Weekend open thread

| March 2, 2018

March 2, 2018

Watch and Wait

A tokay gecko waits for nightfall in Ubud, Indonesia. Its name is an onomatopoeia, mimicking the croak the nocturnal gecko makes while in pursuit of a mate.

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Category: Open thread

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UpNorth

First

Graybeard

Congratulations, UpNorth!

UpNorth

Thank you, thank you.

Sapper3307

Hail Hydra!

Club Manager, USA ret.

Heard from the Texas Rangers about the imposter Jonn exposed the other day, one each Jose Igor Alvarez aka Igor Gretaldezky who claimed to be a green beret and on his Facebook page working for the Texas Department of Public Safety. The Ranger said NOT and they were first going to speak with Jonn then apparently smoke the phony.

Graybeard

You may or may not have heard the story from WWII about the German troops who were terrified when they heard that the Rangers were coming.

They thought that it was the Texas Rangers they were going to have to face. They were relieved to learn it was only the U.S. Army Rangers. They still got smoked, but they weren’t as worried about it.

Jose Igor Alvarez is gonna wish it was just the Army Rangers after his wussy self.

NHSparky

Inglorious Basterds.

Donny Donowitz…aka The Bear Jew.

2/17 Air Cav

Wow. How many years have you been here and this marks your first First WOT. Hearty congrats!

2/17 Air Cav

Claw. Please use the gold ink to enter UpNorth is the Book of Firsts. I know it’s rare, but it it is nor prohibited by rule.

OWB

AC, as the TAH Scribe Emeritus, you are doing a fine job. You trained your protégée well, and Claw is enhancing your groundwork nicely.

What would we do without our group (dare I call it a flight?) of scribes, scorekeepers and beancounters? They each add a demention to our TAH experience that we didn’t even know we needed.

For those who weren’t already in your boots, you are on your own washing your socks. Raise your arms, save the watches!

Carry on.

David

I have to wonder if your spelling of ‘dimension’ was intentional- if so, I’m stealing it.

OWB

Could make a good argument for either intentional or not. Meanwhile, use or don’t use, the choice is yours. Of course, with permission, it’s not stealing.

Does permisson presuppose intent?

Claw

Roger. Name is now entered in gold ink.

Yesterday when I made the entry, I had annotated it with a gold star, but upon learning of this, I have upped it to seven gold stars above UpNorth’s name to denote such an auspicious occasion.

((Out.))

2/17 Air Cav

Out or no out, Claw, thank you. I should have known you were on it!

UpNorth

Hah!!!!

SFC D

third!

Yef

This is from my college (AMU). What do you think?

“There are political cycles of alternation between Democratic and Republican presidents. Political scientist Arthur Schlesinger, for example, proposed that there are national cycles between conservatism (a preference for order and tradition) and liberalism (a preference for change and personal liberty). Schlesinger further claimed that conservatism was about “private interest” and economic growth while liberalism was about “public purpose” and social responsibility. Presidents simply fit into these larger national movements. Most (but not all) Republicans advance private interest; and most (but not all) Democrats advance public purpose. This can be called the “Schlesinger cycle.”

A Proud Infidel®™

Your College is chock full of airheaded perfessers with lots of education and little to NO common sense or real world experience. Whoever wrote that decided to use five words where one would do! A retired LTC (Korea and Vietnam Vet) who I once went to church with said the same thing this way “Politics is like a pendulum, it will always swing back and forth and the farther it swings one way. it’ll fly just as far in the other.”

SFC D

Exactly. It swings too far left, and reverses course, swings too far right. Applies to more than just the political landscape. The political process is an attempt to give everyone what they want. Unfortunately, most realistic people realize this is an impossibility. So the pendulum swings.

Yef

Thank you for the replies.

I was shocked by the description of liberalism, as “a preference for personal liberty” and “social responsibility”.

I have a hard time taking such statements seriously.

But if I don’t I get a bad grade.

SFC D

Your professor us in dire need of a swift kick in his shriveled balls and throat punch of reality. There is zero personal liberty in liberalism. Liberalism is conform or be cast out.

