Oddly Enough Blog
News, but not the serious kind
Run for cover, boys, they’re shootin’ blanks!
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I’m just not positive what’s going on here.
This caption says a trainer is firing blanks as a soldier jumps off a platform during an obstacle course at an Iraqi military base, while U.S. soldiers take shelter from the scorching summer sun and watch the Iraqis train. Let’s watch and learn…
“Okay men, listen up! This is an important training exercise for all those times when the enemy expects us to jump off a platform while they shoot blanks at us!
“You never know when the enemy will come out of nowhere, spraying blanks all over the place, so you’d better be ready!
“Lamar, did you load my automatic weapon with 500 rounds of blanks, like I told you?”
“I sure did, Sarge! Um, the blanks are in these boxes marked ‘High-Velocity Magnum Armor-Piercing Hollow-Points,’ right, Sarge?”
“Didn’t you ask the Americans about it, Lamar?”
“They’re way over there under the tarp, Sarge, but I held the box up and they waved.”
“Okay, then I guess we’re good to go, Lamar!”
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Top: A trainer fires blanks as a soldier jumps off a platform during an obstacle course at an Iraqi military base south of Baghdad August 30, 2010. The Iraqi soldiers burst through the door of the mock-up of a suspected insurgent’s house and open fire. U.S. soldiers, meanwhile, shelter under a tarpaulin to avoid the scorching summer sun and look on.
Left: An Iraqi soldier crawls under barb wire as a trainer fires blanks to simulate a gunfight near him during a training course at an Iraqi military base south of Baghdad August 30, 2010.
REUTERS photos by Saad Shalash
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Thought they were all outta there….
Shooting blanks, blindfolded ax weilder at a testicle cook-off – do I detect a theme here?
Mr. B, I humbly ask if we are missing a photo on this page, as I can’t see one that has Americans huddling under a tarp – unless they are using camoflage, in which case they’re doing an awesome job!
That’s the caption that came with it, Nosmo, though of course I noticed the same thing. I gather you must be right about the awesome job.
Of course Shra is probably right, and the Americans have grabbed their tarp and gone home. Hence why we can’t see them anyplace.
There does seem to be a theme this week, what with ‘Manly Men’, ‘Testicle Cooking’, and now ‘Shooting Blanks’. Can we look forward to something about ‘Stones’ or ‘Eggs’ tomorrow?
@69 … good one! More layers of protection on top of the prophylactic glaze.
LOL, Spin! That made me laugh…. I need a laugh…
@Nosmo: I vote for a baller story so the ladies can see a good looking dude w/o a shirt. Footballer, basketballer, baseballer(may I suggest A-Rod?) whatever will do.
That’s so funny that you would ask for a basketball story, Mama, because I was just looking at a bunch of cheerleader photos from the FIBA Basketball World Championship game between Ivory Coast and Greece in Ankara, trying to figure out how I could use them….
Spin, as I tell my basketball players, if you don’t have at least 3 fouls at the end of a game, you’re not playing aggressively enough.
Okay Doc, it’s time for tough love. You don’t HAVE basketball players.
You’re a lawyer who also teaches literature or something. What do you do, coach The Iambics on the side?
I’m a lawyer, former English prof, who coaches basketball on the side. Want to see team pictures?
Shooting blanks? Inconceivable!
Sounds about right, Spin.
I have no pix of the cheerleaders and no shirtless pics. There are child pornography laws….
Now now children, play nice…
@Unca, that’s a Fisher Price “My First AK-47″ complete with High-Velocity Magnum Armor-Piercing Hollow-Points… umm…I mean blanks.
Mr. B. how do you need to figure out how to use cheerleader pics? Just post ‘em man!
Harold, I don’t think that means what you think it means…
Damn, this is awkward! Crow, if I hadn’t just today given Spinster the Movie Reference Award of the Month for her comment on the the mushroom item, you’d get it for this….
Nope.
If you will give out monthly awards on the 2nd Mr B, you’re going to have to expect a certain amount of awkward…
I didn’t know what Spin’s reference was either. But the last movie I went to see at the pictures was the Dark Knight Batman one.
You’re right, Crow, I should remember that not every month is a two-day month.
Spin’s reference was from “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” which likely came out before you were even born.
I think I read the book. I will hunt down the film.
CrowGirl the film hunter! Be careful navigating the aisles of your local film rental store. Or navigating the web pages if you hunt online. Pop up ads are a beast!