Happy Hour

"IF A LIFETIME CAN BE LIKENED TO A DAY, THEN THIS IS HAPPY HOUR!"
BUCK PENNINGTON

Mother, Mother Ocean

Mother, Mother Ocean, I've heard you call
Wanted to sail upon your waters since I was three feet tall
You've seen it all, you've seen it all
Watched the men who rode you, switch from sails to steam
In your belly you hold the treasures, few have ever seen
Most of 'em dream, most of 'em dream
Yes, I am a pirate, two hundred year's too late
The cannons don't thunder, there's nothin' to plunder
I'm an over-forty victim of fate
Arriving too late, arriving too late

Yoda

"Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is."
―Yoda, to Luke Skywalker

Counted the Stars

Counted the stars on the 4th of July
Wishing we were rockets bursting in the sky
Talking about redemption and leaving things behind
I have these pictures and I keep these photographs
To remind me of a time
These pictures and these photographs
Let me know I'm doin' fine
We used to be so happy once upon a time
Once upon a time
But the sun sank west of the Mendocino County Line
And the sun sank west of the Mendocino County Line


""SOME SEE A GLASS AS HALF FULL, SOME SEE IT AS HALF EMPTY, I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHO’S DRINKING MY RUM."
Rumbear

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Ninety Thousand Views

Somewhere around 1200 hours local time, I got viewer number 90,000. Good Grief Charlie Brown!
Again, many, many thanks to Buck, Jeff, Kath, Ann, Cindy(My Sweet Georgia Peach), Opus, My Sister and Joy!
Wow! Next stop is the Big 100K!
Thanks to all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hot girl A-10 high-res checkers…we should play (34 HQ Photos)

Awesome goodness high-res checkers from The Brigade!
Keep Calm and Chive On!
womennnnnnn 920 18 Hot girl A 10 high res checkers…we should play (34 HQ Photos)

A-10-920-5

corset 920 3 Hot girl A 10 high res checkers…we should play (34 HQ Photos)

A-10-920-6

The above are to generate some interest. The rest are at the link!
Chive On, my Friends and Best Wishes for a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!
http://thebrigade.thechive.com/2011/12/28/hot-girl-a-10-high-res-checkers%E2%80%A6we-should-play-25-hq-photos/#close

Friday, December 30, 2011

A-29 Super Tucano Wins Air Force Bid for Light Air Support Mission (Updated at 1100-31December2011)

The Brazilians got the deal. Hawker Beechcraft is going to court and all to stop this as they got left out of the process. Hard to believe since most of the IAM&AW rank and file there voted overwhelmingly for the current administration. I was working there at the time.

And Hawker Beechcraft is in some trouble, two of the small jet lines are not shut down but not building anythng. The King Air is at half the rate it was when I was there.

That being said, I think the Super Tucano is a better platform for what is needed. The AT-6 is a trainer with hard points. The Super Tucano is a derived from the original trainer but is a larger, more powerful aircraft. I am trying to be objective here, folks. Combat Airplanes have made up a significant part of my adult life. Even now, I am a crew chief on F-16's at Edwards AFB.

The final assembly for these A-29s will be in Jacksonville FL on the old NAS Cecil Field.
Now for the caveat as it were. Seems that some time back I read an article on Air Attack, I do believe that had Brazil buying a fair number of McDonnell Douglas F/A-18E & F aircraft for their Air Force. This is good for the folks in Saint Louis should it come to fruition.

