waveshaper

The "not so secret" world of Baghdad's sex toy shops. Excerpt; These are surprising and strange things to find in a popular market, especially one in a capital where Islamist forces control political life and those in power frequently meddle in citizens’ everyday affairs in the name of ethics and religion. The vendor added while fixing his stand that he mostly “sells these dildos to men for fun and pranks.” But he asserted that some men “really need them, although they pretend to joke about the issue.” https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/07/iraq-popular-market-sex-products.html

Don't know if this is true or even possible "452 people on a C-130A"? Sounds like a BS/fish story. Operation Frequent Wind-1975; Excerpt; Roach said that throughout the day, approximately 125 airplanes flew into U-Tapao from Saigon,carrying a total of nearly 10,000 people. One C-130A Hercules aircraft landed with an incredible 452 people on board, including 32 people in the cockpit. A South Vietnamese F-5 pilot arrived with one child on his lap, and one behind the ejection seat, Roach recalled. “I had a friend in the tower who said that every plane that came in was calling out emergency signals, trying to get permission to land,” Roach recalled. “Every pilot was claiming he had the president of Vietnam on board – anything to get clearance.” https://www.nwfdailynews.com/local/when-saigon-fell-two-okaloosa-men-recount-their-roles-in-operation-frequent-wind-1.469826 Note; At the same time this was happening some RVNAF pilots defected. One F-5, flown by a RVNAF defector, bombed the Presidential Palace. Also, 5 A-37's bombed Tan Son Nhut Air Base and destroyed a number of US aircraft. One A-37 was flown by a RVNAF defector and the rest were flown by the VPAF. These VPAF pilots were rapidly trained/upgraded to fly the A-37 by RVNAF defectors and were flying combat missions in less than 30 days.

Bottom line; Watch the movie "Go Tell the Spartans" and draw your own conclusions. The rest of the info is mostly pointless rambling and trying to make subtle similar comparisons between the French Hedgehog Strategy, US Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) Strategy, and the Lily Pad Strategy. Part 1; The Iraq Lily Pad Strategy. Dempsey Unveils 'Lily Pad' Strategy for ISIS Campaign. https://www.janes.com/article/52201/us-expands-iraqi-re-train-equip-programme-into-lily-pad-strategy Part 2; The Movie "Go Tell the Spartans". Plot summary; Depicts a unit of American military advisors in Vietnam, prior to major U.S. involvement in the war. They find similarities between their helpless struggle against the Viet Cong and the doomed actions of a French unit fighting the Viet Minn at the same site a decade before in this bitter look at the beginnings of the Vietnam War. Maybe in a few years it will be time for a sequel of this early Vietnam era movie. This movie is based on the CIDG strategy in Vietnam (1964 timeframe) and as you'll see in the movie "some things haven't changed much". Go Tell the Spartans; https://vimeo.com/109417275 Part 3; A brief history on French and US COIN type Strategies in Vietnam; Vietnam War Round 1; The French Indochina War. The French version of the Lily Pad Strategy was called the "Hedgehog Strategy". The French Hedgehog concept involved putting numerous "isolated" bases/outpost in the heart of Viet Minh territory, mostly along the Laos/Vietnam border. All of these outpost were either overrun or abandoned by the French. Vietnam War Round 2; The Vietnam War/The US picks up where the French failed with a new and improved COIN strategy. The US version of the Lily Pad Strategy in Vietnam was primarily U.S. Special Forces CIDG camps/outposts. The CIDG program ran from 1961 to 1973 and the first camp/outpost was established in 1962. By late 1964/early 1965 "before the Vietnam War really got going" there were already 80 plus CIDG camps/outpost established. There were way to many of these camps/outpost to list here but I did highlight a few examples. These camps/outpost were located deep in enemy territory and most changed hands many times (overrun/evacuated/abandoned/turned over to the ARVN, etc.) . Some other close examples of the Vietnam version of "Lily Pads" would be Fire Bases, Forward Operations Base, etc. Some Examples; Example 1; CIDG outpost "A Luro'i"/since it's first on the list of CIDG outposts; 1962; Outpost opened/occupied by 5th SFG. 1966; Outpost abandoned due to PAVN siege. 1968 Apr; Outpost reoccupied and then abandoned again. 1968 Aug; Outpost reoccupied and then abandoned again. 1969 Outpost reoccupied/turned over to the ARVN/eventually abandoned by the ARVN. Example 2; CIDG outpost Dak Seang. Resupplying/rescuing WIA/CAS/evacuation/etc. was extremely dangerous for aircrews/aircraft (Summarized as follows during one of the many sieges on this outpost/ 1 Apr - 8 May 1970). Only aircraft with complete info are listed below but many more aircraft were shotdown/damaged during this seige. 2 April 1970, C-7A Caribou #61-2406 was shot down while dropping supplies to Dak Seang, 3 Aircrew KIA. 4 April 1970, C-7B Caribou #62-4180 was shot down while dropping supplies to Dak Seang, 3 Aircrew KIA. 6 April 1970, C-7B Caribou #63-9746 was shot down while dropping supplies to Dak Seang, 3 Aircrew KIA. 15 April 1970 UH-1H #68-16203 was shot down while landing ARVN troops resulting in 2 U.S. and 2 ARVN KIA. 15 April 1970 HH-3E #66-13280 (Jolly 27) from the 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron was shot down while trying to rescue the crew of UH-1H #68-16203 resulting in 2 Aircrew KIA/2 WIA. Source; C-7 Caribou/Dak Seang; https://www.c-7acaribou.com/news/vol21i1.pdf Additiopnal info; 15 April 1970; One day sample (estimated) of other aircraft (not enough data to include in the above list) shot down/damaged during the siege of Dak Seang. 1 Additional UH-1 shot down. 8 UH-1 shot up/severely damaged. 1 HH-3E (Jolly 29) shot up/severely damaged. The bird was later scrapped due to severe battle damage. 1 OH-6 shot up/severely damaged. 2 Cobra Gunships shot up/severly damaged. Source; https://macvsog.cc/dak_seang_15_apr_70.htm Note; The same "Lily Pad Type Strategy" was tried by the USSR during the Soviet Afghan War and by the US during our current adventure in Afghanistan. Some of the Combat Outpost US forces utilized in Afghanistan were previously occupied by the Soviets during their war in Afghanistan, the British Empireduring their wars in Afghanistan, etc.

