Nice Planet, Part 2: A-holes on parade

[Slap Shot]

Re: Nice Planet, Part 2: A-holes on parade

Yeah, a medal that you can earn while sipping coffee in some AC room somewhere a thousand plus miles away, versus being out there in the mud and the blood and the sweat and the smoke and the sounds all while bullets are flying around you and death its out there somewhere ready to dance with you? I think the one where it is your arse on the line not some fancy weapons system.

I agree 100%. I think the medal is gratuitous, but if it must happen don't exaggerate its importance.

 

[The Rube]

Re: Nice Planet, Part 2: A-holes on parade

I agree 100%. I think the medal is gratuitous, but if it must happen don't exaggerate its importance.

Yes. Still takes some skill and such, but should be ranked much less than a soldier actively, personally participating in the sh*.

 

[Old Pio]

Re: Nice Planet, Part 2: A-holes on parade

Careful, some people on here think participation ribbons are a good thing.

I was honestly chastised for badmouthing participation ribbons.

Many medals are awarded for what you sneeringly refer to as "participation." And that's precisely the point. The awardee participated, without regard to whether that participation involved combat or not. Bravery or not. Contact with the enemy or not. Dangerous job or not. I'd imagine the majority of medals are awarded for "participation" of one sort or another. Of course, some forms of "participation" involve considerable risk. Like the Combat Infrantryman's Badge, for instance. During basic training I was eligible for and "earned" a National Defense Medal. Everyone who served, everyone, during the required time, earned it. Most people are able to earn a Good Conduct Medal (it requires not getting Article 15ed). Unit citations, presidential unit citations and numerous other medals are often awarded based on being in the right place at the right time.

As I suggested earlier, perhaps we should learn what the rationale and requirements are for the medal before we jump to insulting conclusions about the people who will earn them and whether or not high school sophomores could do the same job. There is a certain amount of subjectivity involved, even for the valor medals. Lyndon Johnson earned a Silver Star (and wore it for the rest of his life) by taking one flight as an observer. And the official records show the aircraft had no contact with the enemy. Regardless, MacArthur was satisfied, and awarded LBJ the medal.

Commander Joe Rochefort and his code breaking wonks (or "office pinkies," the term Wilford Brimley used in "End of the Line") were able to trick the Japanese into revealing that the "AF" in their coded traffic referred to Midway. As a consequence, the United States was able to inflict perhaps the most decisive defeat in history on the Imperial Navy and effectively end its ability to conduct offensive operations. None of the folks at "Station Hypo" were grunts, ever faced a Jap, ever got shot at and by the standards of the day certainly lived high on the hog ("three hots and a cot") compared to front line Marines. And almost certainly would have been looked down on by some combat troops. Yet their contribution to the war effort saved thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of American lives. We rightly honor and revere those who put their lives on the line in combat. But others make vital contributions, too. Shouldn't we honor them?

 

[DrDemento]

Re: Nice Planet, Part 2: A-holes on parade

One step closer to the slammer for JJ jr. and Mrs. JJ jr. The Trib says they plan to plead guilty.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-jackson-charges-20130215,0,319725.story

And you really expect either of them to spend any significant time behind bars? Or even to pay a substantial penalty? Somehow i think if this was you or i they would just throw a way the key and take every penny we had but that will not be the case here.

 

[Old Pio]

Re: Nice Planet, Part 2: A-holes on parade

And you really expect either of them to spend any significant time behind bars? Or even to pay a substantial penalty? Somehow i think if this was you or i they would just throw a way the key and take every penny we had but that will not be the case here.

Well, yes and no. JJ jr is out of Congress and his wife is off the Chicago city council. Those are good things. And they've been humiliated. And if (as expected) they plead guilty it will remove any subsequent opportunity for them to claim "racism" or some other nonsense. As I understand it, when the feds issued the presentment, it meant that plea negotiations had been finalized. Under these circumstances JJ jr's sentence will involve less time than it would have if he'd gone to trial and been convicted. It's also possible the negotiations involved Mrs. JJ jr, maybe even no time for her.

I guess for me, this is a "glass half full" situation. A cheap, chiseling crook, who tried to buy a United States Senate seat from a cheap, chiseling governor is going to prison (as has that governor). And the people of Illinois and Chicago have had the burdon of this crook and his crook wife lifted. And the JJ "brand" has suffered another blow. To go along with his serial lying about "holding the dying MLK's head in his hands." And the revelation that he fathered a child out of wedlock and paid her off with charitable funds.

