Mayweather vs. McGregor...the super fight that's NOT capturing the imagination...

Been trying to see the excitement over the past week for the Mayweather vs. McGregor fight but there is none.  This is a super fight that is NOT capturing the imagination.

Maybe sports fans are knowledgeable enough to know that this freak show just isn't going to deliver....maybe people understand that mixed martial arts or perhaps more proper said MIXED COMBAT SPORTS should be just that...different styles enter the ring and go at it to see how a person adapts and wins against styles they're not familiar with.

Either way and for whatever reason this fight is sparking out, not flashing brightly.

At weigh in McGregor was 153.  Mayweather 149.  That alone doesn't tell us much.  At fight time McGregor will probably be up to around 165 if not a bit bigger.  Heard he walks around normally at about 175-180 (don't know if that's true).  Mayweather walks around at about 155 to a high of around 160.

McGregor is bigger and just as quick but its a different kind of quick.  Mayweather is hand quick, head fast with great lateral movement. McGregor is hand fast but a heavy puncher...he loads up for a knock you the fuck out punch.  He also has great ring movement but its more for shooting in for takedowns so while fast its more forward back, not side to side like Mayweather.

Guaranteed purse for the fight?  Mayweather is 100 million and McGregor is 30 mill.

What I can't figure out is what the aftermath will be.  Will fight fans demand a rematch with different rules?  Will fight fans demand a more MIXED COMBAT style fight instead of a boxing match?  I'm betting that's the hook for Mayweather vs. McGregor II.

Anyway this one is obvious.  It's a boxing match.  Mayweather wins.

The Russian Navy is a more capable foe than it appears...via National Interest.

via National Interest.

Imagine in a not so distant future a group of Russian Kalibr missiles closes in on a U.S. destroyer at supersonic speed, sprinting to target in their terminal phase. In this moment the captain will find little comfort in the stack of articles behind him arguing that the Russian Navy is no more. That Russia had spent so little on the corvettes that fired this salvo, and the United States so much on the ship about to receive it, will leave a great deal to reflect upon in the aftermath.

Analysis of Russian military capabilities tends to either portray the Russian military as a giant or as though it were on the verge of disappearance. These narratives trend towards the factually incorrect and profoundly unhelpful. This is why we study adversaries: to understand their strategy, doctrine, and the capabilities they’re investing in so as not to speak nonsense to power, but instead offer sound analysis and perspective.

The modern Russian Navy is not designed to compete with the U.S. Navy, but instead to counter it, and to support the strategy of a twenty-first-century Eurasian land power. 

Story here. 

The modern Russian Navy is not designed to compete with the US Navy but instead to counter it....  Mark those words and apply them to every potentially hostile nation around the globe (with the exception of China...they seek to meet us straight up and kick our ass).

Hurricane Harvey Report #3.

Not a thing is happening here but Texas .. South Texas is getting bombed!  The usual has happened and I heard of a report of a gremlin breaking into someone's house but unfortunately for them the homeowner decided to ride the storm out.

He should recover from the gunshot wound in time for his trial.  Interesting. I thought Texans could shoot straight.  Someone obviously missed (yeah if you don't put down your target for good then you've missed!).

The forecast is all over the place and I'm bored already.  Bring the rain but bring it soon and get this crap over with (well I can say that now...probably be whining later).

Anyway thanks for the well wishes and more to come....

Can't gain muscle? Can't lose fat? Have piss poor workouts? Check your sleep!

I've heard it a million times but Athlean-X finally explains it in detail.  Who knew?  You could actually optimize your own body's growth hormone just by being disciplined enough to get some sleep!

Open Comment Post. Aug 26, 2017

Blast from the past. 82nd Airborne Green Ramp Disaster.

via Wikipedia.

Shortly after 1400 hours on Wednesday, March 23, 1994, a two-seat F-16D Fighting Falcon (AF Ser. No. 88-0171, c/n 1D-25, of the 74th Fighter Squadron, 23rd Operations Group) with two pilots on board was conducting a simulated flameout (SFO) approach when it collided with a C-130E Hercules, (AF Ser. No. 68-10942, c/n 4322, of the 2nd Airlift Squadron, 317th Group). Both aircraft were members of the 23rd Wing, which was the host unit at Pope AFB at the time. The aircraft were on short final approach to runway 23 at an altitude of about 300 feet (90 m) above ground level. The nose of the F-16D severed the C-130E's right elevator. On impact, the F-16 pilot applied full afterburner to try to recover the aircraft, but it began to disintegrate, showering debris on the runway and a road that ran around it. Both F-16 crewmembers ejected, but their aircraft, still on full afterburner, continued on an arc towards Green Ramp. At the same time, the C-130 crew took their aircraft away from the airfield and checked to ensure it could safely land. While the C-130 crew knew they were most likely struck by the F-16, they had no idea how it happened or the extent of the damage. After performing their checks, the crew returned to Pope and landed on the debris-littered runway.

