Gripe-Gripe-Gripe!

43 thoughts on “Gripe-Gripe-Gripe!”

1. Identify the Ship:
   1. USS Long Beach (CGN-9). Late in her career as indicated by the lack of Talos and the replacement of its associated fire control radars with Phalanx.
   Identify the Aircraft:
   2. Douglas EA-1F Skyraider

   1. I never heard of the EA-1F and found this:
      https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nnam/explore/collections/aircraft/e/ea-1f-skyraider0.html
      >
      I’m a faithful follower of General Ned Ludd but fixin’ to figger out all this Kindle business for one reason and one reason only. There’s some L-L stuff that ain’t available anywhere else. I’m not griping (for once), I just like paper. But I do understand why the format is attractive to authors. The cover is fine, by the way. Perfection is the enemy of good enough, get on with it.

   2. Exactly

   3. There’s a version of the Skyraider that has a crew door on either side of the fuselage just behind the wing and chairs for two persons and tons of radios and such for fire or mission control. Other than the doors and windows in said doors, it’s visually the same as a regular Skyraider.
      –
      Which, as soon as I heard about it, made me really wish I had won the lottery so I could buy one. Yank out all the now non-used radios and such, put a little soundproofing and better seats that recline, make cargo pods out of drop tanks and I’d have a nice flying camper.

2. I am one of the poor schlubs who hasn’t converted to a kindle reading platform. Thanks for recognizing that we are still out here, and going the extra mile to accommodate our sorry butts. You might possibly be a more prolific poster on the road than you are at your casa. Sucking the bandwidth down wherever you go.

   1. Are you implying that I’m a bandwidth whore?

      1. That makes sense only if you’re taking money for it, and doing so willingly. [1]
         Otherwise you’re a bandwidth slut, not a bandwidth whore.
         (Ahem. Well, ekshully …)
         —
         [1] i.e. a sex-slave forced into prostitution is not a whore (nor a slut)

         1. Thank you for the correction and clarification – I’m a bandwidth slut or slattern.

3. That header picture? Someone had a bad day…

   1. It happens.

      1. Apparently survived the landing, but much afterwards.

         1. He did walk away from the landing, so technically it was a good one. He didn’t walk far, but the distance walked isn’t the litmus test.

            1. Why didn’t I think of that?

4. Gripe: It’s a good word, more specific than “comment” these days. As 8th Graders we’d tell our buddy to quit griping and get on with it.
   ***
   Comey: Yesterday had to “dispatch” a few pocket gophers in the pasture that somehow escaped the Ampho smoke stick method. Thing is, they typically move around flat, but when they stand up they are pretty tall and a much easier target. Isn’t Comey like 6’8″, an easy target when he stands up? Is he that arrogant? (Disclaimer for our NSA/FBI/DOJ lurkers: The “pocket gopher dispatch when standing tall” point was an analogy, not literal.)
   ***
   “tuck and roll” job: And here I thought that was when you come off a roof and want to save yourself from a hard landing, who knew it included a mental falling off the roof that causes getting rid of your male bits. A very confused cross-dresser has gotta be seriously mental to employ an Xacto for some Man-un-scaping. Gawd, now I can never think of TnR the same…luckily I’m staying off roof’s these days, leave that to the younger guys.
   ***
   Blue hair: Used to be associated with old lady’s, now it’s a “Danger! Danger! Will Robinson!” warning sign (like red hair on an Irish lass). Same with those ugly as sin nose rings. Watching Clarkson Farm – he buys a young bull – yup, nose ring to lead it around. Come to think of it, might be a metaphor when gals install them, certainly to make themselves more attractive to normal males.
   ***
   AOC= Grifter on a short leash with the anarchist ‘Democratic Socialists of America’.
   ***
   America needs more alligators, they don’t care about “due process” or what the MSM says about the resulting action, especially when you jump in front of them. Poor gator was probably taking a nap. Who doesn’t get a little cranky when someone wakes you up from a nice nap?

   1. Arrg…autocorrect: “Andro” gopher smoke sticks (now the NSA/FBI/DOJ lurkers will really perk up..note to them: I have no blue barrels). BTW, $32 for a 3-6pack order on Amazon. ProTip: Use your leaf blower down hole after you toss the lit stick in.

