Go Navy!
Author: ex-OS2
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Random Open Thread
© Ministry of Defence The British Army campaign features posters of soldiers with stereotype labels. UK army seeks ‘snowflakes’ and ‘selfie addicts’ in new ads
If you’re a millennial who’s addicted to taking selfies, video gaming or consider yourself a class clown, you could be exactly what the British Army is looking for.
For its 2019 recruitment campaign, “Your Army Needs You,” the army is seeking recruits from the “snowflake generation.”
The army drew inspiration from the World War I-era “Your Country Needs You” poster featuring Field Marshal Lord Kitchener, and recreated a series of videos and posters to attract people between the ages of 16 and 25.
The posters feature six soldiers labeled with stereotypes of younger people, before listing a positive value for each that would be welcomed by the army.
“Selfie addicts” have confidence, “snowflakes” have compassion, “phone zombies” have focus, “binge gamers” have drive, “class clowns” have spirit, and “me me me millennials” have self-belief, according to the posters.
The army says the campaign shows young people who are ambitious and feel undervalued have the potential to work for a job with “real purpose” and “do meaningful work.”
It also released several ads featuring young people being labeled a stereotype before portraying them in army roles working abroad in war zones and providing humanitarian relief.
Portrayed is a late-night video gamer who the army claims has “stamina,” and a slow supermarket worker who is bullied by her colleagues but who is described by the campaign as a “perfectionist” who’s “resilient.” Another video portrays a worker fooling around in the office, followed by the line: “there’s always room for people with a bit of spirit.”
The campaign was intended to show that “the army sees people differently” and that they “look beyond the stereotypes and spot the potential in young people,” Major General Paul Nanson said in a statement.
“We understand the drive they have to succeed and recognize their need for a bigger sense of purpose in a job where they can do something meaningful.”
Read the full article here: UK army seeks ‘snowflakes’ and ‘selfie addicts’ in new ads
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Blast From the Past: Gregory Charles Banks, the phony just passing through
This week’s BFTP spotlight goes to Gregory Charles Banks aka “Egregious Greg”. The original post is located here: Gregory Charles Banks, the phony just passing through which amassed over 829 comments, and a cool “Wanted” poster was also made for Gregory here: Wanted: Gregory Banks. Greg also made it to the Shitbag Sixteen during the 2014 Blue Falcon Stolen Valor Tournament. Just another phony with the response of “Who dat?” from the NPRC.
Jonn’s original post:
So one of our readers is a Mason up in Connecticut and this dude passes through his lodge on the way back from his combat assignments. Sometimes he’s in ACUs, other times he’s wearing his blues, like in the picture above. Of course, he’s Special Forces (isn’t everyone, these days) and in addition to his duties as an Army officer, he’s also a counselor with two offices. The man is a freakin’ machine.
Well, he didn’t turn up in any of my databases, but, you know, he’s probably so secret squirrel that he wouldn’t, but CID can’t find him either. Nor can NPRC;
We’re told that his lodge just threw him a big celebration for his recent award of the Bronze Star Medal so obviously, he loves attention – so here is all of the attention you could ever want, Greg-baby. It looks to me like he stole a midget’s jacket.
Added; more pics;
I emailed these pictures to our counselor friend, Greg Charles Banks and asked if these are not him in the photos, and he hasn’t answered back. I guess he’s going with “identity theft” as an explanation.
OK, I just got an email from him and he admits that this is him in this picture taken at the lodge not wearing the uniform;
I don’t know, you judge.
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Random Open Thread
If you set foot in a shopping mall during the holiday season, you’re all but guaranteed to see the festively adorned pavilion marking the presence of everyone’s favorite jolly old elf. If you celebrate Christmas, the sight probably conjures up memories of sitting on Santa’s lap yourself as a child. But now that you’re a grown-up, you may find yourself wondering what it’s like to be the other person in that scenario.
Listening to the requests of small children, all while embodying the spirit of Christmas, might sound like a delightful way to make some extra cash—or it may sound like an utter nightmare. Either way, any mall Santa will tell you that the job is far more than just throwing on a red suit. Mall Santas-to-be often go through a rigorous training process, learning the ins and outs of North Pole etiquette.
And, of course, Santa needs a suit before he can start taking Christmas requests. While many mall Santas are provided with the iconic red getup, some must provide their own, Vox reports. And those suits, especially custom-made ones, can cost upward of a thousand dollars—and real-looking white beards cost a pretty penny, too.
