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

Author: Hondo

  • More Government Ak-yur-uh-see

    Yesterday, the USPS honored US the late entertainer and author Maya Angelou. They issued a stamp in her honor.

    There’s only one teeny little problem. The stamp apparently features a quote that isn’t Angelou’s.  Rather, it’s a slightly-modified version of a phrase actually written by children’s author Joan Walsh Anglund in 1967.

    It’s not the first time recently that the USPS has Fornicated Fido, though. In 2010, the USPS issued a stamp honoring the Statue of Liberty. Unfortunately, the stamp used an image of a Las Vegas replica of the statue instead of the real thing.

    We vets shouldn’t really be surprised at this kind of stuff. As Jonn noted here at TAH multiple times, vets have seen government at its best . . . and at its worst. And we know – from firsthand experience – that there’s usually not a helluva lot of difference between the two.

  • Just “Out for a Walk”, Eh?

    It looks like Bergdahl’s little Afghan “walkabout” may not have been such a spur of the moment thing after all.

    After his departure in 2009, NCIS apparently was asked to do a forensic exam of Bergdahl’s computer. What they reportedly found is quite interesting.

    Bergdahl’s computer reportedly showed evidence that he was planning to head north – to Uzbekistan. It also reportedly showed he’d made contact with both local Afghans (apparently hoping to gain assistance/safe passage while traveling) and with one or more Russians (in hopes of contacting Russian organized crime).

    Don’t know about you, but to me these reported actions do not sound like someone who got fed up after a bad day and walked away because they “needed a break”. IMO these sound more like the calculated acts of someone planning a one-way trip with no intention of return. IMO it also explains the charges of “misbehavior before the enemy”, at least in part.

    Last time I checked, there weren’t too many US generals stationed in Uzbekistan in 2009, either. So the info reportedly found on his computer also rather appears to undercut Berghdal’s recent “I left to go and report my concerns to a General” claim.

    Berghdal’s lawyer, Eugene Fidel, was reportedly contacted about the matter. He declined comment.

    Gee, I wonder why?

  • Yer Friday Funny: Restoring England’s National Honor

    I’m guessing most everybody has heard this bit.  It’s one of the most famous taunts in history.

     

     

    Well, it took a while – but English plumber turned garage inventor Colin Furze has finally crafted a suitable reply. You see, he decided to return the favor literally.

    From the cliffs of Dover.

    Using a giant fake butt – one about 16 feet high.

    And which incorporated a giant, flame-spewing “fart gun” loud enough to be heard in France.

    I’m serious.

    I’ll let Furze tell you about the project himself. The clips that follow total around 12 min, but IMO they’re well worth the time. ‘Course, that assessment may be due as much to my own . . . “different” sense of humor as anything else. (smile)

    Caveat: they’re probably safe for work, but you might want to put down any beverages before watching them. And any small children seeing them might ask some . . . interesting questions, so use care.

     

     

     

     

    Looks like England’s national honor has been restored. Rather hilariously, IMO. (smile)

    It also appears the whole shebang really was audible – albeit only faintly – on the other side of the Channel. That’s around 26 miles away.

    Impressive.

  • Surprised? Nah, Me Neither.

    Well, our good SECSTATE has been at it again.

    It seems that the good John Forbes Kerry has been running his yap again – this time about “global climate change”. And here’s what he had to say:

    “Climate change is an issue that is personal to me, and it has been since the 1980s, when we were organizing the very first climate hearings in the Senate…. Al Gore, Tim Wirth, and a group of us organized the first hearings in the Senate on this, 1988. We heard Jim Hansen sit in front of us and tell us it’s happening now, 1988.”

    –Secretary of State John F. Kerry, remarks to the Atlantic Council, March 12, 2015

    Yep – Kerry claims he was right there with Gore, helping to organize the “first” hearings on the matter.

    He’s made very similar claims on multiple previous occasions. And, finally, someone decided to fact-check him on it.

    Specifically, Glenn Kessler – the guy who write’s the Washington Post “Fact Checker” column – fact checked the SECSTATE’s claim. And here’s what Kessler had to say about that claim:

    Yeah, that means what you think it does: Kerry lied. Through his teeth. With a straight face.