Ex-PH2

To be clear, Yef, begin ‘cast out’ from Liberalism is not a penalty. It is comparable to a short story ‘Coventry’ (R.A.Heinlein)in which the main character is booted from his enclosed buckydome world into the wilderness of freedom, where he learns that the ham he eats is made from pigs instead of some sort of yeast concoction. He is, in a word, bewildered by such things as personal freedom and wishes to return to the strictures of the domeworld, where conformity is of the highest priority.

2/17 Air Cav

Do what all intelligent students do: give the instructor what the instructor wants to hear or read and then, once the A or B is banked, forget about that asshole and his phuked up ideas.

Wilted Willy

Congrats North!
I claim second!

UpNorth

Thank you, WW.

AW1Ed

Second loser!

SFC D

Holy shit second! New record!

Wilted Willy

And Daniel Bernath, the lawn dart, is still Dead!!

A Proud Infidel®™

I HEARD he’s still steadily maintaining an altitude of minus six feet!

Sapper3307

That’s below sea-level in Florida.

rgr769

He’ll never again get criticized by ATC for failure to maintain assigned altitude, like his last flight.

26Limabeans

Some METRO gave him the wrong PA.
He should sue. Ex Parte of course.

The Ghost of Daniel Bernath’s Bunghole

And my former distended organ is at the absolute bottom of that “altitude”

MCPO NYC USN Ret.

Wrong. He used an iPhone app to calculate his depth. He is buried at 4.5 feet.

26Limabeans

Damn. Top five?

Sparks

Top Ten

Graybeard

Tenth, I think.

Graybeard

And time once again, boys and girls, for our weekly update on the
2018 TAH Phony Race.

Continuing to widen the lead we have phony SEALs at 23, 13 with real service, 8 overweight & 1 underweight – 2 with criminal records that have been reported.

Attempting to close the gap we have:
2nd place – the phony SF guys at 7 (one female)
3rd place (tie) – phony Rangers at 6
3rd place (tie) – phony Marines at 6
4th place – phony misc. military awards at 5
5th place – phony ‘Nam vets at 4
6th place (tie) – phony Army Officers at 2
6th place (tie) – phony combat/deployments at 2
6th place (tie) – phony Air Force at 2 (1 pilot, 1 TACP)
7th place (tie) – Navy UTD at 1
7th place (tie) – Navy EOD at 1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Turning from these losers to those who make or made our world a better place, we have:

Heroes: 20
Saving the World: 9
Gone Home: 30

And that concludes our weekly report to the TAH Hellions. Have a great weekend one and all.

SFC D

Just once, I’d love to see a phony cabledog.

Fjardeson

Or a phony crypto machine jockey. Whacking the J-SON system to get it to sync sounds fun.

Thunderstixx

Or a certified US Army Ski instructor…

rgr769

Shoot! At this rate, Army doesn’t stand a chance against Navy with scores of 15 to 25.

AW1Ed

Go Navy P3

Graybeard

Excellent!

MCPO NYC USN Ret.

P-3 baby!

26Limabeans

Used to watch them do touch and go’s at BGR on a windy day.
They came out of Brunswick NAS.
I would park under the ILS antenna as they went overhead crabwise. Got to sit in one at an air show. Nice red leather seats. Kudos to the lucky bastards that got to be crew.

2/17 Air Cav

I get the BE AT ARMY part but I’m having trouble with the other one. What is GON AVY?

26Limabeans

Thanks GB. I’ve been “away” and have a few to read. Nam vets at 4 and in 5th place. That’s the stat I’m rooting for.

Graybeard

Glad to be of service 26Limabeans.

I just hope to be in a position where I can maintain the scoreboard throughout the 2018 race. But I’m gonna give it the best I’ve got.

Skippy

I saw my first ass opps Oath-keeper today driving to Costco
He had 2015 Cadillac with Florida plates and probably weighted
Around 350-400 pounds… talk about overkill with the stickers
My guess is he would have a hard time carrying a concealed
Gun.. let alone finding it

BHWHAHAHAHA…..

rgr1480

Hmmmmm … the opening photo looks somewhat familiar …

11B-Mailclerk

So, an insurance company used the “F You” Iizard as a mascot?

Someone in the Marketing department is either a genius or a prick.

26Limabeans

or a Nam vet.

