the blog quebecois

As you know, I've long had my heart set on becoming an officer in Canada's Navy. Or what's left of it. Well, screw that.

I'm off to join the Singapore Navy. It has like, way cooler stuff.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Airline flight attendants wouldn't be ignored during their pre-flight safety briefings if they could perform like Lt. Col. John King - or at least use his stage props.

Speaking to 280 fellow soldiers before they boarded a chartered DC-10 at the start of their marathon flight from Savannah to Kuwait City earlier this week, King was thunderous, blunt and well armed with an M-16 rifle slung over his shoulder.

"Interfering with a flight crew is a serious crime," he told them. "Don't be stupid. Don't be a moron. Don't even joke about going to Havana. That's not where we're headed today."

King, who in civilian life is the Doraville police chief, rolled his eyes at the FAA regulation that requires soldiers - all of whom were armed with an arsenal of assault rifles, shotguns and pistols - to surrender pocket knives, nose hair scissors and cigarette lighters.

"If you have any of those things," he said, almost apologetically, "put them in this box now."

Via GeekPress

Iran Defence.Net (no affiliation with the Iranian Govt.) has dozens of photographs up of military women around the world. Not all of them are as stunning as the Swedish soldier pictured here, but there are some remarkably pretty examples.

One thing I know for sure -- I'd hate to be the 2nd lieutenant in charge of the platoon that she was in. Never mind getting my men to focus their attention on our mission; I'd be more worried about keeping them from killing each other for the privilege of carrying her rucksack and rifle.

We'd be much more comfortable with this German tentfrau, who appears to be having a very bad hair day.

US troops improving the Iraqi landscape, one IED at a time. Warning: Language; wanton destruction of Iranian property.

Addicting Flash Games

A simulation put out by the Australian Defence Force. I can only conclude that I would make a bloody awful F-18 pilot. Those stupid gates in the sky really inhibit my creativity.

I had to shrink it down about fifty or sixty pixels to make it fit my format. If you'd prefer playing the original, or some of the other games they have, go here. You don't have to register -- you can log in (on the upper right side) as "guest."

Canada needs to get with the times. The Canadian Armed Forces' website has only this, a .PDF file that you can print out and assemble into a warship.

The happy ending. Note the Russian officer midway down, a dead ringer for Leonid Brezhnev.

SFGate:

5. The mine sweeper. Even as a kid, this army man reminded me of the old guys who used a metal detector to find spare change on the beach at Coyote Point. I realize that bomb detection units are more important than ever in the military -- war is a drug -- but I never had any use for this soldier. All my other army men were locked in mortal combat, and this a**hole is looking for his car keys. I only have one mine sweeper left. I think most of them ended up getting a toaster oven court martial.

Big Peace:

Furthermore, the draft is the perfect way to make the general public bear the consequences of its decisions. (After all, as liberals / libertarians constantly remind us anytime we render any minor question about the wisdom of their decisions; the civilian population is in charge of the Armed Forces.) Gallup reported that 67% of the American people supported repealing morality from the Armed Forces (and for the sake of this column we’ll assume that is accurate). Therefore, let’s reinstitute the draft and grab a little slice of America from every demographic possible and then let them deal with their decision to sodomize the Armed Forces. (And women should be included in the draft, of course. After all, if society wants women to be “equal,” then they need to be equal in all aspects.)

Just think of the diversity! Think of the restaurants! Think of the firefights!

Actually I suspect that Democrats would be as successful at those as they are at running the country, but let's keep looking for the positive:

Think of the funerals!