Bullet Points:
** The Philippine Navy experiences regular harassment from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Navy. There was a time when China believed it could overrun the Philippines through peaceful means. Now that it’s not stacking up that way, they’re doing what the Celestials always do. They’re bullying short of shooting. The question of what the P.I. should do on a long-term basis remains. I think that buying gunboats from India is dumb. They’re not up-armed enough to challenge the Chinese Navy. The article discusses the potential value of Indian gunboats. The Indian Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV) class possesses a displacement between 2,500 and 2,900 tons, a length of 105 to 110 meters, and a draught of 4 to 5 meters. The propulsion is provided by two diesel engines, which enable a speed of over 25 knots, a sustained cruising speed of 14 to 15 knots, and an operational range of approximately 8,500 nautical miles at economical speed. Endurance is listed as having a minimum duration of 60 days, with crew accommodations for 20 officers and 130 sailors, including provisions for four female officers. Aviation facilities comprise a helipad and an enclosed hangar suitable for a 15-ton helicopter or unmanned aerial vehicles, equipped with a traversing system, refueling equipment, and night-vision compatible landing systems. (more below)
** AI’s economic benefits will predominantly go to the Global North: “only 3% of the projected AI economic benefits will go to Latin America, 6% to developed countries in Asia (excluding China), and a mere 8% to the combined populations of Africa, Oceania, and other Asian markets.”
** At Boats’ suggestion, I tried Cavender’s Seasoning on chicken yesterday. Was it close to the KFC recipe of 11 herbs and spices? No, I don’t think so. It’s not bad, and I ate the chicken spiced with Cavender’s ancient Greek Recipe, but it is not KFC.
** Caption – There are a lot of repurposed MRAPs in the hands of small police departments that don’t have significant crime problems. Yes, they were offered through agencies – formerly known as the Defense Reutilization Marketing Office (DRMO). The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) now refers to it as Reutilization, Transfer, and Donation (RTD). Sometimes law enforcement paints them to match their police cars, or they paint them black, or they leave them the color they were when in military service. I saw one the other day with the livery of an Arizona city that I’d never heard of. So I looked it up, and they have a department of ten people—and one up-armored ride.
** The British Navy – their senior service – It’s good that there isn’t a war they need to fight. (UK Defense Journal) If it were 1940 all over again, they’d be speaking German.
** Deployment – CNN: “The US military is deploying more than 4,000 Marines and sailors to the waters around Latin America and the Caribbean as part of a ramped-up effort to combat drug cartels, two US defense officials told CNN — a dramatic show of force that will give the president a broad range of military options should he want to target drug cartels. The deployment of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit to US Southern Command, which has not been previously reported, is part of a broader repositioning of military assets to the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility that has been underway over the last three weeks, one of the officials said. A nuclear-powered attack submarine, additional P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft, several destroyers, and a guided-missile cruiser are also being allocated to US Southern Command as part of the mission, the officials said.”
** NY Times: “Relations between Washington and New Delhi are on the fritz after the Trump administration threatened early this month to double tariffs on Indian goods to a whopping 50 percent, citing India’s imports of Russian oil. The sudden rift threatens to undermine years of growing cooperation between the United States and India in areas such as security and technology, which had been fueled in large part by a shared desire to contain China’s global ambitions. It has also injected new momentum into easing tensions between China and India, which had escalated in recent years. The thaw started in earnest last October when President Xi Jinping of China met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India at a summit of emerging economies in Kazan, Russia. Since then, the two countries have increased official visits and discussed easing trade barriers and the movement of people.”
** NY Post comments on Communist NY mayoral candidate Zoltan: “The mayoral candidate’s support comes from a young, mostly white, often childless, (homosexual) likely temporary population insulated from the consequences of the urban decline they’re about to cause”
