Saturday, Part Deux

That brought a tear to my eye... several, in fact.  The video took place in a Spanish unemployment office.

Saturday

Why I'm a dog person:



Cats can't/don't Skype.

And then there's this...



I could watch THAT commercial a lot.

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack

That would be George Thorogood, the only guy who ever wore my ass out at a concert (from dancing), and someone who could arguably be called a drunk.  About which, this:

Yeah, what she said.  We USED to go to parties but today we're more like George.  Conventional wisdom has it that you're not REALLY a drunk until you start drinkin' alone.  Well, OK... we seem to be there, for better or worse.  I don't mind all that much.

Heh

An Occasional Correspondent sends this along...

The Mexican maid asked for a pay increase. The wife was very

upset about this, and decided to talk to her about the raise.

She asked: "Now Maria, why do you want a pay increase?"

Maria: "Well, Señora, there are tree reasons why I wanna increaze."

"The first is that I iron better than you."

Wife: "Who said you iron better than me?"

Maria: "Jor huzban he say so."

Wife: "Oh yeah?"

Maria: "The second reason eez that I am a better cook than you."

Wife: "Nonsense, who said you were a better cook than me?"

Maria: "Jor hozban did."

Wife, increasingly agitated: "Oh he did, did he?"

Maria: "The third reason is that I am better at sex than you in the bed."

Wife, really boiling now and through gritted teeth... "And did my husband say that as well?"

Maria: "No Señora.... the gardener did."

Wife: "Soooo .... how much do you want?" 

Heh.

A Minor Milestone

This poor lil blog hit half a million page views sometime last evening... something the Big Dogs do in a single day.  As for us?  It only took a lil over seven years to get here.  Other information: 5,054 posts (including this one) and 37,624 published comments.  That doesn't include the thousands of  comment spammers who absolutely LOVE us but never see the light o' day... most of the time.

On Board Red Bird III

That would be the private jet that flies the Red Wings... and the Detroit Tigers, whoever THEY are... around the country.



Nice ride, eh?  Mr. and Mrs. Ilitch sure treat their players well.

Steel Yerself...

... coz you're about to be exposed to hockey posts over the course o' the next few months, or so.  The season begins Saturday and the Beloved Wings will be playing the Blues in St. Louis... about which, we've been there and done that.  I think I still have vestiges of that hangover lurking somewhere in my brain.  My IQ prolly dropped three points that night, given the number o' brain cells I killed off.

On kinda-sorta the same subject... which would be brain-dead AND hockey... I just got off the phone with Dish Network, the employees of which never fail to piss me off with their incompetence.  I had a simple objective today: get the Center Ice package added to my subscription.  The first doofus I talked to told me she couldn't do that because Dish hadn't published their rates yet and I should call back sometime after the 21st of the month.  "Say WHAT?" sez I... and please connect me with a supervisor, while you're at it.  Said supervisor got me sorted out after about a four-minute period on hold and we are now set to enjoy the season.

I swear to The Deity At Hand: Dish and I are DONE when my contract ends in September.  I don't like Comcast all that much, but Comcast is a paragon of virtue and efficiency compared to Dish... and they have real people I can go talk to should the need arise, right here in P-Ville.

Time

From the Usual USAF Source...

If You've Got the Time: The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., is slated to open an exhibit in March chronicling how timekeeping has evolved over three centuries and how it influences navigation. "Time and Navigation: The untold story of getting from here to there," will include GPS positioning, navigation, and timing satellites as part of its coverage, states a Jan. 16 release from the 50th Space Wing at Schriever AFB, Colo. The wing's 2nd Space Operations Squadron operates the GPS constellation; Schriever officials provided historical data on GPS for the exhibit, states the release. "The navigation and timing from GPS satellites plays such an important and often overlooked role in warfare," said Capt. Bryony Veater, 2nd SOPS payload systems operator. As part of one exhibit section, a virtual military navigator portrait—modeled on Veater—will be featured on a large screen and will explain to visitors "how atomic clocks in GPS work and how the military uses the technology today," said Thomas Paone, a Smithsonian technician. GPS timing functions have also become integral to the civil world for tasks like financial transactions, search and rescue, communications, farming, recreation, and commercial aviation. (Washington, D.C., report by SSgt. Robert Cloys) (See also Smithsonian exhibit webpage.)  (Image: Boston clockmaker William Cranch Bond constructed this specialized timepiece, used to determine longitude at sea, during the War of 1812.  Smithsonian)

That Smithsonian web page is pretty cool... a lil short on content, but cool.  We take instant navigation and its enabler, GPS, for granted these days.  It's hard to imagine where we'd be (heh) without GPS navigation in our cars and on our smartphones.  I use both a lot, which I find kinda interesting, seein' as how I'm something of an ol' Luddite.

