Weekend Open Thread – Why Safety Briefings Exist
Remember those “safety briefings” we all received while on active duty? You know, the one where the CO or 1SG told you not to jump in the swimming pool without checking to see if there was water in it first; not to try to drink all the beer in [insert name of nearby town here] ’cause you couldn’t do it; and the like?
Yeah, we all rolled our eyes at some of that. But there’s a very good reason why everything in those briefings was mentioned.
Everything in them was mentioned because somewhere, at some point in time, some Dumme Scheiße had done (or attempted) either exactly that or something very similar.
But this next one IMO takes the cake. Earlier this month – on 1 May, to be precise – a soldier managed to fall into an active volcano.
On that date, a soldier assigned to Schofield Barracks was on the “Big Island” for a training exercise. Somehow he found himself in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, at a point on the Kilauea Caldera called the “Steaming Bluff Overlook”.
There’s a permanent metal railing at that location to keep people away from the crater’s edge. But apparently the guy really wanted a closer look at the caldera. So he climbed over said permanent metal railing – and promptly fell into the crater.
Luckily for him, the man “only” fell about 70 feet (the cliff where he fell is roughly 300 feet tall, but he landed on a ledge partway down). Though seriously injured, he was rescued and survived his injuries.
No word on whether he’ll be court-martialed or not. Being a world-class dumbass isn’t a specific crime under the UCMJ in and of itself. However, I seem to remember that actions not specifically defined as crimes elsewhere in the UCMJ but which are nonetheless sufficiently “prejudicial to good order and discipline” may violate Article 134.
Perhaps one of our lawyer commenters could offer an opinion regarding whether this level of dumbassery qualifies as sufficiently “prejudicial to good order and discipline” to be a crime under Article 134. If it doesn’t . . . well, maybe it should.
Oh, and for what it’s worth: the guy wasn’t some young kid with little or no experience and delusions of invulnerability. He was 32 years old at the time of the incident.
Sheesh.
. . .
OK, enough tales of mental midgetry for today. Enjoy the WOT, everyone.
And don’t go climbing over any metal railings, OK? (smile)
—–
Addendum to a Previous WOT Article:
I recently passed through Climax, GA, again. This time I noticed a second sign approximately 150′ or so away from the “JESUS JESUS JESUS” sign referenced in the earlier WOT article.
The second sign is bent and twisted a bit, probably as a result of Hurricane Michael, and accordingly is more difficult to see while driving westbound than the first. That’s probably why I missed it on previous trips.
That second sign reads “JESUS JESUS”.
Looks kinda like we may have a “call and response” here – apparently from a very devout couple. (smile)
Category: "Teh Stoopid", Open thread, WTF?, YGBSM!!
1st
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM SHAAAAAAAAAAACK
KING OG BATTLE!!!!!!!!!!! TIME ON TARGET!!!!!!!!FIRE FOR EFFECT!!!!!!!!!!!!
4 in a row!!!!!!!! TAKE THAT you squidy ChipNASA!!!! TIED!!!!!!!! ALL AROUND DRINKS and come on down to the FOOD ORGY AT FIREBASE MAGNOLIA!!!!!!!!
KING OF BATTLE…….KING OF FIRSTS…….WINNER OF WARS!!!!!!!
FIRST!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE ALL MY DICKWEEDS/WEEDESS!!!!!!!!!
Back to cooking!!!!!!!!!
I’m not squidy, (Squidly?) I’m Chairforce so that that.
Oh and once I got my 4 in a rowm I left the following WOT open because I felt sorry for everyone. I think a time or two a 3-fer had happened but even that was rare.
Now, that being said, if you care to and can pull a 5-er, then I say Good Luck and Godspeed to you!
I’m absolutely certain that Jonn’s looking down and chuckling at the children squabbling and flinging dirt and sand and throwing toys in the playground he built with his own two hands.
*smile*
Well “strip my gears and call me shiftless!
A four-peat 5th/77th FA??
Good on you!!
Not much going on here at the hovel.
Was planning on flying out to New York this morning and have the Occasional-Cortex mix up & serve me a drink, but then I woke up from the nightmare. (grin)
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-bartender-raise-the-wage-act-100304106.html
I know how happy you feel. My niece just took me off being grounded. There are still terms I have to abide by, like saying fire in the hole before I let a fart out.
I’m still banned from the Hammer and Sickle CO-OP ’cause of the tofu and soy shit I took in my Depends… they’re still cleaning it up three weeks later!
Fudging A. You’re 4 for 4??
You may have tied my record. I was down the hall taking photos.
Holy Crap … four in a row!! Outstanding, 5th/77th FA!
I wanna be you when I grow up.
I’m not growing up. Ever. I intend to remain in permanent adolescence. My toys have gotten a lot more expensive, though.
If one refuses to grow up, one cannot die of old age.
“It’s never too late to have a happy childhood.” – Stolen from a “Bloom County” cartoon by Berkley Breathed.
I was just on the site and forgot to go back to try and be first. Was emailing my shaving mug soap supplier about the ten mugs and badger brushes I rotate every day and completely forgot about trying to get to first base.
