Yes, I'm Still Alive.

Busy (and about as graceful) as a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest...

So, a while back I was getting chastized because I hadn't updated the ol' Blog in a while, so I sat down and dashed off the following, but never got around to publishing it...
After several inquiries from Constant Readers, I guess the word around the campfire is that I have shuffled off my mortal coil and joined the bleedin' choir invisible...
Sorry, no.
Please see the somewhat dated post below to give you a cross section of Uncle Jay in Tampa Bay...
----

I know. Silence is golden.

(Random thought: Get a Golden Retriever and name it Silence in order to have a bad pun on hand at all times... Probably not an original thought... Let me check... Nope.)

So I've been a little quiet...

Basically I've been swamped with my new job that it's difficult to dedicate the time required to put together a good blog post...

Famous the St.Ass was down here in Tampa last week; He took a few minutes out of our visit to chastise me for my lack of posting.

Basically I don't have too much to complain about- (workwise, that is-

I could go on and on about The Aggrieved Left and their participation trophy mentality).

I also don't spend too much time sitting in airports (one of my go-to spots for blogging) so my usual writing location is unavailable.

When I'm at my desk (typically 7:30a to 9:00p or as late as 11:30p on a game/concert night) I'm heads-down on licensing, budgeting, staff schedules, surveys, documentation, research or resource evaluation...

Blogging? Ain't nobody got time for dat.

I do try to keep up with other blogs, (living vicariously through Tam, OldNFO, Roberta, Borepatch, McThag, Robb, and the rest of the Usual Suspects.

At best I throw a pic up on Instagram now and then... (Follow me at Gojira15 if you'd like.)

But, so much bullshit in the last few weeks from the Political maelstrom...

I find it so humorous that the Left has such short and selective memories.

For the last eight years it's been "shut up, we won, deal with it" and Dissent is Racist, and now it's all Not My President, Dissent is Patriotic, and Electoral College is BS- Majority Vote Rules!

The Democratic sure loved the Nuke option in the Senate back when they had control...

Now, of course it's un-American to utilize their tools against them...

And the Trump Derangement is thick and heavy.

So much angst from The Aggrieved Left.

So, a few bullet points:

• Gosh. He actually made promises, people voted for him, and now he's keeping his promises? UnPossible.

• It's funny how most major "news" organizations are now "opinion" organizations.

• So-called News organizations report "facts" that are spun and written so contextually misleading so they can be called facts, when the actual narrative is pure bullshit.

• Celebrities should just shut up about politics.
  FTMF.

• The Media (and by association the unwashed, illiterate Aggrieved Left) will focus on one sentence that can be misinterpreted or spun as incorrect, and thus call out *everything* Trump or his Spox says as complete lies and falsehoods.
  (Apparently they just learned to read after November 9th 2016. Where the fuck was this so-called fact checking 2008-2016?)

• Does the Media (& The Aggrieved Left) understand the difference between "Health Care" and "Health Care Insurance Coverage"?
  No one is taking health care away from anyone. Stop being scare mongers.

And on the same note-

• All the Planned Parenthood supporters that are up in arms... stop lying to yourself and others about what goes on there and just fund that crap yourself... no one is talking about overturning Roe vs. Wade.

• And still on the same note- no one in the Trump Admin says "No Immigrants".
  What they are saying is "Hold up a sec so we can get some *effective* safety checks in place IF YOU ARE COMING FROM SPECIFIC LOCATIONS OF PROVEN RISK.
  Immigrants are fine IF EVERYONE PLAYS BY THE SAME RULES.
  (By the way- Go have a peek at oh-so-enlightened Australia or even Canada for some hugely stringent immigration rules.
  Hint: Most asshole celebrities who bragged about moving to Canada or elsewhere wouldn't qualify... But Trump supporters probably would...but that's another blog post.)

• Popular vote vs Electoral College and Illegal Alien voting.
  The Media (and the Aggrieved Left) love to call out President Trump and his Minions about the popular vote levels and ridicule them for talking about vote fraud (illegals voting, dead people voting, multi-voting...etc).
  Problem is that the Left is usually in charge of the voting precincts where the fraud happens, and they'll never be straight about getting it corrected.
  Case in point- the final election results in South Florida were held up for HOURS in order to keep Florida from being called for Trump and thus altering the turnout in the western states as things were going south for Hillary.
  The Left kept point out that with Florida still a toss up it was important to motivate every John and Jane (or more likely Juan and Juanita) to pull the election out of the crapper for Clinton.
  
• And they are Illegal Aliens, not undocumented workers. If you broke immigration law coming here, you're a criminal. Fuck you, go back and come back in through proper channels. And take your anchor babies (regardless of age) with you. FTMF.

