Stupid people of the week

The Pentagon’s F-35 Office Has No Idea What an F-35 Looks Like

You might think that, given the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office’s singular responsibility of ensuring the U.S. military’s F-35 fleet is ready to fight tonight, the service members working for that office would be intimately familiar with at least a handful of the passing details of the aircraft, no matter how far from an engineering bay their job may take them. Sadly, that is not the case.

On Veterans Day, the F-35 JPO posted a seemingly-innocuous (and since-deleted) image of an F-35 to X, formerly known as Twitter, in a tribute to the service and sacrifice of American veterans – except that the aircraft featured does not look like an F-35.

Here’s the JPO image in a screenshot for posterity:

And here is a photo of an Air Force F-35 from the Wisconsin Air National Guard’s 115th Fighter Wing published by the U.S. military in 2023:

We have many questions. Mainly: Where did those twin engines on the JPO image come from? The F-35 uses a single Pratt & Whitney F135 turbofan engine (in two different variants, depending on the aircraft), whereas the fighter in the JPO tweet appears to resemble the twin-enginer Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) J-35 fighter jet more than anything else.

Unfortunately, this sort of public affairs flub happens all too often. For July 4th last year, the U.S. Pacific Fleet’s official account tweeted a photo that appeared to show the silhouettes of a Russian Kashin-class destroyer and five Sukhoi-27s fighter jets against the backdrop of an American flag with the command’s Independence Day message. Back in 2021, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service used a photo composite showing an American flag alongside a Russian Kirov-class battlecruiser to wish the U.S. Navy a happy birthday, the very same mistake Republican Rep. Brian Mast also made back in 2019.

Still, this is quite embarrassing – especially on Veterans Day. But between missed readiness goals and rising costs, it makes sense that the F-35 JPO has other stuff to focus on other than accurately representing its primary aircraft on social media.

Source; Military.com

Costco is recalling almost 80,000 pounds of butter because apparently people don’t know butter has milk

Costco recalled nearly 80,000 pounds of its store-brand butter products last month because they were missing a legally-required allergy statement.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classified the recall as Class II on Nov. 7. This designation is defined by the agency as a “situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences,” but “the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.”

Continental Dairy Facilities Southwest, a Litttlefield, Texas-based manufacturer of milk products, initiated the recall in October because the Kirkland Signature-branded products “may be missing the Contains Milk statement,” according to the FDA.

Costco did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Quartz.

Source; Quartz

Want to rob this Abilene store? You have to make a purchase first

An Abilene man allegedly tried to rob a store but was told the register wouldn’t open without a purchase, then tried to buy something.

On August 7, 2024, a witness reported that a person demanded cash from the Family Dollar’s register. They also stated the suspect was behaving as if he had a firearm.

The suspect allegedly instructed the employee to empty the cash drawer, but the employee explained that the register would not open unless a purchase was made. The suspect then tried to buy nail clippers, but the employee quickly closed the drawer as soon as it opened. Subsequently, the suspect left the store.

Shortly after the incident, a person matching the description was stopped on a street in north Abilene. He was identified as Kasey-Mighel Ranaldo-Ray Soares. According to court documents, he admitted to pretending to have a firearm in order to convince the store clerk to hand over the money from the cash register.

Soares has been charged with robbery and resisting arrest. He is currently being held in the Taylor County Jail on a $35,000 bond.

Source; Big Country Homepage

Missing man found dead in Planet Fitness tanning bed 3 days after arriving at Indianapolis gym

A missing man was discovered dead in a Planet Fitness tanning bed Monday three days after he walked into one of the gym’s locations in Indianapolis, authorities and loved ones said.

The body of Derek Sink, 39, was found around 9 a.m. — about four hours after the fitness center opened for business, according to reports.

The day before, Sink was reported missing by family who had not heard from him since Friday, the Indianapolis Star reported, citing police records.

A woman who visited the gym Monday morning told WTHR a foul smell was wafting through the building before the body was found in the tanning bed.

“The tanning bed has a door, I believe, but still, why are we not concerned that the tanning bed has been closed for three days, potentially?” Elizabeth Len said.

The gym closes at 9 p.m. on Fridays and is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, according to its website.

Sink’s family told the local station that their loved one had dealt with drug problems, and a needle was in the room at Planet Fitness.

An ankle monitor worn by Sink helped authorities pinpoint where he’d been, an aunt reportedly said.

His relatives remembered him as a loving person.

“We were deeply saddened by the passing of one of our members, and the franchise owner is working with the local authorities in their investigation,” a Planet Fitness representative said in a statement to the outlet.

“At Planet Fitness, we have robust operational brand protocols in place, as the safety and well-being of our members is our top priority. We are working closely with our local franchisee to ensure they are upholding those brand protocols.”

A cause and manner of death has not been determined so far, but foul play is not suspected.

Source; NY Post

Oregon ambulance struck cyclist, then billed him $1,800 for ride to hospital

An ambulance struck a cyclist in Oregon, brought him to a hospital for treatment – and then billed him more than $1,800, according to a lawsuit that the unwitting patient has since filed.

William Hoesch, 71, was hit by the ambulance in question after its driver made a right turn, fracturing his nose and leaving him with scrapes as well as other injuries across his body.

Hoesch is suing the Columbia River fire and rescue department for nearly $1m after the agency he blames for the accident sent him a $1,862 bill for the ambulance ride. The lawsuit claims Hoesch was left with permanent injuries and has accrued about $47,000 in medical expenses so far, with an additional $50,000 in costs anticipated after his visit to the hospital, the local news outlet OregonLive reported.

The lawsuit, filed on 24 October, asserts that Hoesch was traveling through Columbia county, Oregon, on his bicycle in October 2022 while heading in the same direction as the ambulance. The medical vehicle then tried to make a right turn on to another street, crashing into Hoesch and destroying his bicycle.

According to police reports obtained by OregonLive, the driver who struck Hoesch and a passenger in the ambulance estimated the ambulance was going between 2mph and 10mph at the time of the accident. Hoesch estimated to police that he was going between 5mph and 10mph.

The crash left him covered in blood and resulted in prolonged injuries and “pain, stiffness, tenderness, discomfort, impaired range of motion, and reduced grip”, the suit states.

Hoesch is suing for $997,000 for pain and suffering, along with payment for medical bills.

Source; The Guardian

Category: Crime, Police, Stupid Criminals