summer patriot, winter soldier

if the u.s. air force wants to dump its a-10's, then the u.s. army should buy every damned one of them .....

the air force really doesn't want to be in close air support of infantry warriors.  fine.

sell the a-10's to the army.  or, let the marine corps have them.  let the marines and the army take the pilots with them, if the pilots want to stay with the air plane.  the army says the f-35 is better equipped to fly close air.   i say, "bullshit."  it gets nasty in an air plane down close to the ground, and the f-35 just isn't built as ruggedly as the a-10, and pilots won't take it in as close to the action as is required in close air support.

i have one suggestion. and that is to upgrade the power on the a-10 .....  they are a little sluggish pulling up and away from the ground.   that is because the engines are a bit under powered.  there is an easy and cheap solution.  and, that is, for years commercial aviation has flied a more powerful version of the engine in the a-10.   and, that engine is directly interchangeable with the current a-10 motor.

problem solved.

i am too smart to be an old retired poop, though i more than qualify as to aches, pains, ailments of a minor sort, and major health problems.   and, i am way too smart to be in congress, as this solution should have occurred to all 535 of the dumb bastards, "frn," as they say.***  it's a tough life, being like an old boot, ... , tough, and unwanted.   laughing.

john jay @ 04.30.2023

*** "stupid to the bone" is an apt description for most of them.   just sayin', based on experience.

dumbasses with big bellies and big big belt buckles should not be allowed to own nice guitars .....

recently seen, a 1979 gibson less paul advertised for sale.  it has led a very rough life.

and, the worst thing?--

the back of the guitar was scraped all to hell, just where some dumb ass's belt buckle has/had worn major gouges into the finish and wood of the guitar body.  it was if a gouge had been taken to the guitar.  (which in effect, is precisely what had happened.)

this is not excusable, any more than if a strad had been similarly damaged.  it is, in fact, a crying shame.

bellies.  belt buckles.   idiots.   an unholy combination.

john jay @ 04.29.2023

the end of the world on april 23, 2023?

well, apparently someone thinks so.  in that case --

1.)  i guess i won't mow the grass.

2.)  i believe that i will buy that guitar i've been looking at, and quickly.  and, that doesn't give me much time to learn the chords and timing of "misty," which i have been hacking away at.  (not much of a sentence, but, hey, who cares, and who will know, if the world ends.)

update, 04.19.2023.  do you think my state farm insurance co. "renter's insurance" will cover "solar flare" damage?   i really hadn't anticipated any catastrophic loss caused by a solar flare.  maybe that was shortsighted of me.   actually, i was reading about a solar flare at the turn of the 20th century (more or less) that caused telegraph wires to catch on fire, and occasionally solar flares will cause disruptions of modern communications facilities.  but, so far, no end of the world events.  perhaps we could get lucky and russia will get mildly fried.  there is a credible scientist who says that in about 50 million years the sun will become a "red giant", and expand to such an extent that it will "rub" the earth:  i should think if the sun gets that massive, its gravitational pull will "suck us right in."  on the other hand, i am not too worried about living another 50 million years or so  .....  those of you who do, will have some problems, eh?

maybe i should get a binder on that policy.  :-)  .....   cheers, all.   end update.

3.)  i suppose i will mail the two bills from the city utilities and my insurance company, and probably do the bill on line from the credit card company.   what difference will it make, anyway, eh?

4.)  i don't suppose i have to follow my cardiology doc's admonition to cut down on my carbs and cholesterol, or, even worry about it.  eh. 

and, 5.)  i suppose i will die not knowing what was causing the leak in my camaro that was wetting the carpet underneath the brake and clutch pedals.  that is kind disappointing.   oh, well.

john jay @ 04.18.2023

p.s.  as i consider these matters, i find not having to mow the grass kind of liberating.  i suppose if you gotta go, one nice aspect of it will be not having to mow the grass, as i am sorta philosophically opposed to doing it in the first place.   i mean, what did the grass ever do to me?  (it's kind of a neat feeling, always has been, having the stuff between my toes.  i will miss that.  i believe i'll go barefoot for a bit, tomorrow.   what a hedonist, eh?)

instant update:  just now.   and, upon due reflection, i do not see much point in wearing clean underwear.  let people talk.  end, instant update.

second update of the day, 04.19.2023.  but, i did buy some new shoes this day, on sale at $40.00, the original marked price just below $200.00.  my last rational act before panic & hysteria set in, at the prospect of fiery death.   well, what other way to go is there, for a decent end of the world scenario, wearing new shoes.  i mean, really, now.  a person has to have standards, even in extremis.  end update.