Happiness Is... (and THHS)

... an outdoor Happy Hour.

Ah.  Life is GOOD.  The A2 jacket was actually superfluous to requirements but it served to increase our R-Factor... bein' as small it is... and made us completely comfortable for the task at hand, which is still not completed, as we speak.  We shall get back to the great outdoors as soon as we've finished with this post.

So... we journeyed on out to Cannon Airplane Patch earlier today to satisfy some deferred requirements... deferred because of our lousy WX these past few days... said requirements bein' to pick up some meds from the pharmacy and OTC meds (read as: beer) from the Class VI.  In so doin' we were treated to the sight of a CV-22 shooting the Osprey equivalent o' touch-'n'-goes in the Cannon pattern (the Osprey equivalent:  approach the end of the active runway in hover mode, set down, swivel the engine pods to about 45 degrees from the vertical, and then commence the take-off roll... all of which takes about three minutes, tops).  Said Osprey did a vertical lift-off from the flight line just as we entered Cannon and then proceeded to shoot some touch-'n'-goes, which continued as were leaving the CAFB premises.  The only camera I had with me today was the trusty cellphone and we attempted to get a shot of the Osprey on takeoff.  Like this:

Alas, the cellphone camera really, rilly sucks.  This is a classic case of "you hadda be there," coz watching that Osprey do a short take-off roll was really sumthin'... in that the thing was airborne in about 500 feet, or so.  You have to take my word for it, Gentle Reader.  But it WAS... awesome.

So.  We're listening to the Siegel-Schwall Band this afternoon... which is where the THHS bit comes in and you can figger out the acronym, I'm sure... and this was one such tune:

One little piggie went to London (yeah)
One piggie went to Hong Kong
This little piggie's comin' over your house
Gonna love ya all night long

Well... Germany, London... same ol', same ol'.  That's the difference between the studio album and a live cut, which don't make no nevermind.

So now it's back outside to continue as we've begun.

Plane Pr0n, In the Beautiful New Mexico Skies

Air Frame: A pair of piloted QF-4 Phantoms from the 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron, Det. 1, soars through the skies above Holloman AFB, N.M., on Jan. 4, 2013. The 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group at Holloman and at Tyndall AFB, Fla., operates the QF-4s, which the Air Force uses in remotely piloted mode as full-scale aerial targets in testing and training exercises. (Courtesy photo by Gary Wetzel) (Click on image above to reach larger version.)

From the Usual USAF Source, of course.  Apropos o' not much, the skies over P-Ville are back to beautiful status, after what seemed like forever gray.  I think "forever" might have been three or four days, in this particular case.  We're pretty spoiled.

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack

The gospel, according to St. John...

God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son"
Abe says, "Man, you must be puttin' me on"
God say, "No."
Abe say, "What?"
God say, "You can do what you want Abe, but...
The next time you see me comin' you better run"
Abe say "Where do you want this killin' done?"
God say "Out on Highway 61."

Apologies to Mr. Zimmerman... but St. John does it SO much better.  It's that slide, Bob... the slide.

Linkage

Just about everyone reads The Bleat but did you know James has a Tumblr blog, too?  It's where you see stuff like this:

Sirens? Oh, it’s just the first Wednesday of the month test, and they’ll HOLY MOTHER OF GOD

NOBODY does nostalgia quite like Mr. Lileks.  You should go if ya like Teh Funny, and who doesn't?

Wherein We Bitch, Moan, and Complain...

... about the weather.  Currently:

Not the lil "today  is forecast to be warmer..." bit.  I sure as Hell HOPE so, coz this was yesterday:

We didn't stick our nose out the door at all yesterday.  Not once.  Our forecast for today was revised from what it was last night, when we weren't expected to break the freezing mark.  I'm thinkin' we still might not, based on the way things are at the moment.