** There may be a day or two lag in blogging at VM.
PRC vs PI
The PRC has increased its coercive activities targeting the Philippines in the South China Sea, as Manila has expanded its coalition-building efforts toward other Indo-Pacific countries. The Philippines and India conducted their first-ever combined naval patrol in the South China Sea on August 3-4 in the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) east of Luzon. Two Philippine missile frigates, an Indian missile destroyer, an Indian anti-submarine corvette, an Indian fleet tanker, and several aircraft participated in the “maritime cooperative activity,” which featured combat exercises involving surface warfare, anti-air warfare, and anti-submarine drills. The end of the exercise coincided with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s state visit to India from August 4 to 8. The Philippines and India signed several defense cooperation agreements and announced that they would hold more bilateral and multilateral maritime drills in the future. The PRC responded to the Philippine-Indian patrol with its own “routine patrol,” tailing the Philippine and Indian ships. PLA Southern Theater Command (STC) spokesperson Tian Junli accused the Philippines of “co-opting foreign countries to disrupt the situation in the South China Sea.” PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on August 5 that territorial and maritime disputes should be resolved diplomatically between the parties concerned and that no “third party” should intervene.
The Philippines has likewise expanded cooperation with Taiwan. President Marcos told Indian media on August 6 that the Philippines would be involved in any conflict in the Taiwan Strait due to its geographical proximity and the requirement to evacuate the large number of Philippine nationals who live and work in Taiwan. The PRC MFA accused the Philippines on August 8 of reneging on its promise to abide by a “one-China policy” and warned it against “playing with fire” by interfering in PRC “core interests. Marcos claimed on August 11 that the PRC had misinterpreted his comments, saying that his country did not want war but inevitably would be pulled “kicking and screaming” into the conflict, if one erupts. The Washington Post reported on July 14 that the Philippine government and defense community are increasingly viewing the Philippines’ security as intertwined with Taiwan’s and have consequently increased engagement with Taiwan. The two countries reportedly conducted a combined coast guard patrol in the Bashi Channel, the waterway between Taiwan and the Philippines, in May 2025. Manila loosened restrictions on government officials interacting with Taiwanese officials in April. Philippine academics have since participated in meetings with Taiwanese generals, while Taiwanese military personnel observed a US-Philippine combined exercise in June.
Philippine coalition-building efforts coincide with an increased PRC presence and coercion around disputed features in the South China Sea, particularly Scarborough Shoal. CCG and PLA Navy ships tried to block a Philippine resupply mission to fishermen near the shoal on August 11, resulting in a collision between a PLA and CCG ship. The Philippines released video footage that showed the PLA destroyer Guilin move in front of the CCG ship 3104 as it was pursuing a PCG ship, causing the crash. The footage showed severe damage to the CCG ship. PCG spokesperson Jay Tarriela reported that the PCG resupply mission was successful and that the Philippines offered support and medical assistance to the CCG crew following the collision. PRC MFA spokesperson Lin Jian did not acknowledge the crash but blamed the Philippines for “deliberate infringements and provocations.” Lin claimed that the Philippines had sent a “number of coast guard ships, official ships, and so-called fishing boats” into Scarborough Shoal’s territorial waters and that the PRC had been defending its territory. The CCG claimed that the PRC’s operation was “professional, standardized, legitimate and legal” and accused the Philippines of using coast guard ships and official vessels to intrude into PRC waters “under the guise of transporting supplies to fishing vessels.”
The collision incident reflects increasingly aggressive PRC tactics around Scarborough Shoal and will likely intensify tensions as the PRC tries to save face. The involvement of a PLA destroyer in blocking operations represents an escalation. The CCG has typically handled confrontations with Philippine ships in previous years, both to control escalation and to portray PRC operations as “legitimate law enforcement” in PRC waters. PLA ships, when present, often formed a perimeter around the area but did not directly engage foreign ships. The PLA’s lack of experience in coordinating blocking maneuvers with the CCG may partly explain the collision. The PLA has become increasingly involved in enforcing PRC claims in the South China Sea over the past year. However, it has also been patrolling along the PRC’s “Nine-Dash Line” boundary claim, conducting increasingly frequent drills around Scarborough Shoal, and shining lasers at Philippine government planes.
Flipper (not a dolphin)
(Spiked) Joel Kotkin delivers a sharp critique of Governor Gavin Newsom, portraying him as a “political chameleon” whose opportunistic shifts in position have coincided with widespread social and economic deterioration across California.
Kotkin argues that Newsom’s frequent flip-flops—on issues ranging from gun rights (unexpectedly supporting gun ownership) and climate policy (softening on Net Zero regulations) to transgender rights (backtracking on certain protections for trans women)—suggest a leader more driven by political expediency than conviction.