• Build the fucking wall.
  
• Tampa Lefty media employs so many strawmen in their news opinion stories that they need to be audited for their employment practices.

• The Aggrieved Left needs to embrace "Good for goose, good for the gander" concept, except it would be construed as sexist, as opposed to equality-seking as the phrase was originally intended.
  
• Thank Ghod I don't travel like I used to. If one of these spontaneous protests had caused me to miss a flight, I would definitely be on the local (and perhaps national) news, and a number of protesters would get the unique experience of riding in a ambulance with broken bones and their teeth in their pockets.
  
• I wouldn't have Steve Spicer's job for all the tea in India.
  Steve Spicer: "I love puppies and the sky is blue."
  Media/Aggrieved Left: "Trump hates Kittens and is ignorant of atmospheric science because Spox Spicer touts confusing narrative that defames Migrant Muslim."

So, moving on.

I'll try to keep the ice cream machine stocked a little more often...
It all depends in how much ass needs kicking around here, and how much my ass gets kicked.

TBG - - Livin' the dream in Tampa

Helpful Hints for Rio from The Czar

After I fired off a cry for help, The Czar (may his toenails never fester) comes through with a timely and accurate assist:

Dear Uncle Jay,
You’re right that the key word for traveling to Brazil is “don’t.” Of course, that makes it sound like you shouldn’t travel there at all; in reality, (1) you shouldn’t travel to South America at all and (2) the word don’t really applies to everything related to Brazil.

This actually is Rio. This may not be one of the Olympic sports, but that doesn’t mean you won’t see this at some venues.

Brazil is basically all the cut-throat lunacy of a Mexican pirate town plunked helpfully in the center of a sweltering jungle, featuring a river filled with creatures that have teeth the size of your aunt and the predilection to eat something her size with them. 

Another feature of Brazil is the fact you can drive about ten minutes in any direction (in theory, as there aren’t nearly enough roads) and find yourself in a stone-age culture equipped with blowguns and cell phones. They will not hesitate to use both. No, the Czar doesn’t mean “either,” he means “both”: they’ll gleefully put a dart in your neck while talking to their agent.

Brazilians, on the other hand, are great for parties. The Czar strongly recommends befriending a Brazilian if you like to eat, drink, roller skate, dance, and basically repeat this every hour until four or five in the morning. These people do not quit.

It has been decades since the Czar went to Rio, though, so let’s see what we remember. Your high school Spanish will be just as useful to you here as when you went to Cozumel, by which we mean totally useless. Brazilians, as you already know, speak Portuguese, not Spanish. Portuguese is an interesting language that’s half-Spanish and half-arrogance. It has a lot of shushing noises, which is linguistically interesting: since Brazilians spend about two-thirds of their day inebriated, they simply modified the spelling of their language to reflect drunken slurs.

Helpful phrases:
“These are not my drugs, therefore you can keep them.” — Não minhas drogas; portanto, você pode mantê-los.
“Waiter, my seafood is threatening me.” — Garçom, meu frutos do mar me ameaça.
“What can I drink that won’t kill me?” — O que eu posso beber que não vai me matar?
“If I drink this caipirinha, will I still have two kidneys in the morning?” — Se eu beber esta caipirinha, vai ainda tenho dois rins na parte da manhã?
“Get me on the next flight home.” — Quero que o próximo vôo do avião casa.
“No, I’m Canadian.” — Não, sou canadense

Don’t worry about pronouncing the Portuguese correctly: just read it loud and in a drunk voice. They won’t understand you, but that’s because they’re too hammered themselves. “Vamos roller skating,” they’ll say in sympathy. 

The Czar is also familiar with Brazilian cooking, being something of a grill-master himself. The Brazilian method of cooking is quite simple: subject thick cuts of meat—python?—to extremely high heat until the food is charred black on the outside and bloody raw in the middle. If you look carefully, you might find some medium-well fibers of meat between the two, but these will be utterly soaked in salt.

The heat is unbearable in Rio, but clothing is totally optional. Actually, the bigger and hairier you are, the less you want to wear. The Czar guesses for a mostly shaved Sasquatch guy your size, Jay, you should wear an eyepatch in place of a thong. Surprisingly, that won’t be the most surprising thing you’ll see someone wear.

Everyone talks about the gigantic statue of Jesus up on the hilltop, but what they don’t tell you is that, over the last 50 years or so, the statue has totally turned itself around so it looks away. It would be a Vatican-sized miracle, but no one admits it because it reflects nothing but shame on the city. Hey, if you had to gaze down on that mess, you’d at least squint.

