STFU Edition

First up, Bill O'Reilly. Comparing Arianna Huffington to Nazis and the KKK is beyond the pale. My mom grew up in Germany under the Hitler regime and she finds that the right wing's behavior is more like her childhood memories than a group that has America's best interests at heart. Captain Falafel has quite a bit of chutzpah to run around accusing people on the left as hate mongers.

After the bottom fell out here in Silicon Valley, the number of BMWs and Mercedes dropped tremendously and the number of Hondas and Nissans increased. Maybe people start spending their money more wisely when they have less of it to waste.

Today's leap of the Grand Canyon, spanking kids leads to sexual deviancy. Because anything besides the missionary position is considered...odd.

Bush speaks and reveals his stupidity. But I repeat myself.

And we end with the conservative (as in keeping the rich, richer) members of the Supreme Court. Exxon can more than afford to pay its fine, and more importantly, should. Nineteen years after causing an environmental catastrophe of disturbing proportions, Exxon is relying on having stalled long enough that they won't be held accountable. Sort of like the plot of the new John Grisham novel. I think he knows something.

Big Brass Blog

Questioning Authority

Will not be an option for our youngest generation. As in there will be conformity, or else. Suspension from kindergarten for a Mohawk is just another way of trying to turn kids into obedient little robots. Forty years later and we are still fighting the battle of kids haircuts in school, but it used to be because it was too long. I, of course, am going to come down on the side of the kid and the Mohawk (there's a kid in the neighborhood and we compare our short haircuts, he usually wins for originality, me for convenience), unlike the commenters. At six years old he knows what he wants his hair to look like and it doesn't necessarily reflect his mother's or school's idea of grooming, but it was clean, not purple and he definitely doesn't have lice. There were lots of things that bothered me in school, a student's hair definitely wasn't one of them but stupidity ranks pretty close to first place.

One curious parent decided to find out why her four year old kid was being accused of acting out so she hid a digital recorder in the kid's backpack and what an ear opener that was. What it revealed was a teacher who yelled inappropriate things at the kids and this was after having already served a one day suspension for slapping a child the previous year, yet she still has a job working with impressionable young kids. But then the commenters once again revealed the hate (must be the kid's fault because they are probably the offspring of illegal immigrants), bigotry (her mom is overweight) and general stupidity (doesn't sound like some of them completed grade school on their own) of some of the people who hang out at ABC News.com.

Searching kids for a missing five dollars in an envelope. They didn't find it on the kids but at least the principal had a little common sense. One of those teachers will probably discover that they used it as a bookmark and just forgot where they put it, but it's always easier to blame someone else.

3Bs

In What World Is This Right?

JollyRoger tagged me with an E award, so I thought I'd start this morning's posting with a rant about how the Marines still don't have Mine Resistant Armored Vehicles after five (5) freaking YEARS of war in Iraq, where most of the soldiers lost have been from IEDs. To say nothing of using up resources needed for the fight in Afghanistan where they have to scrounge around for everything in order to conduct the search for Osama been forgotten, the supposed perpetrator of 9/11. Too bad Bush forgot about avenging the deaths of people who were just going to work in his rush to get revenge for some perceived slight to his father. The power of the Presidency is supposed to be used to benefit the American people, not settle childhood issues. If the bozos who pass for Generals and Commanders (as in chief) nowadays were in charge during WWII, we would be speaking German on one coast and Japanese on the other.

Without the technology of today, in the 1940s they were able to effectively build ships, artillery, airplanes and anything else that was needed to fight two successful campaigns on opposite sides of the world and get the job done in less time than we have spent in Iraq. And that's not counting the previous two years of practice warfare in Afghanistan that we've botched so badly that some Afghanis believe that we are allied with the Taliban.

Eventually the haze of bemused anger clears and then I remember, oh yeah, we used to make things back then. Things that could be touched and used, not bought and sold as "futures". There were working steel mills and oil companies that had the country's best interests at heart, instead of their bottom line and how much they should give their shareholders.

Since then, we've come a long way baby. Unfortunately, most of it has been downhill with nothing to show for it except obscene profits by companies who would rather locate their businesses offshore to avoid paying taxes to their country or wages and benefits to their workers.