Moreover, Kotkin charges that under Newsom’s leadership, California has morphed from the “Golden State” into a domain of “feudal inequality.” He highlights high poverty and unemployment rates, surging homelessness, and a notable exodus of working- and middle-class residents. During his tenure, the state lost 1.6 million above-average–paying jobs while generating low-wage employment at significantly higher rates.
Kotkin further critiques Newsom’s energy policies for making California’s energy costs nearly 30% higher than the national average, straining struggling households and undermining blue-collar job sectors.
Infrastructure failures—such as the still-stalled high-speed rail “bullet train” project—along with ongoing budget deficits, despite the presence of extreme wealth in Silicon Valley, further underscore California’s decline in Kotkin’s view.
The commentary concludes with concerns over Newsom’s national ambitions. Kotkin argues that while Newsom may attract media attention as a presidential candidate, his record of mismanagement and self-interest could prove politically perilous, signaling a wider failure within the Democratic Party should they nominate him.
Retro – from LarryC
***
Food Preferences
Many Americans have strong opinions about food — and especially about what not to put on their plates. YouGov recently asked people to tell us in their own words which, if any, foods they despise. Based on their responses, we developed a list of 40 foods with ample haters. Then, in a separate survey, they asked Americans about their feelings on each.
The foods that topped the list of those disliked or hated by the largest share of American adult citizens are anchovies (56% of Americans dislike or hate them), liver (54%), and sardines (52%). Following the top three in widespread unpopularity are tofu (46%), squid (44%), caviar (43%), oysters (42%), blue cheese (39%), sushi (39%), chitterlings (38%), beets (35%), and kale (31%).
A ranking of the most hated foods (excluding those that are only disliked) would look similar, but liver would lead the pack: 40% of Americans say they hate it, compared to 36% who loathe anchovies and 35% who despise sardines.
Many of the most hated foods are protein-heavy seafood. Vegetables — typically bitter ones that aren’t starchy — also feature heavily in the list of 40 food types asked about, though they are less universally despised than many of the protein-rich seafood items. A few fruits also made the poll, although some of these — such as tomatoes and olives — are often considered vegetables. Blue cheese is the only dairy item included in the survey. Eggs have the fewest detractors of the 40 items in the poll: only 6% of Americans say they hate or dislike them.
One finding: People really like food, even types of food that have lots of detractors. And maybe a food needs enough fans to find its way to the plates of enough people to be widely disliked. Even though we populated our list of 40 types of food by choosing ones many people said they disliked, 31 of the foods are loved or liked by more people than hate or dislike them. The best-liked foods that are disliked by many are eggs (84% love or like) and bananas (82% love or like).
Many of the foods are highly divisive. Kale leads the pack in neutral reactions (31%), and more than one-quarter aren’t sure about caviar (26%) or chitterlings (36%).
Younger adults are more likely to dislike condiments, while older Americans are less likely to enjoy some types of seafood. Adults under 45 are significantly more likely than older adults to dislike or hate several common condiments, including mustard, mayonnaise, pickles, and olives. Younger adults are also more likely to be unsure about most foods, especially liver, okra, and chitterlings.
Americans 45 and older are more likely than younger adults to have an aversion to several protein-rich foods, including tofu and sushi. Underlying food dislikes often exceed generational differences, though: While younger adults are less averse to tofu and sushi than older ones, these two foods are still among the most disliked by younger adults.
Men are more likely than women to dislike or hate several vegetables, including Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, spinach, and broccoli. Women, on the other hand, are more averse than men to several forms of seafood, including anchovies, sardines, squid, oysters, caviar, and sushi. They are also more likely than men to hate or dislike several other protein-rich foods, including liver, chitterlings, and pork. On average, the 40 foods on the list are disliked by four percentage points more by women than by men.
Another Closure
The article doesn’t specifically state the reason for the closure, but forcing the minimum wage up made the company no longer viable, so they’ll move. California’s minimum wage is currently $16.50 per hour for all employers. This rate went into effect on January 1, 2025. Some cities and counties in California may have higher minimum wages. The state director of finance recently announced an adjustment that will increase the minimum wage to $16.90 per hour, effective January 1, 2026. In addition to the statewide minimum, California has a specific minimum wage for fast food workers, currently set at $20.00 per hour. Socialists cheer for the increases, but it didn’t work out so well for the 700 people now unemployed (see below). Maybe they can learn to code. The Minnesota minimum wage is $11.13 per hour for all employers, effective January 1, 2025.
