I ALMOST Had Nuthin'... Then I Found This

Heh.  Mebbe I shoulda stayed with nuthin'.

OTOH, this might could make me change my opinion about IPAs, assuming I could get one or more o' these ladies to join me in knockin' back a few.

Cheesy Videos XXVII: A Sop to St. Paddy's Day

Alternate title: "Scrapin' the bottom o' the blogging barrel, yet again."



Never let it be said we don't celebrate the holidays.

Update, 1810 hrs:  I remembered I had a photo of the band on this cigar.  Here it is:

A picture is worth 1,000 words, or one cheesy video.  Or sumthin' like that.

The Sunday Re-Run

Our St. Paddy's Day post is rather lame, so here's sumthin' a lil more entertaining.  Well, THAT'S a matter o' opinion, innit?  From July o' 2008:

All Over the Map

So… I mentioned this past Friday I remembered two addresses from my childhood, and I put up a post about one of them… 3 Rue Mozart. The other address I remembered was 41 Bahçelievler Yolu, Ankara, Turkey. And I spent literally hours yesterday with Google Earth and Google Maps, unsuccessfully looking for that particular address. It doesn’t exist, to the best of my knowledge, and I suspect the street was renamed at some point in the nearly 50 years since I left Ankara.

I had some clues to work with. First, my house was about a ten minute or less bike ride from Anıtkabir (Atatürk’s Tomb, pic on left... click for larger), which is arguably the most recognizable landmark in Ankara. Second, my house was across the street from a major university…which I believe was Ankara University. But, my…oh my… how things have changed! Back in the day, the house I lived in… an apartment building, actually… was one of about four apartment buildings on “our” side of the street, the rest of the neighborhood was empty lots. The university was still in the process of being built (or added on to), and there were no trees to speak of, except for very young saplings. There was lotsa brown grass, though… Looking at the Google Earth pictures one can see that’s certainly not the case today, 50 years later. My neighborhood, which was expanding rapidly back in 1957, is now established. There are large trees on the university campus, and not many vacant lots can be found in the general vicinity of where I lived. Which is not surprising, given the population of Ankara was only 453,000 in 1955; it’s up to 3,763,591 today.

The Google Earth screen-shots:

Metropolitan Ankara (overview)

My neighborhood (red arrow; the profusion of blue dots is Anıtkabir)

I was nearly 12 when my father was transferred directly from Paris to Ankara, without passing Go. “Go,” in this case, meant a trip back to the US before continuing on to my father’s new assignment. The family had just spent three years in Paris and Mom was homesick. She desperately wanted to go home before we went to Ankara, but that was not to be. I strongly suspect my father bribed her into acquiescing to the direct move, sweetening the deal with a promise of an extended vacation on the Riviera and northern Italy. He delivered on his promise, and we spent two weeks in Nice/Cannes and vicinity (including Monte Carlo) before driving down to Livorno to turn the car over to the Navy for shipment to Istanbul. In the meantime we toured northern Italy, including Pisa and Florence. My best memory of Italy was climbing the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which is almost guaranteed to give one vertigo. My father and I climbed half-way up the tower, but he didn’t want to go all the way to the top, unfortunately. Mom and my sister stayed on the ground…

So. We turned the car in to the port people in Livorno and took the train to Rome, where we spent a few days doing all the touristy stuff one does in The Eternal City… including being blessed by Pope Pius XII… our family and about 15,000 close friends others gathered in St. Peter’s Square when the Pope made his weekly appearance to bless the crowd from his balcony. From Rome we flew to Athens, where we spent another few days with Air Force friends of my father… and did more touristy things. I’m pretty sure Dad did a little bit of work while we were there, too, but my memory is hazy in this space. From Athens we flew to Istanbul and then on to Ankara, which would be home for the next two years.

