Artificial Limbs Have Come a Long Way

by Chris Vegvary

Remember back in the days of yore, when people would replace their lost limbs with wooden pegs or hooks? I suppose hooks are still around, and then there’s wooden and rubber limbs, and all other kinds of materials, but at any rate, we really are living in the future these days. For instance, now we’ve got artificial limbs that are robotic, have the same exact proportions of a person’s normal-sized hand, and is controlled by the user’s brain. Does that not freak you out? It’s spectacular for someone who’s lost a limb, though, like a disabled veteran, or someone who’s been in a bad accident.

Technology has come a long way, and it just keeps coming. How long will it be before the first artificial limb becomes a weapon of some kind, whether it be projectile or melee? That kind of technology can’t be that far away, what with the ability to control robotics with the mind and all. I can’t imagine the prototype for that sort of thing would work out too well for the test subject, but once it was perfected (assuming no one died from the testing phases), that could really be something. A rocket launcher attached to your arm, or a chainsaw, or even a massive harpoon could make for some interesting times, do you deny that? You needn’t bother.

But if your brain can control the robotic limb, is there also some way to make the robotic limb feel the sensation of touch? And, if there is somehow a way to make a person regain their sense of touch through robotics and such, will that also bring back any sense of pain caused by damage to the artificial limb? These are the questions I need answered before I go accidentally losing a limb and paying a dangerous amount of money in order to have all my parts again, whether they be real or real enough. If technology still isn’t there yet, I suppose I can live with that, because it’s really just a matter of time until we have everything we need to make it all happen. In reality, though, if I absolutely had to have a robotic arm, I’d have to insist on it not having the ability to make me feel pain.

What can this mean for the FUTURE of the future of artificial limbs? Could we be just a head with an entirely artificial body? I don’t see how it’s possible, but the future scientists of the world out there might have some ideas. If I go bald one day, could I possibly get some artificial hairs in the form of tiny robotic strands that grow like natural hair? How would that look? That’s right, it WOULD be awesome. In summation, technology is getting better all the time, and they can apparently rebuild you better, stronger, faster, and…stuff. And by the way, if you happen to like stuff, boy have I got some stuff for you. Come check out all these spectacular military clothes, hunting and camping gear, Zippos, wallets, and more we have over at www.armynavyshop.com and get yourself some good whatnot.

MREs Are Getting Better All the Time

by Chris Vegvary

How much do people like food? The answer is a lot, because food is what drives us, and when you think about it, food tastes pretty good. When a soldier takes food into the field, however, they can’t take something really good, like maybe a turducken or a nice, fat ribbi steak. That makes me kind of sad, how about you? But fear not, because it might be ok soon. Apparently, scientists are working on better types of MREs for everyone to enjoy.

What would be your first choice of a really good MRE? If it’s pizza, then you might be in luck, because those scientists seem to have found a way to make a pizza that can stay sitting on a shelf or something for three years and you can still eat it. Not only that, but it tastes decent, too. How has it come to this? Because it was demanded, that’s why. People want to have good food while they’re out protecting us and whatnot, and to them, I say…ok, why not? In fact, sure, let’s do it.

That makes me wonder if there are ways to get even more types of crazy food choices into an MRE that lasts for three years. Check it: do they already have chocolate cake MREs? If not, let’s get some of those going on. Oreos and milk somehow. Or how about some way to get corned beef, or a hamburger, or how about some bacon? With all the advances in technology, and the fact that we’re pretty much in the future, and the fact that everything is infused with bacon now, is there not some way our top and most brilliant scientists can get on top of finding a way for bacon to have a shelf life of somewhere around three to five years? Something like that? Yes, bacon is that important.

Ok, so that might be asking a little too much right now, but the point is that the smart, sciency people are out there trying to find ways to bring our military folks some different and better types of food in the form of an MRE. I can honestly say that if I were to go camping, I would probably want one of those pizza MREs they’re working on. I find food to be very taste-ifying. So with all this in mind, I submit to all of you that you should go out there, get some serious education going on, get your degree in food sciences, get a respectable job creating new and crazy foods, and make the best MREs the world has ever seen. You’ll have my respect, and probably a few of my dollars as well. Only time’s going to tell on this one.