(SFGATE) This summer’s sugar beet harvest could be the last one California ever sees. In April, Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative, the owner of the Spreckels Sugar Company factory in the Imperial Valley, announced plans to close the 78-year-old facility. The news comes as a devastating blow to the Southern California region, as it will result in the loss of more than 700 local jobs, according to KPBS-TV.
“This was a difficult decision brought about by factors largely out of our control,” said Paul Fry, the company’s president and CEO, in the news release. “Despite our extensive investments in the facility, the economic challenges facing the sugar industry have been building for several years as the costs of operating the Spreckels facility have continued to escalate.”
Over half of the sugar produced in the U.S. comes from sugar beets, rather than sugar cane, so demand for the crop is still high. But the federal government places strict limits on which sugar processing companies can make beet sugar, meaning that once the Spreckels Sugar factory closes, the Imperial Valley will no longer be allowed to process beets, KPBS reported. That means the loss of a $243 million industry in the county with the state’s highest unemployment rate, according to the outlet.
Some members of the Imperial County Board of Supervisors aren’t giving up yet, though, and recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to seek permission to build a new beet sugar plant. However, County Chair John Hawk told KPBS-TV that it appeared to be a very tough battle.
The Spreckels Sugar Company was initially headquartered in San Francisco and was incorporated there in 1896. The Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative acquired the Spreckels Sugar factory in Brawley in 2005.
Identify the Vehicle
1 & 2
3
4
Identify the Aircraft
5
Identify the Ship
6
Parting Shot
Kamala doesn’t have any biological children – this refers to a stepchild.
End
MRAP-
My wife and I did a two week house sit in Bend, Or in 2017. We were in a upper middle class area.
Saw black MRAPs almost daily. There were 3 or 4 in a town of about 90 000 then. Sheriffs dept from memory.
I could not think of a good use for them outside of some rare hostage/sniper situation.
When I ran private security for some rural Councils we walked in town areas whenever possible.
You get a feel for places when you walk that you can never have when you drive, particularly in an MRAP with windows that don’t open. I’m not suggesting that you’d want them to open if people are shooting at you, but most of police work doesn’t involve exchanging gunfire. My sense is that the deputies received a few of them on a grant (Josephine County, as I recall, without looking it up) and enjoyed displaying them for no good reason.
Liver and onions was a staple of our diet growing up on the dairy farm. Our source of meat was a 10 yr old gummer milk cow who wouldn’t breed back. No rib eyes on those cows, just lots of hamburger and liver. Supplement that with an unlimited supply of raw milk and extra sharp cheddar cheese. Look how normal myself and my brothers turned out is probably not a good example.
LL enjoy your short sabbatical.
We raised cattle and sold butcher calves, then Dad (with my assistance/hindrance) offered dispatch, slaughter, quartered, and hauled to the locker plant for processing into various cuts for $2+the hide. If the buyer didn’t want some of the offal often times we kept it and Mom cooked it. Only reason I mention this is to note that the like/don’t like food list mentioned above, didn’t include sandwiches made with slices of “cold cow tongue”. For the record, they are definitely on my don’t like list. Being on that list doesn’t mean I didn’t eat ’em though.
What i found interesting was the only thing on that list that would get a hard pass from me was the Tofu.
It doesn’t taste like anything unless you add something to it.
Bean glop, only edible with bacon, as in…mostly bacon.
Identify the Vehicle:
1. Cougar
2. MaxxPro
3. M2 Bradley
4. EBRC Jaguar
Identify the Aircraft:
5. Mi-8/17 Hip. Yes, I know but which variant? Added to to-do list.
Identify the Ship:
6. Indian Visakhapatnam-class destroyer
Very good. Keep working on #5.
I end this with calling it a Mi-17 of some sort as I’m off to celebrate my anniversary.
Good – Happy anniversary!
Happy anniversary.
X3
x4!
Yeah the Cavenders is not that close , really , but I keep it in my spice rack arsenal , it has its uses , the salt free version is terrible tasting , don’t get that .
