I’d like to see just one article in the weekly Motley Fool e-mailings not mention Warren Buffett.
Could you imagine ESPN never going without mentioning the New York Yankees once per hour? That’s kind of what it’s gotten to be like over there at Motley Fool. Foolishness with a small ‘f.’
I don’t know that we’ll ever hearken back to this period in history as "The Good ol’ Days." But maybe even more than after the Roosevelt administration in the 1930s, we’ll look back and realize that it might have been a whole lot worse without pretty solid leadership at the top. "Solid" doesn’t mean "Mistake-free," and there were certainly a lot of mistakes. Lucky for us, the most of the mistakes (thus far) weren’t strategic ones (I take certain points of view from certain folks in the MSM who would disagree with me as confirmation that I’m correct). The current Commander-in-Chief was no Ronald Reagan, but then as Victor Davis Hanson would point out, Ronald Reagan himself was sometimes "no Ronald Reagan."
That said, I was pleased (and not a little astounded) to read this. (H/T Uncle D)
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas (or appropriately enjoyable holiday if not Christmas) and a happy New Year!
I’ve received the e-mail below on a couple occassions. I figured it was worth posting here. I’ve received a Navy and a USMC version, but I’m posting a USAF version. Hat tip to whomever started this one, it looks like it was written by someone who knows an airline pilot. Enjoy!
*****
In addition to communicating with the local Air Traffic Control facility, all aircraft in the Persian Gulf AOR are required to give the Iranian Air Defense Radar (military) a ten minute ‘heads up’ if they will be transiting Iranian airspace.
This is a common procedure for commercial aircraft and involves giving them our call sign, transponder code, type aircraft, and points of origin and destination.
I just flew with a guy who overheard this conversation on the VHF Guard (emergency) frequency 121.5 MHz while flying from Europe to Dubai. It’s too good not to pass along. The conversation went something like this…
Air Defense Radar: ‘Unknown aircraft at (location unknown), you are in Iranian airspace. Identify yourself.’
Aircraft: ‘This is a United States aircraft. I am in Iraqi airspace.’
Air Defense Radar: ‘You are in Iranian airspace. If you do not depart our airspace we will launch interceptor aircraft!’
Aircraft: ‘This is a [United States Air Force F-16]. Send ‘em up, I’ll wait!’
Air Defense Radar: (no response … total silence)
This was a fascinating way to get the day started at the Gathering of Mustangs and Legends.
Personally, I think the ground crew needed to catch it before it hit the ground. Otherwise, very cool!
Bill Whittle’s been absent from his blog for awhile. It turns out he’s not only alive, he’s been writing a movie script!
Finally! Something that ought to be worth watching in the intellectual sense coming out of Hollywood! I hope this works!
Today was a first for me: Weltanschauung just took it’s first hit (that I know of) in the Blogosphere over at Virtualpolitik. "Hits" is a bit of an exaggeration, it was really more of a fun poke, or at least I chose to take it that way.
I can’t be the only MilBlog that posts PowerPoint presentations. I wonder how she found mine?
I can’t argue with her. Prevention of Dangerous Military Activities Between the US and the Former Soviet Union isn’t really earth-shaking. For awhile I didn’t even find it particularly relevant. Maybe it’s good to have after all, based on some of the things going on with Russia.
I’m glad she got to talk to Mr Patriquin, he’s a great man. It was also good to see the photo of COL MacFarland, Sheik Sattar, and Travis.
This was some footage Rob T. took on his trip to the Antarctic Marathon, and it’s awesome!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbXtnh2K1Bk
This is not recommended for children too young to watch some of the "meatier programs" on Animal Planet.
This may be the only thing I’ve ever read or heard from Michael Kinsley that was worth repeating. This was hilarious!
What’s fun is that I now get to find the Times’ most egregious errors, publish only their failures, claim that based on their ineptitude that their product is worthless, and call for everyone to stop reading the Times.
The parallels here compared to what they’ve been doing to us in the military with respect to Iraq are uncanny.
It’s like poetic justice.
Hat tip to HoyStory.
Bill Whittle over at Eject!Eject!Eject! has a great essay about John Boyd and the OODA loop and how it applies to competitive decision-making in almost any sphere (mostly war).
Iowahawk (caution-language) had an interesting satire on a New York Times piece. Actually, any satire by Iowahawk is practically by-definition "interesting." I’m starting to wonder if anyone actually takes the Times seriously anymore?
If you happen to be in the Pacific NW in late Oct/early Nov and like to write on the Internet, Anwyn‘ll be hosting a Blogofogorama in a couple weeks. I hear the main topic will be Saint Peters’ historic defeat of the Islamic Fundamentalist Balrog on the bridge of Lepanto-dûm. Or something like that. [Wow. . . how un-PC of me! --ed]
I wish I could get there! Methinks my wife and newborn wouldn’t so much appreciate Dad taking off just now.