Cheating on Nuclear Reactor Tests?

by Chris Vegvary

You like to feel safe in your comfortable little home or apartment, or wherever it is you live, don’t you? You enjoy the safe feeling you get knowing that there’s people out there that are strictly looking out for your interests, because they know what they’re doing, don’t they? I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to believe that they DON’T all know what they’re doing, especially when I hear things like, for instance, over thirty sailors in the US Navy have been caught cheating on nuclear reactor tests.

First of all, why the hell would you cheat on something like that? I don’t have all the information on what it takes to be in charge of a nuclear reactor, or even what it takes to work on one, but I’m pretty sure that those things can be dangerous in the hands of people who don’t know what they’re doing. You’re not just putting your life in danger with that kind of crap, you’re putting a lot of people at risk, pretending you know how operate a submarine’s nuclear reactor. What’s the appeal in cheating, anyway? Do you get paid more? If so, then money truly is the root of all evil.

But don’t think this is all just on the Navy, because as it turns out, at least ninety-two nuclear missile launch officers in the US Air Force were also caught cheating on monthly tests. What the hell? Why…? I can’t wrap my head around the reason that some of the people who are supposed to look out for us and protect us, or in some cases, the ones that make decisions for us (I’m talking to you, politicians), decide to endanger us all for pretty much no reason. How do we, as a country of people, stop this kind of thing from happening? The problem is, when someone gets in trouble like this, there’s a lot of waiting for any kind of punishment, or there’s no punishment at all. In fact, it seems like in most cases, throwing enough money at a problem like that will just make it go away.

When do we hold people accountable for this type of thing? How can we make it so that instead of a long, drawn-out process that will probably end with nothing bad happening to the guilty party or parties, they are immediately held accountable for the horrible lies they tell in order to make more money or have more power? Just once, I’d like to see someone who has screwed over the American people and put us in danger go to jail for a sentence equal to all the sentences for the lesser crimes that people commit and get sentenced to life for.

Of course, I’m not saying there's anything bad about the military in general; quite the opposite, in fact. For instance, there’s something like 16,000 sailors in the Navy and most of them work hard and are to be respected, and they are not representative of the tiny percentage that makes up the people that cheated. Yes, it was only a few people in the grand scheme of things, but one person is all it takes to do some serious damage. What if this is part of some kind of terrorism plot, did anyone think about that? I’d say this warrants a full investigation by the Navy AND the Air Force.

While I’m probably not likely to be satisfied in that respect anytime soon, YOU, the reader, may be satisfied in showing your support in one or more branches of the military. Have a family member out there protecting us? Show some support by checking out all the military-based clothing, survival and camping gear, and all kinds of other military items at www.armynavyshop.com.

Homelessness and Military Veterans

by Chris Vegvary

One thing I can’t understand is why there are so many military veterans out there without homes. Not just without homes, but living out there on the streets, struggling for survival, sleeping in parks or trash or wherever they can find that’s warm enough to keep them alive for the night. I just don’t get it. I’m all for equality among people and everything, but these people have served in the military and then kind of just discarded by anyone in a position to really do anything to stop it from happening. Honey Boo-Boo gets a reality TV show and becomes a celebrity for being whatever it is they’re supposed to be, but meanwhile, there’s a Vietnam veteran that got his legs blown off wheeling himself around on the sidewalk asking for change because he doesn’t have anything. Is anyone else disgusted by this?

I’ve never been homeless, but I know people who have been, and I’ve been told it’s not fun. I don’t need to go through something like that to know it’s not a good experience, and I think that probably goes for almost everyone else out there in the world. So why do we ignore the people who have helped keep the country (and by extension, us) safe when they’re asking for help? Yeah, you can throw them a little bit of change as you walk by on your way to wherever it is you’re in a hurry to, but that change is only going to go so far.

Luckily, cities like Phoenix and Salt Lake City are joining in on a plan to end homelessness among veterans. I lived in Phoenix, and while Arizona seems to have its share of problems (corrupt police officers and officials, high crime rate, etc.), this is a step in the right direction. I’ve never been to Salt Lake City and know nothing about the place, but I’m glad they’re stepping up and doing something about this issue that’s been going on probably since the beginning of war, I’m sure.

