Bullet Points:
** (h/t Claudio) JERUSALEM — The Israeli government’s ministerial committee for acquisitions has approved the parallel purchase of two new squadrons: a fourth squadron of F-35I fighters manufactured by Lockheed Martin (bringing the total to one hundred), and a second squadron of F-15IA fighters (bringing the total to fifty) manufactured by Boeing, according to a statement from the Israeli Defense Ministry and a military spokesman.
** My car from 15 years ago. BMW 535 – That car would not fit in at the White Wolf Mine as a daily driver.
** VDH discusses Big Jim Comey and his testimony – “I don’t know” 245 times.
** SECWAR said that there will be no more Marines wearing beards. That point was addressed by Marine Corps Commandant General Eric Smith, who publicly backed up Hegseth on the issue: “The Marine Corps has a brand, and we’re making our recruiting mission. We’ve always made our recruiting mission, and what we don’t want to do is tinker with the ethos of the Marine Corps—you joined us, we didn’t join you. You knew that coming in. You signed up. We don’t have beards, and you knew that coming in.” Your Question of the Day: Should the USMC be bearded or clean-shaven? Should the USMC also allow long hair? Should turbans be allowed, or is uniform headgear required? Despite what you may think, these are issues within the USMC and the US Military.
** Instead of going into a nursing home when that time comes, consider running for the US Congress – where you’ll fit in better.
** Looks like Amazon deliveries have started back up again. It’s good to see Vern has recovered from the accident. We can’t legally talk about it since it’s still an open case.
** AOC snapped at Trump Supporters who questioned her intelligence on foreign policy. She feels disrespected.
** VDH – While radical Democrats cross their fingers for a domestic recession or a midterm-wrecking oil crisis, Donald Trump holds the ultimate trump card in the Strait of Hormuz. The clock is ticking on Tehran’s revolutionary theatrics, and the United States military is perfectly positioned to shut down their terror subsidies once and for all.
** For generations, government-mandated racial prejudice quietly diluted the voting power of American whites, the very group that forms the overwhelming core of the Republican electorate. On April 29, the Supreme Court finally ended this systemic discrimination in its ruling in Louisiana v. Callais. The decision strikes down race-based congressional maps that artificially boost minority districts at the expense of equal representation. The judgment applies to state and local districts, too. It restores a simple truth: districts must reflect population realities, not engineered outcomes designed to weaken one race’s electoral voice. This is no minor adjustment. It is a foundational correction to 40 years of constitutional betrayal.
** The Black Knights of Hungary
Sixty Minutes
How low can they go? CBS’s 60 Minutes warns that “white nationalists” help people after natural disasters to advance their racist agenda. Of course, the greatest offenders are churches, which reach out with helping hands. They actually aired that piece. The media has always been liberal. So long as you know the bias, so what? Today, the TDS and the vile anti-white rhetoric have reached a level of insanity that is difficult to put your hands around (without wanting to choke it).
Identify the Aircraft
1
For bonus points, identify the ship above (it could be one of two).
2
3
Identify the Ship
4
Parting Shot
Culture at the Car Show?
End
(1) Looks like a Martin BM. Ship is either Lexington or Saratoga, still equipped with the 8″ turrets.
(2&3) IDK, though I feel like I ought to know (2).
(4) USS McInerney / PNS Alamgir.
– Kle.
Very good with 1 & 4
I was curious about the carrier when I saw those guns….
When I look at the Martin BM, I see a muscular and visually appealing craft as I do with most US designs of the period, and frankly others.
Is it North American centric that when I look at designs from other nations, they just look odd?
No, they’re odd.
.
I have no idea why Saratoga and Lexington kept those guns, but at the time, nobody knew what a carrier war would look like.
When Lex and Sara were built, they were envisioned as heavy fleet scouts, with a strong
self-defense capability. Aircraft were not yet seen as decisive weapons against surface ships,
and in fact, might not yet have been. So, the cruiser gun fit was to be able to fight off
enemy light (scout) cruisers if they couldn’t be outrun, or to brush aside (in concert with the aircraft)
enemy screening forces on aggressive recce missions, or as a supplement to these ships’ very
strong potential as commerce raiders. The big guns stayed aboard longer than they really fit
the mission of the ships, but that was because of interwar money shortages. Aircraft capability
advanced like lightning, and by the late 30s / early 40s, few were expecting scouting to be the
primary role for 900′ fleet carriers.
– Kle.
The photo on the carrier is weird because we’re looking at the two rear turrets in front of the main funnel stack. Which has rear-facing viewing areas for watching landings. And the plane is pointed rearward. Who flies off the rear of a carrier?
Identify the Aircraft
1 – Martin BM-2
Bonus – USS Lexington
2 – Socata TBM-700B
3 – Embraer EMB 121 Xingu
Identify the Ship
4 – PNS Alamgir – Pakistani guided-missile frigate
You’re a machine, ML Thomas – outstanding
Identify the Aircraft:
1. Martin BM-2 torpedo bombers aboard USS Lexington (guess)
2. SOCATA TBM 700
3. Embraer EMB 121 Xingu
Identify the Aircraft:
4. PNS Alamgir, ex-USS McInerney
Excellent, Surly
Boy, the midterms are in play, with redistricting and the Iran Police Action/Fuel Prices.
And whether people remember/want the atrocities of the Biden years.
.
Beards and long hair in the military? I’ve always looked askance at images of operators in the sandbox who looked like they could use a shave and a cut.
We don’t allow untethered long hair near machinery. I can’t see it’s benefit in war.
I remember when you could only get a shaving waiver if you were black or your commander owed you a favor.
You can see the effect on morale of that.