With reference to KFC and their 11 secret herbs and spices, I remember a cartoon from the early 1970s where the police (I believe with something about anti-drug unit on their uniforms) are dragging the Colonel out of his restaurant with one of the police saying “We found out what those 11 secret herbs and spices are!”. One always wonders; just remember what Coca Cola was originally formulated with.
I remember that cartoon, too!
I like KFC. The potatoes and gravy are good, but they stopped selling the green beans here in FoCo. I’m bummed, as green beans are very high on my “like” list.
Been binging Homicide: Life on the Street on streaming. Of note is the Baltimer special response folk making entry with MP-5’s, baseball caps, light jackets and little else. Now it seems every po-lease unit everywhere kits up like they’re gonna invade Poland. A while back I was at the gate waiting on boarding call at the Wichita airport at zero-dark-thirty and there was one cop slowly walking around wearing all manner of tactical gear carrying an AR-15 carbine on a two-point sling held in the low ready position with a firing grip, staring at people. What the hell.
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I’m certainly aware there are areas where things are presumed to be spicy but damn.
5.56/.223 rounds will go through and through. There are times when you want 7.62 AP as well, but not in a crowded airport. People need to exercise judgment when they want to be “tactical.”
I’m glad you told me homicide is available. Next on my list.
It’s on Tubi, Ed, all seven seasons.
growing up in the early ’40s in NYC, I ate whatever Mom put on the table, whatever she could buy at the butcher’s/grocery store with the money Dad earned.; no such thing as “I don’t like/won’t eat this.”
potatos were the only daily staple: meat and/orvegetables varied as per whatever was on sale
can’t say there was always that much, but it was good and hearty – and there was never anything leftover except bone/gristle.
Yep, grew up with parents who were Depression Babies and WWII Kids. You ate, no matter how bad it was, whatever was served. Fortunately my dad, the Cajun knew how to cook so there were only horrid dishes like stuffed peppers and stuffed eggplant that I had to choke down. Though I just can’t do gumbo anymore.
Chitterlings… no thank you.
*
Excellent article LL on the Philippines vs China ocean war, non war. At a certain point they need to go kinetic and sink a couple of the China ships without any warning. Fine, try to ram us, shoot water hoses. Here, try a couple fish in exchange. Oopps… Then claim rogue captain, usual excuses.
*
Our community has a nicely painted MRAP. It looks good in holiday parades, school visits for the kids to climb all over, and the once a year hostage scenario. But, it turned out to have one very useful capability … used several times to good effect …. driving down flooded or snow buried streets helping people. Did it need to be armoured, bullet glass so on. Of course not. Do we need more, nope. A couple plain all wheel drive trucks for the street dept would be useful though.
X2 – I am not anti-MRAP and the larger city SWAT teams use them periodically and they occasionally save lives. LAPD put a big ram on the front of one and broke down doors and walls of “rock houses” in the inner city. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have two or three (two is one, one is none) regionally for use if the need arose. Better to have and not need than need and not have. They don’t need to be camouflaged. In sniper situations they are useful in rescuing downed people, they can be used as blocking vehicles to be pulled in front of suspect vehicles where you expect a gunfight and use them to stop bullets from going downrange. I’ve used them for all of those applications and can share war stories if anyone cares – but those are urban environments where those needs to come up – not frequently, but they can be useful.
Collard greens didn’t make the list? The kids will be so overjoyed at that. Along with gizzards and hearts and scrambled eggs
Love collard greens and mustard greens. Beef tongue. Don’t like gizzards or other internal organs unless they’re ground/chopped real fine and put in with something more palatable.
I did not see Brussel Sprouts on the hated food list… I feel so alone! :-)
small, bitter cabbages. But they can be amped up and fried with bacon, onions and spices to be pretty good. Or you can boil them to death and they’re bitter and slimy.
There was only ONE person on the planet AFAICT that could make edible Brussel Sprouts. One of my best friend’s Mom cooked them some way to kill the bitter taste, and put a cinnamon/honey/walnut glaze on them. They were far better than “edible”, and I had two helpings whenever she made them.
There’s a restaurant in San Diego that made outstanding brussel sprouts. As you say, they weren’t simply edible, they were cravable. Then I’ve had some nasty ones too elsewhere.
If you get the smaller ones, they tend to be less bitter.
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I love a good steamed brussel bump. Pan-seared are good too.