But here is the article from MSN Money on it. There are all kinds of articles on the net about this and I am sure we haven't heard the last of it by any stretch.
http://money.msn.com/business-news/article.aspx?feed=PR&Date=20111230&ID=14656335

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embraer_EMB_314_Super_Tucano#Specifications_.28EMB_314.29

http://www.hawkerbeechcraft.com/military_and_special_mission/light_attack.aspx This link has no specifications on the AT-6.
I also have an ex son in law at Hawker Beechcraft. He pays support for my eldest grand daughter. I understand the ramifications of the situation all to well.
AT-6 Artist's Conception


EMB-314(A-29) Super Tucano.
I think the Army would have liked to have a hand in this. I think there are infantry company commanders who would like to have such aircraft at their disposal in combat situations. The fast movers do have all that neat techno blasting stuff. I see the test munitions and the systems engineers every day. But the favorite close support aircraft of the grunts tends to be the A-10. It does it very well, kill the bad guy that is.
I hope I have maintained some objectivity on this. I always remind myself that the F4 went into service over the F8U-3 for having two guys and two engines even though the Crusader out flew it.

This link has some new info at Aero News. I saw it a while ago. Figured it was appropriate to add it in as I am trying to be objective in this fracas.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Impossibly Rare 'Flying Dorito' (A-12 Avenger II) Canopy For Sale On eBay!

This was at AirPigz. Most interesting indeed. I remember when Cheney cancelled the A-12 program. I wound up with a new phase branch officer. He was a Atlantic Fleet type before coming west. VA-128 was to be the primary lead in for the A-12 program.
http://airpigz.com/blog/2011/12/27/impossibly-rare-flying-dorito-a-12-avenger-ii-canopy-for-sal.html

Monday, December 26, 2011

A War Hero Is Vindicated–Again

Front Page Mag.
This needs to be spread around. The MSM, and the scum we have inside the beltway need to have this shoved in their faces like rubbing a dog's nose in his own crap.

................Seven long years after he allegedly committed “premeditated murder,” Iraq war veteran 
Ilario Pantano, who gave up a comfortable life on Manhattan’s Upper West Side to fight for his country following the September 11th attacks, has been thoroughly vindicated. Thus ends a saga highlighted by an unconscionable rush to judgement by the military, and the subsequent trashing of Mr. Pantano’s reputation by leftists who never miss an opportunity to denigrate American soldiers based on nothing more than unproven allegations...................

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Europe’s Judenrein Universities

By ROBERT J. AVRECH | 

This is the opening three paragraphs from this post. Read it carefully. Then make up your mind.
Since the inception of this blog in May 2004, we have maintained that anti-Zionism is camouflage for Jew-hatred.
During World War II six million Jews were systematically murdered by Germans and their European collaborators. After the war, in a flicker of shame, European Jew-hatred went into a brief eclipse.
But Europe has returned to its ignoble roots.
The rest is at the link below.

Early Afternoon Randomness: My 2011 Christmas Wish List (22 HQ Photos)

Got this at The Throttle which is part of The Chive. I usually have pics of scantily clad lasses posted from The Chive, etc.
Today is a bit of a wish list. I am giving my two favorite toys right here for you all.
christmas wish 2011 920 18 Early Afternoon Randomness: My 2011 Christmas Wish List (22 HQ Photos)

christmas wish 2011 920 20 Early Afternoon Randomness: My 2011 Christmas Wish List (22 HQ Photos)

Follow the link to the rest and Keep Calm and Chive on!
http://thethrottle.thechive.com/2011/12/22/my-2011-christmas-wish-list-22-hq-photos/

CHRISTMAS 1944 - BASTOGNE

From Stormbringer. Excellent. As Always.
I cannot add anything to this. His prose has it covered quite well, I think.


http://seanlinnane.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-1944-bastogne.html

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Peanuts Christmas at our house.

Spiffy ain't it?
 The Missus found the Charlie Brown Tree at the Rite Aid here in Cal City. Kind of neat, I figured. So I decided to share it with all.


So, from Our House in The High Desert, A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!

Friday, December 23, 2011

Amazing Airplane Paint Jobs

This is at MSN.
Really cool plane pr0n. It is.
The sample is the Air Tran Danica Jet.
Hot even in a racing suit, OK?