In the Navy, beards and long hair have disadvantages because ships, subs, and aircraft are ‘floating/flying machines.’ The danger of tangles = the danger of your wedding ring being torn off by a machine (wear it around your neck or not at all). Side note, I’ve never worn a wedding ring. Never had one. That aside, if you’re going to be a frogman and you have facial hair or long hair, it will mess with the diving apparatus, with forming a seal on the mask, etc. I am not a fan of the operator’s beard, but I come from a generation where that was not a big thing. Yes, some wore longer hair and beards in the field during land warfare, but it was not a lifestyle. It was temporary to time and place.
I have been bandless for years for that reason.
Had one farmer in the area jump off his truck and his wedding ring got caught on the wood rack. Lost his ring finger.
Beards do not allow proper seal of protective masks (those are “gas masks” for civilians), which could likely be important when TSHTF, militarily speaking, unless the troop/Marine/sailor/airman is immune to chemical, biological or radiological threats.
Can’t tell you how many hands we “Mickey Moused” all those years in ER, fingers ripped off in an industrial accident, often by the ring on it. The tool for trimming the bone up was the rongeur, then close over the end. The procedure got its name from the cartoon character… who has only four fingers.
I guess a man’s wedding ring on a necklace chain (that is frangible and will break if stretched) is ok, but I don’t do that either. No necklaces, no chains no rings.
Take mine off whenever doing ‘those sorts of things’, especially if not wearing the requisite ‘hand saving’ red nitrile gloves. Some guys go for the rubber breakaway, but better to not have anything on when working. And no other jewelry either, gets in the way…besides, most of us aren’t Dwight Manfredi, who can pull it off…then again, he’s not running a tractor or skilsaw.
Beards and long hair also mess with a good seal for gas masks and such. It’s why Hitler went from a massive handlebar mustache to a much shorter one.
–
Which, of course, nobody paid attention to during the Covid years. Paper masks over beards and mustaches. Yeah, that’ll work, not.
You want to be a Marine—-look like a Marine!
X2
Military Appearance: No beards, shaving wavers, unkempt hair on women, wear the uniform properly and act like you are in the US military. You joined and were not drafted.
*****
Midterm Redistricting: My state only has a few islands of insanity but they are slowly growing with the influx of mostly ignorant folks fleeing the West Coast states. Now, if only the Supreme Court would take up the case of counting illegals for congressional representation, we would be better off.
agree with you about everything, but just can’t understand why counting illegals for congressional representation should ever be an issue, let along wasting the Court’s time on it.
problem is: no punishment when caught; either for the trespasser or the party atttempting to count him/her/it/whatever to balloon their numbers; trial and 10 yrs minimum when found guilty, no parole, no time off for good behavior
WTM: they can’t get enough votes dumping late write-ins and changing the numbers in the computers?
Military grooming. No dog in the fight. 1960’s Army, mustache that didn’t extend past your mouth was tolerated. Hair high and tight. Fatigues bloused and don’t let an NCO catch you wearing Air Force mittens (hands in your pockets). In garrison boots shined, shave every morning, and our unit, break starch.
I think Patton was correct in insisting you look like a soldier.
No Beards: ‘The boat is only as good as the captain steering it’ (lifelong axiom)…if Hegseth says ‘no beards or long hair’, then everyone has to comply. It’s not only a professional image thing…what are you projecting to the world…but as many expressed above, it’s also a safety thing. Mom would demand we ‘not be unkempt’, “you reflect the family so act accordingly.”…same goes for the Marine’s/Military, only more importantly so.
***
60 Minutes: Never took a count but betting 70% of Congress is well passed their sell by date. When some of them drop dead on the House floor that might give the others a tiny hint they have been there too long and it’s time to exit stage left. Kills me they stay forever.
Look to me like Leslie has “stalled” out.
Agreed (and way more succinct than I could ever express). That business, like political office, must be intoxicating to hang in there for so long when age requires one to quietly move onto other pursuits. Maybe they have nothing else, maybe no humility to recognize it’s time to hang it up, Hard to know…but working to maintain attention with her ‘very important work’ (pfft!) is an empty pursuit in my not so humble opinion. My last gig – historic restoration – was the most enjoyable and massively satisfying work i had, and I enjoyed all of my career phases. As a toolbelt wearing project manager it was mainly bringing life back to old structures and buildings. Been asked to come back to assist multiple times. Tempting, but no…that time is over, time for something less stressful…like trying to get decent at flyfishing while building the new (final) homestead. 1Thess4:11 is the modus operandi…but some people never get the hint, even when faltering as we tend to do when getting up there in years…except us males, we’re all still 20.
The age gene kicked in, and left a hard core leftist without any of the feminine appeal that once was there.
BTW, nice ride…a precision machine because ‘it’s Gerrrrmannnn’ (I can hear Clarkson in my head after – ‘a long time later’ – when doing the sport mode, track mode, regular grocery driving mode, etc, etc set up. Heh)
My brother bought one used. Loves it.
VDH lays it on the line! As far as 60 minutes, who even watches that crap anymore???
Short hair and no beards aren’t just professional looking, they’re required for hygienic reasons. Less chance of lice/fleas in hair or the beard. And promotes tighter fitting of gas masks (which is why we saw beards and big mustaches disappear during WWI. Because of gas seal requirements.
–
And this is nothing new. The Normans during the Norman Conquest of England and later during the First Crusade were known to have no beards, no mustaches, the back of the head cut close and the top hair short. Because of hygiene. And for better fit with a full maille hauberk with hood and ventail (face-wrapping piece of mail that was attached to the hood and could be left open or pulled over the lower nose and mouth.)
–
Yeah, for some secret squirrel operators, beards and such. But everyone else? Shaven and short hair.