Yesterday turned into a major housecleaning day, seein' as how we were housebound.  I suppose that's a Good Thing coz this place sure doesn't clean itself.  As a s'matter o' fact, I suspect there's someone who sneaks in and dirtys the place up while I'm out.  I fail to see exactly HOW this place can get so dirty seein' as how I'm the only guy here and I'm nothing if not fastidious.  For a guy.

If I ever catch that sumbitch he's TOAST.

♫ ♪ "I was thinkin' mebbe I'd get a maid..." ♪ ♫

More bitching... My house is COLD. I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the thermostat bein' in close proximity to a heating vent (brilliant design, that) coz when the living room is nice and toasty the rest of the place is chilly.  Beyond chilly, actually, and gettin' right down into cold territory.  I've also had my thermostat set at 74 freakin' degrees during this cold snap... up from the normal 70... and I'm still cold, even when layered in a long-sleeved shirt, sweatshirt, and/or sweater, with my spiffy fleece-lined slippers on my feet.  My lil portable space heater has been getting quite the workout when I'm noodling on the 'puter in the office.  Perhaps this is just another manifestation of gettin' old, coz you know how Old Folks are.  Could you hand me my shawl, please?

It will be better tomorrow, though.  As the ever-present "they" say... this too shall pass.

Not Your Father's Air Force XXIV

Which is actually a follow-up to NYFAF XIX:

The Russians are Coming, Almost: US and Russian officials continue to hash out the details of a B-52/Tu-95 bomber exchange, Air Force Global Strike Command spokeswoman Capt. Karen Mock told the Daily Report. "Further discussions are presently underway to solidify the details for the execution of exchange visits of bombers, crews, and support personnel," said Mock on Jan. 11. AFGSC announced the US-Russia "long-range aviation bomber exchange program" last August after a command-led delegation returned from a site survey of Engels Air Base in Saratov, Russia, to determine if Engels was suitable to support B-52H operations. The July 21-28, 2012, visit came after a Russian group toured Barksdale AFB, La., from July 11-12, 2012, to gauge its ability to host the Tu-95. Mock said the "site surveys at both locations were found to be satisfactory." The Russians proposed the bomber exchange during annual US-Russia security-cooperation discussions, she said.

Details, details.  I think the Debbil's in there, somewhere.

Just in case ya missed it...

Friday, August 10, 2012

Not Your Father's Air Force XIX

From the Usual USAF Source:

Members from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., and Russian Federation air force personnel pose for a group photo as a Tu-95 “Bear” bomber prepares to land at Engels Air Base, Russia, July 25, 2012. Col. Andrew Gebara, 2nd Bomb Wing commander, and a team of experts visited the Russian base to determine the suitability of the airfield for B-52H Stratofortress operations. (Courtesy photo)

US, Russia Create Bomber Exchange Program: A delegation from Barksdale AFB, La., visited Engels Air Base in Saratov, Russia, establishing the foundation for a US-Russia long-range aviation bomber exchange program, announced Air Force Global Strike Command officials. "We're going to fly B-52s to Russia and they're going to fly Tu-95 Bears to Barksdale," said 2nd Bomb Wing Commander Col. Andrew Gebara, who led the Barksdale group, in an Aug. 8 release. He added, "It's a tremendous opportunity for our two nations to learn from each other to improve aviation technology and skills in our respective air forces." During the July visit, the seven-member US delegation evaluated Engels airfield to see if it was suitable for B-52H operations. "One of the big takeaways from our trip is that while we fly different aircraft and are from opposite ends of the globe, our objective is the same," said Lt. Col. Michael Thompson, 2nd BW director of staff, who was with the delegation. "We all want to have a safe and credible deterrent force." (Barksdale report by A1C Samuel O'Brien)

Oh, my aching ASS.  First it was the rumor that the Rooshians were gonna fly at Red Flag, now this... which is no rumor at all.  It also looks like those (former) commies are gettin' the better end o' the deal, too, what with goin' to Barksdale.  Our guys, OTOH, are gonna be stuck out in the middle o' freakin' NOwhere. 

See?

Well, at least blog-bud Loosy-Anna Andy will get to see some Bears up close and personal (sorta).

I'd kinda like to see a Bear myownself, actually.

