A good chewing out has two ingrediants – doing something wrong, and getting caught. A really good chewing out includes one more element – the mistaken belief that you’re actually going to get away with it. It is exponentially more painful to briefly taste the sweet exhiliaration of a successful caper, only to have it all come crashing down around you. The higher the mountain, the longer the fall. Like many of those in uniform, my really good chewing out was borne out of a liberty incident. Our long school had ended, and we were supposed to check in -…
I have to start my video collection with the best self-made videos I’ve seen yet. They’re so good that reportedly their circulations are exceeding Navy recruiting videos. Why? They show that Navy life can be (shudder) FUN! There are two videos, both done by the VAW 116 Sun Kings, shot while they were at sea – both posted on YouTube. Wouldn’t it be great if every ship, boat or squadron would do one of these during deployment? Kind of a video version of the cruise book. Check them out and let me know what you think of them. Sun King…
What’s in a name? A Navy veteran named Al Nino can tell you. Squall Line (This is True/AP) For those who work topside, take heed. This could happen to you… Police rescue 91-year-old man glued to roof (Yahoo News/Reuters) Swiss troops march into tiny Liechtenstein by mistake (USA Today) You may have heard about this story already, but I see it as a sign that the Research and Development Department is alive and well. Check out the Remote Control Beer-throwing Refrigerator! (Fayetteville Observer/AP) If Osama is hiding in someone’s garage, he’s in a lot of trouble. The Navy has been…
What’s the caption? Remember – the author of the winning caption gets the original art, stuff from Military Times, and FAME! Entries need to be posted by midnight next Tuesday (East Coast Time). Have some fun! Check out the Caption Contest Rules (on the right side of the page).
(Dept of Defense photo) Hero. The word has been overused and overhyped, misused and attached to everything from athletes to celebrities to tofu (no kidding). But what is a hero, really? Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, but they all share a singular characteristic – they have acted, in the face of potentially grave consequences, for the good of others. Heroes rarely seek the recognition that comes with their own selfless acts. They shuffle their feet, shrug their shoulders, and say, “The real heroes are still over there,” or, “I was just doing my job.” But we recognize them…
Each week we’ll publish a Broadside of the Week and Greenside of the Week for your viewing pleasure. If you miss a week, feel free to check out the archives for the old cartoons (this is our first week, so the archives will be a little sparse). If one of these sparks a memory, go ahead and share it with the rest of us! Because if I’ve learned anything in two decades’ worth of cartooning, it is that art does a poor job of imitating life – and that real life is usually a heck of a lot funnier than…
Today’s topic for Broadside Moments…Seasickness Lesson learned: It’s important to know where you stand. 1976, aboard USS JOSEPH STRAUSS (DDG 16) in the South China Sea. I was living in deck berthing, a couple of decks below the main deck. It was my first time at sea, and I wasn’t feeling well. Anyone who has been on a DDG knows that the smell of oil seemed to be everywhere, and the temperature never seemed to be “just right” – add to that the cigarette smoke that permeated the space and some semi-rough seas, and you have all the ingredients for…
Welcome to the Broadside Blog! You might want to buckle up, because this blog will be a little different than others you have seen. For one thing, I’m a cartoonist and I tend to look at the shiny side of the coin. So if you’re looking for political, economic or policy discussions, you’re probably looking in the wrong place. What you’ll see here is the fun part of wearing the uniform. What you’ll see each week: Broadside Moments (sea stories) Broadside and Greenside Cartoons Hero of the Week Caption Contest. Every Thursday, I draw the cartoon and you fill in…
