Weekend Open Thread
Once upon a time, a Zippo lighter saved a piece of aviation history.
. . .
During the 1950s, the USAF developed their “Century Series” fighters (F-100 through F-111). They include some of the most famous and iconic US aircraft in history.
However, as is common in developmental efforts not all of these aircraft saw production. The F-103, F-108, and F-109 never made it past their mockup stages. Three prototypes for a fourth – the F-107A – were built, but the aircraft was not selected for production.
F-107A Prototype #2, on Display at the
National Museum of the US Air Force
Unfortunately, the F-107A was competing against the F-105; it “lost” the competition, and was not produced beyond three prototypes. That decision has been termed one of the USAF’s great mistakes, particularly given the F-105’s record in Vietnam – where over 40% of the entire USAF F-105 inventory (334 of 833) was lost in combat, with another 7.2+% (61 of 833) lost in noncombat incidents. (This propensity for takeoffs without corresponding landings reputedly gave the F-105 its informal nickname “Thud”.)
One of the three F-107A prototypes was damaged in an aborted takeoff and scrapped. The other two still exist; prototype #1 is currently on display at the Pima Air and Space Museum (Tucson, AZ), while prototype #2 is on display at the National Museum of the Air Force (Wright-Patterson AFB, OH).
Getting the latter display aircraft to Wright-Patterson AFB would not have been possible without a Zippo lighter.
. . .
The F-107A on display at the National Museum of the Air Force was flown there on 25 November 1957. It was at Edwards AFB immediately prior to the flight. It was apparently being prepared for scrapping.
It was flyable – but had no instrument or cockpit lights. It also had no navigation radios.
The pilot was Maj. Clyde Good. His plan was to follow an F-100 aircraft also being ferried from Edwards AFB to Wright-Patterson AFB that day (and which presumably was equipped with navigational aids). The F-100 would lead the way; the flight was planned as a one-day trip during daylight hours.
Unfortunately, that “wonderful individual” Murphy was alive and well – and up to his usual tricks. Maj. Good and his F-107A became separated from the F-100 he was supposed to follow due to issues at a refueling stop.
He was able to follow roads to the Saint Louis area. However, the issues at the refueling stop had also apparently delayed his flight. So east of Saint Louis . . . Maj. Good lost daylight. He also began to experience undercast conditions, making it impossible for him to follow roads to the vicinity of Dayton.
Maj. Good was able to determine the correct heading to get him IVO Dayton, OH. But he needed to periodically check his instruments – and he had no instrument or cockpit lights. And since the trip was planned as a day trip, Maj. Good also hadn’t packed a flashlight.
However, he had packed a Zippo lighter. You guessed it: he periodically “lit it up” to check his instruments.
Maj. Good’s navigation skills were good enough to get him within radar range of Wright-Patterson AFB. Wright-Patterson air traffic control then vectored him in.
However, Maj. Good then faced another minor issue: the aircraft had no landing lights.
No problem. He landed with one hand on the stick and the other holding his Zippo, lit, so he could read the instruments.
I might fault Maj. Good’s contingency planning somewhat, but the man certainly had nervios de acero – y cojones muy grandes. (smile)
. . .
OK, enough oddball aviation history for today. Enjoy the WOT, everyone.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_F-107
https://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/century-series-wannabe-209334/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-105_Thunderchief#Phase-out_and_retirement
. . .
Author’s Note: Yes, there was indeed an aircraft designated as the F-110A; it was called the “Spectre”. That was the short-lived USAF designation for the F-4 Phantom II prior to the adoption of the 1962 Tri-Service aircraft designation system.
Category: Historical, Open thread
First!
Congrats. Forst “First” for you? Claw?
Thank you. It’s my second one. My first “First!” was two weeks ago.
Congrats NDH! May you enjoy your week in the TAH Throne! I was tied up with work today……
second?
Not first. Some of us still gotta work.
Fourth!
Fourth!
Congrats ND.
Have a great weekend y’all!
Oh, and F Sen.s Blumenthal, Booker
Almost
This just in: Dan Bernath remains -6′ AGL and at ambient temperature.
That is all.
I always did enjoy studying thermodynamics!
But is Bernath’s entropy increasing? He was already pretty disordered so my guess would be no.
Thoughts, anyone?
And tonights news for the hearing impared,
DANIEL BERNATH IS STILL DEAD!
WAY TO GO LAWN DART DANNY!
But his iPad says he has 35 kn IAS!
Is ‘ol “Blobfish” Chevalier still in lockup? I’m sure at least the charges are still pending!
Top 10 again!
Hondo:
Thank you for the story about the Zippo Lighter.
Here is an interesting article about Major Clyde E. Good with his picture:
https://thetartanterror.blogspot.com/2005/11/clyde-e-good-1911.html?m=1
“Clyde Good joined the Army Air Corps in 1941 and flew combat sorties in WW2,Korea and Vietnam. His flight test career began at Wright Patterson AFB in the Fighter Test Section in 1951,flying the F-86,F-94 and B-26. He performed over 150 flights in the F-84/B-36 Ficon hook-up project. He attended the US Test Pilot School in 1952. He was Chief of USAF Flight Test at North American Aviation where he flew the F-86D,F-100 and F-107.”
I’d like to know how the pilot was supposed to eject from the F-107A with the intake where it is.
By the time he decided to eject I would hope the engine has been shut down or the canopy has destroyed it and it shut down do to the damage.
Late again. No window seats left. I’ll just grab this cargo strap.
Has the beverage cart gone by yet?
