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A video to start off your Samhain right
And some... light reading:
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
The Zombie Survival Guide
How To Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion
An Introduction to Planetary Defense: A Study of Modern Warfare Applied to Extra-Terrestrial Invasion
The following story is Rated R: Parents are strongly cautioned as this story is not recommended for children under 17 (there, I did my good deed for the day, happy?)
The best Halloween story EVER. Follows....The following story contains, and is limited to, gratuitous violence, gratuitous sex, occasional lack of continuity, deus ex machina plot contrivances, and a total lack of character development. As far as I know, this story is completely devoid of any literary merit. If you don't care to read any further, don't. If you think this will offend you or even just irritate you, decide for yourself whether or not you wish to read further. If you wish to read further and be offended and/or irritated, feel free to do so. If you wish to express how much this offended and/or irritated you, feel free not to. If you do not, upon completion of reading, find this story offensive and/or irritating, but do, however, find this disclaimer annoying and/or irritating, rest assured that the author shares your opinion. Please fasten your seatbelts and extinguish all smoking materials.]
This actually falls under "Operation Enduring Freedom": http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/10/29/somalia.pirates/index.html
One more reason why we need a strong Navy. And another. Besides, chasing down pirates on the high seas is pretty cool, regardless of which century you're in.
MOGS, AntiTool and I are members of the Air Force team for Project Valour-IT, and we're asking your, our readers, to help with this worthy cause. The Air Force Team's goal is to raise $60,000 by 11 November: Veteran's Day!
From Soldiers' Angels: Project Valour-IT, in memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss, helps provide voice-controlled and adaptive laptop computers to wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries at major military medical centers. Operating laptops by speaking into a microphone or using other adaptive technologies, our wounded heroes are able to send and receive messages from friends and loved ones, surf the 'Net, and communicate with buddies still in the field. The experience of MAJ Charles “Chuck” Ziegenfuss, a partner in the project who suffered serious hand wounds while serving in Iraq, illustrates how important these laptops can be to a wounded service member's recovery.
Every cent raised for Project Valour-IT goes directly to the purchase and shipment of laptops for severely wounded service members. As of October 2007, Valour-IT has distributed over 1500 laptops to severely wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines across the country.
I'm always making shameless plugs to support the pigeon... but this time, it's not about me--it's about those who can't participate in electronic communications forums. I want to ensure not just the right of free speech through the typed word, but the right to communicate with friends and family.
In addition to the below widget, I'll post another copy onto the right sidebar to keep everyone updated!
Trackposted to Perri Nelson's Website, third world county, Right Truth, The World According to Carl, DragonLady's World, Pirate's Cove, The Pink Flamingo, The Amboy Times, The Bullwinkle Blog, Big Dog's Weblog, Adeline and Hazel, and Right Voices, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
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...or, as it's officially known, the Aerospace Maintenance And Regeneration Center, (AMARC).
For those not in the know, this is the place where old military aircraft go to die, or be preserved until needed again in the form of parts and tooling to keep America's warbirds aloft, Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. Or, as Air National Guard aviation enthusiast Philippe Colin tells us:
AMARC is an aerospace storage and maintenance facility adjoining Davis-Monthan AFB located in Tucson, Arizona. Managed by the US Air Force Material Command, AMARC provides this service to all branches of the US military (Air Force, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Army), as well as other national agencies. The Center currently controls over 4,200 aircraft as well as many other types of military equipment. AMARC works very hard in promoting itself as not just a "Boneyard" and takes every opportunity in explaining how it operates it's cost effective, tax saving operations. Many of the stored aircraft can be returned to an operational status in a short period of time and there is a continual process of anti-corrosion and re-preservation work which keeps the aircraft in stable conditions during their stay.
Currently, five types of storage are undertaken at AMARC. Type 1000 (Long term storage) where the integrity of all aircraft systems is maintained and each aircraft is re-preserved after inspection every four years. Type 1500 (Long term storage) is the same as Type 1000 but the re-preservation of these aircraft is not required and only applies to NAVY aircraft that have spent a large part of their life aboard ships. Type 2000 (Parts reclamation storage) where the integrity of aircraft parts and components are maintained but may be removed and returned to active service with other aircraft. Type 3000 (Flyable hold storage) is when aircraft are maintained in flyable status awaiting disposition for 90 days. This type of storage also applies to aircraft pending sales or transfer under Foreign Military Sales. Type 4000(Excess to DOD requirements) is for aircraft that have had all re-usable parts reclaimed and are excess to DOD requirements while awaiting final disposal.