Does the salary make up for those expenditures? Well, according to GOBankingRates, Santa’s salary itself can vary quite a bit. The median hourly rate for a mall Santa is $30, but rates can be as low as $12 or as high as a whopping $75. That can add up to an annual take of around $7,000 to $10,000. And then there’s something of a “Santa elite”—people who are deeply passionate about the job and return to it year after year. These distinguished Kringles, who may progress from mall jobs to higher-profile appearances at corporate events and private parties, can rake in as much as $20,000 every year.
But even the smaller paychecks for mall Santas average higher than the hourly take for most other seasonal jobs. GOBankingRates reports that the average hourly rate for seasonal jobs is just $10, with Santa earning more than the norm.
What all Santas can agree on, though, is that it’s not a job you do for the money. You take on the mantle of Santa Claus because you love the holiday season and want to spread Christmas cheer. The money is just icing on the milk and cookies. Read on for the full list of surprising things your mall Santa won’t tell you.
Read about it here:Santa’s salary: How much does Father Christmas get paid?
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Certify Rifles Or Face Consequences
Boulder Residents Given Just Days To ‘Certify’ Rifles Or Face Consequences
Colorado used to be a fairly pro-gun state, but all that changed shortly after a shooting in an Aurora, CO movie theater. While the killer was caught and isn’t a risk to the public anymore, that didn’t mean anti-gun forces didn’t seize on the opportunity.
Since then, the state has seen a progression of anti-gun incrementalism. Unfortunately, the stupid doesn’t just stop with the state legislature. It seems the People’s Republic of Boulder wants to get in on the action and is now giving people who own so-called assault rifles just days to “certify” their weapons or face repercussions.
Residents of Boulder, Co., have until December 27 to “certify” their “assault weapons” or remove the firearms from city limits. Those who fail to comply could face fines, jail time, and confiscation and destruction of their firearms, according to the Denver Post.
Boulder police say they have certified 85 firearms since the city council passed an “assault weapons” ban in May. Residents who already owned prohibited rifles, pistols, and shotguns were given the chance to keep their firearms by certifying prior ownership with police. The council also voted unanimously to ban “high-capacity” magazines and bump stocks.
“My hope is that we will see more bans at the state level and one day at the federal level so these weapons will no longer be available,” Councilman Aaron Brockett said in May.
It seems no official records are being kept and police only have a handwritten count of how many of these “certifications” are being done.
They also don’t have a clue about compliance levels either.
It’s difficult to estimate compliance levels, and police and city officials have admitted that they can’t do much about gun owners who refuse to certify their rifles.
“This is a very divisive issue where people have very strong feelings,” City Attorney Tom Carr told the Daily Camera. “The folks who oppose these kinds of bans … some of them suggest they’re not going to cooperate. I can’t predict what people are going to do, but I respect the feelings.”
That’s putting it mildly.
A lot of people aren’t going to comply and are sitting there, counting the days and thinking, “Molon Labe, jackwagons.”
Just another political statement from the stank-ass hippies. Romaine lettuce killed more people last month than “assault weapons”.
Read the entire article here: Boulder Residents Given Just Days To ‘Certify’ Rifles Or Face Consequences
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Random Open Thread
Flt. Lt. Alastair “Sandy” Gunn was executed for his role in the “Great Escape” prisoner breakout. (Spitfire AA810 Project)
An extremely rare World War II Spitfire fighter plane flown by a pilot who later took part in the “Great Escape” has been recovered from a remote Norwegian mountainside. Specially equipped for long-range reconnaissance, the Royal Air Force Spitfire AA810 was shot down on March 5, 1942, during a mission to photograph the German battleship Tirpitz. The Spitfire’s pilot, Flt. Lt. Alastair ‘Sandy’ Gunn, bailed out from the plane but was captured by German forces. In 1944 he was part of the famous “Great Escape” breakout from the Stalag Luft III POW camp. Recaptured shortly after the breakout, the Scot was among 50 escapees executed by the Gestapo.
Gunn’s plane was a specially adapted Mk 1 Spitfire stripped of guns and armor and fitted with additional fuel tanks to extend its range from 575 miles to nearly 2,000 miles.
Read the entire article here: World War II fighter plane flown by ‘Great Escape’ pilot discovered on Norwegian mountain
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Random Open Thread
Mary Jo Kopechne and Sen. Ted Kennedy (AP)
Senator Ted Kennedy’s political career was tarnished on July 18, 1969, when his car crashed off a bridge on the tiny Massachusetts island of Chappaquiddick, plunging into the dark waters of the tide-swept Poucha Pond, killing 28-year-old passenger Mary Jo Kopechne — a mystery that continues to haunt “America’s Royal Family.”