I think I’m beginning to have an effect on some of you fine people … I’m seeing more trivia-like stuff posted on TAH! With that in mind, how about this week’s column? Enjoy … DID YOU KNOW…? Did a Danish scientist once slow down the speed of light? By Commissioner Wretched And … another summer comes to an end. Yes, yes, I know, we covered this a couple of weeks ago, and I also know that it’s officially still summer until September 22nd. But, with Labor Day having come this week, summer is over. Kids are back in school. The days are getting shorter, if not yet cooler. And if you look closely, you’ll see that some of the leaves are beginning to change color ever so slightly. Yep, there are all the signs of fall incoming upon us. And as the days get shorter, and the temperature drops, and the leaves change color, trivia will still be here, every week, ready for you to enjoy. If you enjoy these ramblings of mine, feel free to let me know. Drop an e-mail to didyouknowcolumn@gmail.com and I guarantee a response. (Maybe not as promptly as you might like, but you’ll get one.) So, let’s “fall” into trivia! Did you know … … the government once tried to promote toy safety with unsafe items? In 1970, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission printed 80,000 buttons saying, “Think Toy Safety.” The buttons had metal tab fasteners that could break off and create sharp edges, and could also easily be swallowed by children. To top it all off, the buttons were coated with lead paint. (The most frightening words you will ever hear are, “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.”) … apples are actually a part of the rose family? (No wonder people love apples!) … there exists in nature a rock that is flexible? It’s called itacolumite. It’s a sandstone rock that, when cut into thin strips, bends and flexes without breaking. Small pieces can even be bent by finger-power, and some say the rock makes a creaking sound when… Read more »
“the highest percentage of births is in August?”
That’s interesting. Most people I personally know, to include relatives, in-laws and friends, were born in January and February.
Is that trivia based on this article about US Births that occurred between 1990-2006?
https://www.livescience.com/32728-baby-month-is-almost-here-.html
I’m surprised that it isn’t November since Valentines day is 9 months earlier. Judging by my birth date my Father really wined and dined my Mother on Valentines Day because I was born exactly 9 months later.
Since September is the ninth month, anyone born during ti can wonder whether or not they were a New Year’s Eve party kid!
Well, holiday season is primarily during Thanksgiving to New Years….8-9 months earlier.
“Wisconsin man who ran Costa Rican Packers bar gets prison term for Veterans Affairs fraud”:
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/crime/2018/09/06/former-costa-rican-bar-owner-wisconsin-gets-prison-va-fraud/1214679002/
” A former Appleton man who ran a Packers bar and led Harley-Davidson tours in Costa Rica while telling Veterans Affairs officials in Milwaukee that he was unable to work was sentenced Thursday to a year and a day in federal prison.”
“Daniel Kososki, 54, pleaded guilty in May to one of five fraud counts filed against him last fall. As part of the deal, he agreed to pay restitution of nearly $150,000 to the VA, the difference in benefits he received by falsely claiming 100% disabled status under a program called Individual Unemployability.”
“Kososki claimed that lingering effects of a head injury he sustained in a car accident while on active Army duty in Germany in the 1980s left him with headaches so extreme that he had become “an anxious, depressed recluse” and unable to work. But federal prosecutors charged that during the time he received benefits, he was running Coconutz, a large bar and restaurant in Costa Rica, and HD Devil’s Paradise Tours for Harley-Davidson riders.”
17rd!
And …
Bernath is still dead!
That is all …
MCPO OUT!
Hi all you dickweeds.
Just FYI, I had a discussion with our resident IT/COOP manager and he was in a meeting yesterday with the Emergency Preparedness and Protection teams from Goddard (MD) and Wallops (VA) NASA offices. Their resident weather nerd said that Hurricane Florence is a serious threat to the Mid Atlantic area.
They were discussing the possibility that they may have to shut down the end of next week and the’ll be having a catch up meting Monday morning.
Their models and concerns showed Florence possibly brushing the coastal areas or even making it inland as a Cat 3 or 4, worst case scenario is it coming further inland and right up the Chesapeake Bay, a la Hurricane Agnes in 1972. Their prediction is that it could arrive from Cape Hatteras NC to the NJ shore Cape May area and in between.
The Washington Post just updated their page for the Capital Weather Gang confirming this somewhat.
Mid Atlantic TAHers, get prepared, Wednesday to Friday next week.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2018/09/07/florence-is-predicted-to-restrengthen-and-is-a-hurricane-threat-to-the-east-coast/?utm_term=.6b7cafd28830
ChipNASA:
There goes the milk, the bread and bottled water…
Chip you forgot beer, liquor, gasoline
TP, and “D” size batteries.
And ammo.
It’s been a couple years since we’ve had a hurricane in my AO, so we’re about due. Thanks for the head’s up, Chip.
As long as it doesn’t hit Florida, I’m happy! I still haven’t got everything fixed from Irma yet! And leave us all not forget to HUNKER DOWN!!!
Last week I got In a Case of A and a case of B MRE’S. for the season. I should have looked into low sodium MRE’S but I didn’t. Last year I ate civilian MRE’S during the Florida hurricane after we lost power for 4 days in West Delray Beach. Am keeping track of invest 2,3 & 4 out in the Atlantic.
We’re getting rain from Gordon’s water column up here in my kingdom. Has not reached the flooding level yet, despite the breathless and anxiety-ridden headlines from Accuweather.
By this time next week, we will either have sieches on the Great Lakes, or Gordon will have dissipated, turned right, and gone to meet Florence. .
This is very true. I have been read in on the plan.
Still a tropical storm, but freshening and expected to be a Cat 3 Hurricane when it hits land. Looks like the Carolinas are the likely landfall, but these storms don’t always go as predicted.
I’m not so sure F-105 losses were out of line. The Air Force alone lost 382 F-4s in combat over the same time frame. The F-4s also arguably flew, as a portion of total missions, less dangerous missions.
