Open post for those with something to share, updated through the day. New, complete posts come in below this one. Note: If trackbacking, please acknowledge this post in your post. That's only polite.
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The presidential seal, and now the flag... Stupidity, ignorance, or just complete tone deafness borne of intellectual homogeneity/isolation? I honestly don't know anymore. More here.
Julia Child was a spy. Sounds like the title to a novel, or something...
What would happen if Bush, Obama and McCain emailed Putin. Vlad, you've got mail.
"The Pill" Makes Women Choose Bad Mates. Yup, that's the headline. Fascinating. - FbL
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For all the helicopter grognards -- uhhhh, okay, make that for *both* of us helicopter grognards -- there's a new Round-the-World speed record to beat. -- Bill
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Heh. The whole flap over Julia Childs and her OSS connections would make you think it was news. This blog has been there, done that... four years ago. As for the article in the Lamp about blogging... well, gollee, been there, done that, too - in several posts, but this one will suffice. But, nobody reads blogs, clearly. But if they did... they'd be ahead of the curve... -the Armorer [FbL sez: I feel the need to defend myself. 1) I wasn't yet reading The Castle in late 2004; a terrible failing, it's true. 2) The point of the CAC and Caldwell story wasn't just blogging (come on, John, you know I am not unaware of Caldwell's support for blogging). I thought it was great how they were consciously teaching officers skills for engaging the media at all levels, 'cause you know they need it (Army PR firm recruiting bloggers, anyone...?). so there! *flounce*]
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Go visit Big Tobacco - and see a new definition for the term "deserter." Fie on BT's "brother"-in-law. The weasel isn't worthy (which is as well, as he apparently doesn't see BT as worthy) of the title. It is the soldiers like BT that make us what we are - zipper-headed pompous b-i-l's notwithstanding. -the Armorer
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*A term of art from the artillery. Harassment and Interdiction Fires. Back in the day, when you could just kill people and break things without a note from a lawyer, they were pre-planned, but to the enemy, random, fires at known gathering points, road junctions, Main Supply Routes, assembly areas, etc - to keep the bad guy nervous that the world around him might start exploding at any minute. Not really relevant to today's operating environment, right? But, it *is. The UAVs we fly over Afghanistan and Pakistan looking for targets of opportunity are a form of H&amp;amp;amp;I fires, if you really want to parse it finely. We just have better sensors and fire control now. Of course, now I have to call them UAS's, because someone got a Legion of Merit for the name change.Anyway, I call the post H&amp;amp;amp;I Fires because it's random things posted by me and people I've given posting privileges to that particular topic. Another term of art that might be appropriate is Free Fire Zone.&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;<br />
Ordinarily, I'd be disposed to giving Obama a pass on this one, believing that someone simply used a US flag to create a "tiled" background in Photoshop, and then just happened to superimpose Obama's photo on top in a place on that background which just appeared this way, all unintentionally.
Unfortunately, Obama's past actions, statements, and associations with people who clearly dislike America as it is all combine to create the possibility that this is an intentional, subliminal message. We assume media and advertising professionals - whose business it is to create perceptions and to motivate consumer and public action - are capable of creating just this kind of message:
That America is in distress, and needs to be saved. By Obama, of course, the ultimate agent of change.
It's called "plausible deniability". The Obama campaign can always say it was an accident, and many people will believe it. Others will disagree and say that it was intentional. Others just won't know or care.
Many Americans, unfortunately, don't know what an upside flag means. Those who do are probably split into 2 camps - those who are appalled at the image, and those who share the sentiment.
If it was an intentional act, perhaps the Obama campaign believed they could capitalize on that group who share the sentiment, and believed that this group would outnumber those who are appalled at the suggestion that America is in distress.
The real reason will be murkey, but the perceptions roused will be real, either way.
The flag I'm waving at *that* statement has "BULLSH*T!" emblazoned on it.
If they were clearer, maybe they'd get read.
Consider --.it's the same crowd that thought *this* was a brilliant marketing idea.
Incomprehensibility is their primary hallmark. And cluelessness.
Incomprehensibility and cluelessness are their two primary hallmarks. And plain stupidity.
Okay, okay -- their three primary hallmarks are...
Heh. Go ahead, take a peek at both links. If there are any stars on Obie's shirt, they're strictly in the mind of Flak Chandler.
I can't even begin to respond to your quesiton. Totally lost.
But yes, there are no stars on his shirt. I just wanted people to be sure to see both versions.
1. Place your hands above the keyboard, palms down, fingers extended and slightly spread.
2. Frame your thoughts.
3. Using your fingers to press the individual keys of the keyb
*whap!* Owwww!
'Sides, Bill knows gezackly what he's doing.
Ah, I think was have an example of not reading blogs clearly. Avator. Which isn't avatar, but isn't aviator, either. :P
Yep. LOL
At least it didn't have emblazoned the profile of the Ernesto Guevara, M.D. in the middle of the carnet.
Actually, it appears to be more an example of types-faster-than-thinks...
*alarm red!* *alarm red!* *alarm red!*
And *none* of 'em are gravatar (graphic avatar) -- which is what your li'l alter ego is.
Ummmmm, considering your gender, I'm wondering if that should be "alter egress"...
Ain't going anywhere *near* "swings"...
Support? Sure. But defending him would be like asking a Siberian tiger if it needed a a hand taking down a rabbit...