Iran Swore to Pursue Legal Action against the USA
From all reports, they’ve come to a rapprochement with the Jews – not quite an unconditional surrender, but maybe a way forward. Will the peace hold? Will they build a nuke with components for a bomb that they’ve rat-holed in a cave nobody knows about? Will the ayatollah retain power and continue to rule as a dictator?
I don’t have the answers despite my affiliation with the infallible patriarchy within the Great Satan.
If Iranians want personal freedom, they may be able to de-fang the Persian religious power elite, who have been degraded but still retain power. To do that, they’ll have to shed blood. Are they up to the task? Or will they continue to be sheep? (We know there is an affinity for both sheep and goats in the culture.)
When the Shah toppled, they traded one despot for another. It’s a pattern they’re likely to continue, IMHO. Will the new boss (if there is one) be a regional asshole? THAT is the question.
Traitors
Bullet Points:
** Stephen Soukup’s American Greatness piece, “Why Can’t California Do Anything?” argues that California’s bloated bureaucracy and overregulation have made basic infrastructure projects prohibitively expensive and slow. Citing a Rand study, he notes that housing takes twice as long and costs far more than in states like Texas. The state’s $130 billion high-speed rail boondoggle—still unfinished despite billions in federal funding—is contrasted with India’s more efficient, lower-cost bullet train. Soukup uses California as a case study in America’s broader failure to deliver public projects effectively.
** If the war isn’t over, “Rubio considered the possibility of Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz, a move that would significantly imperil the oil trade, and warned that Iran would earn the ire of the entire globe if it did so.” Virtual Mirage® believes that the US Navy should keep the Straits open, if for no other reason than to make a point. It’s not a vital interest of the United States, but it would be a good exercise in dealing with naval choke points and rogue states. The first move would be to sink their navy, including their submarines, and evaluate our capacity to conduct anti-mine warfare. The littorals and missile coverage on Iran’s side of the Straits should be sterilized with extreme prejudice.
** Breitbart is reporting (via CNN) that Iran doesn’t want a cease fire and that they want to “fight to the end,” which in the case of the leadership might be three hours from now. We’ll see how this all plays out.
** China has stockpiled over a billion barrels of crude oil.
** From The Dictator…
** “Sometimes you need to hug people you don’t like, so you know how big to dig the hole in the back yard.” – My daughter, Amanda.
** Trying to explain to people that you live on a dirt road when they’re from the city.
** In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court lifted a previous order from a federal judge who had previously blocked the Trump administration from deporting illegal aliens to alternative countries without “due process.” While the court did not explain its ruling, it “granted the Trump administration’s emergency request” to put U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy’s injunction on hold, Politico reported. Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented…of course they did.
** Russian Army Personnel Management – Traditionally, the Russians have employed military tribunals and summary executions to enforce discipline and deter desertion, resulting in a significant number of soldiers being killed/executed. In the case of the Wagner Group’s leadership, they put a bomb on the airplane they used to fly domestically, knowing that it would detonate within Russian airspace. They have also used blocking detachments between World War I and the current war in Ukraine. These units are tasked with preventing soldiers from retreating or deserting, and they frequently resort to deadly force.
** It is refreshing to see a military that is giving zero attention to understanding white rage, or figuring out how we can make helmets that fit over a male drag-queen pilot’s beehive wig, or establishing call-signs that aren’t ethnically offensive, and is focusing instead on putting warheads on targets.
** Serious question – What is the most you should pay for a wristwatch? (pictured – LL’s thirty-year-old Breitling Aerospace titanium wristwatch) The Los Angeles Police Department advises citizens and visitors to hand over their wristwatches to negro gang members if they demand them. It’s unlikely I’d surrender a $20.00 Cassio.
Note: The Casio F-91W, with its accuracy and low price, was a suitable choice for extremist groups like Al-Qaeda to utilize as timing devices in IEDs. This involved modifying the watch to trigger the detonation at a set time. Due to this association, the F-91W even earned the nickname “the Taliban Special“. Officials at Guantanamo Bay were instructed to consider ownership of this watch as a potential indicator of terrorism, though this practice was criticized for targeting widely used, inexpensive watches. Frankly, I’ve seen more terrorists wearing gold Rolex watches than Casios.