Dennis - not chevy

A question of etiquette if I may. When walking past the lines of cosplayers waiting to enter a comic-con or other related event it stands to reason one must admire the young women. However; what does one do, when ogling by, if one meets a roid-raging numb nut dressed as his favorite character from some war themed video game? Is it too much to point and laugh? I goes without saying one must laugh; but to point? I don’t know.

ChipNASA

*snerk*, “Thank him for his service”

BBBWWWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *gasp* HAHAHAHAHAHAH

Ex-PH2

Just get pictures, Dennis, and have your giggle at home, out of his hearing and sight.

Frankie Cee

Say what???? Giggling IN his hearing and sight is the best part.

Dinotanker

Get pictures of the cute cosplay girls! 🙂

Don’t waste your bytes on some fat guy with a beard covered in Dorito crumbs, soaked with Mountain Dew on parole from Mom’s Basement trying to look like a badass commando or something. Not to mention he is freaking out because he has been away from his Xbox for more than 10 minutes. Im afraid I probably would laugh, some things are just too much.

Graybeard

I’m sorry, but the sight of the young ladies in their finery may just cause me to miss seeing the numb nut.

Dennis - not chevy

Thank you all for your help. I will use it the next time I see one these idiots in a uniform so outdated it had to come from their Grandfather’s duffel.

2/17 Air Cav

“When walking past the lines of cosplayers waiting to enter a comic-con…” Dahell language is that?

26Limabeans

“A tokay gecko waits for nightfall”

Anybody remember fuck you lizards?
They were great company on night guard.

Claw

I was wondering how long it would take for somebody to recognize our “little friend” from days gone by.

They were like the Chicken Man.

“They’re Everywhere.”/smile

26Limabeans

As an FNG they told me it was charlie sneaking up on me.

rgr1480

Yeah!!!! Rumor was that they would drop from the ceiling and clamp a bite on you that would require a surgeon to remove.

For those who have not spent time in Southeast Asia the tokay’s call sort of sounds like his name (onomatapoeic?)… or sorta like “F’kew”.

Wiki:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokay_gecko

Size:
comment image

The regular house geckos would just run around eating bugs — they were the good ones.

AW1Ed

rgr769

I recall hearing them at night. Never saw one or knew what they were actually called.

Skippy

Ahh it Friday
And winter finally showed up in southern Arizona
Who would have thought
Nice to have some cool weather before the blast furnace
Turns on…
and look I made the top 20 finals
On the TAH WOT
👍👍👍👍

Roh-Dog

Have a great weekend yall!

lmn0351

top ten????

MCPO NYC USN Ret.

13rd!

Lurker Curt

DAMMIT!!

Present, over.

sj

How’s Dan’s recovery coming?

ChipNASA

Worm Food.

A Proud Infidel®™

Still dead, I assume.

A Proud Infidel®™

And steadily maintaining an altitude of minus six feet.

Graybeard

Things are warming up for him.

MrBill

Apparently he’s having a tough time emotionally. Word is he went to pieces.

MCPO NYC USN Ret.

Maggot buffet.

A Proud Infidel®™

Down and dirty in the top thirty! about 23th and Honorary First once again.

ChipNASA

Present.
Got-Damn work distracted me.
Jeeze.

Ex-PH2

I was busy talking to my cat that I forgot about the WOT. (I know – sacrilege!)

Did I miss anything? No? Okay, back to pussycat.

Roh-Dog

Regardless of the volume and amount they protest, ignoring your cat IS NOT animal abuse.
Just don’t waste your time trying to explain that to them.

Wilted Willy

May Miss Squawkypants have a great weekend, and what’s for diner???

Ex-PH2

Dinner? Cook up some pasta (long or short, your choice), add shredded leftover chicken (or other meat of your choice) to it, add some veggies (e.g., frozen broccoli w/cheese sauce) to it, and stir well for a few minutes. Put the lid on the pan and turn off the burner and let it finish, then plate it.

Add some nice crusty bread and butter or soft cheese, your favorite beverage, and for dessert, fresh fruit like grapes and apples, with sliced sharp cheddar – maybe a smoky cheddar if you can find it.

Or you can order pizza and watch a good movie.

