Useless Conversation

[calapine]

Also, the Slovenian FN 2000 is a very futuristic looking weapon. If it looks somewhat familar even to non-gunfreaks it's probably because the Westworld security uses the FN P90 submachine gun as prop.

The P90 is not a submachine gun despite what Wikipedia might say as it does not fire pistol rounds. (Yes I've played way too many military shooters).

Well, technically it falls into that new category of Personal Defense Weapon. But I think that's a bit nitpicky. MP7 is literally called Maschinenpisotole 7 and doesn't fire 9 mm either.

---

The Russians sent 3 teams, one of them all-female.  

When did Russia occupy Austrian? Those are Austrian Steyr AUGs they are carrying. Maybe they got them from their annexed portion of Ukraine.

[/quote]

Maybe they hadn't unpacked yet and we lent them some StG 77 for the picture?



================
Edit:

1) Wow, they lucked out with the weather. Jealous.

2) Really funny how military style went from no-beard to "tactical-commando-beard necesary".

[Samwise]

Also, the Slovenian FN 2000 is a very futuristic looking weapon. If it looks somewhat familar even to non-gunfreaks it's probably because the Westworld security uses the FN P90 submachine gun as prop.

The P90 is not a submachine gun despite what Wikipedia might say as it does not fire pistol rounds. (Yes I've played way too many military shooters).

Well, technically it falls into that new category of Personal Defense Weapon. But I think that's a bit nitpicky. MP7 is literally called Maschinenpisotole 7 and doesn't fire 9 mm either.

Counter-Strike had it in the SMG category.  That's good enough for me!

[Trippy]

When did Russia occupy Austrian? Those are Austrian Steyr AUGs they are carrying. Maybe they got them from their annexed portion of Ukraine.

Maybe they hadn't unpacked yet and we lent them some StG 77 for the picture?

That's a reasonable hypothesis.

Also, the Slovenian FN 2000 is a very futuristic looking weapon. If it looks somewhat familar even to non-gunfreaks it's probably because the Westworld security uses the FN P90 submachine gun as prop.

The P90 is not a submachine gun despite what Wikipedia might say as it does not fire pistol rounds. (Yes I've played way too many military shooters).

Well, technically it falls into that new category of Personal Defense Weapon. But I think that's a bit nitpicky. MP7 is literally called Maschinenpisotole 7 and doesn't fire 9 mm either.

Counter-Strike had it in the SMG category.  That's good enough for me!

The P90 was seriously OP in beta 4 and 5.

[Ironwood]

That's why SG teams used them.   

[Chimpy]

Next question, why are the ‘Muricans not wearing matching ski boots?

Because ski boots need to be comfortable and every person’s feet are different? No single boot is going to be good for everyone no matter how much a boot fitter stretches it. And a pair of poor fitting ski boots can be both excruciatingly painful and dangerous as the foot is the key to control on skis. Also, they are the only group wearing ski boots in the photos, I am sure the other countries are probably the same way.

I saw the JDF guys doing some training here in Japan this week and they all had matching gear, but their equipment looked to be some sort of modified field soldier boot with a strange binding rather than normal touring gear like I know the US guys use.

[Trippy]

A couple of the Slovenian members have ski boots on.

[Polysorbate80]

I get that the boots need to be more individualized than the typical military "one-size-fits-nobody" but you can't tell me they can't at least pick a uniform color.

Next question, why are the ‘Muricans not wearing matching ski boots?

Because ski boots need to be comfortable and every person’s feet are different? No single boot is going to be good for everyone no matter how much a boot fitter stretches it. And a pair of poor fitting ski boots can be both excruciatingly painful and dangerous as the foot is the key to control on skis. Also, they are the only group wearing ski boots in the photos, I am sure the other countries are probably the same way.

I saw the JDF guys doing some training here in Japan this week and they all had matching gear, but their equipment looked to be some sort of modified field soldier boot with a strange binding rather than normal touring gear like I know the US guys use.

[Chimpy]

I get that the boots need to be more individualized than the typical military "one-size-fits-nobody" but you can't tell me they can't at least pick a uniform color.

Next question, why are the ‘Muricans not wearing matching ski boots?

Because ski boots need to be comfortable and every person’s feet are different? No single boot is going to be good for everyone no matter how much a boot fitter stretches it. And a pair of poor fitting ski boots can be both excruciatingly painful and dangerous as the foot is the key to control on skis. Also, they are the only group wearing ski boots in the photos, I am sure the other countries are probably the same way.

I saw the JDF guys doing some training here in Japan this week and they all had matching gear, but their equipment looked to be some sort of modified field soldier boot with a strange binding rather than normal touring gear like I know the US guys use.

Usually “uniform color” means the same boot or at the very least the same manufacturer (which usually means they fit the same). Trust me, I spent way too much time researching ski boots this year before buying my new ones.

[Polysorbate80]

A little googling seems to indicate the military wants skis that fit existing cold-weather boots, not ski boots.  Which would mean something like what you say the JDF was wearing.