In a perfect world, JJ jr would be joining his old man in prison. Both for the max. And you're absolutely right that JJ jr will probably not spend as much time behind bars as you or I would under the same circumstances. But he will spend time in prison, for which I am eternally grateful. JJ jr. is young enough that he'll probably have a second act, like taking over JJ's extortion racket. But for all except the true believers, this is a good outcome, about as good as we can expect.

The NY Post offers some details of what JJ jr. bought with the money. Sounds like he was planning to enroll in pimp school.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/civil_rights_heir_stolen_ouvenirs_7RThRmi9Vc7HIFYeyjR30J

 

[RaceBoarder]

Re: Nice Planet, Part 2: A-holes on parade

I teach snowboarding at a small (and I mean small... Like 120 vertical feet), park district owned ski hill in Bartlett, IL... I say it's like teaching at a snow covered speed bump... Anyways, last night, they had the cops there... The reason? A customer called 911 because the hill was "covered in ice, not snow" and that "there was absolutely no way that anyone could safely be out on the hill in these conditions"... "We were asking for someone to be seriously hurt or killed"...

So yea, the cops came out because they have to whenever a 911 call is placed... When the cops showed up, the woman that called and her husband went on and on about how the hill was covered in ice and was completely dangerous... The cops heard their argument out then went to speak with the hill staff... My direct supervisor was the high person on the totem pole, so she had to deal with all this... Basically she said that the hill was hard packed and fast, but navigable... The cops asked about what conditions would be needed to close the hill... Once it was explained to them the agreed that the conditions were not met... The cops agreed to a couple of other points about the hill and went back to explain this to the patron... The patron went off on the cop for not doing anything, basically saying "it's your job to protect people"... This is also when the following quote came out of the patron: "Snow is soft and fluffy.... This is hard and abrasive... If you fall on this, you will break something"... The cops were able to calm the couple down but that went out the window when they held up our end of not issuing a refund for their lift tickets... The cops then escorted the people off the property (not forcefully, but I guess it was to the point where it had to be implied since the woman started going ape poopy again...)

This is where I am gonna get in trouble, but the kicker on all of this: The person's ethnic origin was somewhere that doesn't have snow... We have this problem every year... Mostly it's minor stuff that doesn't hurt anyone like wearing jeans and a sweatshirt and then wondering why they are freezing their arse off after 30 minutes... Occasionally we have the argument about using the $12.99 plastic snowboard from Target or Wal-Mart and why that is different from the "Real" snowboards/skis that we require on the hill... That can sometimes get heated because they act like they spent a ton of money on the gear (and maybe they did, but that is for another time/place)... This takes the cake though... You really called 911 for this? I get that you might actually have been born in a country that doesn't have snow... Hell, you could have just moved to Chicago last year and thought that 80*F temps in March were the norm and Winter was a 4 week long thing... You live in America now... You need to get an effing clue..... You aren't dismissing any stereotypes by acting like this...

 

[Twitch Boy]

Re: Nice Planet, Part 2: A-holes on parade

I teach snowboarding at a small (and I mean small... Like 120 vertical feet), park district owned ski hill in Bartlett, IL... I say it's like teaching at a snow covered speed bump... Anyways, last night, they had the cops there... The reason? A customer called 911 because the hill was "covered in ice, not snow" and that "there was absolutely no way that anyone could safely be out on the hill in these conditions"... "We were asking for someone to be seriously hurt or killed"...

So yea, the cops came out because they have to whenever a 911 call is placed... When the cops showed up, the woman that called and her husband went on and on about how the hill was covered in ice and was completely dangerous... The cops heard their argument out then went to speak with the hill staff... My direct supervisor was the high person on the totem pole, so she had to deal with all this... Basically she said that the hill was hard packed and fast, but navigable... The cops asked about what conditions would be needed to close the hill... Once it was explained to them the agreed that the conditions were not met... The cops agreed to a couple of other points about the hill and went back to explain this to the patron... The patron went off on the cop for not doing anything, basically saying "it's your job to protect people"... This is also when the following quote came out of the patron: "Snow is soft and fluffy.... This is hard and abrasive... If you fall on this, you will break something"... The cops were able to calm the couple down but that went out the window when they held up our end of not issuing a refund for their lift tickets... The cops then escorted the people off the property (not forcefully, but I guess it was to the point where it had to be implied since the woman started going ape poopy again...)

