Caption Photo: Creation is messy (your sermonette)
Bullet Points:
** Democrat congressmen and senators call for term limits on Supreme Court Justices – but refuse to consider approving term limits on themselves. Isn’t that interesting?
** Celebrities and internet influencers are being paid to attend the democrat convention in Chicago. In addition to the $20K direct payment, they receive first-class travel, premium hotel rooms, and access to elite politicians and the donor class. Nobody invited me… and I’m crushed. (more here)
** Illegal alien? (right) Oh, they’re here alright, and they know who you are.
** Political prisoners have remained incarcerated in America since January 6, when the Biden regime took power. There is no bond, no trial, and precious little to look forward to except life in prison if the Democrats return to power.
** Reproduction rates – The “invited guests of the democrat party” (was illegal aliens) are beating Americans when it comes to their population growth. That should be no surprise to anyone here on this blog.
** Prepping for the coming war with the People’s Republic of China – (h/t Claudio) If you’re using gravity bombs (or JDAM glide bombs), how do they work against ships that have 12 layers of containers stacked on the decks? Should we practice on Chinese-owned container ships now to know for sure when the big day comes? If President Trump isn’t re-elected, it will come sooner rather than later. Would the Ho take a pay-off from the Worker’s Paradise to let the Taiwanese domino fall? She has a strong affinity for Iran, Palestinian terrorists, Communist China, and domestic looters, arsonists, and pillagers. I doubt that she’d come down on the side of “America.” If she did, it would be a first. Now she’s running with that goofy misfit Tim Walz, it’s a clown car in the center ring.
** Can you figure out how to order a salad?
Falcon Mods
The Israelis introduced the ‘Big Spine’ dorsal modification to the F-16. That enlarged dorsal spine provided extra space for electronic warfare equipment, turning the F-16 into a strike aircraft capable of penetrating defended airspace and striking heavily defended targets.
The ‘Big Spine’ modifications were only applied to the twin-seater F-16D model, where the rear seater is a Weapons System Officer (WSO)(Wizzo) in charge of targeting the weapons and running the sensors while the pilot flies the aircraft.
Eventually, even the F-16D Block 30 Barak with the dorsal spine alone wasn’t enough. The Israelis took it further with the F-16I Sufa, an even more highly modified version of the F-16D Block 52 with an even more advanced electronic warfare suite. In addition to the dorsal spine, the airframe also has various lumps and bumps, especially on the sides just behind the nose, which is a key identification point for that model.
The F-16I Sufa’s EW suite incorporates the latest electronic attack capabilities, including the Suter cyberattack system, which was successfully used in Syria. The Suter system can hack into air defense networks and render them ineffective by erasing the aircraft’s presence from the radar display. Thus, it renders an otherwise non-stealth aircraft even more stealthy than an actual one.
DDS Ops
Yes, dear readers, the United States Marine Corps is a subset of the United States Navy. It’s all the Naval service. The Navy is retiring its SSGNs; in the case of the USS Georgia (SSGN 729), it will come in a couple of years. The Navy doesn’t plan to replace the SSGNs anytime soon, and it’s a shame, but they don’t come to me for advice. Dry Dock Shelters are used to house/contain MK VIII SEAL Delivery Vehicles, but the Navy is sometimes willing to let the US Marine Corps come and play. It’s good training for MARSOC and for Force Recon Marines to be exposed to locking in and out of a DDS even though they’re not used to transport Marines.
I found a boat for EdB
A PBR would indeed be a step down for Ed in many ways, but it is up-armored and up-armed for the Lake Michigan flotilla. We need to get it there from the People’s Demokratik Republik of Kalifornia. If nothing else, he could waterski behind it.
Thanks to those of you who tuned into Ed’s radio program yesterday on WAAM. Your visits were appreciated even if you didn’t ask questions directly on the talk show. Please visit his sponsors and spend copious, even obscene amounts of money with them.
Traveling Tour
We lost four U2s to the communists during their operational history. They’re shown here, on Display at the Beijing Military Museum. They didn’t get any of the Oxcarts or Blackbirds… The Red Chinese are still our enemies. They’re fuelling the drug epidemic with their fentanyl, leading to hundreds of thousands of deaths every year. We must return to treating them like it instead of promoting 10% for the Big Guy.