Meanwhile, our soldiers are dying because they can't get good, dependable equipment. Makes you proud to be an American, doesn't it?

3Bs

Military Truisms

------------------------------------
"Though I Fly Through the Valley of Death, I Shall Fear No Evil.
For I am at 80,000 Feet and Climbing."
- At the entrance to the old SR-71 operating base Kadena, Japan
----------------------------------------------
"You've never been lost until you've been lost at Mach 3."
- Paul F. Crickmore (test pilot)
----------------------------------------------
"The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire."
----------------------------------------------
"Blue water Navy truism: There are more planes in the ocean than
submarines in the sky." - >From an old carrier sailor
----------------------------------------------
"If the wings are traveling faster than the fuselage, it's probably a
helicopter -- and therefore, unsafe."
----------------------------------------------
"When one engine fails on a twin-engine airplane you always have
enough power left to get you to the scene of the crash."
----------------------------------------------
"Without ammunition, the USAF would be just another expensive flying
club."
----------------------------------------------
"What is the similarity between air traffic controllers and pilots?
If a pilot screws up, the pilot dies; If ATC screws up, .... The pilot
dies."
----------------------------------------------
A slipping gear could let your M203 grenade launcher fire when you
least expect it. That would make you quite unpopular in what's
left of your unit."

- Army's magazine of preventive maintenance.
----------------------------------------------
"Aim towards the Enemy." - Instruction printed on US Rocket Launcher
----------------------------------------------
"When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is not our friend. - U.S. Marine
Corps
----------------------------------------------
"Cluster bombing from B-52s is very, very accurate. The bombs are
guaranteed to always hit the ground." - USAF Ammo Troop
----------------------------------------------
"If the enemy is in range, so are you." - Infantry Journal
----------------------------------------------
"It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just
bombed." - U.S. Air Force Manual
----------------------------------------------
"Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never
encountered automatic weapons." - General MacArthur
----------------------------------------------
"Try to look unimportant; they may be low on ammo." - Infantry Journal
----------------------------------------------
"You, you, and you ... Panic. The rest of you, come with me."
- U.S. Marine Corp Gunnery Sgt.
----------------------------------------------
"Tracers work both ways." - U.S. Army Ordnance Manual
----------------------------------------------
"Five second fuses only last three seconds." - Infantry Journal
----------------------------------------------
"Don't ever be first, don't ever be last, and don't ever volunteer
to do anything."
- U.S. Navy Swabbie
----------------------------------------------
"Bravery is being the only one who knows you're afraid." - David
Hackworth
----------------------------------------------
"If your attack is going too well, you're walking into an ambush." -
Infantry Journal
----------------------------------------------
"No combat-ready unit has ever passed inspection." - Joe Gay
----------------------------------------------
"Any ship can be a minesweeper. Once."
----------------------------------------------
"Never tell the Platoon Sergeant you have nothing to do." - Unknown
Marine Recruit
----------------------------------------------
"Don't draw fire; it irritates the people around you." - Your Buddies
----------------------------------------------
"If you see a bomb technician running, follow him." - USAF Ammo Troop
----------------------------------------------
"Never trade luck for skill."
----------------------------------------------
The three most common expressions (or famous last words) in aviation
are:
"Why is it doing that?", "Where are we?" And "Oh Shit!"
----------------------------------------------
"Weather forecasts are horoscopes with numbers."
----------------------------------------------
"Progress in airline flying: now a flight attendant can get a pilot
pregnant."
----------------------------------------------
"Airspeed, altitude and brains. Two are always needed to successfully
complete the flight."
----------------------------------------------
"A smooth landing is mostly luck; two in a row is all luck; three in a
row is prevarication."
(Of course, the real pilot's version of this one is, "One greaser is
skill. Two in a row is luck. Three in a row, and somebody's lying.")
----------------------------------------------
"I remember when sex was safe and flying was dangerous."
----------------------------------------------
"Mankind has a perfect record in aviation; we never left one up
there!"
----------------------------------------------
"Flashlights are tubular metal containers kept in a flight bag for the
purpose of storing dead batteries."
----------------------------------------------
"Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a
person on the ground incapable of understanding or doing anything
about it."
----------------------------------------------
"The Piper Cub is the safest airplane in the world; it can just barely
kill you."
- Attributed to Max Stanley (Northrop test pilot)
----------------------------------------------
"A pilot who doesn't have any fear probably isn't flying his plane to
its maximum."
- Jon McBride, astronaut
----------------------------------------------
"If you're faced with a forced landing, fly the thing as far into the
crash as possible."
- Bob Hoover (renowned aerobatic and test pilot)
----------------------------------------------
"Never fly in the same cockpit with someone braver than you."
----------------------------------------------
"There is no reason to fly through a thunderstorm in peacetime."
- Sign over squadron ops desk at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, 1970
----------------------------------------------
"If something hasn't broken on your helicopter, it's about to."
----------------------------------------------
Basic Flying Rules: "Try to stay in the middle of the air. Do not go
near the edges of it. The edges of the air can be recognized by the
appearance of ground, buildings, sea, trees and interstellar space. It
is much more difficult to fly there."
----------------------------------------------
"You know that your landing gear is up and locked when it takes full
power to taxi to the terminal."
----------------------------------------------
As the test pilot climbs out of the experimental aircraft, having torn
off the wings and tail in the crash landing, the crash truck arrives,
the rescuer sees a bloodied pilot and asks "What happened?".

