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

Category: Who knows

  • That and a quarter gets you a 25 cent cup of coffee …

    Our buddy, Rurik sent us this photo of some North Korean generals decked out in their finery. We thought MSG Soup Sandwich was over-decorated, but these guys prove that he’s just an amateur.

    North Korean Generals

    As Rurik points out, they have been at war for the last sixty years or so, it stand to reason that they’d be loaded down, but their DD214s must be as long as a Clancy novel. But, you know you have too many medals when you have to wear them on your pants.

    I’ll be on the road today so posting might be spotty at best. So have fun.

  • A Morning to Remember

    Live long enough, and you’ll see some interesting things.  If you’re lucky enough, it’s possible you’ll see or be a part of something truly memorable and unusual.  Maybe even something historic.

    During my lifetime, I’ve been that fortunate twice.  The first time was when I was lucky enough to be in Korea when Reagan visited the DMZ, and to provide support for that mission (though I didn’t get to see the actual speech).   I’ll always feel honored to have been there.

    The second time occurred some 24 years later.  And it was, perhaps, even more memorable than the first.

    January 11, 2008 dawned in Baghdad.  Just another brutal, muddy, nasty, cold day – right?

    Yes, I did say cold.  Although Baghdad and surrounding area indeed gets hellish hot during the summer, during the winter it also gets colder than you might think.  Baghdad’s at about the same latitude as Columbus, GA, or Dallas/Fort Worth, TX –  and like those cities, it’s inland.  So it does get pretty cool in the winter; today’s high and low there are predicted to be 59 F and 34 F, respectively.

    Frost was not common, but was also not unknown.   And the winter of 2007-2008 was reputedly the coldest in at least a decade.

    Baghdad gets most of its rain during the winter, too.  And when that little bit of rain hits the finely-powdered silt making up the soil in the Tigris/Euphrates valley system, the result is . . . different.  Think wet, sticky paste.  Slippery, medium yellow-brown paste.

    I think I gained an inch or so in height every time I went outside that winter when things were wet.  (smile)

    But January 11, 2008 was different.  The sky was steel-grey, and it was still.  Things simply felt different than normal.  Something was up.  And around sunrise, we found out what it was.

    It began to snow.  Big, wet flakes.

    It didn’t snow much – just a dusting on exposed items and surfaces; most of it melted on contact.  And what little stuck didn’t stay around for long at all.

    But it snowed.  In Baghdad.

    Those who’ve never lived in a hot, desert climate can’t really appreciate the impact of a low desert snowfall.  It is a truly magnificent sight – if for no other reason than because they’re generally exceptionally rare.  It’s like seeing a horizon-to-horizon double-rainbow.  Yes, they can happen.  But they’re rare enough that not very many people ever get to see one.

    Snow was indeed a rare thing in Baghdad. One source said it had been over 60 years since the last snowfall in the area.  Others said it had been over a century.

    I don’t know which is correct.  And, frankly, I don’t care.  I only know I was lucky enough to see it in person.

    Snow.  In Baghdad.

    And, for what it’s worth:  during the snowfall, reportedly things were rather quiet in the city.

  • Years Ago, Even Generals Had a Sense of Humor

    Given all the “heavy” material on TAH the past day or two, I thought it might be time now for something completely different.  (And no, it’s not a story about “a man with three buttocks”.)

    An earlier article on humorous military “gotchas” and the reader comments it generated seemed to be enjoyed by many.  Well, the other day I remembered a story from years ago – one which shows that back then, at least some Generals had a sense of humor. So I thought I’d share it with TAH’s readers.

    Unlike the first article, I can’t personally vouch for the truth of the story that follows.  I didn’t witness the incident or see the documents allegedly involved. Since the individual said to be the central figure has passed away, I’ll also refrain from identifying him or the time frame.  But having been stationed at the same installation about the time this is alleged to have happened – and having met the GO who was allegedly involved, briefly, and heard him speak once or twice – I won’t dismiss it out of hand, either.

    Botom line:  dunno for sure if the story is legit.  But it being true would not shock me.  This particular GO was quite a guy.

    He was charismatic, energetic – and walked to the beat of a somewhat different drummer.  He was SF-qualified and had spent substantial time in SF units.  But in spite of that, he had been selected to wear stars. (I say “in spite of that” because years ago, “Big Army” had a pronounced bias against officers who spent too much time in Special Forces; it was unusual for any officer who spent very much time in the SF community to be selected for promotion to BG.)

    He was sharp as a razor and didn’t suffer fools easily. But he also had a pretty good sense of humor, too.

    His men loved him. He was one helluva leader.

    He also reputedly expected documents coming to him for signature to be correct, with zero typos.  And therein begins the story I heard.

    (more…)

  • Marine deserter hides out in woman’s body

    The Daily Mail has the story of poor Elizabeth/Donald Tremblay who deserted from the Marine Corps because she/he “couldn’t take it anymore and he fled to his home state of Maine” 31 years ago. Here’s the link, but don’t click it unless you think you can live with the image for the rest of your life. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, dickweed.

    Now, even though much has changed in the past 31 years since Donald left the military- most notably her sex change- but that [doesn’t] mean that the charges have been dropped.

    She was already arrested once for the charge four months ago and she was forced to spend two-and-a-half days in jail, but she is still awaiting the official verdict from the Marines Corps.

    ‘The only thing they have on me is desertion. Other than that, I was a good Marine. I didn’t get in trouble or anything,’ Elizabeth told local paper Lewiston-Auburn Sun Journal.

