking at the time, because if we don’t get a move on we’re going to be spending the night down town, which is NOT good, since a cheap hotel in Roppongi is $250 a night…

Finally everybody gets their selections, and we eat standing at the counter (mine WAS good, but that was WAY too much pound cake for the little bit of ice cream and the 1 ½ strawberries I got). The guy with the sweet tooth just HAD to have another, so we left him with one of the soberest guys, agreed to meet back at the train station,and the rest of us hit the street for monkey meat on a stick (about $4).


We’re now trying to get back to the main drag, after wandering around for a couple of hours, so we’re looking for any glimpse of the Tokyo Tower. We finally get back and then have to figure out which way the train station is; thankfully a local took pity on us and pointed us in the right direction!!!

Finally back at the train station, we experienced an Aw S**T moment as we were trying to buy tickets and thought we had missed the last train! Thankfully, we were just screwing up the ticket buying, and again got help from a local, and the ticket was $24. Now the issue was whereinthehell are the other two, and howinthehell did I spend $100 in four hours???

We finally gathered them up and made the platform as the train was pulling in! Turns out the last train is a local, so it stopped at EVERY @#^& station between Tokyo and Yokosuka! We didn’t get back to Yoko until almost 0200!

After a leisurely ¾ mile stroll we made it back to base and I finally got to bed about 0300, only to get up at 0530. And spent ALL day in meetings… AND my head hurts… sigh…

Once again we’ve learned we are NOT 21 anymore… Night all!