Weekend Open Thread
A bloom cluster of fouquieria splendens, AKA ocotillo, taken in mid-April 2018. Ocotillo’s blooms have been very aptly described as “frozen fire”. (Click on images for full-size versions.)
Guest WOT article, from Hondo.
I have a soft spot in my heart for deserts. Many of the most enjoyable – and professionally rewarding – parts of my life were spent in desert environments.
The deserts of the US Southwest are a particular favorite of mine. They’re harsh – but they’re also starkly beautiful. And they have some of the neatest plants and animals on earth.
I’ve spoken of one of those plants in comments here at TAH: fouquieria splendens, AKA ocotillo. It’s native to the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts of the US Southwest and northern Mexico.
Most of the year, it’s a largish but rather nondescript plant. For roughly 48 or 50 weeks out of the year, it’s little more than a bunch of greyish-green stalks covered in huge thorns.
However, for 2 to 4 weeks in the spring, the plant undergoes a transformation that would make the Hans Christian Andersen’s Ugly Duckling proud. It leafs out – then blooms quite spectacularly.
The photos here don’t really do the plant justice; these specimens are probably 3 or 4 days away from peak bloom. Unfortunately, my travel schedule wouldn’t allow me to stay long enough to see them at their best.
Dear Lord, I miss the Southwest. Maybe sometime in the future I’ll be able to move back there.
Have a great Weekend Open Thread, all – and a great weekend.
Category: Open thread
FIRST!
Damn! I went to check drudge…
-Hands over WOT bling-
Back to work for this guy.
Have a GREAT weekend, y’all!!!
Don’t forget the Mohave Desert as well! We have LOTS of ocotillo!
First!
On the podium, two weeks in a row.
Nice bush Hondo!!!
There can be only, bush, 1 ea., rustling.
Doorbell or door knock optional.
Have a great weekend all.
RGR 4-78, I have sent a note, via Jonn.
Roger.
First!
Good on you, Jon! I withdraw the claim.
First
Early, not first
Teach me to send Jonn a link instead of refreshing the screen
First…for next week!
Congrats Jon! I hope all my friends at TAH have a great weekend!
So, since I missed being First on the WOT by mere seconds, I’ll share this week’s trivia/humor/whatchamacallit column. Hope you enjoy (and thanks to Wilted Willy for your kind words!). DID YOU KNOW…? Did Adolf Hitler’s nephew serve in the U.S. Navy during World War II? By Commissioner Wretched I was recently asked by a new friend what I like to do in my spare time. My initial response was, “What spare time?” But after thinking about it, I realized that the thing I love to do the most in my spare time is learn new things. Don’t we all? (The fact that I ask that question should give you the answer, you know.) I spend much of my mornings before going to the office reading the news … scouring my many sources to keep up with what’s going on in the world. (I’ve hinted before that I lead a pretty dull life.) After I read the news – and, kids, note that I said that I read the news, not watch the news – it’s time to find new trivia, little tidbits of information to pass along to you in my weekly visit here. As long as people do things, there will be trivia to relate to you, and I will be happy. And employed. That’s how I learn new things. My formal schooling is long over, and I’ve earned all the degrees I need and/or want. But, as a famous person once said, “If you’re living, you’re learning,” and since I appear to be still living, I will learn. I love to learn more trivia! If you do too, let me know in an e-mail. Drop a line to didyouknowcolumn@gmail.com and share your thoughts with me. Pack them carefully, please, as I can’t be responsible for damages done in transit. I reply to every e-mail I receive. Shall we? Once again? Let’s go learn some trivia! Did you know … … the stickers on fruit you can buy at the store are edible? Well, the Food and Drug Administration says they are, anyway. (They must be made out… Read more »
Chickens have earlobes? They have ears?
Sundown,EENT.
I have confounded civilians (and my wife) with that and BMNT for years.
Roger that. One can’t get through Ranger School or most of the Infantry School’s other courses without knowing those terms. For the non-ex-military types lurking here: EENT = Ending Evening Nautical Twilight; BMNT = Beginning Morning Nautical Twilight. All the squids are quite familiar with these acronyms, as well.
