This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Author: Hondo

  • More Return from World War II

    DPAA has identified and accounted for the following formerly-missing members of the US military.

    From World War II

    • FM3 Kenneth L. Jayne, assigned to the crew of the USS Oklahoma, was lost on 7 December 1941 at Pearl Harbor, HI. He was accounted for on 14 April 2016.

    • CPL George G. Simmons, H Battery, 60th Coast Artillery Regiment, US Army, was lost on 19 November 1942 in the Philippines. He was accounted for on 14 April 2016.

    • PFC John P. Sersha, F Company, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, US Army, was lost on 27 September 1944 in the Netherlands. He was accounted for on 13 April 2016.

    Welcome home, elder brothers-in-arms. Rest in peace now. You’re home.
    . . .

    Over 73,000 US personnel remain unaccounted for from World War II; over 7,800 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; and over 1,600 remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia (SEA). Comparison of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from recovered remains against mtDNA from a matrilineal descendant can assist in making a positive ID for unidentified remains that have already been recovered, or which may be recovered in the future.

    DPAA’s web site now has what appears to be a decent “Contact Us” page. The page doesn’t have instructions concerning who can and cannot submit a mtDNA sample or how to submit one, but the POCs listed there may be able to refer you to someone who can answer that question – or may be able to answer the question themselves. If you think you might possibly qualify, please contact one of those POCs for further information.

    If your family lost someone in one of these conflicts and you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample, please arrange to submit one. By doing that you just might help identify the remains of a US service member who’s been repatriated but not yet been identified – as well as a relative of yours, however distant. Or you may help to identify remains to be recovered in the future.

    Everybody deserves a proper burial. That’s especially true for those who gave their all while serving this nation.

  • Well Done, Marines

    If your spirits need a lift today, you might want to read this story from Fox.

    Well done, USMC.

  • Russia’s Military Gets “Frisky”, Part 3

    I’m sure that everyone’s heard that earlier this week, the POTUS called Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin.  While he did not address the recent incidents where Russian military aircraft “buzzed” US ships and aircraft during the call, the POTUS apparently did ask Putin to “maintain the cease fire in Syria”.

    Well, it appears the POTUS now has his answer.

    Per a US defense official, Russia has moved the bulk of its forces in Syria to the vicinity of Aleppo.  Why?  The official further indicated an offensive to retake Aleppo from Syrian rebels “is poised to take place soon”.  Local fighting has apparently already resumed in the Aleppo area, and Russian bombing in support of Assad’s forces has been occurring since November – cease-fire or no cease-fire.

    I don’t think it’s exactly rocket science to figure out why Russian forces in Syria just relocated.

    US officials also report that “hundreds” of new Iranian troops are also now in Syria.  Given Iran’s past support for Assad’s regime, I’m guessing they’re probably not there to support the Syrian rebels.

    Now, about those “buzzing” incidents: while the POTUS and Putin didn’t discuss them during their PHONECON, they’ve also returned to the news this week. The Russian Ambassador to NATO, Alexander Grushko, met with the NATO-Russia council yesterday – for the first time in 2 years. Afterwards, Grushko publicly accused the US of trying to “intimidate” Russia by conducting naval operations with our allies in international waters in the Baltic. He then went on to say that Russia would take “all necessary measures” in response to future such encounters.

    Yep. Looks to me like Putin has once again given the POTUS the finger – with both hands – followed shortly afterwards by mooning.  But this time, I believe Putin shouted something in Russian just before “shooting the moon”.  The first two parts sounded something like “yob” and “ti-voy-you”, respectively.  Not sure I caught the last part correctly, but I think it sounded something like “Matt”.

    Your move again, Mr. President.

    My prediction:  look for yet another ineffectual but “strongly worded” diplomatic protest by the State Department after the Syrian-Russian offensive near Aleppo begins – and that’s it.  I’ll frankly be shocked if we do anything more than that.

    I wonder if Putin – or anyone else in his inner circle – has pulled a muscle or otherwise injured himself from laughing at us. I know their sides must ache terribly by now.

  • Another Chapter In That Continuing “Good News Story” Called ObamaCare

    We have some recent news about that        Patently Puerile, Asinine Current Administration concept       current Administration initiative called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) – AKA ObamaCare.  And, as usual, the news isn’t all that good.

    A few weeks ago, news articles surfaced saying that insurance carriers were worried about ObamaCare.  Specifically, they began warning the public that losses sustained by policies issued through state exchanges were unsustainable.

