This is not good

It looks like hackers have developed a brand spanking new type of maleware to take control of your Master boot record (it tells your computer which programs to run when you star-up).

The malicious program is a type of virus known as a rootkit and it tries to overwrite part of a computer's hard drive called the Master Boot Record (MBR).

This is where a computer looks when it is switched on for information about the operating system it will be running.

"If you can control the MBR, you can control the operating system and therefore the computer it resides on," wrote Elia Florio on security company Symantec's blog.

Ok, it's a root kit, right? here's where it gets bad (worse):

Once installed the virus, dubbed Mebroot by Symantec, usually downloads other malicious programs, such as keyloggers, to do the work of stealing confidential information.

Most of these associated programs lie in wait on a machine until its owner logs in to the online banking systems of one of more than 900 financial institutions.

The Russian virus-writing group behind Mebroot is thought to have created the torpig family of viruses that are known to have been installed on more than 200,000 systems. This group specialises in stealing bank login information.
~snip~

Analysis of Mebroot has shown that it uses its hidden position on the MBR as a beachhead so it can re-install these associated programs if they are deleted by anti-virus software.

Although the password-stealing programs that Mebroot installs can be found by security software, few commercial anti-virus packages currently detect its presence. Mebroot cannot be removed while a computer is running.

Did you catch that last sentience?
Mebroot cannot be removed while a computer is running.

Which means at least a trip to the GeekSquad of your choice to get rid of it.
But after re-reading the article, it looks like if you're not using IE, AND your updates are...up to date, you shouldn't have much to worry about.

I have to admit

That I'm surprised at the lack of comments my last post generated.

Especially from my female readers.

Let me try something here

Using Liberal ,,,ummmm...extrapolation techniques.

You know, we take a short specific time period and start making 'scientific' pronouncements about the future of all humanity- based on our pre-conceived ideas.

OR, maybe a little AND thrown in- we take our personal pet peeves and look for tenuous scientific links. Like the secondhand smoke boogieman.

So, instead of looking back through millions of years of geological evidence to see the heating and cooling cycles of the earth, and hyping a pet peeve---we can get gullible people to change the way they live.

OK- how does this sound?
The modern brasire is only about a century old.
We're talking the cups and clasps that lifts and seperates,,,,not the whatever they had before girdles and bodices.

I also notice that the incidence of breast cancer has increased these last decades also.
Soooooo, using the Libs theories- I'd have to assume that bras are in some way responsible for the rise in breast cancer.

I think that it's kind of like global warming [times two :-D] there is some type of man made covering that is producing the problem...right? CO2= global warming >carbon offsets.

Now, this man made interference with nature needs to be addressed in the global community- no matter what it takes- - to make Gaea happy.

Ok, in the same vein of the Liberal version of *helping* things- it's my considered opinion (with as much science as AlGore has) that the cause of Breast Cancer is Mammary glands being starved for natural air due to MAN MADE artificial coverings.
In order to help prevent this it should be required --for health reasons only--that women let their sweater puppies breath free air for at least 14 hours a day.

Seriously ladies, I'm only looking out for your health.

Think about the link- increased bra use= increased breast cancer----because of lack of natural ventilation. So, to help the Health Care Crisis, do your part to reduce breast cancer by letting them breath.

FYI- they get better air if they're in open air, but if you're on the psychotically shy side, you should be ok if you wear a tight Tee shirt (to increase the cross-ventilation issues) if you're name is Aunt Bee.

Welcome back to Nose Art Friday

This week we take a look at cartoons at war.

Bashful graced the nose of a B-24 in the Pacific air war in 1943




















Bourbon boxcar was also a B-24 in the Pacific





The Seabees even had their nose art. NCB was the acronym for Naval Construction Battalion, which probably built the planes airstrip.

Note to self

Buy a new thermostat on the way home.

It's in the 40's outside, 69 inside and the thermostat is set at 74.

YES, I changed the batteries.

It's always been kind of touchy on the heating cycle.



UPDATE-
It was a wire that worked itself loose. That's $25 down the drain-or a replacement for when it really does go bad....

ID's required to vote....elderly hit hardest

So, over in Indiana we have a poster-child for ID-free voting.

See, she decided that the requirement of showing an ID is unduly restrictive on her ability to vote wherever, and how often she wanted to.

Faye Buis-Ewing, 72 years young, and a resident of both Indiana AND Florida...

claimed two states as her primary residence and received a homestead exemption on her property taxes in both states.

