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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I managed to get on a patrol outside the wire in Kandahar, Afghanistan with troops from the Provincial Reconstruction Team: the trip to Double K, and the shura at Dand District Centre. - Damian
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Day 6 of the Obama administration. I stepped in horse poop this morning, but no sign of gold-farting Unicorns. I'm beginning to suspect it was all a campaign promise, with the same intrinsic "But I won't (fill in the blank)" value of a promise made by a 16-year old boy in the backseat of a car at the drive-in with his girlfriend... For you youngsters, there was a time when there were outdoor movie theaters called "drive-ins" and let's just say that things happened in the back seat of cars at the drive-in. -the Armorer
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Jules Crittenden is on a roll (sesame, maybe?) today...
Responsible, Professional, Fact-Based, Emotion-Free Blogging
Avocated by Navy big who, like this site, likes Small Wars Journal. A career spent in nuclear propulsion and personnel may have left Vice Adm. John C. Harvey underequipped to appreciate the ethereal technicolor beauty of the collective societal hurl that is the blogosphere:
We agree - Small Wars Journal is a nice blog, one of the best in its niche. And the Admiral is entitled to his opinion about the rest of us...
With respect to your comment concerning participation in the blogosphere and the upcoming milbloggers conference, let me speak pretty plainly - most of the blogs I’ve dropped in on and read on a regular basis leave me pretty cold. Too many seem to be interested in scoring cheap, and anonymous, hits vice engaging in meaningful and professional exchanges. There is also a general lack of reverence for facts and an excess of emotion that, for me, really reduces the value of the blog.
So, click that link above and go see how Jules wraps it all up into a neat little package. Which he then puts on the Admiral's porch and sets on fire, rings the doorbell and runs away. Oh, wait. I just sunk to stereotype... S'truth, I agree with the Admiral on most of his points, but I have to keep this place fun to make the effort to keep it up worth it! -the Armorer
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This one needs some really hard thought. Google's GDrive cloud computing push. And before you think, "Nah, it'll never happen..." how many of you use internet banking and plastic, vice checks and cash? Pretty much the same type of surrender of information control. Much much thought needed on this one!
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Military Color Guard Gets to Stay!
So it appears that the NFL has changed their policy and has agreed to make an exception and will allow the color guard to stay for the big game. However, allow me to point out that this is not a standing NFL policy for all games, when the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants played in their historic game in the UK at the start of this season the honor guard took front row end-zone seats for the game after presenting the colors. The key graph from the USAFE press release:
An ecstatic Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Marlon E. Vega summed it up as they left the field after the performance: "We were awesome! - No ifs, ands, or buts." Seats in the front row in the end zone for the game, and photos with the Miami Dolphins cheerleaders and sports broadcast personalities like John Salley of the "Best Darn Sports Show" capped an impressive day for the JAC team.
As Lex noted when I broke this story, it appears to be just another business decision, the game played between the Giants and Dolphins at London’s Wembley Stadium, despite the historic significance wasn’t the money generator that the Super Bowl is. Despite his obvious love for the NFL Florio hit the nail on the head when he stated that the real reason they can’t stay in the stadium is because of the lost profit margin the NFL would have to endure. I know its tough to make ends meat when you are charging $3 Million US for a 30 second commercial spot, and have absolute control on how many of those 30 second spots you want to cram into your 6 hour production.
READ MORE
[David M]
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Things like this are why we're no longer **** ** *** *** *** **** ** gov't computers. There's a troop somewhere who, whether he realizes it or not - is hoping that there's nothing traceable in that drive... H/t, Rod T. -the Armorer
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Not that I'd hand over my porn to Google in the first place...
In the era of the WWW and internet-based comms for personal use, different story handing off your data to a third party.
Just curious.
Perhaps she would like to be the keeper of the porn.....
That was kind of my point...we don't use mainframes for a REASON. Well...and that it's not particularly innovative...
So... Josh... who *would* you hand your porn over to anyway?
Just curious.
Maybe Lichtenstein?
There is a clear direction and an absence of clear thinking.
That PLA Hackers' Brigade and at least 300 Russian free-lancers are already making lists of who they'll be selling GDrive users' personal info to...
Cloud computing is coming whether you go Google or Microsoft. That's what google's unified online presence as Gmail etc and Windows 'Live' (Microsoft's unified online presence) is all about. Many partly use cloud computing basics from Google or Microsoft already.
Windows 7 promised to have a less painful autoadmin (UAC). Instead it's just made turning it on or off easier, which you could do already.
Windows 7 is sold as a big improvement but is really an upgrade ie a paid-for Vista Service Pack. The mechanics, features and flaws will be based on the same structure. Look for real changes in a later Windows version.
Windows 7 has several cloud computing features. Windows 7 rips out software from Vista and puts it in its online Live service to encourage you to be attached to Live and also to evade regulatory issues. Virtual drives look useful. Sensors which will tell Windows where you are; both a privacy problem and useful feature depending on your angle. All of these are useful from a cloud computing perspective.
There's some work on touchscreen but this probably won't be mass noticed till a later Windows version. Also work on speech technology which might be useful for our Valour-iT people.
I have yet to find decent info about Windows 7 on various Vista issues that irk me. Like very long application install times, amazingly unresponsive game launch folder, slow bootup and shutdown, multiple crashes, lack of transparency on crashes, your privacy and what is going on, poor backwards compatibility, an execrable defragmenter, generally bad responsiveness.
In all likelihood that's because they will remain.
Memo from The ObamaMessiah: And a promise well delivered! Look we sent you your spun gold farting unicorn but you .. ahem.. seem to be one of those that cannot see! You pressed your very foot into one of its holy offerings but failed to see the beauty in the design. We're talking 100% natural, ecofriendly, fertilizer which will fuel the growth of our ethanol industry paving the way to jobs clean cheap energy and free icecream for all.