We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2007 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html Sun, 03 Aug 2008 16:58:21 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2008 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification “Whatziss?” sez John. And, after a torrent of guesses (“It’s the nano-black hole that ry installed in the garderobe to to keep from having a Kevin moment.” “It’s an aerial view of Tehran on the Day After.” Et cetera…), the dénouement. “Nope, it’s the ventilation hole in the spike of an uhlan's pikelhaub from the Franco-Prussian War. Snerk.” *sigh.* But do *I* post a picture like this and say, “Whatziss?” Nope. Not I. You guys get to see the *entirety* of the whatziss. Yup, that’s the whole thing. And it even comes with clues--you may not have consciously absorbed the... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html Tue, 27 Jun 2006 01:26:17 -0600 There are Huberts in the Green Berets (those helicopter-thingys). They have skids. Those pole-like things they land on. The skids have tips. The tip in front has an integral step for the pilot. Ergo, you have seen them. According to you... lotsa times! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47146 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47146 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 16:32:13 -0600 Ok, now explain it's appearance in "The Green Berets". Please. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47145 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47145 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 16:26:31 -0600 Bill I think i've been in too many dives. bottle opener urinal whatever. I had to look up skid tip. Now's it all clear as red mud. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47143 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47143 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 15:23:05 -0600 Well, I *said* I'd cleaned it up a lot. Almost had to use a wire-brush to get all the red clay off it... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47129 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47129 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 12:36:48 -0600 nice boot scraper http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47128 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47128 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 12:22:26 -0600 Or as a torch-snuffer for dwarves... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47127 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47127 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 12:20:11 -0600 Comrades, Ya know, if you were to hang that skid tip with the point down, and use the hole up top to nail it to the wall, it's be handy as a matchsafe... or perhaps a Holy Water fount for rotorheads.. put it outside the maintenance office for those last minute blessings..... Respects, AW1 Tim http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47117 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47117 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 10:25:36 -0600 Yeah... yeah.... I'll toe-tap your skid..... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47116 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47116 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 10:13:08 -0600 Yup, Sanger got it--technically, it's a Huey skid toe cap. I asked him to lay low to see how long it took 'til somebody thought to flip the thing right-side up. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47115 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47115 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 09:52:29 -0600 "It's the nano-black hole that ry installed in the garderobe to keep from having a Kevin moment" Nope. Not me. BCR is the one who over engineers. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47114 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47114 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 09:47:05 -0600 pickelhaube and the Polish ones pikelhaub. The German sites just smile faintly and gaze off into the distance. Etymologically, I think the pik-spellers might have a leg up. Jagdgeschwader 53 and all that.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47113 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47113 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 09:46:31 -0600 And Sanger really deserves the credit, donee? He did get it right, if not totally completely laid out. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47112 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47112 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 09:40:54 -0600 here.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47111 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47111 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 09:39:15 -0600 Gottit - Bill's step from Hubert. It's upside down in the pic, and comprises the tip of the skid as well. And Bill was probably flying in vegetation defilade when he dinged the paint. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47110 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47110 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 09:37:24 -0600 Jim - whattaya sayin' that 'e' is nccssry? Ovratd, I'd say. Ovrusd, crtainly! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47109 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47109 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 09:33:15 -0600 his official portrait. Ooop. Never mind--von Macksen was a Hussar... *!* Hey--with all the dancing around, you guys've collectively nailed it. Now, put all the pieces together and come up with *the* answer.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47108 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47108 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 09:29:13 -0600 Oh, one more thing the spiked helmet is more properly known as the pickelhaube. The e is necessary. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47107 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47107 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 09:22:58 -0600 As a point Uhlans do not wear pikelhaub they wear Czapkas. See Wikipedia Uhlans the relevant part of the article is this: In 1914 the Imperial German Army included nineteen Uhlan regiments, three of which were Guard regiments. The senior of these was Ulanen-Regiment Kaiser Alexander III. von Rusland which was first raised in 1745. All German Uhlan regiments wore Polish style czapkas and tunics with plastron fronts, both in coloured parade uniforms and the field grey service dress introduced in 1910. Because German hussar, dragoon and cuirassier regiments carried also carried lances in 1914 there was a tendency among their French and British opponents to describe all German cavalry as "uhlans". After seeing mounted action during the early weeks of World War I the Uhlan regiments were either dismounted to serve as "cavalry rifles" in the trenches of the Western Front, or transferred to the Eastern Front where more primitive conditions made it possible for horse cavalry to still play a useful role. All nineteen German Uhlan regiments were disbanded in 1918-19. Thought you would want to know. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47105 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47105 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 08:50:32 -0600 mirabili dictu, it appears in the ARGGHHH!ives in it's manifestation sinestra... ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47104 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47104 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 08:25:39 -0600 Indeed. And, in keeping with (recently-)established policy, part of it *has* appeared in the Annals of ARGGHHH! and still appears in the Archives of ARGGHHH! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47103 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47103 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 08:07:22 -0600 hey, no fair! that's just becuz i'm Irish.... and i'm going down the path with SangerM on this one, just based on the wear marks. in fact, i would even further propose that whatever it is, it is the "right hand side" version of it. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47102 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47102 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 08:02:28 -0600 Oh - I guess it's a Hubert part! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47100 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47100 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 07:26:28 -0600 Much overlarge for a tanker. And I *was* referring to my last whatziss. Howcum I don't get the same respect we give politicians and movie stars on i's only the last thing they did or said that counts? Oh, wait. I *am* getting that respect... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47099 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47099 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 07:24:45 -0600 prong-and-a-half of a trench maul posting the whole thing. But then, that's just me. JMH - For a small but muscular helicopter- er - person! Small? It's a foot long and--oh, right. That 27" zipper thang. Howsomever, since it's metal, badly chipped and a tad clunky, folks might think "Armor" rather than "Aviation"--but then, *John* might say it was an over-large codpiece for a tanker-person. *I* won't, though. Cheers! ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47098 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47098 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 07:17:05 -0600 Codpiece! For a small but muscular helicopter- er - person! Cheers http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47096 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47096 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 06:51:01 -0600 Hey! I posted a complete pic of the item in question... it was the *clues* that were incomplete. And taking an obscure part from something and showing the whole thing is *exactly* something I would do, so get off yer high horse there boyo. Though I haven't a clue yet meself what that is. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47095 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47095 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 06:45:35 -0600 Maggie - But isn't the *non* weapon girl taking a shot somewhat of an oxymoron? Hmmmmm--considering your prowess with the shillelagh... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47093 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47093 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 06:17:00 -0600 "And it even comes with clues--you may not have consciously absorbed the information, but if you saw The Green Berets, or Hamburger Hill, or We Were Soldiers Once… or even Cartoon --uhhhhh--Platoon, you should be able to dredge the image up through the neuron net." No one, NO ONE has seen the movie "The Green Berets" more than I have. I saw the sentence above and thought "Finally! Here's one that the *non* weapon girl might have a shot at!" But...........no. LOL http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47092 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47092 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 05:57:01 -0600 On the one hand i think urinal and on the other i think bottle opener. But would you consider those to be mutually exclusive uses? And why would a bottle opener need to be cleaned up (I'm downright *careful* about cap-popping)? Sanger! I figured something OD would get you out from behind the tapestries! ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47091 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47091 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 05:45:15 -0600 Skid tip? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47089 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47089 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 05:08:06 -0600 On the one hand i think urinal and on the other i think bottle opener. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47087 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/06/whatziss_indeed.html#comment-47087 Tue, 27 Jun 2006 02:13:12 -0600