These times of day are significant to the infantryman because they are the times when ground attacks are likely to be initiated, especially back in the olden days before every soldier had night vision goggles.
Maybe Commissioner Wretched could close out his article each week with a couple of arcane Military acronyms.
CM, you could type them as a question.
Such as, “What does the Military acronym BMNT stand for?” then see what feed back you get from your readers. The next week you could cite the first correct response in your article.
“All the squids are quite familiar with these acronyms, as well.”
Yep.
Okay.
There are 7,097 languages in use on planet Earth.
51 are whistled languages.
37 are African clicking languages that use a click sound to support consonants.
This does not include invented languages such as Quenya and Dwarvish, Na’vi, Klingon, or Dothraki.
I heard the clicking language on Nat Geo or Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom or something years ago. My mouth dropped and I sat in stunned disbelief for some minutes. When I snapped out of it, I started to laugh. Craziest shit I ever heard.
PH2, you forgot that mellifluous lingo, Esperanto, which is also an invented language.
Practicing sarcasm on a daily basis will add three full years to your life span, therefore:
Being cremated after I pass will be my one and only chance to finally have a smoking hot body.
Sarcasm is just another service provided by your friendly TAH posters. All complaints may be e-mailed directly to:
AW1Ed.doesn’t.care@gfy.com.
*grin*
We were all within seconds of each other Commissioner.
I just got lucky this week.
Top 20
top 5????
TOP 15,YIPEE !!!!!!!
16th…Maybe
Agree, Hondo. The desert has a beauty all it’s own.
I love the smell of the Creosote after it rains. Nothing like it, IMO.
Aaaaggghhh. The sun was in my eyes, so that’s why I missed the WOT. Or something like that.
Hope that all hands on Team TAH have a great weekend.
I’ll be at the range.
Barely squeeked in top 20…
Top 20, close enuff!
Sorry to break up the battle of “firsties,” but if possible, can someone answer a serious question?
There is a City Councilman in our area who makes the claim he is a veteran.
From his own bio, he writes: During his first year of college, Holton joined the Army National Guard and completed his Basic Training at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri and Combat Medical Training (EMT) at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas in 1995. He completed inactive reserve service in 2003, holds an honorable discharge and is a member of the American Legion Post 117.
This matches up with his DD214. The man never was on active duty. There are no postings during the time for his enlistment. He never left the state. He only did his weekend duty and 2 weeks which does not qualify him for veteran’s benefits under USC 38.
Sadly, the man is allowed to lie and claim he is a vet and cannot be charged with a crime because of the Alvarez decision in 2013. Even the office of Councilman is not a “tangible benefit” under the law.
However, he was recently given / awarded a “Governor’s Veteran Service Award” by Florida Governor Rick Scott. The criteria for the award is as follows:
Eligibility: Any Florida resident who is either serving honorably as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, the U.S. Coast Guard, or the U.S. Reserve Forces or any Florida resident who has been honorably discharged or retired from active duty as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Florida National Guard, the U.S. Reserve Forces, or Merchant Mariners with veteran status is eligible.
In the estimable opinion of this outstanding body of people with great experience and knowledge, would this be a case of “Stolen Valor” under the law. (not the kind where one is considered to be stealing valor by their lies in the eyes of the public but would the Governor’s award be a “tangible benefit” under the law?
Thanks in advance.
Maybe I’m confused. You said “He only did his weekend duty and 2 weeks”… which is basically the minimum for a Guard or Reservist to complete for a good year.
He completed Basic and AIT and went to his Guard unit in 1995. How many years did he complete his ” He only did his weekend duty and 2 weeks”?
” He completed inactive reserve service in 2003″.
So he was in the Guard for 9 years?
He’s a veteran. You don’t have to be in the “Regular” Active Military to qualify to be a veteran.
Technically, he *was* on active duty because you are considered “active” while you’re completing your Basic and AIT, in this case Army.
In addition, I believe that you’re considered “active” while you are completing your two week required training for Guard/Reserve. You weekends are considered Unit Training Assembly (UTA) status and and are “active” only insofar as you have access to facilities (Not BX/Commissary/MWR) but Dining Facility/Medical and the like while you are traveling to/from and performing during duty hours.
So, your point is kind of moot.
