Yup, that's a photo (er, I mean painting) of me delivering the Annual State of The Chant Address on the Champ de Mars in 1805. (I do believe that the Champs de Mars is actually adjacent to the Eiffel Tower these days. Said tower not being in existence in 1805, otherwise I'm sure David would have tried to get that "in the shot" as it were.)
The Chant is doing well, thank you very much.
That recent spike in activity is no doubt an anomaly. (The Russians?) Those spikes, as you can see, occur periodically, while the inconsistency bugs me, it does boost the stats. I like boosted stats. (Hey, I'm a numbers kind of guy. Remember, I work for a defense contractor.)
Ecce -
Received a couple of cool things from my next door neighbor the other day, she and her husband do antiques and stuff along those lines. Anyhoo, she found these at an estate sale and gifted them to me.
I know what they are, so exercise your Google-Fu (or Duck Duck Go-Fu or Bing-Fu, whatever floats your boat, those of you still using IE... yeah, I pity you, it's forced upon on us at work for the security what's in it...) and leave your answers to "What are those, Sarge?" in the comments.
Remember people, deep thoughts.
Ordinarius Negotiis -
I have started work on the Hall of Honor, so something else I'd like to see in the comments are your ideas about who should be in the Hall.
What I've done so far is included all of the posts I did a while back in the Who They Are... series. Which is proving to be rather unwieldy. So I will probably pare that down by just having a brief synopsis of the who's who along with their photo.
I may have something to run by you by next week, maybe. We shall see.
Rei Publicae Negotiis -
No, I did not watch the State of the Union address. Despising, as is my wont, most politicians. Bear in mind I do not despise this President, in truth the only President I actually, literally, despised is the namesake of the third Zumwalt-class destroyer. He's buried not far from Rancho Juvat. But honestly, I have a higher opinion of that jackwagon than I do for the current Speaker of the House. What a no-class ee-jit. Некультивированная свинья ...
Incidentally, what in the wide world of sports is going on down there juvat? I mean, really? I'm pretty sure there ain't enough beer, nor enough hot sauce to make me want to participate in that particular festival. And I've eaten some weird shit in my day.
Percussores Negotiis -
1,696 active players in the NFL - arrest records for 2019 indicate that 30 players had arrests, charges and citations for crimes more serious than common traffic violations. (Source)
The worst year in that database above, 2017, had 43 arrests.
Let's assume that in the past ten years, at least one year had 50 players arrested for crimes more serious than common traffic violations. That puts the NFL "Thug Rate" at roughly 2.95%.
Less than 3%.
Not quite, "I got nothing," but close...
That F-burg festival isn't a celebration of General McAuliffe's birthday is it?
ReplyDeleteHahaha!
DeleteGlad to hear (and see from the graph) that things are going well for this blog. I recommended it the other day to a retired AF NCO that worked on Phantoms and Lawn Darts (he was wearing a cap with the latter on it, which sparked my conversation with him).
ReplyDeleteSea Lance, 1980-1990 - RIP Cool plaque, though.
And the ComSubPac adge is kinda cool - here's a cloth patch to go with it -
https://www.ebay.com/i/222677363022?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=222677363022&targetid=859853091318&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9009739&poi=&campaignid=6470552772&mkgroupid=91562449080&rlsatarget=aud-412677883135:pla-859853091318&abcId=1139336&merchantid=8526304&gclid=CjwKCAiAj-_xBRBjEiwAmRbqYt0cnxagVpA9NvQslvJYYx2HF24LsRYrf6MGnBEmDQrEhTYEwpmg2BoCcscQAvD_BwE
As to the jackwagon in Texas, I was living in Texas when he was one of our Senators, and our President - not a fan at all, caused a huge long term, lasting negative effect on our country and its minority populations, not to mention the thousands of young lives cut short by his idiotic manipulations of the Viet Nam war effort. He ranks up there with Carter, O-Bummer and FDR for damage done to the country ... although the latter played a supporting role in winning WWII.
As to SOTU speech, I don't think I'll comment further other than to say the Speaker's little pre-planned temper tantrum was abhorrent - even some liberals have called for her censure or resignation over that stunt. She's more worthless than the poop that stains the sidewalks in her district.
Same page you link to has a patch I really liked, silver dolphins on a blue field with the words "BOTTOM GUN." This one.