Tossed with salt, pepper, and olive oil (one of the functions of salt is it removes bitterness), and roasted in the oven, then drizzled with balsamic vinegar (acid + alkaloid (the bitter component) = water + salt), they’re lovely.
I don’t do it often because it’s fussy, trimming them all and getting it right, but it’s a wonderful side to a good steak and a glass of wine – and sometimes I just want to make sure I tell my husband he’s loved with a nice dinner.
Sugar Beets
Northern Colorado was once a major sugar beet growing area. While still an important crop, the economic impact is far less. The decline started with the Hunt brothers failed attempt to corner the silver market (Silver Thursday 3/27/80). They owned controlling interest in Great Western Sugar, which filed for bankruptcy in 1985, and most of the processing plants were closed. Processing is a seasonal activity (and malodorous) as the beets gradually loose sugar content after harvesting. One beet rarely contains more than two spoonfuls of sugar.
I spent one harvest hauling sugar beets from Platteville, CO to Greeley, CO. During my 12 years of working for Little Hitler, aka Steve Lance, he fired me, or I fired him, several times. During one gap my sister suggested driving a harvest truck. The job lasted two months and I learned a lot about sugar beets, not that knowledge ever was needed.
When I was a young man, I thinned sugar beets for very little money. All respect for people who engage in stoop labor, but I made a conscious decision at the time to find a better way to earn money.
Many a person who did that type of work were motivated to find something else. When my two younger sons were elementary age, I took them to Yakima every summer to the U-Pick farms. After sweating to fill baskets, the next week we did home canning. I wanted them to know food didn’t just arrive at Fred Myers without a lot of hard, sweaty labor. Financially, it didn’t make sense. As a life lesson, priceless.
Yep. Northern Colorado was known as the “Lamb Fattening Capitol of the World”, as they used the beet waste to feed sheep. And there’s a LOT of sheep here…..
My kids picked corn couple of summers.
They like the money It gave them.
I’ve picked corn, too. One of the farms that bordered our ‘subdivision’ would let you pick your own corn. He had a few acres of Sweet Corn, the real deal, and we’d pick a bunch every week when it was in season. That’s when I learned you can get some nasty slices on your arms from the corn leaves if you’re not careful.
Planting, then topping, sprigging, cutting, staking, and hanging tobaccy is why I got a college degree and a pilot’s license. Ain’t doing that again if I can help it!!
I didn’t know they had baccy in Alaska.
They don’t. Courtesy of being a military brat, I was in Appalachia at the time. (I actually got a college scholarship for being an Appalachian White, due to the county of my birth.)
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I say I’m from Alaska because it’s where I’d lived the longest before meeting Peter, and it’s the only place I ever felt was home (and discovered homesickness the first time I tried to move away…)
> But the federal government places strict limits on which sugar processing companies can make beet sugar
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The Soviet Union’s track record is that central planning produces mass starvation.
Summer fest, our cop shop had an MRAP out front and center with a bunch of swat guys around it. In Podunk USA. It was nicely painted, with very subdued “sheriffs dept” logo- I could just make out the logo. So I asked the swat guy why the dept name was so obscured- I mean, they are the good guys, right? Who are they trying to hide from? He got a little hot. Then I asked what exactly they needed it for. Well, apparently when they “roll up” on the bad guys. That had me a little confused, I am not a military guy, but having a bunch of valuable officers bunched up in a tin can when approaching danger just seemed like a bad idea- assuming the bad guys are indeed “bad”. I suspect any squad level anti armor would turn that thing into a torch.
A decent ditch would roll it over. 10 gallons of gas would cook it. And they have to get out of it sooner or later, yes? Can’t just hide in the thing with rounds pinging off it forever.
In the end, I concluded it was a pretty toy that made them feel badass.
Am I mistaken on this?
The armor won’t defeat .50 BMG Raufoss MK 211 Mod 0 HEIAP 665 GR MK211 or even simple .50 BMG API fired at reasonable ranges. One round will kill or disable everyone inside. Many people including me own .50 BMG rifles and the ammo is available mail order.
Hunh. Maybe that explains a lot? I actually like just about all of the hated food list. I was fortunate growing up, my mother wasn’t afraid of variety in the kitchen. I really like anchovies on my pizza. Can’t eat them anymore because of blood pressure issues. The trick to liver and onions is don’t over cook the liver. Food that I will absolutely refuse —
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Head Cheese (at least as it was served to me. Once.)
