Yes, friends, we are marching into March, and 42 remains the “Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.”
Because it’s Sunday…
We should start with a sermonette. Continuing, can you imagine how things would have been different? Wheels within wheels within wheels.
Dead Beards
Israeli sources confirm that the supreme ayatollah has been killed in an airstrike in Iran. The story is so widespread that it would seem to be the case, but I’d still like to see the body. Most of his potential successors are also dead, based on reliable sources. They met their maker in the opening salvo of the war. I suspect that golden moment was what the US and Israel had been waiting for – when the groundhogs came out of their dens to look at the Sun. It sounds as if they were all at Salat al-Jumu’ah, the noon prayer in a mosque, replacing the regular midday prayer, because Israel hit them at noon. Ramadan. The US fights at night on moonless nights unless they don’t. Ooops.
If all this is true, I don’t think that the war will last long. The US will destroy infrastructure dealing with ballistic missile and nuclear material production, possibly the few diesel-electric submarines and ships that could threaten commerce in the Gulf. Any aircraft that fly will be accounted for, and aviators will paint commemorative icons on their fuselages to mark those brief flights.
***
Meanwhile, in Hollywood – Hours after Israeli officials confirmed the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran, Netflix executives were already in the green room high-fiving over their latest feel-good project: a heartwarming documentary celebrating the life of the “beloved dictator.”
Titled Beard of Peace: Khamenei’s Journey to Enlightenment, the film will star acclaimed gender-fluid, non-binary vegan liberal actor Sage Evergreen (they/them), who beat out several other qualified candidates after promising to portray the ayatollah “with the empathy and nuance he so richly deserves.”
“I’m beyond honored,” Evergreen told CNN through a mouthful of ethically sourced kale. “Khamenei wasn’t some cartoon villain—he was a trailblazer for social justice, women’s bodily autonomy (under proper supervision, of course), and standing up to toxic Western masculinity. As a non-binary vegan who’s never met a protest I didn’t like, I feel spiritually aligned with his anti-imperialist, anti-meat-eating energy. We’re even adding a scene where he tenderly explains pronouns to a group of IRGC fighters over a shared bowl of quinoa tabbouleh.”
Netflix insiders say the documentary will gloss over minor plot holes like public executions, nuclear enrichment, and funding groups that chant “Death to America,” focusing instead on Khamenei’s “gentle wisdom” and “commitment to diversity” (as long as that diversity involved identical black turbans and matching scowls). Director Lena Virtue added, “In these divisive times, it’s important to humanize leaders who just wanted a world without pronouns, bacon, or Israel. Sage brings such authenticity—last week they fasted for Gaza and Hamas while live-tweeting their feelings about the patriarchy.”
Production begins immediately, with Evergreen already practicing their “stern yet loving” glare in the mirror while sipping oat milk.
Bullet Points:
** Russia persists in making what they call Meat Attacks in Ukraine, using masses of poorly trained infantry advancing into Ukrainian fire. Russian officers have, for the last two years, been ordered to shoot soldiers who refuse to advance. That was a return to a practice last used during the 1941-45 World War II. A growing number of Russian troops aren’t even Russian but North Korean, Cuban, African, or Central Asian. These men were told they would be serving in support jobs but were then forced into infantry units. They receive as much as $2,000 a month. Most don’t survive more than a month.
** Truth or Legend?
** Cuban intelligence is no joke. They penetrated the Cuban exile community in Florida a long time ago. If you are sitting in a bar in Miami talking to your buddies about your big plans to overthrow the government in Havana, you can bet money that somebody sitting at the table is reporting every plan you make to Havana, and that a reception party will be waiting for you.
** Why is she – with you?
** Enemies are predictable. Traitors are not.
** Modern dating strategy.
** Ripping the band-aid off – America elected a gay mulatto to be president twice, and the ‘First Lady’ was a man. Hillary Clinton (former First Lady and Secretary of State) is a lesbian. Our current Secretary of the Treasury is a gay man. Kamala Harris, an Indian woman (red dot), was Vice President. Vice President Vance, a Catholic with deep roots in Appalachia who grew up in the Rust Belt, is married to an Indian woman (red dot). Marco Rubio is a Latino. Joe Biden, who married his babysitter, represents the mentally diminished, child-abusing, geriatric lobby. Donald Trump is a Real Estate Mogul who is married to an Eastern European. How much more diverse does America need to be?
