2012's Outstanding Airmen and the New Chief of Staff Speaks

From the Usual USAF Source; first the new CoS:

Welsh Introduces Himself: Gen. Mark Welsh introduced himself to airmen in his first official letter to them since becoming the Air Force's 20th Chief of Staff. "My story starts with my family. My dad, who was the greatest patriot, officer, and leader I've ever known, taught me no rank or title would ever be as important as the unit patch I wore," said Welsh, whom Air Force Secretary Michael Donley swore in as Chief of Staff on Aug. 10. He added, "Today, I wear the Air Force patch, and my family has grown to 690,000 Active, [Air National] Guard, [Air Force] Reserve, and civilian airmen, all serving as part of an unbeatable joint team." Welsh went on to thank airmen for their dedicated service and promised to outline his priorities shortly. "In the meantime, you take care of the 'Fly, Fight, and Win' part . . . and I'll ensure that 'Integrity, Service, and Excellence' aren't just buzz words I use in speeches," he wrote in the missive, dated Aug. 10.

I like his first words, especially the "Fly, Fight, and Win" bits.  His first letter is brief and to the point (which is exactly what a leader should be) and he says the right things.  My initial take is we got a good guy for the job.

Speaking of good ones:

2012 Outstanding Airmen: The Air Force has selected its top enlisted members for 2012, naming them the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year. They are:

• SMSgt. Laura A. Callaway, Air Mobility Command;
• SMSgt. Emilio Hernandez, US Air Forces in Europe;
• SMSgt. Luke W. Thompson, Air National Guard;
• MSgt. Alan M. Braden, Air Force Materiel Command;
• MSgt. Sandra L. Plentzas, Air Force Reserve Command;
• TSgt. Brandon C. Bruner, Air Force Special Operations Command;
• TSgt. Matthew G. Stark, Pacific Air Forces;
• SSgt. Angelo C. Banks, Air Education and Training Command;
• SSgt. Cory T. Branham, Air Combat Command;
• SrA. Bryenna L. Brooks, Air Force Global Strike Command;
• SrA. Matthew J. Butler, Air Force District of Washington; and
• SrA. Nicholas A. Hurt, Air Force Space Command.

The Air Force Association will honor these 12 airmen during its Air & Space Conference in September in National Harbor, Md. (AFA release) (Aug. 10 Randolph report by Gloria Kwizera)

There are bios of the 12 Airmen at the AFA release link and they make for impressive reading.  Here's one such:

SrA Brooks is but one reason why I still have a tremendous amount of faith in the younger generation.  Congratulations to this year's Outstanding Airmen.  Well Done!

Yup.

That's basically true, from the Left's POV.  Memeorandum has been All Ryan, All the Time since Saturday and I've been reading a lot of Lefty blogs and columnists over the past few.  Ya know what that's been like?  Like this:

Mostly stupid, though.  With a touch o' panic.

Good Ol' Days

"There's a lil bit o' witch in ALL us girls" sez Gretel.  True, dat.  More Fractured Fairy Tales here. 

Tonight's After Dinner Whiskey Hour Soundtrack...

A blast from the distant past...

I normally post a few lyrics from our soundtracks but there's no need tonight, coz the lyrics are in the vid.  This tune reminds me of my childhood and my Mom, who would take me in her arms and waltz me around the room to this tune all those many years ago.  I loved those times but I'd have been loath to admit it to anyone, had they known.  It's just one of those thangs, yanno?

So.  We're in for our first refill, after having taken dinner at one of our favorite watering holes this evening.  I'd have lingered in the bar after dinner, had not the air conditioning been set at a frosty 68 degrees (my best guess).  It was freakin' COLD in there, Gentle Reader, and I felt relieved when I emerged into the 90 degree temps after that chilling experience.  Our temps have moderated to a comfortable 86 degrees as we speak, which feels wonderful.  It's a balmy night and we shall make the most of it.

La Vie en Rose, indeed.