Hello all. Here is a documentary about the complete history of the submarine in case anyone is interested. The channel also has one on surface warships which covers everything from the Phoenicians to today. It’s rather long. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc8eQqoIi0U
Bowing to the omnipresence of 5th/77th FA’s incredibly rare four-peat, I’ll just toss in this week’s trivia for you to read, enjoy, and comment on, should the muse be upon you. DID YOU KNOW…? Has the Speaker of the House always been second in line to replace the President? By Commissioner Wretched I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I tend to hang out on Facebook a lot. When you get to be my age, many of the things you used to enjoy spending time doing are a little too demanding, so you fall back on the easy stuff that anybody can do sitting down. Like hanging out on Facebook. Recently, one of my friends posted a list of things that one may or may not have done in life, such as “breaking a bone” or “singing karaoke.” You give yourself a point for each one you’ve done (or not done) and compare scores. Such lists are fun, but I’m thinking of posting my own list. My list would have items like “wrestled with a squid” or “rubbed your tummy and patted your head at the same time” or “hand-fed a kangaroo.” The last of those I have actually done, so I’m already one up on all of you, no matter how you score the list. Another favorite list for me, of course, is trivia – and guess what? I have this week’s list ready for you right now! Did you know … … you can buy some really off-flavor sodas? A small soda brand called Jones Soda produces odd, limited-edition flavors including turkey and gravy, salmon pate, and antacid. (Now you can drink your Thanksgiving – appetizer, meal, and stomach settler!) … a Major League Baseball pitcher pitched two no-hitters in a row? Johnny Vander Meer (1914-1997), a pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds in 1938, performed the feat in consecutive starts that season. The first no-hitter he threw was on June 11 against the Boston Braves at Crosley Field in Cincinnati; in his next start, June 15, he no-hit the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. The second no-hitter has another… Read more »
I sometimes wonder if TV dinners tasted better before microwave ovens came along, don’t you?
To answer that question, yes, TV dinners did taste better before microwaves reached the kitchen as appliances.
The difference is that the microwave jiggles water molecules and sometimes drives them out of food, leaving it dry and frequently without flavor, whereas the oven – even a current countertop oven now – simply heats the food. Yes, the oven/CToven can overheat and dry food out, but usually it doesn’t.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C-6mI708yWc
Good grief, YES, the baked TV dinners were mighty good back in the day. And, yes, some of us remember well when they were a novelty that everyone had to try. Too expensive for every day consumption, but Swanson TV turkey dinners were for special occasion and treats.
Some the ones other than turkey weren’t all that good.
God… I remember the baked Swanson TV dinners (with the aluminum foil trays). I must be old to remember that…
If you look at the some of the other brands, you can still bake them in the oven, just need to put the cardboard tray on a baking pan.
My siblings and I ate those when we were kids in the 70’s, aluminum trays that were baked in the oven… TV Dinners or fish sticks for dinner meant Mom & Dad were going somewhere that night!
Sixth?
5TH/77FA!
Again!?
I will just play my Blackbird and watch.
Peace to all.
b out
Good article on dumbassery Hondo. If not the King of Dumbasses, he is at least a high Duke of Dumbassery. FIRST I’ve heard of that.
You have to wonder, which deity do atheists call out to during coitus?
FIRST person to answer the question gets an extra serving of fresh made Georgia Peach Pie.
For peach pie, I could probably come up with an acceptable answer…
This guy may be (Another Good Reason) reason safety briefings exist. Maybe old news BTW.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/02/06/soldier-who-shot-himself-head-appeals-armys-decision-deny-benefits.html
Query: How can your injury be “in the line of duty” when you go off-base while off duty, get drunk, put a loaded pistol to your head and pull the trigger, sending a .40 bullet through your brain housing group? Inquiring minds would like to know, from you ex-JAG types. (And unlike Shitting Seagull, my comment is on topic.)
Makes the stupid shit I did as Private look tame.
Well, in Squatting Poodle’s defense, this is an open thread. Comments on open threads tend to be pretty far-ranging. (Give even the Devil his due.)
Here’s my take. From reading the article, the guy’s attorney seems to be arguing that (1) without evidence of intoxication, the individual’s conduct was merely negligent vice misconduct; (2) evidence of intoxication would thus be required to make him culpable; (3) the blood work showing a BAC of 0.17+ can’t be trusted because the medical staff had used alcohol wipes on him while trying to save his life; and (4) he might have done the same thing anyway if he were sober.
Personally, I think the guy’s attorney is flinging whatever he can at the proverbial wall in the hope that something sticks ’cause that’s the only case he’s got. I agree with you: this appears to be a case of stupidity sufficient to be considered culpable negligence and should thus be considered misconduct. But I’m not a lawyer; dunno if any of the above arguments on the fool’s behalf will fly.
Hopefully one of our resident JAG commenters can shed some light.
For as long as I can remember the standard has been that every injury is presumed to be in the line of duty, and that presumption must be overcome by a preponderance of the evidence contained in the investigation. And many IOs will bend over backwards to find “LOD Yes” because of the devastating consequences of a contrary decision: a total loss of benefits for a person (and family in many cases) who may need them very badly. I agree with this approach; if there’s any benefit of the doubt to be had, call it ordinary negligence and let the Soldier have it.
Thanks, MrBill. Was remembering something along those lines, but it’s been literally decades and I wasn’t sure if memory was correct or if things might have changed.
I still have to say that I agree with rgr769 here. If this case (going drinking, then afterwards putting a pistol to your own head without first checking it to see if it’s loaded and pulling the trigger) doesn’t qualify as culpable negligence/misconduct I can’t personally see that anything short of getting hurt while committing a crime would qualify. And maybe not even then.
“culpable negligence/misconduct”
I find it hard to think that violating every rule you’re ever taught about firearms safety wouldn’t fit that.
Have a, something weekend, I guess.
Number 15 and I claim Honorary First once again.