And what a home it was! If you think Paris is exciting, Gentle Reader, you should have been in Turkey during the mid- to late-‘50s. Everything, and I DO mean everything, seemed exotic to my parents, my sister, and I. The language. The food. The clothing. The architecture. Every-freakin’-thing. And the BEST part was the fact Americans were generally and genuinely well-liked. There was no militant Islamic movement, and no terrorism…at all. For me... as it was in Paris, so it was in Ankara... when it came to “getting around.” Except for the fact I rode my bicycle to most places I wanted to go, or rode the bus. And I had a lot more freedom, too, in the sense my parents allowed me to go further a-field, as long as my journeys were in some sort of group… usually friends.

Today’s Pic: My sister Norma and I. This photo was taken by a Turkish portrait photographer during the family’s stay in Ankara, and is hand-colored in the style prevalent at the time. The artist got the colors wrong, too, as my shirt was tan, not green. Mom blew a gasket over this lil detail, but she bought the pictures anyway. (Yeah, the pic is a re-run. I originally posted it in March of last year.)

I did a follow-up post on the art of the hand-painted photo; you can find it here.

St. Patrick's Day

We're not Irish, we don't drink green beer (and have NEVER done so), I don't have a single green garment in my wardrobe (I used to have a green tie, though), there's no Guinness in the fridge, nor is there any Jameson in the likker locker.  All that said, I found this article to be reasonably interesting and topical, as is this graphic I stole from the link:

I wouldn't have thought Roosevelt County to be as green as it is.  That was kinda-sorta surprising.

Happy St. Paddy's Day if you celebrate that sorta thing.

Update, 1215 hrs:  I lied.

I DO own sumthin' green in the garment dept.; I'm wearing that sweatshirt as we speak.

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack

Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris...

If I was a motorcycle
A Vincent red Rapide
I'd ride around to your house, baby
Get you up to speed
If I was short track racer
I'd be an Indian
You could ride me around
And ride me round again
You're gonna need a rider anyhow
Let me be your rider now
You're gonna need a rider anyhow
Let me be your rider now

Ah, yes.  We LOVES us some songs with mo'sickle references, even better when said references are of the double-entendre nature.  That said, this particular album is one of the most unlikely, yet wonderful, collaborations evah.  This is just a piece-part o' today's Happy Hour soundtrack; the weather is beautiful (and so am I) and we're making the most of it, yet again.

So... you know the tune, Gentle Reader: it's back out to the verandah to continue as we've begun.

Saturday: Gear Heads Are Different In Russia

I had to pause this occasionally as the pace is too fast to get a good look at some of the REALLY weird stuff.

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack

Two takes on a standard... first a lil Coltrane:



And then...



I'm listenin' to Coltrane on this gorgeous day but we had to include Ms. Holiday's take on the tune, coz her's is the definitive version.  YMMV, Gentle Reader, but that's my opinion.

Today is "come shine" sorta day.  Note:

We'll do a great big Huzzah! for the WX on this day.  We finally got into the 80s and it's about time.  Take that, Winter... and get the Hell outta here.  Me?  It's back out to the verandah.

And Then There's This

Best spam comment this year:

This article is not to say swelling fake vagina is the best qualified in the country's male-dominated government. While Apple has made huge strides in many areas here, this serves as a reliable landmark for palpation. Every man can and should be culled. Many people believe they have a right to sexual privacy. Your fake vagina will always wait patiently for you in the mood for your Valentine's Day.  They can also be caused by a variety of mental illnesses.

Caught in the spam trap, thank The Deity At Hand.  I culled the link and I didn't even go looking for an illustration to support this post.  You'll just have to make do with the text and use yer imagination.

Just A Short Lil Post About... Cleveland?

Occasional Reader IT said this in comments yesterday:

Re: That best cities thing a few posts back, I don't have a goat in that rodeo
But, even Cleveland has a redeeming factor to give it a best something

To which I replied "Best moonbat congresscritter EVAH?"  I was referring, of course, to this guy and I prolly shoulda added the qualifier "with the hottest wife, evah."  For a moonbat.