On my last TDY to Davis-Monthan, I had a chance to go on the AMARC tour myself and snap some photos. I have to tell you, the trip through the place creates a mixture of pride, and bittersweet sadness. Like one old Lt Col sitting on the bus with us said "my entire aviation career is in this place," or, in my case, it was a matter of seeing, in shock, the entirety of an aircraft type that I grew up with, the Navy's vaunted F-14 Tomcat, now packaged away and waiting inline like the classic F-4s, A-7s and others to be turned into auto parts and recyclable scrap, or perhaps, someday, like the F-4s and the F-106s before them, to be given the honor of a "Viking Funeral" by being turned into QF-4 remote drone missile targets for both surface-to-air and air-to-air missile tests.
Okay MOGS, so why the sentimentality for a NAVY plane for goodness sakes? Well, like I said, this was an airplane I grew up with. See in a long ago year called 1986, a young MOGSY happened to see some things that were a part of the inspiration to join the military. 
Commercials for "Top Gun"
Some kid listening to Queen while trying to drop bombs from an F-16 in some move called "Iron Eagle"
A cartoon called "Robotech" (yes, a cartoon), who's opening title shot featured an F-14 like deck cat launched fighter plane that transformed into a GIANT FRIGGIN' ROBOT!!!! In retrospect now, the fighter definitely incorporates some F-15, F/A-18, and MiG-29 features into it too, but I digress.
GI JOE, the "Real American Hero" (not the garbage they're going to try and foist on us in the next year or so) and another odd cartoon called "Star Blazers". Bottomline, all stories featured heroic military characters, fighter planes, an evil adversary bent on our destruction, you name it.
Now, I didn't join the service out of watching cartoons, but they plus the stories and tales of the great things men and women have done in the name of freedom, in the name of protecting their families and way of life, well they definitely had an impact. Plus, my dad had a thing for muscle cars, hot rods, and especially the early 'Vettes of the late '50s and '60s, and I have my undying love for military aircraft.
Oh who the hell am I kidding, George Bush and his evil capitalist imperialist racist warmongers conspired to indoctrinate and brainwash me since birth using their insidious animated entertainment, and I LOVED EVERY GODDAMN MINUTE OF IT :) You can't handle the truthiness!
...and if you take the above sentence seriously, you really, really, really need to lighten the hell up and stop hanging out with the weirdos down at the book "co-op."
Anyhow, the big BL is it's just weird seeing the Tomcat in there. It'll be even more unnerving when all the F-15s are in there, all the A-10s, all the B-1s, until someday when I'm that old colonel (except I'll probably top out at major in all honesty) saying "my entire career is in here." :(
But, here's the pictures. I don't think mine are as cool as Philippe's but I do think I took some nice ones of the Bones and the Tomcats. Oh, and note the helicopters too. BTW - the QF-4 and aerial overview of AMARC pictures are NOT mine, they are provided by USAF public affairs, all others are mine.
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I've been experimenting with news feeds all afternoon, and figured this one would make a good live test!
By the way, anyone have $1.5 million I could borrow?
NY Times: Despite being the largest casual dining chain in America, Applebee’s International has long tried to position itself as a local gathering place. Its theme, “Eatin’ good in the neighborhood,” is reinforced by the décor of its restaurants, which can include pictures of local police officers and firefighters and memorabilia from regional sports teams.
But casual dining chains have had their problems lately, with sales softening as budget-conscious consumers trade down. Now Applebee’s, which leads the estimated $70 billion category that also includes Ruby Tuesday and T.G.I. Friday’s, is revamping its approach by trying to appeal to a new generation. And it starts with a sass-talking apple.
On Sunday, Applebee’s will start a rebranding campaign that includes a wide-reaching advertising effort, new logo, new uniforms, redesigned restaurants and a new theme, “Together is good.” The campaign is the first work from Applebee’s new creative agency, McCann Erickson Worldwide, since Applebee’s shifted its creative account there after a review in which the incumbent, Draft FCB, declined to take part.