Identify the Aircraft
1
Not an AT-6 — 9525 built
2 – 30 built
3
When it entered service, the aircraft suffered two serious flaws: problems with inflight stability and problems with the unique Ranger air-cooled, inverted V-shaped inline engine. Flaws in design and handling problems notwithstanding, there were 795 built.
4 – 66 built
Identify the Feature Film (again)
It’s still one of my very favorites.
End
Identify the Feature Film (again) – The Sand Pebbles
Absolutely.
The Naval Institute Press edition of McKenna’s book is the one to look for because it talks a lot about where he came from and how he became Richard McKenna. Also of great value is The Sailors Homer: The Life and Times of Richard McKenna, Author of The Sand Pebbles by Dennis L. Noble, USCG (Ret.). It ain’t exactly cheap but it is worth it.
Identify the Aircraft:
1. Vultee BT-13 Valiant
2. Naval Aircraft Factory SBN
3. Curtiss SO3C Seamew
4. Bell P-59B Airacomet
Identify the Feature Film:
The Sand Pebbles
And with this, I’m away for a week with Mrs Surly to Saugatuck in Michigan.
WHAT? You’re abandoning the blog for a week? Jumping ship? Fair winds and following seas in your travels!
X2
X3…we’ll survive without the Lead AI for a time…enjoy.
If you need a blue octopus we have the blue-ringed octopus here in Australian waters.
Turns blue when annoyed and has enough venom to kill 25 people in a few minutes. No antidote.
Thankfully short beak and won’t get through a decent wet suit.
I’ve heard of the blue-ringed octopus. There are a LOT of things down under that will kill you quickly…
Hell, ‘everything’ in Australia is trying to kill you…
X2…my sentiment exactly…including the waves.
Everyone in the DNC tweet is dressed so nicely but where are the drag queens, trans activists, Hamas representatives, Code Pink participants, Pride flags, homeless people they have created and embrace, etc?
Good obs, RSH.
**
Why don’t they have Big Mike out there doing a drag show for their constituents? Barack’s husband would be the perfect poster child for black people interested in voting for the party, and we know he loves reading for children.
They’re afraid of Big Mike’s BBC falling out of the dress he’d wear while reading to the children.
When on the boat, an overpowered 20′ aluminum hulled cuddy cabin, I stand at the helm with a spoked wooden wheel looking over the roof.
There are times I’m at speed and I imagine I’ve launched a couple fish at some idiot that cut across my path, and I spin the wheel and haul over to starboard like Robert Montgomery in They Were Expendable.
https://youtu.be/7xhHgHGP-WM?si=echa2dw6vcmZJB65&t=122
I liked the movie….
If you missed the show yesterday (what were you thinking?), you can listen here:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6SI5sDLlEZWkDu1XHdphjB?si=c3aecf201c604785
TNX, Ed, some of couldn’t make that time slot
Thanks for including the show link. I was unable to hear it live, but the recording was good to hear.
I guessed correctly on the P-59. The Sand Pebbles is a fine film. I enjoyed the book as well.
The P-59 was the epitome of how jets work. It sucked. The P-80 was much better, and jets mostly got better from there on.
The Suter system sounds like a very interesting hacking job. It has to be doing something to the receiver and/or it’s connection to the display. Since the reflection exists, they’re making the radar not display it.
It strikes me as probably only going to work on particular radar sets, like from some particular country that supplies the radars, but if they know the hardware the other guys are using, it’s more doable. Chances are the Israelis own a bunch of those radars sets and could test it on them.
“Thus, it renders an otherwise non-stealth aircraft even more stealthy than an actual one.”
What about Police Traffic Radar? Asking for a friend.
During the Cold War of the 80’s, USAFE had EF-4Cs at Spangdahlem AB. A new wing commander thought the planes were taxing too fast for departure or recovery so he ordered the Security Police to check taxi speeds for those appearing to be fast. After a few crews were caught and reprimanded, the EWs would just jam the radar guns. Of course, the EF-4Cs equipment was made for overpowering powerful systems, so the radar guns melted. And that was the end of the commander’s complaints about taxing too fast.
