Category: Good Stuff

Mighty, Fallen

Good Stuff

Chris Muir has a savage take on today’s NFL.  (For those who don’t get the first panel, this may help.)

Everyone has a website which is the first stop on their daily round of Intarwebz browsing.

Day By Day is mine, without fail.

Chris and I have a warm and cordial relationship which extends back to his very first cartoon strip.  If you’re one of the few people on the planet who have never seen his stuff before, click on the “First” tab, and read them all in sequence.  (It’s known as the “DBD Haj” to his regulars, and several of them, myself included, have done it more than once.)

And support him with yer $$$, because DBD is his job.

What Price The Big Day?

Good Stuff, Men & Women

This story got me nodding my head in agreement.

One couple ditched their plans for a conventional wedding and instead jetted off on a month-long honeymoon.  Hannah Bird and Charlie Camper, both 26, had originally budgeted £30,000 for their big day.  However, the pair from Burnham-on-Sea soon realized the huge sum would be blown on just one day and could instead be used to make more memories exploring the world. 

So they did just that:  offering their guests supermarket cup cakes instead of buying an expensive wedding cake, got the bride a free (i.e. secondhand) wedding dress and offered their guests a buffet (“grazing table”) instead of the traditional sit-down meal.  As for the venue:  they booked a woodland retreat for a whole weekend’s festivities — which ordinarily would strike some as excessive — but reduced the cost by charging their guests sixty quid, in lieu of wedding presents.  Which makes a great deal of sense, by the way:  it may sound tacky, but from a guest’s point of view, where are you going to get a weekend getaway for only sixty bucks?  A bargain for everybody, and guests wouldn’t have to mess with buying presents into the bargain.

I never bought in to the wedding-industrial complex;  it always seemed to me a cynical exercise in gyno-centric excess — the idea that a girl somehow “deserves” to have a Special Day wherein she’s the absolute center of attention.  What bollocks.  And this is especially true when one looks at the statistics and realizes that the chances of said nuptials actually producing a long and happy relationship are vanishingly small.

I have no problem with the bride’s parents paying lots of money for the occasion, by the way — it’s their money to do with what they wish, and as long as they don’t bankrupt themselves (a distressingly-common occurrence), why not?  But as with the couple in the above story, it makes so much more sense to take the money that would have been blown on fripperies such as massive flower bouquets and a one-day-use dress, and spend it instead on something worthwhile to the couple, rather than just feeding the bride’s giant ego or need for self-aggrandizement.

I actually did that with my first marriage.  As time passed, I noted with alarm that the whole thing was growing faster than a Democrat politician’s spending plan, and I did two things:  first, I secretly bought our honeymoon air tickets (to the U.S., incidentally, where neither of us had been before);  then I presented that fact to the bride’s family as a fait accompli, and said that this wedding day was going to be made on a strict budget because we needed to save money to afford a month-long’s stay in the U.S.  Unbelievably, over time pressure was brought upon me by her family to cancel the U.S. trip for a shorter honeymoon at some resort somewhere in South Africa — said pressure only disappearing when I threatened to walk away from the whole wedding (and marriage) and go to the States on my own instead.  And I meant every word.

Anyway, that honeymoon Over Here was truly beneficial for me, in that I fell in love with this wonderful, fantastic country, big time… and the rest you know.

And all because like the couple above, I refused to spend a boatload of money on some one-day extravagance.  In their case, they got a lifetime’s worth of memories;  in my case, I changed my life’s entire path.

A bargain, for both of us.

Cutting The Fat

Good Stuff, Military

SecWar (how I love that new title) Pete Hegseth has apparently read the Riot Act to the fat cats at the upper end of the chain of command:

“The era of politically correct, overly sensitive don’t-hurt-anyone’s-feelings leadership ends right now at every level,” Hegseth said at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia.

He also announced at the meeting new directives for troops that include “gender-neutral” or “male-level” standards for physical fitness as well as an end to “woke” culture in the military, according to the Associated Press.