AirTran Airways' Air Tranica plane, featuring Danica Patrick (© AirTran Airways)
http://www.bing.com/travel/content/search?q=Amazing+Airplane+Paint+Jobs%3a+Kulula+Airlines&FORM=TRSSPG

From The Inbox of Buck

From The Most Excellent Blog Bud, Buck at Exile in Portales!
Christmas Cheer of a different kind, as it were.
My Good Buddy Ed In Florida sends along the following photo essay...






The rest are at the link to Buck's place. I do believe you will really get a kick out of these!
Buck's Place
Merry Christmas to all of my followers and friends!
And many, many thanks to my good friend Buck with the best wishes for this Christmas Season!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Lesbian couple's first kiss at homecoming a first for Navy, too

From The Pilot on line out of Hampton Roads, VA.
Seems a gator freighter came home from a short deployment to Central America and my Navy had to put on a spectacle.
My Navy has sunk to a new low in this.
The CO and XO of Oak Hill should be relieved along with CO Amphib Base Little Creek, Amphib Forces Atlantic Fleet, CinC Surface Forces Atlantic Fleet and Commander Second Fleet.
This was a stunt, plain pure and simple in the eyes of this Old Retired Petty Officer First Class.
I put a post on Facebook about this...............I am going to catch some flak. It is quite alright. I stand on my principles. My Navy no longer has any.
http://hamptonroads.com.nyud.net/2011/12/first-lesbian-couple-get-first-kiss-navy-homecoming
" her explains how it’s going to work: Snell’s sailor will be among the first off the ship, and when it’s time, Snell will be escorted onto the pier for the kiss."
It was orchestrated and a set piece event. With approval of senior and flag officers of whom I have already mentioned. 

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Just not feeling it...

From The Old NFO in Hawaii!
I can relate to some of this...........especially after spending a few aboard both Independence and Ranger while either in the Med or Indian Ocean.
http://oldnfo.blogspot.com/2011/12/just-not-feeling-it.html

From AirPigz: 'Barely Certified' Beauty Contest - Vote Now For The Winner

A unique look at some airplanes that were neat ideas and actually certified and in production, for a while any way.
Always good plane pr0n at AirPigz!!!!!!!!!!

Hit the link for the straight skinny and the ability to enlarge the picture. And vote for your favorite while your at it, will ya????????
http://airpigz.com/blog/2011/12/16/barely-certified-beauty-contest-vote-now-for-the-winner.html

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Ole and the Insurance Company Lawyer

My friend at Facebook, the Laydee Texan had this on her profile today.
Being from North Central Montana..........I can so relate to Ole. Got a rather substantial amount of Norwegian in me.
Ole's car was hit by a truck in an accident. In court, the trucking company's lawyer was questioning Ole.

'Didn't you say, sir, at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine?' asked the lawyer.

Ole responded, 'Vell, I'll tell you vat happened. I had yust loaded my favorite mule, Bessie, into da......'

'I didn't ask for any details', the lawyer interrupted. 'Just answer the question. Did you not say, at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine'?

Ole said, 'Vell, I had yust got Bessie into da trailer and I vas driving down da road.....

The lawyer interrupted again and said, 'Judge, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told the Highway Patrolman on the scene that he was just fine. Now several weeks after the accident he is trying to sue my client. I believe he is a fraud. Please tell him to simply answer the question.'

By this time, the Judge was fairly interested in Ole's answer and said to the lawyer, 'I'd like to hear what he has to say about his favorite mule, Bessie'.

Ole thanked the Judge and proceeded. 'Vell, as I vas saying, I had yust loaded Bessie, my favorite mule, into da trailer and vas driving her down da highvay ven dis huge semi-truck and trailer ran da stop sign and smacked my truck right in da side. I vas trown into one ditch and Bessie vas trown into da other. I vas hurting real bad and didn't vant to move. However, I could hear Bessie moaning and groaning. I knew she was in terrible shape yust by her groans'. 'Shortly after da accident da Highway Patrolman, he came to da scene. He could hear Bessie moaning and groaning so he vent over to her'.