The Sunday Re-Run

(Sigh)  I have a classic case o' The Blahs today and don't feel like doin' much o' anythang, which includes writing a new and riveting blog post.  Or even goin' shopping, which is sumthin' I MUST do later on today, assuming the Motivation Fairy flits in and dusts me with the appropriate stuff.  Or hits me with her wand, or however that works.  There are mysteries in life and this is one of 'em.

So... it's a re-run fer you, and a recent one, at that.  Yesterday's snark-fest about ridiculous uniforms is not without precedent, yanno?  And the Air Force provides sufficient fodder every so often to keep the snark machine well-oiled and fully serviceable.  Here's another one of those, in which we start off in non-snark mode until we hit the inevitable ridiculousness.

Not Your Father's Air Force XII

I found out today that the Air Force Personnel Center has a spiffy web site devoted to what used to be known as AFR 35-10... the bane of my military existence and a perpetual thorn in my non-conformist side... but is now AFI 36-2903.  (Minor digression: Today's Modern Air Force doesn't have regulations; it has "instructions."  This irritates me slightly, an unusual position for a non-conformist to take.  Whatevah.)  I found out about the web site through the (other) usual source, of course.

Eye on Style: The Air Force's dress and appearance standards website is now fully operational and ready to help airmen with their uniform questions. The site is accessible via Air Force Personnel Center's public website (left column under "featured programs"). It's designed for ease of use. "It has both pictures and word descriptions of everything," said Capt. Meghan Liemburg-Archer, Air Combat Command force management officer at Langley AFB, Va. She continued, "So you can click if you have a question specifically on [physical training] wear, or you can type in 'PT uniform,' and it will show you a picture for both genders." The website also has a frequently asked questions page. Personnel officials will keep the site up to date. "The website is going to be your most accurate resource," said Liemburg-Archer. The website debuted last July. (Langley report by SrA. Jason Shamberger)

"Well, cool!" sez I while promptly trotting off to check out all the different unis.  I was suitably (heh) impressed with the site's ease of use, the clarity and brevity of the writing, and the sheer diversity of all things 35-10 36-2903.  A couple o' screen shots:

There sure are a LOT of unis these days!  One wonders how many of these uniforms are part of an airman's original issue, how many are "optional" (by that I mean authorized for wear but bought at one's own expense), and how many are organizational issue.  As an example, the parka used to be "organizational issue" back in my day: you drew one from supply at your cold weather base upon arrival and turned it in when you left.  Those things were expensive, Gentle Reader... and warm, too.  The Air Force gave me the absolute best cold weather gear I've ever worn... period, end of report.

Long time readers know my "Not Your Father's Air Force" series tends to run heavily on snark and/or "Get Off My Lawn!" sorts of comments.  I was thinkin' "Good on the AF" as I scrolled down and clicked on the various uniform combos, read the verbiage, and all that happy stuff.  No snark potential here!  Well, check THAT, coz there's THIS:

O my aching ass... It's the Mr. Rogers uniform!

I've always wanted to have a neighbor just like you.
I've always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you.

Way t'go, Air Force.

The comments to the original post are pretty good.

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack...

Lyle...

One year later I left Houston
With an old friend by my side
Well it did not say much
But it was a beauty
Of a coal black .45

[...]

And as she stood there at the altar
All dressed in her gown of white
Her face was bright as stars a'shining
Like I'd dreamed of all my life

And they kissed each other
And they turned around
And they saw me standing in the aisle
Well I did not say much
I just stood there watching
As that .45 told them goodbye

I've always loved this song, for the sentimentality that's in it.

We kicked off Happy Hour early today, mainly coz it's gonna be a hot one (forecast: 104), so it's best to get the beer drinkin' done while the temps are fairly reasonable.  Apropos o' weddings... there's a big one at the little church next door today... "big" as in a completely full parking lot, with overspill out on the street.  It's the first time I've seen that many people at this church.  With no .45s, hopefully.

Update, 1455 hrs:   It was a funeral next door, and a big one.  RIP, whomever.  You got a great send-off.