      1. Don’t ruin Clarkson’s Farm for me. I’m saving it for when I get home.
         .
         Blue hair is akin to the rattle on a snake. Treat each in much the same way and you’re fine.

         1. PS – PaulM, don’t casually mention to people that you had to tuck and roll to fix your situation. Time has rendered your colloquial expression to be arcane.

            1. Apparently…appears some things aren’t off limits to the yungin’s redefinition. I’m not THAT old, yet still prefer the original meaning of ‘gay’, which if modern re-definer’s would ever admit (they won’t) has nothing to do with their ‘against nature’ personal proclivities or attitude.
               .
               BTW…I like the cover art, gives that SISU look while implying any ensuing bloodletting.
               .
               [For those who care, the Amdro (finally spelled it right) is up a little on Amazon to $34 for the (3) 6-pack. Works quietly for those with neighbors or people driving by (“911, what’s your emergency?” “There’s a guy out in a field next to the road shooting.”…same as that sign “Horses lay down, please do not call 911.”)]

5. Never did understand the weird hair dye jobs. Women who shave their scalps is another head scratcher to me. I guess I’m just old fashioned, but I prefer black, brown, blond, red, grey, or white hair of a reasonable length on a woman. Silly me.
   I’ve enjoyed what you’ve previously published so I went ahead and took a change on the latest.

   1. I hope you enjoy it.

6. Those two FB shorts on Canadian drug trafficking and their govt.. Is Canada controlled by the druggies (like Mexico) too?
   https://www.facebook.com/reel/3829907353822551
   https://www.facebook.com/reel/2004875323334381
   I’d never thought about that before….

   1. I’m not in a position to comment directly on the Canadian evolution into a narco state the way I am with Mexico. The Canadian Government is clearly being influenced by narco money and by the Chinese Communist Party even more directly than USGOV is (the Biden Crime Family notwithstanding). I think that it’s an order of magnitude worse in Ottawa than it is in Edmonton. I think that Alberta and associated provinces have a path to avoid that death spiral.

   2. I wonder how much of what’s true in Canada is true in the U.S. as well

      1. It is worse there.

7. Book… yes I bought the kindle version, yes I will buy the paper book version. I prefer to read on paper. Yes I’ll leave a review once I read the kindle version. AND….thanks for pushing it out!
   *
   Zumwalts… No more. I’d rather see multiple ships in the 5,000 to 10,000 ton range than these heavy Zummis. If we learned anything over the last thirty years having multiple ships to scatter around the world at geographic choke points is better than one ship and anguish over “where” it should go. Plus it’s easier to drop off a ship on a regular basis tor maintenance, for foreign port crew liberty, and show the flag stuff in remote ports, than a few monster Zummis stuck attempting to protect the aircraft carrier targets.

   1. Aircraft carriers are still valid in most conflicts. We’ve seen that work. In a war with Russia or China, which will turn nuclear, I don’t know that anything will matter. Nuclear winter isn’t a theory.

8. Blue Hair-In this part of Central Texas having a blue hair in your driving lane, means be ready for immediate stops and left or right turns without signaling…. reason(s), “Everybody knows I live down this road” or “I thought I saw a cat cross in front of me”.

9. Like most things that hippies (the bad kind) Pinkos, and neo-barbarians hate,
   the Industrial Revolution was one of the greatest things to ever happen to mankind.
   *
   I would prefer a DD(X) and a CG(X) to a single hull. The cruisers should have massive
   sensor fits and magazines for (especially) air and missile defense, though they’ll need
   ASW and anti-surface, too. The destroyers need to be more balanced, and have a
   very strong capability against mass attacks with lower-end missile/drone threats.
   Both will need a heavier DP gun fit, for dealing with $10 Zulu drones. I have nothing
   against magazine ships of the robot or non-robot inclination, but I don;t want to just
   dive whole hog into untried technology w/o waiting for some field experience, first.
   I do miss the old CGNs, and I doubt we’ll see their like again, sadly. We really need another
   trillion in the defense budget (or to increase efficiency enough to achieve the same effect)
   but that isn’t gonna happen, either.
   *
   That helo recovery / landing wasn’t too bad, considering. Pretty sure the machine’s a
   write-off, though

   – Kle.