I coulda said "city with the most irrelevant rock 'n' roll museum" and that would be true, as well.  We could launch an extended diatribe about the Rock 'n' Roll Hall o' Fame, beginning with the fact the institution honors people who don't have diddly to do with rock 'n' roll (although Bo did make it) while ignoring some icons of the genre.  And then there are those frickin' induction shows, which are not much more than an Oscars wanna-be effort.  Spare me.

If I wanted to see rock 'n' roll memorabilia I'd go to one of the hundreds of Hard Rock Cafés that blight the planet and I'm sure there's one in Cleveland.  Wait.  "Blight the planet?"  Well, yes... and I know I'm bein' pretty harsh with that.  I should also say that The Second Mrs. Pennington and I used to frequent the original Hard Rock back in the day (which would be from 1980 to 1983), and we did so often.  We also had a drawer full of their tee shirts... like this:

That said, we both stopped wearing those shirts a long time before the Hard Rock franchise grew to nearly 200 outlets in such glamorous locations as Biloxi, Mississippi and Beirut, Lebanon.  A Hard Rock tee shirt was something to have when there were only one or three such establishments, but not when every bubba and his ol' lady sports one.

Elitist?  Yes.  I don't much like Cleveland, either.  Now get off my lawn.

Transitions

 There's someplace I should be today, but I'm not.  That would be this:

Ah, would that I should be the good father... and I would be such if I was there.  Alas, I'm not.  That said, I was in attendance at another change of command ceremony, one that arguably had more importance.    Witness:

That pic is from the change o' command held back in July of 2010, when SN2 assumed command o' Navy Recruiting District Pittsburgh.  And such a fine day it was.  If I look like the proud papa, it's only because I WAS, Gentle Reader.

These sorts o' ceremonies are mostly about the incoming commander and less about the outgoing officer.  I can say I was there for the one that really counted but that's mostly an excuse.  My excuse revolves around the fact that I have to attend a family wedding in just over a week's time and the two events, occurring in such close proximity, forced me to choose.  As for Buck... SN1... well, he's off in the UAE as we speak, so he has other obligations that preclude him from attending.

Now, that said... a military command is about much more than responsibility.  Those who haven't served won't quite understand, those that have served know all too well... and there's no explaining to be had... you've either been there or you haven't.  Sam, and Buck (SN1), have fulfilled (or are fulfilling, in the case of SN1, as we speak) their command responsibilities honorably and with great distinction.  I'm most certainly proud of both boys and I'm sure their grandfather would be, as well.  The Ol' Man... who retired from the Air Force as a Lt Colonel... and I never had the privilege or the responsibility of command but that doesn't mean we don't understand what's involved, because we do... or did.

So.  Today I want to offer my personal BZ to Commander Samuel Pennington, USN for a job well done.  Ya done good, m'boy, and I am SO proud of you.  Fair winds and following seas as you move on to your next assignment in Washington, DC.

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack

Don Henley...

I'm not easy to live with-
I know that it's true
You're no picnic either, babe
And that's one of the things I loved about you
But a time will come around when we need to settle down
Got to get of this merry-go-round

I was either standing in your shadow or blocking your light
Though I kept on trying I could not make it right
For you girl- there's just not enough love in the world

Well now.  Those lyrics resonate but I shall go no further, lest I be accused o' disrespect.

This tune is really an outlier in today's Happy Hour soundtrack.  We're mostly listening to happy upbeat sorts o' tunes, given today is just about THE most brilliant day we've had here on The High Plains o' New Mexico this year.  Spring has sprung and I saw evidence of same when I was out and about earlier today, in the form of beautiful white blossoms on some sorta tree.  I'd name that tree but I'm not an arborist.  I'm pretty sure it was one o' these:

There are a lot o' these trees in the general vicinity.

And now it's back outdoors to continue as we've begun.

I'm Not That Smart and Neither Is Google

Seein' as how it's all about ME... there's this, fer starters:

Yup.  I'm like them, in that I had no idea today was pi day.  I can't take the number out beyond four decimal places, either, so I guess I'm really dumb.  I'm still a card-carrying geek in other ways, though, assuming one can be a geek without math.  I'm not sure that's possible.