The shocking events leading up to the political aide’s demise is the subject of Fox Nation’s new documentary titled “Scandalous: Chappaquiddick,” which aims to investigate how the youngest Kennedy narrowly escaped from drowning and returned back to his hotel room unharmed while his passenger mysteriously drowned.
The Fox Nation special features never-before-seen interviews and retellings of the events that night, cracking down on the truth, pieces of evidence and errors that were apparent.
That fateful night, Kennedy offered the aide a ride from a party at Chappaquiddick and less than 10 hours later her dead body was being pulled from the vehicle. However, the circumstances surrounding Kopechne’s drowning remain muddled nearly 10 years after the senator’s death in 2009 at age 77.
At the time members of the media swarmed Chappaquiddick, right off the east coast of Martha’s Vineyard, and unraveled Kennedy’s multiple mistakes during the evening — derailing Kennedy’s presidential ambitions for certain.
Kopechne reportedly remained underwater for some nine hours until she was discovered the following morning.
At the time of the accident, Kennedy told police he was “unfamiliar with the road,” and that he came up to a narrow bridge at which point the car “went off the side of the bridge.” According to a description from a 1969 New York Times article, the road approaching the bridge is “narrow” with “no warning side on the approach.”
Kennedy also claimed he had “no recollection” of how he got out of the car but added he “came to the surface and repeatedly dove down to the car in an attempt to see if the passenger was still in the car,” noting he was “unsuccessful in the attempt.”
The accident was not reported by Kennedy, but rather by a mother of a little boy who saw the overturned car in the pond when he was fishing. Kennedy later described his failure to report the incident to police as “indefensible.”
Kennedy would go on to become one of the longest-serving U.S. senators, despite previously speaking of a “Kennedy curse” following the incident, questioning whether “some awful curse did actually hang over all the Kennedys.”
“Teddy Kennedy was the weak kitten in the litter, never able to measure up to his brothers. … One problem Teddy has always had was keeping it in his pants — even when other people are around”.
Cleo O’DonnellRead the article here: Chappaquiddick, Ted Kennedy scandal that left a young woman dead chronicled in new doc
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Blast From the Past; Jerry Foster, the phony Navy Commander, Demented Magician
Jerry Foster, the phony Navy Commander, Demented Magician still likes to prance around as a Navy Commander. The Simi Valley DAV 55 promised that Jerry would behave, however, Jerry still likes to play dress up.
AverageNCO found this guy, Jerry Foster in the news in Simi Valley, California. He calls himself “The Demented Magician” and he entertains in the area with his little magic show. Magic is what his military career was. He claims to have spent 22 years in the Navy, retiring as a Navy Commander because of injuries he claims that he sustained in the Persian Gulf War and again in the war against terror;
Foster put in 22 years, retiring as a commander in 2002 due to injuries he sustained during tours in the Gulf War and Desert Storm. The master EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) technician—a special operations job—has two Purple Hearts: one from a bullet wound and one from a land mine.
“The second one was the one that tore me up. That was a mine that I lost an EOD man to. He was ahead, I was behind,” Foster said. “It tore my legs to pieces.”
During his 22-year military career, Foster served several tours in the Gulf War and Desert Storm, where he earned two Purple Hearts—one from a bullet wound and the other from a land mine explosion—and a number of other medals and commendations.
When a mine check mission went awry in 2002, Foster’s dreams of becoming a naval captain, a position attained after 25 years of service, were shattered.
After spending three months in a coma, the veteran said, he felt lost and had no idea what to do with his life. On top of that, he had PTSD, a mental illness that can be triggered by experiencing a terrifying event like war.
First of all, the Navy EOD Warrior online Memorial doesn’t list any Navy EOD folks killed in 2002.
The National Personnel Records Center disagrees with his version of his career trajectory;
The Navy says that he was an E-5 Hull Technician – “HT’s do the metal work necessary to keep all types of shipboard structures and surfaces in good condition. They also maintain shipboard plumbing and marine sanitation systems, repair small boats, operate and maintain ballast control systems.” Nothing about explosives. His only award was a Good Conduct Medal – no Bronze Stars, no Purple Hearts. I don’t know how he squeezed in three tours of the Gulf War, it only lasted a few weeks – three years after he got out of the Navy. And if you don’t believe his records, he has a certificate for the war against terror;
![11692748_10204530360880893_7752098904165451120_n[1]](https://www.azuse.cloud/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/11692748_10204530360880893_7752098904165451120_n1-500x238.jpg)
Added 5-16-2016; Foster admitted to DAV that he was deceitful in the wearing of unauthorized awards and rank and he’s promised them that he won’t do it again. He hasn’t admitted it to us, but here;