** Mexico vacation – the antidote for civilization.
** Flight training – with MRSBRM…
** NASA has reworked its Artemis moon program after running into repeated technical problems and safety concerns. The agency’s original plan to land astronauts on the lunar surface with Artemis III has been put on hold for now. Instead, NASA will add an extra mission before attempting a crewed landing, restructuring Artemis III as a technology test flight in low Earth orbit targeted for mid-2027, and pushing the actual crewed lunar landing to Artemis IV in 2028. This change follows delays and issues with the Artemis II mission — originally set for a March launch but now not expected before April — and pressure from safety advisers who warned the original approach was too risky. NASA says this step-by-step strategy gives engineers more time to refine systems and improve safety before sending humans back to the moon.
How Old?
From Ammo.com – How old do you have to be to buy a gun in your state? The answer is much more complicated than it should be, which is why we created a quick-reference database! Federal law supersedes state laws, but private sales aren’t regulated by the federal government. Here are a few quick highlights from our article:
- California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont all have age restrictions above the federally mandated minimums.
- Kentucky has no minimum age to purchase a long gun in a private sale.
- Twenty-three states allow those between 18 and 21 to purchase handguns in private sales.
The full database lists the minimum age for purchasing a gun in all U.S. states. Please share it and bookmark it for future reference. You’ll find the link here: https://ammo.com/research/minimum-age-to-purchase-a-gun
Drone Wars – on the Ukraine Front
The Ukraine Kill Zone stretches 30 km from Russian positions. Nothing moves inside it in daylight — no trucks, no ambulances, no supply columns. Taras Chmut, founder of Come Back Alive: “Warfare changed in a radical way.”Every month, the zone grows wider.”
Teathered Systems
I’m a fan of the many advantages of tethered drones. The Russians use them effectively in the Kill Zone. Russian FPV drones tethered to 40 km of fibre-optic cable lie dormant beside roads, then rise and strike the first vehicle that passes. No radio signal can jam them. Drone founder Mike Dewhirst calls it a new form of dynamic mining.
Nets
Kherson: 60,000 residents, daily drone fire. In 2025 alone, 235,000 artillery strikes, 100,000 drone attacks, 307 killed, and 40,000 buildings destroyed. Governor Prokudin’s answer was a dome over the city built almost entirely from fishing nets. Three net layers, mesh 25mm to 150mm, cover 100 road tunnels and shield 14 hospitals. Spanish nets proved most effective. Each net is frozen, burned, and stress-tested before use. The system now intercepts 95% of incoming drones.
Prokudin now briefs Sweden, Germany, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Romania. “We are the future for other frontline cities,” he said. His 2026 budget is $46M — the smallest in Ukraine. He puts 43% of it into nets and fortifications.
Numbers
One number every European defence minister needs: an FPV drone costs $400 and destroys a $3M vehicle. Drones account for 80% of Russian battlefield deaths. Moscow lost 35,000 soldiers in December alone — 156 lives per kilometre seized in Donetsk.
This is for the Ayatollah in Iran
Identify the Aircraft
During the Korean War, the US suffered 4,055 service personnel killed, and 2,714 aircraft lost, with the USAF suffering 1,841 battle casualties, of which 1,180 were killed in action.
1
2
Bonus for identifying the aircraft overhead.
3
Identify the Ship
4
5
Yes, there’s a bit of a hint
Parting Shot
He was only there for the snorkeling.
End
Firearm buying age (a long time back in Australia)-
Back in my teens you had to be 17 to buy a rifle and 18 for a handgun. No licenses for rifles until the 1996 massacre and gun grabs.
Did not stop me buying .303 rounds for anti shark powerhead at 15 or a Ruger 10/.22 at 16. Just handed over the cash. Probably helped that I was 5’10” and shaving at 15.
Nowdays it is 18 to buy anything and you need to do one day safety course, then get a license before buying. Most states also have PTA (permit to aquire) with a fee for every gun. PTA gets other names from shooters Pain in the A@@ is one of the politer ones.
I think that I was 16 for my first over the counter purchase. I had family made and owned firearms available under supervision since 7.
As stated, packing iron, be it a blade or axe, or it uses gun powder, is A, an American Heritage. B, it’s one of our historical traditions like the 10 commandments being posted. C, the reason why self defense doesn’t need to be included in the 10, is this inalienable right is likened to breathing or drinking water.
Free men are armed as they choose to be. Slaves are disarmed. It’s a historical precedent.
X2
I remember being younger than that because I would ride my bicycle to Western Auto and buy 22s when I could afford them.
They had.22s in the 1800s?
Yes, yes they did :)
Actually, yes. Or so I’ve read.