You'll note I took the above directly out o' my Google Reader.  I won't be able to do that any longer come the first o' July, coz Google's pulling the plug on Reader.  First they tell me iGoogle is goin' away, and now THIS?  I thought their corporate motto was "Do no evil"... and this sure looks like evil to me.  OTOH, I'm not as upset as SOME people:



OK... I KNOW.  I swore up and down I'd never post another Hitler ranting vid, but... Adolf?  He speaks fer me.

And now it's time to go read the overnight mail and answer comments.  We're back to our old schedule, which is to say sleeping 'til the crack o' noon.  

Update, 1700 hrs:  Free alternatives to Google Reader listed here.  Free is good, yanno?

In Which Our Pedantic Nature Comes to the Fore

I came upon this while making the bog-rounds today and it raised my hackles up to a point where I HAVE to post a rebuttal.  And, Gentle Reader, you would prolly ask what would that be?  Just this:

And so - we embark on a mini-break holiday for the next few days.  Nothing truly special though we are excited about it.

Boston.

The best city anywhere, anytime.

Oooh, Kris.  We could have foregone all of what follows if you'd only said "ONE of the best cities" or perhaps "the best city within driving distance of me."  But you didn't.  So, with the understanding that I will prolly invoke the ire of Kris and Jim, not to mention that other Old AF Sarge, I MUST take issue.  To begin with... this: Boston doesn't make the cut when it comes to the Top Ten Cities, globally (Boston doesn't even crack the top 20).  Further, Boston doesn't even make the cut when the criteria are limited to the USof A.  The astute amongst you will note that a NEW MEXICO city... Santa Fe... comes in at Number Six.  

You say you want another opinion?  Well, OK... here ya go.  Chase that link and you'll see that Kris could have visited the world's greatest city had she decided to motor on south for another couple o' hours.  Further exploration of that link will reveal that Boston isn't among cities rating a Time Out guide.  Not that Time Out is the be-all, end-all of city guides.  But they are sumthin' of an authority and an authority that YrHmblScrb and his consort (back in the day) took very seriously.

More?  OK.  Check out The Wiki's list of "most livable cities."  Do you see Boston?  No?  Well, dang.  Just DANG.  More?  OK... there's this.  About which... Calgary?  Really?  But no Boston.

Well, there has to be SOMETHING about Boston, no?  And there is... Boston is rated Number 32 on Business Insider's list of the top 40 cities in the world, ranking above such garden spots as Bogota and Kuala Lampur but below Cairo.  Cairo?  Really?  I wouldn't be all THAT proud, were I a New Englander.  Not to mention that the superlative "best" doesn't come into play here.

Let's do one more and then we'll go.  How does Number 130 grab ya?  Not so hot?  I rest my case.

Oh.  One more thing.  Does Boston have a Michelin three-star restaurant?  Mais NON, mon ami.

There's this outlier, just to demonstrate I'm not cherry picking results.  You can always find an exception, if you look hard enough.  And this IS an exception.

We'll not flog a dead horse.  But we will say that we have lived in... and visited... a lot o' cities, some of which are ranked pretty high in various and sundry studies, chief among cities we've lived in being San Francisco, London, Paris, Tokyo, and Washington, DC.  If I were asked the "what's best" question regarding a city I'd respond London, without a doubt.  Paris would be in my Top Ten, as would SFO.  I still want to spend some time in Boston, after all this, preferably in the company of someone who really knows the city.  Kris and/or Jim... feel free to extend an invitation and make me eat my words.

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack and A Minor Case o' Setting the Record Straight

This piece by Wolfgang always speaks to me o' Spring...



It's very Spring-like today... 71 degrees, light breezes, and bright sunshine... which makes Happy Hour on the verandah a given and further makes a Happy Hour soundtrack in this vein a necessity.  But there's a fly in our ointment when it comes to Happy Hour, which revolves around this:

That would be a New Belgium Lips o' Faith Super Cru, which is described by the brewers thusly:

Our 20th Anniversary! Let's roll a bunch of New Belgium together and put it in a bottle. Start with the backbone of Fat Tire, but double the malt and hops; Add in crisp Asian Pears, a very Belgian thing to do; and bring it to life with a Saison yeast.