By the time the C-130 landed, the F-16 had hit Green Ramp heading west. The aircraft struck the ground in an empty parking place between two Air Force C-130s with crews on board preparing the aircraft for departure. When the F-16 hit the ground, its momentum carried the wreckage westward through the right wing of a C-141B Starlifter (AF Ser. No. 66-0173 of the 438th Airlift Wing, McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey) parked on the ramp. The C-141B crew was preparing the aircraft for joint Army-Air Force operations, however, no Army troops besides the jumpmaster team had yet boarded it. The wreckage of the F-16 punctured the fuel tanks in the C-141's right wing, causing a large fireball, which combined with the F-16 wreckage and continued on a path taking it between Building 900 and the pax shed, directly into the area where the mass of Army paratroopers were sitting and standing. Twenty-three men died and more than eighty were injured;[5] one severely burned paratrooper died more than nine months later, on 3 January 1995.

Paratroopers at the scene pulled troopers from the flames and the exploding 20 mm ammunition from the F-16.[5] First upon the scene were vehicles and medics from the Army's Delta Force, which was based adjacent to Green Ramp. Numerous US Army tactical ambulances with medical teams were immediately dispatched from the 55th Medical Group and 23rd Medical Group (USAF) to ferry the injured to Womack Army Medical Center. These medics were among the first upon the scene and provided assistance after notification to MSG Richard Young of the 44th Medical Brigade Operations at Fort Bragg by a cell phone call from SFC Juan Gonzales at HQ, 44th Medical Brigade who was awaiting an airborne jump at Pope AFB.[6] Others were transported to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville, and others were flown to the UNC Hospitals' Burn Center in Chapel Hill.[7]

President Clinton visited the site two days after the incident and met with the injured at Womack at Fort Bragg.[8] Several of the more severely burned victims were taken to the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research at Brooke Army Medical Center, Texas.[2] Two months after the accident, only one paratrooper remained critical, while the others were either in satisfactory condition or convalescing at home.

A subsequent U.S. Air Force investigation placed most of the blame for the accident on the military and civilian air traffic controllers working Pope air traffic that day.[9] One of the enlisted controllers was later subject to Article 15 action. A later investigation, however, stated that pilot error by the F-16 pilots also contributed to the mishap, but no disciplinary action was taken against the pilots.

Article here and more information readily available on the web. 

No commentary.  Just a reminder.  Military training is inherently dangerous. But everyone that signs on the dotted lines understands that...or should.

Hurricane Harvey Report #2.

Well that was fast.  This bad boy was a Category 2 this morning, moved up to Cat 3 and I just got a news flash that its Cat 4!

It's moving slow too.

This is gonna be interesting.  More to come.

Hurricane Harvey Report #1.

Gonna keep ya'll updated on this big hurricane coming.

I just realized it but the wildlife is gone.  I don't hear or see any birds, the occasional wandering dog...nothing.  Even the mosquitos have been almost non-existent.

It is cool as hell though.  Really enjoying temperatures in the mid 80's at the end of August.  This has been a relatively mild summer for Louisiana.

US Forces participate in raid in Somalia that kills 3 children....this will win hearts and minds....

via US News

Somali forces supported by U.S. troops shot dead 10 Somalis, including three children, in a village near the capital Mogadishu on Friday, a witness and local officials told Reuters.

The involvement of U.S. troops was confirmed by U.S. Africa Command, which said it was investigating reports of civilian casualties.

The Somali army said no civilians were killed and all the dead were members of the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militia, which is fighting to overthrow the weak U.N.-backed government and impose strict Islamic law.

Story here. 

This is just perfect.  Someone really needs to reel in SOCOM and get these Combatant Commanders under control.  It seems they have never seen a raid plan that they don't like and the CC's won't approve.

We participate in a raid where 10 people are killed and 3 of the ten are children?

Not fucking good.

You say no big deal, kids can be combatants?  I say bullshit.  If conventionals had done the same you'd see charge sheets flying and JAG would fast rope in to make sure you were in the brig by midnight.

We seriously need to rethink our drink.  We keep supporting govts that are despised by their people.  Are we sure we're on the right side of things?

Mig-41 is real!!!!!

via Defense Aerospace.

