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Weekend Open Thread

by Jonn Lilyea••98

September 1, 2017
Shake It Off

A giraffe shakes water off its head after drinking from Lake Masek in Tanzania. Your Shot photographer Andrew D. recalls that this sighting was approximately 600 yards from where he and his group had set up camp. “I had actually just changed my lens from a 400 mm to my 200 mm, which was another stroke of luck as I would not have been able to get the shot had I not changed,” he remembers. “Better to be lucky than good sometimes!”

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98 thoughts on “Weekend Open Thread”

      1. I am lucky that we are in the northern part of the Pineywoods….and we hardly got any rain as compared to the Houston area.

        I want to thank the rest of the group here for my 1st First as well as my boss at work who sent me to lunch a few minutes late so I can make it happen and be available for the start of this great thread.

        I however, don’t want to thank some idiots who make our lives miserable here. Those a##holes know who they are …but just as a reminder…a giant GFY to:

        Dennis “Limburger” Chevalier
        Dan “Lawless and Brainless” Bernath
        Dallas “Drunk in the Air” Wittenfield
        Lars “STFU FOR LIFE” Taylor
        and other lousy turds that refuse to go down with the flush…

        Once again, thank you all…probably be another sis years before I get a “First” again.

        Have a great night.

    1. My claim to first is hereby rescinded. I acknowledge Pineywoods NCO as the true First of the week, and request it be entered so in the Book of Firsts.

      Accepting my second place laurel …

    1. I’m sure 75% of us would agree with that award. The other 47% might have trouble with it though.

  13. And I missed it again !!!!
    Just when I leave to get new tires on the wife’s car Boom the WOT shows up

  17. 69!!!

    Nah, not my ranking in this week’s WOT,just shamelessly promoting my birthday yesterday.

    Virgo is my sign, and as I keep telling people, no one this age should be under the sign of a virgin. ;(

    5. Thanks all!

      Going to try to do my best to get to 70 so I can be a REAL pain-in-the-butt to those who (whom?) get on my dark side every now & then.

      Swim fins, IDC SARC?
      Sounds like another kinky Navy/Marine tradition. (grin)

    6. Happy birthday, Skyjumper, you old goat. You are now in the stage of life where you can rightly refer to yourself as an Old Fart, or if not wishful to use that phrase, an Older and Wiser Gasbag.

      Whatever floats your boat. Happy Birthday, anyway!

    7. Originally posted by Skyjumper:

      Virgo is my sign, and as I keep telling people, no one this age should be under the sign of a virgin. ;(

      The sun was in Leo during your birthday, and it’s still in Leo now. It doesn’t “enter” the Virgo constellation until September 16/17. :mrgreen: It’ll remain in Virgo until almost the end of October. See it this way, since you’re still “kicking” at 69, you’re more of a lion anyway. :mrgreen:

  18. I’ll take low 20s. That’s fairly decent. The stop at Wendy’s for a cheeseburger was worth giving up top 5.

  21. Hack is spending his Friday afternoon at Walter Reed Medical Center (Bethesda) for Rosetta Stone’s medical appointment. Surprisingly easy to score a parking spot at 14:00 on a Friday/Payaday/Holiday weekend. Once we get done her, I plan on stopping by the local constabulary to see if thee has been any significant developments in the search for Elaine Ricci.

    #BringOurWomenPresidentsHome!

    1. I’ve spent time trying. That hospital and over at the NiCO clinic, the damn geese over by the parking garage use to chase my ass down. I guess feeding them stale doughnuts was a no-go

  22. This week, whilst I was reading, I came across mention of Fitzhugh Lee. Lee was an officer in the US Army; became a General Officer in the Army of the CSA; and then much later in the Spanish American war, became a General Officer in the US Army. From my reading, I learned of three other such General Officers.

    How is it people of my Great Grandparents’ generation could live with that; and today folks would cry foul?

    1. Because today’s folks need something…anything to cry about and this issue is the wet handkerchief of the day.

    2. Former Confederate General Joe Wheeler also was bought back into service as a General in the Span Am war.
      The US decided it was time to “play nice” with the South since it needed it’s political support to conduct war overseas.
      They threw the South a bone by allowing the erection of monuments, returning captured battle flags and taking over the payment of CS veterans pensions.
      Joe Wheeler was pretty much a figurehead and ended up coming down with malaria.
      He also referred to the Spanish as “Dam Yankees” in the heat of battle.