Well, New Belgium... nice try but no cigar HERE. The Bros give the beer an 80, YrHmblScrb gives it significantly less.  Mayhap I let the beer sit in the fridge too long (like a year or so), or perhaps it's the 10% ABV that kinda-sorta offends my sensibilities on this day.  None the less, what you see in the pic is what was left after about 20 minutes o' sipping on the verandah.  The remainder in both glass and bottle was remanded to the sink, after which we poured ourselves a 966.

As for setting the record straight?  I'm on the record as having never met a beer from NB that I didn't like.  I stand corrected.  Stuff happens, no?

From the In-Box

The Lovely Lin sends this along...



In Lin's words: "delightful," and I concur.  I've never had Whyte & Mackay Whisky and I wasn't sure the brand is available here in the USofA until I googled it (it is).  I SO agree with more than a few things said here, not the least o' which are the comments about multiple orgasms and "on the rocks."  I'll freely admit to adding a single ice cube in my Scotch every once in a while, but no more.  Usually I'll add just a splash o' water and that's it, depending on what it is I'm drinking.  Some whiskeys deserve to be drunk neat and you'll know them when you have them.  There's a limit to how much I agree with here, though: I NEVER swirl and toss it out.  Whiskey is much too dear for that kinda nonsense.

RTB...

... is "return to base" in mil-jargon.  Like this:

Air Frame: Three F-22 Raptors land at JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, during the unit training assembly weekend of Air Force Reserve Command's 477th Fighter Group, March 9, 2013. Pilots from the group's 302nd Fighter Squadron flew the F-22s, which the group's airmen operate and maintain together with members of Elmendorf's Active Duty 3rd Wing. (Air Force photo by TSgt. Dana Rosso)

Or like this, kinda-sorta:

New Medal's Precedence Under Review: In a seemingly rapid about-face, the Pentagon announced Tuesday that Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey will conduct a review of the US military's newly established Distinguished Warfare Medal to re-examine its order of precedence relative to other US military awards and commendations. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel "has asked that Chairman Dempsey lead this review and report back in 30 days," Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters during a March 12 briefing. As a result, "production of the medal has stopped" for the time being, said Little, noting that no service member had yet been nominated for it. Hagel's directive came just days after he told Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), in response to the senator's inquiry, that the Pentagon had appropriately rated the DWM, which currently ranks above the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart in precedence, much to the dismay of some lawmakers and veterans' groups. Hagel "believes that it's prudent to take into account those concerns and conduct this review," said Little. (Little transcript) (See also Toomey statement and Rooney statement.)

RTB or CYA?  Enquiring Minds™ wanna know.  Snarkiness aside, this is good news.

Broadening Our Horizons LVI

From that Lil Ol' Brewery in Tejas...

That would be a Shiner 966, which is rated merely average at the go-to source for all things malt, hops, yeast and water.  The Pros From Dover Boston haven't sampled this brew, so I tend to think the great majority of people reviewing the brew don't know their ass from their elbow and I take the wide variation between the best and the worst reviews as evidence supporting my opinion.  

Me?  I like it.  The beer's nose is quite fruity but the taste is clean and not sweet at all.  I'll prolly buy another sixer or two of this beer before it goes away (it's a seasonal brew, not a regular offering).  This stuff goes down waaay too easy.

We... us beer drinkers... are living in something quite like a Golden Age.  It seems like every time I turn around there's yet another brew I haven't tried and that's something, considering I live in a beer desert.  The Deity At Hand only knows how I'd be if I lived somewhere with real beer stores.  Wait.  We've been there, done that, and have a few tee shirts to prove it.  I'm prolly better off livin' where I do, now that I have all this free time on my hands.