Not Your Father's Air Force XX

I came across this last night, via a USAF tweet...

Another view...

I was gonna post this without comment, but...  A ceremonial uniform that's only worn by two individuals?  We're beginning to look a lot like this, and that's just wrong. 

Saturday

The Guardian is all Olympics this week which doesn't interest YrHmblScrb, for some reason.  So we go to a back-up Viral Vid list again for some Nipponese strangeness...

What was that he said at the end?  "Woah-HOah!  Baaah!  Bitchez!" or sumthin'?

Update, 1014 hrs:  Still makin' my way thru the viral vid list and I HAVE to add this:



Simply amazing.  It all had to work flawlessly, and it did.  Murphy obviously took the day off.

You Can Buy 'Em Books...

... send 'em to school, and all they do is eat the covers.  That musta been me when basic science was being taught, coz I scored rather dismally on this quiz.

I think 62% is a fail in most classes.  In my defense... I think the quiz was pretty danged hard but YMMV, of course.  In which case you must be a rocket surgeon, or sumthin' like it.

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).

Heh

...or, "Why I Rarely Turn My Teevee On Anymore:"

This isn't too very damned far from the truth.  There was a point in time when TLC, Discovery, and The History Channel were the staples of my nightly viewing.  Now?  It's all pawn-shop owners, Alaskan truck drivers, toothless alligator hunters, and loggers.  WTF happened?  Thank The Deity At Hand we still have Mike Rowe, is all.

Via a tweet from blog-bud Morgan, who may or may not blog this as well.

This Looks Like Fun

That's the new Cadillac ATS, billed by GM as a 3-series killer.  There's a full review (and more video) here... and this is the bottom line:

Overall, then, the plusses outweigh the minuses. The 2013 Cadillac ATS looks great, is tightly constructed inside and out, rides brilliantly and does so at a price that’s highly competitive with the high-flyers in its segment. That it’s from a US brand and doesn’t spare the toys are factors that will undoubtedly appeal to many as well. BMW’s “ultimate driving machine” reputation was an ambitious target for Cadillac to choose, and that the 2013 ATS comes so close in many ways should be a huge wake-up call for rivals and buyers alike.

Hmm.  Mebbe I shoulda waited a couple o' months.  OTOH... Nah.  I like my car The Tart and I may even love it her after a bit.

Tonight's ADWH Soundtrack...

Delbert...

Like a macho man, I said I'll fix it myself
I can tell already I'm gonna need some help
Now I gotta get it worked on
I gotta get it worked on
Yeah, I'm gon' have to get me some professional help

[...]

I went down to New Orleans to see Miss Laroux
She said You're too far gone there ain't a thing I can do
But you better get it worked on
Better get it worked on
I can give you a number of someone to call

D'ya still have that number, Del?  I have a friend that might could use it.

Apropos o' nuthin'... I've discovered the best way to drink this Bulleit stuff is on the rocks.  I never took my scotch with ice, bein' sumthin' of a traditionalist in this space, I only took it neat or with a splash o' water.  But ice and bourbon seem made for each other, in that the ice mellows out the burn and makes bourbon a rather pleasant drink.  Last evening I took my first dose neat and the second with a splash, the results of which were less than impressive.  Tonight's a different story and I think this stuff will grow on me.  I can't wait for the rye to arrive...

What? Already?

Yeah, summer ain't over and we're already getting the seasonal Fall beers.  Like this:

We're ten days ahead of where we were last year at this time, or mebbe I was ten days behind last year.  I dunno about you, Gentle Reader, but I'm ready for Fall.  I've had enough of this triple-digit temps thang for a while.

Yup!

No doubt... and Curiosity began sending back hi-res color pictures yesterday.  Let's hope Curisosity's pics are as stunning as Opportunity's... who's still on the job and doing GREAT work.

Tonight's ADWH Soundtrack...

Pat Travers, covering Johnny Winter...