He’s a veteran.
/I could be wrong but I don’t believe so.
//3 years, 8 months 8 days active, inactive 9 months, Reserve for 19 years.
ChipNSA,
Thank you for the reply.
The problem is that his “service” doesn’t meet the definition of “veteran” under USC 38 which is for veteran’s benefits. That is causing people here to freak out. (I am not one of them though.)
Under the Code, training, etc within the Guard is not considered part of “active service” which I agree is a little odd, if not downright weird.
Once again, thanks.
He -does- meet the definition of “veteran”. He just does not qualify for certain veteran’s benefits under the statute you cite.
Big difference.
He does, for example, qualify for -Florida- veterans awards, such as the one cited. He holds an honorable discharge.
Veteran.
He may not qualify as a veteran for all types of VA benefits because he doesn’t have extended active duty service, gitarcarver. But IMO he appears to qualify for the award under the criteria listed as an honorably discharged veteran of “the U.S. Reserve Forces.”
My reading is that the “with veteran status” clause there (following “Merchant Marine”) is specific to any Merchant Mariners who would potentially be nominated to the award. Generally, members of the US Merchant Marine are NOT accorded veteran status. Only selected groups of Merchant Mariners who served during World War II have been granted military veteran status solely on the basis of their service in the Merchant Marine – and that didn’t occur until 1988.
https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/R44162.html
No other Merchant Mariners have ever been accorded veteran status on the basis of Merchant Marine service.
If he’s claiming anything other than being a member of the Reserves, IMO that would be suspect. But if he’s simply claiming to have served in the Reserves, well, then IMO he’s merely telling the truth. And for the purposes of that Florida honorary award, IMO he appears to qualify as a veteran.
Hondo,
Thank you as always for the reasoned, polite response.
I have a tendency to agree with you and your reading of everything. I told people that I would post this amongst “experts” to get answers.
Frankly, I don’t like the guy and think he is a snake, but he does not appear to be an “illegal snake.”
Thanks again, my friend.
“Veteran” does not confer “sainthood”
I am sure we all know an example or two….
Trust me….with this guy “wormhood” is too high a conferred status.
Perhaps the only folks grumbling are those who continue to insist that reserve forces are not real military forces? I dunno. If you have an honorable discharge, what else do they want?
Back in the day, I pointed out that it didn’t take me long in the ANG to have much more active duty that a guy who was drafted and spent less than 2 years stateside as an admin clerk or cooks helper. He got an honorable discharge, too, and I appreciated what he had done during his time in service. My service was no better or worse than his. We each did the job that was needed. And we are both veterans.
Unless there is some reason to believe his docs are forged or otherwise altered, this guy seems good to go. That said, the VFW used to require more than simple service and an honorable discharge to qualify for membership. I got in because of SW Asia service in 90-91.
Pretty sure that VFW still does, OWB. This guy’s American Legion, though – and I believe their criteria for membership eligibility is substantially less stringent than the VFW’s criteria.
TWENTY FIRST!!!
Have a LOVELY Weekend you festering dickweeds!!
The former colonel in hand puppet reenlistment video responds…
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2018/04/25/colonel-dino-puppet-video-speaks-i-was-given-death-sentence.html
Also:
“Brown’s re-enlistment ceremony was negated and she will not be allowed to re-enlist, Blaser said, adding he has heard she intends to appeal the decision for fear she will be unemployed as a single mother.”
Hope the video was worth it. Discharge the whole bunch for criminal stupidity. The puppet wearing female (I will not refer to her as an NCO) should’ve thought of the possibility of unemployment before she committed the act of douchebaggery. I still have all the fucks I started this lovely Friday with.
The jug eared ‘civilian” (that makes me so happy to know too), who is a single mother of three kids has no respect for the benefits given in her 17 years of service. NONE. She is going to appeal the decision not to allow her to reenlist because, “she fears she will be unemployed as a single mother”. Well, fuck you ass hat! You banged out three kids with no dads around and lived off the military benefits, so see how the benefits at Walmart work out for you. The Colonel said, “She wanted to make a video for her young children to understand the significance of what ‘mom’ was doing,”. Again, she obviously does not understand the significance of what she did and has no respect for the service or herself. I hope the appeal fails and she can be a full time baby mamma at a local post trailer park.