'After he looked at her and saw her fatal condition he took out his gun and shot her right 'tween da eyes.

Den da Patrolman, he came across da road, gun still smoking, looked at me and said, 'How are you feeling?'

'Now vat vould YOU say?

Thursday, December 15, 2011

The gift of Choose your Weapon (24 HQ Photos)

The Brigade.
All kinds of awesome weapons. Hmmmmmmm what to use????????????

Arnaud (or ArnauAmalric (died 1225) was a Cistercian church leader who took a prominent role in the Albigensian Crusade. He is remembered for allegedly giving advice to a soldier wondering how to distinguish the Catholic friendlies from the Cathar enemies to just "Kill them all. For the Lord knows them that are His."


Got the above from Wikipedia. Can't say how accurate it is but a guy I work with said Cromwell was a plagiarist!!!!!!


choose weapon 12 15 11 920 8 The gift of Choose your Weapon (24 HQ Photos)

choose weapon 12 15 11 920 10 The gift of Choose your Weapon (24 HQ Photos)

I'm going with tornado because I want spring to start now

I’m going with tornado because I want spring to start now


http://thebrigade.thechive.com/2011/12/14/the-gift-of-choose-your-weapon-24-hq-photos/

GALLERY: Kim Kardashian’s 40 Hottest Moments

OK. I admit it. She is a damn good looking young woman. Hot. Curves. Like them curves. And I do like them Armenian Girls.
Found this gallery at Bro Bible courtesy of The Brigade.

With sister Kourtney at some overpriced hotel in Monaco.


No Comment Necessary..............


Oktoberfest. Big Beer. Big Hooters. Big Pretzel.


At the pool. Lordy what a can!


Disney character?

There be much more at the link. Yeah, she may be many things but she is gorgeous.
http://www.brobible.com/bronews/story/kim-kardashian-40-hottest-moments

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Obama: I Want To Make Sure U.S. Diplomats In Iraq Come Home Alive “Because They’re Not Soldiers”… Incredible . . .

Stormbringer has this one up today. I shit you not, the fuck stick camel jockey in the White House said this. Got the video at the link.
For all who thought the "hope and change" was a good thing.........I give you this.............
http://seanlinnane.blogspot.com/2011/12/obama-i-want-to-make-sure-us-diplomats.html
This should piss off all but the true leftist, marxist-leninist fucks out there. They will stand and cheer. Fuck em.........with a red hot railroad spike.

Monday, December 12, 2011

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY for The High Desert

Getting our first taste of Winter!


THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HANFORD HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON PST TUESDAY FOR THE KERN COUNTY DESERTS AT ELEVATIONS AT OR ABOVE 2500 FEET.


 LOCATIONS INCLUDE: ROSAMOND...CALIFORNIA CITY...EDWARDS AFB... MOJAVE...RIDGECREST


Home today with light head, nausea, etc.......
The rest of the WX Advisory is at the link..............
http://www.accuweather.com/watches-warnings.asp?partner=vista4&zipcode=93524&county=CAc029&zone=CAz099

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Some Rule Five from Bob Belvedere at TCOTS

Sunny Leone!!!!!!
Yummy!!!!!!! Oh Yes!!!!!!!
Hat Tip to Bob!!!!!!


http://thecampofthesaints.org/2011/05/21/rule-5-saturday-64/
Thought it was a good linkage thing as sometime yesterday, this here humble blog passed 80,000 page views!!!!!

Army-Navy more than just football

Army-Navy Game.

To all my friends who drool and pontificate about "their" Razorbacks, Tigers, Trojans, Ducks, Buffaloes, Longhorns, etc. Take a moment. These two teams along with The Air Force Academy Falcons are Our Teams, America's Teams. The Dallas Cowboys are not America's Team. They have a long way to go in that respect.