So.  It's out to the verandah to continue as we've begun.  And you know we'll be listening to Tejas music since we're drinkin' Tejas beer.  Like this:



Oh... HELL yes!

Not Your Father's Air Force XXVII - A Follow-Up

I recently posted about the reversal of a USAF Lt. Colonel's court-martial conviction for sexual misconduct.  Well, guess what?

General Franklin

Hagel Intervenes in Aviano Sex-Abuse Case: Amid lawmakers' outcry, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has directed Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Defense Department Acting General Counsel Robert Taylor to look into the decision by 3rd Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Craig Franklin that overturned the sexual-misconduct conviction of a former officer at Aviano AB, Italy. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) announced Hagel's action on Monday, releasing the March 7 letter that he sent her. Hagel wrote Boxer that he wanted Donley and Taylor "to determine how the factual basis" for Franklin's decision "can be made more transparent" and to review the case "to assess whether all aspects of the [Uniform Code of Military Justice] were followed." He wants them to report to him—after they consult with the Army and Navy Secretaries—whether DOD should consider UCMJ changes. Hagel also told Boxer he's prepared to work with lawmakers to "help ensure the effectiveness" of DOD's responses "to the crime of sexual assault." Franklin was the convening authority for the court-martial of Lt. Col. James Wilkerson, former 31st Fighter Wing inspector general found guilty last November of improper sexual conduct with a female civilian base employee. Upon reviewing the case, Franklin overturned the conviction, citing lack of sufficient evidence. Under the UCMJ, the convening authority's decision is final; no one, including the Defense Secretary can change it, according to Hagel's missive. Hagel said the case "does raise a significant question" about the convening authority's role.

That's from the Usual USAF Source, of course.  It's the Usual Suspects that are stirring the pot, which is to say female politicians with a Big D after their names.  It will be interesting to see if the reversal stands, as it should.  I can also guarantee that General Franklin will be summoned before Congress to defend his decision before one committee or another.

A further follow-up:

Distinguished Warfare Medal Ranking to Stand: Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) that the new Distinguished Warfare Medal is appropriately ranked despite the protests from lawmakers and some veterans' groups, according to the senator. "This is a disappointment," said Toomey in a March 11 release. "While I fully support appropriate recognition of all military personnel whose extraordinary actions make a difference in combat operations, I am concerned about this decision and the new medal's ranking in DOD's order of precedence," he added. The controversy stems from the fact that the DWM ranks higher than the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Toomey is not alone in his concern. A bipartisan group of more than 20 senators sent a letter to Hagel on March 8 "urging him to preserve the precedence of combat decorations over a new medal honoring drone pilots and cyber warriors." On the House side, a group led by Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) has introduced legislation that would prohibit the Pentagon from ranking the DWM equal to, or higher than the Purple heart.

Arrogance.  Pure, unmitigated, go-fuck-yerself arrogance.  I hope the House follows through with legislation.

 .

Umm. Well. OK. If You Say So.

I haven't seen any North Korean aid workers distributing cakes here in P-Ville and I'm feeling rather deprived.  How about you, Gentle Reader?  Has your roof fallen in or your house blown over yet?  It's only a matter of time.

Heresy (In Two Parts) and Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack (Also In Two Parts)

First the heresy...  We've gone on about how we don't particularly care for the bite that lurks within those IPAs and Pale Ales.  There's a cure for that...

First take a State Pen Porter and consume about two-thirds of that.

Then add a bottle of Dig to what remains and Walla!  A perfectly drinkable beer.  Yeah, I know: heresy.  But, Hey!  It works.  For me.

On to the soundtrack, which is yet another twofer.  First the original:



Wait!  Haven't we seen that graphic someplace?  Why, yes... I do believe we have:

Heh.  And then there's Lyle, whose version of "Friend" is EVERY bit as good as the Beloved Dead's and mebbe better.  



What?  MORE heresy, you say?  Well, it is what it most certainly is.  And now it's back out to the verandah... on a near 70 degree day... to continue as we've begun, with an eminently drinkable beer.