The pilot's reply: "I don't know, I just got here myself!"
- Attributed to Ray Crandell (Lockheed test pilot)

Saturday Morning Musings

For a country that is as breast obsessed as America, we sure have a funny way of dealing with them. While America drools over the frontal fat appendages of Pamela Sue Anderson and the late Anna Nicole Smith, once those breasts aren't perfect all bets are off. Get breast cancer, have your health insurance canceled, as if $9 million (like they 're going to pay it!) will every make up for the pain, suffering and absolute terror that woman went through. Or, if you have the money and are willing to take the chance, you can try using a drug that has very little proven efficacy in doing anything but slowing the growth of a tumor but powerful backers within the FDA probably think that's okay since it keeps the boobs looking normal.

My baby brother has had a policy for years not to eat what he calls "co-mingled" meat. It sounded like a good policy, so I also adopted it. I still like sausage (bad girl!), but when it comes to ground beef, all I use is organic (usually Niman Ranch) or I drive to In-N-Out Burger. Too bad the rest of the country don't get these options.

Hmm, more boob stuff and you thought it was just the Puritans who didn't want anyone to have fun. Why is it that religious fanatics just don't understand that opposites attract and that legislation, arrest or even hanging won't change that? Men will be men, boys will be boys and the majority of them like to interact with members of the opposite sex. And most of us girls like it that way.

I am not a traitor to my race. First of all, which one would that be? The German mom with blond hair and grey eyes that I have spent most of my life with or the black American father who I adored until the day he died and still think is the most wonderful man I ever met? I am an American female and I will vote however I choose. Just the way I spend my money. When I have it.

I've resigned myself to the fact that if we do have the 2008 Presidential election, we will end up with another Republican president. My objections to Obama are many, not the least of which are his lack of experience, who he's sold his soul to to get this far, the absence of cohesive plans to solve the problems of this country and what really irritates me are the platitudes. Change? Who is he kidding? Thanks to people like that guy with the blog with the hideous orange theme, they have ensured that instead of us having a choice, the Dumocrats will once again have the poor choice they give us. Like Kerry wasn't bad enough. Then, if the election occurs the rest of the country is going to say "change? I don't think so." If McCain picks a running mate that is even remotely viable, democracy as we used to know it, is toast.

It's been a hard two weeks. My knee pain has been at a consistent 9 for the last week and between the emergency room visit for asthma and the subsequent $1,588.74 ambulance ride to get there, trying to make my new place livable (30 years of nicotine, mold and mildew) has been difficult. What little work I had, has turned into a nightmare and mom has completely lost her mind. It isn't just me that notices it. Our 88 year old landlady (who may be deaf but has all of her marbles) believes it's the early stages of Alzheimer's in addition to the vascular dementia. But mom still figured out the remote control so she can watch Jeopardy every night. Go figure.

