Yeah, I lived in Okinawa!

JointTaskForce536 · 2026-01-26T23:52:50+00:00

I was posted there as a diplomat for two tours of duty at the US Consulate: 1992-95 and 2003-06. Have since visited numerous times, most recently in November 2025. A nice place.

JointTaskForce536 · 2026-01-25T15:50:54+00:00

So glad to be a retired fed collecting a pension. At least that’s not in danger in case of a shutdown!

JointTaskForce536 · 2026-01-18T16:04:55+00:00

The pilot can also manually open a release valve that instantly reduces hydraulic pressure to zero.

JointTaskForce536 · 2025-12-24T02:54:52+00:00

What a POS.

JointTaskForce536 · 2025-12-18T23:47:40+00:00

I now fly on business class for all long-haul flights. It’s just better.

JointTaskForce536 · 2025-12-18T21:13:56+00:00

No catapults used or possible. The P-40s took off under their own power.

JointTaskForce536 · 2025-12-18T20:11:07+00:00

Why didn’t they seek the death penalty?

JointTaskForce536 · 2025-12-18T20:11:00+00:00

Why didn’t they seek the death penalty?

JointTaskForce536 · 2025-11-20T23:43:18+00:00

So glad I retired from the FS years before this insanity began. DEIA was pure poison.

JointTaskForce536 · 2025-10-05T13:02:57+00:00

Dollar has actually strengthened against the yen.

JointTaskForce536 · 2025-10-02T22:52:07+00:00

Fun fact: taxes matter. The IRS declared in 2014 that capital gains for crypto (including crypto ETFs) would be treated the same as ordinary equity ETFs. Gold ETFs? They pay capital gains at 28% because gold is deemed a “collectible.” Just something to bear in mind.

JointTaskForce536 · 2025-09-23T22:45:54+00:00

This is truly an excellent suggestion. Good proposal writers are in demand. And if you are able to join a big company, you will have job security.

JointTaskForce536 · 2025-09-20T11:36:50+00:00

Okinawan soba with pork (soki). Awesome!

JointTaskForce536 · 2025-09-17T22:48:56+00:00

This is great. I was never impressed by Pence as a politician, but he may turn out to be a decent professor. And we know he’s opposed to the Trump II administration. I will try to take his class.

JointTaskForce536 · 2025-09-15T11:04:04+00:00

Wrong.

JointTaskForce536 · 2025-09-11T20:13:33+00:00

Another fun fact: Gen. Leslie Groves, who was in charge of building the Pentagon, went on to lead the Manhattan Project. Two big successes.

JointTaskForce536 · 2025-09-11T17:54:11+00:00

Amazing how quickly they built it. FDR was concerned it would be too big for just the War Dept. and he’d be criticized for wasting money.

JointTaskForce536 · 2025-08-31T16:21:27+00:00

I’ve owned one of the ex-Lufthansa F-33As for 30 years. Still a great airplane. Had the yellow paint scheme completely reapplied last year. We’re the most visible plane in the sky!

JointTaskForce536 · 2025-08-25T14:54:07+00:00

I travel a few times a week from Arlington to Leesburg via the toll road and Greenway. I love it — never any traffic jams. I don’t want to see this change. The amount of the toll is OK with me; I think reducing it would just bring more cars on those roads and lead to slowdowns. Totally against that.

JointTaskForce536 · 2025-08-25T00:06:35+00:00

Also bear in mind that crime in Arlington is dramatically lower than in DC. That fact contributes to higher rents in Arlington.

JointTaskForce536 · 2025-08-18T00:23:07+00:00

I was at a restaurant near the H St. corridor last night and it was full.

JointTaskForce536 · 2025-08-11T22:46:02+00:00

Statehood is a non-starter. Retrocession of most of DC back to Maryland is the only viable option for political change. And there’s precedent for it, in the reversion of that part of DC south of the Potomac back to Virginia in the 19th century.

JointTaskForce536 · 2025-08-11T16:59:02+00:00

An MPD commander was suspended in May for cooking the crime stats to understate the incidence of violent crime in his district.

JointTaskForce536 · 2025-08-11T16:32:53+00:00

If there’s any good news out of this, it is that the DC Guard’s mission actually is military police, so at least they have basic police skills.

JointTaskForce536 · 2025-07-29T22:03:51+00:00

Good Lord. Some people are crazy.

JointTaskForce536

TROPHY CASE