This is where I am gonna get in trouble, but the kicker on all of this: The person's ethnic origin was somewhere that doesn't have snow... We have this problem every year... Mostly it's minor stuff that doesn't hurt anyone like wearing jeans and a sweatshirt and then wondering why they are freezing their arse off after 30 minutes... Occasionally we have the argument about using the $12.99 plastic snowboard from Target or Wal-Mart and why that is different from the "Real" snowboards/skis that we require on the hill... That can sometimes get heated because they act like they spent a ton of money on the gear (and maybe they did, but that is for another time/place)... This takes the cake though... You really called 911 for this? I get that you might actually have been born in a country that doesn't have snow... Hell, you could have just moved to Chicago last year and thought that 80*F temps in March were the norm and Winter was a 4 week long thing... You live in America now... You need to get an effing clue..... You aren't dismissing any stereotypes by acting like this...

Punch her in the face.

 

[Old Pio]

Re: Nice Planet, Part 2: A-holes on parade

I teach snowboarding at a small (and I mean small... Like 120 vertical feet), park district owned ski hill in Bartlett, IL... I say it's like teaching at a snow covered speed bump... Anyways, last night, they had the cops there... The reason? A customer called 911 because the hill was "covered in ice, not snow" and that "there was absolutely no way that anyone could safely be out on the hill in these conditions"... "We were asking for someone to be seriously hurt or killed"...

So yea, the cops came out because they have to whenever a 911 call is placed... When the cops showed up, the woman that called and her husband went on and on about how the hill was covered in ice and was completely dangerous... The cops heard their argument out then went to speak with the hill staff... My direct supervisor was the high person on the totem pole, so she had to deal with all this... Basically she said that the hill was hard packed and fast, but navigable... The cops asked about what conditions would be needed to close the hill... Once it was explained to them the agreed that the conditions were not met... The cops agreed to a couple of other points about the hill and went back to explain this to the patron... The patron went off on the cop for not doing anything, basically saying "it's your job to protect people"... This is also when the following quote came out of the patron: "Snow is soft and fluffy.... This is hard and abrasive... If you fall on this, you will break something"... The cops were able to calm the couple down but that went out the window when they held up our end of not issuing a refund for their lift tickets... The cops then escorted the people off the property (not forcefully, but I guess it was to the point where it had to be implied since the woman started going ape poopy again...)

This is where I am gonna get in trouble, but the kicker on all of this: The person's ethnic origin was somewhere that doesn't have snow... We have this problem every year... Mostly it's minor stuff that doesn't hurt anyone like wearing jeans and a sweatshirt and then wondering why they are freezing their arse off after 30 minutes... Occasionally we have the argument about using the $12.99 plastic snowboard from Target or Wal-Mart and why that is different from the "Real" snowboards/skis that we require on the hill... That can sometimes get heated because they act like they spent a ton of money on the gear (and maybe they did, but that is for another time/place)... This takes the cake though... You really called 911 for this? I get that you might actually have been born in a country that doesn't have snow... Hell, you could have just moved to Chicago last year and thought that 80*F temps in March were the norm and Winter was a 4 week long thing... You live in America now... You need to get an effing clue..... You aren't dismissing any stereotypes by acting like this...

What a tool box! Her version doubtless involves accusing you and the cops of some form of collusion and (of course) "disrespect." Too bad she wasn't around when we were sledding in Taylor park. Would have been reassuring to have cops on hand, making sure we waxed the runners of our Flexible Flyers properly.

 

[Hammer]

Re: Nice Planet, Part 2: A-holes on parade

Beat her with a snow shovel.

Fixed.

 

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: Nice Planet, Part 2: A-holes on parade

"Snow is soft and fluffy.... This is hard and abrasive... If you fall on this, you will break something"

'Scuse me ma'am, but it's called "Midwest powder". And we're used to skiing it, thanks. I hear we even grudgingly admit them knuckledragger kids these days.

 

[The Rube]

Re: Nice Planet, Part 2: A-holes on parade

'Scuse me ma'am, but it's called "Midwest powder". And we're used to skiing it, thanks. I hear we even grudgingly admit them knuckledragger kids these days.

