January 2024 Thread

[Phillip Gross]

Happy New Year!

Claymore, did you see that Viktor Belenko died quietly in September? He died in a nursing home in the small town of Rosebud, Illinois on September 24, 2023, at the age of 76.

[Claymore]

Yes, it was a very sad time for me.  Although we never met, I almost felt like he was family.

I guess, because I had my sister read his book, in order to understand the Soviet/Russian mindset, prior to us meeting her adopted daughter in Archangelsk; and of course, because I studied how they thought, when I was in Special Forces, and he was almost a mentor to gain insight to their system.

That little girl was only two years old, at the time.  Now she is seventeen, and a cross-country athlete, and her team is one of the top teams in Wisconsin.  

But Viktor said that he is "...the luckiest man, alive".  The CIA put him up on a ranch (in Montana?), and he stayed as active as he wished.  He occasionally went to air shows and autographed books.  From his writings, I think that he was leaning toward Christianity, even when he was in Russia, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him "on the other side of the River", when it is my turn to pass on.

76 years old.

God Bless, Viktor.  And Peaceful Skies.

[Phillip Gross]

I have recommended his book to several people to help illustrate the current misdirection of our country. I read it via the e-copy you gave me a link to, but I've been thinking about buying a hard copy to have on hand.

One of the snippets I recount for people is how, after he was vetted and released to roam freely, would randomly pull into a grocery store he was passing by to see if the abundance was legitimate, or just a propaganda show set up by the government. People need to understand what socialism/communism actually does compared to a free market.

Speaking of which, what do you guys think of the new president of Argentina and his slashing of the bureaucracy?

[joecool]

Speaking of which, what do you guys think of the new president of Argentina and his slashing of the bureaucracy?

His supporters billed him as the South American Trump. And like The Donald, Argentina's leader will no doubt step in it from time to time. But I like what he's doing for his country right now.

[joecool]

Being a dog lover, I've always referred to my boys' pets as my granddogs. Not so much for their cats. I'm watching all of them for a few days, and found that a cat heat lamp in their garage had blown. Cleaned up the bulb shards and found a replacement bulb. I then found the cat and checked it out for injuries. All looked good, so I put the cat down next to its spot. She freaked out in a big way.

Hydrogen peroxide is my friend.

[Claymore]

The Cat’s Revenge

By Claud Hans

[joecool]

The Cat’s Revenge

By Claud Hans

Took me a couple of minutes, but that right there is funny.

[ccm2361]

Hope you fellows had a great Christmas & New Years!


I sure did.

[Phillip Gross]

Decided to try a different church today. There isn't anything wrong with the church we've been attending, other than it's distance from our house. We're on the road a lot for work as it is. Driving again on Sunday mornings isn't the worst thing, but we've come to realize that we're just Sunday pew sitters and then gone. We haven't gotten involved in any small groups or even go on Wednesday nights (when I'm even in town), so we started looking for something closer. There's a Calvary Chapel about 15 mins from the house, and we tried it today. The family really enjoyed it and we'll be going again next week.

I think metaphorically most of the time, and came up with a comparison to illustrate what I felt about it. If a tree in the forest represents non-organized church (people meeting in a living room or on a truck tailgate), the church we've been attending would be a board sanded with 400 grit paper and finished with a high gloss polyurethane. I've also been in churches at times that were rough-cut lumber straight from the mill. The church today was a store bought 2×4. It's been milled and sent through a planer, but not polished. I liked it. It felt a little more organic than where we've been attending without being wild and unkempt, or even too rough around the edges.

For the first time in a long time, I'm sitting in my chair on Sunday evening looking forward to next Sunday morning. Maybe even Wednesday night if I can get home in time.

[joecool]

Any NRA members out there? I'm remembering that a few years ago, LCOL Oliver North was forced off the NRA board when he tried to expose bad stuff that was allegedly going on. And now NRA head LaPierre is resigning and his trial starts any day.