This blog isn’t intended to be a guilt trip, but an eye-opener. However, if you do feel a twinge of guilt as you look over all these words, then maybe you have a reason for it. Why not give a little extra change (or a couple dollar-dollar bills, y’all) to the next veteran you see on the side of the road holding a sign asking for help? They helped you, whether you realize it or not, and I’d say it’s about time to start repaying the favor in some way. Let’s get everyone out there a home. I know it can be done, but the naysayers will tell us it can’t. Anything can be done, but it’s a matter of whether people are willing to get up off their lazy asses and actually do something instead of sitting there and telling everyone why it won’t work.

Military Clothing for Cold Weather

by Chris Vegvary

If you’re like me, you don’t really care where your clothing comes from, as long as it’s clean (and in most cases, new), fits well, and keeps you warm when you need to be. Unfortunately for those of us with thin blood, winter is here and that means cold weather. While this is all going on out there in the world, I figured it might help if you took a look at some military clothing to help you out during these cold times.

First things first: you want a decent jacket that’s going to help you keep warm when you’re out in the snow. I submit to you that this snorkel parka can help do the job, what with its water-repellent nylon shell a fur trim hood. Not too shabby, I’d say, and it’s something I’d rather have than my current jacket. Warm enough, but too large for me. With this, the snow melting on you would just turn to water and roll off the jacket, which is more than enough reason for me to want one.

Next up, I would say you probably want a good pair of gloves. I don’t know about you, but when my hands get cold, I find it hard to function, especially if I have to drive or anything. With that in mind, and the possibility of having to thrust your hand into some snow in order to open a vehicle door, for example, I would go with the Seal Skinz Chillblocker Gloves, which not only provide protection from the cold with many layers, but they are also waterproof. Not too shabby if you happen to drop your keys into a snow mound or something of the like.

But in order to keep most of your body heat in, a jacket and gloves might not be enough. Sure, there’s snow boots and snow pants, but even that might prove to be less than you want. When it gets cold, you want to wear as many layers as you can. I suppose that actually depends on the situation you’re in, but you might consider wearing something thermal. In that case, I would recommend these selections of military thermal underwear to really help keep in the warmth.

While that stuff in itself might not be enough to keep you warm, in particular, well…at least it’s a start. It’s military clothing, but the items I’ve listed seem warm enough and water-resistant enough, and if I had the money to spend, you can bet that’s how I’d be dressing this winter. While I’ll have to make do with what I have, if you can spend the extra money, it would probably be worth it this winter, what with the temperature being -20 degrees in some places. Just saying.

Christmas Wants Your Attention

by Chris Vegvary

It looks like Christmas is just around the corner again. What’s up with that? It’s almost as if it happens every year. Regardless, you can’t very well just set up your tree and then have nothing to put under it, can you? Of course not. With that in mind, here comes a whole bunch of suggestions for those of you who are military, or have military family or friends, or even if you just think some of it looks cool.

If you follow this link, you’ll find a good number of items for you to browse through, but allow me to tell you what’s in store for you there. You know anyone who collects Zippos? There’s a category for all kinds of military-style Zippos, and there are some really great designs on a lot of them. You may prefer one (or more) of the engraved ones, which I would also prefer. No offense to other Zippos, but I find those to be nicer looking. Or perhaps you know someone in need of a good military watch? They have plenty of those.

If you’re looking for the kids, or maybe someone you know who collects military-style games and playsets, then you may be interested in something like these army games and toys. With items like toy guns, playing cards, and boomerangs, what is there not to love? While a boomerang might not be your first choice for a younger child, the military playsets look pretty fun. Don’t be afraid to love them all, because the prices are pretty low on all of it.

But if you’re in the market for something a little more adult, then there’s plenty of that to go around. For instance, there is a category for novelty flasks, featuring military symbols or logos like ARMY, or the Marine Corps. logo, and even Spanish wine botas. Who still drinks out of those? Apparently, anyone can, because they’re sold here. As you can see by the picture off to the side, there’s even more interesting designs, such as a flask resembling a miniature gas can.

You’re going to have a good Christmas, or maybe you’re only going to have a decent one, but with the items offered in the links throughout the article, you’ll get a lot without having to pay a lot. It doesn’t have to be a Christmas that breaks your wallet, because you need something you like, or that you hope others will like, within your budget. There are so many other great items for military-minded people that can be found throughout the site, including clothing and survival gear, so take a look around and you’re sure to find something that suits you.