The Colonel dick stepped this by the numbers and though he feels unjustly treated, he showed no more concern for himself and the service than this broad did.
Fuck them both.
Golly. She needs to appeal b/c she’s the single mother of three children? I don’t believe any service exists for the purpose of providing financial support for families. May be the USAF is different, but I doubt it. Unemployed? Try getting another job, maybe as a puppeteer. Or find a man. Or go welfare.
Been retired over 10 now, but that was still how it was then.
No sympathy for this clown. Best guess is that she is incapable of doing her job if she thought this stunt was appropriate and she had no more judgement than thinking it would make USAF look good either to the viewing public or as a learning experience for her children.
Add one more bit of poor judgement on her part that she would bring out the puppet unannounced to the officer thus disrespecting him as well as all of us who took and take that oath seriously. If his story is correct, and it sounds like he didn’t know her and that the stunt surprised him.
Right. If she was in public relations, she should have known how this would look. I still think this was an attempt to become Internet famous.
As for the LtCol, if he wasn’t briefed on it before hand, then WTF didn’t he stop it for? You walk in to that and don’t ask any questions?
Well *WAAAAAAHHHHHHH!* for her. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes, I suggest that she start brushing up on her broom pushing and mop slinging skills along with rehearsing the phrase “Would you like fries and a hot apple pie with that?”.
All it would have taken was one of the three to use just an ounce of common sense and say “WHAT THE FUCK ARE WE DOING” and stop.
I have no sympathy for any of the three – they played a real stupid game and were all given stupid prizes.
TEH STOOPID, IT BURNS!!!!
“Now retired at the rank of lieutenant colonel as a result of the caper, Kevin “Bly” Blaser realizes he should have stopped the ceremony.”
“My analogy to all of this is I ran a stop sign,” he said during a phone call. “I should have probably stopped the ceremony. That was bad judgment, I one hundred percent admit that.”
With all due respects I have to say *DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH!*.
“Blaser did not know Brown would post the video on her Facebook page, from which it circulated to Air Force enthusiast group pages and went viral with more than three million views.”
Well, *DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHH!* once again!!!
Why on Earth is this guy giving interviews? Does he seriously think this helps his situation? He looks even more foolish now.
I hadn’t seen his name before, so he is really just drawing attention to himself here.
Okay, please bear with “Dumb Army guy questions” for you brothers from the Navy.
Watching “Crimson Tide” with the wife last night, her fist viewing, brought some questions.
Now, I understand so many things are classified and I am not trying to pry into those areas. So if my questions are too on point, I apologize.
1. Was the movie set layout of the sub pretty faithful?
2. The Captain, upon hearing the malfunctioning wench noise was giving away their position, seemed to order the boat to cavitate. I thought cavitation was avoided always. Was this a true scenario then?
3. A crewmen who was involved in a scuffle and who was later seen identifying enemy subs and torpedoes as his job, was called a “Supervisor” by the XO and told he in a position to get a commission. What rank does one have to be, to be a Supervisor and open to receiving a Commission, (I assume to an Officer rank)?
3. Could the XO in fact fail to obey the Captain’s order and relieve him of command as was seen in the movie? (Personally, the thought of such a scenario makes me shudder to think of being a party to it.)
Lastly,
4. Is the COB, Chief of the Boat, the most senior enlisted man on board, or just the most experienced? Also, what Rate are Chief’s of the Boat usually drawn from?
Thank you Navy brothers for your patience and suffering with someone who knows nothing of these things. I know Google is my friend but it often tells me how to build a watch instead of what time it is. Plus hearing from those who have actually been on a Submarine means a lot to me.
I have great admiration for all of you who served in the Surface Fleet and Submarine Service. I was one of those who always had a fear of the deeps. Therefore, foxholes were a hell of a lot faster to dig, than islands to shit.
God bless and keep all those serving at sea and keep them always safe.
It’s been a while since I’ve watched that particular movie, mostly because the basic premise is bullshit. I’ll answer what I can- bubblehead bubbas, correct me where I need it.