Wilted Willy

Sounds wonderful Ex! Maybe I can talk my wife into making such a concoction? I hope you have a great weekend!
Take care,
Willy

A Proud Infidel®™

Speaking of kitty cats, Mrs A Proud Infidel®™ found one in a Rescue Shelter. He’s one cool looking feline, they did the pre-adoption house visit and said “Gonzo” will be ready for us to pick him up come Monday.

Haywire Angel

Top Thirty? Here at work, wishing I could be back home knitting and drinking tea.

sj

The Commie LT sure has fallen off the radar screen.

Claw

As has Gregory Salcido.

Last check of the “Can His Ass Now” petition site reveals only 16,533 supporters all total with 4,717 of those supporters being from CaliforneyFruit&Nut Land.

Looks like interest has waned.

Wilted Willy

I really hope they can his ass Jonn!

A Proud Infidel®™

I’d love to hear about him being canned, but given local governments’ capacity for being chickenshits I’d say it’s likely they’re waiting for the heat to die down so they can quietly reinstate him.

Tony180A

When is the last time we’ve heard from Cockholster Colt Boulot?

Tony180A

Sorry frozen fingers Colt Bulot.

OWB

Isn’t that special. And predictable.

Ex-PH2

Law school, huh? Ask for a copy of his transcripts.

He’ll probably think you’re referring to his checking account – if he even has one.

rgr769

More likely, he will think Jonn is asking for the transcripts from his criminal trials.

rgr769

You might break the news to “Colt” that it is almost impossible to get accepted into a law school without having actually graduated from college with an undergraduate degree. Based on what we know about him, I’m also thinking he won’t figure out how to keep his pencils sharp when he takes the LSAT, let alone get favorable scores.

AW1Ed

Nor-Easter blowing through my AO today; reef the main sail and fly the storm jib. And light the drinking lamp, yar!

26Limabeans

Nice sunny day up here above the DMZ.

Graybeard

Looking for pleasant weather in our AO, with conditions suitable to commemorating the Texas Declaration of Independence at Washington on the Brazos tomorrow.

Unfortunately for my bright idea of grabbing grandkids and taking them to see the festivities (worth the trip!) the eldest grands and their parents are due to take a self-defense class offered at their church tomorrow, and the Mrs has a planning luncheon to attend. I may still get to take some of the grands – don’t know.

Such is life.

AW1Ed

Army Couple

Mulitary times

DHS offers to drop deportation case against wife of 7th Special Forces Group vet

The Department of Homeland Security has offered to drop the proceedings that could have led to the deportation of a U.S. Army 7th Special Forces Group veteran’s wife, the family’s attorney announced late Thursday.

The case came to light in a Military Times exclusive that reported how retired Sgt. 1st Class Bob Crawford, an Army Ranger who spent the latter part of his career with 7th Special Forces Group conducting counter-narcotics missions in Latin America, was fighting to keep his wife Elia from being deported.

The family faced an immigration court hearing Monday in Arlington, Virginia, that could have led to Elia’s deportation. Elia Crawford entered the country illegally in 1999. As a military spouse, she is eligible for a provision known as “Parole in Place,” that allows her to seek legal status in the U.S.

Common sense and sanity prevail.

Graybeard

Glad to hear it.

Yef

She broke the law though….

AW1Ed

*facepalm*

Mason

Nice rack.

I’m talking about his ribbons, so get your minds out of the gutter.

SFC D

Nope. Mind has been in the gutter since just before puberty, I ain’t relocating now. I’m set in my ways. Besides, I’m in good company, I’ve seen most of TAH there.

Dinotanker

Hey all! Hope you have a great weekend! 🙂

Yef

FIRST!!!!!1111

SFC D

Bud light already, Yef?

Wilted Willy

Dilly, Dilly!!

Yef

No, no yet.
I’m still at work trying to get ahead on my college assignments.

But I do have a 30 can box in the fridge waiting for me.
20 dollars in the PX!
Anyway, I can only drink two or three without getting hammered, so that box will probably last a month.

rgr769

Jeez Yef, three cans of Buttwiper light and you are hammered! When I came back from drinking good German beer for over sixteen months, I could polish off a six pack of regular Buttwiper and not get even a light buzz.

lily

Were you in Sacramento a few years ago and did you attack a vet you thought was doing stolen valor like you attacked me?

The Other Whitey

Did you ever look in the mirror and recognize the fact that you’re a cunt, Lily?