Obama Cuts Military Pay Raises To 1% - 50 cents a day for some!!!

Obama cuts military pay raises to 1%

Holy cow! I'm writing this as the world waits to see if Obama will get Congess to approve blowing the crap out of Syria. What many don't know is that during all of this, he reduced military raises to only 1%. Hey buddy, these are the guys defending out Nation. A private in the US Army starts out at around $350 a week. Lucky him, next year he'll get a big 3 1/2 dollar a week raise. Hmmmm, let's see, so Mr President, You're asking our American youth to join the military, defend our country, risk winding up dead or missing limbs, and how you show your appriciation is we'll be raising their already meager salaries in 2014 by 50 cents a day! What a bargain!

God Bless Our Troops

Sorry folks, but I don't understand how we sit back and watch this nonsense. Nothing against unions, teachers, etc. God bless any organization that can bargain in good faith to get a good salary for workers. The National average pay for teachers back in 2011 was $56,069 a year, so I'm sure it's a bit higher now. God knows teachers deserve a good salary, and many deserve more than what they are making.... but c'mon man, are we saying that a soldier, making a mere $18,200 a year , around one third of what a teacher makes, should only get a 50 cent a day raise? 

This Obama guy originally said he was going after the rich - that they should pay more in taxes. Now he cuts military raises  to 1%.  These patriotic guys, who are defending our country deserve more than a half a buck a day Mr. President! If we wind up in another war, how long do you think it will be before you'll have to bring back the draft? Patriotic or not, many of our youth will just weigh it out and say that for just a little less, they'd rather work at McDonalds and risk being burned on a griddle. At least at McDonalds, if they do a good job they'll get a raise, and when they do it will surely be more than a half a buck a day!

God Bless America and the men and women that defend it!

Army Navy Shop

Showing My Gratitude

Almost every American family has at least someone in it that is currently serving or has served in the military. Not only did my father work very hard to provide for our family but he also served in the Army and was an excellent role model to my brothers, sisters and me. Even though he wasn’t looking for compliments, I always found that a little of encouragement meant a lot to him. And showing my gratitude with a simple gesture really went a long way. He was and still does take pride in his strength but I know there were a few times that I saw tears in his eyes while he opened up and read a card from me.

I know first-hand how hard it is to be far away from our loved ones but it’s important to remember what they’re fighting for. A great way to show our appreciation is with a little hello and a thank you gift. There are so many different kinds of items available for either any occasion or for a special occasion.

I know one thing that my father always loved and put to use was Army Clothing and boots. Not just when he was away but anytime. I still always pick him out gifts from Army Navy Stores when it’s his birthday, Christmas or anything like that. He’s got coffee mugs, key chains, and wallets to last him the rest of his life. And he’s got enough Camouflage gear to be passed down for generations. Are any of your loved ones serving in our Military? What special ways have you found to show your love and appreciation for them?

Little Green Men

Did you play with army men when you were a child? By army men I'm referring to those little green, plastic soldiers that came in packages of about 100 or $1.00. They were a bunch of tiny dudes with helmets and guns. They were awesome. Simple, yet profound playthings.

If you did play with army men as a kid you might be wondering whether or not they still exist. I know I am. They used to be in every drug store. Back when drug stores had respectable game aisles with fun toys for under $3.00.

Well, take heart, they do still exist. But even little green, plastic army men have suffered from inflation. The once el-cheapo toy that any parent could use to quickly thwart a temper tantrum for one dollar now costs considerably more. But compared to food, clothes and energy prices plastic army men prices have risen at a relatively slow pace. You can get 40 of them for under $3.00.

When I used to play with my friends we liked to melt them. We'd use a magnifying glass or some kid's eyeglasses. We thought we were scientists when we did that. My how times have changed. Any kid nowadays knows better than to squander a covetted plaything. Even the cheap ones are a highly valued commodity.

Many things have changed since the days when a bunch of boys would gather under the heat of the July sun and turn their plastic soldiers into waxy puddles of olive green gook. The one thing that never changes is respect for the military and all that they sacrifice to defend us.

In that respect, an inexpensive bag of little plastic army men are a priceless part of childhood.