1. Don’t know, never been on a boomer, but I suspect it was fairly accurate.
2.Don’t recall the scene, but cavitation is a function of prop speed and depth, and is generally avoided.
3a.Sonar Supervisor, senior operator in the sonar shack. Positional authority- as a P-3 Sensor 1 operator I had positional authority over my Sensor 2, regardless of his rank. Of course, military courtesy was always observed. I think the only limit on going “up the hawse pipe” (getting a commission) is age.
3b.Most certainly not. That’s called mutiny, and is generally frowned upon in the Navy.
4.COB is indeed the senior enlisted on the boat, E-8 or E-9 I would think. Rating really doesn’t matter, it’s the position.
Better?
Much AW1Ed! Thank you. After reading your post I can see where the premise is way off base. Again, thank you.
Welcome, anytime.
Crimson Tide was a steaming pile of celluloidal shit.
Nuff said.
I’m just checking in to see if fake CPO Daniel Bernath is still dead. Anybody?
Still -6ft AGL, and at ambient temperature, so I’d say, why yes he is.
High order detonation.
Target humiliated
Wow….just wow……
*golf clap*
Priceless and epic.
Present and have a wonderful weekend!
FIRST! “Close enough for government work”.
Hillary Clinton
Red beans and rice for supper, with cornbread and celery, and cheesecake for dessert.
Yum yum!
I always throw a handful of shredded Cheddar or Jack cheese in the corn bread mix, scatter some on top, then bake. Great with chili.
Sounds very much like lunch yesterday! Red beans with onions and cornbread. Blackberry cobbler (yum!) for dessert.
It’s still cold here in my kingdom – late spring, trees only just starting to open up – and I’m inclined to stick to winter food until further notice.
Uranus smells like rotten eggs
This isn’t a joke. A team of scientists studied Uranus’s aroma. They found that it smelled like rotten eggs. If someone were unfortunate enough to fall into Uranus, they’d experience a serious odor. Why are we just now finding this out? They give one reason here:
Did Uranus involve global warming?
Nice areolas
No *Snerk*
No *Guffaw*
SNORT…BBWWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
Over heard in Kyle Barwan’s cell:
Barwan: “Bubba, where the hell are you?”
Bubba: “H50625, I fell into uranus.”
Barwan: “Bubba, what is that sound?”
Bubba: “I am puking! It smells like rotten eggs in here.”
Barwan: “Bubba, come out, the correctional officer is coming this way doing bed check.”
Bubba: “Damnit H50625, push like you are shitting, my shoulders are too wide to get past your sphincter, easily.”
Thud, Groan, Z,zzzzzzzz
They’re searching for gas in Uranus?
Better you than me!!!
For those who want to do some digging I bring you the case of Gerald Strebendt an ex MMA fighter now accused of having sex with an underage student at his gym.
He was charged with murder, eventually dropped to manslaughter after he gunned down an unarmed man in a road rage incident in 2014. He also was part of a murder for hire plot in 2005. Although he refused to take part in it, he didnt go to the police until one year after the murder.
The lawyer for his murder trail, Mike Arnold, wrote a biography about him called ” The Finishing Machine” in which he claimed Strebendt was a USMC Sniper and had down two tours with Blackwater in Afghanistan seeing multiple engagements ” In the streets of Kabul”
My preliminary snooping shows Strebendt was born 1 March 1979, and the SRC data base shows he served in the USMC from 23 June 1997 until 22 June 2001. His active MMA career started in April of 2001 and with the exception of 2002 he fought at least three times a year until 2005 and then it was once a year at most until his last fight in 2008.
The press ans MMA circles are really pushing this USMC Sniper/ trained killer. Blackwater angle. I’m smelling bullshit.
Obvious question, Old Dog: how would he ever find the time to do all that MMA fightin’ and still be a bushwhacker?
That’s my thoughts. He actual had his first MMA fight in April of 2001, while he was on active duty. His first few years he was pretty active. His last fight was in 2008 which was right about the time Blackwater changed it’s name. He would have to be a pretty busy guy to do all that.
To add more to this Mike Arnold his lawyer, also has hired him as a “security expert” for his pot farm.