** (Life and Death) Stevie Ray Vaughn died in his mid-30s in a plane crash, and Sam Kinison died in his 30s when a drunk driver hit him. But Barbra Streisand is still alive in her late hundreds, and Madonna will be flogging her wrinkly old arse around on stage until she’s in her 90s. In the words of the great Oliver Anthony, “That math don’t seem right.”
** Japan’s top banks are evacuating staff from the Gulf, while European investment funds are canceling trips to the region. Will that reverse next week?
** On June 21, Russian troops lost 1,100 soldiers, nine tanks, and seven cruise missiles in the war with Ukraine. UNN reported this regarding data from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Vlad is happy to trade 1000 lives for a few acres of scorched Earth.
On This Date
(Naval Institute) In 1998, fishermen spotted a manned North Korean submarine tangled in nets in South Korean waters. South Korean Navy ships placed the disabled sub under tow, at which point it sank after possibly being scuttled by the crew.
When a salvage team was able to recover the sub, it was discovered that the crew had been executed by officers who then committed suicide.
Items found in the sub also indicated that the sub was carrying members of North Korean special forces who had recently infiltrated the South Korean mainland.
Based on my limited experience when serving as a US Naval Officer in the Republic of Korea, this was a more common occurrence than most people would otherwise think.
History
A Texas pharmacist named Charles Alderton attempted to create a drink that mimicked the aroma of his drugstore. In the 1880s, Alderton worked at Morrison’s Old Corner Drug Store in Waco, Texas. He enjoyed the mix of sweet smells coming from the soda fountain syrups. He decided to experiment, mixing different fruit-based syrups to see if he could capture that unique aroma in a single flavor.
After many attempts, he finally created a drink that customers at the soda fountain loved. This was the first serving of what would become Dr Pepper, around 1885. The drink became so popular that people would go to the drug store and ask for a “Waco.” Alderton had created America’s oldest major soft drink.
Charles Alderton was a pharmacist, not a businessman. He had no interest in selling the drink on a large scale. He believed his primary purpose was his work as a pharmacist and was happy to let others take his creation to the next level. The owner of the drug store, Wade Morrison, and a bottler named Robert S. Lazenby saw the potential. They were the ones who commercialized the drink and made it a household name. The exact origin of the name “Dr Pepper” remains a topic of debate today. Some say Morrison named it after the father of a girl he once loved, a Dr. Charles T. Pepper.
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Identify the Aircraft
1
2
3
4
Parting Shot
End
Comparing the Bombers-
will the 21 be a flying Motel 6 also?
When they go “dark”,
will don’t forget to turn the light off
be on the checklist?
I’ve not read anything about amenities for it.
The longer and more detailed your reply,
the larger my gratitude and understanding Sir.
Juan
ps
Is I may speak freely. Sir.
this is Your blog after all.
Do as thou wilt with it.
We don’t want no steenkin hivemind around here.
Sir.
There will be people who visit the blog who know a lot more about the B-21 Raider than I do. I’ll share what I know because I have no access to classified information regarding that project.
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The B-2 aircraft were assembled over some time, which meant that B-2 #1 is different than B-2 #20. The computer hardware has had to be updated several times. Let’s face it, the airframes are 35 years old, based on a design that is 40+ years old. They fly and they work, but they cost at least $135,000/hour to operate. I think that’s an understatement, but it’s the published number. They can carry the large penetrator ordnance we’ve seen used.
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The B-21 appears to be the same, but it’s a very different aircraft. Based on my understanding of USAF philosophy in 2025, they will not all be crewed. That means that one B-21 with a crew will operate several drone B-21s. Maybe they’ll operate a type of drone that we (the general unwashed public) haven’t seen yet? That’s my guess. There may be a variety of drones that accompany a B-21 on a mission for refueling, to carry specific ordnance, etc. The B-21 is smaller and size still matters. It may not need to be larger because it has larger drones that will accompany it if it needs to drop a MOAB on something. That’s how the USAF thinks now.