I got my first firearm (Remington 550) before I was 16. Found a way to carry it on my bike. Chain guard scraped the blue off the barrel.
How many agencies are looking forward to looking into the Iranian spook files?
The Israelis hit the Intel building. I have no idea how thoroughly it was destroyed and whether the data is backed up.
Give the data recovery people something to do.
I’m not sure that Mossad hasn’t already drained that database. As a historical point, the KGB sold the ENTIRE database to the CIA after Gorbachev.
Quite likely. Data recovery – once upon a time, in a Tornado Alley city far, far away, a tornado hit the city and tore up the computer building of one company. Afterwards, the employees were scrambling around trying to find all the computer punch cards scattered around.
I’ve also heard we stole it.
Identify the Aircraft:
1. North American RB-45C Tornado
2. Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, overflown by what I think are F-84s
3. Republic F-84 Thunderjet
Identify the Ship:
4. IRIS Jamaran
5. IRIS Shahid Bagheri
Excellent!
Dead Beards
it appears that the Ayatollah has gone to be introduced to his 72 virgins (ht: TLR)
Virgin goats?
I thought it was 72 Virginians? Start off eternity with a good old fashioned Colonial tarring and feathering!
Continuing abstracts, if 6×9=42, +72 then two wrong answers may result in 0° C, which could feel like hell. An eternal torment of a conscience memory of suffering and deaths of innocent lives.
The ayatollah has a lot to answer for.
That he does, along with a lot of his ‘followers’…
There’s a huge vacuum in leadership in Iran. That, and many that lived their entire lives under a government that was constantly preached as normal. It will take strong, determined leadership to run the country, and I’m wondering if the people of Iran will have the focus to avoid the pitfalls of foreign meddling, religious nonsense, and arrive at something more than a glorified ghetto.
Outsiders can remove the physical chains that were forced upon a people, but the people themselves need to remove the mental chains; otherwise you end up with toxic replacements.
The void will be filled, will it be the same or different this time around? Not holding my breath.
Just saw this…seems their media is similar to ours: “An Iranian anchor sobbed on state TV as he announced the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed yesterday. “God is great. God is great. With deep sorrow, it is announced to the nation of Iran that Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, was martyred today in a joint criminal attack by the United States and the Zionist regime,” the anchor says, before breaking down. Others can be heard crying off screen in the studio as the newsreader announces Khamenei’s death to the nation.”
Simular to psyche of the N.K. populace, looking up to a god. Yet the general public, of which I’m ignorant of the percentage, is Shia in name only, perhaps a survival mechanism comparable to forced baptisms of the American Conquistadors.( sp)
One noble, legal immigrant whom I met personally, describing this social environment influenced m.h.o.
Are hearts go out to Johan Omar and Rashida Talib.
The current sentiment Ed…and the ONLY way to deal with these self-appointed betters (from an X post):
@RashidaTlaib: “You cannot “free” people by killing them and destroying their country.”
@ElicaLeBon: “On behalf of every Iranian in the world, F*** You.”
There are 90 million people in Iran.
X2 and they may say, “GIVE US BARABBAS!”
Some things never change.
Well now, right on cue…the Hydra popped another 7th century lunatic head:
“Iran quickly installed Ayatollah Arafi as their new Islamic ruler. And Arafi is already shooting off his mouth, screaming “Death to America!” during his acceptance “speech”.
Count down with me – 5-4-3-2-1-X Who’s next in line to be ayatollah?
BREAKING: The temporarily acting supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Arafeh, was killed after new strikes on Tehran, according to Israeli media. He was appointed this morning to replace Khamenei, who was also killed yesterday in strikes by the US and Israel.
.
They’re going to need a lot more ayatollahs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9vbwVp37fs
“America elected a gay mulatto to be president twice,…”
With all the election fraud that has been exposed, does anyone (well, anyone that doesnt reside in the Looney Left) still actually believe America actually elected the N and Dr Dementia/Poopypants?
It’s highly doubtful. But he did receive a lot of votes. Whether he reached the winning threshold or not is an unknowable at this point.
“If voting made any difference, they wouldn’t let us do it.” Mark Twain
.
Consider LBJ’s senate campaign of 1948. Even then, nothing new, and there’s the rub.
Speaking of drones, the Navy facility at Crane has been cooking up some interesting responses to them.
https://youtu.be/awE5i5QMqSw?si=2uaPPGxfJPjfuYvl
H/T would like to see this used here in the Republic of Texas on a sounder of pigs!
–
Never dreamed shotguns would play into combat ops vs aerial attacks.
