Skippy's List

Some, no, make that most people, simply have no idea how mind numbingly boring much of military life can be if you don't develop the ability to "self soothe" in psycho-babble. This of course is one reason why military people are usually far better read, much less educated (with or without a college degree) than most liberals would ever believe.

See the USMC Commandant's "required reading" list. last I checked it no longer includes RAH's "Starship Troopers", but did for quite a number of years.

That said, some aren't inclined to read quite so much, and even those who are can spend a lot of time on watch where reading books is, shall we say, contraindicated. But practical jokes and wiseassery?

So, let me introduce you to a list of things that one "Skippy" did himself (and got in trouble or commended), witnessed another soldier do, was preemptively or spontaneously told not to do, or was clarification of the aforementioned.

If you claim you were in the military, and don't bust a gut laughing, I seriously want to see your DD-214, or military ID.

A small sample:

1. Not allowed to watch Southpark when I’m supposed to be working.
2. My proper military title is “Specialist Schwarz” not “Princess Anastasia”.
3. Not allowed to threaten anyone with black magic.
4. Not allowed to challenge anyone’s disbelief of black magic by asking for hair.
5. Not allowed to get silicone breast implants.
6. Not allowed to play “Pulp Fiction” with a suction-cup dart pistol and any officer.
7. Not allowed to add “In accordance with the prophesy” to the end of answers I give to a question an officer asks me.
8. Not allowed to add pictures of officers I don’t like to War Criminal posters.
9. Not allowed to title any product “Get Over it”.
10. Not allowed to purchase anyone’s soul on government time.
11. Not allowed to join the Communist Party.
12. Not allowed to join any militia.
13. Not allowed to form any militia.
14. Not allowed out of my office when the president visited Sarajevo.
15. Not allowed to train adopted stray dogs to “Sic Brass!”
16. Must get a haircut even if it tampers with my “Samson like powers”.
17. God may not contradict any of my orders.

Oh, and...

29. The Irish MPs are not after “Me frosted lucky charms”.

Fuck. What now with Tagon?

I have no idea how Howard will pull this one out - or if he will. But damn.

If you like Schlock Mercenary, you've probably seen the comic before you came here.

Let's just say that very bad things happen to very good people, in the cause of keeping loved ones and friends alive.

Here's the thing - yeah, he no longer spends the quality time with Larry - or anyone else remotely conservative - on Writing Excuses (and it had gone downhill about the time the Puppeteer showed up - before I even knew her opinions on various people I looked up to, like Dr Pournelle - because she doesn't really add anything, and all depth was lost with breadth) but he gets how to write a kick-ass story, and has years of experience finding not the first, or even second, likely solution to an issue.

If you haven't read Schlock before - well, if you're a Ringo fan, let's just say the Troy Rising series started as a prequel to the Schlockverse, before it rapidly became non-canonical. I also know where Howard tells people to start - and it certainly is at a point his artwork and story pacing had vastly improved  - but I still love the early strips, bad art and all. Various things like the lawyers collective and the origin of Ennesby's name are buried back in the old archives.

I Want One

A new Kickstarter project: "An unusually addicting, high-quality desk toy designed to help you focus. Fidget at work, in class, and at home in style." - the fidget cube.

Even the hipster in the video isn't enough to turn me off.

Trust Me...

Let it never be said that engineers do not have a sense of humor - or can't recognize their foibles.

If you don't laugh at this you aren't an engineer, or someone who's dealt in related fields, or thinks like one. Hell, just living with en engineer should get a chuckle out of you from this video.

It's certainly the nightmare child of redneck "hey y'all, check this out" with heavy equipment.

For another guy who is possibly too smart for his own good, National Geographic makes it difficult to see the full episodes, but you can see clips of Travis Taylor, redneck rocket scientist, Baen author, and inspiration for the Looking Glass series by John Ringo, from Huntsville, his Apollo machinist dad (the one with common sense), and his friends, build crazy stuff like moonshine powered rockets, and home-made rocket-powered hovercraft.