Might want to do a bit more research on that, timactual. The F-105 had a loss rate in SEA so high that the USAF eventually “threw in the towel” and withdrew the single-seat version from theater in 1970. The single-seat F-105 flew in SEA from 1964 to 1970 (the dual-seat Wild Weasel SEAD variant flew throughout out of necessity – it was the only dedicated SEAD platform the USAF had). The F-4 flew in SEA from 1965-1972. The latter airframe flew far more combat sorties in SEA – including flying top cover for the F-105, which was recognized as being a poor choice for air-to-air combat against a North Vietnamese MIG. (F-4s of all services/types downed 150 MIGs in air-to-air combat in SEA at a cost of 42 F-4s. The F-105? It downed 27 MIGs in air-to-air combat – at a cost of 17 F-105s lost.) According to this formerly-classified DTIC report, the F-105 flew just under 160,000 combat sorties in SEA; 334 aircraft were lost on those combat sorties. The F-4, in contrast, flew over 3x as many combat sorties (close to 497,000) – at a cost of 382 combat losses. You tell me which aircraft you’d rather ride. The USAF also had far more F-4s – over 5,000 were produced, albeit not all for the USAF. Only 833 F-105s of all types were ever built. For argument’s sake (I don’t have the exact numbers), say that the USAF had 3,000 F-4s in the USAF inventory. Losing 435 (includes non-combat incidents in-theater) out of 3,000 is a helluva lot more tolerable than losing 395 (includes non-combat incidents in-theater) out of an inventory of 833. And the F-105 ended production in 1964, so replacing combat losses from 1964 on was simply not going to happen. The single-seat version of the F-105 has the “distinction” of being the only USAF aircraft to be withdrawn from a combat theater due to an unacceptably high loss rate. That happened in 1970. See the linked F-105 Wikipedia article. There’s a very good reason the F-105 has that “distinction”. There’s also a very good reason… Read more »
“You tell me which aircraft you’d rather ride”
Depends on the type of mission. Low, fast, nuclear strike in the late 1950s & early ’60s, I would prefer the F-105. Anything else and I would probably prefer a different aircraft.
” The latter airframe flew far more combat sorties in SEA – including flying top cover for the F-105,”
Which were arguably less hazardous missions than flying predictable courses at relatively low level ending in an attack run at fixed speeds, altitudes, and bearings, into heavy radar-guided AAA of multiple calibers. It would be more useful to compare losses on similar missions.
I am puzzled why anyone is surprised at the heavy F-105 losses, given the mission parameters. Frontal assaults on heavily fortified positions are always costly.
Geez – gimme a break, timactual.
Take a look at the study I linked above. It also has separate numbers for the RF-4C, which flew post-strike recon. It’s my understanding that post strike recon is generally considered comparable in risk to flying a strike mission.
The study lists the RF-4C separately from the F-4. The RF-4C flew over 100,000 combat sorties in SEA; a total of 76 were lost. As noted previously, the F-105 flew just under 160,000 combat sorties in SEA – with 334 lost in combat.
Loss rate comparisons over North Vietnam are also instructive. The F-105 over North Vietnam had a loss rate of 3.281 aircraft lost per 1000 combat sorties, largely performing the ground attack mission. Performing missions of comparable risk (post strike recon), the RF-4C’s loss rate was far lower – 1.934 aircraft lost per 1000 sorties over North Vietnam.
And don’t forget: the F-105 single-seat variant was withdrawn from service in SEA in 1970, while the F-4 and RF-4 continued to fly. The threat environment became more severe over both North and South Vietnam post-1970; more SAMs were introduced, and with the pullout of US combat troops in the south the NVA moved substantial ADA equipment south. The F-105 never had to face that enhanced threat environment; the F-4 and RF-4 did.
Bottom line: read the postwar study of aircraft losses I linked. The numbers there rather conclusively demonstrate that the F-105 was a fish out of water in the ground attack role in SEA. It was getting shot down at an unacceptable and unsupportable rate. That is precisely why the USAF threw in the towel and withdrew the single-seat F-105 from service in SEA in 1970.
Talk about low-life…and I thought the Harley-Davis Biker tour guy was bad for lying to get VA Disability $$$:
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/courts/sd-me-va-benefits-fraud-20180905-story.html
“Oceanside Man Admits Stealing $145K in VA Benefits for 10 Years After Military Widow’s Death”
This male nurse was caught writing fake prescriptons for Percocet and taking the script to a Pharmacy in Oklahoma to have it filled..and yet, the VA hired him to review medical records:
https://newsok.com/article/5606032/oklahoma-department-of-veterans-affairs-hired-nurse-who-wrote-fake-prescription-to-review-medical-records
Here are some links to good/interesting YouTube videos;
From the Medal of Honor Book (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFggYNhgU-m4W-meF9BXbCw)
– Desmond Doss telling his story: https://youtu.be/JKdwsWdH3A4
– Robert Howard (one of the most decorated Vietnam Vets) on his MoH earning adventure (he was nominated for three in a 13 month span for three separate incidents!): https://youtu.be/aM_WR7E1M_A
From the channel of Jeff Quitney (https://www.youtube.com/user/webdev17):
– https://youtu.be/1K1hksKTEcY – Reinforces that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Except the Army would never be able to make this video today.
– In honor of Hondo’s original post, here’s a video of F-105s in Viet of the Nam. https://youtu.be/iscl5VTpxH8
– Flashback time, here’s Ft Leonard Wood basic training from 1965. https://youtu.be/-B1ZNkI5sMo I was there in ’03 for training and those buildings were still being used for basic.
Of all the courage by Medal of Honor recipients, Desmond Doss’ remains the baddest of the badass for me. Just the physical challenge of his actions defy understanding. All are heroic beyond my understanding, but Desmond Doss’ courage and physical actions to me are the greatest.
Instructors allege that the first female Ranger School grad received special treatment.
https://popularmilitary.com/instructors-claim-first-female-enlisted-earn-ranger-tab-actually-quit-given-special-treatment/?utm_source=11%20Bravos
I’m so the complete opposite of surprised.
I’m sure you’ll also be surprised to hear this:
https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2018/09/05/horny-bastard-first-sergeant-had-affair-with-female-infantry-private-army-says/
Within weeks of integrating, an acting 1st Sgt starts doinking one of the privates, apparently indiscretely.
Looks like another example of the consequences of the SJW works of Commander 0’s bad idea fairies in DOD and Department of the Army.
Those are features in zer0’s mind, not flaws.
Bco 2/505 PIR my old grunts.
Wonder if they brought out the same general officer to rate her patrol leader performance as passing, like they did for the first two female officers that were awarded the tab. Back in my day there was no coming back in any phase if one said I quit. Although, I did watch our beloved 1SG Brinker tell a ranger student in the Benning phase he couldn’t quit, because when he was so “sorry” Brinker couldn’t stand him anymore, he would be thrown out. That sad sack Artillery 2LT was gone later that week. Needless to say, no one invited him for a do-over, and Ranger School was automatic for all RA combat arms officers (Armor, Artillery, and Infantry.