Hegseth also said he is changing fitness and appearance standards for the military, while setting the “Golden Rule” test.

Hegseth began his speech by saying: “Welcome to the War Department.”  He also said: “The era of the Department of Defense is over.”

The secretary said the mission of the Pentagon is “warfighting: preparing for war and preparing to win, unrelenting and uncompromising in that pursuit.”

“Our warfighters are entitled to be led by the best and most capable leaders,” he said. “That is who we need you all to be.”

“We lost our way, and we became the ‘woke’ department, but not anymore,” Hegseth also said.

The secretary said that he is sending out 10 new DOD directives regarding physical fitness and grooming requirements, including a return to “the highest male standard” for combat positions.

“If you do not meet the male level physical standards for combat positions, cannot pass a PT test, or don’t want to shave and look professional, it’s time for a new position or a new profession,” he said.

Hegseth added that “it’s tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops. Likewise, it’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon and leading commands around the world. It’s a bad look.”

Everyone agreeing with Pete, raise your hands…

Watch what happens to recruitment numbers…

In And Out

Good Stuff, Military, Trumpism

…and no, this isn’t some fevered fantasy involving Salma Hayek in a silk nightie.  (sorry)

But it is the best thing I’ve read in a long time.  Read it all, but here’s just a taste:

Fulcher helped redirect nearly $50 billion from bureaucratic bloat into actual defense readiness. He streamlined software procurement timelines from years to months, modernizing critical IT systems across the department. He contributed to acquisition program reviews focused on strengthening military lethality and America’s defense industrial base.

In six months.

That Suitcase Thing

Good Stuff, Travels

This silly article in the Daily Mail  (is there any other kind?) prompted a thought or two from me.  But first, an excerpt:

Despite years of obsessive searching, I’m yet to find the perfect suitcase. It’s as elusive as a desert mirage.  My attic is filled with discarded luggage experiments, lurking in the dark as memories of a different life and far too impractical for my current one.

I used to have that same problem, back when I traveled a lot (50+ flights per annum, on United — mostly — out of O’Hare).  A simple overnighter?  No problem, a decent garment bag generally sufficed.  Anything more than a couple/three nights, however, and things started getting a little more problematic.

And back when I was constantly flying to Yurp and Britishland, the problems increased exponentially.

I remember once giving in to the nylon/canvas “duffle bag” trend, and oy…never again, even with wheels.  (Without wheels?  Nope, never again in this lifetime.  No wheels — on any luggage choice, no buy.)

The only good thing to say about duffle bags is that they start off light, whereas suitcases start off being heavier.  And of course, if you’re carrying anything that’s not an anvil, the soft duffles afford no protection for your stuff whatsoever.  But if you’re going to use the wheeled duffle bag, just remember that the extendable handles need a structure to hold them when not in use, and that structure means that the bags will end up being about the same weight as a soft-sided suitcase.

Now add to all that the journey through the tender ministrations of baggage “handlers” at any airport…

(thanks,Kenny)

…and you’ll see my point.

Then there’s this little temptation:

I would love to indulge myself with really expensive, luxury suitcases such as the Globe-Trotter Safari:

…but at around $3,000 per piece, and remembering Kenny’s pic above, you’d be better off — maybe — just shipping your luggage via FedEx or something.  (Don’t laugh;  I knew a guy of considerable wealth who used to do just that:  ship his heavy luggage from one destination to the next, leaving the hotel’s concierge to handle the details.)

Or you can do what I used to do, when doing expense-account / client-funded travel:  buy cheap-ish luggage, use it once and then toss it in the trash after you get home.  Repeat as necessary.  (It actually adds to the pre-trip excitement, by the way;  buying luggage for your trip is an event all by itself.)

One last option is to see your luggage as a challenge to baggage handlers of the Delta/American/United ilk, and go with aluminum suitcases:

Just be aware that this stuff can cost a lot more than the hotel bill from your trip to Amsterdam or Tokyo.  And baggage thieves know how much this stuff costs, so the chances increase greatly of having your luggage simply stolen for its container rather than its contents.