Monday night from her Florida home, Ewing said she and her husband Kenneth “winter in Florida and summer in Indiana.” She admitted to registering to vote in both states, but stressed that she¹s never voted in Florida. She also has a Florida driver’s license, but when she tried to use it as her photo ID in the Indiana elections in November 2006, poll workers wouldn’t accept it.

See! Look at how the elderly are singled out for this vigilante enforcement.
I bet (since she's elderly) she had to go out specifically for a picture ID, just so she could vote.

I bet the "poor" have to go out to get a picture ID just so they can vote, too.

Because no one else - like banks, rental companies, utility companies, check cashing operations, Government social service agencies,Drivers license offices, ETC. would ever think about doubting who the "elderly" or "the poor" would say they were- because they're beyond reproach....because of their victim status- or something.


AND,,,as long as we're making sure the elderly and poor aren't put out by having to obtain specifically for voting, we should do away with the pesky thing called 'fraud', because the elderly are too enfeebled to understand this...

According to Ewing and Ann Nucatola, public information director for the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Ewing surrendered her Indiana driver¹s license in 2000, when she moved to Florida and obtained her Florida license. Nucatola said that a driver must have a Florida address to obtain a Florida driver¹s license.

“And if they own property in two states they have to get a license that says ‘valid in Florida only,’” Nucatola said.

Ewing said Monday that her license is a “regular” one that she uses in both states. She renewed it in 2007 on a Punta Gorda, Fla. address.

At the Charlotte County, Fla. voter registration office, Sandy Wharton, vote qualifying office manager, said Ewing registered to vote in Charlotte County on Sept. 18, 2002, and signed an oath that she was a Florida resident and understood that falsifying the voter application was a third-degree felony punishable by prison and a fine up to $5,000. Wharton said her office checked Ewing’s Florida residency and qualified her on Oct. 2, 2002. On Oct. 4, 2002, they mailed her Florida voter card to her, to the West Lafayette, Ind. address that Ewing gave as a mailing address.

However, Ewing didn’t vote in Florida that year, nor has she ever voted in Charlotte County, Wharton said. But, just a month after receiving her Florida voter card, she did vote in the November 2002 elections in Tippecanoe County, Ind., according to Heather Maddox, co-director of elections and registration in Tippecanoe.

Ewing confirmed that she is registered in both states to vote, but at first said the Florida registration came automatically with her driver’s license. She repeatedly denied signing the oath on the Florida application. She also said Indiana mailed her an absentee ballot, but she didn’t use it or vote that year.

However, Heather Maddox, co-director of election registration in Tippecanoe County, said Ewing voted in Indiana in 2002, 2003 and 2004, before the Indiana ID law took effect in 2005.

Yes, I can understand her elderly 'confusion' about about voting where you live,,,because if pressed, I'd have to assume that she votes Democrat as often as possible- if she can remember - since she's so mentally feeble, and all.

CAN I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE!!!?????!!

Thank you, actually this really pertains to you how insist on adding tracking cookies and spyware to your visitors computers.

After banning all cookies from MySpace (which knocked out about 50) and tacoda.net (about 20),
and two blogs who are no longer on my blogroll because of tracking cookies- my daily AdAware count went from 140 infections down to about 20.

There might be a problem loading MySpace, but I don't go on it- Whoever was going on it from here has her own computer to load-up with that cr@p- all I miss with the advertising spyware removed is ads not loading in banner ads. No loss because I ignore them anyway.

As far as the blogs, you want to see my surfing habits, I don't want you to. I don't have to read your blog- there are probably millions out there, quite a few that have the same content that you do. Like our most important immigrants say..."Lo f*cking siento- vato."

I know the election is a long way off

A VERY long way away. And a lot can happen between now and the National nominations.

I'm already hearing the same old kan't about 'giving them' the election if I stay home- or vote for a third party.

Look guys, I don't know how long -except for Reagan, and Bush (the first time)- I've been pulling the lever for the lesser of the two evils. Look what we've got- on both sides of the ticket. Pandering empty suits who'll say anything to get the golden ring.

I don't owe the Republicans anything, and the Dems even less.
I stood my ground and watched both parties sidestep to the left. Then after the next election they went "Left Face" and marched to the left side of the grinder.


I'm already hearing the 'don't stay home' cry from the core. Sorry guys, voting for the lesser of two evils is still voting for evil- isn't it?