My question is: if she quit the program, why did the Army make her go on?
She obviously had some issues, which I wll not guess at, so what was the point of making her return to the program if she had them? If she quit on her own, why force her back into it?
I don’t like this “hidden agenda” where XX numbers of people are recruites for a program, do not do well in it and leave it voluntarily, and then are forced back into it.
The whole thing looks like the Army was grandstanding to me, which means it is a complete waste of tax dollars and will not turn out the quality or level of troops that the program should produce.
Interesting Washington Times article:
“Deportations Up 9 percent in 2018; Still Below Obama Peak Years”
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/sep/6/deportations-9-percent-2018/
The reason I thought is was interesting:
“But the numbers still can’t touch the records Mr. Obama set in the middle of his terms, when Hispanic leaders angrily dubbed him “deporter-in-chief.”
“In 2012, he had deported 310,000 people by this point — 40 percent more than Mr. Trump.”
Gee Whiz…I don’t remember the News Media or the Left addressing BHO deporting 310,000 folks in 2012…or that BHO was called “Deporter-In-Chief” by Hispanic Leaders…
And Obama is now claiming responsibility for the booming economy.
The more I learn about the Obama administration, the more loathsome and detestable I find them. At the time I thought it was incompetence and he and his cronies were bumbling fools. Oh how wrong was I. It was a criminal enterprise.
“It was a criminal enterprise.”
You nailed it, Mason…
You nailed it.
My face palmed shocked face! Say it ain’t so. If it is found that the O admin was a criminal enterprise will that be The Donald’s fault too?
You have to ask that?
Nah.
Zer0 was many things, but he wasn’t competent enough to run a “criminal enterprise”.. Others simply criminaled around his feckless mediocrity.
Now if the vengeance-harpie had won, we would have seen “criminal enterprise” for the history books.
Whatever opinion folks may have of the vengeance-harpie, she is definitely “head of class” in criminal enterprise, possibly “class of the world”. What Bill is to Politics, she is to Skulduggery. Anyone else would be in the slammer by now. Even Capone fell. She probably won’t.
“Like”
I had to track down that claim, which was being touted by various media resources toward the end of 2017. But the most recent report is from National Review, and says clearly that the recovery is Trump’s, not Obama’s doing.
https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/08/donald-trump-economic-success-not-barack-obama/
If you were unemployed during the 2008-2010 financial crisis, you may recall how long it took for the economy to begin to show signs of recovery: something on the order of 6 long years, which was a slow crawl, not a “boom”.
It is all grasping at straws, again, using every excuse to discredit the Trump administration.
All I know is that the Trump economy is so good that even Colin Kapernick has a new job!
That’s because his holiness Obama changed the definition of “Deportation “. If an illegal alien crossed the border, saw CBP heading for them and returned to Mexico, it was scored as a “deportation”. Hence, numbers and stats go up, there’s no public outcry, and all hail Obama. DHS/CBP stopped the practice about 30 seconds after Donald took the oath.
For good time look up the Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow Jet. The first titanium aircraft, it was ready for production the U.S and Canadian politicians had it shut down and all tooling and blue prints destroyed.
YouTube is great!
Um, I don’t think so. From the Wikipedia article on the CF-105:
The Arrow’s tooling was indeed ordered destroyed by the Canadian government when the project was cancelled.
I believe you’re confusing the CF-105 and the A-12/SR-71 family. McNamara reportedly did order its tooling destroyed in 1968. And unlike the CF-105, the A-12/SR-71 family of aircraft was indeed constructed primarily from titanium.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_SR-71#SR-71
The Douglas X-3 Stilleto (intended as a high-speed research aircraft, but horribly unpowered and not even supersonic in level flight) was an early user of titanium in “major airframe components”. It flew approx a decade before the A-12. However, it’s unclear just how much of X-3’s construction was titanium. Given the time frame (early 1950s), it’s doubtful that it was constructed primarily from titanium itself as was the A-12/SR-71 family a decade later.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_X-3_Stiletto#Productionhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_X-3_Stiletto#Production
Bert Reynolds, 1936-2018.
Even though he was known in the movies “Deliverance”, “Smokey and the Bandit”, etc., will still always think of him being featured on SNL “Celebrity Jeopardy”:
https://youtu.be/bEghu90QJH4
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2018/09/07/burt-reynolds-is-part-of-the-reason-snls-celebrity-jeopardy-sketch-exists/?noredirect=on
82 years old. OriginalCosmo Pin-Up Guy:
http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/09/07/facebook-apologizes-for-removing-late-burt-reynolds-cosmo-photo-restores-image.html
Well, looks like The Bandit and The Snowman can spend eternity tormenting Sheriff Buford T. Justice!
I’ll just drop this off here …
Obituary
Nike (1964-2018)
died of Colin Cancer
Badump…..tish!
I am so stealing this. Thanks, Doc!
Present! In the middle of a job change. I am no longer an eebil government contractor. I am now an eebil, double-dipping, suckling-at-the-government-teat DA civilian employee. Reception to follow, BYOB.
Welcome to the dark side. We have cookies.
Hey!!!!! I didn’t get cookies when I came over.
I said we have cookies. I didn’t say we gave them out.
It’s why we’re the dark side, ya know.
Don’t listen to him, Twist. His is the Wrong Dark Side.
Come over to my dark side I have pizza… and I share….
Hack Stone is watching today’s episode of Judge Judy, and she is ripping into a lawyer for suing a hair stylist for the sum of $5000 because the hair stylist cut his hair too short. It was a $10 haircut. I wonder what Judge Judy would have to say about a lawyer suing an airplane manufacturer for a design defect where an airplane requires fuel to sustain flight?
That’s easy.
Judge Judy would say “You don’t get compensated in my court for being an idiot, especially since it was you who coined the phrase Bernathian Level Stupidity.”
Saw it, also. I love me some Judge Judy. Earlier in the week she called a guy who presented as a licensed contractor a lying dishonest moron (about six times). It is so uplifting to watch her ream assholes who are so desperately in need of a good ass reaming. One type of hearing I don’t like, though, are those that involve dogs: his dog bit mine, her dog burrowed under the fence, blah. Don’t like those.