I refuse to click on mainstream media for the story, so does anyone out there have the details?

[Claymore]

Any NRA members out there? I'm remembering that a few years ago, LCOL Oliver North was forced off the NRA board when he tried to expose bad stuff that was allegedly going on. And now NRA head LaPierre is resigning and his trial starts any day.

I refuse to click on mainstream media for the story, so does anyone out there have the details?

We "insiders" don't have any more info than the public, at large. I'd hate to think that the NRA Apple has a worm in it, but it wouldn't shock me, either.

Claymore
NRA Life/Endowment Member

[Claymore]

I have recommended his book to several people to help illustrate the current misdirection of our country. I read it via the e-copy you gave me a link to, but I've been thinking about buying a hard copy to have on hand.

One of the snippets I recount for people is how, after he was vetted and released to roam freely, would randomly pull into a grocery store he was passing by to see if the abundance was legitimate, or just a propaganda show set up by the government. People need to understand what socialism/communism actually does compared to a free market.

If anyone has read Mig Pilot or The Gulag Archipelago, I would strongly suggest reading George Orwell's Animal Farm. The insight that Orwell had is absolutely SCARY. And here's the "rub": Orwell was Pro-Socialist. However he was enough of a visionary to see that Socialism with absolute power turned into a cancerous monster with a new Aristocracy with a new name, and lies to cover how the "benevolent" Ruling Class was abusing the workers.

[Phillip Gross]

Started 1984 years ago, but never finished it. May give Animal Farm a try.

4am and about to head to the airport to drop my wife off for her girl's weekend trip. They like NYC for some odd reason, so they like to go about once a year. Personally I have no desire to go to that city, but if they like it...

[joecool]

Six inches of snow and -21F. Shoveling and plowing in half hour shifts. Tomorrow, it might get down to -34, which would be my all-time low. The price I have to pay to avoid heat and humidity in other parts of our wonderful country.

[Claymore]

Six inches of snow and -21F. Shoveling and plowing in half hour shifts. Tomorrow, it might get down to -34, which would be my all-time low. The price I have to pay to avoid heat and humidity in other parts of our wonderful country.

Yesterday, our German Exchange Student was with our Golden Retriever, sitting on the deck, reading her homework assignment book, while it was 68 degrees and sunny.

Today, it is 54 degrees with a light rain..................but you don't have to shovel rain.

[joecool]

Yesterday, our German Exchange Student was with our Golden Retriever, sitting on the deck, reading her homework assignment book, while it was 68 degrees and sunny.

Today, it is 54 degrees with a light rain..................but you don't have to shovel rain.

Had to come in early. Even though I had a charger on my side-by-side's battery overnight, it wouldn't start.

Is this the same exchange student from years' past?

[Claymore]

Is this the same exchange student from years' past?

Yes.

We have acquired a surrogate daughter, over the past 2 years.  About every 10 days, we would get a Whats-App call from Germany, saying, "Hallo.  How are you?".  If she would just get a bit lonely or bored, she would call and we would chat for about 25 minutes.

A couple of months ago, she called and floated the idea of coming to see us, this winter.  I told her that she was welcome to come at any time, as she is Family.  About three weeks later, she called, and began the conversation with, "Sooooo, What are you doing between December 27 and January 13....".

The story goes on..... She is a great kid, but she is financially "TIGHT".  She was watching Air Fares, every day, to see when she could get the best prices.  I finally said, "Just buy the darned tickets NOW, and I will pay for half.....".

So, she has been with us for about 17 days, and is flying home from Memphis, tomorrow.  She is a bit sassy.  We got into a discussion, and she sassily said, "Well, you must love me, because you paid for half of my plane ticket.....".

I replied, "I paid for the half TO SEND YOU BACK...".

[RRCmdrBennett]

Started 1984 years ago, but never finished it. May give Animal Farm a try.

