Jesus! The FC-31 is looking like a beast!

FC-31V2 expands the application area of composite material skin compared to V1. pic.twitter.com/FTBfV7qTi9

— dafeng cao (@xinfengcao) November 24, 2017

Back off cowboy.  I know what I've said about the F-35.  I stand by every word too!  If the plane had come in on time and on budget then all would be roses in Marine land (not to mention the other services and our allies), but it didn't so I body slam the plane every chance I get.

Now turning to the FC-31.

Let make you a bet.  I bet the plane is not saddled with the weight problems that the F-35 has.  I bet the plane isn't going thru fucking purgatory trying to get it's "sensor fusion" together.

I bet the Chinese aren't letting the manufacturer bleed them dry for a few more dollars.

Later I'll try and find some articles on what the aviation experts are saying about the plane but to my eye it looks like a beast.

PLA Marines conducted live fire training in Djibouti national range on 23 Nov

Thanks to FormerDirtDart for the pics!

Just plain wow.  These pics serve two, maybe three purposes.  The first one I read loud and clear.  The Chinese have landed and they're gonna be a force to be reckoned with worldwide.  Leadership might be focused on Russia, but I've got my fangs out, nailed them into the floorboard and I'm focused like a laser on the China threat.

The second purpose is a message to the African continent.  They're there in force.  They're not just doing the Special Ops things with the crazy "raid dynamic".  If the Chinese decide to make a move on someone it will be with a fully mechanized force that is rolling hard, kicking ass and taking names.  They will be fast, they will hit hard (especially for the region they're in) and they will bring overwhelming firepower to whoever they decide to bring the pain to.

The last message is to the Chinese people.  This is an overt declaration that they are no longer just a regional power.  This is a show to their citizens that they have global aspirations.  In a more disciplined time the US would show the determination to rally round the flag and to do whatever is required to support that effort.  The US no longer lives in those times.  The Chinese do. This is (at least in my mind) a call to do what it takes to ensure China's rise.

I'll be monitoring Chinese message boards when I get up and going again to see what they're talking about, how they're viewing this and to see what the nationalistic minions are thinking the next step will be.

Make no mistake about it boys and girls.  Russia isn't the threat.  China is the clear and present danger to the very existence of the United States.

Syria is over? Good cause Ukraine is heating back up. Rebel leader says there was a coup attempt!

via GKmen.com

Breaking nearly a week of silence, Igor Plotnitsky, leader of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic, claimed that former interior minister Igor Kornet "tried to seize power by force".
Kornet's followers seem to be calling the shots now, with reports his men have arrested the local prosecutor, a Plotnitsky ally, and continue to have the local television station surrounded.
Separatist leadership has been plagued by infighting.
Several high-profile commanders have been killed in the region in suspicious circumstances in what was widely viewed as power struggle.
Dozens of armed people in combat fatigues have deployed to main administrative buildings in Luhansk, a major city in rebel-controlled territories in eastern Ukraine, in a sign of a split in the rebel leadership.
Residents of Luhansk, capital of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LNR), saw unidentified armed men blocking access to downtown streets on Tuesday morning, according to local media and a resident of the city.

Story here. 

I don't want to!  I don't want to wade into the mess that is Ukraine because quite honestly I don't see ANYONE I should be cheering for.

Do I cheer for the Russians?  Conventional wisdom says that they have sparked an internal revolution. 

Do I cheer for the Ukrainian govt?  No way in hell.  I don't support Nazis.  No way, no fucking how. 

Do I cheer for rampant corruption?  That would mean I cheer for the Ukrainian govt that has Nazi Brigades fighting for them IN ADDITION to being corrupt beyond belief!

So let me tell ya where I'm at.

I don't care about Ukraine.  In my view its a relic of Hillary's failed State Dept attempt to do a color revolution that spiraled out of control and threatened to destroy the work that had been done to make Europe united and a contributing member of the world community...speaking with ONE voice.

My ideal solution would be for the US to simply get out of the way, let the Europeans and Russians come to some type of agreement/settlement of the issue and for the US to start a new tract with the Russians to put the Middle East back in its cage.

My solution has much chance of being a thing as a drop of water on heated steel in the middle of the desert on a bright sunny day.

So even though I DON'T WANT to follow the madness that is Ukraine, I think I'm gonna have to.

Stay tuned for the drama.  "As the world turns" ain't got nothing on real life Ukraine.

Morality Talk. Consumerism in the 2017 Christmas Season...

Personal disclosure.  I've been nursing sinuses and I thought a cold that just wouldn't quit for the past...well almost two weeks now.  This morning I messed around and woke up at 3am and found myself having trouble breathing.

I was in full freak mode.

What does that have to do with the title of this post?  Be patient...getting to that.  We made our way to the regional hospital emergency room and the staff were sold.

As usual they were dealing with the freaks of society.  Talking to a Sheriff's Deputy I got hit with stories of numerous family disturbances.  People that supposedly gathered to break bread and to share thanks suddenly lost their fucking minds and turned on each other like rabid dogs.  If that wasn't bad enough the usual "party" scene ended up with a couple of shootings, one guy definitely gonna die his body just didn't know it yet and the usual roundup of drunk drivers that the Sheriff, City and State Police always gather up at this time of the year.

After getting two shots in the ass for being stupid and not getting on top of this little bout of illness I continued the conversation while I was getting discharged.

