Separated By A Common Language

One word, so many meanings.

Secure. In the Navy, it means to stop what you’re doing and tidy up. Or, as the Earth-Bound Misfit put it.

In the Navy, “to secure a building” meant to sweep down the halls, empty the trash, turn out the lights and lock the doors. To the Army, “secure the building” meant to post a guard at the front door. To the Marines, “secure the building” meant to attack the building, blow a hole in the side, go in and kill or capture everyone inside. To the Air Force, “secure a building” meant to negotiate and sign a lease for the building.

Knife Meme

As played by Breda, and Tam, and OldNFO, and me. An Opinel #7 knife. Only four parts, total; two of whom move. Carbon steel, simple, and sharp. For the knifeless man is a helpless man, and bugger that.

A Fine Rant

From the Gormogons

Key Graf:

That’s about it. We are honorable people. We believe in helping the poor and less fortunate. But we also believe in earning your keep, and in keeping what we earn. We produce and give and fund the government, yet we get nothing back but disdain and scorn. We are not your ATM. We are not your indentured servants. You no talent ass clowns work for us, and don’t you forget it. We are sorry you elites are uncomfortable being asked what your value-add is. It must be discomfiting to realize you add little if anything of value to our society. Forgive us for not caring what someone who has never had to make payroll or lay off employees thinks about small business and the economy

Read the whole thing.

I’m Not The Only One

Squirrels knocked out my internet and phone for several days.  Sorry about the lack of posts, as if you all cared.  The little beasts nested in the…phone company box thingy.  It’s a technical term, I know.

Seems I’m not the only one…

Facebook Shenanigans, Again

Facebook has installed facial recognition software on it’s site.  As usual, the default setting is “ON”.  The whole story is here.

I realize that trying to control one’s information on the net is like whistling in the wind, but there are photos of me on Facebook that I didn’t put up.  Now,  it is no secret that I was in Pirates of Penzance in college.  It’s also no secret that I looked funny in the ’80s.  EVERYONE looked funny in the ’80s.  Facebook should ASK, though

To turn it off, do this: (H/T, _heather)

*       First, go to your Facebook “Account” in the upper right-hand corner
of the page. Then click on “Privacy Settings.”
*       Next, click on “Customize settings.”
*       Then go to “Things others share.”
*       Beside the option titled “Suggest photos of me to friends. When
photos look like me, suggest my name,” click “Edit Settings.”
*       Click on “Edit settings.”
*       Then change it to “Disabled.”
*       Don’t forget to press “Okay.”

Chief John Hanna, USN

According to Matt, Chief Hanna was well known, and kept himself to himself. More information can be found at the Ravings of A Feral Genius.   Go read it.  It made me cry. But the Feral Genius has a point, which she makes in the addendum to her post:

Thoreau at Unqualified Offerings suggests making donations to I Am My Brother’s Keeper, the homeless shelter where John spent his last months before going into the hospital.

ADDITIONAL ADDENDUM: It’s also worth considering a small donation to Joseph Norris, the funeral home operator who donated the coffin, took care of J-sub’s body and notified the reporter; without him, none of us might ever have known for certain what happened to our friend. Norris is a small business owner, and I doubt he’s rich enough for such to be mere pocket-change expenses for him.

Joseph Norris
Gates of Heaven Funeral Home
4412 Livernois Avenue
Detroit, MI 48210
(313) 894-2427

NRA CON

After a very wet drive through the mountains, I arrived in Pittsburgh and got off the freeway right by the convention center.  And the city was jammed, with no parking nearby.  After fllling around for an hour, I parked at a distant lot and took a cab.  On the way I was nearly run over  by a billboard truck with an anti-gun message on it, referred to as a “street blimp.”  All I can say is it drove like one.

But I did arrive in one piece, went upstairs, and did meet up with Breda, Alan, Old NFO, Bubblehead Les, We’erd Beard and New Jovian Thunderbolt.  And there were mature adults shaking hands and introducing themselves by their internet handles, which was just hysterically funny.

Interesting things were seen on the exhibit floor, of which more later.

Vicious Circle

After lots of farting around, I finally managed to join up with Alan, Breda, Old NFO, the Atomic Nerds, We’erd, AEpilotJim, and other assorted riff-raff (I think I got them all) on Vicious Circle.

I Thought of Breda When I Saw This

I, Librarian.  The adventures of superhero librarian Rex Libris. The real life version is HERE.

Piled Higher and Deeper

Matt has his.  Go and congratulate him.