The star of the new commercials is a Red Delicious apple, given voice by the wisecracking comedian Wanda Sykes, who will chastise people eating at their desks or sending text messages to friends on a park bench, imploring them instead to gather with friends and family at Applebee’s for “the flavors that bring people together.”
The hope is to build on the image of Applebee’s as a neighborhood hotspot, but update it for a world where relationships are dominated by Treos, cellphones and BlackBerrys. “We’re going to be the advocate for people ‘togetherizing,’” said Lori Senecal, New York general manager at McCann Erickson, using a made-up word to describe the campaign. CONTINUED
I'm not normally fond of marketing campaigns (i.e. events designed to separate my money from my wallet), and if I ate at Applebee's everyday I'd be fat and broke in no time (the food is good, though).
But I like the point they're getting at: put down the damn cellphone and talk to someone face-to-face for a change--and preferably over a beer.
For me, there are few better things in life than enjoying a meal with friends. I like the gregariousness, the companionship, the philosophies delved and theories trashed as mugs pile up on the table.
Unfortunately we can't go out for lunch much at work since it takes 20 minutes just to get off base. But we still regularly gather in the break room to break bread and tall tales with each other (with the occasional take-out run to Chiptole).
Furthermore, this week I'll be sending out my annual "come to my roost for thanksgiving" invitation for anyone who has no where to go and no one to share the day with.
Anyways, in a world full of faceless electronic communication and painfully saturating advertisements, I give this one two thumbs up! Or pigeon claws, if you will.
This is just absurd:
http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-1
It's an expression of State Department weakness. I mean, god forbid we actually have to go to places we don't like to do our jobs. For f--k's sake, I would trade places in a second with any of these Foggy Bottom twinks who don't want to go to Iraq (on a side note, I've already pissed off my chain of command with multiple requests for deployment). Sack up, Foreign Service "officers" !
American Empire? Yeah. Right. I'm pretty sure the Brits didn't have this problem during the Sepoy Rebellion.
Okay that's a lie, but I gotta tell ya, I don't think I'll ever be able to top this one.
Favorite is the number 1 rated video on this list, or as I like to call it, "Friday Night."
MOGS
From a neighbor. As usual with these trivia posts, I can't vouch the truth for any of these (and frankly don't have the time to check). Amusing nonetheless.
The longest one-syllable word in the English language is 'screeched.'
'Dreamt' is the only English word that ends in the letters 'mt'.
The dot over the letter ‘i’ is called a tittle.
The word “set” has more definitions than any other word in the English language.
'Underground' is the only word in the English language that begins and ends with the letters 'und.'
There are only four words in the English language which end in'-dous' tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.
The longest word in the English language, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.
The only other word with the same amount of letters is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconioses, its plural.
The longest place-name still in use is Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu, a New Zealand hill.
Los Angeles’s full name is 'El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula' and can be abbreviated to 3.63% of its size, ' L.A. '
There is a seven letter word in the English language that contains ten words without rearranging any of its letters, 'therein' the, there, he, in, rein, her, here, ere, therein, herein.
The letters KGB stand for Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti. The name for Oz in the 'Wizard of Oz' was thought up when the creator, Frank Baum, looked at his filing cabinet and saw A-N, and O-Z, hence 'Oz.'
‘Stewardesses’ is the longest word that is typed with only the left hand.
To 'testify' was based on men in the Roman court swearing to a statement made by swearing on their testicles.
The combination 'ough' can be pronounced in nine different ways.The following sentence contains them all 'A rough-coated, dough-faced, thoughtful ploughman strode through the streets of Scarborough ; after falling into a slough, he coughed and hiccoughed.'
The only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is uncopyrightable.
Facetious and abstemious contain all the vowels in the correct order, as does arsenious, meaning 'containing arsenic.'
The word 'Checkmate' in chess comes from the Persian phrase 'Shah Mat,' which means 'the king is dead'
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"Standing ovation!"
"You seriously have to be the funniest pigeon I've ever seen! Flying feathers, Mad Pigeon rules the coop!"
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I love your site and I really love your take on things. Even when I may
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