In this latest crop of wannabes I see two that I would vote for, as real Conservatives. One might actually have shot if he keeps showing America his conservative message. The fact that he shows that he almost holds the MSM in contempt really kicks it for FRED!. Duncan Hunter is someone else I'd feel good about voting for, but I doubt he'll be in the running for the Texas primaries.

On the Left Dem side you have an Empty suit who feels fine in launching a unilateral attack on the northern part of one of out (quasi) allies in the war on terror (without even UN approval); an ambulance chaser who still thinks America is living in the depression- working conditions and all; and lastly Hillary- need I say more? All would be quite comfy in Benito Mussolini's Italy.

On the Republican side you have Mitt- who changes position as much as I change my socks AND presided over a (state)government mandated health care bureaucracy that is billions in debt in it's second year. Huckabee is a tax and spend Governor who feels right at home telling us how we need to live our lives while being clueless about international matters. Maverick John McCain sided with the Dems as much (if not more) than he sided with the Republicans. Rudy has too much personal baggage- if the right was jumping on Clinton they shouldn't be giving Rudy a pass for the same infidelity thing. Rudy also wants to take my guns(not now because hes running for pres).

All of the above mentioned are for some type of reward for Illegals breaking our laws.

I on't know if I'll sit out this time, or actually get to vote FOR someone.
I do know that I won't be holding my nose and voting for evil this time!

Oh, it's HER!

Guess who this is?

Some have seen their treatment — or rather lack of it — as nothing short of a national disgrace.

For it seems soldiers returning from frontline duty in Iraq and Afghanistan have at times been met not with praise, but indifference.

Yet in the midst of ingratitude, there has been one unexpected figure who has quietly done her bit to ensure that courage under fire does not go completely unsung.

she's a Brit BTW.

Ever since she became Royal Colonel of 4th Battalion, The Rifles, the Duchess of Cornwall has taken a close personal interest in the welfare of the 650 men who have just returned from a gruelling tour of Iraq.

She has, I can reveal, sent a handwritten letter to every wounded soldier — and there have been 62 of them — as well as a £50 bottle of whisky or a hamper of food. Camilla has also written to the families of the battalion's 11 dead soldiers — not just to the widows but the fiancees of unmarried riflemen.

Some relatives have even been invited to her home for tea. This remarkable insight into a very private side of the Duchess has been revealed by the servicemen themselves, who have spoken of her unstinting support.

Yes, if you caught it, you read right.
She's the usurper of Saint Diana's memory.

It's heartening to hear about what some people do in spite of their very vocal and very public detractors.

Thanks Miriam!

Well, it's official

I just made the call to the Medina County Courthouse.

I got their recording.

I DON"T have to go to jury duty tomorrow!!!!

Yay me!

This sign reminds me of a joke

Go ahead and look at it.



I'll wait.




OK?



A guy and his hot blonde 26 year old wife go golfing and see a sign like that, except this one warned about houses along the fairway.

The wife takes her swing and slices right into a set of leaded glass French doors.
As they watch in horror, the ball goes right through the center of the glass with a resounding crash.

The guy said to his wife, we have to go and see about taking care of this.
"It might help if you showed some more cleavage, just in case."

They got to the door and saw a man lying on the floor next to a broken vase.
"OhhmyGod, I've killed him!" cried the wife with her hands at her mouth.

At this, the man began to move, and said "No, you didn't kill me- you freed me from my prison of all these years."
"You see I am a Genie and was imprisoned in that vase."

"You were? You are? How? why?...." said both of them.
"It's the old story you've heard before, the Far east, Magicians -the real ones, spells, the like" answered the Genie.
"And in reward for freeing me, i will now grant you your one wish."

"One wish? We always heard it was three wishes?"
"No, that rumor was brought back with the Crusaders who heard an interpreter wrong."

"Oh, in that case we'd want a three million dollar portfolio in our bank account."
"Very well, you should see it in your account Monday morning." replied the Jinn.


"Now, about that $1500 door you broke with the wicked slice- who was responsible?"
"I was" replied the wife, "he warned me about hitting straight."

"How are we going to settle this? I want satisfaction for the door now, so it can be replaced immediately"

"We could write a check and you could use it to pay for the door" said hubby.

"No, nothing can happen with that until Monday, I need compensation now. I took care of my obligation to you immediately."
"As is custom in my land- a husband may repay a debt with the use of his wife. I haven't had relations with a woman in 1200 years. Let me enjoy her for the afternoon and you are free of obligation. You may then go with my blessing."