One story was about a drunk driver that must have gone ape shit because he realized that he was following a Sheriff's Deputy and instead of using a little common sense (like pulling over, taking the key out of the ignition and getting in the backseat) he thought that stepping on the gas and running into the back of his cruiser would be a good idea.  I always wondered why they run with bull bumpers front AND back but now I know.  Idiot driver ended up totaling his little economy car, Cruiser was only in need of a fresh paint job to cover the scratch.

The second story was a bit more ominous...at least as far as my audience goes.

I don't consider myself old.  Nicely seasoned is how I label myself.  Just between young and dumb vs. old and stale.  Having said that I remember when "door buster" sales was actually a family affair.  You could go out with the little ones, shop for that toy that they had their eye on and not have to worry about getting trampled, runover in the parking lot or shot by some maniac that decided today was a good day for other people to die.

Those days are over.  Even in bumfuck Egypt Louisiana those days are gone. This morning and last nights tally?  I don't know if dude was bullshitting me but he said that 10 people had been trampled at freaking WALMART!  Of all places someone rushed the doors at Wally World?  Amazing!  At the local Mall their were numerous incidents of FIGHTS!

All that to buy some widgets and other items that they don't actually need, just THINK they want.

Consumerism.  When they right the epitaph of America it will be the rise of consumerism, the fall of self discipline and the lack of common sense.  This Christmas season, buy for your loved ones, be moderate with gifts to yourself but work toward just saying NO to rampant consumerism.

Open Comment Post. Nov 24, 2017

Where did the Romanian Agilis 8x8 come from and how did Rheinmetall get the bid to build it?

Well this came out of the blue.  A couple of websites that cover armored vehicle development are all a buzz about the Agilis 8x8 that Rheinmetall is proposing to build for Romania.

Besides being intrigued by the vehicle (you have to admit that it looks alot
like the Russian counterpart that has yet to enter production) I'm a bit confused by its birth parents.

Did this come from Rheinmetall to spark Romanian interest or did the Romanians develop it (one of their corporations) and Rheinmetall is simply latching onto their work?

If Conyers goes down it looks like he'll drag the rest of the House of Rep with him!

via The Daily Caller.

“Reed acknowledged that while these allegations are serious, they are simply allegations,” the statement said. “If people were required to resign over allegations, a lot of people would be out of work in this country including many members of the House, Senate and even the president.”

The statement said that Conyers has “no plans to resign” despite calls for him to do so. 

Story here. 

It's a weird story about weird people but it's still worth a read in my opinion.  The bigger point?  There are many Senators and Representatives that are shaking in their boots about this.

This is beyond beautiful.

They sought to take advantage of the Weinstein drama by unleashing a political hit job on Moore (who is a nut case I'll freely admit) and while working overtime to stick a dagger in his campaign tried to pivot toward clearing old brush from the party in the form of forcing Conyers to resign but now face political mutually assured destruction.

How are they gonna back down from this drama?

I don't think they can if they want to appear credible.  This thing is about to consume DC, the elite media and the political elite.

I was wrong about something else.

They're trying their best to swing this thing toward being an issue across all walks of life.  I'm sure it is, but the main focus will be on the groups I described.  Relations will be COMPLETELY different in DC/New York/Los Angeles.  They won't soon recover from this drama.

Happy Thanksgiving & Open Comment Post. Nov 23, 2017

Happy Thanksgiving everyone...

Wait. Trump revealed a secret op to the Russians and now its being revealed to the world?

via Times of Israel.

US President Donald Trump revealed details of a daring top-secret mission into northern Syria by Israel’s Mossad spy agency and elite Sayeret Matkal commando unit in a May meeting with Russian officials, sticking a dagger into the robust Israeli-American intelligence-sharing apparatus, according to a report Thursday.

The account, published in Vanity Fair based on information from unnamed sources the magazine described as “experts on Israeli intelligence operations,” sheds new light on both the highly sensitive covert operation deep in the heart of Syria and the damage done to the security relationship between the allies after the president revealed the secret information while apparently bragging about the quality of his intelligence reports.

Story here. 

You want to know why I say there is a concerted effort on the part of the deep state to de-throne Trump?  This is exhibit number 1.  We were told months ago that Trump revealed classified information to the Russians.

I get the outrage and I'm not happy.

But check this out.

We didn't know what the information was.  The Russians didn't reveal the info either.  But someone in the intelligence mafia decided to leak this news...specific information...to Vanity Fair to I guess inflame the public once again about a mistake that was made months ago.

This brings something else up too.

Trump IS a buffoon.  He IS an egomaniac.  He DOES seek the approval of the elite despite them openly mocking him.  He DOES appear to have the attention span of a two year old.

But he's right about the leaks and he's right about Sessions needing to have the FBI hunt down those leakers and if necessary also prosecute news media sources that have published classified material.

Facts are facts and the President MIGHT have screwed up in our eyes and maybe even in the eyes of the Israelis but as President HE DOES have the right to declassify any material he sees fit.

What did those Border Patrol Agents stumble into?

The FBI is investigating the incident on the Texas-Mexico border where one agent was killed and another seriously injured.

This thing smells.

Coyotes and smuggled persons know the deal.  They'd be sent back home.  I've even read that catch and release is back on because there isn't enough space to keep all the people they're apprehending.

So illegals would simply play by the rules and turn themselves over to the Border Patrol.

But these people assaulted the agents.

So what did they stumble into?  There is more to this story than we're being told.