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Vichyssoise (cold potato soup)
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Slices of plain fired Egg Plant (That said, it does take on other flavors well when chopped up and add to another dish.)
The most hated foods : Rutabagas. Years ago I was filling my Zippo as my nose itched and as I scratched it, a bit of lighter fluid touched my lip and it reminded me of Rutabagas. Yeah. TeX
I don’t think that I have ever tasted one, TeX. Are they worse than pickled eggs? They can’t be worse than the gas that results from eating a pickled egg.
Ah yes, MRAPS. There’s one with the Whitney PD, blue livery, looks sharp. Not altogether sure what they’ll use it for but there is off-road opportunity for sure. So there is that. Then there’s the Royal Navy. Kyrie Eleison.
grew up in Texas , ate okra in gumbo and fried my whole life , have four plants in my garden , picked 20 or so today , clemson spineless , can’t give it away here in the midwest . In Texas or the south people would definitely say “gimme some” ! That’s okay i’d turn down lutefisk .
Why does society embrace anything the degenerates and deranged among us have to say? Kammi’s so-called daughter is an apple that hasn’t not fallen very far from the tree…a total weirdo that no one should pay any attention to anything that comes out of her mouth.
***
Like WWW said above, we watch a bunch of shows like 48 hrs etc…nearly every “go get ‘em” squad looks like they are checking/clearing dirt houses in Fallujah. I could see in certain cities, but most?
***
Most of those Depression era/Survival food stuffs are hideous. Heck, PDJT loves Mickey-D’s and the guy is running circles around his A-Team and much younger staff, hits a rather good drive off the tee, and seems to have energy to spare. No need eating inedible things dug up or out of the wrong places. BUT…what’s with the blue cheese hate?
We have ONE MRAP in our county, and I’ve never seen it out for anything other than a demo. Re the PRC/PI, that one is getting more and more serious every day. And we’re going to get dragged into that one, by our use of Subic and Clark… sigh…
Regarding the Philippines, a source of used ships and aircraft that they are getting is… Japan. Transfer of 8 destroyers/frigates, some patrol craft, some P-3 Orions and other ‘old’ aircraft. All of it is being delivered in good working condition with only Philippine-exclusive gear needing to be added.
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Seems Japan is seriously assed-up about the ChiComs.
What a difference 80 years makes.
I may upset some here. Not my intent.
Other than “our” pride/honor/word-
is PI truly worth going kinetic with the pooh people?
Internally, most civvies (and I dare suspect afp types, aside from their “public”voices) tremble at the notion of resisting the pooh people in any meaningful, concerted manner. Consistent with their widespread notion that “anything is ok. As long as I can access tock tock nd fecesbook, I don’t care.
I suspect some here are aware of Gen Douglas there pre-war 2. Who hired him, at what cost, and for what purpose. Do you know of his meeting with the then local “president” about his failure of mission?
pinoy were unwilling at that time, in sufficient numbers, to fight to protect “home”. Back when they had cajones.
Today, they have drag queens and such (very majorly. always exceptions). They even refuse to allow ROTC in the education “system”.
If a people won’t fight for their own place, why should Noble Americans or others sacrifice their best to defend them?
A major oversimplification I concede, but, I believe the last point remains.
(I was there in the early/mid 70s many times. Operating out of Japan on P3s, and other jobs).
PI today is Not That Pi.
nor are we.
I still believe in maga,
not mpiga (they never were)?
the scs situation has been a long time, ongoing operation.
with much credit going to Gloria, sir rody and who’s not sane from keen ya.
imho
Juan
Not an unreasonable position.
But it seems containing the PRC is reasonable, too.
Thanks for the comment Sir.
I agree on prc!
Perhaps I should have framed it more like this-
don’t expect much if any “good” from PI.
Keep moving forward with the recovery Sir.
Juan
>>Breaking<<. The New York Appeals Court has just THROWN OUT the unprecedented $465 MILLION verdict against President Trump in the case brought by Letitia James!
Mirable dictu!
Now she gets to lose her law license then a stint in county.
Federal mortgage guarantee, so a federal correction facility run by Trump.
Works for me.