One MORE Reason Why That Military Retirement Should Have NOTHING to Do With a “Civilian” Comparison

Shit you have to put up with like this:

Policy Forces More Marines E-5 and Below Into Barracks

Some Marine Corps noncommissioned officers will no longer be allowed to live off-base, instead being forced into the barracks, as part of a servicewide effort to maximize existing available housing.

WHAT does that mean? Well, it means that, if you’re a Sergeant, 25 years old and living off base (collecting your authorized allowances), you may continue to do so, until you receive orders to move to a new station. At THAT time, guess what?

You get to live back in a (hopefully) 180 sq ft box, it gets inspected by the command once a week (which means MILITARY linens, not your Sponge Bob sheets or the comforter your mom made for you), you might not be allowed to quaff so much as a beer in your own room (depending on the local regulations, or you FACE DISCIPLINARY ACTION), the storage fees for the furniture/household goods for the place you’ve been living in ~ possibly for YEARS ~ now come out of YOUR pocket, to get HOME after an evening out/EVERY SINGLE TIME, you have to face the harrassment by coming through the Hitler Youth/SecurityForces at the Front Gate, you don’t get to pick your roommate, whether you wanted one or not and you can’t wear your gym stuff into the commissary if you just wanted to grab a quick bite after working out.

Don’t forget about those “kinetic action” thingees they get involved in, either! There’s been a lot of that lately.

Those are just a few of the things that popped into my brain IMMEDIATELY. Can you imagine if I had all day?

THAT’S a small sampling of why this ridiculous, insane, ludicrous, Joe Bidenesque fantasy of “a military retirement has some equivalent in the civilian world” has no basis in reality. And why it’s so almighty dangerous to have a cadre of non-serving military “experts’ in Congress, all nodding their heads, going “yes, sir, yes, sir, three bags of shit full.”

There IS no parallel in the civilian world for what the military does and the, quite frankly, BULLSHIT they put up with that you can draw.

At it’s very core, WHAT civilian job requires you to sign away every civil right you ever had? In what civilian job would a single misstep and the judgement of an independent judiciary cost you your rights in society?

When you raise your right hand in the military, that’s what happens. The law of the land becomes the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and the good nature of those senior to/appointed over you. That “separated under than honorable”, “for the good of the service”, “bad conduct discharge”…any of those are your scarlet letters and a fight to the death to get them changed.

HP doesn’t do that to you if things don’t work out.

That’s just the start. The 24/7, the holidays, the months and years, the required “Yes sir”, “No ma’am”s, the imposition of restrictions on your freedom of speech and expression. It’s also why the vast majority of recruits don’t make it past that first enlistment. You get tired of the f*ckf*ck real quick.

Nowadays, many of them leave within that first tour or two with several hundred thousand dollars worth of technical training that, combined with the discipline inherent in a seasoned military member, makes them an outstanding job prospect. (No, they don’t need a large monetary parting gift. The education they got and the GI bill they have now is “grazi” enough, so toss THAT particular compensation scheme out the window.)

Ebola just got out in town as a 29 year old and I sat in the barracks in Iwakuni as a 30 year old Sergeant myself ~ only 3 of us, so they stuck us in ONE ROOM together ~ I am completely in sympathy with these guys. They’re going to be treated like five year olds and pay for the privilege.

But, by all means, we have to remember, per the new “enlightened thinking” of the douchebags at the top.
It’s just like working for WalMart.

Bend Over, Professor Krugman

I believe this is called “a spanking of epic proportions“.

(I would have said “fisking”, but that sounded unbearably naughty and, knowing the mental vision of Krugman bent over would be ghastly enough to wipe clean, wanted to spare you the additional, possibly well nigh futile, mindscrubbing.)

Holy Crap! They’re Just Standing in a Hangar…Singing

These guys’re GOOD.

“Sidewinder”, ladies and germs.

They’re part of the 571st Air Force Band, 131st Bomb Wing, Air National Guard and deployed as the U.S. Air Forces Central Command Band.

“I Think We Need A Bigger Boat”

No, really

Brett Sinclair broke a world record when he hooked a 260kg tiger shark during a game-fishing competition near Karratha in WA.

Amazingly, he caught it on a 6kg fishing line, which is usually used for snapper and salmon. He beat the world’s previous best catch on 6kg line by more than 100kg.

…Mr Sinclair, an industrial chemist, was with his cousin and the boat’s skipper. “It’s only a small 19ft (5.7m) boat,” he said. “When the shark started to run, we had to drop the anchor and go after it. It took hours for the shark to tire.”

It wasn’t until the shark rose to the surface that Mr Sinclair realised how big it was. “It’s an intense moment.” he said.

“You’ve got a 250kg monster thrashing around. The tail was smashing the boat and water was going everywhere.”

The shark was too big for the boat, so it had to be tied to the side of the vessel and towed to shore.