4am and about to head to the airport to drop my wife off for her girl's weekend trip. They like NYC for some odd reason, so they like to go about once a year. Personally I have no desire to go to that city, but if they like it...

Wow you began reading the book 1984 years ago and haven’t finished it yet…?

[Claymore]

Started 1984 years ago, but never finished it. May give Animal Farm a try.

4am and about to head to the airport to drop my wife off for her girl's weekend trip. They like NYC for some odd reason, so they like to go about once a year. Personally I have no desire to go to that city, but if they like it...

Wow you began reading the book 1984 years ago and haven’t finished it yet…?

Animal Farm is a super-quick read.

I only read at conversational speed, and can do the book in 2 to 3 days.

It is basically like one of Aesop's Fables (remember with the talking animals). My only suggestion is, if you do not have a steel-trap memory for names, when you FIRST start the book and they introduce the characters' names, write it on a tablet, because in a few pages, Wells will write that "Old Major" said .....

And you cannot recall if "Old Major" is the pig or the horse....

(or you might find a list on the interweb and just print it out)

[joecool]

Tomorrow, it might get down to -34, which would be my all-time low.

Poor night's sleep. By the (late) time I fell out of bed, the temp was -36, so it could have been colder. Broke my previous low by 5 degrees. I hate global warming. Nothing's moving out there. Good thing it's Saturday. Yesterday, school was optional.

[ccm2361]

cold & windy here. Not -36 cold. More like 25 degrees. Got about 4 inches of snow last night.

[Claymore]

Tomorrow, it might get down to -34, which would be my all-time low.

Poor night's sleep. By the (late) time I fell out of bed, the temp was -36, so it could have been colder. Broke my previous low by 5 degrees. I hate global warming. Nothing's moving out there. Good thing it's Saturday. Yesterday, school was optional.

Poor Navy-Guy!

January 1981

Special Forces Winter Warfare Training.  1 week outside, on skis, with NO TENT.  Make a Poncho-Hooch or dig into a snow bank for warmth.  Actual air temperature: 32 degrees below zero.  

Your hands are cracked and bleeding, from removing your mittens to go to the bathroom.  Wear your insulated arctic canteen underneath your parka, or you will not have liquid water to drink.  We froze and destroyed $20,000.00 worth of AN/PRC-74 shortwave radios, attempting to operate in that environment.

And you fell out of your warm bed when it was -36 outside (what was the temp in the bedroom?).

Let me put you in for a Navy Commendation Medal with Snivel Cluster Device.

[joecool]

January 1981

That was close to the same time we steamed off the Kamchatka peninsula for a whole frigid month, using our spook suite to spy on the Petropavlovsk naval base. One of their frigates came out to look us over on our last day. Our captain took us alongside them, steaming side by side at around 80 feet. Everybody got great pictures. Up forward, everyone was trying to stare down the other side. Back aft, sailors on both sides were throwing souvenirs at each other.

[Claymore]

January 1981

That was close to the same time we steamed off the Kamchatka peninsula for a whole frigid month, using our spook suite to spy on the Petropavlovsk naval base. One of their frigates came out to look us over on our last day. Our captain took us alongside them, steaming side by side at around 80 feet. Everybody got great pictures. Up forward, everyone was trying to stare down the other side. Back aft, sailors on both sides were throwing souvenirs at each other.

Love It

Politics is Politics, but Troops is Troops

[Claymore]

January 1981

That was close to the same time we steamed off the Kamchatka peninsula for a whole frigid month, using our spook suite to spy on the Petropavlovsk naval base. One of their frigates came out to look us over on our last day. Our captain took us alongside them, steaming side by side at around 80 feet. Everybody got great pictures. Up forward, everyone was trying to stare down the other side. Back aft, sailors on both sides were throwing souvenirs at each other.

By the way.....

Do you understand that there is a reason why YOU were doing what you were doing, and I was doing what I was doing,.......at the same time?

(Put THAT one together!)

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