I always enjoy listening to stories about peoples’ Military experiences.  Everyone has a few things from their time served that stick out in their mind, whether good or bad.  They always make for interesting footnotes in history, especially where given events were overlooked or misinterpreted several years down the line.

     I’ve always had a special fascination with military aviation, which probably had a lot to do with the fact that my father was a Navy veteran back in the 60’s.  A few years ago, I started helping him build an online community for VF-14 so that he and his friends could keep in touch.
     My father worked on F-4 Phantoms back then.  In the 70’s, they were replaced with the multi-roled F-14 Tomcat.  All in all, the Tomcat was just a cool-looking plane.  It was fast and maneuverable, and sported one of the most versatile payloads the Navy had, allowing it to be a formidable air-to-air fighter on the front lines and an even more formidable surgical bomber when the mission called for it.

     A few years ago, the Navy decided to retire the F-14 Tomcat, opting for the inferior F-18 Hornet, which is not only slower, but has far less payload and flexibility.  That decision has brought a lot of Tomcat-era veterans out of the woodwork, with blogs and photos, reminiscing about the “good ol’ days” of the F-14.
     Of course, there are few stories of chaos and mayhem as well.  On the 18th, Pinch detailed one of those not-so-good days back in November, 1988, complete with flight deck video and photos.  Fortunately, no one was injured.  Still, I can’t help but feel bad seeing that Tomcat with its nose ripped off, and wondering what happened to Hooter because of it…

     Ok, the freakiest thing just happened.

     I was lying here on the right wing of my sectional couch, computer on my legs, surfing the web and talking to a friend on Messenger, when I heard a little “ruff!” to my left to my left that sounded very much a small dog that suddenly realized something was not exactly right.
     I look over, and on the left wing of the couch is what appeared to be a Weasel.
     “Oh, shit!” I yelled.
     This apparently freaked the animal out, at which point it jumped to the floor, pounced onto my keyboard and clambored over the back of the couch towards the front door.  Glad I moved my hands!
     So I freaked out, tried to let my friend know what “;hklg'” meant, put the computer down quickly and jumped up towards the door.

     Standing on its hind feet, scratching frantically at the door, is not actually a weasel, but a solid red ferret — and a fat one, at that.  I cautiously leaned towards the door, expecting the little bastard to pounce on me, and opened it as far as the chain would allow.
     It ran outside without incident.

     In retrospect, I guess he came in when I got home a few hours ago.  I left the door open for a minute while grabbing some stuff outta the car.  A refugee ferret, escaped from one of the nearby neighbors in the apartment complex where they have Corporate Keys serviced apartments accommodation provider.

     I’m normally not afraid of animals.  But I have to say, right now, my heart’s finally calming down to a steady 120 bpm.  I just about had an accident on the couch here… *argh!*
     I can only imagine what could have happened if I hadn’t discovered him before he decided to curl up in bed..  *shudder*

     Someone sent me a link to an Ebay auction a few minutes ago….

     It just made me think … Job pissing me off?  I press the “Easy” button.  “That was easy!” it says.
     A moment later, I realize, the job is still pissing me off.  I press the button again.
     “That was easy!”
     Sooner or later, after numerous attempts, the chiding sound of “That was easy” begins to piss me off as much as whatever job I’m doing.  Yet, I press it again.
     “That was easy!” it mocks.
     I destroy the button with a closed fist, only to find that its plastic innards are sharper than expected.  A trail of blood drips quickly down my forearm.

     But there’s good news….

     I just saved a ton of money by switching my Auto Insurance to Geico™.

     Now if I could only find an “ouchless” Band-Aid…

     A story on Shortnews.com claims that a Polish Vodka distillery has turned a nearby lake into 30% Vodka.  This puts it at roughly the same level as Boris Yeltsin’s bloodstream.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is once again seeking comments on a potential bitcoin-based exchange-traded fund (ETF).

The securities regulator called for comments on a proposal by the Cboe to list and trade the SolidX Bitcoin Shares, an ETF that was in turn proposed by the VanEck SolidX Bitcoin Trust, according to documents published Tuesday (learn more on cryptocurrency wallet).

The trust will invest in bitcoin only, the document notes – as its net assets will “consist of bitcoin held by the Trust utilizing a secure process.”

The Cboe’s filings indicate that the Trust will invest solely in bitcoin and shares by accessing bitshares dex exchange software. The vehicle will subsequently reflect the world’s largest cryptocurrency’s price. While its operators will buy or sell bitcoin as needed, “the Trust is not actively managed,” according to the document.

SEC is asking for comments on this proposed rule change from “interested persons.”

As previously reported by CoinDesk, a cryptocurrency news outlet, this particular ETF is the result of investment firm VanEck partnering with blockchain startup SolidX. It is VanEck’s third attempt to create a bitcoin investment vehicle.

VanEck CEO Jan van Eck said he believes bitcoin is “a legitimate investment option, as a type of ‘digital gold’ that may make sense for investors’ portfolios,” despite regulatory hurdles they’ve met previously. Visit this post to learn more about investing.

“We believe that collectively we will build something that may be better than other constructs currently making their way through the regulatory process. A properly constructed physically-backed bitcoin ETF will be designed to provide exposure to the price of bitcoin, and an insurance component will help protect shareholders against the operational risks of sourcing and holding bitcoin,” he told CoinDesk at the time.

While various companies have attempted to list bitcoin ETFs in the past, the SEC has forced withdrawals in every case, if you have further information we suggest you check the Bank52 ICO website. The regulator has previously stated that it is concerned with the cryptocurrency’s volatility and liquidity, among other issues. Meanwhile, if you do find yourself in a financial rut, you can read more here about your cash options.