DeleteCompletely agree with your last statement.
ComSubPac badge reminded me of the Asimov's Foundation cycle Empire badges: "sun and the spaceship"
DeleteNow that you mention it...
DeleteAsimov stole lots of his stuff from real life.
DeleteSo did TV and Roddenberry. Like the Star Trek-ish US Space Forces badge, which is based on... 1950's and '60's USAF Missile Badges and early NASA emblems.
As to 'BOTTOM GUN', well, that's just funny (ha-ha, not weird.) Submariners are a weird lot, n'est pas?
The Silent Service has no comment...
Delete😉
Of course Chant is doing well. Between you and your cohorts, it's always interesting and and usually very educational!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Russ, we try.
Deleteregarding Hall of Honour, i hereby nominate few extraordinary Poles:
ReplyDeleteRotmistrz Witold Pilecki. The man who went voluntarily to Auschwitz to reconnoitter situation and organise resistance with prospect of brakout.
Kapitan Eugeniusz Horbaczewski, for his last battle. Taking 12 Mustangs and attacking 60 FW-190s, and ending up only own casualty with 8 kills admitted by Germans themselves.
Marian Rejewski, Jerzy Różycki, and Henryk Zygalski, mathematicians of the Polish intelligence service, in first breaking the Enigma
I already had the first two as candidates, those guys who helped break the Enigma are indeed worthy!
DeleteI recommend your blog a lot of times, Sarge.
ReplyDeleteI don't comment much, but I sure do learn much here!
Happy to have you BC!
DeleteOK...First that festival was not held in Fredericksburg, it was held in a small "town" (aka an old ranch that had other buildings with functions other than living, a smithy maybe) about 10 miles south named Bankersmith. It was bought by somebody from Austin and turned into an event center. I hadn't heard of any, nor seen any (I drive by there fairly regularly, there's a great burger joint a few miles past), events being held there until I read about this "festival" in Texas Monthly (a liberal rag which only publishes one useful article a year the list of the top 50 BBQ places in the state. The rest are progressive garbage. Oh did I mention its HQ is in Austin?).
ReplyDeleteYou starting to pick up on what was really going on?
I haven't heard anybody talk about this "festival", so I don't know many details. I did hear from someone that lives out that way that there were a preponderance of folks driving Prius's (not that there's anything wrong with that ;-) ) and seemed to be quite a few from out of state. One western state especially.
I've been bitching about the declining quality of the demographics of my town for quite a while now. This is just one more manifestation thereof. Having a lot of money doesn't make you a better person, but it can help you hide a lot of thuggishness. Just ask the Clintons. They've never been arrested either.
I feel better now regarding that "festival."
DeleteTouché on your last.
So the only way people in Austin ever have any balls is by eating them? Gotcha.
DeleteSounds like, juvat, the jackwagons (somewhere somebody used that phrase recently and it stuck hard in my 'favorite phrase' memory, as I used that many moons ago) are spreading out as they escape the filth and disease they created in the city named after a great Texan. Jerks. Hates them I do.
Stand firm. Best bet if one of them moves near you is to get a load of cow dung dropped off regularly right next to the fence nearest them, or get a hog pen or chicken house (real chicken house, lots and lots of cluckers) and put next to fence. Since Texas has 'farm and ranch' protection laws, if I remember, enacted because of leftist twits moving into the state and leftying it.
So, juvat, what's got you into such a foul mood lately?
Is juvat in a fowl mood?
DeleteR. Lee Ermey liked to use the word "jackwagon," I liked it, I use it. Yes, I miss Gunny Ermey.
I ordered a set of holsters from a startup once. Very good idea he had. Paid 100%, knowing that he only required 50% and the other 50% when it shipped. He dawdled for months... I emailed a couple times, asking about lead time, and got the, "it's the next project". I saw that he made a neat holster for Sgt. Ermy, and I got a cockle-burr (porcupine eggs) under my horse blanket. I sent an email asking if I should just chalk up the 9 month delay to fraud and move on with my life. I got those holsters in about 10 days. And I think of Gunny every time I use them.... and remember someone who promised me something and won't ever get a penny from me again. Chapped my a-- a bit, but I hope he learned from it. His products are/were top notch. First time I've mentioned this since it happened.