Anywhere you go, look for the nearest exit and use it.

Fortunately, you’ll be traveling there with fiber optic cables, which is good because you can use them to strangle the hotel clerk when he arrives in the middle of the night to perform his customary turn down service and leave something minty on your pillow. Don’t worry about the body: murder is not only sanctioned there but positively encouraged. If the authorities ask, simply say what all Brazilians say and claim you thought he was a poor person. You’re off the hook, and you can just leave the body where it is. There will be no air-conditioning in your room anyway, and within moments his corpse will be swollen with bottle fly maggots, so dumping it won’t matter.

For the last 50 years or so, the Czar has become increasingly convinced that the Olympics are just a huge joke that we’re not getting…so the organizers are choosing even dumber locations each time. “Let’s pick a disease-infested pithole that’s corrupt, filthy hot, and has no transportation or clean lodging.” “How about Rio? Chicago said no.”

Well...
I do plan on going to the beach at least once...

Let's see if I can find that eyepatch/thong he's suggesting... To Amazon!
(How appropriate!)


Wow. That would look frightening trying to hold in all my dangly bits...

Here's something even MORE better! A steampunk eyepatch/monocle!
This might be the ticket- but...
If that thing isn't the size of a one-quart oilcan, I'll probably be causing a ruckus on the beach at Copacabana...

Stronger, Higher, Faster - forsooth!
TBG - - ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE

Life Pro Tips Needed...

Back in 2014 I sent a missive to The Czar over at Castle G, looking for guidance prior to my trip to the Sochi Olympics and got excellent advice which proved invaluable, and in one case, kept me from being shipped off to a gulag...
I saw the coquettish batting of fake eyelashes by a waitress in Rosa Khutor as a 'come hither'; Instead it was actually an advanced case of pink eye and a rather sizable stye causing the eyelid flutter.
I realized my mistake after cornering her in the space between the restaurant's outhouse and the offal pile by the river. Moments later I was having a close encounter with a 10" butcher's blade wielded by her boss/uncle accompanied by 2 members of the FSE.
Needless to say, I racked my brain for a plausible explanation when the advice for The Czar come ringing through- I shouted “გთხოვთ, არ მომეცი მწერები!!" Out of the corner of my eye I caught the flash of in incoming nightstick and everything went dark (or rather darker).
I woke up face-down in a landfill just south of Estosadok, bound in several yards of burlap and bailing wire, and a sign reading "სიკვდილი ამერიკული ღორის ძაღლები".

Since things worked out so well in Sochi I thought I would tempt fate and seek guidance again, this time invoking The Czar to assist me with suggestions for Rio de Janerio.

My petition:

O Most Dread and Awful Czar, Lord of the Flies, Keeper of the Pile, Master of the Steppes, Bringer of Kinetic Military Action, Torturer-in-Chief, Slayer of the Yaw and the Goiter, and Protector of the Holy Cities of Moscow, Chicago and parts of Louisville...

Once again I find myself in need of Pro Life Tips from Your Czarness…

As per usual I have been assigned to work in a place that the mere mention of evokes fear and palpitations in the hearts of travel professionals and dollar signs in the eyes of Personal Executive Protection agents.

Yep- you guessed it. I’m heading to Rio.

Your guidance regarding my sojourn in Sochi was invaluable; Your tip regarding quality horsemeat was spot-on, and I did use “გვამი მდინარეში ერთხელ,” very often, given the construction contractors that received bids and money for projects that were either unfinished (tons of them) or didn’t even exist (arguably even a larger quantity).

Your knowledge was so useful I would once again visit the well of your vast wisdom and know-how and draw upon your knowledge of all things dangerous and deadly.

Word around the campfire is to stay away from: 

Beaches at night

Bars bearing any signage 1) in English, or 2) with the words “Nós Matar Turistas” (“We love tourists” I think...)

Downtown Rio

Northern Rio

Southern Rio

Western Rio

(There is no Eastern Rio. Word has it that is was sold to Uruguay and carted away in a truck years ago.)

Also avoid:

Local cops

City cops

Federal cops

Highway cops

Subway/Metro cops

Anyone with a uniform

Anyone without a uniform

Kids

Grownups

Boys

Girls

Girls that look like boys

Boys that look like girls

Anyone with a pulse

Anyone without a pulse

And finally-

Don’t eat/drink:

Meat

Vegetables

Fish
Dairy products

Eggs

Gluten

Starches
Name brand liquor

Off brand liquor

Homemade liquor

Cachaça

Aguardiente

Water (bottled, tap, bay, beach, bath/shower, ocean and rainfall)

Beer

Coke and other ‘soft’ drinks

And the biggest no-no-

Favelas – Don’t even look at the damned favelas.