It is the only major college football game that I will watch. It has a historic tradition as well as all the things relayed in the article. Ramifications far beyond what an agent can do for some of those molly coddled athletes we see on the news every day.

So hit the link and read it for yourself. 

More Than Just Football.

Thursday, December 08, 2011

Good looking A320 of LAN

I do like the paint job on LAN's aircraft. Simple and classy at the same time. Reminds me of the old Texas International from about thirty years ago or so.


Courtesy of Airplane Pictures.Net. Click and make bigger as it links to the Airplane Pictures web site.

Wednesday, December 07, 2011

Pearl Harbor Day By lex, on December 7th, 2011

An edited repost. Copied in it's entirety.
It was 70 years ago today. For everyone of that generation – the “greatest generation”, although they didn’t know it yet – it was for them what 9/11 has become for us, without the internal rancor and divisions. Everyone could tell you exactly where they were that day. What they were wearing. Who they were with. The ones who didn’t make it back, after all the fighting was done.
Everyone alive that day remembered where they were and what they were doing the moment that a faraway world jumped in through the window and importuned itself upon a country still clawing its way out of the Great Depression. A country inwardly focused, callused by hardship. A country largely eager to remain clear of yet another nasty European brawl. A country suddenly at war.
Coming home from the Arabian Sea in the autumn of 1987, the USS Constellation pulled in to Pearl Harbor to pick up “Tigers” – family members who would sail with us from Hawaii to San Diego. On a whim my roommates and I went up to the flight deck in our summer whites to “man the rail” as we entered port. We were young and happy and ready for anything, laughing as we came on deck.
It’s a beautiful port entry, the water absurdly blue and green and white all at once, a warm breeze snapping at your trousers, happy thoughts of future entertainments never far from the forefront of your mind. You see the family housing of Hickham Air Force Base pass close along the starboard side – close! So close you could almost toss a biscuit ashore. And then you see Ford Island loom up to port, and you become thoughtful, remembering your lessons, remembering your parents’ conversations, remembering “battleship row.” Remembering because it had been passed down to you as an admonition, as a warning, as a duty: Remember.
Never forget.
And then you see her on the port quarter, what little there is to see of her above the water from an acute angle: The number 3 barbette of the USS Arizona, the watery graveyard of 1100 men and a mute testament both to perfidy and unpreparedness. Seventy years after she went down, little rainbow pools of oil still bubble to the surface from within trapped spaces and voids. Footless passageways and machinery spaces embrace the mouldering bones of sailors whose names are known but to God. The old salts say that these oil blots are her tears of rage and anguish, her tears of loss and bereavement. They say that she is weeping.
They say that she is weeping still.
These melancholy thoughts are interrupted by the trilling sound of a bosun’s whistle on the 5MC, two short blasts – “Attention to port!” The flight deck snaps to attention. One short blast follows – “Hand salute!” A long moment passes in the heat, the sweat suddenly liberated, trickling down your back as your arm goes up and holds, holds. A silent and expectant moment as one great ship glides softly past another, a thousand crewman rendering honors to another thousand from a far different time, from a far different land. The moment stretches, breaks, and at last is over: Two short blasts – “Ready, two!” And finally, three blasts – “Carry on.”
According to immutable naval custom, the junior ship initiates the rendering of passing honors, while the senior ship returns it. But senior though she may be, there will never again be a salute returned from onboard Arizona. No bosun’s pipe echoes across the water. No one mans her rails. My brothers and I took one long look back at the memorial receding behind us, exchanged silent glances between ourselves, saying with our eyes the things we could never allow ourselves to say out loud. Went below in quiet introspection. It wouldn’t last forever – we were after all, young and careless. But we wouldn’t forget that moment, not ever.
We would remember.
An excellent movie containing interviews of both US and Japanese survivors of Pearl  Harbor. There won’t be many more like this.
Well worth a look, if you’ve got the time.
Update: An interesting look at Admiral Isororu Yammamoto, the Japanese architect of the Pearl Harbor campaign.