"As long as dey don' try'n skate on dat dare Yankee hard water y'all play that stick game on. Someone goan get kilt playin' dat game, ya hear?"

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Nice Planet, Part 2: A-holes on parade

I teach snowboarding at a small (and I mean small... Like 120 vertical feet), park district owned ski hill in Bartlett, IL... I say it's like teaching at a snow covered speed bump... Anyways, last night, they had the cops there... The reason? A customer called 911 because the hill was "covered in ice, not snow" and that "there was absolutely no way that anyone could safely be out on the hill in these conditions"... "We were asking for someone to be seriously hurt or killed"...

So yea, the cops came out because they have to whenever a 911 call is placed... When the cops showed up, the woman that called and her husband went on and on about how the hill was covered in ice and was completely dangerous... The cops heard their argument out then went to speak with the hill staff... My direct supervisor was the high person on the totem pole, so she had to deal with all this... Basically she said that the hill was hard packed and fast, but navigable... The cops asked about what conditions would be needed to close the hill... Once it was explained to them the agreed that the conditions were not met... The cops agreed to a couple of other points about the hill and went back to explain this to the patron... The patron went off on the cop for not doing anything, basically saying "it's your job to protect people"... This is also when the following quote came out of the patron: "Snow is soft and fluffy.... This is hard and abrasive... If you fall on this, you will break something"... The cops were able to calm the couple down but that went out the window when they held up our end of not issuing a refund for their lift tickets... The cops then escorted the people off the property (not forcefully, but I guess it was to the point where it had to be implied since the woman started going ape poopy again...)

This is where I am gonna get in trouble, but the kicker on all of this: The person's ethnic origin was somewhere that doesn't have snow... We have this problem every year... Mostly it's minor stuff that doesn't hurt anyone like wearing jeans and a sweatshirt and then wondering why they are freezing their arse off after 30 minutes... Occasionally we have the argument about using the $12.99 plastic snowboard from Target or Wal-Mart and why that is different from the "Real" snowboards/skis that we require on the hill... That can sometimes get heated because they act like they spent a ton of money on the gear (and maybe they did, but that is for another time/place)... This takes the cake though... You really called 911 for this? I get that you might actually have been born in a country that doesn't have snow... Hell, you could have just moved to Chicago last year and thought that 80*F temps in March were the norm and Winter was a 4 week long thing... You live in America now... You need to get an effing clue..... You aren't dismissing any stereotypes by acting like this...

Oh! Crazy! I think I just saw the EXACT SAME WOMAN on Hardcore Pawn!!!!

 

[SteveP]

Re: Nice Planet, Part 2: A-holes on parade

'Scuse me ma'am, but it's called "Midwest powder". And we're used to skiing it, thanks. I hear we even grudgingly admit them knuckledragger kids these days.

I couldn't agree more. Midwest powder, Ontario cement -- whatever it's called it made us better skiers.

Original Crazy Canuck downhiller Steve Podborski and a whole bunch of us in Toronto learned to ski at the Don Valley Ski Club, a hill that was not much bigger than the one RaceBoarder is teaching on.

God forbid that your angry guests would have to use a T-bar!

 

[Old Pio]

Re: Nice Planet, Part 2: A-holes on parade

Pretty good Saturday night in Chicago. "Only" one dead and two wounded. No "assault" weapons employed.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...-of-chicago-shooting-20130216,0,3587616.story

 

[SteveP]

Re: Nice Planet, Part 2: A-holes on parade

Useless idiots
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog...orner_in_rally_at_la_police_headquarters.html

Protesters told the Los Angeles Times they didn't support Dorner's deadly methods, but objected to police corruption and brutality, and believed Dorner's claims of racism and unfair treatment by the department. Many said they were angered by the conduct of the manhunt that led to Dorner's death and injuries to innocent bystanders who were mistaken for him.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Nice Planet, Part 2: A-holes on parade

Yeah, a medal that you can earn while sipping coffee in some AC room somewhere a thousand plus miles away, versus being out there in the mud and the blood and the sweat and the smoke and the sounds all while bullets are flying around you and death its out there somewhere ready to dance with you? I think the one where it is your arse on the line not some fancy weapons system.