DeleteMy dad used that term 'jackwagon', too. When I see it or hear it, my dad's voice is the one I hear saying it.
'Tis a most useful word for describing the useless.
DeleteI watched the SOTU often for Bush II, whom I liked. His SOTUs were okay, informative, but not great. I actually liked his speaking pattern, finding it articulate and easy on the ears.
ReplyDeleteTried under TWPE (which almost looks like an abbreviation for 'toilet paper' but TP is at least useful) but could not stand his snearing, narcissistic megalomania and how he basically kept berating us poor folk for not liking being poor folk (kinda reminded me of the Cathars. If you were one of the 'saved' you could do no wrong, if you were one of the 'unsaved' you could do no right but were required to take care of the 'saved.') If I wanted to live in an aristocracy, I'd have moved to Canoe-land or overseas.
I have liked President Trump's speaking pattern, his voice, his mannerisms from the first day he announced himself. He is a forceful speaker, reminding me of the speeches of Theodore Roosevelt. But he doesn't preach, and he speaks to us, not at us. And then there's the theatrical side of him. Must be fun working for him and listening to him talk normally. So far, the only people who have said bad things about him are some of the Deep Staters he's fired, and that Omarosa chick. Everyone else, from early on in his business career to right now says he is a nice, caring man who is driven to succeed. I like that.
Funny how the 'real world' doesn't see him drawing 10's of thousands for a rally as successful, but sees their candidates drawing 10's to 100's as successful.
And how about that Iowa Caucas 'phone app' kerfuffle? See, world, it isn't all of Florida that's managed to screw up so many elections, it's the Dems in Broward and Miami-Dade, who are decidedly not Floridians, or if they are, they are about as Floridian as Austinians are Texans.
Any word on your West Coast family? They holding up well?
Howsabout the Newlyweds? And the Naviguesser's family?
Oh, it's always been the Dems driving the freaking clown car...
DeleteWest Coast branch of the tribe is doing well, as are the newlyweds, as is The Naviguesser branch of the tribe. Things are afoot but OPSEC applies.
(Don McCollor)...a story of what TR was like (John Burroughs, Camping With President Roosevelt, 1906)...on his trip to Yellowstone Park, and at luncheon on the train going through the North Dakota prairie he saw ahead "a little brown schoolhouse close by and a school ma'am with her flock drawn up along the line." he grabbed his napkin and rushed the rear (open) platform to wave to them. Returning, he said "The children wanted to see the President of the United State and I could not disappoint them. They may never have another chance".
DeleteTeddy Roosevelt was awesome.
Delete(Don McCollor)..Two movies that I love are "The Rough Riders" and "The Wind and the Lion"..in the latter, TR's United State's position: "Pedecaris alive or Raisuli dead!...(BTW, We are sending the Atlantic Fleet to Morocco)...
DeleteExcellent films. The Wind and the Lion is one of my favorite films.
DeleteAnd I nominate Col. Leverette. The really nice guy I wrote about.
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, I need to actually write a post or two. I've noticed my royalty checks and residuals have been somewhat lacking lately.
I've added the good colonel to the list, concur with his inclusion in the Hall.
DeleteAny time you want to post, leap right in, it has been a while.
Not that I've noticed... 🙄
I've heard from beans quite often in the past months.... Just not Beans.
DeleteHeh, I see what ya did there...
DeleteI'm not sure if that was a Blazing Saddles reference or not.
ReplyDelete"What in the Wide, Wide World of Sports is a goin' on here?"
Oh, it most definitely was.
Delete😉
(Don McCollor)...just got a copy of "Iron Men With Wooden Wings" for Christmas (to replace the one borrowed but never given back)..Got some stories in there of (forgotten) brave honorable men...
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure I read that as a kid. The WWI flyers are my heroes.
DeleteOne of these days I want to see the Texas Hill country. I'd really like to spend a day, or two, in the museum in Fredricksburg. I'e thought about going to the LBJ grave just to water the grass, but then I realized that when I retired I swore I'd never again stand in long lines. As to that "festival" it's just a bunch of folks having a ball.
ReplyDelete...."festival".....GRRROOOAAANNNNN! :-)
DeleteIf you make it down here, drop me an email and I'll give you the nickel tour. Sarge has my info.