May 2, 2011
The Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) is a component of the US military, which studies special operations requirements and techniques. It was established in 1980 on the recommendation of Col. Charlie Beckwith, in the aftermath of the failure of Operation Eagle Claw (a failed attempt by President Jimmy Carter to put an end to the Iran hostage crisis). JSOC is headquartered at Pope Army Air Field and Fort Bragg in North Carolina, USA. JSOC also commands and controls Special Mission Units (SMU). These units perform highly classified activities. So far, only three SMUs have been publicly disclosed: The Army’s Delta Force, the Navy’s SEAL Team 6 (credited with killing Osama Bin Laden in 2011), and the Air Force’s 24th Special Tactics Squadron (a search and rescue team).
Also under JSOC’s purview, the Intelligence Support Activity (ISA) collects specific target intelligence prior to SMU missions, and provides signals support. The ISA often operates under various cover names, the most recent one being Gray Fox. If needed, Army Rangers and Night Stalkers can be transferred under the JSOC command. JSOC has an excellent relationship with the CIA’s elite Special Activities Division and the two forces often operate together. The CIA’s Special Activities Division’s Special Operations Group often selects their recruits from JSOC.
Posted in War |
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May 2, 2011
‘Mission Accomplished‘ refers to a banner that was displayed during an address by President George W. Bush on May 1, 2003. Bush stated at the time that major combat operations in Iraq were completed. While his statement did coincide with an end to the conventional phase of the war, his assertion—and the sign itself—became controversial with the growing violence of the Iraqi insurgency. The vast majority of casualties, both military and civilian, occurred after the speech. White House staff members produced the banner. For critics of the war, the photo-op became a symbol of the Bush administration’s unrealistic goals and perceptions of the conflict. The banner came to symbolize the irony of Bush giving a victory speech only a few weeks after the beginning of a long war.
Bush became the first sitting President to make an arrested landing in a fixed-wing aircraft on an aircraft carrier when he arrived at the USS Abraham Lincoln in a Lockheed S-3 Viking, dubbed ‘Navy One,’ as the carrier returned from combat operations in the Persian Gulf. He posed for photographs with members of the ship’s crew while wearing a flight suit. Opponents criticized the event as a theatrical and expensive stunt. Bush was a passenger of the plane (unlike his father, who was a Navy pilot, he was never trained to land on a carrier). According to the Navy, the banner referred specifically to the Abraham Lincoln’s 10-month deployment (which was the longest deployment of a carrier since the Vietnam War) and not the war itself.
Posted in Humor, Politics, War |
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May 2, 2011
Sandwiches That You Will Like is a 2002 PBS documentary by American film director, Rick Sebak. The unique sandwich offerings of cities across the United States are shown.
The sandwiches showcased are: Tripe, The Elvis, Beef on weck, Roast beef, French dip, Italian beef, Loose meat, Cheesesteak, Hoagie, Pig ears and snouts, Brain, St. Paul, Bánh mì, Primanti, Chipped ham, Hot Brown, Lobster roll, Po’ boy, Muffuletta, Barbecue, Falafel, and Pastrami.
Posted in Food |
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May 2, 2011
A Dagwood is a tall, multi-layered sandwich made with a variety of meats, cheeses and condiments. It was named after Dagwood Bumstead, a central character in the comic strip Blondie, who is frequently illustrated making enormous sandwiches. According to Blondie scripter Dean Young, his father, Chic Young, began drawing the huge sandwiches in the comic strip during 1936. Though the actual contents of Chic Young’s Dagwood sandwich remain obscure, it obviously contains large quantities and varieties of cold cuts, sliced cheese and vegetables, plus additional slices of bread. An olive pierced by a toothpick or wooden skewer usually crowns the edible superstructure.
In May 1999, a counter-service restaurant named Blondie’s opened at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure, serving a traditional Dagwood-style sandwich. Blondie’s bills itself as ‘Home of the Dagwood Sandwich.’ A Blondie-themed restaurant chain, Dagwood’s Sandwich Shoppe, was founded in 2006. The Dagwood is sold as a 1.5-pound sandwich with three slices of deli bread, hard salami, pepperoni, cappicola, mortadella, deli ham, cotto salami, cheddar, Provolone, red onion, green leaf lettuce, tomato, fresh and roasted red bell peppers, mayo, mustard and a secret Italian olive salad oil.