Quick Hit

I saw this pic on Twitter and HAVE to share... Stingrays, old and new:

Yup.  One can see the styling cues in the new car, especially when it's side by side with The Icon.

Some Plane Pr0n

First this:

Air Frame: A C-17 Globemaster III from JB Lewis-McChord, Wash., sits on the runway at Pago Pago International Airport in American Samoa, Dec. 16, 2012. (Air Force photo by SSgt. Jon Polka) (Click on image above to reach larger version.)

Nice reflection, eh?

Then this:

Commando II Times Fourteen: Lockheed Martin delivered the 14th new-build MC-130J special-mission aircraft to Air Force Special Operations Command. Aircraft 5713 departed the company's manufacturing plant in Marietta, Ga., on Jan 9 for Cannon AFB, N.M., according to a company release on that same day. Cannon is the beddown site for these new MC-130Js, dubbed Commando IIs, which AFSOC intends to utilize for missions such as refueling of other special-mission platforms in flight, covertly inserting and extracting special forces, and resupplying them. The previous MC-130J arrived at Cannon last month. There are 27 MC-130Js on order thus far for AFSOC.

Remember I said I noticed a lot more tails on the Cannon Airplane Patch flight line of late?  Well, there's gonna be a LOT more before the AF is through.

Want

GM unveiled the C7 'Vette yesterday and it's a beauty!

Wow.  They did a magnificent job on the update... and there are many more photos and a decent write-up on Vettes past and present here.

2014 is also the Vette's 60th anniversary.  Chevy has come a long, long way from this...

to this:

Like I said:  want.  I think a blue or black one would look mighty fine parked next to The Tart.

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack

We may have nuthin' to blog, but we ALWAYS have music.  Steely Dan:

I never seen you looking so bad my funky one
You tell me that your superfine mind has come undone

Any major dude with half a heart surely will tell you my friend
Any minor world that breaks apart falls together again
When the demon is at your door
In the morning it won't be there no more
Any major dude will tell you

Yeah, well... not always, especially when you have a particularly persistent demon.  There are ways around that, though... you just welcome the demon and tell her to come on in, sit down and have a beer.  And then you can play "remember when?" with the bitch.  I've found that works, coz nothing pisses a demon off more than a warm embrace.

This is also the point where we bemoan the loss of our vinyl, yet again, and always.  Today's Happy Hour soundtrack comes from a Steely Dan "Greatest Hits" CD, which is a damned poor substitute for playin' a bunch of their albums.  But we shall make do...

Apropos o' nuthin'... would you believe that growler o' Cole Porter is nearly GONE?  S'true, Gentle Reader.  But we know where there's more.

Well, THAT'S a Relief!

From an article in PC Magazine:

Congrats! Come 2036, you'll still be here – as opposed to being blown apart by a giant asteroid that was initially thought to have a great-than-zero chance of striking Earth when it swings around in 2036.

Wait.  I'd be 91 years old in 2036... are you SURE I'll still be here? 

OK, I'll admit it: I got nuthin' today.

Civilization Comes To P-Ville...

... in the form of the Roosevelt Brewing Company, which is a brew pub cum restaurant right here in Portales.  The RBC opened some time ago and a visit to their premises has been on my agenda for quite some time but I never seemed to be able to get off the dime... until today, at which time we went out and had a few beers and dinner... such as it was... at RBC.  Dinner amounted to an order of bacon and green chile dip, which was wonderful in and of itself, yet paled by comparison to the wonderful "Cole Porter" porter.  The porter was my choice from this menu:

Apologies for the poor cell-phone pic

And I didn't venture further afield, because when you hit upon something you really, rilly like why diverge or digress?  So we didn't.  Diverge or digress.  But we did enjoy our beer and the ambiance of the RBC.  It's the greatest of the Great Good Things in life to know that there's a place where we all can belong... said place bein' just around the corner and up the street from where we live.  Rest assured I'll be back there, and often.  In the meantime we brought a lil bit of that ambiance home with us this afternoon... Cole Porter porter AND a couple o' suitable glasses in which to drink it:

Constant readers might note that I bemoaned the fact Sammy Adams cut their "Black and Brew" from this season's Winter Classic offering.  We're quite over that now that we have a growler full o' Cole Porter porter sitting in our fridge.  That stuff is some damned GREAT beer, Gentle Reader... and I know from whence I speak.