That looks effective. I think that the open blade systems (popularized DJI Chinese style), twin stick control systems may be redundant in the next few years for military uses, but I like the ammo anyway.
The Object is to Win: Loved that clip, seems some are more for the hamstringing bureaucracy and maintaining their little fiefdoms than winning. While those on the Left, and a few on this side of the aisle, are screaming how PDJT has gotten us into a war despite averting eight others, he assisted an ally, got in, got out, and took out a pile of cretin leadership bent on destroying Israel and us. Well done Mr. President. Winning! MOTP!
***
Parting Shot: Billy Boy never looked that good, his…uh..proclivities..have been catching up with him, and it shows. Same basic age as PDJT. The differences are stark.
Read elsewhere: “Anyone saying Israel “sucked us into another war” literally has no understanding of geopolitics or how President Trump plays ball. We just took out China’s 2 top oil suppliers in less than 60 days. They desperately need this oil to continue their geopolitical rise. Russia just lost its key supplier of cheap drones & weaponry they need for the war in Ukraine. Trump is playing (and winning) the biggest game of America-First 4D chess than any President has ever played in U.S. history.”
X2, sure hope round 2 ends as fast as the first. Recalling H.W. and Desert Storm, all the way to Baghdad, yet didn’t checkmate Sadam.
Yes, but the ayatollah was already checkmated.
X2
Flight training – this is why, before every takeoff, I’ve always thought, visualized, *and verbalized* where we’re going to go if something goes wrong under 500 feet, under 1000 feet, and over 1,000 feet.
Because failure to plan is planning to fail. And aviation, while not inherently more dangerous than many other pursuits, is terribly unforgiving of mistakes.
It’s not as dangerous as skydiving – but as with skydiving, you can mitigate risk by undertaking it as a technical exercise rather than doing it on a lark.
From my very first lesson my instructor asked that question. Wayne Baer, a Seventh Day Adventist missionary pilot 1/2 the time a year had his own way of training. One point he made was a controlled crash is survivable, and an uncontrolled one will kill you and/or your passengers.
I am in favor of legal firearm possession by only 21+ years, but I am also in favor of legal adult status at 21 and everything that goes along with it (voting, alcohol, etc.). It doesn’t seem right that the ages of 18 to 21 are subject to the responsibilities of adulthood without ALL of the rights that go along with it. I also believe that if you volunteer for military duty, you should be emancipated into adulthood.
I think that training with firearms should begin in Jr. High School under tight supervision. Not unlike longbowmen in ancient England. Build skill and muscle memory early. Teach responsibility and accountability early. Yes, if you can be drafted at 18, you’re an adult.
My Dad’s brother, the eldest and a WWII vet, began my lessons during the summer between 3rd and 4th grades with a .22 on his farm, speaking of tight supervision. He’d a helleva argument with my Dad who was anti-weapon, but pointed out that since I was going to be drafted in another 9 years, I might as well start early; not that I was the only young ‘un in the area learning with him. They, BTW, all had their own .22s, never to be loaded unless with their dads or my uncle.
My friend had come home from leave from the Marines and he was 20. He wanted to buy a pistol and I frankly ghost bought it for him.
💯
Today in Arizona, I believe the age for gun purchase is 21, but it may be 18. Growing up in Utah, I’m pretty sure it was 18. I went to Jr. High in the 1960s and they taught hunter safety every Thursday afternoon in the cafeteria. On those days, you were allowed to bring a long gun to school on the bus in a case or wrapped in an army blanket. When you got to school, you went to the principal’s office and he stored it until after school. He brought all the guns to the cafeteria for the class. After the class, you took it home with you on the late bus. That was a long time ago…
Us too…and no kid went off the rails and murdered anyone. Then again, at their mothers behest kids weren’t seeing a psychologist who prescribed mind-altering drugs like candy for ‘gender dysphoria’ or some such nonsense.
My high-school had a 22LR range in the basement. The ROTC cadets used it for target practice.
“It doesn’t seem right that the ages of 18 to 21 are subject to the responsibilities of adulthood without ALL of the rights that go along with it.”
–
Vet 50, I respect all your points. Cannot opine on the 18-21 variations between states.
–
Growing up, my Father taught hunter safety class. I was allowed to hunt at will on our own property. At 14, hunting pheasants with a friend, every safety procedure was at the forefront of my mind. The responsibilities of working on the farm were a major influence that superseded an age number, including driving on public roads. Your further thoughts sir?