I went to the Pensacola JACC today, our equivalent of a VAOPC, but better, for a stop at the lab. As I left, there was a guy walking in front of me, wearing a ball cap on backwards, that said “US NAVY SEAL” on it. As I passed him up, (he was not a motivated walker), I asked: “What BUDS class, dude?” He said: “I wasn’t a SEAL, I bought the cap. Blew out my knee two weeks before I was supposed to go to school. A buddy gave me the cap because I support some SEAL things.”
^^^Re-read his comments to me,Y’all. He said in the same breath that he bought the cap, and that a buddy gave it to him. I would bet my Ice Cream money that when away from veterans that he tells the people some pretty wild SEAL stories.
TAH 2018 Phony Race
Report for 26APR2018
Navy SEALs 42 Scumbag Score 745
Green Beret/SF 15 Scumbag Score 474
Marines 10 Scumbag Score 216
Rangers 8 Scumbag Sore 120
Unearned Awards 9 Scumbag Score 296
Vietnam Vets 5 Scumbag Score 140
Combat/Deploy 5 Scumbag Score 80
Navy – 2 Scumbag Score 12
Air Force – 2 Scumbag Score 45
Army – 3 Scumbag Score 10
Beirut Bombing 2 Scumbag Score 54
AF ParaRescue 1 Scumbag Score 54
Military School 1 Scumbag Score 6
TAH 2018 Cranksteppers
Officers – 10
VA – 4
NCOs – 4
LEOs – 2
TAH 2018 Heroes Scoreboard
Heroes – 46
Saving the World – 21
Gone Home – 54
Respectfully Submitted
Graybeard
Graybeard Publishing apologizes for the failure to post the TAH Scoreboards last WOT, but begs your indulgence whereas Mr & Mrs. GB were off celebrating 44 years of wedded bliss at the time.
Happy anniversary to the Graybeards, et al.!
Thanks, Ex-PH2.
My current duty station has me tending our 8 grandchildren on a regular basis, and helping as needed with our children. Made more important by the need to assist the wife & daughter of our deployed son with various matters – like getting the baby to sleep when she just won’t for her mother, who is at wit’s end.
The “Other Duties As Assigned” are better than in other jobs I’ve held.
Vietnam vets still showing a respectable (not) score. The war ended 43 years ago and the average tour was almost 50 years ago.
Someday it will be mathamatically impossible to claim Viet of the Nam service but that won’t stop them.
Congrats on the long term relationship.
About 76st and Honorary First yet again.
((((OVER))))
I wish we could dispense with the “first” shit that takes up a significant part of the WOT. JMHO. I can scroll through the BS but wish I didn’t have to.
Bad habits are sometimes hard to break, SJ.
That’s because you’ve never been first. You don’t know the heady feeling of making the first comment in a recurring place. Try it. You’ll like it.
Noted.
Yep, I feel your pain, Sj. It makes me scratch my head and wonder how expensive scroll keys are anyway.
But, sometimes you just have to let the kids run around and holler. Just not on my lawn!
Is a small part of TAH my lawn? Hmmm.
Apologies. Should’ve just scrolled on by. Old fart curmudgeon case of the ass got the best of me. I have the PTSD since Dan checked out of the net. <<>>
Get drunk and write some poetry. You’ll feel much better afterwards.
Oh, an watch old Bette Davis movies, or Mae West or W.C.Fields.
P.S. I gave up trying to hit firsties because it’s like getting squished on Black Friday at Toys R Us (R.I.P.).
Accepted. When my AO allowed me the luxury of sitting on the computer around the time of the posting of the WOT, I had fun trying to get ‘First’ – closest I ever got, I think, was ‘First Loser’, maybe ‘Second Loser.’
It’s a bit of silliness that keeps us from getting the OFCCotA quite as often.
I want to know why the NFL draft is more important than the evening news tonight.
I see no reason to watch a bunch of butthead candidates for future brain damage on the job get selected to try to damage each other beyond repair, when the news is more relevant and important.
Likely because the liberal mainstream mess media is always catering to the lowest common denominator of the population, especially when we have a successful GOP Administration at the helm with adults running the show.
Ex and API for the win!
Thankyuhverymuch!
Week sauce this WOT. 88 replies as of this.