"Ummmmmm...."said the husband looking questionably at his hot wife
"I'll give you 15 minutes to decide, then call the authorities for resolution".

Well the couple put their heads together and discussed the pros and cons of the offer, or threat as it was mentioned once or twice, and they reluctantly decided that discretion was the better part of honor and said yes.

After leading his soon to be conquest to the master bedroom and romancing in many exotic and orgasm encouraging positions, they were relaxing and gathering their reserves for one last marathon of love making when the Jinn asked "Tell me, just how old you are?"

"I'm 26 and Ron is 28. Why?"

"Aren't you two just a little old to believe in Genies?" he asked.

More news that's not

Because it doesn't fit the Anti-American Liberal MSM agenda.

And because the Iraqi Deputy PM is putting blame where it belongs.

On the UN.

BAGHDAD (AFP) — Iraq's culture of corruption stems from the actions of the international community and the controversial UN oil-for-food scheme, the deputy prime minister Barham Saleh said on Thursday.

Speaking at a new anti-corruption forum in Baghdad, Saleh said that the programme, run between 1996 and 2003 while Iraq was under UN sanctions, and what he charged was the body's wasteful use of money were to blame for the rampant corruption that bedevils Iraq.

"A large responsibility for the outbreak of corruption in Iraq lies on the international community," said Saleh.

"The scandals of food-for-oil and the wasting of public riches by the UN... is evidence of the serious damage that has deepened the problem in the country."

For seven years before the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the oil-for-food programme allowed Baghdad -- which was under a punishing trade embargo since its invasion of Kuwait in 1990 -- to sell oil in return for cash to buy food and medicine.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words

How about an essay?


The Shadow knows





In case you're too young to recognize that pose.

In news that's not worth reporting

Comes the fact that Wyoming had their primaries and Fred! picked up three delegates.
Duncan Hunter got one.

Congress. Forcing Americans into the future

Whether they want to be or not.

Take sand and add heat to make glass
AND
metal and heat to make the base
ADD
Vacuum
====================================
Incandescent light bulb
Just plug and play, toss when done


BUT
Take sand and heat to make glass
ADD
A coating of Phosphorous
ADD
An emmisive substance to the filaments (on both sides)
ADD
Argon
AND
Mercury
======================================
Fluorescent tube

THEN (nope, not ready yet)

ADD
A starter switch (made of Aluminum and copper)

THEN (still not ready)
A Ballast (made of copper and usually steel)


FINALLY
You put these together and shrink it into a nice happy looking ice cream cone shape and you have a Compact fluorescent light.

That in it's life span probably uses more resources then the incandescent will.

BUT hey, it's environmentally friendly, right?
Nope- remember the Mercury?
You're supposed to drive it down to a special recycling center -probably in a cr@ppy part of town 20 miles away (so add the gas used carbon foot print to it's effect, too)


I use CFLs because I got tired of replacing incandescent bulbs in inaccessible spaces, and if I ever have to toss them, they'll be going with the regular trash.
driving Libs who'll make sure that you know how they're going out of their way to recycle those Which I assume all those OTHER millions of MANDATED CFLs will be too. Except for the Prius driving Libs who'll make sure you know that they're going out of their way to recycle their CFLs.

To save the planet, you know.

UPDATE
I'd bet (knowing our Gov't and their greenie friends) that there'll be a 'processing fee' of some kind. You know...for the children.

So, Hil lost the other day

I guess those weren't Coyotes getting the dogs all worked up.

I sure am glad I wasn't in THAT campaign headquarters, seeing as the Queen of Mean found out that she's not adored like her handlers told her she was.

Ahhh, the Iowa primaries

It is Iowa right?

In a close race between Plasticman, Religiousman and Mavericman on one side and the Carpetbagger of Arkansas New Yawk, Ambulancechacerman and Emptysuitman on the other, America is supposed to collectively hold our breath for the results.
Because for some reason that was probably addressed on some unwatched network news show- 100,000 potatoe (notice the olde English spelling?) corn farmers are going to start telling us who we'll have a vote on eleven months from now.

In light of this important event, I sat captive to the radio on the way home.
Getting some of that ole time religion from the Rev.

YES! I feeeeel the pOWer!

We now have scientific EVIDENCE

We have to do *something* about it now!

Because we all know that science is right, especially when there's consensus.

They did an actual study and discovered that texting while driving *could* cause a wreck.

