Optimum Sucks

 Optimum is my TV and internet provider. They suck.

Internet went out about 7:00 pm last night.  I was watching an old movie online.

It is currently 0840 local and the internet is still out.  I'm connected on a mobile hotspot.

I called it in, and the answering machine told me that there is an outage in my area. I already knew that. No word on when it might be fixed, no indication of any sense of urgency. This is becoming a regular thing.  For no apparent reason, the internet connection goes tits-up.

Optimum sucks.

Doing PT

 SecWar Pete is taking flak from the usual suspects over insisting that every service member (including fat admirals) do hard Physical training every duty day.  Let me say this about that.

In 1973 I took basic training at Fort Knox. It was not uncommon to the the Commanding General pounding the pavement with us.  We had a horizontal ladder outside the mess hall that we had to go through, after PT, while in the breakfast line. Twice during my basic training cycle, the CG came over, talked with the trainees and had breakfast with us.

In 1990, in the runup to Desert Storm, we were training with the 5th Infantry Division at Fort Polk.  Every morning for PT, we could see the Commanding General out there sweating with the rest of us. Not uncommon at all.

Let's be fair.  Every day I was in the Army, I detested PT.  I hated running.  But, I knew the standard and met it. I was not astonished when people who would not meet the standards fell by the wayside.

Officers lead from the front.  The idea that the SecWar had to remind the flag officers of that fact is anathema to the culture of the military.  That should go unsaid. If an officer is not leading from the front, then he should trot down to the personnel office and fill out the retirement papers.

SecWar Pete should stay the course.  As my uncle, a WWII pilot told me, when you're taking flak, you are over the target.  It seems to me that Pete is directly over the target.

Shut Down

 I awaken this morning to see that the federal govt is shut down. Whatever that means.  I checked my account and see that my DFAS deposit hit the bank.  That's good, I can pay the light bill this month.

I understand that the federal parks are closed, but I didn't plan on visiting one anyway. Other than that, I'm not really sure how a federal shutdown affects much of anything.

With Pete changing the name to the War Department, I wonder if the Defense Finance and Accounting Service is going to change its name?