I’ve had a touch of the whiskey but I still mean this, This Ain’t Hell is a damn good reason to get up in the morning.
Went hiking tonite with some Vets, rucks, New England hills with a light mist in the darkened air. Gorgeous.
You all, my Vet friends, good news of our country, prosperity coming back. It all makes me proud and humbled to be here, at this moment.
Thank you, for all you do!
“This Ain’t Hell is a damn good reason to get up in the morning”
It does make the day a lot more bearable.
Withdrawal pains from this blog are quite painful for several weeks, then a sort of numbness sets in. Eventually, when you’ve been tempted sufficient times to kick the living shit out of anything or anyone, you return and balance returns.
Amen.
Shouldn’t TAH while drunk, heed my advice kiddos!
It’s the reason some of us write impossibly plausible stuff. Maybe it will make you laugh, or sniffle with sympathetic tears, or whatever, but it’s a campfire and everyone is here.
A good ruck in the hills anywhere with some Vets is worth it.
We used to have the local ROTC put on a ruck march competition in the nearby state park that I thoroughly enjoyed – especially as the entry fees went to a veteran’s charity of some sort.
They’ve not had it since I won the individual civilian heavy, and I miss it. Getting to hang with some of the vets was a blast – especially when my son and his friend also participated.
Glad you had the chance and took it.
The local MCL has a 22k coming up on 12 MAY for charity, about 215 personnel signed up.
This will be the second year doing it and I’m in charge of route/pace/timehacks.
I have to be smiling from ear to ear when I look in everyone’s face announcing milemarks.
Adam Benjamin Appel has no apparent source of income other tham his 501(c)3 charity. He’s had a sparse job history with him running a seasonal bouncy house rental business in Alaska and his wife running a day care from the home.
Adam Appel has tried his hand at charities before. Most of them were apparently businesses not properly licensed, non-existent legal entities, or organizations that were falsely claiming federal tax deductible status.
https://adamappelahawaii.wordpress.com/2018/04/27/validating-adam-appels-false-claims/
Adam Appel has a long history of false claims. These false claims include having been a fully member of the US Army Special Forces (false) deployed to Afghanistan (false) and having been shot in the foot by a sniper (false) in combat (false).
So we have Adam Appel owning a “charity” that has previously lied about military service, had isssues with fake charities requiring intervention by a State Attorney, and having been brought to court by Alaska’s Office of Elder Fraud. What could not legit about this new Street Medic charity split between a business in Anchorage, Alaska and another separate business with the same name but not a 501(c)3 charity in Pahoa, Hilo, Hawaii?
Be careful with your donations
Holden
MAY the great power of Google®™ be upon Adam Appel, THE INTERNET IS FOREVER.
If you really want to do some good for vets, I’m sure the local VA hospital’s art therapy department could use some art supplies. And some patients never get any visitors at all, not even cards.
Question for leo types.
Got stopped on I95 MA speeding.
Lone State Trooper looked to be late teens./sarc
Approched my vehicle on the passenger side.
Knocked on the window and stuck his face in it.
I can understand not wanting to get hit by
passing traffic but is this proper procedure when working alone? We just lost a deputy in Maine and I can see this guy getting into trouble with the way he approached my vehicle.
Gave me a warning. I was polite cooperative.
A Mass cop giving a warning, that’s a new one.
I know, freaked me out.
Imagine if I had a giant Trident sticker.
The one time I was stopped for speeding the Tx-DPS Trooper came to the passenger window. I had all the interior lights on, license out, and hands clear before he got there, but he may have been concerned that if I was that ready for him he didn’t want to risk coming to my side. Or it may have been a safety thing – it was after dark.
Made me jump. But like you, we were polite & just got a warning. He also helped us with some questions we had. I wrote his supervisor a very nice letter praising the Trooper’s professionalism.
Damn, I spend one day away from the internet on a county-wide training exercise and I miss all kinds of shit!
John Giduck – the turd with a face!