    Raise your hand if this caught you by surprise. Yeah, didn’t think so.

    Kessler’s WaPo article on the subject is well-worth reading. If you have about 5 minutes, it’s worth taking the time to look it over. It documents a multi-year pattern of Kerry telling this particular lie.

    If you “love” the man as much as I do, I think you’ll find it a very enjoyable 5 minutes.

  • Maybe the New SMA Really Does “Get It”

    Maybe the New SMA Really Does “Get It”

    It’s still too early to be absolutely sure yet. But from first indications, the new SMA Dan Dailey appears to be taking a somewhat different path than his predecessor.

    First:  the other day, SMA Dailey took Army leaders to task for letting physical fitness standards decline. He called for leaders to resume doing morning PT with their troops.

    Now, after getting input from the troops it appears SMA Dailey has also quietly engineered a change in Army tattoo policy – IMO re-inserting a modicum of common sense. GEN Ray Odierno, Army Chief of Staff, announced the policy change recently at the AUSA Convention in Huntsville, AL.

    I think that breeze you just felt was a bit of welcome fresh air. With maybe some common sense coming along for the ride.

    Gee – a SMA that actually listens to feedback from the field.  And he also appears to be more interested in stuff that, you know, actually matters when the fertilizer hits the air circulator than he is about stuff that doesn’t. I find that . . . refreshing. And long overdue.

    Yeah, I’m thinking Jonn could well be correct: the Army just might have a SMA with his head screwed on right this time around. So far, it certainly looks like the man was a good choice.

  • Can You Say, “Whitewash”? Sure. I Knew You Could.

    Continuing on the theme of “transparency”, Lois Lerner – yes, the former IRS bigwig – is back in the news again.

    As I’m sure you remember, some time back Ms. Lerner refused to testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The House then asked the Department of Justice to look into whether Lerner was guilty of criminal contempt.

    Well it seems as if the DoJ took a look at her refusal to testify before Congress about the IRS matter. In fact, the DoJ indeed did an “investigation” of Ms. Lerner – if you can call it that. And they’re now done with that “investigation”.

    Wanna guess what they said? Aw, c’mon – take a guess!

    Did you say, “No criminal case will be referred to a grand jury”? No? Well, why not?

    Because that’s exactly what the DoJ said. “Nothing to see here; move along.”

    Yeah, right. If you or I had pulled that stunt, we’d still be behind bars today.

    Sheesh. “Most transparent Administration in history” my freakin’ ass. More like “most obvious flimflam involving whitewash since Tom Sawyer”.

  • More From That “Most Transparent Administration In History”

    Well, the current       DC clown krewe       Administration has been at it again. This time, they’re “helping us” see how our government spends our taxes.

    A Bush Administration law mandates that the US Government set up a website that provided “full disclosure to the public of all entities or organizations receiving federal funds”. The requirement was effective at the beginning in Fiscal Year (FY) 2007.

    That website evolved into USAspending.com. Until recently, it was actually quite useful and searchable.

    Now, it’s been “improved” by the current Administration’s       political henchmen       employees. And now, when you use it . . . you can’t find squat.

    A cynic would say that’s deliberate, because the previous version rather exposed the current Emperor’s nakedness when it came to wasteful spending occurring on his watch.  But that can’t possibly be the case from this “exemplar of open, honest government” we have in DC today.

    The Washington Free Beacon has an article giving more details. It’s definitely worth spending the time to read it.

    “Most transparent Administration in history” my ass.

  • 84 Years Ago Today . . .

    . . . Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig struck out.  That happened in an exhibition game against the Chattanooga Lookouts while the Yankees were en route home from spring training to start the season.

    In and of itself, that would be only mildly interesting.  However, the pitcher who struck them out was a bit unusual.

    The individual was a 17 year old youth who’d just been signed to the Lookouts a few days previously.  Their name was “Jackie Mitchell“.  And no – “Jackie” here isn’t a short for “Jack”.

    David Schoenfield at ESPN has an article today concerning the event.  If you’re a baseball fan, it’s worth a read.

    Well done, Ms. Mitchell.