Air Force Story

 The Air Force cam out this past week and said they would 'ease-up' on restrictions on tattoo work on their folks....on necks and hands.  

Reason given?  A 'new' view of the 'hobby'.

Real reason?  I think the shortage on personnel is reaching a point where even chubby guys/gals are simply give a 'worry' note and told to proceed on.  

I remember the day when piercings on guys (off-duty) was finally accepted.  About every decade.....the shortage issue comes up.  

Will it get worse?  Based on chatter....I'd say the next round of evolution will occur by Thanksgiving. 

I was reading a piece today.....the AF is missing around 1,000 pilots minimum and there's heavy competition with passenger airlines.

The idea of bringing back Warrant Officers?  It wouldn't shock me if by spring of 2024....you see the idea discussed.  It wouldn't be the end of the world if Warrant Officers were allowed to exist again....within the Air Force cargo plane world.  

Observations

 1.  What is 'Whataboutism'?

Basically, your co-worker brought up some intense discussion over a topic which either you know mostly nothing about, or it's opening up a 45-minute discussion which has no end.  So....you deflect this, by bring up an entirely different topic.

2.  Are there really a couple of thousand Russian folks in Mexico....who've applied for US asylum?

Well.....YES.  The story is that around 5,000 to 5,500 are there presently, and just in limbo....waiting for the US to 'grant' them 'permission'.  Odds of this?  Biden's folks aren't saying much.  You almost get the impression that they expect some payment or bribe-money....to sign each one.

Why aren't they just crossing....like the other half-million folks?  Unknown.  

3.  If you were an idiot with $100,000 of student loan debt and constantly weeping over Biden's lack of progress on your problem?

My advice....you'd best give up on Joe Biden, and get that second job at the bowling alley or Piggly Wiggly.

4.  Far-left in 1976.....would be just 'right-of-center' today....politically speaking.

5  I noticed the mayor of Coronado, California did a interview on his homeless problems in the city.  

Republican guy....100,000 resident town.  They had some homeless issues, and then invented a new policy....'no-pity' is what I'd call it.  Zero-tolerance. 

If you try to camp out on public property....cops come and encourage to get real  help or leave the town.

6.  A majority of Democratic-voters were shown in a 6 Jan topic poll....to believe that some elements of what happened on the 6th.....were faked-up or scripted.  If I were a candidate for the Democratic Party for President in 2024....it'd be a problem that I'd have to explain, or offer to clean up.

7.  Any threat at this point from Putin to NATO.....being worth worrying about?  No.  

Other than talking nuke warfare....there's not much of a threat left.

Movie Review: Ad Astra

 This week, Netflix put up Ad Astra, and I sat down to watch it one afternoon.  

First, I will readily admit that watching a science fiction piece....requires a good bit of accepting the core story....whether it makes sense or not.  They did lay out the basic story over the first 15 minutes.....but it really didn't make much sense.

Second, about halfway into the film.....the craft that is carry the main character deep into space gets some distress call, to a Norwegian science station.  The pilot of the craft, and our 'hero' get into the suits, and 'walk' over to the station (no contact).  You can sense....things aren't going well.

Upon getting into the station....we find that this is a primate study situation and the monkeys got loose.  They also seem pretty violent and tend to murder folks.  Our 'hero' dispatches one of the monkeys, and drags the dead pilot back to his ship.

By the end....the basic element of the story has been resolved, and mankind can rest assured of things.

Just shaking my head....it was one of the more crappy stories of the past decade or two....that involved BIG production.  If you are going to watch it....I'd advise at least four shots of something at the beginning, and do another shot about every ten minutes until the end.