10. we used to call them “bull dykes” and they weren’t necesarily female, BION; most often they were accompanied by male or female “pansies.”
    when their TOTM (again, male as well as female) rolled around, they disaccompanied themselves and went on the “hunt” (any rhyming words to be disregarded). they’d sit down on the stool next to you with their back to you (the back: always! this is the defining initial factor) and, depending on their mood, would inch their stool towards yours (other maneuvers, like accidently sloshing beer in your direction, might be employed) waiting for your response to their (I want to employ the word aggression), usually quiet, but far from passive.
    If you were a normal male (I’ll accept female as well), still sober, not looking to engage in a confrontation, you’d get up and leave the bar.
    if unsuccessful at first, they’d repeat this same action with others during the evening until it would wind up in a loud shouting match at the very least: two bulls pawing the ground showing off their testosterone levels for the available pansies.
    this would come to an abrupt halt at the outset if the bar owner kept an off-duty cop on his payroll.
    I think you could pick out this type of behavior/illness as early as kindergarten where, if appropriate measures were taken, could still be corrected..

11. ** Thank you very much for the continuing education (and references) in (international) economics; it’s an area where I’m sorely lacking
    ————–
    ** my youngest purchased me a kindle (the grammar gives my background away) which I employed to read one of your prior books, I enjoyed the story/(ies): the kindle not so much.
    when I read, I like to go back to certain points in the story to refresh my memory of the author’s direction at that time; I find this highly difficult, therefore unpleasant when using the kindle.
    and yes, I’m old enough to enjoy the feel of paper in my hand, though not that antediluvian that I reject all new technology out of hand; I’ll sniff and paw at it for a while though.

    1. I use Kindle, but not A Kindle, to read books by people I interview for cost and fast acquisition and portability (phone, tablet, laptop) but you are right about going back to review.
       Can’t bend a page….

    2. X2 Boron
       My wife graciously shares her kindle with me for affordability of the new releases I “ask” her to purchase on my behest. Reading on paper is my preference as well.
       –
       I do judge books by their cover, and the latest Lambert release is appropriate for the title IMHO.

12. number of you who follow the blog don’t read digital books.
    That is me. Likely my loss.
    ————
    ** Irrepressible conflict.
    Is there a parallel today between the radical left and conservatives? The left seems to have no problem with violence. When we watched the Bundy standoff, how close were we to a civil war? Maybe that is a reach.
    ———–
    So many leftist women are unattractive. Are they simply lashing out because of frustration? The beta males accompanying them are not any better. Maybe they are all trying to get laid?

13. *low whistle* okay, that’s a really good demonstration of why the books keep coming back to making absolutely sure you have a clear area for your tail rotor, including if you drift when you go from the low-wind of confined area through the turbulence and shear to wind at altitude. It’s only black humour that makes me want to go “We didn’t cover that in Loss of Tail rotor Effectiveness (LTE)”…
    .
    Book purchased, will read when able. Looking forward to it!
    .
    Blue hair… in ladies “Of a Certain Age”, a lot of hair products and some medications will unfortunately turn white hair yellow. Thus they dye it blue in order to try to colour-correct back to white. In women who are neither ladies nor Of An Age, sadly, they hate themselves even more than they hate the world around them… and indeed, often focus on “changing the world” and “raising awareness” precisely because these goals are so big and abstract that they cannot fail, whilst ignoring their myriad personal failures.
    .
    So, with spoiled brats who hate themselves, and refuse to admit it’s their responsibility to do the hard, slow work in order to get gradual rewards like fitness, how do they “make a change in their life”? Cosmetically, by either cutting off their hair, dying it something that makes it obvious they’ve changed it, or getting yet another body piercing or tattoo. Merely dying it brown or black or a natural red would not be performative, so the more unnatural the hair colour, the better they think it is.
    .
    I recognize the impulse; there’s a reason for the phrase “cutting off the past like six inches of hair.” I just… mourn the way their insanity means I cannot playfully dye mine in random colours for amusement anymore, (including RNFN – Red Not Found in Nature), lest I visually identify as the psycho hosebeast tribe.