So still not sure why the US clownshoes brigade is wearing those things.  But then, I think throwing yourself downhill strapped to a couple of sticks is a foolhardy activity when one could be sipping whisky by the fire  

Edit:  remember, this IS the military.  They're not always concerned with the average soldier's comfort level.

[Chimpy]

I have seen the army rangers doing training at several resorts over the years and they are always all wearing their own gear.

[Polysorbate80]

The articles I browsed emphasized the Army and Marines looking for standardized ski equipment that would allow for any soldier to use their skis with standard-issue cold-weather boots without the need to accommodate different bindings (or to buy, issue and carry extra boots).  Which makes sense I guess.

The rangers may be operating under their own special circumstances.

Alternative possibility: the US Army is just being dumb again  

Edit: not sure why I’m arguing, since I don’t even ski.  You’d think the new Prozac prescription would make me less argumentative.  Maybe I haven’t been on it long enough to really kick in...

[Abagadro]

Are ALL of those Russians redheads?

/asking the important questions

[MahrinSkel]

Are ALL of those Russians redheads?

/asking the important questions

Yes, but I doubt the carpet (or more usefully these days, the eyebrows) matches the drapes. Russians and red hair is like Italians and blond.

--Dave

[justdave]

I have seen the army rangers doing training at several resorts over the years and they are always all wearing their own gear.

The likeliest answer. Those poor sons likely bought their own ski boots, just like shades (as much as we take the mick out of them for wearing sunglasses, they all have different non-issue ones) and if you're going to drop your own dosh on them then you're going to fucking wear them. Especially out in the snow. For publicity pictures.

It's not like we even *have* a dedicated cross-country ski-using mountain warfare team, do we? We're not Norway. I mean, we have mountains, but...It's not like anyone's invading Colorado, all Patrick Swayze red dawn aside, so there's no standard gear issue at all, much less GOOD gear, so it's okay if people look like tards in a pic so long as they're hoo-rah tards. Let's be honest; they're just going to be trying to follow the Russian team the whole time, making lewd inferences.

Also not to get all beardy but the PDW is more of a class of weapon than a type, so you can have submachine PDWs (like the role-adapted MP5K) and rifle PDWs (like just kill yourself these were all stupid and not fit for purpose), the P90 was just the earliest device that was purpose-built for the original NATO '90 PDW RFP and the MP7 is very much an outgrowth of that, wherein the Germanic peoples rose up and said 'FUCK YOU, BELGIUM."

[pxib]

When a D&D lycanthrope is infected rather than natural-born and they transform under a full moon, they revert to the default alignment of their type before their ensuing rampage. The default alignment of werebears in most versions is either Lawful or Neutral Good.

[Strazos]

Saw some Army guys training years ago in VT - they had the combat boot-style skis, rather than their own normal kit.

And yes, we have, in theory, mountain/skiing-trained Army units. We might conceivably need to have them fight in a cold climate foreign area.

[MahrinSkel]

Saw some Army guys training years ago in VT - they had the combat boot-style skis, rather than their own normal kit.

And yes, we have, in theory, mountain/skiing-trained Army units. We might conceivably need to have them fight in a cold climate foreign area.

The 10th Mountain Division used to train for those conditions, but since 2001 have deployed exclusively to places where snow is not a common factor, and the specialized equipment for skiing isn't even contracted for anymore.

--Dave

[calapine]

The 10th Mountain Division used to train for those conditions, but since 2001 have deployed exclusively to places where snow is not a common factor, and the specialized equipment for skiing isn't even contracted for anymore.

--Dave

The 10th "We don't do" Mountains Division, more like.  

Still remember that incident from Afghanistan, mostly because the above quote made me chuckle.

"troops ferried by helicopter to a high ridge had to sit down for half-an-hour before they could move in the thin air."


On his shoulder he wore a patch which said "Mountain", the emblem of the 10th Mountain Division, one of the first American units sent to this extremely mountainous country. So to make conversation, I inquired about his mountain-warfare training. "No sir, we don't do that", Bud declared in a masticatory pause. "We don't do mountains".

http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/6th-april-2002/14/we-dont-do-mountains

Not mentioned in the article but from memory, I remember the issue was lack of acclimation and carrying way too much gear.  

To be fair, that was 17 years ago, a lot can have changed since then. (Aside: Holy crap, time moves fast!)

Regarding the US members in the Edelweiss raid, they were National Guard from Vermont and it was the first time a US team participated so I think it's excusable that they didn't have matching colour shoes.

[Yegolev]

We have our wars planned out far enough, and we don't need to spend on winter training or gear just yet.

[Cyrrex]

Two random slightly angry observations for the day.

1) Up to, during, and now after the Oscars bullshit, there was this inundation and hype with this song by Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga...and possibly also the movie it came from, their chemistry, blah blah blah.  I just heard the song for the first time the other day.  What the fuck, humankind?  It is fucking objective garbage.  What the hell are you all going on about.  I won't argue that Gaga hasn't done some pretty solid Pop stuff in her time (like it or not), but fuck me sideways.