 

nova kakhovka .....

grog, drew458 and i are absolutely correct with regard to the importance of the ukraine driving the russian off the east bank of the dniepro, and taking full control of nova kakhovka, and then driving to the sea.   absolutely correct.   the ukraine must do this to drive the russians out of the ukraine, and i include crimea in this statement.

drum roll.   blare of trumpets.   crescendo of violins and violas, supported by bowed bass violins!!!   nova kakhovka is this important, simple as that.

slava ukraine!!!   to hell with the russians.  (as many as possible, as soon as possible.)

john jay @ 04.16.2023

really, it's absolutely trivial, and i wouldn't waste my time reading this, were i you ..... no. 1 .....

i am convinced, after an admittedly superficial "inquiry," that brooke shields is nuttier than a fucking fruit cake.  and, totally obsessed with, well, brooke shields.  (not much going on with her, obviously.)     and, what is with the emaciated witch "look," anyways?   she makes me sort of shudder, to look at her.

well, that's it.  and, no, i obviously have not much better to do.   so, g'night.

john jay @ 04.12.2023

re:  "no. 1" in a trivial series.  or, maybe "number last."   who knows?

why does the left so fear donald trump?

for all of his supposed failings and inadequacies, the left fears no person as they fear donald trump.  why?   i believe it is because he understands the left, and its goals.   and, because he so effectively communicates what it is that they are about, and does so, so very accurately.

he puts it all out, so that people can decide what they want to be, and what they want their leaders to be.   this, the left wishes to avoid, and to obfuscate.   the left wishes to hide, and trump wishes to expose them.

simple as that.

john jay @ 04.12.2023

is v. putin an active agent of the u.s. of a. and nato?

well, consider this.--

in a very short period, putin has absolutely destroyed russia's conventional military.   he has personally expanded the territories of the nato alliance right up to russia's borders, with the ascension of sweden and finnland into nato membership.  

i believe in a relatively quick series of events both the ukraine and belarus shall apply for membership into nato, and that both will be accepted.

putin has pushed turkey into a closer relationship with nato, and away from any adventures with russia.  in case you had not noticed, turkey has become a very substantial player, and "influencer," on the world stage.

putin has done this, while almost single-handedly, destroyed the russian demographic, driving its most productive segments into external and internal exile, and alienating them from the russian state, and "the russian way of doing things."

and, finally, putin is driving the --stans into association with the west, and doing very little to inhibit the integration of the --stans into western associations, structures, and yes, political affiliations.  modernity, and modern economy, education & finance is in a headlong rush into russia's former provinces.   and, all of it, i believe to be by the active influence of v. putin.

so, i ask again (and more or less suggest), that v. putin acts almost universally in the interests of the west, and almost diametrically opposed to the long term interests of russia as a power upon the world stage.  no one single person has done what putin has done to drain its influence in the world.

putin sought power and influence by association with china and india.  for those two countries, the question must be posed, just what do they gain by association with russia, decrepit as it is becoming, and as self destructing as it has become under putin.  to my way of viewing things, putin & russia are not longer assets by association, but, a positive drag on the power and influence of anyone (in terms of nation states) that would associate with him.

he has become the poor coursin on the world state.

oh, putin and russia have the nukes.  but what good are they?  will russia's nukes, and associated "saber rattling" help china take the "jewel" of taiwan.   will the kuznetzov, rotting in dry dock without a crew, be a force to be reckoned with by the u.s. navy in the taiwan straights?  russia does absolutely nothing to help china's pretensions to world power, in any real sense.

pariah's are worthless, in any context.  they lend absolutely nothing in terms of one's pretensions to legitimacy and influence.   and, as noted, putin does nothing except revitalize and expand the west's influence.   he is, i believe, the tool of the west, in only an unwitting one (as befits a nitwit.)

john jay @ 04.12.2023

p.s.   the answer to my question at the head of the post?  well, it is in the last sentence of the post.  it is, indeed, a "wrap."

a trenchant critique of jazz guitarists ..... and, other gratuitous observations .....

i quote directly from the liner notes of "two for the road," featuring herbie ellis and joe pass, pablo records, 1974 and republished at fantasy, inc., 1992.