((((OVER))))
Not sure why the fact that the White House asked that the USS John S. McCain And it’s crew be kept out of site during Trump’s Japan visit.
Including turning McCain crew members away from the entrance of the even when they showed up despite the fact that the crew of every other ship was invited to attend.
There is a thread on the Navy Reddit where John S. McCain crew members CONFIRMED it happened.
It was not well received by the crew. This is a moment of their service these sailors will remember for the rest of their lives.
Best case is the White House thinks Trump is a petty tantrum throwing narcissist that needs to be protected from triggering events like seeing a destroyer named after generations of the McCain family.
Sounds like the good idea fairy swooped in and tapped some White House staffer on the noggin. Hard. I can’t see ANY President ordering this.
I can’t see this happening under any OTHER presidential administration.
Though it is hard to imagine any president ordering this. Even Trump.
I could see Trump making petty disgruntled comments about the fact that they rededicated to also honor the late Sen. McCain last year. Then a staffer remembering how the president felt and knowing how he can perseverate over things like this decided to try to avoid him seeing the ship’s name during his visit. On the ship itself or any of the crew member’s caps.
This seems the best case scenario for how something like this happened.
You can’t see any other Administration ever doing something like this? Really? You might want to read up on some of the stuff LBJ, the JCS, and Nixon pulled between Nov 1963 and Nov 1973.
People working on Nixon’s behalf (but without his prior knowledge) did the Watergate break-in, remember?
LBJ is reputed to have “convinced” DoD to close bases in districts that didn’t vote for him in 1964 as political payback when DoD later reorganized its base infrastructure to support Vietnam. He also told the JCS about Vietnam, “Just get me elected, then you can have your war”.
And the JCS went along with LBJ’s plan to keep things quiet re: the worstening situation in Vietnam in 1964. They also went along with LBJ’s plan to get the US involved in Vietnam by stealth during the first half of 1965.
All of those shady deals were done in order to please the boss.
As an example of “currying favor” via doing something questionable or stupid, this latest one is minor. Those others I discussed above resulted in lost livelihoods, prison time – and thousands of lost lives.
Yeah, if the POTUS had ordered that it would be worth discussing. Except reality is different.
Both the acting SECDEF and the POTUS have stated, for the record, that they did not give any such directive. My guess is that someone at a lower (but still high) level was trying to play “suck-up and move up”.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/05/31/trump-denies-giving-directive-keep-uss-mccain-out-view.html
Geez. Do you automatically blame Trump when it rains on a day you want to play outside, or if your morning coffee is too bitter?
Yes, he does, Hondo. He can’t create complete sentences, can’t spell, is consistently ungrammatical and consistently vindictive toward anyone who he sees as “the enemy”, including TAHers.
McCain was/is undergoing repairs at the time and unmovable, so how was it supposed to move “out of sight”? It would be an interesting use of disregarding the physics of a move like that, never mind the logistics involved.
The fact that the request was made by the whites House and that the Navy attempted to comply to the extent they could is an indisputable FACT.
The only question is who made the request. It was someone in the White House.
Your lunacy about the McCain being an “immovable object” is irrelevant to whether the request was made. The Navy command did comply with the request to the extent it could.
Read the Navy Reddit thread on it.
EVERYTHING bad in this world comes from President Trump, doesn’t it, zampolit?
Your coffee wasn’t to your liking “Orange Man Bad!” -*CLICK*
You woke up with a zit
“Orange Man Bad!” -*CLICK*
your girlfriend dumped you after she caught you wearing her pantyhose
“Orange Man Bad!” -*CLICK*
“Orange Man Bad!” -*CLICK*
“Orange Man Bad!” -*CLICK*
“Orange Man Bad!” -*CLICK*
More empiric data for my superior Soviet made RoverBook laptop that I bought at the local Hammer and Sickle CO-OP!!!!
I believe little that I read on Reddit. I don’t believe I would use Reddit as a reliable primary source.
In the (Very) Good News Category:
This is good news. Vets can now go to a Doc In The Box for acute care. It appears this can be at any time, day or night. This will take a lot of the walk-in load off the VA staff. There is a lot more info on Google and military.com.
29 May 2019
Military.com | By Jim Absher
Got a sore throat or a sprained ankle and don’t want to go to a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital? Got sick at 8:00 on a Friday night and don’t want to wait until Monday to see a VA doctor? A new VA program may be for you.
Starting June 6, 2019, the VA will offer medical care to eligible veterans at selected civilian urgent care facilities nationwide.
Reddit is a gossip platform. You went to gossip like an addicted old gasbag. As Hondo indicates, it is not an official or even semi-official source of info.
As functionally illiterate as you are, there are no expectations on anyone’s part to take anything you say seriously.
Someone that went to Bezerkeley using Reddit as “source” for their “empiric data”… LOL!!!
Always knew that Larsie pulls his “facts” out of his ass…
He could have used Salon and seemed more credible.
I would prefer to see this proven by using graphs. I want to see where X intersects Y. Hey, use that Battleship game. Move the McCain around to avoid being sunk or, in this instance, being seen by the President.
The White House confirmed the request was made. So has the Navy.
Saying the crewman on Reddit are liars is absurd at this point.
This order happened because of Trump and his personality disorder. Whether he ordered it or not is not the point.
You would not be giving the Obama White House a pass for something like that whether Obama himself ordered it or not.
Of course this is would not have happened under any other president.
And you didn’t bother to read the Navy Reddit thread did you?
Personality disorder? Just when did you become a psychiatrist, Poodle? Because unless you have the quals to diagnose personality disorders, you’re merely bloviating – yet again – while simultaneously showing your obsession of “Orange Man Baaaaaaad!”