Excerpt; The Dyess Air Force Base outside Abilene hired a touring speaker to deliver three sessions of a program called "May I Kiss You?" aimed at teaching men about consent and sexual assault prevention. The program uses humor to help boys and men understand when it is appropriate to make sexual advances on a woman. This training seems to be very discriminatory. What about some training for heterosexual women kissing/making sexual advances on heterosexual men? What about some training for lesbians kissing/making sexual advances on other lesbians? What about some training for gay men kissing/making sexual advances on other gay men? What about some training for bisexuals kissing/making sexual advances on members of all the different gender identity types? What about some training for transgender members kissing/making sexual advances on whatever the hell they kiss/make sexual advances on?

My mistake/some clarification; The MK46 Gun Weapon System (GWS) contains the MK44 Automatic Cannon.

Well stated. To defeat armor the Apache uses the M789 High Explosive Dual Purpose (HEPD)/shaped charge/frag Projectile with M759 Point Detonating (PD) fuze (Really a point initiating base detonating/spit back fuze). The A-10 uses the PGU-14/B API projectile and its Depleted Uranium (DU) Penetrator also produces a significant incendiary effect throughout the impact/armor penetration event (the DU penetrator makes the worlds best/longest lasting fire starter/ flint). The M789 cartridge is 30mm x 113mm and the PGU-14/B cartridge is 30mm x 173mm (the cartridge also has a much larger diameter). A simple side by side photo of these two cartridges would provide a simple visual explanation of why there's such a significant difference in their respective velocities. The fuze used in M789 HEPD projo is PD (Type By Function) and uses spit back to initiate the shaped charge event. PD Spit back initiation of shaped charges are very inefficient/limit its penetration potential. The M789 is a minimally effective shaped charge warhead to begin with and "EASILY" defeated by just about any modern enhanced armor protective technology. The M789 projo with M759 fuze is basically the same PD/spit back fuze technology used in the "very old" M430 40mm HEDP grenade. Basically the PGU-14/B completely outclasses the M789 when it comes to defeating armor. Note; The new 30mm Bushmaster 11 Mark 46 mod 1 can use the following 30mm ammo; 1. GAU-8 Ammo/all types; 30mm x 173mm; PGU-13 HEI, PGU-14 API, and PGU-15 TP. 2. Mark 238/266 Mod 1 HEI-T: 3,543 FPS. Mark 240 SAPHEI-T: 3,543 FPS. Mark 268 APFSDS-T: 4,544 FPS. 3. It can also fire RARDEN and Oerlikon KCB (30mm x 170mm) ammunition by changing the barrel, bolt and aft feed plate.