How old? Let us not forget California’s age limit, background check, and fees for the privilege of buying ammo.
—
My earliest recollection is from about age 8. Friends of the family were visiting us at our ranch, and the kindly father introduced me to his Stevens single shot 22 pistol. That world is a far, far cry from the “urban youth” of today. The answer is not more legislation.
On a more useful note, I recently grudgingly admitted that my front line social purpose AR was too heavy, so I built and installed a shorter, lighter upper. Then, zero the LPVO, a Burris RT-6. It has this reticle (I like simple)–
—
https://www.burrisoptics.com/reticles/ballistic-5x
—
I prefer the 50/200 yard zero for an AR, so that is where I zeroed the center dot. Obviously, point of impact close in will be low. Turns out that the 300 yard cross bar is perfect for 25 yards + or-.
Being a landlocked landlubber, my question is for navy types. Will Iran be able to block the Straits of Hormuz? Will we need boots on the ground to keep them open?
Going back to the era of the First Ayatollah, they had Russian-made SS-N-2B Styx (also called the P-15 Termit) and Chinese-made SS-N-2C Silkworm missiles in protected coastal launch sites from which they could launch into the Gulf. They were concentrated along the Straits of Hormuz. I think they’ve all been replaced by primarily truck-mounted, indigenously made anti-shipping missiles.
.
There are two basic types – anti-shipping ballistic missiles (ASBMs) and anti-shipping cruise missiles (ASCMs)
.
Shore-Based Anti-Ship Missiles (ASBMs & ASCMs)
.
Khalij Fars (Persian Gulf): A supersonic ballistic missile with a 300 km range, using a terminal electro-optical seeker
.
Hormuz-1 & Hormuz-2: Anti-ship/anti-radiation ballistic missiles designed to target ship radars
.
Zolfaghar Basir: A700 km range missile with a terminal guidance system
.
Ra’ad: A sea-skimming anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM)
.
Talaeiyeh: A long-range cruise missile capable of changing targets mid-flight
.
Nasr-1 & Zafar: Short-range cruise missiles for coastal defense.
.
Land-Attack Cruise Missiles (Coastal Defense)
.
Hoveyzeh: A long-range, all-weather cruise missile
.
Soumar: Part of the Hoveyzeh family, designed for long-range surface-to-surface strikes
.
Quds Family: Including Quds-1 and others used for precision targeting.
.
ASCMs are shorter-range. Ballistic anti-ship missiles that can reach well into the Indian Ocean. You’re going to ask how good they are. They don’t have to be that good when hunting electronically for a giant, slow, slab-sided tanker that lacks countermeasures of any sort. The trucks are mobile and can fire from positions well back from the coast “lobbing” the missiles out there if they think that there’s a tanker in the area. I don’t know what sort of troop concentrations we’d need to defend the littorals and the areas well out into the Indian Ocean. It would require holding a LOT of ground.
Looking for joint replacement/repair: comment seen elsewhere – there is a genetic/epigenetic cure for glaucoma being worked on that reforms the retina. Supposedly the next target for this is fixing joints. Two ifs – will it work, and will I live long enough to benefit from it?
If you’re looking for a buyer for the used parts being replaced here on the blog, I can’t help much. Mike_C might have more to say about the secondary and reconditioned parts market.
Stem Cell therapy I believe, Big Pharma doesn’t like the technology (one’s body healing itself) because it cuts into their profits (no lie).
I have had relatives that have done the stem cell therapy (their own stem cells). It’s not covered by insurance but they report good results. I would like to see how the clinical trials worked out.
BREAKING: Iran has carried out the ASSASSINATION of Israeli Air Force Commander Tomer Bar, marking an escalation in Middle East tensions. Sources confirm the targeted strike hit Bar, a key figure in Israel’s aerial defense operations amid ongoing conflicts with Tehran-backed groups.
I knew the Globemaster. I was Commo in the Air Force with 12 years Joint services. All I really knew were transports and the A-10. I had some grey market dealings with A-10 pilots that wanted Cuban cigars and telephone service in their hooch’s. In return I disposed of any alcohol they may find, a pilot and senior enlisted commo Sgt found commonality. We are still friends.
Those two F-84s are in South Korea, which makes them F-84Es if during the war and F-84Gs right after the war. Dad flew F-84Gs right after the war, and kind of enjoyed his time in South Korea. Yes, living on an airbase with Marsten Matt runways, taxiways and parking areas. And tents that flooded during the summer, sank in the mud, froze during the winter and covered in thick dust when it wasn’t snowing or raining. Flew out of Taegu.