26Limabeans

Number one can found in the ditch and turned in for the deposit.
Know your litter!

UpNorth

Aside from young guys walking out of gas stations with 12-24-30 packs of Bud Lite, the only other people seen around here with cans of Bud Lite are the can pickers and Dumpster divers.

A Proud Infidel®™

DO NOT huff the floor wax, Yef!!!

Non Cedo Ferio

So I’m asking this. Not to start a political argument just from an economic standpoint. Do you guys think the new tariffs on aluminum and steel which might ignite a trade war , cause the price of steel an aluminum to go up i.e. Cars and cans of drinks like beer? Or will it actually help the American worker? I’m not seeing an upside to it. But I’m being flexible. Just curious

MrBill

Awful idea. The Wall Street Journal commented “Mr. Trump seems to not understand that steel-using industries in the U.S. employ 6.5 million Americans, while steel makers employ about 140,000. All [steel consumption industries] will have to pay higher prices, making them less competitive globally and in the U.S.”

Jonah Goldberg has a funny tweet:

“‘Trade wars are good’ is the ‘ass cancer is a blast’ of economics.” — Adam Smith

Non Cedo Ferio

Reports say Trumps economic team is a bit miffed at this policy . Fox and friends is spinning this as a boon to the American worker. I’m thinking its a reckless and risky policy that is gonna blow up in our face

MrBill

I agree with you. I thought it was a terrible idea when Trump brought it up during the campaign and I’ve heard nothing since to change my mind. I’m hoping his economic advisers can talk him out if it.

Non Cedo Ferio

Me too. When he announced it the Dow dropped 400 points. When it gets implemented next week expect way more volatile markets here and abroad. Bottom line when you are in a global market. Protectionist policies just don’t cut it

MrBill

And Goldberg’s serious take on it (with bonus dog coverage) – https://www.nationalreview.com/blog/g-file/trump-steel-aluminum-tariffs-elitism-not-populism/

The Other Whitey

Can’t remember the last time I drank a Coke from anything other than a glass bottle.

MrBill

Here’s a comment from Bloomberg, comparing these tariff’s to President GW Bush’s brief dalliance with steel tariffs (which were ineffective) – https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-03-02/trump-s-trade-tariffs-are-far-scarier-than-george-bush-s

Non Cedo Ferio

Great Article Bill

Perry Gaskill

As I understand it, part of the problem is that the Chinese have been cheating on trade agreements. One of the usual rules of international business is that you are not, for the purpose of driving your competition out of business, supposed to sell a product for less than the cost of producing it. It’s called “dumping” and this is exactly what has been going on in the steel business.

The Taiwanese pulled the same thing back in the 1980s with computer memory chips, and it caused the closure of virtually all American plants producing them. Flash forward to today, and the last American steel company producing armor plate recently closed in Pennsylvania. Once all the competition is out of business, it means the Chinese control a monopoly and can charge anything they want to.

Also, we currently have a $500 Billion per year trade deficit with China, and yet people are uncomfortable talking about how China has protective policies of its own keeping American products and services out. This includes things such as cars, and extends into currency manipulation.

11B-Mailclerk

Tarrifs are a mixed bag. Our Founders envisioned we would fund most federal government with Tarrifs on goods imported, not direct taxes on Americans. This was also intended to shield American industry from competition in the belief it would allow greater growth. Tarrifs were a major point of contention between North and South, pre war. (Not the only one. Ultimately, it was a “culture” war. But Tarrifs were a major sticking point between the two fundamentally different economies.) Later folks amended the constitution to allow an income tax. Tarrifs can be an instrument of balance, or a weapon. They absolutely increase costs to Americans by limiting options. This inevitably hits poor folk hardest in costs. They do protect existing business from overseas competitors. Marginal businesses love them, because survival becomes possible. Folks who work in the protected area also like not losing their job and factory to foreigners. (Thus becoming poor) The folks on the other side of a tarrif can often retaliate, and their own Tarrifs may be the origin for ours. They are unmistakably a net increase to overall costs, because the US seeks to be a net exporter, and net retaliation is greater than our own gains. They are taxes. Taxes are a cost. Costs are -always- passed to a consumer, who actually pays. That is why Tarrifs change behavior. It is how they work. But when one is in a war, not firing back also has costs. Do we gain from a particular tarrif? They are usually favored by people with lobbyists. Steel perpetually blames foreigners and ignore local/internal faults. Higher steel costs clearly impact the rest of us, far outweighing their relative handful of jobs. But we -need- steelmaking. Our national strength is built on heavy industry making stuff, including arms. But Steelmaker seem to get lazy fast under Tarrifs. That is also very bad for us. The smoot-hawley Tarrifs of the depression Era were meant to shield the us “until our industry recovered”. They triggered retaliation that hugely impacted exports. That global spasm of protection slammed a lid on desperately needed sales. Net minus… Read more »