Reddit? No. I considered the source and determined doing so wasn’t worth my time – particularly since I’d just read the article I linked.
Unless somebody posted a softcopy of the written order that can be independently validated, I’d take anything posted on Reddit as hearsay and/or speculation. Both hearsay and speculation are notoriously unreliable – as is Reddit as a source – without some other corroboration. And one-sided accounts (e.g., alleged crewmember comments posted to Reddit) are hardly ever likely to even approach giving the full story. Specifically: even if such an order occurred, save for a select few the ship’s crew is unlikely to know WHO gave the order. And WHO gave the order is key.
It’s key because whether or not the POTUS ordered this is precisely the significant point. People ordering stupid stuff to be done in the boss’ name in order to curry favor happens all the time – even in Police Departments and Sheriff’s Offices. (“Don’t worry, we’ll take care of your kid’s speeding ticket, Mr. Mayor.”) (“Mr. SECNAV, we’ll pull him off the promotion list even though the investigation shows he wasn’t involved in any Tailhook misconduct whatsoever.”) That’s so common it’s only rarely news, and when it is news it almost always a minor story. That’s certainly what looks like happened here.
However, when the guy/gal in charge orders something stupid like that, then it’s serious news. And that didn’t happen here.
Geez. Do you blame Trump because you didn’t get a puppy for Christmas when you were 8 years old?
He spent a great deal of time with a warm puppy and play-dough in the safe-space room for the “triggered” students at Berzerkely, so he should have gotten over not having a puppy when he was a kid.
Don’t be forgetting about the woobies and coloring books that they give them for “stressful situations”…
Oh, Hondo, the wacko Taylor is just as delusional as ever. He’s so off his trolley with hatred of dTrump that it’s entirely possible he chews the rug over it.
I bet he chews his fingernails nonstop!
How come you and ex keep having a competition to see who can make the most banal response to my posts?
Let’s just say that the entire “Hemisphere of Insults” describes you perfectly. I’ll leave it at that.
Ooh, *POW!*, right in the kisser!
Mines booger nuggets with the best of them!
Hondo,
I am speculating, but it is not that hard to spoof a return address on an email. And even really good systems are vulnerable to spoofing if you know what you are doing.
Lots of crooks use such ploys to get accounting departments and admin assistants to wire big bucks to foreign accounts.
If someone spearphished the right flunky, the “order” might have even come from a real account.
And none of our global opponents would _ever- do such a thing, right?
It’s an op. And it worked.
Could be. But my money’s on someone trying to please the boss and doing something stupid. Happens all the time, in and out of government. It’s human nature.
When there’s a choice between stupidity and mendacity, generally stupidity is the smart bet.
Valid
So is mendacity exploiting stupidity.
I think someone may have “helped” in this case.
Let’s see who come up holding the bag, and what they say.
The payoff in “sow discord in the enemy camp” is -huge-, so one may assume that there are lots of attempts to insert stupid into the cycle.
Whatever the cause, hopefully there is a significant “why the fark was this actioned?” in the chain of command.
Much easier to invent a conspiracy than to actually accept that someone thought they were doing what the president would want.
How far are you willing to go to invent a reality that lets you continue to see Trump as a hero?
While I agree with you in this case, it’s pretty rich irony coming from a guy who was pushing Russian collusion for the last two years.
I’m not sure I’d call Trump a ‘hero’ but he is infinitely a better President than was his predecessor. And, BTW, I like and respect him for the changes he is attempting to implement to improve this country. No, I’m not going to cite specifics; you can read as well as I. Also, I don’t rely on CNN, MSNBC (whores) or any of the others in the liberal media for the ‘news’. So he may have a personality disorder? Probably most people do in some capacity. Know what? I don’t give a fuck. Not one fuck do I give about his personality.
Some of the top diagnostic psychiatrists in the country have already gone public saying he was a malignant narcissist.
It is not even something either side is bothering to dispute.
I don’t know why you keep fighting me on this. Just read the diagnostic criteria. You may need to be a psychiatrist to diagnose one but you don’t need to be a psychiatrist to spot one.
Being able to spot this kind of thing is a basic life skill for anyone that has to work for or with people who are making consequential decisions.
Provide independently verifiable citations. I’m pretty sure (1) you can’t, or (2) those citations will be so heavily caveated as to be worthless. Remember: qualifying phrases such as “acting like”, “behavior consistent with”, or “could be” means what follows is not a diagnosis; it’s speculation.
Any reputable psychiatrist will tell you they cannot diagnose anyone from a distance and must personally evaluate the patient in a cilinical setting. And any psychiatrist who does so, then reveals anything they determine without the patient’s consent, has grossly violated their professional ethics and risks losing their license.
I’ll wait for you to provide a valid citation backing your claim or admit you can’t. But I won’t hold my breath.
My posts get screened when I post links to sources.
Anybody’s posts get screened if they contain more than a certain number of links, Poodle. It’s a measure intended to reduce spam comments.
I responded below concerning the ethics.
And them violating that rule is a deflection from the issue.
Also, FBI and CIA psychiatrists constantly make these kinds of assessments on people they have never met. It is their job to create psychological profiles that include assessments like this.
The CIA does this for every world leader or key influence and you can be sure that every intelligence service in the world, including our allies, have his malignant narcissism as part of their profile in determining foreign policy and international strategy.
So to act like it is never ok is nonsense.
So they violate their own ethics.
Psychology Today
Goldwater 2016: Are Psychiatrists’ Opinions of Trump Rigged?