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The Navy can’t operate like that because of different mission parameters.
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Current stealth coatings don’t marry well with life at sea. They need to be coaxed and loved, which means providing them with space and a controlled environment. The launch and recovery tempo at sea is VERY DIFFERENT, and I’m frankly surprised that the F-35 does as well as it does, but the Navy’s next generation fighter won’t be an F-35. It will be a different animal, built to meet Navy requirements. I mention this because all stealth is not equal. The USAF wants to develop hypersonic weaponry, which is beneficial if it works, but it operates at high altitudes. You won’t see hypersonic skimming the ocean in the boundary layer because of the physics involved.
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To summarize, I think that the B-21 will operate on a completely different concept than the B-2 has and will operate its fleet of drones, customized (in a modular sort of way) for the mission at hand. It may stand off hundreds of miles – maybe more – from the strike package that it manages. It will likely have the capacity to carry ordnance but that won’t be it’s primary mission. Drones that we haven’t seen yet will do the heavy lifting. Will that complex system work in the real world? I hope so because at present, that’s the game.
Agreed! And the F-35s are having problems with ‘corrosion’ of their coating at sea. Also, maintenance is an issue, as the F-35 needs a ‘touch free’ exterior to maintain stealth. Re the B-21, your guess is as good as anyone’s…
Soukup is on the money (our money) with his critique of California. FWIW, my daughter up in NORCAL lost power for five hours yesterday, cause unknown, with zero warning. Luckily, they have a generator and were able to keep the food cold. Of note, they could NOT buy that generator today, as it is a gas powered unit.
I read somewhere that one of the big rationals for the B-21 was that the B-2’s bomb bay isn’t easy to reconfigure for different loads. And the B-21’s bomb bay is very ‘conformable.’
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Dunno if it’s true or not. But it makes sense. Learn all the lessons you need about big flying wings and then use all that time flying them to make the next ones better.
I appreciate every single word as well as your time and insights.
Juan
X2 Juan. If people have complained about your blog being too wordy, they have the option to not follow it. Do I understand everything? Not by a long shot, but I try to make as much out of it as I’m able. I’m the guy sitting by himself because nobody wants to talk about cows. But I enjoy virtual mirage and the people smarter than me commenting. I’m just along for the ride.
X2 FHubert, and what’s wrong about cows? We need’em!
Depends on the cows in question, or being referenced.
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A good friend was coming out of a church in Amarillo after early service, and holding open the door for some ranch widows, when a young …lady… came up the steps in a blouse that was heroically attempting to contain more than it structurally could, and a wide belt attempting to function as a skirt. After she had gone inside, one widow turned to another, and remarked, “Well, isn’t she as cute as a cancer-eyed cow.”
Bless her heart.
In some parts they would say she wasn’t wearing enough to cover a spring chicken.
“A woman’s dress should be like a barbed-wire fence: serving its purpose without obstructing the view.” – Sophia Loren
I was thinking about a learned discussion on bovines, but I’ll follow FHubert’s lead, he’s bound to have wide ranging expertise. As a Catholic, I’ll resort to confession afterwards.
X2
Identify the Aircraft:
1. Hispano Aviación HA-1112-M1L
2. Nakajima B3N
3. Burnelli UB-20
4. British Aerospace Nimrod AEW3
I hope that I made you dig….well done.
The Nimrod I already knew and it didn’t take long to determine which Burnelli was shown. The other two did indeed take research. When is a BF 109 not a BF 109? What prototype Japanese gull wing/inverted gull wing biplane is that?
About Korea. I know an Army veteran, married to a Korean woman with family still there. He mentioned that the communists have gained power in the ROK, Any insights on this news?
South Korean politics is always messy.
Imagine what those azz-wholes in the last pic think now. As an aside, has there ever in the history of politics been a politician more aptly named than Dick Cheney?
I’ve never been a big fan of dick or liz (short for lizzard). I know a man from Wyoming who liked them, but that guy is a tool, so there you go.
How about Dick Durbin – one wag said it sounds like a porn actor’s name.