Perry Gaskill

Again, part of the conflict is that the Chinese have agreed to a certain set of trade rules, and decided to disregard them. One of the questions being asked at this point is if the Chinese are the main violators, why are the new tariffs not targeted specifically at them. I haven’t heard a good answer to that yet.

Still another consideration is that China is still communist with a planned central economy. One of the things this means is that the value of the Renminbi can be manipulated in such a way as to implement de facto tariffs unlike, say, the Dollar or Euro.

What has also caused friction is that the Chinese have shown a long-term systemic pattern of being disdainful of intellectual property rights. If you’re Disney, for example, you can spend $45 million to make a The Lion King and chances are good cheap bootleg DVDs will hit the street in Shanghai before the legit film makes it into a theater. Foxconn’s lack of security, and its own government being willing to turn a blind eye to theft, means fake iPhone clones hit the market the same day real ones are released.

There also seems to be an awful lot of hand-wringing going on over the economic impact of 10 percent aluminum and 25 percent steel tariffs. A couple of recent comments made elsewhere indicate that the actual impact will mean roughly one-tenth of one penny on a can of beer, and about $200 on a new car in the $35,000 range.

Non Cedo Ferio

I saw the Wilbur Ross demo with the can of Campbell’s soup. And I sure understand the one sidedness of our trade with China . Im not sure why Trump won’t allow carve outs for some of our allies like Canada. And I’m concerned about how big and how far reaching the retaliation from our partners is going to be . My understanding is that Britain is going to hit back on a few things. To include Levis jeans

11B-Mailclerk

Note the steel and aluminum industries are -not- saying “oh no! Just put the tarrifs on China, not the world!”. They are -quite- happy with “collateral damage” from the tarrif bomb.

ultimately, tarrifs are a “command economy” idea. The presumption is that if we just -order- the market to do what we would prefer happen, we can “improve” the market.

See Socialism and Venezuela for how that “command economy” stuff tends to work out. Because the first “command” tweak always seems to need another to “fix” or “fine tune” it. And the worse things turn out, the harder you have to force the “fixes”.

And the ugly reality -here-, in the USA, is that the tarrifs generally get put in place for the folks who can best feed their congresscritters, -not- for the national benefit.

Trump is a wildcard. He is not dependent on campaign financing goodwill like a more conventional vote-seeker. He may very well be saying “This is the best for the USA as a whole.” He may well be rather wrong too. relying on the decisions of a presumably benevolent “commnand” source retained begs the question of “what will the next commander decree, and on who’s behalf?”

So, how do we use the free market to drive national benefit? Can we even agree to what “national benefit” means? Because if you ask industry X, the answer is almost always “Why, a strong industry X, of course, one protected from wrongful competition and one with the laws in place that make it more likely to succeed.”

In other words, the folks who go into business are often the absolutely greatest enemies of the free market that allowed them to get started in the first place. And it is often also true, that the folks who go into business are also totally ungrateful and unprotetive of the -Nation- that allowed them to go into business, that nation being the only reason they are (or can be) -in- business in the first place.

So the real question is, how do we nurture -virtue- in the area of business and trade?

Non Cedo Ferio

Good question . I don’t know how we nurture virtue in the area of trade. Your comment is def thought provoking . I’m afraid that those who think that a trade war is good for business might be failing to see the far reaching impacts or in some cases don’t care. I’m particularly concerned among other things, how this will affect the Ag industry. And again I’m sure that picking a fight with everybody on the block , to include our friends is gonna turn out good for anyone

11B-Mailclerk

I strongly suspect that the weapon, in this case, is the -threat- of trade war tariffs.