I was stationed at Bitburg working Transient Alert short after that happened. I heard a similar story about the Sky Kops doing speed checks on departing Bitburg F-15s. Upon gear retraction, the Radar Threat Warning system went ACTIVE and wiped out a handful of radar guns.
Wandering Neurons
:) :)
I still have my vintage Escort Radar Detector hanging from my visor…will that work?
Another part of my history. After my Bitburg assignment, PCSed to Edwards AFB (Eddy’s Airplane Patch) as an F-16 crew chief. I was on the Operational Test Side of the ramp. Opposite my group on the ramp, the Developmental Test side run by General Dynamics were testing the first Big Spine mods along with 600 gallon external tanks for same customer. Lots of mods on their birds, unspeakable things.
Wandering Neurons
When you wrote “DDS ops”, I was afraid they’d recalled Boron to service…
– Kle.
😆
Political prisoners- According to the media and The Nan we don’t have any, those people trespassed during an unarmed mostly peaceful protest of a stolen election so are criminals. Dinner out last night, bunch of folks, in Wyoming…she, an older [than me] gal, says with full serious emphasis: “We don’t win this election and America is done.”
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LL on EdB’s program…stated with complete disdain: “Tim Walz, that idiot.” …which is why they selected him to run with an even bigger idiot.
*
Salad ordering? Only if necessary, otherwise I go for the French Onion or Clam Chowder.
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PT Boat – EdB’s counterpart from The Motherland would agree…altho the boat is only as good as the captain steering it (Clarkson in his built PBR): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbmVPEDesVQ
@Paul_M
Which side is she on? I have heard some Democrats say that since they think Trump is a political reincarnation of Adolf.
Full on MAGA…and yes, the Dem’s have couched PDJT as Hitler since 2015, and hypocritically Harris just coopted Trump’s “no tax on tips”…completely lacking in creativity for things that help the little people.
Read where Dem shills are saying Kamala brings joy. Really? A joy girl? Do they really want to go there?
Well, she can suck start a school bus, so, fun for certain values of fun. I mean, if you want your swimmers to break the speed of sound…
I hear that Kamala gives “happy endings” so therefore there is “joy”.
Just more Orwellian perversion of meanings.
“Joy” is code for “painful discharge that turns out to be multi-drug resistant.”
(Neisseria lives matter.)
Your bad Mike…
Not that it will matter to useful idiots; several You Tube videos up with M of H winners eviscerating Walz. Swift Boat Kerry was, at least, actually in Vietnam and did combat missions, however briefly. Embellished record? Likely.
You can make book that the absentee ballots from active duty service people will arrive ‘too late’ to be counted in the next election (as they were in the last).
I find few of my fellow senior citizens admitting they plan to vote for Cackle. Their financial stress is off the charts.
The American Media Maggots (h/t BZ) are all singing the same chorus. Trump is a racist and Vance is weird.
There are several semons in this excellent post, and I like all of them.
Proof, if you like, that a man has more than one sermon. Or is it?
Ma LSP (I’m in Dallas) is watching an excellent show called, “Why is Meghan Merkle So Hated.”
Good show.
“Democrat congressmen and senators call for term limits on Supreme Court Justices – but refuse to consider approving term limits on themselves.”
—
Yeah. And guess what? You know that “Adult Survivors Act” they passed in New York so that E. Jean Carroll could sue Trump over an alleged sexual assault in 1995 or 1996? (Yes, she could not articulate the YEAR of the alleged event.) Well, now State Senator Kevin Parker is being sued for rape (alleged) of a woman called Olga Jean-Baptiste, under that same Adult Survivors Act. (The ASA is now expired [1], but Jean-Baptiste filed just before the deadline.) Parker, who was an enthusiastic supporter of the ASA when it was being used against Trump, is now claiming that the ASA is unconstitutional. I am shocked, shocked, to find gambling in Rick’s casino.
—
[1] I’m not saying that they passed a temporary law expressly for the purpose of allowing Trump to be sued beyond the statute of limitations. Who would do such a thing? It must have been a curious coincidence.
Curious indeed.