5 reasons why psychiatrists and psychologists should heed the “Goldwater Rule”
Yep there has been a bit of a tizzy over the psychiatrists that have done this especially since some of them are highly regarded leading experts in the field. Some even contributed to determining the diagnostic criteria itself. The wiki on the issue sums it up better than I could: Regarding Donald Trump Edit In 2016 and 2017, a number of psychiatrists and clinical psychologists faced criticism for violating the Goldwater rule, as they claimed that Donald Trump displayed “an assortment of personality problems, including grandiosity, a lack of empathy, and ‘malignant narcissism'”, and that he has a “dangerous mental illness”, despite having never examined him.[3][12] John Gartner, a practicing psychologist, and the leader of the group Duty to Warn, stated in April 2017 that: “We have an ethical responsibility to warn the public about Donald Trump’s dangerous mental illness.”[13] The American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA), a different organization from the APA, sent a letter on June 6, 2017, that highlighted differences between the APA and APsaA ethical guidelines, stating that “The American Psychiatric Association’s ethical stance on the Goldwater Rule applies to its members only. APsaA does not consider political commentary by its individual members an ethical matter.”[14][15] In July 2017, the website Stat published an article by Sharon Begley, labeled “exclusive” and titled “Psychiatry Group Tells Members They Can Defy ‘Goldwater Rule’ and Comment on Trump’s Mental Health”. The article, with a photograph of Barry Goldwater as the headline image, stated that “A leading psychiatry group has told its members they should not feel bound by a longstanding rule against commenting publicly on the mental state of public figures”, first sourcing the statement to the July 6 American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA) letter, but also claiming that it “represents the first significant crack in the profession’s decades-old united front aimed at preventing experts from discussing the psychiatric aspects of politicians’ behavior”; the article then repeatedly referred to the “Goldwater rule”, quoted an unnamed source as saying “leadership has been extremely reluctant to make a statement and publicly challenge the American Psychiatric Association”, and claimed that an unnamed “official” had said… Read more »
Unless you’re trying to obfuscate further, Poodle, you could at least post the Wikipedia article link.
Lotsa articles on Wikipedia, and their search capability kinda sucks.
“You would not be giving the Obama White House a pass for something like that whether Obama himself ordered it or not.”
I can’t speak for anyone else here, but I’m not giving the Trump White House a pass on this. Whether Trump ordered it or not IS the point. I’m saying, in small, concise words, that I’m giving the President a pass. I firmly believe some ass-kissing staffer sent this up the flagpole, and somebody saluted it.
Same here. And I’d guess it’s a good bet that said ass-kissing staffer may well be looking for a new job fairly soon.
See above. There is another third-party possibility.
See reply above.
Fair enough.
Though is think Trump’s personality disorder is why this happened. I don’t think it would have happened in any other administration.
Read some history. Trump’s personality is tame in comparison to LBJs.
LBJ literally stole the election that put him in the Senate – and later bragged about it for years, “nod and wink” style. Hell: while POTUS, one evening he even showed a visiting friendly journalist a photo of the never-located “Box 13” (the one that was unlawfully “stuffed”, post-election, by adding names in alphabetical order to the end of the poll roll in order to give LBJ his margin of victory) in the possession of his political allies – including his cousin Givens Parr. (The linked photo unfortunately only shows the left part of the photo – but that’s the damning part.) That’s documented by Robert A. Caro in Means of Ascent.
Trump’s brash, bold, and arrogant. But LBJ had him by a wide margin on all counts. And crap done in LBJs name makes this incident look like a schoolyard prank.
And then there’s Nixon. Do the terms “Watergate Break-In” (done without his knowledge) and “Enemies List” ring a bell? If they don’t, they should – and those too were far worse than anything done here. (Though not IMO worse than some of the crap pulled by the SCoaMF previous Administration by using the IRS against political enemies. That was pure Nixon Administration behavior.)
And don’t even get me started on JFK and Operation Mongoose – or on the Clintoons and the White House Travel Office persecution.
Not to mention the narcissism of B. Hussein 0bama along with the acidic and venomous personality of Das Hildebeast!
IMO, in general it takes someone with a huge ego to run for POTUS in the first place. Egotistic behavior by a POTUS should thus be expected from time to time. And in general, it seems to me that most POTUSs have acted that way on occasion.
Somebody tripped over his ass and found a new thesaurus….
I blame President Trump for my not being able to fart without feeling lumps.
Is a fart lumpy, Comrade?
Reddit is nothing a but a place for trolls like you to put out your confirmation biased fake news and comments. It is about as reliable as 4Chan. Next, you will be telling us this story was confirmed by DuffelBlog.
Now if the Onion and Babylon Bee say something….
LADIES, GENTLEMEN and fellow Dickweeds of TAH®™, I hereby propose that we nominate Commissar aka “Commissar Poodledick” aka “Commissar” for a Guinness®™ World Record for being THE most FULL OF SHIT person..
I second the nomination. But are we limiting the record to the planet, or the entire universe?
AYE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“Not sure why the fact that the White House asked that the USS John S. McCain And it’s crew be kept out of site during Trump’s Japan visit.”
President Trump didn’t give that order. That’s FAKE NEWS, zampolit!
The White House did.
MAYBE some ass kisser in the White House did, but it wasn’t President Trump and it was NOT done by order of him.