Posted in Food, Humor |
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May 2, 2011
A beak doctor costume was an ankle length overcoat and bird beak mask worn by a plague doctor to protect him from airborne diseases. The overcoat, as well as leggings, gloves, boots, and a hat, was made of waxed leather. Straps held the beak in front of the doctor’s nose. The mask had glass openings for the eyes and a curved beak. It had two small nose holes and was a type of respirator against airborne germs. The beak held dried flowers, herbs, spices, camphor or a vinegar sponge. The robe was impregnated with similar fragrant items. Doctors believed the herbs would counter the ‘evil’ smells of the plague and prevent them from becoming infected.
Plague doctors wore wide brimmed leather hoods to indicate their profession. They used wooden canes to point out areas needing attention and to examine the patients without touching them. The canes were also used to keep people away and to remove clothing from plague victims without touching them or to take patients’ pulses.
Posted in Death, Health |
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May 2, 2011
The final girl is a thriller and horror film (particularly slasher film) trope that specifically refers to the last woman or girl alive to confront the killer, ostensibly the one left to tell the story. The final girl has been observed in dozens of films, including Halloween, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Alien and Scream. The term was coined by American professor of film studies, Carol J. Clover, who argues that in these films, the viewer begins by sharing the perspective of the killer, but experiences a shift in identification to the final girl partway through the film.
According to Clover, the final girl is typically sexually unavailable or virginal, avoiding the vices of the victims (sex, narcotic usage, etc.). She sometimes has a unisex name (e.g., Teddy, Billie, Georgie, Sidney). Occasionally the Final Girl will have a shared history with the killer. The final girl is the ‘investigating consciousness’ of the film, moving the narrative forward and as such, she exhibits intelligence, curiosity, and vigilance. One of the basic premises of Clover’s theory is that audience identification is unstable and fluid across gender lines, particularly in the case of the slasher film. During the final girl’s confrontation with the killer, Clover argues, she becomes masculinized through ‘phallic appropriation’ by taking up a weapon, such as a knife or chainsaw, against the killer.
Posted in Art, Death, Sex |
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May 2, 2011
For a one-time charge of $10, After the Rapture Pet Care promises to look after Christian’s pets on Earth should the rapture occur. When Jesus returns, their non-Christian administrators will activate a rescue plan: animal caretakers will be alerted immediately by email and telephone that they have been activated.
Pets will be assigned to caretakers based upon location and other factors. Administrators will do whatever it takes to find and rescue pets covered by a policy.
Posted in Death, Humor, Philosophy |
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May 2, 2011
Alien abduction insurance is an insurance policy issued against alien abduction. Simon Burgess, former Managing Director of British Insurance, well known for being involved in the bizarre end of the business, said ‘Of course, the burden of proof lies with the claimant. Let’s face it – insurance is so tedious that if I can enlighten my dreary life with a bit of humor every now and again, I will.’ Policies typically cover injuries suffered during an alien examinations or death caused by aliens. The first company to offer UFO insurance was the St. Lawrence Agency in Florida. The company says that it has paid out at least two claims of $1 per year until their death or for 1 million years, whichever comes first. The insurance is normally purchased by the ‘feeble-minded,’ according to Burgess. Prominent policyholders have included Shirley MacLaine and a Harvard University professor who has written on aliens.
The Heaven’s Gate religious group purchased alien abduction insurance before their mass suicide. Their insurance company (London brokerage Goodfellow Rebecca Ingrams Pearson) stopped offering alien abduction insurance after the suicide – having sold the policy to about four thousand people (mostly in England and the United States). At a cost of roughly $155 a year the GRIP policy would pay about $160,000 to someone who could show that they had been abducted by a being who was not from Earth. The payment would double if the insured person was impregnated during the event. Men were also able to purchase the impregnation insurance for protection against the unknown capabilities of alien technology.
Posted in Humor, Money |
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