    Well, yesterday the other shoe fell.  UnitedHealth – the nation’s largest provider of health insurance – has announced it will pull out of most state ObamaCare exchanges next year.

    Why?  Simple.  They want to stay in business.  UnitedHealth estimates their losses due to policies issued through ObamaCare exchanges over the last two years at approximately $1 billion.

    Gee, who’d a thunk it?  I mean, insurance is only based on the market model that the insurer sells many policies, but pays out a comparatively small number of claims.  Specifically, over the long term an insurer must take in more in income than they pay out in claims and other expenses to stay in business.  Otherwise, over the long term they go belly-up.

    That’s a major reason why health insurance companies typically have an exclusionary period for preexisting conditions.  It’s also why truly bad drivers end up in the “shared risk” insurance pool in most states – and then pay through the nose for their auto insurance.  Both practices are designed to bring revenues above expected claims payouts; and both practices are supported by hard statistical data.

    ObamaCare’s prohibition on the exclusion of preexisting conditions radically changes the financial basis for ObamaCare insurance policies – it’s raised the amount paid out in claims hugely.  This means there are two options an ObamaCare insurance provider has if they want to stay in business:  raise premiums dramatically, or cease participation.  United Health has just begun the process of doing the latter.

    But wait – ObamaCare has made insurance cheaper, right?

    Yeah, right.  Now, tell me another shaggy dog story – this time one that’s funny.

    It turns out that both patient medical costs and health insurance premiums are rising under Obamacare.  Given basic economics, that was also eminently predictable.  A recent study by Blue Cross/Blue Shield found that on average ObamaCare policy holders are sicker and require more medical care, at larger cost, than people who obtain health insurance through their employers.  Wanna guess where the money for those extra costs comes from?

    If you guessed “increased premiums”, give yourself a gold star.  Well, that plus subsidies – which are paid out of your taxes.

    Gee.  What a surprise.

    Bottom line:  ObamaCare is based on flawed economic analysis, bad assumptions, and with wishful thinking.  It’s the equivalent of King Canute ordering the tide not to rise.

    However, there is a major difference.  King Canute didn’t expect the tide to obey him; he was making a point to his courtiers concerning the limits of his authority.  The imbeciles that brought us ObamaCare actually expected basic economics to change on command.

  • That’ll Teach Him to Sleep on the Job!

    One guy found out the hard way that sleeping on the job isn’t a good thing.

    Seems that the other day, a Fedex employee was at work.  He was working the graveyard shift.  About 4AM he got really sleepy; he dozed off.

    He woke up somewhat later – and discovered he had a rather serious problem.

    You see, Memphis is Fedex’s air hub location; the guy worked for Fedex at the Memphis Airport.  His job was loading Fedex cargo and packages onto aircraft.

    The guy had dozed off on board one of Fedex’s aircraft, in the cargo bay, in Memphis.  When the guy woke up, that Fedex plane was was now airborne – and en route to Lubbock, TX.

    The aircrew discovered the stowaway during the flight, and alerted LE on arrival at Lubbock Airport.  The guy was questioned and released.

    No word on whether the guy has been fired by Fedex.

    Fox News has an article with a few more details.  It’s a hoot.

  • More Green Energy “Good News” for US Taxpayers

    Recently, Spanish “green” energy giant Abengoa went bankrupt.  For Abengoa’s stockholders, that’s unfortunate.

    It’s also unfortunate for US taxpayers.

    Why, you ask?  After all, isn’t Abengoa a foreign corporation?

    Well, yes it is.  But it also seems that Abengoa was a major recipient of the current US Administration’s “green energy”      irresponsible and wasteful giveaways      financial incentives.  Since 2010, they received approximately $2.7 billion in US subsidies – in the form of DoE loan guarantees.

    In fact, Abengoa is presently the single largest creditor of the Treasury Department’s Federal Financing Bank (FFB).  They currently owe the FFB $2.34 billion.  No word on who loaned them the other $360 million.

    That’s not all.  Abengoa also appears to have received an additional $605 million in tax credits and “green energy” grants – over and above their loan guarantees.

    Abengoa took the money, all right – while running up a total corporate debt of around $17 billion.  But their production – financial or actual – doesn’t seem to have exactly been stellar.  One of their star projects was a massive biofuel plant in the US that has yet to announce production levels or sell any products.  In fairness, Abengoa did indeed pay off the loan associated with that project – a loan that had been guaranteed by the US government.  But they elected to do so “from other revenues”, not from the proceeds of biofuel sales.  In fact, they paid of the loan before ever selling a drop of biofuel produced by the facility.  Any biofuels produced at that facility are apparently still all stored at the facility – or were at the time the loan was repaid.