  24. The last known Passenger pigeon died in captivity on this day in 1914. I remember reading about this in a National Geographic picture book in the late 70s, and doing a book report on it. Crazy how these birds used to number in the billions in N. America.

  25. A SERIOUS QUESTION FOR THE WEEKEND OPEN THREAD READERS.

    Recently most of my challenge coins came up missing/stolen. Almost all of these were awarded while I was in the Army. However, I had three coins, that I was particularly fond of, awarded to me after I was out of the service.

    1. From Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen.
    2. From Secretary of the Army, Pete Geren.
    3. From Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates.

    My question is, since I’ll never get the originals back. Is it ok to buy the replacement on eBay?

    Opinions?

    1. The coins are just a memento- the reason for receiving them will always be valid. Replace them in good conscience.

      JMHO,
      AW1Ed

    2. I don’t think buying a replacement for something you earned is ever wrong. Or something your earned, but never got issued.
      We buy replacement pins, ribbons badges as needed. I don’t see it as anything any different.

      I never got my 25 or 30 year federal service pins. I got the certificates easy enough and asked admin for my pins several times, with no results. I found a website that sells them, so I just bought them. Sometimes ya have to do things yourself. Fuggit.

    3. Well, then, I have a question.

      September 17 is the date of the start of Operation Market Garden (during which some people decided to jump out of airplanes), and it’s coming up soon.

      So if I buy an 82nd Airborne hat and wear it on September 17, and have the dates added (9.17 to 9.25.1944), is that breaking the SV rules or just something that people can ask about and become educated?

      1. Best to embroider “in honor of” or “we salute them” for something like that. Then it is unambiguous.

      2. Ex-PH2: I don’t think wearing a commercially available non-uniform piece of clothing is ever in any way stolen valor. Stolen valor would be wearing it and misrepresenting yourself in some way.

        Some people are IMO just too overzealous about what people wear. They need to get over it.

        If you wear a Led Zeppelin T-Shirt it doesn’t mean you’re trying to pass yourself off as Jimmy Page.

    4. They are challenge coins not official awards. They are meant to remind you of what you have done and are gifts from people that appreciated your service. Buy new ones on ebay and proudly display them

  28. As I was recording Pineywoods NCO into the Coveted Book of Firsts for this week, I decided to make a quick count of the elapsed weeks since assuming the duty from 2/17 Air Cav. 14 weeks have now passed. Here’s hoping he will make a reappearance soon now that Labor Day and the end of the summer season is upon us. ATTENTION 2/17 AIR CAV. Return to commenting post haste. TAH misses you!!

    As I mentioned a few weeks ago, my sons (who by the way, are now 48 years old and are two years older than Sir Fart Strangely) were here for a visit and during the trip I turned my now retired Senior Chief son on to TAH. He says if he gets a little break in his continuous duties of trying to ride herd on the two and five year old Grandsons, he may get on here and impart some of the wisdom he garnered during 26 years of service. If he does start commenting, I wonder if that will be a “First” for TAH, having a father and son tag team beating up on posers and embellishers?

    Will probably get cataract surgery done on my right eye sometime in the next month. Wish me luck.

    Thank you for your time.

      1. IDC: I’ve been at the stately Claw Mansion with 3/17. It is hard to get there because the window of opportunity without getting arse deep in snow seems to be counted in weeks, not months. But, it is worth the trek…beautiful countryside. Beautiful people. Great Americans all.

        As to (see what I did there?) the Claw younguns, from what I saw in the memorabilia in the Mansion, they are awesome. Having met the awesome Mrs Claw, I think she played the major role in their successful development whilst Supply Sgt Claw was supplying the troops and working kimche deals, quarterly dropage sheet scams, and “other duties as assigned”.

        Great memories of that visit. Salute to Mrs Claw, Claw and 3/17. My bride and I talk about it often.

    2. Glad you are feeling better, Claw…and thanx for sharing about the family (I know you are beaming with pride…😊.

      Best of luck to you on the upcoming eye surgery…what other folks tell me is that your vision will be clearer and sharper after the procedure!

      1. Thank You for the accolades, Pat, sj, and IDC. I am rightly proud of my little legacy.

        But just to beat my chest and pat myself on the back a little, here’s the skinny on the Claw Clan’s service to our great nation.

        Between my older brother, myself, and then my two sons, we four accumulated a total of 76 years service that started in May 1962 and terminated in April 2014.