"actually outside of joe (pass), barney kessel, and jim hall, there aren't too many more guitarists that i would consider teaming up with, the main reason being that we might not have enough common musical ground to make it work right."

"...  you will notice that my style is more directly slanted toward charlie christian and lester young [saxophonist]; and joe more charlie parker-ish [saxophonist] or, for want of a better word, the bop era."

herbie ellis, 1974.

ellis, being a guitar great, is fully qualified to name other guitar greats, and kessel, pass, hall and ellis fit the bill.   as for me, being a confirmed guitar duffer, i would add at first after thought, the likes of wes montgomery and charlie byrd.  and, since great horn players go along with great guitarists, i would also toss in stan getz into the discussion.  and, dave brubeck and thelonious monk play music which i find very easy to enjoy, as i love what they do with time signatures, and tone.

you might do better.  you might do far worse.

john jay @  04.07.2023

p.s.  ray brown on the upright bass.  always "just right."  always a steady presence, always essential, and never demanding attention.  a rock.

update, 04.09.2023.   great musicians, and great players, and great improvisors.--   and, yes, dickie betts and the allman brothers and those players.  those guys can play.  "jessica," "i was born a ramblin' man,"  .....  exceptional music.  the best of all time, the greatest improvisors, you would have to toss in benny goodman on the clarinet, and miles davis on the trumpet.  superb musicians.   and, i suppose that ravi shankar on the sitar deserves a few accolades along the way.   the simple truth is, genius is where you find it.  sometimes under a rock, sometimes on a stage*** .....  it generally will out.   end update.

*** not so far in my living room in milton freewater, when i am playing.  -- sigh --  such is life.

if elon musk really wants my admiration, he will .....

1.  .....  resume production of the c-6 series of corvettes, the absolute prettiest vette of them all, very clean, rounded, lines.***   and, with a sensible ls engine, about 325-350 horsepower, max.  no need to go to 60 mph in under 3 seconds.  none at all.

2.  .....  resume production of the ac cobra, the second best looking of american sports cars behind the c-6.  (and, being guided by truth, he will advertise it as suitable only for persons not exceeding 5'3" tall and having very short legs.   not a car to roll over if you are 6'4" tall.  you will be about 5'3" tall when it stops sliding, may as well start out that way.)

3.  .....  give joe biden a ride into space, quickly.  if it were up to me, a "return" to earth would be omitted.  no need to provide a lunch.

4.  .....  return hostess cupcakes to their original specs.

and, 5.)  .....  talk dutch brother's coffee into doing reprints of some of their best "free stickees," available the first wednesday of the month.   (hint:  i like the one of a contented sun, complete with little radiating triangles, ambling along carrying a fresh hot cup of joe, being freshly invigorated.  very funny, & cute.)

john jay @ 04.05.2023

p.s.   bring raquel welch back.  *sigh*

***absolutely the best looking convertible auto ever made.   hands down.  not even a contest.

limped through my first try at erroll garner's "misty" ..... i can positively say, it wasn't as bad as i thought it would be ..... but, it will be a while before "i get it."

laughing.

like i said, it wasn't as bad as i thought it would be.  (not, in other words, an "absolute" disaster.)   "it" may very well require more "nuance" than i possess with the guitar, to get a handle on the song.  but, we'll soldier on, and see if i can get a grip on the rhythm and pacing of the music.

i'll keep you posted.   in the meantime, don't look for me on "america's got talent," or whatever the heck the program is called.  at least people aren't throwing bricks through the front windows of my house, or setting my cats on fire.

john jay @ 04.02.2023