“And, Unfortunately, That Gesture’s Gonna Cost Him a Little With Officials”

(And, no, it wasn’t a bitter clinger driver who got stuck behind Obama’s “Running on Empty” tour bus.)

And no WAY his name is really…”Will Power“? No way.

If the LA Times Is This Cynical

…Obama’s economists had more hubris and less ambition than Reagan’s. They thought they could predict events accurately and put just the right policies into place. And that was before politics interfered, cutting the actual package to well below what Romer thought necessary. Larry Summers, however, was later quoted saying that he still thought the stimulus was about right, which raises the question: Why didn’t it work as planned?

In fact, stimulus alone was never going to bring recovery. This crisis was caused by financial collapse, rooted in massive banking fraud. The financial system is our economic motor and when it fails it cannot be revived simply by pouring money on it, any more than a wrecked reactor can be restarted just by adding fuel. Team Obama faced a situation not seen since the 1930s — a worldwide banking meltdown. The financial system needed to be rebuilt — and it still does.

But Team Obama chose to overlook this.

…can the Grey Lady’s reality check awakening be far behind…?

OH HILARIOUS!

You’re right. You’re right. “What am I THINKING?!?!?!” Duh.

(HT @gabrielmalor.)

As Brilliant an Idea as “The Ministry of Silly Walks” and, Quite Possibly

…even less effective.

“The administration may also merge the Department of Commerce, the Office of the United States Trade Representative and some economic divisions at the State Department into a new agency, administration officials said. Possible names include the Department of Jobs or the Department of Competitiveness.”

THS’s 67 Fairlane Rediscovered

Thanks to our intrepid Southern Hemisphere correspondant. It appears at the 1 minute mark

Smart Power!

Making new friends and building bridges all across the world!

The United States has apologised for controversial remarks made by a US diplomat who spoke of “dark and dirty” Indians, calling the comments “inappropriate”.

US Vice-Consul Maureen Chao told Indian students on Friday that her “skin became dirty and dark like the Tamilians” after a long train journey, according to Indian media — referring to people from the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

During her speech in the Tamil Nadu capital, Chennai, Chao was quoted as saying: “I was on a 24-hour train trip from Delhi to (the eastern Indian state of) Orissa.

“But, after 72 hours, the train still did not reach the destination… and my skin became dirty and dark like the Tamilians.”

Don’t Be Intimidated By Threats Of Violence!

If we don’t cut spending then I guess the terrorists have won

Nearly one-out-of-two Americans (48%) think that cuts in government spending are at least somewhat likely to lead to violence in the United States, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. But that includes just 13% who feel it’s Very Likely.

Nearly as many Adults (44%), however, believe violence as the result of spending cuts is unlikely, but only 12% say it’s Not At All Likely. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Americans under 50 raise the possibility of violence more than their elders. Most adults not affiliated with either party (58%) think spending cuts are likely to trigger violence, compared to 46% of Republicans and 42% of Democrats.

I blame the incendiary rhetoric against the cuts.

I Guess the Moral of the Story Would Be

…not to count on the bus picking you up?

Better break out that back stroke you learned at the “Y”.

Twenty Two Years* Of Blissful Bliss

I’d say “I do” again in a flash.

Catherine ain’t got nothing on my hot patootie!

*you know, I always thought the whole marriage/jail sentence thing was a joke but lookie here. I would have been out for a year…

Two Hot Chicks…

…with smokin’ breasts and thighs

Well We Know Where Jar-Jar’s Picture Will Be

Right on the $3 coin

Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Yoda and a cast of other heroes and villains from a galaxy far, far away, will join the Queen on coins issued by the South Pacific island state of Niue.

A set of 40 coins is being produced by the New Zealand Mint.

As legal tender, the coins will have a face value of NZ$2 (£1), but the silver content in each is worth considerably more than that.

How ‘Bout Some More Tapper in the Morning?

UPDATE: Speaking of Tapper, I just wanted to share what I put in the comments for Dr. Alice. It’s a Tweet from Tapper last night concerning the Muslim dinner at the White House. It was ballsy and FABULOUS.

@JakeTapper
JakeTapper
wow, look at all the ambassadors from democracy-free countries that abuse human rights at the WH tonight for the Iftar dinner. Good times!

Worth his weight in gold.

So Pretty

…my eyes hurt.

It’s Back!

Our leading economic indicators are officially boxed

From What Little I Have Heard Of His Stuff

I’ve always gotten the impression that Jim Cramer is a blowhard, but I’ve never really read a column of his until today.

Impression confirmed.

I mean, seriously, how does one write this

We won’t take the tough measures and our president is anti-capital and pro-labor. That others won’t say this is really a function of cowardice, because it’s all anybody talks about when you get off the desk or you turn the microphones off. The duplicity of so much of the media is frightening, because I don’t know a Republican or a Democrat who supports this president when it comes to economic issues. The leadership vacuum is palpable to all, but those in front of cameras fear retribution. I don’t blame them. The lash awaits.

and this

The Standard & Poor’s downgrade crystallized what most are unwilling to say, which is that until our president loses in the election, which I don’t think he will, or the Tea Party obstructionist anarchists fall by the wayside, we can’t really have an economic recovery of any sort in this country.

in the same article?