Remember when Jesse MacBeth was on Judge Judy? No shit, he really was. Ex-girlfriend was suing him for a rental car gone wrong. Judge Judy ruled for the defendant (MacBeth). Probably the only time that he has won at anything.
Judge Judy for SCOTUS!
-That- would be the ultimate Pay-Per-View Smackdown!
Some of you may recall the name Tammy Grace Barnett. She was nationwide news a couple of years ago when she became the first woman to enlist when certain mil combat jobs opened up to women. I wonder if she made it. Odds are she didn’t or we would have heard about it.
Hey. Trump won. Wide Load lost. I still enjoy writing that. How wrong were the polls? So wrong it’s inexcusable and incredible. The NYT had Wide Load with a 90+ % chance of winning. What went wrong? Many of us didn’t play the game. I was polled. I lied. I have been polled recently. I lied again. What the hell? Pols lie to us all the time. Why should I help them by telling the truth?
Hey, you too?! I ALWAYS lie when polled, except when doing so makes me look like an asshole. I always say I’m voting for the dummycrat, etc. Lots of fun.
I am a registered Democrat! Thus, I always get those assholes’ polls and I get to vote in their primary. I did vote Democrat once. It was 1980 and I made the same mistake Jonn did. Youth. I blame it on youth.
Want to have some fun? The next time you get a call from a Pollster, try to solicit a donation to The Astral Temple of the Great Flying Spaghetti monster from them, I’ve made SO MANY telepests cuss at and hang up on me with that AND I’m sure it’s gotten me taken off more than a few lists!
70rd and Honorary First once again.
(((OVER)))
On the stupid-o-meter, this one broke the gauge. During a recent power outage, a 30-year old Connecticut lit a candle for light. She had some light for some seconds and then a lot of light for a millisecond. Her candle was a quarter stick of blewie. Unfortunately, she has kids, so the gene pool is all ready despoiled.
A gen-u-ine Wile-E-Coyote dynamite-for-candle swap?
I can hear the Toon soundtrack and the little violin riff as she sees the fuse spark……
Fade to…. BLAM!
I’m sure the MLMW (Mainstream Liberal Media Whores) will be right on this. I’m thinking that pig the ‘Reverend’ Al will call a press conference ASAP and personally thank President Trump for all he has done in helping people of color improve their social and economic lot.
Black unemployment falls to second-lowest on record
BY MARKETWATCH EQUITY 10:11 AM ET 09/07/2018
Still higher than jobless rates for Hispanics, whites and Asian-Americans
The black unemployment rate fell in August to the second-lowest on record as the labor market continues to show signs of tightening.
In August, the black unemployment rate fell to 6.3%, continuing the rapid descent from the 16.8% peak shortly after the recession, and the lowest ever after the 5.9% rate in May.
The continued economic expansion, now showing up in rising wages (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-adds-201000- jobs-as-wage-growth-accelerates-to-nine-year-high-2018-09-07), has helped all racial groups, data show. Donald Trump has frequently pointed out the black unemployment rate reached a record low during his presidency.
(https://asset.wsj.net/dynamic-insets/charts/cdc_849d0222e2752c4f29adbe3f_embed.html)
That said, the black unemployment rate is still higher than the 4.7% Hispanic unemployment rate — also the second- lowest on record — and the 3.4% unemployment rate for whites and the 3% jobless rate for Asian-Americans.
A Federal Reserve paper last year on the topic found that observable characteristics — age, education, marital status and state of residence — could not explain the black-white gap in employment (https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/ feds/files/2017071pap.pdf), whereas it largely did for the Hispanic-white gap.
Factors that could explain the gap include personal or institutional discrimination as well as incarceration rates, the Fed paper said.
“The robust recovery of the labor market in the last few years appears to have contributed significantly to reducing the economic disparities that had widened dramatically as a result of the Great Recession. That said, the disparities remain substantial,” the paper concluded.
-Steve Goldstein; 415-439-6400; AskNewswires@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
09-07-18 1011ET
Copyright (c) 2018 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Hack Stone’s brother sent him a link for a 1968 Dodge van for sale, similar to what Poppa Stone drove in his never ending quest to support his Irish Catholic brood Of future Directors Of Media Relations. That van had a 3 on a tree. Hack never drove a 3 on a tree. How about you guys? And in case you are wondering, it seems that 3 on a tree last took flight in the early 1980’s.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/last-stock-3-on-the-tree.514790/
That’s how I learned to drive a standard. My road test was the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and Long Island Expressway. I was 15/16. No license. No permit. No accidents. At 17, I went into the Army. Still no license. I was issued one for a deuce and a half, a jeep, and a generator(!) After I ETS’ed, I went to the MVA and they issued me a license. No road test. No nothing. And it all started with three-on-a-tree.
Yep – that’s how I also learned to drive a standard. It was a 1952 Plymouth. Long story that made sense at the time. It was a tank.
53 Star Chief with a straight 8.
In reference to 2/17’s DA348 quals, the very first first entry on mine (way back when) was for the M37B1 3/4 Ton./smile
If you can drive a stick, a three on the tree is no big challenge.
One of my early driving experiences was on my dad’s ’65 Chev Van. Mechanical clutch, no power brakes or steering, and a three on the tree. I already had mastered more modern sticks, but got stuck in rush hour traffic on a slight incline. I kept clutching out, cars behind me start honking. My dad’s soothing voice from the passenger seat screaming at me to “just relax!” was not helping the nerves either.
While I was learning to drive in the early 60’s
(62/63 timeframe). I started with an automatic and after I could handle the car, I was taught to handle the VW Bus my grandfather had as well as his Chevy tradesman van(inverted 3 speed shifter that went under the seat. My first car I actually bought for myself was a 64 Ford Galaxy with 3 on the tree.
I learned to drive a Farmall Cub tractor from that I graduated to a 1942 Studebaker 3 tonner with a compound granny low gear. We could put in that granny gear and walk along beside it loading hay bales as it idled across the field. My first car was a 1941 Pontiac business coupe, flat head 6 with a three speed column shift. I converted it to a floor shifter that reversed the shift pattern. That as the way we learned to drive in the early sixties. Good times.