In essence, Trump has announced a policy of “Mutually Assured Destruction” on trade.

I think he is trying to get the other players to the negotiating table, to get a better deal. A good metaphor is “Linebacker II” during the Vietnam War. The intent was not to actually defeat North Vietnam by bouncing the rubble. The goal was to get them to negotiate an end to the conflict that was palatable to the USA.

He would in effect be saying “We will go Nuclear, rather than continue to be someone’s carpet. How about negotiating a mutually agreeable alternative to trade Armageddon?”

Of course, if the other side doesn’t believe the threat, a demonstration is required. This can get. …. messy.

The Other Whitey

Attended my sister’s fire academy graduation last night. Good times.

Graybeard

Congratulations to your sister, TOW.

The Other Whitey

Dad pinned her badge. Couldn’t pry the smile off her face!

Graybeard

Oh yeah! I like it.

Ex-PH2

Congratulations to your sister, TOW, and may she have a safe AND successful career.

AW1Ed

Outstanding!

RGR 4-78

Congratulations to your Sister.
Did you tell her you got her assigned to your station for her probation just to mess with her?

The Other Whitey

Different departments. She’s city now.

Fyrfighter

Congratz TOW, Fire Dept. families are a wonderful thing!

Mason

They must have seen what happened to Delta.

Knee jerk reactions are rarely ever good long term. Don’t see why every company now has to be political. If they’re not, then the politicos try to pry it out of them. No matter which stance you take, you alienate half your potential customers.

In the case of Dick’s, the margin on Cliff bars, soy-based freeze-dried food, and hemp shirts must be better than on any of the gear real outdoorsmen buy.

UpNorth

Now Delta claims they support the second amendment. Seems they found out that only 13 members of the NRA ever used the discount program at Delta, so it figures out that their virtue signalling over the NRA cost them $13million in tax cuts per traveler using the discount.

Ex-PH2

You guys didn’t put a gigglesnort in any of this.

MCPO NYC USN Ret.

DAB is definitely still dead.

And the Fort Myers news is so quiet, strange considering what they know to be true.

rgr769

He is still disbarred, but the state bar website doesn’t say so anymore. Apparently, it is because dead lawers make no court appearances.

MCPO NYC USN Ret.

He won’t be using handicapped parking spaces, purchasing large quantities of catheters or contacting approach control for landing instructions either.

A Proud Infidel®™

Nor will he ever be driving his car into pallets of potting soil anymore.

rgr769

I am sure the Fort Myers ATC controllers will miss him; also the guys in the tower at that airport where he kept the implement of his demise. It must have been fun to chat with him on the radio. We can just imagine how many times they would have to repeat his taxi, takeoff and landing instructions.

Ex-PH2

DAB owes people much money. Mucho dinero.

rgr769

Too bad it is likely uncollectible, even if there is some equity in his house. We know there won’t be a civil judgment execution sale of his other major asset, a certain light sport airplane aka “Danny’s Dart.”

Ret_25X

Just spent a week at Fort Bragg. What a dump.

$10 Billion would only upgrade this place to pit.

rgr769

Which one, the Army post or the town on the Northern Cali coast?

Sapper3307

My old barracks was actually used for the cover photo for the hazmat clean up company that demolished the death buildings. And did they still play the running cadence from the P.A systems for PT in the morning.

rgr769

Did they ever tear down those old wooden buildings on Smoke Bomb Hill? They were still there when I was back there in the 1980’s.

fsckity fsck

John Giduck – the turd with a face!

Green Thumb

Word.

Atkron

I got some wing but telling me on a Washington State Hunting group that he joined the guard at 16 in 1986.

I called bullshit…I joined (Delayed entry) up in 1987 at 17.

He’s full of shit, right?

Ex-PH2

Tell him you want to see his proof, and he can send it to TAH.

If he protests, point and laugh at him.

Atkron

I sent Jonn the screen shots.

Fyrfighter

I joined around the same time.. I’m guessing it could be possible to have signed up delayed entry just prior to turning 17, then going in, with parents permission at 17.. don’t know for sure, but seems it might be possible

MCPO NYC USN Ret.

Today is US National Anthem Day!

rgr1480

Wow! She done good!