The cutting-edge interceptor aircraft, which has been under development for several years, will be able to reach space and even potentially operate without a pilot, according to the CEO of the MiG corporation working on the project.

The research and development of the PAK DP (perspective aviation complex of long-range interceptor) was launched by the MiG Corporation in 2013. PAK DP, dubbed by media with the unofficial designation MiG-41, is expected to replace the aging long-range interceptor MiG-31 and its variants.

The new fighter will be a spiritual successor of MiG-31, MiG Corporation CEO Ilya Tarasenko stated, shedding some light on the interceptor under development. 

Story here.

Jesus!  This is what I've been screaming about!  The protracted, seemingly lasting forever development of the F-35 has caused the US and our allies foolish enough to buy it, to fall behind in the development curve.

The Chinese are already flying the J-20.  The Russians are soon to get the SU-57 ironed out and you can bet both planes will be exported heavily!

Now we hear the Russians are working on the Mig-41...a plane I thought was from the weird dreams of a krokodil user on the streets of Moscow!!!  This is too much.

Even worse?  You can expect a continuing resolution this year due to Trump's shenanigans which means that you will see NO plus up in our defense budget. Dems are already feeling emboldened so that means if the defense is increased so will social programs which means we're looking at FLAT budgets not the hoped for increase.

Unless we get our act together we're gonna fall behind.  Remember when the SU-27 was first introduced and the West got a fighter shock?  Remember when the Soviet Union fell and we got a look at the missiles from East German fighters and got another shock?  Remember how we had a Super Hornet fire an AIM-9X at an outdated Syrian fighter and the missiles were spoofed by it's flares?

You think we have the most advanced kit?  If that makes you feel better then roll with it...but I wonder....

Saudi Arabia deploys troops to Aden. What does this mean?

via Yemen Extra.

Yemeni officials loyal to former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, say Saudi Arabia has for the first time deployed troops to the southwestern port city of Aden, where Riyadh and its ally, the United Arab Emirates, are vying for a foothold.

The officials, who were speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Saudi forces had been stationed at Aden’s presidential palace, port and airport.

They are the first special Saudi forces in Aden since 2015, when the Arab monarchy launched a military campaign against Yemen in an attempt to eliminate the country’s Houthi Ansarullah movement and reinstall Riyadh-friendly Hadi.

Saudi Arabia receives backing in the war from a number of its client states, including the UAE. There have, however, been some indications that Saudi Arabia and the UAE disagree on a number of issues over the war on Yemen, among them the control of Aden International Airport.

Story here. 

This one confuses me.  Have you ever seen something that you can tell is important but can't quite make it out?  I know that makes no sense but roll with it.

What does this mean?

I have no idea but this could be telling.  Everything in my body tells me that this indicates a new turn in the war in Yemen and in the relations between Saudi Arabia and Yemen but I can't put my finger on why.

I'll wait for others with better knowledge and information to chime in on this one.

Interesting weekend in my part of the woods...Hurricane Harvey! Bring it bitch!

Yeah Baby!  The National Weather Service has put out all the warnings the local govt is going batshit crazy (including the activating the Reserve Deputies in mass....search and rescue/high water rescue is standing up almost 48 hours before we're suppose to get the brunt of the storm) and the sheeple are hitting the stores like good little drones should.

Personally?  I'm saying bring it Hurricane Harvey ya bitch!

Naw, seriously this one is gonna be interesting.  According to the European storm model (which is suppose to be more accurate than the American model...I've always wondered why they never adjusted our modeling if the European one is considered better) this thing will make landfall in South Texas, go back offshore and strengthen, then make landfall along the Texas/Louisiana border.

The real problem isn't storm surge, winds, or the occasional popup tornado. The killer will be the rainfall.  We're talking about a weather system that will affect a huge swath of territory...most of Texas, all of Louisiana and parts of Mississippi.  Oh and by the models (both of them) we will see rains for the next seven days!

Predictions in my area are for up to 15 inches of rain.  I've talked to some of the old guys in my area and they can't remember a storm lingering that long. They've ridden out bigger and badder hurricanes but none that simply lingered in the area for a week.

The worry is that areas that are NOT known to be flood prone will be overwhelmed.  The big worry in my area is that the Red River could flood which would be a catastrophic event.

Regardless my soft preps are ready so no panic buying for me.  Looks like lots of blogging this weekend, lots of reading, lots of watching movies, turning on the generator, watching the rain and laughing at some Weather Channel reporter standing in high water telling me to get inside when he doesn't have the sense to do the same.

This one should be good.  More to come.