    Elizabeth, 57, says that it is not so much the fact that the Marine Corps came calling after her because she went absent without leave, but the timing of it all.

    Yeah, I’m pretty sure they don’t want it back. Mail it it’s discharge and forget it ever happened.

  • The original assault weapon on Ebay

    Country Singer sent us a link to an important find on Ebay. Apparently someone is willing to part with their Assault Weapon, the Assault Rock 15 (AR15 for you amateurs);

    Assault Rock - 15

    Here are some of the questions for clarification of the purchase from potential bidders;

    Q: This looks like a Rock River Arms weapon. Can you verify?
    A: It is a LaRock Tactical. I only deal in high-end rocks.

    Q: I forgot to ask if you will accept payment in imitation crab meat.
    A: I am Asian, so yes I would consider it.

    Q: Pending an all out assault weapon ban, will this Ar-15 be safe to bury if the government decides to confiscate?
    A: If they ban rocks, it’s time to secede!

    Q: Is this the same style assault rock that I see the Palestinians use on TV or a different model?
    A: Those are mostly sandstone. This AR15 is metamorphic and thus much denser. Think 45-70 vs. 22LR.

    Q: How much carbon build up is present in this AR15 and how easily do you think it can be removed? I would hate for this weapon to jam.
    A: It has not yet been carbon-dated but based on the half-life of carbon -14 at ~5750 years, this AR15 will only become more reliable as it ages.

    You guys had better jump on this while it lasts.

  • A Few ‘Fiscal Follies’ Updates

    Food Stamps and the Current Economic Recovery

    Yeah, the current administration has the economy just humming along.  Just look at the money spent on food stamps during the last 4 years.  It’s increased each year the current administration has been in power – from a bit over $56 billion in 2009 to over $80 billion in 2012.  And other various Federal food assistance programs have raised the total Federal tab for “nutrition assistance” to nearly $106 billion in 2012.

    Two things about this bother the hell out of me.  First, an improving economy should show a declining need for food assistance – not a continuing rise.  And as our liberal brethren keep telling us:  the current POTUS has made the economy “way better” – right?

    Second: as I’ve previously written, the Obama administration quietly gutted Clinton-era legal limitations on the receipt of food stamps by able-bodied singles back in 2009.  Those restrictions have never been restored.  I have a REAL problem with paying for people’s groceries so they can to sit on their ass when there’s no reason whatsoever they can’t work and use what they earn to pay for their own.

    Isn’t It Nice to See Their Eyes Finally Opening?

    You probably noticed a jump in your taxes already this year.  Specifically, your Social Security deduction went up by close to 50% (from 4.2% of taxable income to 6.2% of taxable income, an increase of 2% of your taxable income; [ 2 / 4.2 ] = 0.476, which is an increase in social security taxes of 47.6%).

    Predictably, many liberals are outraged; some of the comments from DU quoted here are priceless.  I guess they missed the “temporary reduction” part.

    You can thank the current POTUS and his administration for that particular increase.  After all, it was the Obama administration that engineered that temporary Social Security tax reduction during 2011 and 2012 in order to help the economy when it was clear that the 2009 stimulus boondoggle was a failure.  But apparently the economy has now recovered, and that reduction is no longer necessary. (Yes, I’m being sarcastic.)

    Hey, DUmmies: for once, the POTUS delivered on a promise.  You’re getting exactly what you voted for.

    Support Your Local Strip Club – with Taxpayer Dollars!

    Well, that’s the case if you live in NY – and probably anywhere else that pays cash welfare benefits.  But it seems that’s particularly easy these days in NY.  Apparently NY gives both SNAP (formerly food stamps) and cash benefits via EBT card.  And there aren’t any restrictions on where folks can get that cash.  Rather, it’s ATM owners that make the call whether or not they’ll dispense cash from EBT cards that show a cash benefit available.

    As a result, there are plenty of EBT-card cash transactions at ATMs in NY these days. Many of those transactions are at ATMs near liquor stores, strip clubs, hookah bars, and porn shops.  Your tax dollars at play.

    Now, Where ARE Those Pesky Welfare Recipients?

    But at least NY can tell where some of their welfare payments are being spent.  Apparently MA can’t find a rather large number of their welfare recipients.  That could make one wonder just which are real – and which are Memorex.

    But of course, the MA Governor says “don’t worry about it”.  Or was that “pay no attention to the man behind the screen”? (smile)

  • From B5’s Laughing Wolf; Culinary Command

    Our buddy, Laughing Wolf, from Blackfive asked us to put the word out about one of his ventures; Culinary Command;

    For veterans and troops who are interested in a culinary career, here is a program that can help you get started: Culinary Command. I was able to be a small help to a precursor program, and can highly recommend you check this out if you are serious about a culinary career. What says it all are the people from the precursor who are endorsing this.

    I figured that since we’re probably the only milblog with a page of recipes, someone out there must be interested in cooking.

  • I Don’t Care If It IS the Best Thing Since the Invention of Beer . . .

    . . . my answer is still, “Uh, no thanks.”

    Wynkoop Brewing Company’s Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout will now be sold nationwide in cans–available in (what else?) two-packs starting this month.

    No, I’m not kidding.  And yes:  it is indeed flavored with what its name implies.

    Edited to add:  Here’s the April Fool’s Joke video that started this whole brew-haha – which later turned serious.  Enjoy.