As a matter of fact, according to the keeper of my leash, visiting a favela, no matter how well armed and capable I am, or the size of my personal protection detail is a violation that will get me a spot on the next plane out. (That’s my escape plan, by the way.)

Help me, Obi Wan Czarnobi

You’re my only hope.

Uncle Jay


TBG - - ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE

Useful Phrases

A few days back the Dread and Awful Czar posted a lovely bit o' foolscap about not falling into the trap of discussing gun rights with the Anti-Gun crowd.

I used this bit of advice to my advantage and peace of mind in the follow-up to a gun rights discussion... worked like a charm.

While waiting on a delayed flight at SFO today I discovered that the Czar's advice can be applied to many situations, especially in the coming months.

Airport CNN was spewing drivel regarding the Democrat's Bengazhi report...
For some reason the Dems report had many references for The Donald in it, like he had some hand in the actual operation or administration response...
A short discussion started up with the group I was standing with...
An older woman, well dressed and erudite opined:
"I think Trump is the worst thing to happen to this country since Richard Nixon." and waited for approval from her fellow passengers.

My measured reponse: "Honey, I couldn't give a fat rat's ass what you think."
And went back to reading my twitter feed.

That pretty much shut down the political discussion for the afternoon....

TBG- out

Catching Up: Rimward & Rio Stuff

Just before I left for Rio, I got a goodie from my man OldNFO.

He sent me copies of his newest stuff- Specifically Rimward:Stranded and part of his newest offering from The Grey Man series.
With Rimward, Jim is venturing into the Mil/SciFi genre with both feet.
Rimward:Stranded was a very fun read- for a short story it was detailed and technical enough to keep the reader's interest, and I liked both his characters and his story pacing.
Great stuff Jim-
More! More!
It's up on Amazon- a tiny investment for a great read... Constant Readers are encouraged to check it out, and encourage OldNFO to continue his work in the genre.
Go get some HERE.

Rio-centric stuff:

Zika. Seriously.
Everyone asks about Zika...
I have yet to see a Zika-carrying mosquito during my visit.

Doesn't mean they're not here, but I think they (Rio Mozzie Control) are doing a very effective mosquito control program in the Barra and other touristy places.
Today I'm at Athletics at Olympic Stadium in Maracanã...
Yikes- this neighborhood is kinda scary- and probably not as well maintained as Barra. But we spent 45 minutes outside waiting on our arena contact and never got a bite, so I have to wonder.

But- here's the low-down on the indigenous mozzies:




The Anopheles Mosquito

The Anopheles mosquito has gained quite a reputation worldwide. This is because it is the only species of mosquito that is capable of transmitting malaria. While the Anopheles mosquito has gained itself a lot of popularity due to the ever increasing spread of malaria around the globe, few realize that this species is also responsible for the spread of Filariasis and Encephalitis. It's a nondescript blood-sucker in a plain brown wrapper...

The Culex Mosquito

The Culex mosquito is not as well known as the Anopheles mosquito. It however can transmit a number of deadly diseases. Like the Anopheles mosquito, the Culex mosquito is responsible for the spread of Filariasis and Encephalitis. In addition to these two diseases, the Culex mosquito can also carry the West Nile virus.

The Aedes Mosquito

The Aedes mosquito is known to transmit Yellow fever, Dengue and Encephalitis. Today however, this mosquito has made headlines with the newest virus that it transmits: the Zika virus!

Aedes Aegypti is a larger-than average mozzie with very distinctive coloring...
Watch for the tell-tale black and white markings on the body and the outriggers.

Now, there have been some people here that have contracted Zika-
The head guy at the field shop (warehouse) contracted Zika and it was a horror story-
Body and joint pain, headaches, swelling, just terrible to hear the tale...
Seems that the people that contract it are the most sensitive and reactive to mosquitoes.
With Field Shop Guy, if there is a mozzie around, he goes to Defcon 1 until the threat is eliminated.

It is said that the guys at the IBC collect dead mosquitoes and keep them lined up on display as a warning to the other bugs...
I'll have to come up with a dead count when I come back, if I ever actually see any live Aedes Ageypti... I have seen a few Anopheles darlingi, but they were shooed away with a stern glance and harsh language.

Been enjoying a wide spectrum of caipirinhas during my sojourn here...
Had one down on the beach at a little beach shack called Pepe's... Great spot way down the beach from Barra.
There are a couple picturesque islands just off shore calling my name- or is it the cachaça?

