submariner bubblesphere blog roundup 05-16-08

time again to wander around the bubblesphere, gathering the various posts from our submariner brethren. i've tried to get this started the last two fridays, but being busy with everything else has kept me from doing so. anyway, here's this edition.

first, a new blogger (thanks Joel): welcome to The EM Log. go read his posts. this is a great find, and is now on my daily to do list.

as always, check out the Sub Report for the latest doings in the world of submarines. drop eric an email to let him know how much you appreciate the work he does.

and the big submariner kid on the bubblesphere block has a post calling for seastories about faking news and sports. if you were on submarines back in the day, the radiomen were the conduit of all outside info. and every radioshack had at least one joker. read about some of those exploits.

the brain amongst us has a post about how a certain senator is a nub. couldn't have said it better myself willyshakes.

and chap has a couple of posts that ramp up the wayback factor. a quote from this post

"I went into teaching full of belief and idealism, knowing that our children had limitless potential. After 5 years I realised that there was no place for idealism in teaching. I left in 1978 not knowing what I would do."

and then there is this one wherein he claims the author has him pegged...My first? a 1970 175 Yamaha Enduro.

and gus discovers he's a colon in his latest roundup. if you've ever read any Kurt Vonnegut, you will should be able to figure out that when my kids tell me i'm a * they are not referring to a punctuation mark.

as usual, i'm not pointing you to any specific post by Vigilis. reason: too damned many good posts to list. visit, read, read some more.

Rob has an answer for the phone callers asking him for their vote.

the magazine o' Rob has a post exploring the "myth of the pro-military". hmmm. Rob, no smackdown on your take of things, but your political fellow travelers might raise some concern. i suggest you read Liberal Fascism toot sweet. by the way, how you liking civilian life?

digging back a ways, the old man explores "school security". some progress.

Reality Frame discusses "the puppet media". funny how all sides find fault with the media supplying us with news and opinion.

Cookie is another blogger that i'm simply pointing you towards. go, read, laugh. too damned many good posts to pick from, so go read them all.

The Knave posts some tips for gasoline users. that's most of us, i reckon. thanks for the pointers.

Eric of the world renowned Sub report has a bunch of blog entries detailing various submarine classes. if you are a sub buff, wander over and learn something new!

while his mind wasn't wandering, Myron posted a Tommy Cox video about "the dives we've known". then he has an updated list with a ton of links to other Tommy stuff that can take up most of the evening following. i know, because i had to wave off the wife a couple of times, just so i could get through the list. i doubt Tom will remember, but playing guitar in crews mess with him and the other wannabe musicians helped pass a couple of very tedious and very boring (for the nukes) spec-ops in the 70's.

Out on a Limb posts about why it sucks to be the GOP. yeah, it's painful.

the old coot posts about a new Navy ship, and who it's named after. i think the process of naming the Navy's war craft after heroes is not only fitting, but right. too bad they named a bunch after politicians. i suppose that was one way to get funding.

my red headed bud from the old days has posted a ponder in light of California's Supreme Court decision the other day regarding gay marriage. Wick, you are still a shit stirrer. please don't ever change.

two from Nereus: first, he snivels about how busy he is, and then posts about the best way to excavate a pool. he's entering into the land of civilians, and the changes that come from that are plenty. a new pool would be nice!

Mega Munch is pondering changing around the rules for an eating contest at work. my thought? Keep the BEER!. move to a non-work venue, and go for it. gluttony without alcohol? it's just not right.

the A-ganger is pondering putting his daughter in a nunnery. hey, thanks for the link! it was "eye opening"


very sad. DCS, sorry for your loss

Right Mind explores a well known double standard.

the Midwatch Cowboy explores how to spend the economic stimulus check. his take is spot on.

in case you missed it, episode 02-1 is online at Tubedaze. still waaaaiting John. a little something like a backed up sewer is holding things up? shaaaaa.

exploring the Cycle of Life can be tough when it's your boat we're talking about.

Doc explores The Problem with 24 Hour News

Chucklehead is taking an indefinite break from blogging. newborns take up A LOT of time!

yet another blogger that i'm just going to point you towards to explore on your own. the whiner has a number of really interesting posts lately that you might find worthwhile. i did.

Wheels proves that there can be an I in TEAM. damn! i'm impressed.

In through the out door has a post concerning a super secret sub base.

Exurban League posts something that tightened my scrote. not me, nope, no way. i get sweaty climbing a foot stool.

Read an amazing obit for amazing man at the Razorback Museum blog.

Blunoz talks about difficult decisions that might save someone's life.

Bill recounts his time as a Tijuana Tourist. me, i bought a switchblade that the border guards took. easy come easy go.

The Good Donut saw something about the West Virginia primaries that made him ashamed. dude, i can see why. sorry.

Beeb discovers Salt is good for you.

Halibut Hanger has the latest skinny on the Virginia Class appropriations

Dave's got a new pet, and possibly a future dinner. naming it Stu?

EDIT to correct an oversight on my part, let me direct you to Submarines Forever where the Sonarman explores the illegal immigrant issue vis a vis the Catholic church. pretty interesting reading.

That's it folks. happy reading, and don't forget to drop a comment or two while working your way around the bubblesphere.

and before i forget, don't miss the last couple of posts at the geezer's corner.

2/22/08 submarine blogger roundup

well, it's time for me to go around and pull the most recent musings of my fellow bubblesphere bloggers into one place. that's submariner bloggers for the uninitiated.

not to sound like a broken record, but you do know that there is one place out there for all of the latest in submarine news, right? that place is of course eric's The Sub Report and his blog at The Blog! where he posted a couple of weeks ago with pictures from the USS Boise (SSN-764).

now on to the other blogs that have posted new content in the last week or so:

you will be seeing recurring themes this week. Politics and the Navy's excellent marksmanship were the primary topics out there in bloggerland.

Joel starts it off with this post about the spectacular satellite shot the navy did.

guess what WillyShakes talks about? yup, shooting down dead satellites. the video was just too cool, don't you think? time to remind all the kids on the block who has the biggest muscles.

Chap posts a press release about the shootdown.

and one of my blogging idols Gus gives us the benefit of his experiences blogging with this excellent primer on blogging. there are some important things he points out for the neophyte as well as the experienced blogger. only thing i disagree with is the whole advertising thing. me, i still refuse. this isn't my profession, just a hobby. and again, we are tempting a shift in the universe's entropy balance by my linking to his latest roundup. if you don't have him bookmarked so you can find his weekly roundups, what the hell's the matter with you???

and one of the other key sources of new and interesting submarine/navy info is Vigilis over at the Molten Eagle. his latest post about Naval Prison proposals will make you nod your head and either say "hell yeah", or "WTF?"

and one of our resident lefties (dig dig) Rob has come to the realization that regardless of who wins the coming election, the right loses, no matter what. Rob, it saddens me to say this, but you are right there buddy.

how's this for a quote? "My wife didn't think our lives were complicated enough so she went out and bought a new dog." go check out Ted's new pooch Molly. doxies are cute little critters, but having had them underfoot as a kid, i've learned my mutts have to be big enough to see, to not trip over.

Reality Frame reprints an article from one of those places i only visit to see what the other side (tinfoil hatted) thinks. i am not shy about stating i think his politics and world view are way way way different than mine. but he always has interesting things to say about how he sees things. and i have no doubt his views are held as closely as mine. that's why i love this blogging thing. i can cast about and find just about any side of just about any issue, and find intelligently written articles. want to see? go visit Seven Steps to Revolution.

need a dose of old fart music? i mean, ancient, blow the dust off the 78's and 45's? check out what COOKIE thinks of as contemporary music. i kid, i kid. (not really, but i don't want cookie mad at me). and don't forget to wander through his latest batch of postings for your humor recharge. he posts some funny stuff.

and the Knavish one has a little musing about Castro's retirement and the effect it will have on hollywood.

Myron has a sure fire way to clean your dirty computer monitor.

and imagine my surprise when Sonarman stated within the first paragraph of The Scarlet Letter that "Because I am “ultra-conservative”, I am, in the eyes of some, an insensitive thug waiting to trample on the rights of the poor, the hungry, and otherwise oppressed. And also I supposedly want to harm small, furry and otherwise, creatures of the forest." well, that's what I THOUGHT about you! Brothers under the skin! anyway, he goes on to riff on what he considers an abridgment of rights. don't know if i totally agree, but i do know someone that has been dealing with the issue for years for a stupid human trick he pulled as a teen, messing with an underaged girl when he was 18. she was literally only a couple of months younger than he was, and emancipated, but the law was the law. he tells me there are people that drive by his house even now (he's on the statewide "predator list") and throw things at the house.

our resident lawyer always always educates me when i visit. here's an intriguing quote "She claims that the failure of Israeli troops to rape Arab women achieves the same goal as actually raping them; that the reluctance of Israeli troops to force themselves on Arab women is humiliating and evidence of Israeli racism -- a rather extreme example of Jewish anti-Arab discrimination." for an education of multi-culti libtards, check out Out on a Limb. this dude's blog should be required reading.

the Old Coot has a Great Quote.

"Some mutant retard despoils a little blond girl and it's all over the cable channels for months. Spoiled Saudi boys with box cutters crash a few planes and we spend trillions crashing around through Mesopotamia. We lose control of our cities, Detroit, DC, Baltimore, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, nobody says or does, a damned thing. Just pretend it didn't happen." Red Dog (hiya Dave... he's an old red headed shipmate of mine) gives his thoughts on the state of civil order, or disorder in L.A. dude, i wish i could say you were wrong, but i'd be wrong.

the resident competitive eater in our little band of brothers has challenged himself to not eat meat for Lent. a quote from 8Feb "I’ve never done the Lent thing; giving something up – usually a guilty pleasure or some other vice – for 40 days. In fact, I’m not even religious. But this year I’ve decided to give up meat. Not just red meat (as some people suggested), but ALL MEAT.
And the funny thing is, I’m sort of looking forward to it. I mean, I know it’ll suck at times, but when those 40 days are over, that first burger will taste like heaven."
his last month of blogs has been chronicling this exercise. he is, of course, a dyed in the wool meat eater, and his adventure has been funny reading. he's now contemplating what Lent means. in his own words, he's not religious, but he did attend a Catholic wedding once. visit Mega Munch. laugh at him. i am. ordering a Whopper, and taking off the meat is cheating, bud....

Subvet links to an article about Momma Obama, or as he calls her, Lady Macbeth. damned interesting reading, especially if you are a fence sitter on the upcoming presidential election. Education education education. these are the things that we need to make reasonable and well thought out decisions. consider this part of your education.

and over at Right Mind, read about one of my personal heroes Ayaan Hirsi Ali, and what she told an audience in Dallas about honor killings. chilling.

a week and a half ago, Midwatch Cowboy posted a video about an incredible landing few have heard about. the reason i include him with this week's list is there is a very interesting comment to the entry. makes you wonder about getting in an airplane.

Doc MacDonald does not leave you in suspense. want to know what he thinks about the major newspapers? He'll tell you. and it should not come as a surprise that i wish i'd written this post myself.

Chucklehead posts Yet another reason for the 2nd amendment. there is a mantra within the shooters circles i travel in that goes "When seconds count, and the cop's are minutes away, what are you going to do?" there have been several things that have cropped up in my newsreader feeds regarding lawsuits brought by citizens against the local constabulary. in every case, the plaintiff lost because the judge found for the cops. what were the findings? the cops were not liable for your safety. if you call for help, and they don't show up, and bad things happen to you, too bad, so sad.
my answer? a 7 shot .357 loaded with 125 grain hollowpoints, with a .45 acp loaded with 230 grain personal defense rounds as a backup. if i have the time to call the cops, i will. but i will not place my family in jeopardy by inaction in the hopes that help will arrive in time. when seconds count, i will count to 7, reload, and count to seven again. and then tell the cops what happened when they finally arrive. yeah, i'm one of THOSE people. you know the kind. the ones that don't believe the government will or should fulfill all my needs. honestly, the very last thing in the world i want to do is to point a firearm at someone, much less drop the hammer. make that the next to the last thing. the last thing in the world i want is for my family to come to harm while waiting for someone to come rescue us because i couldn't or wouldn't defend us by any means necessary.

Sleepyeyed Whiner of the Deep posts about Success!

Ben has a humorous picture showing the newest import The Molotov. funny stuff dude.

In Through the Out Door posts about Open Souce discussions regarding networking within the military. another reason why i like the blogosphere. i'd never have even thought of this topic without a nudge. thanks for the nudge.

if you have followed my blog at all, you know that i love to cook. and bake. and eat. well, i'm not the only one. check out this cake Will made. he's a new guy. go over and say howdy.

another excellent baker, this one a professional(!) let's us know that he's not dead. whew.

"In Dubuque, Iowa, some people brought to Obama an unemployed union member who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man."
Exurban League posts about the vatican investigation surrounding the latest Obama Miracle.

ever hear of the Jedi Church? me either. The Good Donut has, and links us up.

Blunoz reminds us why fatherhood is so precious. hey dads, remember the wiener dance?


and finally, i'd like to direct you to my own blog. i've been following the whole islamist/Danish dustup. i talk about Analyzing the news you hear or read coming from europe.

any submariners with blogs not listed on my blogroll, please email me. i'll be sure to add you, and visit from time to time.

updating and shifting the bubblehead blogroll

it's time for a little maintenance on the links list. the bubblesphere bloggers that haven't posted in 6 months are getting moved down to the drydock, and a few new ones are being added.

first new addition is Bill's Vignettes an old bubblehead torpedoman who is now a Babtist minister. just shows that many of us continue on after life in the Navy to serve our country and fellow citizens in other ways. some go on to be firemen, cops, and even ministers.

and for some reason, i thought i'd already linked up Emergency Blow, but i didn't. fixed that!

another one i found has just migrated from blogspot to wordpress. meet The Good Donut, whose tagline is "The best donut is a free donut; the next best donut is… the next free donut". i can get behind that....

and one that isn't a submariner, but is still worthy of note. i found this blog some time ago, and posted a link, but failed to blogroll. i am now correcting this error. go visit The Sand Monkey. interesting perspective of life in Egypt.

and a bummer is that CeeBee a RN submariner looks like he's pulled his blog offline. bummer. Ceeb was a good guy, and has just finished a tour in the 'Stan as a medic type. Ceeb, here's hoping you resurface when all is well.

bubbleblogger roundup 1-18-08

yup, it's time for another spin around the world of submariner bloggers. these links do NOT point to all the interesting content my amigos have posted, just a taste to whet your appetite and send you off on an interesting journey.

first up, i'd like to introduce a couple of blogs i've stumbled across since my last update.
howdy to exurban league, who doesn't post much about submarining other than the occasional slip about old days of yore. politics seems to be the main topic, and there are quite a few interesting entries. spend some time poking around. well thought out, and well presented.
and what can i say about somebody who's blog focuses on food, especially baking? howdy to Table Bread. i want this guy to come to my house and make baked goods until i explode..
and here's a link to USS Razorback Museum blog. they have more than just Razorback stuff on the blog. it's interesting to see a historical submarine museum in Little Rock, Arkansas. this blog has some great pictures and interesting entries well worth visiting.
another new one for me is Blunoz Random Ramblings, and from his profile, it looks like he's an active duty submarine officer. Thanks for your service dude. i grew up (well, spent a large chunk of my youth) living in Oregon, both in Burns and Roseburg. good to see a fellow oregonian serving the country.
well, with that taken care of, let's go visit some of our buds...

In Through The Out Door points us to an interesting article about some proposed changes our govmint wants to impose to "make us safer". those words always make me nervous.

and Wheels within wheels posts a quickie visual that will have you cleaning the coffee of your screen. especially if you read the title of the post: "Some days, you just can't win"

and Chucklehead has a buddy that likes messing with the Nigerian scammers. funny stuff.

It is this last part that has the press giving itself wedgies in a panic that they may have been out of the loop on a huge international incident. I could not stop laughing when I first heard this story. These tick toads have very short memories and certainly do not understand military tactics.

Doc MacDonald reviews the "news" about the Kitty Hawk going to battlestations over a couple of chinese vessels. Doc, i remember stationing fire control tracking parties whenever we found a rooskie sub or skimmer. it was good practice, up to but not including (obviously) pushing the FIRE button.

the USS Augusta SSN-710 Alumni News blog reports the Augusta's decom date has been set.

the Midwatch Cowboy links up to an article about the Kitty Hawk's "confrontation", and the chinese press grilling ADM Keating.

The Right Mind links up to When Indiana Jones meets the Da Vinci Code. seriously interesting. the fact that "holy texts" are transformed and rewritten by those in charge is NOT news.
this reminds me of a book written by Gore Vidal called Messiah, where we can follow the evolution of a modern religion. the book was written the year i was born, and i read it somewhere around 1970-71 time frame. it solidified for me ideas regarding organized religion.