Big Brass Blog

Top Ten Signs You're A Fundamentalist Christian

Top Ten Signs You’re a Fundamentalist Christian
10 - You vigorously deny the existence of thousands of gods claimed by other religions, but feel outraged when someone denies the existence of yours.

9 - You feel insulted and “dehumanized” when scientists say that people evolved from other life forms, but you have no problem with the Biblical claim that we were created from dirt.

8 - You laugh at polytheists, but you have no problem believing in a Triune God.

7 - Your face turns purple when you hear of the “atrocities” attributed to Allah, but you don’t even flinch when hearing about how God/Jehovah slaughtered all the babies of Egypt in “Exodus” and ordered the elimination of entire ethnic groups in “Joshua” including women, children, and trees!

6 - You laugh at Hindu beliefs that deify humans, and Greek claims about gods sleeping with women, but you have no problem believing that the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary, who then gave birth to a man-god who got killed, came back to life and then ascended into the sky.

5 - You are willing to spend your life looking for little loopholesin the scientifically established age of Earth (few billion years), but you find nothing wrong with believing dates recorded by Bronze Age tribesmen sitting in their tents and guessing that Earth is a few generations old.

4 - You believe that the entire population of this planet with the exception of those who share your beliefs — though excluding those in all rival sects - will spend Eternity in an infinite Hell of Suffering. And yet consider your religion the most “tolerant” and “loving.”

3 - While modern science, history, geology, biology, and physics have failed to convince you otherwise, some idiot rolling around on the floor speaking in “tongues” may be all the evidence you need to “prove” Christianity.

2 - You define 0.01% as a “high success rate” when it comes to answered prayers. You consider that to be evidence that prayer works. And you think that the remaining 99.99% FAILURE was simply the will of God.

1 - You actually know a lot less than many atheists and agnostics do about the Bible, Christianity or religious history, but you can argue louder and scream persecution when confronted with facts instead of faith.

Somebody probably thinks I'm going to hell. I have a problem with this since I believe I've been living here for the last fifty years. That would be people years, not Bible time.

They're Here

The truffles have arrived, yippee! Other than that, the move is sucking. The place still hasn't been painted, the floor isn't finished, the satellite guy doesn't have the pieces he needs, the refrigerator is due any minute and I'm supposed to be out of my current abode by 5 o'clock and nothing has been packed because there is no where to put it. Now I know why I never made the successful transition from military to civilian life. This would never, and I mean never as long as one troop was standing, would a job be done as half assed as this one was.

Plus, I think Jose skipped town and left me holding his $30K in bail bonds, so I'm a little depressed and very much scared.

Thank goodness for the truffles. Thank goodness for Minstrel Boy. Right now he is my savior.

Of course things could always be worse. This could be the beginning of my day instead of the almost the middle.

3Bs

Rearranging The Deck Chairs

Uh-oh, people are starting to do math. And not liking the results. How many rats have to desert a sinking ship before it's officially sunk?

Data encryption so good that the government can't break it, what a concept. And it's only $200. Too bad businesses and the government don't use it to protect our information, but they prefer to use those kinds of tools to spy on their employees and citizens. In the name of public safety, of course.

As if anybody actually thought that the troops were going to come home. Something really bad happened to that "government of the people, by the people, for the people", I think it perished from the earth.

Maybe people eat more because they figure they've saved the calories somewhere else? Like having a diet drink to go with your cheesecake. That's a savings of almost 150 calories. Yes, I'm being sarcastic.

Hmm, Bank of America is being added to the Dow. I guess they've harvested enough of their customer's money to be considered industrious. Chevron gets to be added because of the growing importance of oil and gas. And the enormous profits don't hurt, I'm sure.

Gary Bauer endorses McCain. What can be said after that?

Big Brass Blog

All That Jazz

Goodbye Mr. Scheider, you will be missed. Most people remember you from that shark movie, I remember you for this.


And SeaquestDSV, you were green before it was popular. Rest in peace and thanks for all you gave.

Try A Little Tenderness

Jolly Roger is losing his mom. It's been a slow and painful process and my heart goes out to him. I only understand a little of what he is going through, but it will shortly be my path also and then I'll know all I need to. If only my brothers could follow your advice.



JR, if you need anything, anything, just ask.