I don’t watch tv much and didn’t see this performance in 2016. I’m so glad she did not butcher it or make the performance about HER — like so many other “performers.”

Reading that Lady Gaga would sing the National Anthem, well … I thought it would be all messed up.

What did she say at the end? Something like “proud to be an American.”??

Good job.

Green Thumb

The False Commander “Phony” Phil Monkress (CEO of All-Points Logistics) continues to avoid calls seeking clarification of his Native American, Law Enforcement and Navy SEAL claims.

Pineywoods NCO

The bullshit artist known as Dennis Chevalier refuses to clarify flooding claims in an area that did not flood nowhere near the Trinity River and show convincing proof that his papers were ruined beyond reading.

He’s still slamming down cheese in eight pound blocks.

Ex-PH2

Here’s an interesting bit of news regardingm regarding a Congressional investigation into Russian influence on climate activists and leftist agitators. If true, none of it is surprising.

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2018/03/03/bombshell-russian-propaganda-attack-against-us-fossil-fuel-interests/

My response to it, in regard to its target which was using so-called environmentalists as a weapon and slow destruction of US interests, is ‘what fools these mortals be.’

Maybe we can find a way to grab the Russians by the short hairs and give them a taste of their own medicine?

2/17 Air Cav

I’ll take “You Cannot Make This Shit Up” for a thousand, Alex.

Somebody self murdered outside the White House earlier today. Okay, so? So, the WaPo grabbed the only video of the panicked reaction of people on the street. That video, in turn, is all over the place now, from Fox to Slate. The video was grabbed from Twitter and carries this caption, “3 shots fired at #whitehouse in #WashingtonDC . Area is now locked down.”

Ex-PH2

Boy, DTrump really knows how to stir the hornets’ nest. Praising China’s president, he said ‘maybe we’ll do that some day’.
Here’s someone twitterpating it out:

Brian Stelter
(@brianstelter)
CNN obtained a tape of Trump at a closed-door fundraiser. He said this about China’s president: “He’s now president for life. President for life. And he’s great. And look, he was able to do that. I think it’s great. Maybe we’ll give that a shot some day.” http://www.cnn.com/2018/03/03/…

I’m waiting for the sonic booms of libretards’ heads exploding.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-trump-china/trump-praises-chinese-president-extending-tenure-for-life-idUSKCN1GG015

Devtun

Major Charles Winchester III has passed on. Actor David Ogden Stiers probably best known for playing the stuffy army major (replaced Frank Burns) in M*A*S*H died yesterday at 75.

2/17 Air Cav

I saw the headline about a MASH star dying and, truth be knows, I was hoping it was Alda.

2/17 Air Cav

n and s share the same place on my keyboard. Maybe that’s why I only paid .50 for it.

Frankie Cee

I saw that, and it made me wonder who in hell could now play Daniel Bernath, the egotistical, unskilled, ethics lacking, vexatious litigant, non pilot, catheter inserting, dis honorable CPO, that had a smelly bunch of winos in his cabal.
Anyone who looked like DOS, and mastered the role of Winchester could do Bernath justice.

Holden Magroin

Adam Appel now of Pahoa, Hilo, Hawaii and formerly of Anchorage, Alaska is back to his old tricks of running a a medical related Street Medic charity and asking for donations.

https://adamappelemt.wordpress.com/2018/02/15/evidence-shows-adam-appel-does-not-appear-to-be-a-licensed-emt-in-hawaii/

Though he routinely has claimed to be an EMT, Adam Appel doesn’t currently appear to be a licensed EMT in either the national registry or Hawaii’s state level registry.

He’s previously settled a suit with Alaska’s Office of Elder Fraud for allegedly stealing money from his own mother. I guess he’ll argue now that innocent people settle such suits.

Holden

A Proud Infidel®™

I only wonder how much longer it will be until he fucks up bad enough for him to become the property og Bubba & Thor?

Holden Magroin

Based on the complete lack of accountability by Adam Appel for his actions to this point, I remain confident that the day is coming.

Holden

2/17 Air Cav

I will keep this shit up every week until someone finally admits that they got snookered into thinking that this WOT is today’s WOT.

ChipNASA

That;’s some funny shit right there. I don’t care who you are.

I snickered

Graybeard

You cad.

Ex-PH2

Snookered again, huh? Sillies!