Badass Defined. Question of the Week. Music Appreciation. Pure Talent.
“The Devil Trembled.” TV News. What Does Music Offer Us? The Sound of Silence.
Quote of the Week: “On the 8th day God created the RANGER and the Devil trembled.” – U.S. Army Rangers, 75th Ranger Regiment.
Tremble they should. “Speed, Surprise, and Violence of Action” is a core tactical principle and guiding philosophy for Ranger operations. The 75th Regiment of the Army Rangers are an elite light infantry and rapid-deployment force specializing in direct-action raids, airfield seizures, and large-scale special operations. Part of the U.S. Military’s Special Operations Command, they are joined by the Green Berets, Night Stalkers (160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment) and Psychological Operations. Tier 1 Special Mission Units fall under Joint Special Operations Command including Delta Force, Seal Team Six (also referred to as DEVGRU), 24th Tactics Squadron, and Intelligence Support Activity (the Army’s highly classified intelligence unit).
These U.S. Special Operations Forces and the word badass are aligned in many ways. The word badass has become part of America’s vernacular – due to war, heroism, and the heightened production of movies starring what Hollywood promotes as a badass lead actor. The word badass is tossed around too often, but in my mind, there are a few that should be mentioned.
D.J. Shipley is a former U.S. Navy SEAL and SEAL team 6 operator. He answered questions from the media, who had written their questions on cards. This question, and Shipley’s answer, initially generated nervous giggles from the media. Then he explained exactly how he could take out everyone in the room in seven seconds. The giggling stopped. A badass to say the least.
U.S. Special Forces are not only populated by men and women. No explanation is needed as this video makes it very clear that U.S. Military K-9s are 100% badass.
Her movies and acting follow a wide range from Lost In Translation, Black Widow, and Avengers I and II. Her films as a leading actress have grossed over $15.4 billion worldwide, making her the third-highest-grossing actor in history. Scarlett Ingrid Johansson stands only 5’3″ tall, but on the big screen she has a massive presence. I do not like calling any woman a badass…in this case, I will.
We have always aligned the man to his voice and blue eyes. What I did not know about Frank Sinatra was his stand on racism. This is a short video with Quincy Jones explaining how Frank Sinatra handled Las Vegas hotel operators. He did the same on Miami Beach. Frank Sinatra was a legend…and a badass.
As noted earlier in the post, the U.S. military is the definition of badass. General James Mattis was the epitome of a military leader and in this video he speaks about how important it is to build trust. He also is known for his very pointed quotes including this one: “We don’t use our Marines to run supply lines across oceans. We don’t use our Marines to do things of a sneaky, undeniable nature. We use Marines when we want the world to know that we are coming in, and coming in hard and strong….and they need to go find a hole to die in.”
“Don’t surrender that reputation” was never said better than General James Mattis.
Some (or most) called him a dirty footballer. Maybe he was over the top to some degree, but for one I always felt like Roy Keane was a baller who loved to get into a tackle, dictate the pace of the game with a massive desire to win. My kind of badass.
Two thousand years of conflict – a sad and unfortunate reality of the Middle East. The recent conflicts and issues in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran beg for someone who is level-headed, determined to establish some level of peace, and have enough resilience to sit with other world leaders. I will not evaluate Golda Meir’s politics, but I would hope that a leader similar to her will be in a position to try to bring peace. One example of Golda Meir’s persona is best represented by the 2005 movie Munich, a story of the militant group Black September and the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Munich, Germany. Eleven Israeli athletes and their coach were murdered, and Golda Meir’s response and action to find the murderers is well-documented.
Golda Meir, known as the Iron Lady, was the definition of a badass.
Chuck Norris was a badass on screen and in real life. Some refer to Jean-Claude Van Damme, Charles Bronson, Clint Eastwood, Bruce Lee, Liam Neeson, and Tom Hardy, but Chuck Norris was both a real fighter and actor. Who could forget the epic television series, Walker, Texas Ranger 🙂 .
Question of the Week: As part of my design/build business, we work with television networks, their affiliates, sports networks, corporate entities, and colleges/universities on their broadcast sets and lighting. Regarding networks and their local affiliates, we have designed, fabricated, and installed hundreds of news-oriented sets across the country and the world.
The television news business and the way viewers consume the news has changed dramatically over the years. This prompted the Question of the Week regarding the number of hours you watch local and network news…on your TV. Thank you for your answers that confirm today’s viewing, or non-viewing habits:
- None of either – only streaming.
- I watch local news for the weather :). And The Today show for everything else.
- Five hours each on a weekly basis.
- No news since 2016 on TV at home.
- Zero, and zero. I don’t watch local news because 95% of it has nothing that will help me. Of that 95%, 70% is the weather, which I can get on my phone. For national news, I read the New York Times.
- Zero local and less and less national maybe 2 hours a week. However lots of news via internet.
- I have stopped watching news on television to help avoid unnecessary stress. If I watch local stations it is for the weather and traffic report. So…my answer maybe 3 hours per week if that.
- If I spend 15 minutes a week watching local news that might be an overstatement. As far as national news, probably no more than two hours a week. Just a few years ago I probably watched 20 hours of national news per week. What a waste of my time that was!!
- Honestly don’t watch any TV news but do check out FOX news online on my phone occasionally.
Here is this week’s Question of the Week: Are you still using a cable television service or have you ‘cut the cord’? Whether you have ‘cut the cord’ or not, what streaming services do you subscribe to? Have you installed a digital antenna to watch local channels? Thanks for your answers.
A long-time friend has a strong background in theology and served as a college and church minister. Last week’s post regarding music prompted his response and reply, and I wanted all of you to enjoy this short read:
Knowing your appreciation for jazz, I’m a little surprised it didn’t find its way into your reflections somewhere. But there’s something else you said that really “struck a chord” with me:
“Different music influences us in various ways. Listening to music makes me reflect, calms me, and most importantly puts a smile on my face.”
Truer words about the influence of music in our lives have rarely been spoken.
I know you prefer to steer clear of religion in your blog, and I appreciate your graciousness in allowing me, from time to time, to draw upon something that has been such a significant part of my life.
Long, long ago, “we” were given a musical catalog extraordinary in both its scope and emotional reach. The Book of Psalms is, after all, “merely” a collection of songs. Yet within those songs lies virtually every emotion known to the human heart—sometimes all within a single Psalm.
Want to experience the anguish of isolation and the crushing weight of loneliness? Read Psalm 137.
Want to understand the pain of prejudice, oppression, and the loss of one’s homeland? Read Psalm 137.
Want to feel anger so consuming that it borders on a desire for violence? Read Psalm 137.
Want to discover the extraordinary depth of faith, resilience, and the determination to hold on to hope? Read Psalm 137.
One song. So many emotions. So much of the human experience.
Music has been speaking to us, and speaking for us, since…well, forever. Whether we have perfect pitch or a tin ear, its lyrics, rhythms, melodies, and harmonies reach into places that ordinary words sometimes cannot. It comforts us, unsettles us, challenges us, and reminds us that whatever we’re feeling, someone, somewhere, has felt it too.
Music is, quite simply, a gift. Thank you for reminding us of that.
Pure Talent. I am assuming no one tuned in to watch Conan O’Brien’s show that night expecting a heavy metal band to perform the classic The Sound of Silence. Nobody in that audience were aware they were about to witness such greatness. David Draiman’s performance was definitely Pure Talent.