The first vehicle I ever owned was a ’55 Chevy pickup with an I6 235 engine, and a three-speed column shift. One of the odd things I also remember about it was that it had a strange starter arrangement. What you would do is turn the ignition to “On” with a key on the dash, and then push a big metal button on the floor. Unfortunately, depending on your view, it was almost as easy as a Ford to hotwire.
What’s sort of amusing is some of the teary eyed nostalgia going on over at Jalopy Journal about the three-on-the-tree shifters. My own view is they more-or-less sucked pond water. A pickup transmission I always liked was the floor-shifted GM four-speed with compound low. If you ever had to pull something heavy on a trailer, it was a good way to get things moving.
Learned to drive on an M-113. Other than the written test the skills didn’t transfer very well to more conventional motor vehicles.
Since that inauspicious beginning I have driven automatic, floor and column stick, and even push-button transmissions.
Drove 3 on the tree, 3 on the floor and 4 on the floor. Had a Chevy 1982 truck with on the floor. Only option was a radio that didn’t work. Thing got 40+ MPG. It had absolutely NO pickup. I needed half a mile clearance to pull into traffic. Great truck.
Some asshole with ears is running around the country in support of Democrat candidates for office. Yeah, that will work bout as well as his Red Lines and Arab Spring Fling.
Saw him on my embarrassingly large TV. Couldn’t grab the control and hit “mute” quickly enough.
He’s still a lecturing, snobby, teleprompter reading asshole.
Not that I expected any change. I just didn’t expect him back.
Still, anyone with a few brain cells to rub together will compare eight years of failure with two years of win.
As some good-old-boy from Arkansas said, “It’s the economy, stupid.”
If he’s claiming the economic recovery going on now for his own, well – it is NOT his to claim. Per the National Review August 14, 2018:
After first being in denial about the obvious fact that the economy has taken off since Trump’s victory and then predicting it would soon collapse, we’ve now gotten to the point where the New York Times has no choice but to fall back on a familiar but unpersuasive argument: It’s really President Barack Obama’s good economy.
That was the conceit of a front-page feature in the Sunday New York Times this past weekend. It argued that the credit for the strong gains in growth and the decline of unemployment really belongs to Obama, since positive trends were already in place when he left office. Just as interestingly, while the Times conceded that the public wasn’t buying these Democratic talking points, it claimed that Trump’s outstanding salesmanship is the main reason the public associated a booming economy with him. Conversely, it asserted that the reason no one gave Obama the economic plaudits he deserved was that the Obama administration was unwilling to boast of its achievements.
While Trump may not be the economic genius that he and his faithful followers think he is, these arguments are bunk.
No one can predict with certainty how long the positive trends will last, but it’s absurd to claim that Democrats were shy about claiming credit for every kernel of good news they could claim during the anemic eight-year recovery from the 2008 financial crisis. The reluctance to give Trump credit for the current boom is also absurd. The financial markets took off the moment he was elected and, despite some corrections, haven’t really looked back. – Article/National Review.
“the Obama administration was unwilling to boast of its achievements.”
HAHAHAHAHA The NYT must have been watching a different administration. I’ll just say “Bowe Bergdahl” and you can remember all the self-congratulatory back slapping they did.
I second your HAHAHAHAHA.
“Achievements” generally implies positive outcomes. I can’t think of anything the previous SCoaMF Administration did that I regard as having a positive outcome.
At least, not positive for the US. For other foreign entities, yes.
Does that skinny stuttering jug-eared narcissist go even a minute sans mentioning himself every time he speaks? I’m sure he’s still a 24K narcissist!
Don’t any of you active duty types get any ideas. Now that we have a good CIC and SECDEF we don’t need no stinking coup. Peter T Yeschenko hoisted scrawlin’s in 2 crews. Peter T Yeschenko to Once a Chief, Always a Chief 13 hourglass cycles · LITTLE KNOWN NAVY HISTORY: NAVAL AIR STATION JOHNSVILLE MUTINY OF 1956. Naval Air Station (NAS) Johnsville, Pa was a secret Navy base for space development. They did a lot of the space suit development there to help man with stand the G force of a rocket take off. They were also developing and testing planes that could land and take off vertically, Prop, there were not that many jets at that time. There were only 80 military personnel, 40 Marines and 40 Navy personnel, and over 2,000 civilian Engineers. The Marines guarded the gates, and the Navy Sailors guarded the hangers and buildings. In 1956 Naval Air Station (NAS) Johnsville, PA was considered great duty! The Marines assigned to NAS Johnsville reported to an officer, 1LT. Teague. The 1LT. drank too much and too often – coming in drunk some nights at 0200 or even later. The 1LT was considered mean and nasty to his men, the 1LT, would get all the Marines out of bed and make them search the whole airbase for god knows what. Definitely no picnic, since the Marines had worked all day. After months of this routine, one of the sergeants cracked and when the 1LT came to the door to order all of the Marines out, the Sergeant shot through the door at the 1LT. The 1LT came to the Armory and ordered a Seaman Donald E. Cooper, the duty Armor to issue guns to all the Navy personnel. Seaman Cooper called the Ensign, who was the officer of the day, and asked him if he was allowed to do this. The Ensign replied NO! Seaman Cooper stated later that he thought 1LT. Teague was going to shoot him. The 1LT ordered the Ensign to lead the Navy Sailors for an attack on the Marine barracks. Being… Read more »
John Giduck – the turd with a face!
How about a tip of the hat to never was a Navy SEAL but was a drunk drive Phil Monkress, the man with such leadership ability was able to convince one of his employees to commit career suicide by attacking a Mil Blog, Phil “I Work Balls” Monkress?
Hat tipped to Phil “The Monkster” Monkress who works balls as well as John Giduck ever did. Different stall, different standards.
Cori LeCinda Pierce – the turd who defrauds with a dog!
“They will eventually get it out of their systems”
She doesn’t know us very well.
And so, here we all are, hanging out at TAH slurping our morning coffee just waiting for something to happen.
In the meantime, how’s about we all do some PT?
First exercise will be the four-count Push-Up.
Front Leaning Rest Position – MOVE!!
