Not too long ago I re-arranged the sidebar (over there to your right) to align with Juvat's suggestion that he likes using it to jump to other blogs for his reading pleasure and that I had (perhaps) too much non-functional stuff at the top.
"Slide that other stuff down," he said, "keep the links to other blogs at the top."
His suggestion having much merit, I instituted that change. However, I have not been keeping any eye on that "other stuff" which is there, after all, for a reason.
What "other stuff" you may be asking yourself by now. Well this thing for one...
I happened to be down there last night (checking what I do not remember) and noticed that the number of members had gone to "44". Wonder of wonders, a brand new FNG!
Aaron has been reading my scribbling for a while and I've been reading his, he's the main man and sole proprietor over at The Shekel, a wondrous place of commentary, snark and (be still my beating heart...) AIRPLANES!
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| Aaron's photo, which I borrowed. |
That particular photo was taken at Thunder Over Michigan, which I had hoped to attend this year. There to see thrilling aerial displays, wondrous aircraft on static display and perhaps have the chance to share a brew (or two) with Aaron and Murphy.
Alas, it was not to be. A couple of bouts with diverticulitis earlier in the year had made a large dent in my vacation time, that which remained having to be saved for family gatherings and such. Perhaps next year. (Aaron lives fairly close to where Big Time hails from. So I know at some point we'll have a face-to-face meeting.)
So, welcome aboard Aaron. Here's your FNG patch and yeah, you're buying.
And Chris Johnson, you're not the FNG anymore. I know you'll appreciate that.
For those of you wondering where the rant went, I just didn't have it in me last night.
Believe me, I tried to get all outraged and cynical but it just didn't work. I am far too ebullient a guy to stay worked up for long.
Yes, there are things which piss me off. But I'm not going to go off on that particular tangent right now.
Perhaps later I'll tell you of the fender-bender we all got to witness on the way to Mystic last week. An exciting event, much ass-hattery was involved, parts flew off cars, people with bloodied visages were seen and the police and fire departments responded. (No armored vehicles though, which I was much disappointed about.) Traffic was snarled, tempers were lost. I so need to write all that down.
Later then.
Well, as my road trip roommate at ARRRRRMEE Training SIR,( A captain while I was a Major, I retired as a Lt Col, he retired as a Lt Gen) was wont to say.
ReplyDelete"Sarge, Excellence is its own punishment!" Smart man!
Indeed Juvat. Indeed.
DeleteOne of the very best Commanding Officers I ever had the pleasure of working for, passed me his LCDR shoulder boards when he put on 05 CDR, and told me as he did, "LTJG, LT, LT CDR, they're all the same, just Lieutenants."
DeleteFortunately, for us in the navy, it stops there. We just have to be really really clear when we make reservations at the joint base BOQ that we are NAVY captains and not some low life 03 :)
I don't know, it always seemed to work out ok for me just saying captain when I made reservations at a Navy Base.
DeleteOh no, you two Captains behave...
DeleteWait a minute...
I thought about this one, when the Cap'n said "low life O-3" I'm sure he meant nothing by it.
Delete(Hahahaha, the enlisted guy laughed as he headed to the NCO Club.)
Oh, I was in total agreement with the "low Life O-3" comment. I think I was at my most competent as a fighter pilot as an O-3 and had the most fun. Then I made O-4 and was saddled with "Responsibility". I had a neighbor in Virginia (an O-8 retired) say "The two most useless ranks in the military are O-1 and O-4. Both wear gold and have zero experience or judgement. The two most dangerous ranks in the Military are a passed over O-4 and a passed over O-8. They've got nothing to lose and they know where the bodies are." Couldn't disagree with him on either count.
DeleteBear in mind that both daughters and my son-in-law are O-3s. Lieutenants of course, being in the Naval Service.
DeleteSo it's fun to tweak O-3s. After all, the Air Force used to pay me to do that. In a manner of speaking.
I, too, tend to lose my willingness to rant after letting it simmer for a day or so. It sucks being nice, Sarge...
ReplyDeleteIf I strike while the iron is hot, it tends to be rather incoherent.
DeleteYeah, you're right...
I have found that most of my rants, which I choose to keep mostly private, have to do with the lack of happy motoring.
ReplyDeleteContributors to that unhappiness are both road designers and other drivers.
Ah yes, the rants of the roadway.
DeleteOne could probably devote an entire blog to that topic alone!
Aaron's a good duck indeed, but beware that when you tell him he's buying, he'll show up with a six-pack of high-end frou-frou beer, confident that it's plenty for six guys for the evening.
ReplyDeleteHeh. Forewarned is forearmed they say.
Delete(Frou-frou, heh.)
For those of you wondering where the rant went, I just didn't have it in me last night.
ReplyDeleteMy rants are few and far between these days and often are expressed as simple cynical observations. Wasn't it Lily Tomlin who said "I TRY to be cynical, but it's SO hard to keep up." Which is truer now than at any time she could have said that, if she said it.
Well said Buck.
DeleteOh, and how about that John Q Public post today. Aint that a pissmeoff? Starting with a Finance Officer as a Numbered AF Commander? YGBSM! A Numbered AF Manager! Wrong on so many fronts (sides, backs, tops, bottoms, obliques and any other way of looking at the problem), just wrong!
ReplyDeleteYes, my head exploded over that one. The bean counters seem to be on the rise. In the military AND in industry.
DeleteThat and his tales of the goings on in AMC are nearly unbelievable. Certainly wasn't like that back in our day was it?
Much obliged for, and honored by the welcome, and yes, if any of you fine gentlemen happen to come up this way I'm happily buyin'.
ReplyDeleteDon't listen to Murphy though, He thinks anything better than Schlitz is high-brow.
I figure life's too short to drink crappy beer, and I do generally buy more than a sixer except for when he's around, 'cause he's such a lightweight... :-)
Hahaha!
DeleteGood one Aaron. (He's got ya there Murph!)
Oh, it's on now, bitch. We're talking on like Donkey Kong! Next time I'm up, I'll bring a case or decent beer and you come with your wife's permission to drink more than two and we'll see who the "lightweight" is.
DeleteAaron's good folks as is Murphy's Law. Welcome Aaron!
DeleteLook at those two, it's like brothers they are!
DeleteOldAF Sarge: Indeed so just like but born apart.
DeleteBrigid: Thank you.
Murph: To paraphrase a line from a flying movie: Son, your keyboard is writing checks your liver can't cash".
Fight's on?
DeleteAaron: You talk the talk...
DeleteOld AFSarge: Momma always told me not to pick on the "special" kids. But in this case, what the hell? It's on.