        And hopefully, another Grandson (who is now 25) will see his way clear and continue the legacy. But for right now, he only seems interested in hopped up Volkswagens and chasing the girlies. I’ve told him to get a job in a compass factory and find a direction in life, but so far my advice has been ignored./smile

        So, Yep, when you speak of “other duties as assigned”, it’s a given that a Claw will show up for duty.

        1. Oh, and I would “get the look” from my blushing bride of 38 years if I didn’t mention that she put in a total of close to 35 years combined Civil Service/Postal Service adding to our little legacy.

          Whew, almost forget to do that./smile

  29. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those suffering the ravages of Hurricane Harvey in Houston.
    It’s a mess there my friends, if you have some extra money please consider sending it to one of the fine charities like the American Legion, Red Cross or any other of the numerous charities out there in this horrible mess that is Houston today…
    It’s going to be a long recovery, very long, like at least a couple of years just to recover where they were.
    Here in Austin, we have run out of gas because of the interruption in deliveries. But, I did see tanker trucks unloading tonight so the shortage will soon be over.
    Finally quit smoking and am now up to week # 4 without a cigarette.
    It is just amazing how much money I am saving by not buying those things…
    Not to mention I fell a hell of a lot better.
    Have a great Labor Day Weekend. I’m going to head out to Houston to see if there is something I can do to help at my old American Legion Post 554 in League City TX. They are taking contributions of all kinds of things.
    http://www.leaguecitylegion554.org/

  30. Salvation Army. Pretty much every dime donated gets to the needy and not to an edifice in DC or bureaucrats that occupy it. When we got hit on the NC coast, Red Cross did a drive by. Salvation Army beat them there and stayed until most of the island was on their feet.

    1. I’ve been part of Hurricane Relief Missions where I saw the Salvation Army already up, running and helping people before the Red Cross even arrived in the Disaster Area, thus my donations go to them!

      1. Red Cross was too busy lining up tv interviews and a massive “give us money” drive to show up for the actual disaster.

        The Salvation Army
        Team Rubicon
        Samaritan’s Purse
        Mercury One (G.Becks outfit. You may not like him but his charity has 100% donation passthrough. Beck eats all admin costs)

  31. Provisional proxy first, AGAIN!!!

    Prayers for any of the TAH faithful that are in Texas and going through the remnants of Hurricane Harvey

  32. Man, a guy has minor surgery, comes home under the influence of several narcotic drugs, sleeps until 10:00 o’clock AM (PDT) and awakes to find that 32 posters have beaten him to “First”. Some days it doesn’t pay to get up at all.

  33. ATTENTION!!!

    Today is International Bacon Day!🥓🥓

    That is All….Unless you want to share Bacon recipes or Bacon jokes or identify famous Bacons or share Bacon trivia or Bacon War stories (“there I was, minding my own business, when…”) or come up with 100 ways how you can use Bacon… 🐷🐖

    2. Just a farming tip about bacon.

      The best time to plant bacon seeds is mid March.

      That way they’ll be ripe just in time for Decoration Day grilling.

    3. IAW with International Bacon Day…I just ate 1/2 pound of bacon (minus what the house critters begged off me)

      It was awesome.

    2. Nice to see another employer terminate a SV shitbag.

      Good work to those that did the leg work to expose him and Libre Fighting Systems for doing the right thing.

    3. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. It’s not like he has no job prospects, McDonald’s is ALWAYS hiring!

  35. This may get buried here in the WOT but it didn’t seem important enough to send to Jonn directly. If any of you have applied to TigerSwan in the past year, you might want to check with them if your PII was revealed via your resume… which their partner, TalentPen, apparently left unencrypted and publicly available. Idiots.

    http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/349018-recruiter-allegedly-left-military-contractor-resumes-online-unsecure

    Over 9000 total resumes, 2448 of them mentioning “Special Forces”.

  36. The False Commander “Phony” Phil Monkress (CEO of All-Points Logistics) works balls as he continues to duck and dodge queries with respect to clarification(s) of his Native American, Law Enforcement and Navy SEAL claims.

    1. Walter Becker, but I know what you meant. Steely Dan compositions are considered some of the most complex in rock music – not a just pickup & play type stuff for damn sure.

      1. Walter BECKER! Man I fat fingered that. Especially since listening to them sine they first broke out. And as talented as he was, Donald Fagen was not the guy you wanted to see your daughter bring home.

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