Hey Hondo the ocotillos are currently in full bloom around here in Tucson
It is neet seeing the explosion of color and flowers around here for a month or so ask EX-PH2 for the link to my INat account I have a few thousand of them on there that I’ve posted just Incase I’ll send Jonn a link here in a few
Now the skippy clan is weeks away for relocating to to mountains of New Mexico most of you stuff has been moved the house closes on June 1st
I’ll definitely miss the desert here not not the damm heat, no more 96 degree thanksgivings no more sweet boxing it
Here’s a win-win story. Some progressive, panty waist decided to donate $10.48 monthly to H. Wideload Clinton’s “Onward Together” thing. The little feller decided to cancel his donation but found that Onward Together’s website had no cancellation provision. He whined and cried and contacted the Washington AG. Ultimately, the website installed a cancel button. Mr. Libtard used it and, nevertheless, the next month another donation left his bank account. “[W]hat surprised me is, the Democratic Party is supposed to stand for other people and not be part of this larger industrial complex,” he told a local paper. So, Onward Together looks like the cold-hearted corporate bully and the little libtard is out more money than he wanted. That’s a win-win!
God has a sense of humor.
From the Department of Holy Shit! comes this. In 1978 a woman and her 4-year old son were murdered. Police quickly focused on a suspect, the boyfriend who had recently broken up with her. He was convicted after a second trial. The first had resulted in a hung jury. He was sentenced to life w/o parole and all along insisted he had not killed the woman or her child. He was just freed. He’s 70. It seems that the DNA found at the murder scene was not his. He lost his 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s in prison. Good thing he didn’t get the death penalty. Police now want the Golden Gate killer’s DNA checked to see if maybe he did the crime.
This is one reason I’ve lost a lot of enthusiasm for the death penalty. Innocent people are sometimes convicted of crimes, but if we haven’t executed them there’s still a chance that the mistake can be rectified. Some crimes are so heinous that death is the only just punishment, but in most cases life without parole adequately protects the public,
Um. Ah. About that release and the charging of the fellow suspected of being the Golden Gate Killer (and Rapist.) Today, the charges in the case referred to above were dropped. Why? The DNA test was negative. A judge is now considering whether to quash the many warrants lodged as detainers and release the suspected GG Killer. Doh.
I read he was only cleared of the 1978 murders of 24 Rhonda Wicht and her 4 year old son, Donald, that occurred in Simi Valley, CA? :
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/06/14/golden-state-killer-suspect-cleared-in-1978-murders.html
What I meant was I did not realize a judge was considering releasing him. I just thought he was only cleared for the 1978 case, but still held accountable for the other murders.
Well, it’s the DNA business. All police have right now is suspicion, it appears. Then there’s the legal issue involved. Police delved into the DNA matter in a novel way, not by acquiring his sample and comparing it, through a police lab or contracting lab, to a sample obtained at a murder or rape scene, but through a do-it-yourself commercial lab. It’s a curious case.
Thanks for the info. This is going to get interesting…was hoping the families could have peace of mind and closure.
Jonn is busy. He called me from his cell (in transit) to ask that I restart last week’s WOT. Told him I’d be happy to do so. I remain ineligible to declare First! in any what so have at it gang.
So he was on his way to Wayne’s Country Fresh Meat, and you two are going to have a barbecue on the back deck and BS each other until past sundown, right?
First
Last.
Are the entries credible? No, but I’ll take them and declare my mission complete.
G.a.S. attitude here!
…
Eleventy-one!
====
This reanimation of a dead WOT screwy! It does not show up on the homepage, so I don’t think the other DWs will respond.
Eleventy-one
How did I find it? “Maximum Stealth and Cunning.”
Thanks for playing. In this WOT, last is first and first is last. So, that means RGR 4-78 is last, which makes him first, and OWB, who declared last, is first, which makes her last. Questions? We are entertaining none.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Josh Earnest is back!
No one could possibly question your eloquent explanation of the topic however elusive it may be. Your declaration effectively closes any further inquiry and execution.
On the other hand, my assumption could easily be entirely unwarranted, inaccurate, and devoid of even an iota of merit. Wouldn’t be the first time and probably not the last.
How the HELL to you dickless wonders expect me to pull off a 4-peat as a LAST on a WOT?
Got-damn it was hard enough to pull off the 4-peat FIRST.
Shitheads.
Don’t be hating on me just because I am more observant, and I have done my 2 firsts without abusing my F5 key. 😉