The commercial airlines may need to take a look at possibly incorporating a "FEW" of the Nuclear Surety Protocols for their pilots/pilot trainees. Any protocols selected would need to be tailored to fit the civilian world, be significantly more forgiving, and give pilots "with treatable conditions" a path back to flying. On the medical side of the house the Personnel Reliability Program (PRP) has strict procedures/rules for Physically, Emotionally, and Psychologically evaluating personnel on a sustained/continuous basis (daily if need be). The PRP program has strict procedures in place that will identify and "immediately" remove folks from certified PRP positions/status/all related duties by; Suspension (up to 30 days), Temporary Decertification (up to 180), and Permanent Decertification. This pilot wouldn't have lasted 10 minutes in the PRP world (my opinion) and most likely wouldn't meet the minimum requirements to even be initially administratively certified let alone formally certified into a Critical Position or any other PRP position for that matter. It also may be wise to look at the Two-Person Team concept and Critical Position certification/classification to see if there's anything in these protocols that could be used to improve commercial airline security/safety (particularly in the cockpit). I know, stupid idea/not my lane but it's Friday; Fire away.

Which direction are the U.S. "Anti-ISIS" coalition partners strike aircraft from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan, Qatar, and Bahrain headed today; North (Iraq/Syria) or South (Yemen)? Keeping Arab/Muslim coalition partners focused on the task at hand and pointed in the right direction makes herding cats with an air horn look easy.

Since it's in the news/a few tidbits; Yemen has been in an almost constant state of Civil War or Insurgency for the last 50 years or so (8 conflicts/insurgencies and still counting). Saudi Arabia has been involved in most of these conflict, either directly or indirectly. Also, Yemen Civil Wars haven't been good to foreign armies that decide to play in the Yemen Sand Box. Atleast this time the Saudis and Egyptians are on the same side but that wasn't always the case. The North Yemen Civil War,1962 - 1970, pitted proxies Saudi Arabia and Egypt against each other. During this little known conflict, also known as Egypt's Vietnam, the Egyptians deployed an Army of 70,000 troops to fight in this Yemeni Civil War and suffered 26,000 troops KIA. Egyptian military historians refer to the war in Yemen as their Vietnam; The wiki version but there's other case studies specifically covering "Egypt's Vietnam" available; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Yemen_Civil_War Mecca captured/sacked by the Shia. The Saudis/Sunnis don't forget stuff like this. 1. The Yemen Zaidi (Shia) tribes captured/sacked Mecca in 1632. 2. This is a strange one; The Qarmatians conquered and sacked Mecca in 930. The Qaramiṭians were also known as the "Greengrocers" (al-Baqliyyah) because of their strict vegetarian habits. Excerpt; The Qarmatians were a syncretic religious group that combined elements of the Ismaili Shia branch of Islam with Persian Mysticism centered in Al-Hasa (Eastern Arabia), where they established a religious utopia republic in 899. They are most famed for their revolt against the Abbasid Caliphate. Mecca was sacked by the sect’s leader Abu-Tahir Al-Jannabi, outraging the Muslim world, particularly with their theft of the Black Stone and desecration of the Zamzan Well with corpses during the Haji season of 930. The death toll was reported to be in the tens of thousands and the number of people who were enslaved was said to be around thirty thousand. The Shia/Persian Qarmatians. https://www.worldbulletin.net/haber/127416/the-qarmatians-the-worlds-first-enduring-communistic-society Yemen an Empire Crushing wasteland. Example; 1. The Ottoman Empires first attempt to conquer Yemen: The Ottoman Empire initially sent an Army of 80,000 men to conquer Yemen in 1539 and by 1547 all but 7,000 had been killed. The Ottoman Empire continued to send additional military expeditions into Yemen but finally tired of the constant tribal warfare/casualties and withdrew. Mecca was temporarily captured/sacked In 1632 by Yemen Zaidi (Shia) Tribes as the Ottoman Army was finally being driven out of Yemen. 2. The Ottoman Empires second attempt to conquer Yemen; After a 200 + year absence from Yemen the Ottoman Empire decided to give it another try. In 1849 they invaded Yemen again and meet with basically the same results as the first attempt. For example; The Ottoman Army averaged 10,000 troops KIA per year from 1904 - 1911.