Father Of The Year

Make daughter carry picket sign?

Check

Place daughter in front of moving truck?

Check

Angrily fling F-Bombs while pointing at daughter?

Check!

Ladies and Gentlemen: Mayor Nutter

…of Philadelphia.

Good luck to him and the rest of the black community needs to get behind him.

As one woman said last night during a WNT segment on the London riots and the madness of the participants…

“They’re feral RATS! Where are their PARENTS?!?!”

UPDATE: Meanwhile, in England, the Prime Minister is really putting the SCREWS to the bad guys:

…He said: “This continued violence is simply not acceptable, and it will be stopped. We will not put up with this in our country. We will not allow a culture of fear to exist on our streets.

“We have seen the worst of Britain, but I also believe we have seen some of the best of Britain –

the million people who have signed up on Facebook to support the police,

…coming together in the clean-up operations.”

Dear God, NO!!!! Not…FACEBOOK?!?!?!?!

I’d be terrified if I were a yob.

UPDATE: This request would be UNTHINKABLE in the United States (At least, the United States I still know and love…), but the reaction is QUITE familiar.

When the rioters came to attack the premises of Kurdish and Turkish businesses in Hackney’s Stoke Newington High Street and Kingsland Road on Monday night, the owners were waiting for them.

“It was between about nine and 10 at night,” said Yilmaz Karagoz, sitting in his coffee shop next to a jeweller’s shop that has been shuttered since Sunday when the rioting began and a pharmacy that closed a day after.

“There were a lot of them. We came out of our shops but the police asked us to do nothing. But the police did not do anything so, as more came, we chased them off ourselves.”

The staff from a local kebab restaurant ran at the attackers, doner knives in their hands.

“I don’t think they will be coming back,” Karagoz said.

It reminds me of a story a friend of mine (whose real name we’ll replace) from high school would tell about when the riots broke out after Martin Luther King was assassinated. Newark was a barn burning damn near every night; then they’d all go to bed, sleep it off, start fresh the next evening. Half the city was incinerated. Rocco’s uncle was a charter member of, well, Tony Soprano’s garbage company, who lived in Newark’s well established Italian quarter which WAS, coincidentally, one of the few places left that wasn’t smouldering. Taking note of that fact, the company called all the troops home, complete with the tools of their particular trade and skill set.

By the next evening, when the mob turned the corner ready to light up the avenue and do some five finger discount shopping, their progress was abruptly halted by the sight of about 100 wise guys nonchalantly leaning on vehicles or chilling on doorstoops. Stopping momentarily to assess the danger, they figured their overwhelming numbers could take them, surged forward…and then skittered backward in a mad panic as every fellow chilling or leaning lifted a weapon. Twice that number of barrels poked suddenly out of open windows. And all were pointing their way.

An attitude adjustment of epic proportions. They found another section of the city to torch.

One Place That Didn’t Get Looted In The UK

Any guesses why?

This SPAM Must have Been Left for Bingley

Full of salient pinots. Don’t stop believing or writing!

Although, I’m pretty sure he’s a cab/malbec type more often then not.

Seriously, IOC?

You feel threatened by this? That there may be some confusion of the brands?

HEBRON — The Redneck Olympics are facing a legal challenge from the United States Olympic Committee, according to organizer Harold Brooks.

Brooks said he received a phone call Monday from a legal office of the USOC, telling him he needs to change the name of his event in the future or face a lawsuit.

He was told the word “Olympics” is the property of the Olympic Committee. Brooks said it’s a case of large group bullying a small businessman.

“I said, ‘I’m not basing it on your Olympics, I’m basing it on the Olympics in Greece.’” Brooks said.

I really hate this granting of copyrights to things that have been around for thousands of years.

Frankly, I find the Redneck OLYMPICS to be far more appealing than that sham based in Lausanne, anyway.

The Fed Meets

And says the economy sucks worse than they thought before but they have no bullets left and they won’t try and reload for another year or two.

Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in June indicates that economic growth so far this year has been considerably slower than the Committee had expected. Indicators suggest a deterioration in overall labor market conditions in recent months, and the unemployment rate has moved up. Household spending has flattened out, investment in nonresidential structures is still weak, and the housing sector remains depressed.

Oh and the President is a poopy head.

Hmm, I may have gotten a copy that wasn’t approved for release.

Real Men May Wear Pink Shirts

But they really shouldn’t touch pink pistols

As Chandler residents Joshua Seto, 27, and his fiancée, Cara Christopher, walked over to a Fry’s Food Store for refreshments, he tried securing her pink handgun in the front waistband of his pants.

The gun fired, striking Seto’s…

I can’t bring myself to type the rest.

Go read it.