Is that what that is,Front Leaning Rest Position? I swear I have always thought it was the Front Lean AND Rest Position. Hell, I was in it often enough. One would think that I would know what it’s called. Once, as incredible as it seems, I was in that position for 25 mins in BCT, give or take. It was so bad that my muscles (all of them) were quaking and shaking like an old washing machine. It was so bad that the DS couldn’t stand it any longer and told me to get up. I had been accused of something I did not do and refused to say that I was guilty. I would have died right there rather than admit to something I hadn’t done.
Your confusion is understandable. I am sure that I still have only a vague idea of what my DIs said to me; slurred speech at high volume usually leads to poor comprehension. Like trying to hear the lyrics to pop “music”.
I do know that my ass smelled of goat, and this was long before goats became war talk. I had to haul “your goat-smellin’ ass” everywhere I went. And we were all named maggot. Maggots with goat smellin’ asses.
The latest article by Frank W. Dux. If you read it, you will recognize some TAH names & others. IMO, his article does not make sense:
“Pt. 3: Stolen Valor Vultures Invent Allegations for Profit”
https://artvoice.com/2018/09/08/pt-3-stolen-valor-vultures-invent-allegations-for-profit/
Frank W. Dux has been featured on TAH and Military Phonies:
https://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=79806
https://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=70958
https://militaryphony.com/2017/03/19/frank-william-dux-cold-case-getting-warmer/
Oh damn, they traced me to our Law Firm. I go by Dave but they can call me Chuck if they like … I guess that explains why I never get mail from the DRC.
(Dave’s not here…)
P.S. If you can make ANY sense of what Dux is articulating, please share..
He uses a special martial arts vocabulary and syntax. To understand it, you need at least a sixth-degree black belt in Dux Ryu Kawasaki-Moonbat Ninjutsu…
Fluency in psychobabble also helps.
Is his true psychobabble or pseudopsychobabble?
Me thinks the pURpLe DudE wrote the article instead of DuX…
And, another bullshitter that we know commented in support of Dux – Joe Cryer..
Ii did flounder my way through that raft of gobbledygook by Ducks and it seems that the mere fact that BErnath’s plane did not explode when it crashed has escaped him.
There was no fire associated with the crash, just a trail of debris.
That means that he either did not fuel the tanks before he took off, or he knew that the fuel load was low and left it that way. He also knew that the American Legion was moving to seize his airplane as part of the judgment against him. Unfortunately, he chose the wrong place to wreck his plane for insurance money and to prevent the AL from seizing it.
Loons, they are: Ducks and Witless belong together.
Yo, Claw: you’re the keeper of the Whiz Wheel and the multiples associated with same. What’s the multiplier for FBBSDC (see note)?
Note: FBBSDC is an acronym – Full Blown Bat-Scheiss Drooling Crazy. (smile)
The same multiplier (10) as MMWAR*
*Mildew Mates With A Rutabaga (H/T to 25X)
The Whiz Wheel™® says since Dux brought himself back into the spotlight again, before the score is posted, here’s a couple of facts:
Dux only spent 18 more days on active duty (129 total) than Gunga Dan.
Under the old Fiscal Year system (that changed in 1976) Dux’s active duty time did actually span two fiscal years.
Frank William Dux (both MMWAR and FBBSDC)(see above Hat Tips to both 25X and Hondo) 35 x 10 = 350 (and that’s only because the Whiz Wheel™® is feeling benevolent today.)
Well, sh!t – I thought for sure that a serious case of “da krayzee” rated higher than even the most extreme case of “teh stoopid”. I see I was wrong.
Oh well. (smile)
The Whiz Wheel™® has taken your thought under consideration and granted the request for a additional multiplier of 11 for FBBSDC*.
With that in mind, a new score of 385 is posted for Frank William Dux.
*Full Blown Bat-Scheiss Drooling Crazy (Sorry, but the Whiz Wheel™® doesn’t possess the ability to make Scheiss into German lettering./smile) The acronym will henceforth be attributed/Hat Tipped to you.
“So let it be written, so let it be done.”
Rutabagas are acquiring an unwanted association with the crazypants portion of the population.
I will have to find some rutabagas and feature them to assuage their hurt feelings.
Wow, that’s so crazy he could be a legitimate contender for a Democratic nomination for Congress.
Might even be able to get elected Speaker.
What is he now, an Official Sponsor of The Dutch Rudder Gang?
He sure loves to fellitate DuLlAsS in his post…
“Bernath was murdered through sabotage of his plane by Stolen Valor Vultures.”
Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahah.
Yep…thought the same thing…
Still can’t make heads/tails of what he wrote, especially the part about the PUrPlE jUmpSUit duDe with the initials of DGW…
Hope you all are having a great weekend. I’ve been having a fit for a while now with a tooth. Number 14 as the dentist calls it, or called it I should say. It was a big crown a new Lieutenant put in for me in 1970 and did the root canal on, while he was paying the military back for dental school. So, long story short. It finally developed pockets too deep to keep clean and had to come out. Then he did a bone graft, which will be 4 months healing before he will know if he can do a straight up implant or a sinus lift along with the implant. All that said, I am not feeling much pain thanks to the pain meds and will drop some pounds thanks to not being able to chew…or even wanting to for a while. Then again, I am thankful for the blessing of being able to see the dentist. Anyway, that’s what’s going on in the world of the Sparks. I hope each of you are doing well. Remember kids, even if you brush, floss AND waterpik regularly, crap can still happen.
Thank you for sharing, Sparks…prayers you will a speedy recovery.
Teeth are the worst. Here’s hoping for a speedy improvement. I’ve had my share of strange dental issues (once had a oral surgeon go on about how I had the biggest abscess he’d ever seen), and it does get better. It’ll take a long time for that bone graft to heal but it’ll be worth it. You’ll be chewing gun again.
Hang in there, Sparks. One day you WILL enjoy food again.
Meanwhile, we had a picnic at my VFW Post today. It was a great day. Wonderful people doing good things. No posers anywhere.
Dental pain is the worst. When I held brig sick call on Okinawa it was the one complaint that I referred right away. Hoping you have a painless though lengthy recovery, Sparks.