Of course the logical thing to do would be to form a group like MADD and go all stupid on over reacting to the fact that wireless devices DO cause wrecks.
But that's never going to happen because even the most fanaticle of those prohibitionists have gotten so used to having a cell phone jammed into their ear that it's almost second nature to be weaving all over the road and slowing for no apparent reason.

Which reminds me- TxDOT is going to be replacing those roadside (privately paid for) with official gov't (your tax dollars) markers designating that site as a result of drunk driving (exept for the drunk that caused it). The markers will have the name(s) of the victims with a message about drinking and driving.

I'm just wondering if we'll be paying for a seperate one for those deaths caused by cell phones and texting. I'd bet not= because even though scientific tests prove that driving while phoning is as bad as driving after three drinks- Liberals don't have a problem with it, because they do it.

My obligatory list of New Years resolutions

Some blogs I've seen have long and complex goals.
Others are more on the exotic side.
Several more well meaning blogs are doing what they can for a better world.
Others still are more realistic, so in that vein:

I resolve this year to

• Do my best to remain at least 20 degrees above room temp.
• Not vote for anyone not like me (white, male, lazy and conservative-hey I'm in TEXAS alright?).
• Buy as little foreign petroleum products as possible.
• Buy American whenever possible (at least avoid the ChiCom things).
• Stop teasing the dogs so much ( at least after I can get the newest one to Man Up)
• Not to use firearms on the annoying, idiotic yapping Dachshund mix next door.

Well, I hope I didn't set my goals too high this year.

Happy new year to all

If you're going to be out and about- watch the drinking and driving thing.
The Law is out looking for you.
Besides, you really don't want to be behind the wheel tonite anyway.

Eric is asking you to let him live to watch the playoffs and go to a Republican bash where there's going to be hot, dark haired Jewish babes.

Me personally- Id rather be on the road with a drunk than some @sshole on their cell phone.
At least the drunk is somewhat predictable.

I made Fajitas tonight

A funny thing happens when I make them.
Usually these people I live with load up on veggies and hardly any meat (by my standards).
When I do the Fajita thing I run out of the meat before I run out of the veggie fry.


All of you pervs looking for Chelsea Clinton's nipples deserve to see this NSFW remedy for something gross like that. I bet Chelsea even got her dads nipples- I know she got her moms charm.

Hope you bought the eye-bleach.

Well, I hope they feel much safer now.

Because it's NOT an evil black rifle any more!
And I bet it's less deadly, too because it isn't an assault rifle.


(UPDATE) 8PM
After some of the comments recieved in-house and online, it would seem that there is a market for something "girl-friendly" like this. It would be a good (but expensive) starter weapon, because even a girl child could handle the recoil easily.
There would need to be another version, though because Thing-2 *hates* Hello Kitty and wouldn't be seen dead with it.

About that tiger that escaped in San Fran

I'm still not sure what happened. I'm still hearing two different versions.
Big Dog has an interesting take on it regarding either Libs and their need to have dialogue, and conservatives and their approach to the same problem.

Moonbat 1: Here it is, another Holiday Season, and Chimpy McBush still has troops in Iraq in his illegal war. There was no threat to us and he used his doctrine of preemptive strike to upset the entire Muslim world. We cannot bring democracy to a region that does not want it.

Moonbat 2: If only we would have tried diplomacy and talked to Hussein we could have seen that he was no threat and we would not be in this war that costs billions of dollars and instead used that money for AIDS research and on paying for services for illegal immigrants.

Moonbat 3: Look, a tiger. Now most neocons would see this tiger as a threat. But if we are nice to it then it will not hurt us. Here kitty kitty. Listen to him purr, Ahhhhhhh my arm!

Moonbat 1: Oh God, the tiger is eating Stefan. (sounds of screaming and tiger chewing).

Moonbat 2: Call the police. We need a gun, who has a gun? Oh man, Ahhh.

Police show up and kill the tiger. One moonbat dead and two injured.

If this had happened in Texas the conversation would have been:

Texan 1: Look at that damned tiger. Where'd he come from?

Texan 2: I don't know but call the cops. I'll shoot the damned thing if it gets close.

Texan 3: Here he comes. (blam, blam, blam, blam, blam, blam [reloading sounds] blam, blam, blam).

Texan 1: He's dead. Thank God we shot him before he attacked anyone. Who wants the head for his den wall?

Texan 2: Good thing we are allowed to carry guns. I would hate to see what would have happened if this had been San Francisco.