Indisputable FACTS:
1. Commissar is a fucking maroon.
2. Confirmation bias is real.
3. Anonymous posters on Reddit claiming to be ships company mean nothing (mister ex-MI and Mr ex-LEO).
4. Death threats against President Obama were NOT proven to be up by 400%.
5. Stupidity and the ability to be so easily emotionally manipulated, such as that displayed by Commissar, is exactly why Trump now sits in the oval office.
6. Do you like Trump, Lars? Because this is how you get more Trump.
No comment needed.
Awaiting incoming…
RIP Leon Redbone.
Have had “Shine On Harvest Moon” going through my head all day.
Leon and Dr. John did a great rendition of Frosty The Snowman.
Try getting THAT out of your head.
Happy weekend to all my dickweed friends! All turned out will with the heart cath on Thursday. They found nothing that needed to be done, so I am good to go for now? Have a great weekend all and enjoy the time off!
Take care,
Willy
Out
Great news, WW. Good to hear that.
Good news, Willy, and I’m sure your kitties are happy with it, too.
That’s great news Willy.
Great to hear that piece of news WW. We will continue to offer up prayers to Man Above for you and all of our Brothers and Sisters.
Shoulda thought of it earlier, but Baby Girl is north bound on I – 75 as we speak. She coulda and woulda snagged yo happy self and brought you up for the food orgy. Prolly around Ocala/Gainesville by now. Save journey to my Sugar Bug and the chillen!
weallfamily
Most excellent news, WW!
Thankful it turned out well.
GLAD to hear that, Willy!!
Good news WW!
Great news, Willy! Happy to hear it, my friend.
Willy, good to hear.
Rest today, Sir.
Late to the ball game, again.
I’ve spent most of the day on the road or on the phone trying to take care of insurance/medical supplier/nursing home stuff for my brother – and right now in one of those box canyons with no way out but through the rampaging Apaches. Kinda spent physically & emotionally right now. But this, too, shall pass.
Hope you all have a great weekend, that 5th/77th FA enjoys both his Lord of the First and, more importantly, the family reunion at Firebase Magnolia with all that good Southern food.
Volcanoes National Park is a pretty cool place to visit and there is a military resort located within its boundaries where veterans can stay at a pretty cheap rate for Hawaii. But fair warning-don’t stay there if you have respiratory problems, we had to put my stepdad in the hospital in Hilo during our stay there due to the ash and gas that the volcanoes spew into the atmosphere.
The volcano guys brain must have been DE “RAILED” when he went over. When I first heard of the incident, I was raily amazed that he didn’t get killed in the fall but that would be a imposibility since it happened in the spring.
we can reasonably conclude that
(Puts on sunglasses)
His career has cratered
I’m wondering whether some sympathetic officer is going to find his actions were “in the line of duty,” if his injuries are serious.
What’s a volcano really but a sea of liquid rock? Clearly naval territory.
Why wasn’t he wearing a body harness/hardhat with a figure eight descending ring and locking biner along with a coil of dynamic kernmantle rope. Where was his climbing partners Sir Oliver linderbrook, Jenny Linderbrook, Alec MCewan and the rest of the party going to the center of the earth.
His battlebuddies were named Murphy and Mong
Don’t you mean Murphy and Wong. Cuz what he did was just Wong in many ways.
I have an appt. with the Doc Monday A.M .
I do not want to die.
Peace to all.
b out
Don’t die.
Don’t die.
Thank you, 11-b Mailclerk.
Much like a John Prine song.
Few words, and get your message through.
b out
Best wishes. I’ll ask CINC-ALL to watch over and keep you.
Thank you,Sir.
I recently had a pre-cancerous lesion removed from my scalp. The doc says that a couple more months would’ve dropped the “pre-.” It’s pretty sobering to find out at age 35 that your natural lifespan would’ve been significantly shorter than you thought were it not for modern medicine and a particularly observant wife.
I hope you don’t have any similar or worse issues going on. Good luck, and God be with you.
GOD be with you too TOW, I hope everything goes well!
One of mine went beyond pre but was taken care of succesfully. Just had a bunch of others “freeze sprayed” ouch.
Bald guys catch them early. Yearly exam by a Dermatologist is the best defense.
Time in the sun as a young man is the culprit. Being a white blue eyed Irishman is a factor. Not wearing cover in Viet of the Nam didn’t help either.
I have a full head of hair, but keep it reasonably short. My wife just noticed a spot she didn’t like after my last haircut. Ever since then, if I so much as stand too close to a window, she demands that I put a hat on. She specifically points out, “You’re WHITE!!! You can’t be out in the sun like that!” and reminds me that I have a family history of cancer. Since all three of our kids inherited my skin pigmentation—despite the fact that their mother is a rather dark-complected southeast Asian—she’s pretty adamant about them, too.
Take care 3/10, prayers headed your way
Prayers out for you, 3/10/MED/b.
I tried getting the below story from today’s Army online Times but couldn’t get through. Diagnostics check had my end working but not the other end. Maybe site is flooded with readers trying to get the skinny on the below headline. Anyone out there here of this???
DoD bought phony military gear made in China, including counter-night vision clothing that didn’t actually work
The counterfeits included clothing that used a near-infrared fabric to make the wearer more difficult for enemy forces to detect with night-vision goggles
We had an apartment in the city…
Me and Loretta liked living there…
It’s been years since the kids have grown…
Leaving us alone…
Had a wife and kids in Hackensack Jack.
I went for a ride and I never looked back.
Like a river don’t know where it’s flowing.
I took a wrong turn and I just kept going.
Thought it was Baltimore?
Don’t know where I got Hackensack.