14. “explain why Jewish Americans went from 25% to 4% of Harvard’s population”
    Down to 4% from 25% is concerning, and I’d be curious to learn why. But why does no one wonder how it got to 25% in the first place? If all races and ethnic groups have equal intelligence and potential, and all cultures are equally good/moral/effective — and we know they ARE because that’s what the big brained, morally superior people at places such as Harvard have taught us — then how could a group that is less than 3% of the US population have occupied 25% of the positions at the most influential academic institution in the US (and thus likely the world)?
    —
    We’ve been further taught (by big brained Harvard types) that IQ is meaningless, other than as a racist construct. So if I say that Ashkenazi Jews were more than 8-fold “over-represented” at Harvard, but it’s not really over-representation because (as a group) they have higher IQs and a culture that emphasizes studiousness, work ethic, and long-term planning, then I am making nonsense noises with my keyboard, because IQ is not real and all cultures are equivalent. So if it’s not superior intellect and culture, then the only other possibility is that there must be nefarious reasons for the success of Jews.
    —
    So which is it, oh Harvard? Is it true that some ethnic groups are just smarter? (Heresy!) Or is it because of something underhanded going on? (Anti-Semitism!) Scylla, meet Charybdis.

    1. IMHO this is the result of Jewish mothers who were born post-WWII, raised as JAPs (Jewish -American Princesses), and were more concerned with their Social Crediibilty Score (SCS) than with making certain their children (particularly boy children) spent 25 hrs/d over their books rather than scoring goals in soccer (which raises a mom’s SCS):
       mothers who had been born prior to WWII raised their (boy) children with a nose-to-the-grindstone ethic and therefore lower numbers on the SATs.
       I say “mothers” because the pre-WWII Jewish dad was usually to be found working 24/6 (sometimes 24/7) – only because the factory’s door were closed on Sundays and usually coming home after the kids were in bed.
       ∴ this might not be Harvard’s “anti-Semitism” but rather a cultural shift among the Jewish population.
       the increase in foreign students being laid to the fact that Harvard (and Cornell) love their $$$; the Ivy League 8 (Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Dartmouth, University of Pennsylvania, Brown, Columbia) isn’t truly concerned with football prowess in their “mine-is-bigger-than-yours” fight.

       1. sorry! that “and therefore lower numbers on the SATs.” belonged to the prior paragraph

          1. If you yellow and white scoundrels didn’t always steal your slaves’ good ideas there would be a LOT more Nobel Prizes for science awarded to Africans. Just saying.

             1. Ai ya! The secret is out. Shut it down, boys! The big noses [1] know!
                —
                By Jeshu, I am the negro’s oppressor, I care not
                who know it; I will confess it to all the world: I
                need not to be ashamed of my oppression, praised be
                God, so long as I can oppress the good African man.
                –Fruerren
                Henly V, by Wirriam Shakespeale
                —
                [1] “Big nose” has nothing to do with Jews. ALL white people are called big noses. No one says “round eye”. That’s made up, prolly by white people, for who knows why. Similarly, no one means “foreign devil”. The literal translation is “ocean ghosts” or “ocean demons”. As in “comes from the ocean” where all the big-nosed auslander weirdos come from. That’s the literal translation. The colloquial translation is “those foreigner assholes”. There’s nothing supernatural, occult, or glamorous about it. It means assholes, or maybe jerks, in context. It’s white people who use the term “devil,” prolly because The Devil is the cool guy with the good lines in Paradise Lost. [This cross-cultural moment brought to you by the PBS Corporation, the number 37, and Mr Discount $8 Bottle of Wine.]

15. I had a girlfriend who was a great friend after high school while I served. And when I got out.
    She and I went to visit her sister who I met before. Not butch, but jeans and flannel.
    Then I met her sister’s housemate who was actually wearing a frilly white dress.
    A week later, another girl who had been a close friend of both of us asked what I thought of the sister and her house mate.
    We had both come to the same conclusion within days of each other.
    My girlfriend and I parted soon and she moved to Atlanta and went into the lesbian scene there. I figured it was their dad. He was masculine but very detached from his girls.
    .
    Scherie worked for a guy who decided to trans.
    Left his wife, wore dresses to work, got a girlfriend in Brazil and got taken for every cent.
    Felt sorry for his wife and kids.

    1. Some tranny couples work out. Look at Barack and Big Mike – still very much in love.

       1. Not from listening to her podcast.

16. Observations;
    “Is there some DNA trigger powered by a mighty mitochondria surge that urges them in that direction when they’re insane?”
    Roy Masters asked the question;
    –
    ” is the chemical imbalance from the mental state, or visa versa, has there been a DNA alteration that’s caused the insanity”? Paraphrased from hearing him on the radio in the 1990’s

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