TBG - - Exit - Pursued by a Barra hooker.

Last Week - They Call It 'Golf' Because 'Fuck!' Was Already Taken.

Last week, in between trips to Chicago and burning Midnight Oil to prep equipment for Rio '16, I had an opportunity to get my clubs out and do a little swingin'...
Something I haven't done in YEARS. Like at least 6 years- maybe more.

Now, don't get me wrong, I LIKE golf, I just don't have the time to enjoy it like I used to.
Back in the day ('94-'95) I played at least once a week...
But just because I don't play, doesn't mean I can't play.

So, because the stars were aligned and all was right with the world, I was at this nice little club in NE Georgia with 100 of my closest friends (at least in April they are my friends...) and we proceeded to hack up the tees, fairways and greens with great abandon... I did remove my 12 Iron (the Mossberg) from the bag in order to adhere to Club requirements.
After all, it's wasn't going to be a shotgun start that day...

One person in our little band of duffers is a certain NFO some Constant Readers might recognize from his walrus mustache or his Grey Man series...

Jim's Group

Dr. Jolly, OldNFO, and The Sabatinis. Nice folks all.

Jim's Practice Swing

"Keep pointin' that damn camera at me and you'll be snappin' pictures of your colon. I don't care how big you are."

Jim fires his tee shot down the first fairway


1 Fairway

Kind of overcast that day, but it was still pretty awesome.
Looks a little odd without several hundred people lining the edges of the fairway or the big scoreboard on the right...


About 2:30 it was my group's turn to take the tee...

Peter, Pat G, Marisa and Yours Truly

A little later on we waited for our turn on the par 3 Hole #4...


Laying up on 13. (Hey! Where are all the azaleas?)
Back on 13, I was hitting my 3rd stroke up onto the green from this location...
I had crushed the tee shot then played it safe and laid up short because of the creek, snakes and bunkers...

Yes, Snakes...
Like this little jewel - a tightly wound copperhead just off the path up to the 13th Green...




It wasn't all just birdies, pars and bogies (or double bogies, or snowmen)... In addition to golf, they threw a nice little luncheon outside the clubhouse for us...




Tasty vittles all around.

Fried Chicken, Burgers, Brats, Gumbo... Mmmmm. Tasty!


What did I shoot?
Let's just say, in the spirit of mystery that surrounds the Tradition Unlike Any Other, my score was "Just enough."


TBG - -[Exit- Pursued by Agkistrodon contortrix]

Hey KX59, WTF?

If you do a search on Teh Google for "Florida Man", you usually get some pretty entertaining results.
It looks like, however, Houston is trying to give Florida a run for the money...

TBG - - ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE

Sydney - Neglected Point of Interest

I forgot one point of interest in old Sydney that would be of interest to one or two Constant Readers.
OldNFO and Brigid would most likely really enjoy the bookstore I found up in Millers Point...
On Argyle Place, just up from Lord Nelson's is an itty bitty specialty bookshop...

Sadly, when The Woman and I swept past, the "Out for Tucker" sign was up, and I never got back during business hours...
Next December I will visit again and try to get some interior shots...

TBG - - ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE

Kübler-Ross Would Be Appalled - The Five Stages of Blogging

5 stages- I haz it.
Especially after re-reading that last post. Gah.
______________________________________________________________

Denial
Upon seeing or experiencing some inanity or stupidity, the thought of "I cannot believe the AssHattery I am seeing here."

Anger
"This shit is so FUBAR I must blog about it! To the Keyboard!"

Bargaining
After several hundred keystrokes, a handful of Google searches, a wiki-wander or three, missing out on going to lunch with the new receptionist, and a deadline looming for getting that new contract done and submitted- you make promises:
"Just 2 more paragraphs. And a link to that picture on fark.com...
Then I'll get back to that proposal."

Depression
On first proofread:
"What the f... Did a third grader write this?
Nope- A third grader would have done a batter job.
Why do I even try? No one reads this shit anyway. Tam probably wrote about this weeks ago and probably did the job 10 times better."

Acceptance
Fuck it. (presses send)
Like I said- no one reads my shit anyway.
Who gives a shit. At least it's free ice cream.


TBG - - ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE

The Czar Will Set Your Mind Right...

The Czar reminds you to get pissed about the right things over at the Gormogons:

So if you want to be outraged because ISIS destroyed a beautiful piece of architecture, have at at. But be outraged at everything else, too, and push to do something about it.
Because we can always rebuild a ruin and say “this is what it looked like,” but we can’t undo the murder of thousands.

Fuckin'-A right Johnny.

TBG - - ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE

I Has a Sad

Well, shit.