3Bs

It's That Time Of Year Again

Talk about cycles! Every year just like clockwork, the articles appear. Women belong in their place. Barefoot, pregnant, three steps back and to the right, available for sex at any hour of the day or night, covered and begging to be the slave of some man because she doesn't want to be "lonely".

A bad relationship is not better than no relationship at all. I would rather be single and happy (which I am) than coupled and oppressed (which I was). But that may be because I define myself as an individual, not as an incomplete person who needs outside validation from a husband or child to make me feel like a woman. What a concept.

Of course if some guy wanted to pay all my bills, provide sex when requested and disappear when not wanted, I might be convinced to compromise my principles and whore myself out for some imaginary peace of mind.

Just not in this lifetime.

3Bs

Back In The Saddle

It's been a tough week, but I'm finally breathing better. Whistling while you work is one thing, whistling while you breathe is another. Not much has changed in the few days I wasn't able to focus. Stupidity is still running rampant (somebody tell the Archbishop that the UK is not a Muslim country and if someone wants to live under Sharia law, they can go live in a country that practices it, not bring it to a civilized nation that doesn't need it), blatant sexism is on shameless display (What would possess someone to equate a former first daughter with being a hooker? Especially since unlike the current examples in the White House she was never picked up or suspected of wild drinking and drug use.), and very few people think that Bush or Congress are doing a good job. They're right.

Ooh, ooh, supposedly the government is going to send us money in May. Since I don't have kids and will obviously never have grandkids, who is going to pay off the debt? Or doesn't that matter anymore?

Since Bank of America seems to think that I can pay down their sub prime losses by hitting me with bank fees and unfair transaction ordering, how much do you think they will charge for the ability to deposit checks at home? For me, the opportunity to never set foot in the bank again, is priceless, so I'm sure they will want some percentage of my deposit. You know, a convenience charge.

Due process, no longer is. While it sounds like a good idea to use DNA evidence to deny parole to criminals, they are still entitled to a lawyer and a trial. I think it's called justice. Not that we worry about that in this country any more. That's for emerging democracies.

I agree with Hillary, Obama reminds me of a snake oil salesman or Professor Marvel. They speak empty platitudes with accomplished oratorical precision when they are really just fancier versions of Jack Handy.

PZ will be so ...thrilled. I guess it only works when doctors do it. Other than paying down the national debt, why do so many people want babies? That other people are going to raise because people supposedly don't need to work two minimum wage jobs since the economy is fundamentally healthy.

At the 3Bs.

Almost Bit The Big One, The Saga Continues

Last night after the big game, go Giants yeah!, I had to call the police on someone who was out of control and suspected of having a knife. While I was trying to answer the officer's questions, I had a full blown asthma attack. It was so bad that the paramedics abandoned the person they were working on and immediately threw me into the ambulance, hooked me up to oxygen and gave me two breathing treatments while transporting me to the emergency room.

I can't tell you how much this sucked, but I'm sure you can imagine the sound of my checking account sinking all the way to China. The Giants were the only bright spot in my day. When I had left the bar (1 margarita) just after the Patriots made their last touchdown and everyone was gloating at how wrong I was, all I said was Heidi. I tried to explain it, but nobody believed me. I'll bet they never forget it now.

Anyhow, back to the personal trauma and drama. Nothing they tried at the emergency room worked. I had three more breathing treatments and the only thing that changed was that my heartbeat wouldn't stay out of the fat burning zone (according to the chart at the gym I should have lost weight since it stayed in the zone for over eight hours), my head was pounding as if someone was trying to build a house from the inside and I had the shakes like a diabetic who had forgotten to eat and was on their way to passing out.

After having worked on me for over seven hours, three doctors, an untold number of nurses, one respiratory therapist and chest x-rays (very healthy), I asked them if maybe they could take care of the cough, which was long, unproductive and extremely disturbing to listen to, pus it made my head and chest hurt. I kid you not, they thought I was joking, but they were ready to try anything at this point.

