Displaced Texan

We just launched USS South Dakota, newest of the Virginia class attack boats: http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/26/politics/navy-uss-south-dakota-submarine-china-russia/index.html

Mu shu pork. I don’t use the pancakes or the plum sauce it comes with. I try to stay away from the fried bits, egg rolls, spring rolls, and the crab rangoons. I have a serious love for good dumplings though.

Quanity has a quality of its own. HE beat me to the punch.

Thank you, sir! It was a privilege.

Thank you for paying me to play with cool toys!! USS Miami (SSN-755) was the sister ship to my first boat, USS Topeka (SSN-754). Miami recently was heavily damaged in a fire while in depot modernization in Portsmouth Naval shipyard, fire was set by a shipyard worker who wanted to go home to his girlfriend....

At the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market....

While I was serving on submarines, I was reading a lot of Tom Clancy. I was shocked about his knowledge of submarine warfare and tactics. That stuff is pretty classified...I can't imagine how he found out what he wrote about...

I don't think we have lost our edge on ASW from surface/air. We are pretty damn good at it. We have added a lot of new tools to the toolbox, even using UUV's (underwater unmanned vehicles) deployed from surface ships, and submarines, to find enemy submarines. Pretty cool tech. Traditional diesel boats are formidable opponents in shallow water, but they have to snorkel sometime...what scares me in the shallows is the AIP boats. Have a read: http://www.hisutton.com/World survey of AIP submarines.html Our Virginia class SSN's are designed to hunt and kill diesel boats in littoral waters, as well as being a formidable deep water attack boat. Very impressive tools.

LONG overdue. Sounds like the Trump administration is keeping the promise of getting tough on illegal immigration. Now, build that damn wall already!

I assure you, we don't.

It's not really a surprise to me, or anyone in the submarine community, that Russian boats are becoming quieter. So are ours. I dont think we are losing ground to the Russians, or anyone else for that matter. New tech means quieter boats. I remember when I was on my last boat, (USS Salt Lake City) the Seawolf had just been launched. Seawolf was said to be as quiet at a flank bell (full throttle, for you non-submariners) as we were tied to the pier. The Seawolf class was, at the time, ground breaking tech. THE most capable, and the quietest nuclear powered submarine in the world. Seawolf was expensive, so we only built 3. The follow on class is the Virginia class boats, even better, every bit as capable, even quieter, but less expensive. I have been aboard one...absolutely incredible machine. Designed for littoral warfare, specifically for detecting and killing high end diesel boats in shallow waters...where diesel boats are the most deadly. This new Russian boat is apparently non-nuclear powered. Russian diesel boats were always pretty good, but very range limited. This boat sounds like it MAY even have Air Independent Propulsion (AIP), so that she may recharge her batteries without snorkeling. Most likely improved battery tech, so she can run longer and faster between battery charges. Sounds like she is cruise missle capabile, so I imagine she has some form of vertical launch system. Sounds like it may be an interesting new boat our Russian friends have there! Quiet as she may be, no worries, there are various ways to detect and track submarines. We have become quite astute at that, using acoustic, magnetic, and 'other' means. One more thing...as far as the submarine force is concerned, the Cold War never ended. We still keep close tabs on the Russian boats...just like the 'good old days'.

She's dug in..

I once won a silent auction for a ride in a restored Texan trainer aircraft. I gifted the ride to my dad, but I was there for his jaunt. I will never forget the sound of that radial engine booming through my chest. Can't imagine what it was like to be in the back seat of that beast, and hear the engine roar as they buzzed around. Dad said it was incredible! Almost as much fun as when I took him to sea on my last submarine, and he was allowed to be on the helm when we submerged. LOVE those WWII warbirds!!

What does the ingredient list say?

The only WWII aircraft that gets my blood pumping more than the P-38 is the P-51D. LOVE the sound of the Merlin engine. I'll be in my bunk....lol

I had to sound out them fancy words I couldn't pronounce, but the package DOES say Taylor Pork Roll. I even asked my smart Yankee wife...she says I am right...

Lol Peel, I'm not turning against anyone. I'm a simple country boy, and I just read what the package says...

The package DOES say 'Taylor Pork Roll' right on it...

Roasted broccoli and cauliflower are amazing..

I know a guy who does just that. He traps them, feeds them corn for a month or so, then butchers them. Still retains the wild pork flavor.

Lucky bastard! Hogs of that size are great to eat. We will eat them up to about 100#, any bigger than that, we leave them lay. Venison and moose meat is lovely, and makes into great jerky. You'll love it, Peel!

LOVE me some frogs legs. I remember gigging big ole bullfrogs when I was a kid. My grandfather and I used to go out every year and get us a whole mess of them! Good eats!

One shot, one kill. All I have ever needed for deer or hogs.

I am pretty damn sure this is farm raised deer (of some species). I don't believe it is legal to SELL the meat from wild game animals.

Yeah, I get it. I was going to pimp myself out for a LaRue upper, but I lost money....I guess I'm an ugly guy. Lol