My man Borepatch is shutting down his site-

I can understand not wanting to fire up and run the free ice cream machine every day.
I have the same feelings myself all the time.

His was one of the many that I subscribe to on my RSS feed. And as I was doing some checking, it seems like way too many of my feeds have gone dark. Some were 'meh' and some are missed terribly.
Borepatch will be one of the latter.

Fortunately I have had the pleasure of his company on a couple occasions and plan on continuing this trend as often as I can arrange it.
He's not that far away, and is in a city where I already have familial ties, so I will be in the area now and again, and I will make time to meet up with him as often as our collective schedules permit.
I see many two-wheeled meetings in the future-


The only time a goodbye is painful is when you know you'll never say hello again.
Fortunately for me, this is an 'Until we meet again' situation...
For others in the blogosphere, it may well be a sad goodbye.

Take care BP...


TBG - - ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE

Friday Night Lights

Been quite a week...
The equipment trucks returned from Augusta on Tuesday and Wednesday and we had our hands full offloading and repatriating the hardware for repacking and shipping to the next events...
I overdid it, of course- trying to keep up with the kids and interns in the Events department carrying cases and pushing our hardware racks...
Nothing a handful of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pills couldn't solve...

Thursday rolled around and with it a much-looked-for meeting-
Old NFO was in town- and had a free evening in his schedule.

We met up out in Orange Park, at Whitey's Fish Camp, tucked into some tasty seafood and the conversation flowed like good wine...

Old NFO is a kindred spirit- we have similar but different experiences- especially when it comes to travel... We had a 1,001 stories about airlines, airports and the myriad of morons that try to thwart our wishes as we pursue our diverse jobs...

OldNFO: "....so we finished up, the Swedes parachuted in and built us a runway on the ice and we took off back to Iceland!"
TBG: "Iceland- wow. Never got there, but I did freeze my ass off in Finland once... We were drinking heavily and..."

As our conversation wandered I bored him with the stories from my youth and my days flying milk runs and Part35 charters out of The Flight Department in Marathon, and later how I traded bumps bruises and 2 years living in the mud blood and rum at Ft. Davis in Panama for my sheepskin at UF, to the unfortunate incident in Cienfuego.
I got to enjoy his stories about REAL flying... Everything from old DC3s to my favorite rotary craft- the Hughes 500D "The Loach", and some pretty esoteric Russian aircraft encounters.
Time flew by-
Eventually we called it a night- I offered to arm-wrestle him for the check, instead we scared the crap out of the waitress as we both made a mad grab for the bill.
Youth (such as it is) and ambition won out, I got it, but it was a close race.
(Hey- my town, my check. Next time I'm in DC, you can get it.)

In reminiscing about my days down in Panama, after I got home I had to go hunt up some uncomfortable hunks of metal I received as remembrances from my days down south...
It took some doing, but I finally found them...

 (Left: From my CO from MCDEC (now MCCDC), the center one was from a Navy REMF on our team and the coin on the right was from the guys in EF21 for their pet nerd.)

I assume the work we did and the hardware we used 30 years ago is probably still classified... even though the Samsung S5 in my pocket is smaller and does a better job at the same tasks... but 30 years ago, eh?
A lot of work went into the equipment we used, and a lot of people had some pretty high stakes in the results.
But I digress...


We stood outside talking - I had a 40 mile trip in a light drizzle so I wasn't in a hurry got start, and we stood outside talking for a bit-
OldNFO will be back in town off and on in the next few months- More work at NAS Jax.

We need to nail down a date, maybe have a BlogShoot for folks in the general area...
Maybe something in North/Central Fl- like the range in the Osceola National Forest-
We'll bring everything that goes boom, and maybe even the Caja China and roast a pig for lunch... A good time will be had by all.

So... Who's in? McThag? Borepatch? Famous Robb Allen?


TBG - - ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE

Truth - The Retro Look

The Collective over at Castle G retweeted a good one last night...

(You ARE familiar with the boys at G, yes? If not, here's the Guide)



The tweet in question:

I had never noticed before tonight that Katy Perry looks like she should be painted on the side of a WW2 plane. She's old school hot.
— Kelly (@flyoverangel) February 2, 2015

Yeah buddy-
Between her and Christina Aguilera, I like this trend in bringing back the 40's-Style pin-up girls.



Gwen Stefani of No Doubt is pulling her weight too, however miniscule that is...



I would love to hang any one of these girls on a wall in my office.

Hell, I'd even settle for hanging a picture of one of them on the wall of the office...


TBG - - ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE

Signs Of Our Times

I think this is the place Borepatch goes in Roswell...