Pretty close though.
https://www.bing.com/search?q=Hungry+heart&pc=MOZI&form=MOZTSB
Interestingly enough, Hackensack shows up in a Billy Joel lyric (Movin’ Out) from his album titled . . . “The Stranger”.
(smile)
Hackensack-ack-ack-ack-ack-ack
*Hops in a Cadillac-ac-ac-ac-ac-ac and drives off*
You oughtta know by now…
How in the can a person
Go to work in the morning
Come home in the evening
And have nothin’ to say?
or maybe
Souvenirs, they can’t be boughten
Or won at the carnival for free
It took me years
to get those souvenirs
I can’t believe they slipped away from me?
Make me an Angel
That flies from Montgomery.
Make me a poster of an old rodeo.
Just give me something that I can hold on to.
To believe in this living is a hard way to go.
(Thanks, David.)
From a song written by Mr. John Prine.
The Navy beat the Army to the punch on volcano diving.
From 2001, I bring you the misadventure of the Navy Lieutenant trying to save his hat. Last I heard, this LT was CO of one of those Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2001/Aug/06/ln/ln06a.html
The Navy beat Army at something? Who’d a thunk? Oh, a Dumbassery Award….Never mind.
Thank you Fryfighter.
My beast lies within.
Peace to all.
b out
Wrapped up my most recent model project, a TBM-3 Avenger postwar airtanker conversion from the old Hemet Valley Flying Service, circa 1964.
Work continues on the Red Dawn diorama scene, with the halftrack and the M60 taking shape. Still working out exactly how to mount the TOW launcher on the halftrack. My first thought was to replace the .50-cal on the cab roof, but my limited understanding is that the backblast from that would be an issue for anyone riding in the passenger seats, so now I’m looking at mounting it in the middle of the bed and leaving the .50 in place.
Looking at starting my wife’s B-17 soon. Also looking at trying to modify another to represent one of the 11th Bomb Group’s B-17Es that survived Pearl Harbor and went on to fight in the Solomons. These Forts had wartime careers worthy of an Indiana Jones movie, and also wore a cool nonstandard camo scheme. More info below for any fellow history nerds interested:
https://www.historynet.com/pacific-tramps.htm#
The real question is whether I’ll have time to do any of it for a while with fire season kicking off.
I finished up a Blackburn Skua last year and was able to find it’s poorly designed/overweight step-sister, the Roc. Hope to find time in the next few weeks to start it.
I built a Spitfire Mk-I for my niece last year. Now she wants a Mosquito to go with it! Did an F-4E in SEA camo for another niece. I also have an F-100D in the box that I’m going to build for my baby daughter. Other nieces have requested an F-86 and a razorback P-47.
Here’s the La Plata MO webcam again. If you’re viewing it via a laptop or Desktop you can change the view via the satchel-shaped icon in the lower right hand part of the screen, they now have a third cam from the abutment of a former highway overpass:
Want to see some Live Steam? Here’s the live feed from the TVRM (Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum) and since it’s a Summer Weekend you’ll get to see them run live steam locomotives:
YES I ‘done been a’drinking and here’s this:
Play it again real loud when you wake up with a hangover.
My Father did not serve in the military.
He was always there for us.
In the waking, scaring hours, he is still there.
b out
Many Thanks to my Loyal Minions and Compatriots of the TAH Family for the Accolades on my 4 score on the Coveted TAH Friday Weekend Open Thread FIRST. Again I give the praise to a higher Deity. I had just taken a break from KP Duty and was not really paying attention to the time. I opened up my Chromie Book and whump, there it was. Going by the time frame, wasn’t even close, everybody was asleep at the wheel.
Special note to my Brother ChipNASA. The term I thought I was typing should have been squigy not squidy, as in kinda loose screwish. I recognize my own kind. Do lubs and appreciate the wing wiping Chair Force Warriors (Air Platformed Artillery), my Blood related Brother is a retired wing wiper.
Got some catch up to do on the other threads from yesterday. Been cooking up a storm. The last pan of buttermilk cornbread dressing is in the oven as we speak and the dumplings are going in the pot. The Blessing will be offered up at 1200 hrs and the food fest will begin. A cross the board menu sampling was done on evening past.
And Larsie Boy…your Village called….They are missing their idiot.
Extracted from the Coveted Book of WOT Firsts:
Three-Peats:
ChipNASA – 04, 11, 18 Dec 2015
ChipNASA – 21, 28 Apr, 05 May 2017
Wilted Willy – 17, 24 Nov, 01 Dec 2017
Four-Peats:
ChipNASA – 23, 30 Mar, 06, 13 Apr 2018
5th/77th FA – 10, 17, 24, 31 May 2019
Four-Peat Honorable Mention:
SkyJumper – 19, 26 Jan, 02*, 09 Feb 2018
*Second “First” on that date, but came back a week later with a legitimate First.
Not to be a Nagging Nancy or anything, but don’t I have a three-peat in there somewhere? Or am I confused – as usual?
That’s a negative, CW. The Coveted Book of WOT “Firsts” has been checked and rechecked and does not have a Three-Peat annotated for you.
You came close on 01 and 08Mar 19, but was nosed out on 15 Mar 19 by 5th/77th FA. You were in the mix again(of five separate attempts) on 29 Mar 19, but VOV had posted before you.