Apropos o' not much... it's HARD switchin' over to corn after 30 years of drinkin' single-malts and better blends (of late).  I'm beginning to wonder about the wisdom... if any... behind today's fit o' pique.  But, Hey!  It's all good.

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack

James McMurtry...

Beer cans to the ceiling
ashtray on the floor
laundry on the sofa
need I say more
I walked out with my hair wet
I caught one awful cold
should have been more careful
should have done like I was told
I can't believe it
how could it be
just like you said could happen
so it did to me
Just when I might have seen the light of day
I crossed my eyes 'til they stayed that way

(chorus)
I keep my distance
as best I can
living out my time here in Never Never land
I can't grow up
'cause I'm too old now
I guess I really did it this time, Mom

Mom would understand... she never did grow up, either.  

Those Manhattans are goin' down easy this afternoon.  We shoulda took pictures, but we were more concerned with gettin' down to it than doin' that artsy-fartsy thang.  But wait!... there's this from the interregnum:

That would be just before we set out on Round II, which is comin' up as soon as we put this post to bed.

Prosit!

Update, 15 minutes later:  Well, OK... if you insist.

Once again: Prosit!

Resistance

I'm just in from a run out to the Class VI store on Cannon Airplane Patch and was shocked at the price increases on Scotch... so much so that I refuse to resupply at those prices.  Johnnie Walker Green sold at $44.00 last week and is now $54 and change; you can find it at Amazon for $47.10.  JW Gold is worse... it's up to $84 freakin' Yankee Dollars a bottle now.  Aiiieee.

Which makes me wonder... what's up with the Class VI?  They're supposed to be cheaper than the civilian market and they are, if I shop locally.  But not on the net.

So.  We're gonna be bourbon drinkers... and that would be Bulleit bourbon... for a while, at least until I sort out my options.  I see a Manhattan in my very near future.

It's Early, But...

... we've already had our LOL moment for the day, courtesy of G+.  That would be this:

I MIGHT know the girl, if one considers sharing a bed for the best part of 23 years "knowing."  Yeah, in that biblical sense, too.

They Call 'Em "Tramp Stamps"

I wonder why...

―:☺:―

In other news...  I have a sneaking suspicion that today is NOT gonna be a nice day.  Why? 

Our humidity... at 50%... is well and truly above the "but it's a DRY heat!" point, which adds fuel to my not-a-nice-day fire.  I KNOW it's gonna rain today, mainly coz I washed the cars yesterday.  That's good for most of us...especially the ranchers... but not so much fer me.

Tonight's ADWH Soundtrack...

Leon Russell, with a tip o' the hat, a nod, and a wink to Hank...

There was a time...

Well, Yeah

From the Usual Source for such thangs...

More like yer basic moron in the last panel, no "oxy" about it.

―:☺:―

We stayed up quite late watching all the Curiosity stuff on the NASA Channel, right up until the point they went off the air (live) around 0200 hrs MDT.  The first press conference was seriously entertaining teevee... there's nothing better than watching giddy nerds celebrate success.  With one downside: Obama's science and technology adviser guy got top billing at the press conference and like all liberals... even liberal nerds... he HAD to get political, going on about how Obama was committed to space exploration, how Obama tweeted about Curiosity, Obama this, Obama that.  OK, guy... just STFU now, please?  His time at the podium was limited, thankfully, and I'm glad the NASA/JPL guys got him on and off quickly.   As I said, the rest of the press event was seriously good stuff.  I could do with more of this kinda thang and much less politics in my life.

The rest of the night/early morning wasn't as pleasant.  I'm normally and thankfully devoid of any sorts of physical ailments, but last night I had a case of indigestion from the depths of Hell and I can't really figure out why.  By that I mean I didn't eat anything spicy or unusual, so this was a semi-surprising event.  A good handful of Rolaids finally put an end to the issue.  I got to sleep around 0400 hrs but it was touch and go there for a couple o' hours.

Curiosity Has Landed

Shot of my teevee... JPL post-landing celebrations.