    But hey – what’s $3.305 billion between friends, eh?  It’s all “for the cause”.  Its “saving the planet”!

    Yeah, right.  “Scam designed to enrich a select few” sounds far more like what’s going on here.

    Don’t get me wrong; I’m in favor of basic research on how to make energy production cleaner and more efficient.  “Cleaner” is definitely good; add “more efficient” and eventually that translates into “economically viable clean energy sources”.  Mankind does have the responsibility to be a good caretaker for planet Earth – if for no other reason than self-preservation.

    But regarding economically-viable “green” energy:  in general we’re simply not there today.  I do have a problem with a group of conceited fools in DC thinking that they can order the laws of physics, engineering, and economics to change overnight simply because they say so.  And I have a huge problem with those same arrogant fools p!ssing away literally billions of the US taxpayer’s money in a Quixotic effort to do just that.

    Oh, and it turns out that Abengoa might not be the only “hit” the taxpayer takes on the “green energy company goes belly-up” ledger this year.

    Another huge player in the current Administration’s “green energy subsidy giveaway      scams      games” may well declare bankruptcy soon.  That would be SunEdison – which has received nearly $650 million in Federal “green energy” subsidies and tax credits.  They’re the 13th most heavily subsidized corporation in the US.  And they are facing a serious liquidity crisis that many experts expect will force them to declare bankruptcy.

    Hmm.  First Solyndra.  Then Abound Solar.  Then Abengoa.  Now, possibly, SunEdison.

    I’m seeing a couple of trends here.  The first trend isn’t any indication that economically viable green energy is “just around the corner”.  And the second indication isn’t that the Administration’s officials managing the Administration’s solar giveaway sweepstakes seem to know their butts from a hole in the ground.

  • Tell Me Again Which Group Are the “Low Information Voters”?

    Oh, this is rich.  The “money quote” up front (emphasis added).

    A survey has found that tens of thousands of voters, including Demi Moore and other celebrities, have mistakenly registered as members of a conservative minor political party in California in a mix-up over its name, a newspaper reported Sunday.

    The Los Angeles Times said that a telephone survey of 500 members of the American Independent Party found nearly 3 of 4 people did not realize they had enrolled in a political party that opposes abortion rights and same sex marriage and calls for building a fence along the U.S. border.

    A little history, folks.  If you’re in your 50s, or are a student of history, you may find that the name “American Independent Party” rings a bell.  It should.  It was founded in 1967; notorious segregationist George Wallace and retired USAF General Curtis LeMay ran as the party’s nominees for POTUS/VP in 1968.  While the party is no longer overtly racist, it’s today one of the most conservative political parties out there.

    So, why did so many liberal-leaning Californians – including a number of celebrities – register as members of the American Independent Party?  “They made a mistake and were trying to register as ‘Independent’ “, or something to that effect, is the theory.  The state’s voter registration materials were “too confusing” has also been advanced as a theory.

    Yeah, right.  The truth IMO is more like, “They didn’t know jack – and still don’t – because they’re too damn lazy to sit down and educate themselves.”  But putting it the other way sounds far nicer.

    Still, those on the political left love to call conservatives “fools”.  Go figure.

    Fox News has an article on this.  It in turn includes a link to the basic LA Times article that broke the story.  If you have a few, they might be worth reading.

    Karmic retribution?  Perhaps.  But I prefer to think of it simply as God proving that He has a sense of humor – and loves irony.  (smile)

     

     

  • Yer Monday Funny: So, What Does One Guy In Russia Think of the POTUS?

    And no, I’m not talking about Vladimir Putin.  Based on recent events in the Baltic (see here and here for details), I’m guessing pretty much everyone in the world has a fair idea of what Putin thinks about the Current Occupant, 1600 Penn Ave.  (smile)

    But apparently he’s not alone.

    The guy in question is named Dmitry Zhdanov; he lives in eastern Siberia.  He runs a place called the “President Cafe”.

    Zhdanov apparently is a huge fan of Vladimir Putin.  The POTUS?  Not so much.  This photo pretty much says it all.

    The UK Telegraph has an article about the cafe.  If you have a few minutes and want a chuckle, IMO it’s worth a look.

    No word on where Zhdanov buys his TP.  (smile)