TBG- ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE

Fellow Blogger Blacklisted!

Wow... Them OpenDNS folks aren't screwing around...

Hey Irish-
You need to charge more for access since you are obviously running a straight-up porn site.


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Chicken Fried Steak

-or-

Overindulgence in Tomball Texas

When I go to Texas there are two things I always try to do...

The first thing is to avoid Bill Miller.

No, not that one.

This one:


Yep- some of the most mediocre BBQ in Texas...
Yuck.

The second thing is to see if KX59 and Belle are available for a sit-down and chat...
It happens now and again...

I tried to hook up with them on in inbound side and they weren't having any, so we settled on the outbound- arranging for a Saturday lunch of Americanized Wiener Schnitzel - the famous Chicken Fried Steak at Goodsens in Tomball.
(A few weeks back KX59 had a post about CFS- I took it as an affront that I hadn't been back to Houston in a while to partake, and I left a nasty comment to let him know I'd been offended.)

Holy mackerel- I should have done my homework... Or at least re-read my blogpost from the last time we went there.
1.) Unless you're REALLY #@$%ing hungry, order the SMALL chicken fried steak
(Because the large is basically a battered and fried, bathmat-sized, drooping-over-the-edges-of-the-plate behemoth.) (No, no pics - no wide-angle lens on my cellphone.)

2.) If you order the SMALL, you will have room for the amazing desserts
Like this:

(pic by Belle)
OMFG.

3. If you are truly a glutton- and you HAVE the large CFS, AND you order the banana pudding for dessert, the mandatory 90 minute digestive-processing chat with KX59 and Belle will be invoked- because it was going to be almost impossible to trundle my bulk out to the car and head to the airport afterward.


Conversation ranged far and wide- family, blogging, work, politics-
We were able to shame Belle back into posting on her blog, KX and I discussed IT mentality and traded stories about the architectural trade...
Good times- good times...

All good things must come to an end- I headed back to Jax.
This phase of the day was even worse- trying to squeeze into an Embraer 125 is nearly an impossibility  for me on a good day-
It was a disturbing Matryoshka flew to Jacksonville that day... Iced-tea soaked chicken fried steak, wrapped in banana pudding, inside an ogre, inside a airplane the size of a toothpaste tube...
(If a turkey + duck + chicken = Turducken, I don't want to contemplate what you'd call CFS+pudding+ogre+airplane.  Eww.)

KX59 and the Lovely Belle - they headed off to do what Texans do... Basically desiccate in the 110-degree heat, and uphold the fine Texas tradition of Bad Mouthing Every Other State In The US Because They Aren't Texas.
God love 'em.


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Borepatch & Friends

Always use the right tool for the job.

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Lunch With the Brotherhood

Lunching with a couple members of the ODMQD* we got to discussing politics (duh).
One of the Brothers had read my latest screed and brought (on his iPad) an email regarding the dangers of being opposite the Clintons and how it can be hazardous to one's health.

 Federal agents killed in the Branch Davidian raid in Waco, Tom McKeehan, Conway Le Bleu, and Robert Williams, were former Clinton bodyguards. (February 26, 1993)

    Attorney Paul Wilcher, who investigated drug and gun running out of Mena, Arkansas and their links to the Branch Davidians, died of undetermined causes three weeks after submitting a 99 page affidavit to Attorney General Janet Reno. (June 23, 1993)

    Four Marine presidential crewmen who escorted Clinton on the flight to the Carrier Roosevelt, Maj. William S. Barkley, Capt. Scott J. Reynolds, Staff Sgt. Brian D. Haney and Sgt. Timothy D. Sabel, died in a helicopter crash. (May 19, 1993)

    Others associated with Clinton's March 12, 1993 visit to the Carrier Roosevelt (the meeting aboard the Roosevelt figures prominently in the U.N. Bosnia-Serbia peace keeping plans) who died in aviation accidents within four months of each other, include: Maj. Gen. Jarrett J. Robertson, Col. William J. Densberger, Col. Robert J. Kelley, and five Naval Aviators.

    Vincent Foster, Hillary's former Rose Law Firm Associate and legal council to the President, allegedly committed suicide, using a non-traceable hand gun, built from parts of several guns. Shadows of doubt cast by reports of not finding a suicide note were addressed when a note was miraculously produced much later, torn into pieces, void of fingerprints. Missing was the piece where the signature would appear. (July 7, 1993)

    Paula Gober, who traveled extensively with Clinton as his interpreter for the hearing-impaired, was killed in a solo auto accident near Monticello, Arkansas. Her body was found 33 feet away from her overturned car. (December 9, 1992)

    Clinton's State Attorney General Susan Coleman, who allegedly had an affair with Clinton, was shot in the back of her head.