I've been watching the Curiosity landing on the surface of Mars for the past hour.  I was MOST impressed as the event unfolded; the atmosphere within the CalTech JPL went from quiet, apprehensive, and tension-filled professionalism to unbridled joy and pandemonium when Curiosity settled down and sent back its first pictures from the surface of Mars.  From the link:

A chorus of cheers and applause echoed through the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Sunday night after the most high-tech interplanetary rover ever built sent a signal to Earth. Minutes earlier, it had been in a harrowing plunge through the thin Mars atmosphere.

{...}

The arrival was an engineering tour de force, debuting never-before-tried acrobatics packed into "seven minutes of terror" as Curiosity sliced through the Martian atmosphere at 13,000 mph.

I hope you caught it, Gentle Reader, coz it was the ultimate "ya hadda be there" sorta moment.  It reminded me of the moon landings back in 1969.  Really... THAT big.  We've landed on Mars... Mars!  (OK, it ain't the first time we've put rovers there but it's the biggest, so far)  And ain't that America?  Hell Yes!

Wimmen I Wanna Hang With

And you know there may be MORE.

Tonight's ADWH Soundtrack...

Steve Winwood...

Oh, I've been sad
And have walked bitter streets alone
And come morning
There's a good wind to blow me home
So time is a river rolling into nowhere
I will live while I can
I will have my ever after

The finer things keep shining through
The way my soul gets lost in you
The finer things I feel in me
The golden dance life could be

Heard on Pandora this evening... I defined a Steve Winwood station a couple o' days ago, seein' as how (a) I love the guy's music (and I think he's one of the most under-rated artists of our generation) and (b) most of what I have o' his work is on vinyl and currently resides in SN2's basement.  I could have sworn I had this particular album on CD but I can't find it.  I strongly suspect "Back in the High Life" might have left with The Second Mrs. Pennington when she decamped all these years ago, but I can't be sure.  I really should have written down all of the CDs she took (like about a third of the classical inventory) but I didn't.  I kinda-sorta had other thangs to think about.  At the time.

Wherein We Join the 20th Century

Yeah, I know... it's the 21st century.  Bear with me.  I'm a BIG fan of those bag-meals and they're a staple for what passes as cuisine at El Casa Inmóvil de Pennington.  One feature every one of those meals has is this instruction: "Empty contents into a 12 inch non-stick skillet."  Well, we didn't HAVE a 12-inch... or any other size... non-stick skillet in our kitchen inventory, so we made do with a standard ten-inch aluminum skillet of the stick variety, oiled generously with a couple o' tablespoons o' olive oil for non-stick properties.  That was life as we knew it until two weeks ago, when we splurged and dropped 20 Yankee Dollars on a high-zoot Mirro 12-inch non-stick skillet.  Like this:

Buying that skillet might just be the smartest purchase I've made in the last couple o' few years.  I love the thing... it cooks well, and more importantly, clean-up is a BREEZE.  The skillet has yet to see the interior of my dishwasher as I can clean it up in about three minutes and set it on the counter to dry.  I couldn't say the same for the old stick-skillet, as I usually had to let that sucker soak overnight before attempting to scrub it.  I loves me some technology, even if I'm ten years late to the party.  Or longer.

Oh.  What was in the skillet?  This:

Shrimp scampi in garlic sauce with linguine.  Dinner was completed by the addition of a large salad and a vintage Dr. Pepper.  Dinner's done, as is the cleanup, so I think it's time to retire to the verandah and take the evening air.

Live!

I bought some new music last week... Peter Green's "Blues Don't Change" and the Tedeschi-Trucks Band's "Everybody's Talkin'."  I batted .500 in the effort, much to my dismay.  Mr. Green didn't disappoint (as usual) because his latest is a cover of old blues tunes and there ain't a clinker in the bunch.  Susan Tedeschi's latest outing is one I'll prolly give away, assuming my blues-aficionado grandson Sean will take it.  The issue?  This two-disc set is a LIVE album and I violated... or forgot... my dictum about NEVER buying live albums before I hear 'em.  Most of the cuts on "Everybody's Talkin'" are way too long, descending into the depths of 70s rock band extended jams excess.  And I mean EXCESS, as in Allman Bros "At Fillmore East" Mountain Jam excess (that track was one whole side of a two-disc vinyl LP, back in the day).  I find most live albums fall into the "excess" category so I tend to avoid them... except when I forget.  Like last week.