Sunday, December 04, 2011

Sunday Morning Sermon

This was up at the Jawa Report this morning. It has been posted before but it seems appropriate. I read most of that series of books mentioned.
Copied in it's entirety.

We do not fight for land. We are loyal to an ideal - an ideal of liberty wherever man lives. We do not guard territory, bleed for a piece of dirt. We don't fight because we love violence. We fight for our freedom as individuals to live our own lives, to pursue our own survival, our own happiness.


Your unconditional rejection of violence makes you smugly think of yourselves as noble, as enlightened, but in reality it is nothing less than abject moral capitulation to evil. Unconditional rejection of self defense, because you think it's a supposed surrender to violence, leaves you no resort but begging for mercy or offering appeasement.


Evil grants no mercy, and to attempt to appease it is nothing more than a piecemeal surrender to it. Surrender to evil is slavery at best, death at worst. Thus your unconditional rejection of violence is really nothing more than embracing death as preferable to life.
You will achieve what you embrace.


The right, the absolute necessity, of vengeance against anyone who initiates force against you is fundamental to survival. The morality of a people's self-defense is in it's defense of each individual's right to life. It's an intolerance to violence made real by an unwavering willingness to crush any who would launch violence against you. The unconditional determination to destroy any who would initiate force against you is an exaltation of the value of life. Refusing to surrender your life to any thug or tyrant who lays claim to it is in fact embracing life itself.


If you are unwilling to defend your right to your own lives, then you are merely like mice trying to argue with owls. You think their ways are wrong. They think you are dinner.


If, hoping to appease it, you willingly compromise with unrepentant evil, you only allow such evil to sink it's fangs into you; from that day on its venom will course through your veins until it finally kills you.
Compromising with murderers grants them moral equivalence where none can rightly exist. Moral equivalence says that you are no better than they; therefore their belief - that they should be able to torture, rape, or murder you - is just as morally valid as your view - that you have the right to live free of their violence. Moral compromise rejects the concept of right and wrong. It says that everyone is equal, all desires are equally valid, all action is equally valid, so everyone should compromise to get along.


Where could you compromise with those who torture, rape and murder people? In the number of days a week you will be tortured? In the number of men to be allowed to rape your loved ones? In how many of your family are to be murdered?


No moral equivalence exists in that situation, nor can it exist, so there can be no compromise, only suicide.
To even suggest compromise can exist with such men is to sanction murder.


Many teach that saying someone is evil is prejudiced thinking. It's a way of belittling someone already in pain for some reason. Such people must be embraced and taught to shed their fears of their fellow man and then they will not strike out in violent ways.


They are dangerous to everyone because they embrace evil with their teachings. In so doing, in trying to be kind, to be unselfish, in trying to be nonjudgmental, you allow evil to become far more powerful than it otherwise would. you refuse to see evil, and so you welcome it among you. You allow it to exist. You give it power over you. You are a people who have welcomed death and refused to denounce it.


You are an empire naked to the shadow of evil.


These people think of themselves as enlightened, as above violence. They are not enlightened; they are merely slaves awaiting a master, victims awaiting killers.

Feds: Seattle welfare recipient lives in million dollar home

This was at NWCN. Makes one go.................Hmmmmmmmmmm.
Good grief! I wonder how many more there are like this?
http://www.nwcn.com/news/Feds-Seattle-welfare-recipient-lives-in-million-dollar-home-134945813.html

SEATTLE -- She lives in a beautiful waterfront home on Seattles Lake Washington. Yet, she's on welfare assistance.

Friday, December 02, 2011

I will not go down and tell my children I didn't have the courage, the conviction, the commitment or the character to fight for this country...Don't go home and let your children down~~ LTC Allen West

Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus

‎"Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.("Therefore, he who desires peace, let him prepare for war")" from "Epitoma Rei Militaris," by Vegetius (Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus)