Weird Al Is BACK!

Too frickin' cool...

Now I've never seen a Lady Gaga performance (no fuckin' geezer jokes, mmmkay?) but I have it on good authority this spoof is spot-on.

Yet Another Sign o' the Impending Apocalypse (An Occasional EIP Series)

David McCullough, quoted in the WSJ (in an article about the gentleman):

'We're raising young people who are, by and large, historically illiterate," David McCullough tells me on a recent afternoon in a quiet meeting room at the Boston Public Library. Having lectured at more than 100 colleges and universities over the past 25 years, he says, "I know how much these young people—even at the most esteemed institutions of higher learning—don't know." Slowly, he shakes his head in dismay. "It's shocking."

He's right. This week, the Department of Education released the 2010 National Assessment of Educational Progress, which found that only 12% of high-school seniors have a firm grasp of our nation's history. And consider: Just 2% of those students understand the significance of Brown v. Board of Education. 

[...]

Mr. McCullough began worrying about the history gap some 20 years ago, when a college sophomore approached him after an appearance at "a very good university in the Midwest." She thanked him for coming and admitted, "Until I heard your talk this morning, I never realized the original 13 colonies were all on the East Coast." Remembering the incident, Mr. McCullough's snow-white eyebrows curl in pain. "I thought, 'What have we been doing so wrong that this obviously bright young woman could get this far and not know that?'"

Answer: We've been teaching history poorly. And Mr. McCullough wants us to amend our ways. 

[...]

Another problem is method. "History is often taught in categories—women's history, African American history, environmental history—so that many of the students have no sense of chronology. They have no idea what followed what."

What's more, many textbooks have become "so politically correct as to be comic. Very minor characters that are currently fashionable are given considerable space, whereas people of major consequence farther back"—such as, say, Thomas Edison—"are given very little space or none at all."

This topic has long been a hot-button here at EIP (yeah, I know: it's but one among many.  But that's what geezers DO, Gentle Reader).  I'll trot out my objections, rant, rave, and otherwise bemoan the woeful state of the citizenry's historical knowledge every danged time I take one of those current events and/or historical knowledge quizzes, and I've been doing so ever since we created EIP.  So, yeah: more o' the same.

That said, I'm SO very grateful that I received a decent high-school education, long before the advent of politically correct textbooks and the proliferation of This-And-That Studies.  Dead White Men had a lot of good things to say and I'm MOST grateful that educators of my youth realized that, and for the fact they insisted I learn those things.

So, at the risk of preaching to the very small but excellent choir here: RTWT.  All isn't lost, yet.  There's still hope as long as people like Mr. McCullough continue to speak out and people like YOU continue to listen.

What a Shame...

From the (other) usual source:

Fire Destroys Flying Fortress: The crew of Liberty Belle, a vintage B-17G Flying Fortress operated by the Liberty Foundation of Tulsa, Okla., declared an in-flight emergency after a fire broke out onboard the bomber aircraft shortly after takeoff from Aurora Municipal Airport, Ill. They skillfully executed a forced landing in a field near Oswego, Ill., during Monday's incident, safely offloading the seven volunteers and crew aboard the aircraft. However, after coming to a stop, the fire, which reportedly began in one of the aircraft's engines, spread and burned through the fuselage, destroying the historic aircraft. Officials are investigating the fire's cause, reported the Chicago Tribune. Built in 1944, Liberty Belle flew 64 combat missions over Europe during World War II while assigned to the 390th Bomb Group. It returned to flight in 2004, following 15 years of restoration. (See also Britain's Daily Mail report.) (Liberty Foundation website)

From the Daily Mail link:

The crash scene

In Former Happy Days

There are more photos at the Daily Mail.  It's a wonder the crew and passengers made it out, given the severity of the fire.  That's a good thing.  The loss of an irreplaceable historic airframe?  That's much more than a shame... it's a Crying Shame.

Flag Day

Today isn't a national holiday... in the sense people have the day off from work... but it IS the day set aside by Congress for Americans to honor their flag.  I suppose I should say "some Americans" as the traditional observance of this day isn't what it used to be.  Flag Day has never been an occasion for parades, speeches, barbeques, and the like but I remember flags flying from lamp poles downtown and on nearly every house in the neighborhood in years past.  Times change, eh?

Speaking of change... our flag has been in its current configuration since 1960 when Hawaii entered the Union.  I'm old enough to remember both the short-lived 49-star flag and the 48-star flag.  Then there's this, interestingly enough:

As the exact pattern of stars was not specified prior to 1912, and the exact colors not specified prior to 1934, many of the historical U.S. national flags shown below are typical rather than official designs.

That explains the unique characteristics in some of the flags in the above illustration.  The Wiki has a good article on the evolution of our flag here.

―:☺:―

In other news... we're goin' to Game Seven!  The last hockey game of the year will be played in Vancouver tomorrow night and either Boston or Vancouver will raise the Cup and skate it around the ice of Rogers Arena sometime around 2030 hrs, Mountain Time.  I'm hopin' the ONE constant thing about this series doesn't hold true: the home team has won every game.  I don't know what it is about the Canucks, but they come apart at the seams in TD Garden.  That said, those same Canucks have only barely been good enough to beat the B's at home... no blow-outs there.  I wanna see Boston win this but the reality of the situation?  It's a toss-up.

D-Day

Sixty-seven years ago today.  My annual D-Day post, first published in 2009...

D-Day

Sixty-five years ago today. All images as captioned in the Life Magazine photo archives.

Tracer fire from many different ships lighting up the night sky over the English Channel during opening phase of D-Day, the Allied invasion of France. (no credit)

American B-26 Marauders with special D-Day markings make a bombing run over Cherbourg around the time of the Allied D-Day invasion of France. (Frank Scherschel)

Aerial view of American troops and tanks coming ashore as landing craft continue to unload on the first day of Operation Overlord, the invasion of France, aka on D-Day. (no credit)

Massive landing and deployment of US troops, supplies and equipment in the days following victorious D-Day action on Omaha Beach; barrage balloons guard against German aircraft while scores of ships unload men & material. (no credit)

Bodies of 8 American paratroopers lie outside the wreckage of their glider near Hiesville, France on the day of the invasion of Normandy, aka D-Day. (no credit)

Chaplin saying mass aboard HMS Scylla, laying at anchor off the Normandy coast shortly after the D-Day invasion of France. (no credit)

As always... click for larger. And spare a thought and a prayer today for those who made the ultimate sacrifice 65 67 years ago. There were many thousands who gave their lives for freedom on this day...

Never forget.

"Like Regular Mexico, Only With More UFOs"

Yeah, I've spent waaaay too much time at Viral Vids today.  Sometimes it bees like that, but at least I got the bike washed.

PSA

PBS is running "Hallowed Grounds," their remarkable documentary about American overseas cemeteries in my market this evening and it might be running in your area as well.  Here's the trailer for the program:

Watch the full episode. See more Hallowed Grounds.

The hour-long program is both beautiful and touching.  Check your local schedule for times.

Memorial Day

From AF.mil:

5/26/2011 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz send the following Memorial Day message to the Airmen of the U.S. Air Force and their families:

As we pause this Memorial Day to honor those who have died in service of our great nation, it also is useful to reflect on what this day of remembrance reveals about the character of our nation and its people. History records that Maj. Gen. John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, formally designated May 30th, 1868, as a day to decorate the graves of the fallen.

History also suggests, however, that long before this formal decree, the people of several towns and cities organized local efforts to decorate service members' graves, demonstrating the deeply personal and heartfelt gratitude that Americans express for those who serve, and for those who sacrificed. Since its origin, Memorial Day has been an opportunity to pause and reflect on the sacrifices of the more than one million Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen who have made the ultimate sacrifice to secure our freedoms.

Let us also not forget those who are still counted among the missing, including more than 1,600 from action in Vietnam, 8,000 in Korea, and well over 73,000 in the Second World War. We also demonstrate America's character through our ceaseless efforts to account for each of them, with gratitude for their sacrifices and that of their families. No other nation in history has dedicated as much care, effort, and expense as we have to find our missing comrades and bring them home with the honor that they deserve. And, thanks to our staunch determination, 80 formerly missing service members, including 31 Airmen, have been returned to their families since January 2010.

Now that these 80 heroes have returned home, grateful Americans can decorate their graves on Memorial Day, too, along with those of many others who sacrificed all. This year, as we observe Memorial Day, let us renew not only our solemn gratitude for their sacrifice; let us also renew our thankfulness for having the privilege to serve such an exceptional nation. Your sacrifices, and those of your families, have earned America's respect. Our proud nation is truly grateful for your service.

We are indeed.  We're just as proud of, and grateful for, the soldiers, sailors, Marines, and coastguardsmen who serve.

I Knew It Would Come to This...

... after the news of bin Laden's porn stash came out.

Beeler ain't the first guy to play with this thought, either.  I think I first heard it on Red Eye last Friday night when Gutfeld & Co got a lot o' mileage out o' this.  But so did all the folks contributing to #binLadenpr0n.  

As for me?  Meh.  What was that about the banality of evil?

Happy Mother's Day

I almost never get this right... is it "Mother's" with the apostrophe, or without?  Well, the Wiki sez "with," so that's the way we'll go.  And here's the third fourth annual iteration of our Mom's Day post, in part.

Happy Mother's Day!

Ah…dog poop. Probably one of the (very) minor reasons my second marriage failed…coz The Second Mrs. Pennington was largely in charge of the particularly odious chore— following behind three dogs, including two pretty good-sized ones— let’s say about 90% of it. And she never hesitated to point out that fact to me. 

[...]

The Mom’s Day image comes from new-to-me blog TGAW…who has great pics of Glacier National Park, in addition to providing me with this “wouldn’t it be great but it would NEVER frickin’ happen in real life” Mom’s Day illustration. Thanks, TGAW!!

Remind me to write about Glacier…some day.

But, seriously. Happy Mother’s Day to all my favorite Moms, and even to those who aren’t my favorites. I’ll remain cryptic on that last.

Call yer Mom!  Or better yet, give her a big hug and a kiss if you still can.  There comes a time in life when she won't be around, ya know.

Yup

In case you haven't heard... the Superman back story.  The toon is from the usual source.

Paging PeTA

She shot her dog!  The bitch SHOT HER DOG!

(h/t to blog-bud Andy, who has the whole story)

Just Thinkin'

We're stayin' in today, mainly coz we were cautioned to avoid splashing water in our recently repaired eye for a day or two.  Given that I'm a klutz of the highest order I've decided to skip today's shower just to make SURE I don't get water in my eye.  That's the safest way to be absolutely certain, yanno?  Goin' without my daily shower pains me but I'm sure it would pain those around me even more...

The first order of bid'niz tomorrow will be to go shopping for a pair... or pairs, plural... of sunglasses, something I've had no need of doin' for the past 54 years or so.  I've opted at various times to buy separate prescription sunglasses or those pricey and mostly ineffective "transition" lenses.  Goin' that route necessarily limited my options, but now?  The whole wide wonderful world of sunglasses is open to me...

I spent some time today on Ray-Ban's web site and was shocked to see just how very proud they are of their product line.  I mean, waaay-proud!  Example:

OK, they're iconic, and all that... ("I can see you/ Your brown skin shinin' in the sun/ Ya got that hair slicked back and those/ Wayfarers on") but I'm kinda-sorta cheap.  And I'm not about to put a Deadhead sticker on my non-existent Cadillac, seein' as how those things seem to go hand in hand.

There may be an answer or a cheaper alternative, at the very least.  SN1 tells me the clothing sales store out at the base sells USAF gub'mint issue aviator sunglasses for cheap... like 50 Yankee Dollars, or so.  That may be the way to go coz those things are ALWAYS in style... an essential element of the classic male look since WW II.

In the meantime... let's sing along with Mr. Henley:

And put those Wayfarers on, Bay-bee.

Death and Taxes

Well, mebbe not DEATH...

It's April now.  I suppose I should start thinkin' about doin' my taxes.  (Sigh)

―:☺:―

A Near Death experience... DIL1 calls last night and the conversation went something like this:

DIL1:  Are ya busy?
Me:  Not really, just finishing dinner.
DIL1:  OK... I'll be quick and let ya get back to dinner.  Have you talked to your son yet today?
Me:  Nooo... why?
DIL1:  Well... our Darling and oh-so-trustworthy Sean got a girl pregnant.
(loooong pause)
DIL1:  Buck?
Me:  Damn.  You're kidding.  Really?
DIL1:  APRIL FOOL!  (followed by MUCH laughter)

Hook, line, and sinker.  Didja get pwn3d yesterday, Gentle Reader?  I sure did...

Cool

From today's AFA Daily Report:

Bud Day Flies Again in Super Sabre: Medal of Honor recipient retired Col. Bud Day took to the skies in an F-100F Super Sabre this week for the first time in 43 years. Day rode in the back seat of the newly restored F-100 during Tuesday's commemorative flight from Ellington Field in Houston. The Collings Foundation sponsored the event. It restored the F-100 and painted it in the scheme of Day's aircraft from the Vietnam War to honor him. The last time Day flew in a Super Sabre, he was shot down over North Vietnam and began a harrowing ordeal of nearly six years, including captivity in the Hanoi Hilton, that earned him the nation's highest military honor. The foundation will now fly the F-100 as part of its Vietnam Memorial Flight, which also features an F-4D Phantom II, TA-4J Skyhawk, and UH-1E Huey. The foundation operates these aircraft to honor America's Vietnam War veterans and help educate younger generations about US history. (Collings Foundation website) (For more, read The Strength of Bud Day from Air Force Magazine's archives.)

Congrats to Colonel Day... I'll bet getting back in the cockpit after all this time felt pretty danged good.  And congrats to the Collings Foundation for making the flight possible and for all the other fine warbird restorations they've sponsored.  Read the linked piece on Col. Day if you have a minute or three, Gentle Reader.  The man is a true American hero.

I dunno why, but reading this piece made me feel pretty old all of a sudden.  Well, I DO know why; I just don't wanna acknowledge it. 

OK, This Is Schmaltzy to the MAX...

... but how can you NOT like it?

You obviously have to stay until the end to get the full impact... which, to me, beats bein' on the Jumbotron at half-time, the seventh inning stretch, or in between periods at a hockey game.

Well done, if it's real.  The comments at the Tube O' You suggest otherwise.  Party-poopers.

The hat-tip goes to the Guardian's viral vids list, where I also found this:



Yup.  Goin' to Hell.  No doubt.

Low But NOT Slow

From today's AFA Daily Report:

Too-Low Flyover Draws Referee's Flag: Maj. Christopher Kopacek, a 25th Flying Training Squadron pilot at Vance, AFB, Okla., has received nonjudicial punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice for violating altitude and speed restrictions when he led a four-ship of T-38s that overflew a University of Iowa football game in Iowa City last November. Kopacek is separating from the Air Force of his own accord, according to a release Wednesday from Vance's 71st Flying Training Wing. "While I understand that fans attending the game enjoyed the flyover, rules are in place to ensure everyone's safety," said Col. Russell Mack, 71st FTW commander. He added, "[T]his was a serious breach of flight discipline and it was necessary to take administrative action." Among the violations, the wing's command-directed investigation found that the pilots flew only 16 feet above the stadium's press box when the minimum height difference for a flyover is supposed to be 1,000 feet.

I have mixed emotions about this.  First: An Article 15 seems pretty harsh when a letter of reprimand or even a "What the HELL do you think you were doing?" appearance on the carpet might have sufficed.  But perhaps there are other reasons for the NJP (prior offenses, piss-poor attitude or performance, yadda, yadda) and that's usually the case.  Sceond:  Sixteen feet?  Damn!  THAT must have been LOUD!  Third:  The major is voluntarily separating?  While probably true in the literal sense, the man had no choice as his career is OVER.  No O-5 for YOU, Sir.  I suppose this is how airline pilots are made...

And there's video (source), too:



Yup... that was LOW.  

True

There are other and similar 'toons at the usual source.  Apropos of the situation in Japan... The Second Mrs. Pennington sends this along:

Last night Junko said that in Tokyo they are having rolling blackouts, gas rationing, and food is being bought up to the point there are no eggs. 

There are things one doesn't hear on the news, aren't there?  I haven't turned my teevee on as of yet this morning so I'm unaware of overnight developments at the Fukushima nuclear plant.  One continues to pray and send our best thoughts to Japan.

Fanbois Rejoice!

The iPad 2 is here... it's actually been here since Friday but we failed to notice because of other events.  So here's what the LA Times has to say...

The ironic thing is you can't view the above vid on your iPad, since iPads don't do Flash.  But, Hey!  Who publishes or posts embedded Flash vids and what good are they, anyway?  No one or nothing of any importance (other than older YouTube stuff, before they changed their embed code)... right, Fanboi?  So move along now... there's nothing to see here, literally... and never mind that black hole in your screen where the LA Times should be.

Apropos o' Yesterday's Post...

...where I said "No one talks about it much, but after the Columbia disaster I'm thinkin' we ALL hold our collective breath when the shuttle comes home."

 I scare myself sometimes.    

(from the usual source)