Don't get me wrong: I love Ms. Tedeschi and I'd go see her in a heartbeat.  Bein' at a concert for those long jams is entirely different than bein' in yer living room or even in yer car.  Ambiance, bay-bee, ambiance.  Drugs might have sumthin' to do with that, too.  Or did.  Mebbe.

While we're on about live albums... there are two exceptions to the rule.  The first is the aforementioned "At Fillmore East" which has some incendiary guitar work by legendary Brother Duane, the other is the Stones' "Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out," which gets my vote for the best live album of all time.  That CD lives in my car, which is where ALL the great music I own ends up.  There ain't a bad track on that album and the performances are picture-perfect, both in duration and expertise.  All live albums should be so good.

Oh.  Don't get me started on the Grateful Dead.  Yes, I own a boatload of the bootleg series (Dick's Picks).  Yes, their signature style is the interminable riff-jam.  Yeah, I like it.  Remember what Emerson said: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."

Saturday

In honor of the Olympics... an oldie:

But it's a goodie, innit?  It's slim pickin's at the viral vid sites today.  We went to our third string provider for what you see above and you'll note it's been around for-freakin'-ever (over five million views!).

―:☺:―

Apropos o' not much... our fears didn't materialize yesterday, as it never even got to 90 degrees after the rain.  I went out and had a couple o' beers and a cigar on the verandah after posting my update to the "rain" post and it was very comfortable outdoors... with a few more passing cloudbursts to enjoy, even.  After Dinner Whiskey Hour was most enjoyable, as well, beginning at around 80 degrees at 1830 hrs and dropping into the mid-70s by the time I returned indoors.  That was a nice lil break, but it's back on our heads today—104 is the forecast.

98 Degrees and PISSING Down Rain

Our temps began dropping as the storm moved in; it was 102 about 15 minutes before the storm hit... and it hit HARD.  I love the rain, and The Deity At Hand knows we NEED it, but it's gonna be right miserable once the rain stops.  A couple o' snaps:

Notice the street in the background of the first shot... four minutes into the cloudburst and it's already flooding.  The second shot is just a grab-shot of the wake kicked up by a passing pickup.  The temp dropped ten degrees in as many minutes once it began raining in earnest, but THAT won't last.

Update, ten minutes later.  It was over almost as quickly as it began.  Here's a shot o' the 17th Street Canal and Inter Intra-City Waterway...

Our temp has begun to climb already.  Aiiieee.

Dog Days Upon Us

Didja ever wonder about that term?  Wonder no more (I loves me some Wiki!).  And they are well and truly here.  We stretched ADWH out until 2330 hrs last evening and checked the temp as we came in from the verandah, just for grins and giggles.  It was 89 degrees at that hour.

We did something we almost NEVER do, given it's gonna be another hot one today (forecast: 108), and that would be setting our alarm phone for 0700 hrs this morning, all the better to get out and about before the broiling begins.  And we did... hitting the streets around 0800 hrs to run our errands (we had to get caffeinated first, yanno?), which we completed in about an hour and a half.  It was nice to run around town in The Green Hornet with her top down and Mick serenading the locals with a suitably loud rendition of Loving Cup, which I'm most certain all within earshot appreciated.  Or not, about which I truly don't care coz it was for me, anyhoo.  So we're done, what with having unloaded our groceries in the relatively cool temperatures of 85 degrees and having received our minimum daily requirement of al fresco motoring.  I'd forgotten how good it feels to get up with the rest of the world.

―:☺:―

And then there's this from My Buddy Ed In Florida...