So, unfortunately, no Kewpie Doll can be picked from the top shelf for a Three-Peat for you./smile
This is just for you there, King of Battle. Just remember, if you want to extend out the chess metaphor, you need the Rook of Battle (Engineers) to do your signature power move: the Castle (see what I did there?). Anyway, I’m drinking a nice cold Yuengling Golden Pilsner (all barley malt) and I already had a nice dram of Bulleit 95 Rye (95% rye, 5% barley mashbill) because real adult refreshment isn’t made with corn (sorry bourbon folks). So without further ado, here goes: The Combat Engineer Song Chorus: (Sung after each verse) We are, we are, we are, we are, the Combat ENGINEERS We can, we can, we can, we can, demolish forty beers Drink up, drink up, drink up, drink up and come along with us For we don’t give a damn, for any Old Man, who don’t give a damn for us – Hey Verses: Now Venus is a statue made entirely out of stone, She hasn’t a fig leaf on her – she is naked to the bone. On seeing that her arms we gone, two ENGINEERS discoursed, Of course the darn thing’s broken and should be reinforced! A tanker and an Engineer once found a gallon can Said the tanker to the ENGINEER “Out drink me if you can!” The tanker took three drinks and died, his face was turning green. But the ENGINEER kept drinking, it was only gasoline. Godiva was a lady who through Coventry did ride, Showing all the villagers her lovely, lily hide The most observant fellow was an ENGINEER of course, Was the only one to notice that Godiva rode a horse! I’ve come a long, long way she said and I’ll go as long and far With the man who’ll help me off my horse and lead me to a bar The men who helped her off her horse and stood her to a beer, Were a bleary-eyed surveyor and a drunken ENGINEER! My father was a miner on the upper Malamute, My mother was a hostess in a house of ill repute. When I was only sixteen… Read more »
Do I really need to add an Essayons?
Oh hell, of course I do!
ESSAYONS!
“Like” Cute that y’all can sing and such, but there ain’t been nothing built yet that the Artillery can’t blow hell out of…But, again, I repeat myself.
ipiggedout
Not always, King of Battle. 291st Engineer Combat Battalion, helped stop Jaochim Peiper’s SS troops at the Battle of the Bulge where he allegedly referred to them as “Diese verdammten Pioniere!, Diese verdammten Pioniere!”. For those who don’t “sprechen”, that’s “Those Damned Engineers! Those Damned Engineers!” as they blew bridge after bridge out ahead of this advancing troops. During the crossing of the Rhine River at Remagen, this same Engineer Battalion constructed the longest tactical bridge ever built under fire (including German artillery). Just sayin’…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_E._Pergrin
Remember, you can’t blast your way across a river and without a road, Paladins, MLRS and towed tubes are boat anchors. Assured Mobility, baby!
*Hoists glass of Rye*
Salud!
Bartender, get my buddy here a whiskey!
And that, dear readers is what is called “Shah Mat”, also known as “Checkmate!”
I’ll drink that whiskey and raise you a six pack of Yuengling. And to show my lubs for the King of Spades, I’ll offer up some of the homemade cheese straws, fresh fried porked skins, and some hot boiled peanuts.
Meanwhile my Aerial Artillery is running overhead cover for my Floating Artillery as we call a Time on Target down on yo bridge. Is that where the troll Commissar stays now that his Village has run him off?
Hey, it’s bad enough that people are always trying to blow up my bridge…don’t matter, I’ll rebuild it anyway. By the way, I previously was a Prime Beef Engineer…planes can’t fly without a runway.
I do have to commend your choice in beer, though. Yuengling is good stuff at a very attractive price. The lager is damn good, Premium is crisp and fizzy, and the Golden Pilsner is incredible. Drinking one now as a matter of fact. And I have a generous dram of Bulleit Rye breathing as we speak for a nightcap. Hell, I’m even being sophisticated and have it resting in a Glencairn glass. It really concentrates that aroma, kind of like a brandy snifter for whiskey. Good stuff, good stuff.
Runways??? We don’t need no stinkin runways. In addition to the Hot Air Balloon Corps (filled up courtesy of Commissar), my main Men AW1Ed and DH (of the fuzzy pink robe fame) have provided a wing of VTOL Aerial Artillery Platforms.
I’m just going to raise a point of order here…Aviation/Air Force is the child of your brother from another mother, Signal Corps. Sired, yet again, by The Engineer. ESSAYONS!
Drinks on me!
Immaterial of what claims to fame the other step chillrens have, Artillery has ALWAYS been and STILL IS….THE King of Battle…THE Winner of Wars.
I’ll have a shot of Georgia Apple Jack.
Navy has “Barnacle Bill the Sailor”….
I found the “adult” version on YouTube…all I can say is, damn.
To A Proud Infidel,
That was an unexpected blast of great music.
Thank you, Sir.
Thanks, that’s one of those songs you play on your car stereo while going down the highway and before you know it you’re going 80-90+!
Did you have a comment; Please be clearer…
Am currently in a Hospital being treated for an illness, so when released and recover, will get back chit chatting on TAH as well as making the Banana Cake using the recipe that Graybeard provided.
Congrats again to the King of Battle for his 4-Peat. Never mess with a Georgia Boy…Go Dawgs! Enjoy the Family Reunion and spending time with Babi-Girl!
Happy to read that all is well with Wilted Willy. Stay strong, my friend.
Thank you, again, Mason, for the research for Valor Friday…and bringing to our attention about the Coast Guard MOH recipient.
You all have a great rest of your weekend! Later!
tahrocks
Get well and get back here soon! rtr
urmissed
Another Pat,
GET BETTER, MAN!
b out.
Get Well soon!!!!!
Best wishes to you as well, AP. I’ll ask CINC-ALL to watch over you also.
CINC-ALL. I love that!
Wishing you well, AnotherPat.
A little late here, but sending up prayers anyway, AP.