Many medals are awarded for what you sneeringly refer to as "participation." And that's precisely the point. The awardee participated, without regard to whether that participation involved combat or not. Bravery or not. Contact with the enemy or not. Dangerous job or not. I'd imagine the majority of medals are awarded for "participation" of one sort or another. Of course, some forms of "participation" involve considerable risk. Like the Combat Infrantryman's Badge, for instance. During basic training I was eligible for and "earned" a National Defense Medal. Everyone who served, everyone, during the required time, earned it. Most people are able to earn a Good Conduct Medal (it requires not getting Article 15ed). Unit citations, presidential unit citations and numerous other medals are often awarded based on being in the right place at the right time.

SOrry, but the first post above nailed it. A medal of this prestige should be awarded on the battlefield. Not from some air-conditioned room sipping on a cup of coffee. This is sad.

 

[Old Pio]

Re: Nice Planet, Part 2: A-holes on parade

SOrry, but the first post above nailed it. A medal of this prestige should be awarded on the battlefield. Not from some air-conditioned room sipping on a cup of coffee. This is sad.

I'll tell you what's sorry. Your scornful attitude (you and the rest of the Colonel Blimps) about people working like dogs to help protect this country. You don't know the first thing abut it. For one thing, this medal is also for cyber-warfare. You know, the kind of thing that paralyzed Iran's nuclear program a while ago. What's that worth? For another, there are already several non combat medals that outrank the Bronze Star. But you go right ahead with your ignorant slams against the brilliant people who are defending us from China's cyber-warfare. Giving a few of them medals strikes me as the least we can do.

In case you missed the memo, warfare has changed. We can no longer rely solely on John Wayne. We need some other kinds of guys, too. Your disrespect for them and their contributions is what's sad. It's one thing to argue the medal shouldn't be regarded as highly. Quite another to make your argument by insulting the eligible recipients, who had nothing to do with the medal's creation or awarding. And what is this childish nonsense about air conditioning? Perhaps we should remove the A/C from our field hospitals. After all, when they're not patching up wounded GI's, the doctors and nurses sit around in air conditioned comfort, drinking coffee. Would that make you happy? You should be ashamed of yourself. But I'm guessing you're not.

 

[Old Pio]

Re: Nice Planet, Part 2: A-holes on parade

Useless idiots
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog...orner_in_rally_at_la_police_headquarters.html

Sorta like the "political wing" of the IRA. In another context what would we make if some "Aryan" a*shole in a brown uniform claimed to be from the "political wing" of the Nazi party? "I haf noting to do mit der violence."

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Nice Planet, Part 2: A-holes on parade

I'll tell you what's sorry. Your scornful attitude about people working like dogs to help protect this country. You don't know the first thing abut it. For one thing, this medal is also for cyber-warfare. You know, the kind of thing that paralyzed Iran's nuclear program a while ago. What's that worth? For another, there are already several non combat medals that outrank the Bronze Star. But you go right ahead with your ignorant slams against the brilliant people who are defending us from China's cyber-warfare. Giving a few of them medals strikes me as the least we can do.

In case you missed the memo, warfare has changed. We can no longer rely solely on John Wayne. We need some other kinds of guys, too. Your disrespect for them and their contributions is what's sad. It's one thing to argue the medal shouldn't be regarded as highly. Quite another to insult the eligible recipients, who had nothing to do with the medal's creation or awarding. You should be ashamed of yourself. But I'm guessing you're not.

Scornful? Hardly. You're completely misreading my posts. Terribly.

I just want to see someone try to explain to someone who earned a bronze star in combat their award isn't as prestigious as someone who's sitting in an air-conditioned room thousands of miles away. That's all.

I have nothing to be ashamed of.

 

[Old Pio]

Re: Nice Planet, Part 2: A-holes on parade

Scornful? Hardly. You're completely misreading my posts. Terribly.

I just want to see someone try to explain to someone who earned a bronze star in combat their award isn't as prestigious as someone who's sitting in an air-conditioned room thousands of miles away. That's all.

I have nothing to be ashamed of.

Yes you do. And you know it. You have been scornful. How else to explain your obsession with A/C and coffee? You've expressed nothing but contempt for the folks eligible for this award. Based, no doubt, on your extensive combat experience. And if you don't want your childish posts "completely misread," then try expressing yourself more clearly.