He didn't like my casserole
And he didn't like my cake.
He said my biscuits were too hard.
Not like his mother used to make.

I didn't perk the coffee right.
He didn't like the stew.
I didn't mend his socks 
the way his mother used to do.

I pondered for an answer,
I was looking for a clue.
Then I turned around and smacked the shit out of him . . .
Like his mother used to do.

******************************

I love a good poem, don't you?

Heh.  I loved every little thing both of my wives did, always... and even most of my girlfriends, too.  My Mama didn't raise no dummies.

Tonight's ADWH Soundtrack...

Nina Simone...

It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me.
Yeah, it's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me, ooooooooh...
And I'm feelin' good.

No...it's a new night.  It's also 94 freakin' degrees outside, and the sun went down over 45 minutes ago.  But, Hey... it only feels like 90.  We are feelin' good, in spite o' thangs, and we'll only feel better as the full moon climbs higher into the sky and the night wears on.

So there's that.  We've got our refill and now it's back out to verandah to continue as we've begun.

We're Beginning to Wonder...

... about SiteMeter.  The app was down all day Sunday and appears to be down again today.  Note:

I find it hard to believe I got zero visits or page views between 0600 hrs and 1330.  Impossible, in fact, given that I received several comments during that time.  And then there's this:

Yup.  Disconnect, big-time.  Anyone else havin' problems with SiteMeter?

The Gift That Keeps On Giving...

... for us folks that DIDN'T buy into the IPO, that is.  From TechCrunch:

Today, Facebook hit a new milestone, perhaps one that it won’t be celebrating much: the stock went down past $20 a share. In fact, as this post is being written it’s trading at $19.99.

[...]

When Facebook first listed on May 18, its shares opened at just over $42.

This almost makes me feel bad for those chumps that bought in.  Almost.   

Related (and here, too), from yesterday.  That's only related as far as the general subject of Facebook goes.  But 83 million phonies?  That's a lot.

Meh

Tempest, teapot.  Or, only in America.  There's at least one thing the asshat Democrats who precipitated this ridiculousness didn't count on... and that's the flap would be very good for Chick-fil-A's business.  That and an object lesson along the lines of "do you REALLY want these guys in charge?"  I sure as Hell don't.

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack

Sly and the Family Stone...

We're just in from the verandah... where we enjoyed a Shiner Ruby Redbird and the remnants of last night's ADWH cigar... and it's HOT.  Like this:

We've already broken the record for this date... the former hottest day bein' 98 degrees back in 2002... but it doesn't FEEL all that hot.  I've been warmer... like this:

The ambient temperature during the day was in the high 90s, as was the humidity. We were working on a blazingly hot white concrete pad, which acted as a hellish solar reflector, intensifying the heat and making working conditions all but unbearable. You literally couldn’t touch the metal pieces of that antenna without wearing gloves, it was that hot. We worked 20 minutes outside, then ten minutes inside the air conditioned shelter, then 20 minutes back outside again, eight hours a day. It took us an entire week to disassemble that damned antenna and pack it up. I must have sweated off ten pounds, and for a light-@$$ed guy like me, that’s a lot.

I've felt hotter on any given August day at Boron AFS in the Mojave Desert.  Or marching to and from school in August down at Keesler Airplane Patch in Mrs. Hippy in the wayback.  Or working inside a radome on Guam.  Or even sitting in the back of a C-130 on the ramp at Don Mueang AB in Thailand.  Or we could be in Abu Dhabi (visualize a wink and a nod here), where the forecast high tomorrow is 111 flaming hot degrees.  So we need to keep thangs in perspective, yanno?  Hot fun in the summertime, indeed.

Gear-Head Stuff

With a kinda-sorta local connection, if'n you consider four hours away "local:"

High Plains Drifters, indeed!

Really?

Well, you SHOULD care... coz there's single-malts, gin, bourbon, wine, yadda, yadda, yadda.  It's a wide wonderful world out there.  

From the Shoebox blog.