2) Saw a video clip of some Dem congressman (Lieu?) being interviewed, he had a splotch on his forhead.  Saw another CNN clip later, and Chris Cuomo looks like he spilled ink on his forhead.  More clips, and more people with smudgy bullshit on their forheads, and then it occurs to me....Ash Wednesday?  Quick Google search, and yes, not only was it Ash Wednesday, but apparently ashing up your forhead is a thing.  Except it was never a thing I have ever seen before, until suddenly everyone is rubbing something on their forhead.  What the fuck, humans?  Fucking stop it.

I am going to start a new business in time for next year.  I'll call it Bradley and Gaga's Fake Ash Forhead Marker, and I will make eleven billion dollars.

[Sir T]

I always hated the Ash Wednesday ass. Even as a kid it made me feel sick. Haven't done it in years.

[Cyrrex]

I just want to know why it is a thing all of a sudden.  I understand it is essentially a Christian ritual, but I have literally never seen it before.  It's like the #MeToo movement of strange religious rituals.

[Sir T]

On TV? No idea. It mudt have been some kind of directive as they would have washed the Ash off before when they are putting makeup on as prep. So someone decided that everyone must appear to have "taken the ash."

[Cyrrex]

No, it was not any one network nor limited to one group or another.  Media, analysts, politicians, a good mix and from several different outlets.

[Teleku]

I grew up in standard protestant redneck small town America in the 90's, and every single person who was a local catholic would smear ash on their foreheads for ash Wednesday.  And the Anglicans I think.....  Even the kids in high school who would face heavy ridicule for it did so.

You may just have lived a sheltered childhood.

[Signe]

A priest smears it on your forehead with his thumb.  I still remember when I was 12 and the priest who smeared me had disgusting looking nails that were extremely dirty.  I almost threw up.  They use the ash from burning last year's palms and mix it with oil and it can be a bitch to wash off.  Of course, you're not supposed to wash it off, it's supposed to wear off so that you have to wander about your business with faint smears of dirt on your face.  :(  Embarrassing.  I lived this until I turned 13 and stopped allowing priests to touch me altogether. 

[HaemishM]

I literally had no idea what the fuck Ash Wednesday was, growing up in the South as Protestant. There weren't a lot of Catholics around (funny that I married a Catholic). I had worked at what's my current job for less than a year when I saw one of our account execs wearing it in the office. He was about my age so I told him there was some dirt or ink on his head or something and he told me what it was.

[Paelos]

I just want to know why it is a thing all of a sudden.  I understand it is essentially a Christian ritual, but I have literally never seen it before.  It's like the #MeToo movement of strange religious rituals.

It's Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of the Lenten season. The priests mark your forehead in the sign of the cross with ashes and usually mutter something about being from dust and returning to dust. This is supposed to remind you of your mortality and your need to repent. It was created by the Catholics in the 300s for reasons nobody really knows I'm sure.

Lent is supposedly 40 days long, and it's supposed to mirror the time that Jesus went into the desert to fast for 40 days in the Bible. However, because it's a Christian tradition that has absolutely no Biblical base or mandate, everyone does it differently. Most of the time, people choose to give up something they enjoy during Lent as a way of "fasting" be it TV, the internet, phones, alcohol, certain foods, etc. Some people also give to charities during that time, donate their time, or have a religious observance during the period.

I personally do not subscribe to it, because it has no basis in anything Jesus Christ actually taught. He didn't say after 40 days in the desert, HEY ALL DISCIPLES TOTALLY DO THIS. He didn't invite them along. He didn't tell them this was the way to salvation. Like many things Catholic it seems completely tacked on after the fact and then accepted later as necessary because it's old.

[Samwise]

If there was some sort of Catholic memo that went out to try to get in front of cameras on Ash Wednesday 2019 I missed it.  My guess is you've just never happened to pay attention to the TV on that particular day of the year before.  Forehead ashes have been a thing for like a thousand years.

[schild]

how is there not a penis one on there

[Signe]

Chris Cuomo was definitely brandishing the One Stroke yesterday.

[Yegolev]

Just to provide solidarity, I saw ash on foreheads for the first time this week. Didn't think I lived under a rock (recently). I was even a catechumen for a short while. I actually thought the dude had a lesion, then I saw a woman with it and thought it was a new human traffiicking thing, like the red cross on the back of the hand but more obvious. I don't have any excuse for this.

[Father mike]

In other news, fuck Daylight Savings Time.

[Chimpy]

In other news, fuck Daylight Savings Time.

For the first time in history I actually have been happy with it this year as it helped me sleep past 2am for the first time since I got back from Japan 

[calapine]

In other news, fuck Daylight Savings Time.

Pussies like you are the reason we might lose Daylight Saving Time in Europe! 

It's longer bright during the day. What's not to like?