The complaint is usually that I’m too big to do porn. That said, if I ever do go into the geriatric porn business, I’ll use Dick Durbin as my moniker…
Durbin was conspicuous by my deliberate omission of his wretched existence. But, I did think about it in English first.
I don’t know what aircraft #4 is, but it looks like it’s glad to see me….
Only the British.
Not so. The US had its share of butt-ugly modified aircraft. The Boeing EC-135E comes to mind. Big bulbous nose like on the Nimrod.
That’s a very, very nice watch! Their website says that model first came out in 1985. Your watch appears to be a 1st edition.
Nice watch!
Add to your “That math don’t seem right.” list: the Clintons, John Kerry, Nancy Pelosi, and Chucky Schumer….
As I recall, I acquired it around 1990, so it may have been a first edition. Breitling sold a large number of them, including an SOS model that would signal a satellite in the event of an emergency. I don’t have that fancier model.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday blasted both Israel and Iran for what he said were violations of the ceasefire terms that had been agreed upon hours earlier.
He’s not messing around. Love it.
The weird-beards broke the truce first. At which point the Israelis rolled their eyes and went back to destroying Iran.
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There will be no peace from Iran until they have a massive change of government. Maybe another shah, as middle easterners seem to do ‘better’ with a strong man in charge whether it be royalty or dictatorship.
They can’t help themselves, ingrained into their neurons at this point…so they will continue believing their own immortality…until they are not when they poke the Big Dog one too many times. For me…good riddance, fewer evil idiots wreaking havoc conjured up from 7th century infighting bravo sierra they can’t let go of, is a better world.
Really. Reduce the muslims, let the zoroastrians and Christians take over. Make Persia Great Again!
After watching years of Gunsmoke, how the writers had a common perception of feuds, and how those feuding usually end up either killing each other off, or their families have to kill some of them off for peace, I think the feud between Israel, and Iran, will continue as long as one is standing. Peace is only a word to use for regrouping, analyzing weak points, and being the first to land a strong blow. I might be wrong, but people are people, hate runs for generations, and only one can win a fight.
There were numerous range wars in Arizona—sheepmen vs. cattlemen. Some were fought near Holbrook (not that far from where I live), and others, farther south, near Young. They eventually ended. Just for the Gunsmoke analogy. Israel has enough nuclear weapons (100 at last count) to turn Iran into a sea of radioactive glass. Is that the solution to the problem? The world hopes that enough has been done to aid a reset in Persia, but the people INSIDE the country need to want it as bad as the people OUTSIDE want it.
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Politics is the art of saying “nice doggy” while you are looking for a rock.
Yep, the Iranian people have to change their government.
” The Los Angeles Police Department advises citizens and visitors to hand over their wristwatches to negro gang members if they demand them. ”
Sounds like Los Angeles has openly surrendered to the criminal element..
That’s what it sounds like. It’s up to your own resourcefulness. The Rooftop Korean model comes to mind.
While there are things that will make me weak in the knees (e.g., a nice minty 1892 Winchester in 44-40) watches are not among them. My one and only wrist watch is an ancient Casio QW-1572, purchase inspired by my entry into the reserves back in the early 80’s. The band is a wide strip of OD nylon with Velcro closure and a flap to cover the watch face. It still runs fine, although I finally had to replace the battery a few years back. It brings back many fond memories.
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Korea. One of my reserve buddies had a nephew who was serving on the ground in South Korea along the DMZ. Apparently he was involved in an incident that included a brief fire fight. When he came home, his mom was savy–
Mom: “I see you have a new medal”.
Nephew: “Yup”.
Mom: “Can you talk about it?”.
Nephew: “Nope”.
Pilots (Old NFO are you here?) often wore gold Rolex watches with detachable gold links to use as barter if they went down ‘behind the lines.’ Of course, the person who captured you could just shoot you and take the watch. A blood chit was a better idea IMHO.
I have an antique Rolex that predates most of the modern models, handed down through my family. Gold plate over stainless case, currently a leather band, don’t know if the original was a link chain. No date wheel either. No idea of value or age, but it stays safely locked up for now.