King, Pilot, and a smokin hot wife; the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is doomed.

The Islamic world definitely can have averse reactions to death by burning events/murders. Example; The Arab Spring was sparked following Mohamed Bouazizi's self-immolation in Tunisia and we all can see how that turned out. This pilots murder, by burning, could be (if played right) the catalyst that rallies the Islamic world to finally take the lead in crushing ISIS and hopefully bring some "temporary" stability to that part of the world. Also, these tit-for-tat executions are likely going to get the U.S. female aid worker being held by ISIS (if she isn't already dead) executed pronto.

TransAsia Flight 235 just crashed in Tiapei. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eJNAx4BsUtE#t=3

Time to bust out and fill the Napalm canisters, hopefully they haven't all been destroyed/recycled thru DRMO.

It seems there might be some bundling, American Pickers style, in the works; The bundle = swapping the remaining ISIS held Japanese man and Jordanian F-16 Pilot for the Jordanian held female suicide bomber?

Dirty bomb, RDD, or IND. Good way for him to get rid of his Blue Balls. 4 Things ladies (not first ladies) should know about Blue Balls. https://www.thefrisky.com/2011-12-09/4-things-ladies-should-know-about-blue-balls/

One striper/E-2 (USAF/US Army); more commonly called mosquito wings, speed bumps, bullet sponges, etc.

My credit card rewards program sucks. The only reward I get is a free gift whenever I shop at the dollar shave club.

There's some scuttlebutt circulating in the Jihad community that ISIS is considering adding another technique to its medieval arsenal of approved methods of execution. Standby for Al Baghdadi the Impaler. Execution by impaling was SOP during the Ottoman Caliphate so I'm sure it will pass muster for ISIS use in the near future. NSFW/Graphic "Ottoman Caliphate/Empire" reenactment of execution by Impaling.

That's a very good idea. This just happened in the PI. AirAsia ZEST Plane carrying 159 passengers/crew overshoots runway in the Philippines. https://abcnews.go.com/International/airasia-zest-plane-overshoots-airport-runway-philippines/story?id=27894269

A few more unsuccessful war efforts in Afghanistan by former empires to add to your list; The British Empire and the Muslim Mughal Empire. - Afghanistan/Durrani(Afghan)empire versus the Mughal Empire; That's worth a couple hundred years worth of wars with no positive results. - Anglo Afghan Wars and way to many Anglo directed Punitive Expeditions into Afghanistan/Northwest Frontier to list. Note; You would think the Brits would know better/learned a lesson by now? -- First Anglo Afghan War; -- Second Anglo Afghan War; -- Third Anglo Afghan War;

At least it's not another Malaysian owned commercial airliner (like MH370/MH17) or is it? AirAsia Berhad is a Malaysian owned low cost airline. Indonesia AirAsia is one of "many" Malaysia AirAsia affiliates/associates and I believe it may fall under the Malaysia AirAsia umbrella in someway but I'm really not sure how all that works.

Ceiling collapse exposes Chinese panty thief. I'll take a wild guess and say his first name is "Poon". If not, it soon will be (see photo in article). https://ca.news.yahoo.com/ceiling-collapse-exposes-chinese-panty-thief-023940255.html

A simple solution to this problem.

The oil and Ruble tumble continues. The Russians seem to have a sense of humor; https://twitter.com/RuNetMemes/status/531176060604645376/photo/1 Russian priorities are shifting. https://twitter.com/TwitBeka/status/540159713217097728/photo/1

My best friends son works on the deep water oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. Yesterday they received a "warning order" from corporate HQ; Prepare to be laid-off. One more thing; it sucks to be Russia right now and that's a good thing.