DaleJarret4ever, i'd like to forward our condolences. Grandma's are special, and their loss is never easy.

Blowing San#1 posts a worthy piece of advice. or is it a cautionary tale? anyway, check out his last several posts, some good rants in there.

hmmm, sounds like Megamunch has some nefarious plans afoot. read the comments for a chuckle or two.

Ex Nuke Bubblehead posts a youtube video of his old boat the Boston SSN-703. if you have a little time, look over some of the other posts/videos he has. you will enjoy, and it will not be a waste of time. well, maybe a waste of time, but you will enjoy.

Red Dog gives his take on the Prez's visit to the middle east. sorry dog, don't agree, but that's ok.

The Old Coot gets all all literary on us.

ok, i'm an ex-navy submariner, and so is Mike. but his post about the U.S. Marines commercial is more than worth a visit. and i recommend you follow his provided link to the website discussing the making of the commercial. kind of hits home for me. my nephew is currently serving in the Marines. and yes, he is one of the few, the proud, the Marines..., and i'm damned proud of him. even if he decided not to go submarines.

and since it's political time 24/7 until elections, i'd be remiss not sharing SonarMan's take on the Hillbeast's latest endeavors.

go over to Myron's place and tell him how much you admire really old guys. seriously, Myron has been inducted into the Holland Club which means he qualified submarines 50 years ago. That is a milestone worthy of congratulations and celebration.

the Knavish one posts a poignant photo. be brave little man.

and really, nobody should need a reason to go visit Cookie. his posts usually have me laughing for a while afterwards. so go visit, and read the jokes and watch the videos. everyone needs a humor break, and cookie whips up a damned good one.

"t's a win-win situation, folks. We get your vital statistics, and you get to show us your boobs."Reality Frame strikes again.

WTFO resurfaces following an extended deployment building igloos....

here's Rob "Doing his Best to Piss of the Religious Right". go for it.

and one of my very favorite bloggers Vigilis over at Molten Eagle has a whole series of great posts since the last roundup. the latest post includes oolies about rooskie submarines and a really cool youtube video with Italian submarines. that video is well worth the visit alone, but don't forget to wandering about and leaving pithy comments.

does posting a link to to a blogosphere roundup within a blogosphere roundup cause a discontinuity in the space time continuum? i guess the only way to find out is to hit "publish post". as always, Gus kicks serious ass. i really wish i was as smart and capable of stringing thoughts together like him. his latest post regarding the twisting science for political gain (my 5 word synopsis, not his) is required reading.

hey Chap The first liar almost always wins.

Willyshakes takes a look at the recent natterings from the NYT regarding how horrible and dangerous returning vets are to society at large. kind of pisses you off, doesn't it? a statistics professor of mine was always telling us that he could make any cause or idea credible with numbers. goes back to the old saw about "liars lie with words, statisticians lie with numbers".

Joel looks into stealth tech for submarines. i remember pulling into drydock, getting the whole boat enclosed in a humidity and temperature controlled structure, and then having the shipyard glue crap all over the boat. said it was supposed to make us stealthier. the only way you could NOT pick us up on sonar way out in the middle of the pacific was if we were tied along side the pier with the reactor shutdown and the crew on stand down.

and last but by no means least, go visit eric's Sub Report for the latest in the world of submarine news, views, and opinions.

until next time....

update oh yeah, forgot to mention my own blog. Click here to visit the the main page. lots of good stuff out there. food, submarines, guns, you name it. the only thing i don't have is noodie goils.

new (to me) submarine bloggers!

howdy to Wheels Within Wheels (thanks Jed)

and someone i found posting comments over at Joel's hangout ... welcome to In Through the Out Door.
welcome to you both. thanks for your service!

a couple more submariners

i've been damned lax in keeping up with the bubbleheads cropping up here and there. here are a couple of gents that are posting that i've either found reading comments on other bubblehead blogs, or to my own entries.
one and all, greet Jay, of Sleepy Eyed Whiners of the Deep. it's ok that he was a boomer sailor. as long as he posts an occasional NTINS story, we'll let him in the club.

and a sailor howdy to rick of rickywo. an active duty CWO skimmer puke that started life as an enlisted bubblehead. greetings to you amigo. so which warfare pin rides above the pocket?