I'm allergic to morphine, codeine, tylenol, ibuprofen and almost every pain reliever except aspirin. Guafnesin, dextrommethorphan, honey and lemon made no difference to the cough (a reflex action I couldn't stop). Back when I could take codeine, my coughs could be controlled. After much research, they finally decided on something called Tessalon perles. It took about an hour to work, I stopped coughing and breathing became easier, so they let me come home. I'm off to pick up my new prescriptions (4!) including prednisone (which gives me the auditory and visual hallucinations I never had on certain illegal substances back in my youth, but I am rather fond of breathing so I'll take it) and hopefully my head will stop pounding and I'll be able to breathe better. My breathing is so noisy I couldn't sneak up on a deaf rabbit. I did make the respiratory therapist laugh though. What do you find in a clean nose? ...Fingerprints.

The concept of paying rent has disappeared for this month but didn't Tom Petty just rock the Super Bowl halftime?

3Bs

Oh yeah, I changed my mind, I'm going to vote after all. For Hillary. It's probably not going to help but at least I can keep bitching with a clean conscience. Her health care plan needs work and the argument that there would be two Presidents (both of whom are really smart), shouldn't bother anyone or they really haven't been paying attention to the last seven years of Bush and Cheney. Look what they've done without the smarts.

Almost Bit The Big One

Last Friday, after being very specific about not having any shrimp, none at all in my soup, guess what was floating at the bottom? I just love puking and losing control of my bladder in public. Which is actually what saved me. Then they wanted to know if they could make me something else. And the hives! So attractive.

My asthma had started kicking up a few days ago and this incident has put in full swing. I've literally used a full inhaler in less than 48 hours, my coughing fits end in a high pitched bark and I am desperately doing everything I can to avoid going to the emergency room. The wheezing has subsided somewhat but any change in temperature (or laughter) sets me off again. It's been almost four years since it was this bad and it's all the shrimp's fault.

My head is pounding, I'm crankier than usual (as if that could be done), I have very little energy and my chest and neck hurt from all the coughing and struggling for breath. I'm so broke that suing people crossed my mind but unfortunately it doesn't look like a viable option for me because I didn't go the hospital.

Meanwhile, while I'm being a cranky bitch, I would like to hear that the Giants won the Super Bowl. Obviously I'm not going to watch it. The last good half time show they had (other than the booby incident) was when the two extremely funny "gay" (Blaine and Antwone) guys from In Living Color (even with the editing out of the Richard Gere gerbil joke) did their color commentary. Men on Football, why here it is. Priceless!

Two snaps and your backfield in motion. I almost feel better. Where the heck is my inhaler?

On a sad note, Shell Kepler (Amy Vining from General Hospital) passed away from kidney failure. Her character was a kick even though she never had a real story line and she will definitely be missed. Rest in peace, and thanks for a job well done.

Big Brass Blog

Five For Friday

Let's start with something really good. Practice really does make perfect. A 92 year old blind golfer hits a hole in one. Way to go.

Um, unemployment? It would only be fair, then they could understand what the rest of the country is going through. Unexpected? Who the heck are they trying to kid? Slow housing starts, increases in foreclosures, etc. What's so unexpected about jobs disappearing? Unless you're one of the clueless. Must be nice when everyone you know can pay their bills and afford a decent place to live. Maybe October 29th will paint a vastly different picture this year. Not like that's an important day or anything.

Those poor pets. I know it's awful about the people being killed, but here in America we only care about pet abuse. Because they are innocent victims. So are the people, but the cold hearted among us believe they should have moved to a different country if they didn't like the war.

Parenting lessons don't prevent toddler tantrums. No surprise there. For forty years someone has been espousing a kindler, gentler way to raise kids and look at what we have. Temper tantrums in the store, shootings in the school, children killing their parents. Maybe the old ways, you know the ones that were used for thousands of years before there were child psychologists, actually were effective. Spare the rod, spoil the child. Fear of my dad kept me out of trouble and fifty years later I still can hear his voice when I think of doing something stupid. And no, I didn't always get spanked. Sometimes the look of disappointment in his eyes was worse than a thousand swats.

Exxon made more obscene profits this year. And they actually had the gall to say it was due to higher oil prices. Gee, what are they going to do when they run out of places to drill? Oh yeah, there's those cold, but not for long, places that they can still ruin.

3Bs

Snicker

© Copyright 2008 Gary McCoy - All Rights Reserved.