I suspect that many of those Rolex’s worn by terrorists and others that need the bling, aren’t really “Rolex”. Maybe “Rorex” or “Ro1ex” where the second hand jumps, doesn’t sweep smoothly.
Regarding B-2/B-21: As our current bomber fleet (B-52/B-1/B-2) are large-framed aircraft, many mods have happened under the skin where they aren’t visible. Only external apertures and antennas can be noticed and commented on. It’s what’s not visible that counts. Processing power, sensors, etc. Not discussed openly.
In thinking, I’d place the B-21 as a long-range heavily loaded F-35 platform, able to go places relatively undetected, but better able to prosecute against larger targets than a F-22 or F-35. Able to share that information with other systems that can put the “hate” on the target quickly (hypersonically)? Remotely-controlled UAS would be a bonus.
Shame that “Rods from God” never got deployed. Kinetic energy of a thermo-nuclear device without the social/political/radioactive implications. Maybe Musk and some Starships could make that happen? Make a real “Orbital Anvil Delivery System (OADS)”? https://www.impsec.org/~jhardin/OADS/anvil_chorus.html
Of interest, whilest locating OADS, found this anti-drone UAS: https://www.anduril.com/hardware/anvil/
I inherited my father’s 1960’s era Seamaster. I think it was the only watch he owned.
Great watches
I have a 72 Rolex Submariner that I bought in 84. It cost me about a month’s pay as an E-3 in the Air Force. I got it from my uncle that sold and serviced them. He always serviced it for free until he passed about 20 years ago. It is sitting in the safe and it is overdue to be serviced as it looses 5 minutes every hour.
I have done the Dr. Pepper museum tour in Waco. If anybody is in Waco I highly recommend va visit.
Texas Ranger Museum while you’re at it.
The more and more I look at photos of the Ayatollah, the more I think he looks exactly like a patient, a Chasidic Jew, I treated about 55+ years ago at a dental office in the Williamsburg Savings Bank in Brooklyn; I’m beginning to think perhaps my memory may have begun to play tricks on me
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I think when Vladamir Vladamirovich becomes truly serious about making the Ukraine a part of Родина-мать, he’ll open two new fronts: one in Lviv (the Poles will get very anxious) and another in Odessa; until then, I believe he’s just interested in retaking the “Russian-speaking”, Eastern parts of the Ukraine; viz. Sudetenland, if you don’t believe me .
I like Casio watches. I’ve had one since the 1990’s. They have lots of features, and are a good value. I just bought a new “Pro Trek” one, and while it has more features than I’ll use, it’s a good, solid watch.
Nice watch LL…. But let’s talk about that ring and it’s design…
Thought the same…
There are very few of them. I think I’m the last one living.
Me, have a few, then CW over at Dailytimewaster stuck one of the AVI8 watches up there…I now have four of them, for various uses…all purchase on large discounts. Have a number of watches, my Casio Pathfinder and Wenger are my daily wearers. Unlike…my rancher neighbor who has has had the same decent Timex for fifty or more years, then the twist-o-flex band broke…got a new band…keeps on ticking.
That Nork boat is tiny. How many sailors/soldiers could have possibly been on it?
Maybe 15-18. Crew, shore party (sabotage team), and political officers.
You don’t need big ‘fleet’ sized subs for action in territorial waters. And the Norks have always believed in quantity over quality.
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We have had big ‘fleet’ sized subs because our subs were, past WWI, designed for serious ocean work. The highlight of our diesel boats were the big fleet subs in WWII that had the size and range to handle the Pacific. Our nukes also continued that ‘tradition’ partly because there’s a minimal size limit to the size of a decent nuke plant, and mostly because we believe in projection of power and that subs are offensive weapons and are best used ‘defensively’ off the shores of our enemies.
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The Norks don’t need a sub with 2,000 mile range.
Nice wristwatch, looks good. Is VM turning into a watch blog? I know, it’s a thing.
Around 1980 when I could finally afford a good dive watch ,, my wife bought me a TAG Hoyer ,,black coral. Last time I had it serviced ,the young lady said these antique watches are really popular these days ,, she looked startled when I said I bought it new. She wasn’t as old as the shoes I was wearing.