Lastly, you can always just go with a steamer truck (or as they’re sometimes called, footlockers):

Just remember that unless you’re going to a place that has porters on call, you’ll want to make sure to get that thing with wheels.  (Another of my buddies uses one for travels with his wife;  they pack all their clothes and such into the one trunk, and he just pays the weight penalty on his air ticket, saying that the reduction of hassle is worth the extra cost.  I don’t believe him, by the way;  if you’ve ever seen Planes Trains And Automobiles,  and watched John Candy struggling with his trunk, you’ll understand my skepticism.)

Trunks, by the way, are pretty much indestructible, even for airlines.  I once used one to get a large and expensive crockery set back from Britishland, just checking it in at Heathrow or Gatwick (don’t recall which one).  I expected to lose a couple of pieces to breakage, but nary as much as a chip, let alone a breakage.  Trunks are also less likely to be stolen because they’re just too heavy to carry easily, and too bulky to be hidden away somewhere.

And unlike Alexandra Shulman, I don’t care about features like “compartments”;  just a sufficient volume will do just fine.

Afterthought:  one of the besetting problems with airline luggage is that most options (like Ford’s Model T) come only in black, which makes it a chore to distinguish your luggage from all the others on the baggage carousel.  One option is to go with something like this camping trunk:


…which should be strong enough to survive the trip, and it generally costs (and weighs) much less than the average suitcase — $50 compared to $200-$300 for ordinary suitcases.  And it’ll stand out like a dog turd on the black tablecloth of carousel luggage.

FIFO

Good Stuff, Muzzies, Two-Minute Hate

I meant to comment on this little (non-)development earlier, but I forgot:

Becky Noble brought you the story in April about a proposed massive 400-plus acre development called “EPIC City” in East Plano, Texas, which some critics contend would be an exclusive Muslim-only community and would be governed by Sharia Law. (The backers deny these claims, but their promotional materials leave many questions about their true intent.)

EPIC stands for East Plano Islamic Center.

Lone Star state Gov. Greg Abbott said it’s not happening, at least not for the time being:

Texas has halted any construction of EPIC City.

There is no construction taking place.

The state of Texas has launched about a half dozen investigations into this project. That includes criminal investigations.

And, the US Department of justice is also investigating.

This matter, and similar matters, are taken very seriously, and actions are being taken to address all concerns.

Fuck me, even our crappy Senator John  Cornyn is alarmed:

A master-planned “community of thousands of Muslims” could violate the constitutional rights of Jewish and Christian Texans, by preventing them from living in this new community and discriminating against them within the community. I further encourage the Department to investigate whether Christians, Jews, and other non-Muslim minorities would receive equal protection under the law in this new community. Religious discrimination, whether explicit or implicit, is unconstitutional under the First and Fourteenth Amendments. Religious freedom is a cornerstone of our nation’s values, and I am concerned this community potentially undermines this vital protection.

Everyone seems to be pussyfooting around this issue, using Constitutional  concerns — which is fine and dandy — but it avoids the main issue, which is this:

Every time, every single time anywhere in the world that Muslims become a significant minority, bad things follow.

It has happened (and continues to happen) all over Africa, and the same is true in every Western nation where the local governments have allowed these fanatical bastards to set up shop.  Mosques, “cultural” centers (like their pathetic medieval culture is worth promoting) and attempts to incorporate shari’a law into national law are all, simply put, a cancer on free societies.

Allowing these Muslims to create a Muslim-only enclave in Texas will do no good at all for the state of Texas.  In fact, let me be even more blunt:  if these assholes want to live in an area where Islam is predominant, they should feel free to do so in places like Pakistan, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iran;  not in the U.S., and definitely not in Texas.

And by the way:  I think it’s time we looked at the First Amendment and inserted a little asterisk that says “Except for Islam”, because their malignant little death cult has no place in our free society.

Enough is enough.