The lesson: Sometimes preemptive strikes are good and people are only safe if they are armed.

Have you seen this global warming good news?

Well, it's supposedly good news for the Left anyway.
This guy has decided that there just could be some good to come out of global warming.
That wouldn't be to put the earth back in the warm period when they could grow grapes in Scotland, or the fact that more northern land would be ariable.

Nope, this guy has used his super intelligence to decide that the resulting flood of our coastlines would drown out all the Conservatives who are too stupid to relocate- I guess.

The area that will by completely inundated by the rising ocean—and not in a century but in the lifetime of my two cats—are the American southeast, including the most populated area of Texas, almost all of Florida, most of Louisiana, and half of Alabama and Mississippi, as well as goodly portions of eastern Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. While the northeast will also see some coastal flooding, its geography is such that that aside from a few projecting sandbars like Long Island and Cape Cod, the land rises fairly quickly to well above sea level. Sure, Boston, New York and Philadelphia will be threatened, but these are geographically confined areas that could lend themselves to protection by Dutch-style dikes. The West Coast too tends to rise rapidly to well above sea level in most places. Only down in Southern California towards the San Diego area is the ground closer to sea level.

Because you know Houston, Miami, Atlanta and the rest are *coff* well known conservative enclaves. Too bad that the resulting earthquakes (for some reason triggered by global warming) will slide most of califorica into the ocean, and the increased hurricanes will wipe out NYC.

But where is his vaunted Liberal sympathy for the poor and elderly?

In case you didn't know...

At 6:30 AM a dark trash bin with a white boxlike thing sticking out the top- set behind and uphill from a white driveway reflector looks alot like a DPS car until you get close. Especially when it's on the same hill they like to pull off the road at and wait for speeders.

My thoughts on the Bhuto assasination

All I know is that I don't know what we should be doing.
What I *do* know is that we shouldn't really be doing much- if anything that these Presidential wannabes are suggesting.

Pakistan IS a sovereign country and Musharraf isn't the the ideal leader, but we gotta work with what we have.
Bhutto wasn't a saint either.

We don't need to be invading, or investigating, nor did we need to supply *our* T-men for an ex-leader of Pakistan. Just how would that have gone down- Hil, if our guys let her get killed?
That entire region has been corrupt as long as there has been a leader, it's not going to change no matter how much we wish it to. Musharraf isn't our friend, he also isn't our enemy. He's a guy trying to balance a modern 'liberal (in the old sense)' population with an Islamo fascist loving countryside, and stay in power.

The best I can see is that we really don't *do* anything. Try to let things cool down, and ....HEY! Maybe let the U.N. try to *do something* to keep Pakistan from erupting into civil war.

Wearing it on your sleeve

I was on the way home from work the other day and stopped in for a six pack, and saw a Naval representative gassing up.
I suppose he was a recruiter, since as far as I know, the closest Naval facility to Castroville is in Beeville.
He was a Second Class Quartermaster with four years in.

I could tell that by looking at his left sleeve.
The Navy has a symbol for every rating they use (or had), some have been expanded because of technological advances needing more specialization. Some have disappeared or been absorbed into a like rate.

Anyway, the Navy has different traditions from the other services due to their specialized needs and history. Yes, different from the Marines, too- who follow the ground based military traditions.

One of the differences is their rank and rating system. Every Enlisted has a rate (if they're above E-3) they're specifically trained for (an MOS is different)and it's embroidered on their rank patch ( their Crow).

This was mine- a Construction Electrician.

I was a CE-2 Construction Electrician Second class Petty officer (E-5)CE-2.

The reason I knew my Quartermaster had been in (at least) four years was the red stripe he had near his sleeve cuff, each one of those represents four years of service.

I'm not sure of the Exact reasoning behind these peculiar Naval traditions, but I imagine that it was the need to recognize the people capable of doing certain jobs when the SHTF and they were on another watch. You don't want a Hull Tech playing with high pressure steam lines when the ship lost all lights, or an Engineman trying to fix a fire control computer.
The red service indicators would let you know how much experience the rating had.

Ok, your 'other service' lesson is over for today. Next time is why the traditional Dress Blues look the way they do.

So, how do you like your leftover sammich?

Mine is white bread, Miracle Whip, white meat, a spoon full of stuffing and maybe cranberry sauce (home made).

Merry Christmas from the family!

One more Twisted carol?

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas


These head bangers have more Christmas cheer out there than the more mainstream bands...funny how that works, huh?