    Arkansas pornography and prostitution ring 'model' Judy Gibbs, a frequent sexual partner of then-Governor Clinton, burned to death in a fire inside her home following her decision to cooperate with police.

    Clinton strategist and Democratic National Committee Political Director, Paul Tully, was found dead of unknown causes in a Little Rock hotel room. (September 9, 1992).

    Clintons national finance co-chairman and operator of a telecommunication service used by international police, C. Victor Raiser II, and his son Montgomery Raiser were killed in a private plane crash. (June 30, 1992)

    Clinton fund raiser Herschel Friday, an attorney from Little Rock, was killed in a single-engine plane accident.

    Clinton administration advisors on health care reform Stanley Heard and Steven Dickson were killed in the crash of their rented plane shortly after takeoff from Dulles Airport.

    Jim Wilhite, a friend of Bill Clinton and a business associate of White House Chief of Staff Mack McLarty, suffered fatal head injuries in a skiing accident. (December 12, 1992)

    The death of prominent attorney, developer, and Clinton fund-raiser, Ed Wiley, was ruled a suicide though no suicide note was found, nor was there an apparent motive for suicide. (November 30, 1993)

    Clinton¹s Chief of Security in Arkansas, Jerry Parks, was found along a roadside, riddled with bullets. Files kept in his office were missing.

    Dr. Ronald Rogers, believed to be on his way to an interview to reveal information about Clinton to a London Sunday Telegraph reporter, died in a plane crash. (March 3 1994)

    A witness for Paula Jones, Kathy Ferguson, the ex-wife of Arkansas State Trooper and Clinton bodyguard Danny Ferguson, was shot behind the left ear. The death was ruled a suicide. (May 11, 1994)

    Kathy Ferguson's fiance, Arkansas policeman Bill Shelton, who was critical of the Ferguson suicide ruling, died of a gunshot wound behind the left ear. His death was ruled a suicide. (June 1994).

    Jon Parnell Walker, a Resolution Trust Corporation investigator probing illegalities between the Clintons and Madison Guaranty S&L, allegedly committed suicide by leaping from the top of a 22-story apartment building.

    Stanley Huggin, an investigator into Madison Guaranty Savings and Loan, was found dead in Delaware.

    Admiral Jeremy M. (Mike) Boords, Chief of Naval Operations, shot himself in the chest with a .38 caliber handgun a few minutes before her was to be interviewed by a Newsweek reporter. He was tipped off that he would be asked two questions: Did he know Jonathon Jay Pollard? And, was he Pollard's 'handler' at the Navy Department?

    Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, 34 American industrialists and flight crew aboard the Presidential plane Air Force-2 were killed when the Boeing T-43-A crashes into Sveti Ivan, Croatia, April 3, 1996. Air Force Stewardess Shelly Kelly, who is riding in the tail, sustains only minor cuts and bruises, and was able to board a rescue helicopter without assistance. She later dies at the hospital from loss of blood. According to journalist Joe L. Jordan, an autopsy later reveals a neat three-inch incision over her main femoral artery that was inflicted at least three hours after all her other cuts and bruises. Clinton hastily orders all bodies of the victims to be cremated.

    Maintenance Chief Niko Jerkuic, in charge of the radio beacon that guided Air Force-2 to the runway at Cilipi Airport, commits suicide by shooting himself in the chest. Cilipi¹s air traffic controller also commits suicide and the tapes of the control tower disappear

And the hits (heh) keep coming. (Benghazi, etc.)

I've seen this bit o' foolscap before, and it seems like it's going to be getting more life (heh) as the political seasons start to ramp up...

My man xbradtc over at Bring the heat Bring the Stupid opines that the most dangerous job in the world is to be an associate of the Clinton's...
Based on the proffered list, one might think so.
(The only more dangerous occupation/pastime for anyone, especially young urban males is "turning his life around")

Regarding the *cough cough* unfortunate circumstances *cough cough* of the demise of damn near everyone that pisses off or has dirt on the Clintons - I immediately head over to the bastion of debunking Snopes.com to look up the Clinton Body Count.
Sadly- the operators of Snopes are tried-and-true kool-aid drinkers of the Left, so you have to be a little careful with the "pay no attention to the man behind the curtain" you get regarding anything damaging to Obama, the Clintons, or the Left in general.
In this particular case they give a quick handwave to all the items-
"it could happen to anyone, nothing to see here... move along"

Well... whether there is a Clinton Kiss of Death or not, things are going to get quite interesting in the next few months.

*Don't ask.
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