This day in U.S. Navy History TODAY IN HISTORY: 8 SEPTEMBER 1923! AMERICAN AND NAVY HISTORY! AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY! Trivia: Have you ever heard of the Navy Honda Point Disaster that occurred on 8 September 1923? On the morning of 8 September 1923, thirteen destroyers of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 11 departed San Francisco for a two-day cruise to San Diego. They were returning home after a escorting Battle Division 4 from Puget Sound to San Francisco. The DESRON comprised the five ships of Destroyer Division (DESDIV) 33, with USS Delphy DD-261 out front, followed by USS S.P. Lee DD-310, USS Young DD-312, USS Woodbury DD-309 and USS Nicholas DD-311. Six ships from DESDIV 31, with USS Farragut DD-300 followed by USS Fuller DD-297, USS Percival DD-298, USS Somers DD-301, USS Chauncey DD-296 and USS Kennedy DD-306. Three ships from DESDIV 32, USS Paul Hamilton DD-307, USS Stoddert DD-302 and USS Thompson DD-305. The warships conducted tactical and gunnery exercises en route, including a competitive speed run of 20 knots. Later in the day, as weather worsened, the ships formed column on the squadron leader USS Delphy. That evening, around 2000, the flagship broadcast an erroneous report–based on an improperly interpreted radio compass bearing–showing the squadrons position about nine miles off Point Arguello. An hour later, the destroyers turned east to enter what was thought to be the Santa Barbara Channel, though it could not be seen due to thick fog. Unfortunately, a combination of abnormally strong currents (caused by the extremely severe earthquake in Japan on 2 September which destroyed much of Tokyo and Yokohama) and navigational complacency led the squadron onto the rocks off Pedernales Point, near Honda, just north of Point Arguello. Just after turning, USS Delphy struck the rocks at 2105, plowing ashore at 20 knots. She was followed by USS S.P. Lee, which hit and swung broadside against the bluffs. USS Young piled up adjacent to USS Delphy and capsized, trapping many of her fire and engine room crew below. While USS Woodbury, USS Nicholas and USS Fuller struck reefs and ran aground offshore, USS Chauncey… Read more »
“navigational complacency…”
Did we see that same kind of thing recently with two Navy ships being hit by freight ships?
Thanks for the info, Chief.
Since things are a little slow this morning, the Whiz Wheel™® would like to take this opportunity to update the acronym multiplier list for the Official TAH Name Scrabble™® (Home Version) game. List is as follows:
WRT/WOT – 2
DRT/DOT – 3
DAM – 4
BLDAM – 5
R/SIBLDAM – 6
FRP – 7
FRPR – 8
FLTPSM – 9
MMWAR – 10
FBBSDC – 11
Acronym explanations available upon request.
cc – Doc Savage, delegated on DA Forms 348 and 1687 as an authorized KAL-55B operator.
Claw: Can you imagine if you had to compute all the insults on The Wall of Insults…
Great job…keep it up!
Speaking of the Wall/Continent of Insults, I heard one the other day that ChipNASA should take under consideration for inclusion.
“You have the spine of a Gummi Bear.”
Attributed to Berta, the hooch maid on Two and a Half Men.
“For Nations With Strict Gun Laws, This Little Shooting Range in Hawaii is a Haven for Tourists”:
https://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/for-nations-with-strict-gun-laws-this-little-shooting-range-in-hawaii-is-a-haven-for-tourists-1.546695
“…For 13 hours a day, six days a week, and 12 hours on Sunday, the door is open. A sign reads, “Experience Live Firearms! Feel the Power!” Above, a neon outline of a gun glows red, promising a tantalizing, titillating moment of adrenaline fueled by Hollywood action heroes. Right by the front desk, a squinting John Wayne is pictured, bracketed by his famous line, “A man’s got to do what a man’s got to do.”
Navy Trivia … A Very Bad Day For The Navy
LITTLE KNOWN NAVY HISTORY!
Trivia: What was the worst known weather incident in the history of the United States Navy?!
ANSWER: Halsey’s Typhoon!
Also Halsey’s Typhoon had a connection with a future US President.
Typhoon Cobra, also known as “Halsey’s Typhoon,” is the best-known weather incident in the history of the United States Navy.
On 18 December 1944, ships comprising Task Force 38 encountered a heavy typhoon while many ships attempted to refuel.
Ships were caught unprepared in the center of the storm, unable to maintain steady under the heavy seas and hurricane-force winds.
Three destroyers capsized and sank.
A cruiser, five aircraft carriers, and three destroyers had serious damage from the storm.
In all, over 790 officers and men were presumed missing or killed, and eighty others injured.
The storm forced the Navy to establish weather stations throughout the Pacific Ocean. Weather offices were created at Guam and Leyte for coordinating data among the various stations.
Among the Sailors that survived Halsey’s Typhoon was future president and Navy LT Gerald R. Ford.
LT Ford served on the light aircraft carrier USS Monterey.
During the storm, a hangar deck fire broke out on the USS Monterey, and LT Ford took to his battle station on the bridge during the fire and assumed his duties as the General Quarters Officer of the Deck.
LT Ford went down to the dangerous hangar deck to assess the damage control situation.
LT Ford survived the incident, but nearly fell overboard during a dangerous pitch and roll from the storm.
SIDE NOTE: In the 1954 movie “The Caine Mutiny” the storm that the USS Caine was going through when XO LT Maryk played by Van Johnson relieved the Skipper LCDR. Queeg played by Humphrey Bogart was suppose to be “Halsey’s Typhoon”.
Thank you for sharing, HMC Ret. That was interesting…something I did not know.
Your heading “Navy Trivia … A Very Bad Day For The Navy” made me chuckle, because the Navy will soon have another “Bad Day”, i.e.when ARMY beats NAVY once again…
Now to wind up WOT:
LAST!!!!! (Claw, please record in the books..thank you…)
“There’s some systematic failure in the 14-year-old’s life to allow us to be here talking about him being accused of murder and rape. It’s just a very tragic situation all the way around.” –Baltimore Police Spokesidiot.
So, a 14-year old (he turned 14 last month) is charged with raping and them murdering an 83-year old neighbor woman and it’s “some systemic failure.” Dahell is he talking about? What system?