My Dog And The Parade Of No Lights

How many big military parades does the US have?

They’re generally limited to occasions when we have actually won a war and are presided over by victorious commanders—Norman Schwarzkopf after the Gulf War, John J. Pershing after World War I, etc.Even in the case where a military display was part of a President’s inaugural parade, as with Kennedy and Eisenhower, both Presidents had served honorably. Eisenhower had been Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in World War II, and Kennedy had served as a PT boat commander in the same war and had distinguished himself for personal heroism.Actually, the US has a rich tradition of military parades. But normally they're after military victories and stuff.In this case, Donald Trump did fight a war against the Republican establishment and win, and in fact he’s still holding them hostage, but I’m not sure that’s quite the same thing. Also, he’s never actually served in our military. Finally, the weapon he used to win his war did not include tanks and missiles, only his mouth. As Stephen Colbert said last night, they could just use a Garfield balloon from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and blow it up about halfway.The New Yorker

Who would win in a fight: a pride of lions or a pack of wolves?

Hello, biologist here.It ACTUALLY depends what kind of fight you are talking about:A physical fight to the death? Yeah, lion, no doubt. Stronger, bigger, faster, smarter, with the ability to climb trees? Unless the pride was a pride of dead lions… or they were outnumbered 50 to 1…Or, the fight I get into all the time… DEBATES!First of all, the ferociousity is not ALL about raw power. Remember: there is a wolfaboo around every corner, waiting to murder anything that offends wolves- that they often claim to be. Their vile grammar will murder you almost instantly. Sometimes I am called a wolfaboo, true, but my obsession is healthy. I know that wolves are cannibals. I know that they attack the old wolves in their packs and newborn pups. I know that sometimes they kill humans and eat livestock, and I don't deny it.All kidding aside:Second thing, is evolution line. Wolves are Canidae. Lions are Felidae. It is scientifically proven that cats are better than dogs. Here's why: Canidae are split into two groups: hunters that catch with stealth, and hunters that attack with power. Stealthy hunters sneak up on their prey. They are built to move across the forest floor before bunching up their muscles and gracefully leaping atop a squirrel. Power hunters chase large animals, gaining speed and snapping at hooves and flanks.ALL of the stealthy hunters are extinct now. This is because of the cat. They are also stealthy hunters, and so competition for the canines. Because of retractable claws, cats were quieter and more efficient stealth hunters, so more hunts were successful. Dogs soon died out due to the lack of food. Felidae made Canidae extinct. Not just one or two species, but a whole sub-class.I still love my wolves though. Lions may be bigger and stronger, but wolves don't perform in the circus. They also are, like me, an enemy of sheep.I hope you have salvaged some invaluable information from this gibberish I used to procrastinate with. Or at least a smile… or a laugh? I really hope dog people don't kick me out of their cult…

Should the United States have a National Military Parade?

I can’t think of a reason to do it.These huge impressive displays of military power have a purpose.First off the US military is second to none and that is really beyond dispute. We can project military power anywhere in the world we want. It is unlikely anyone can beat us in battle unless we choose the place and time very poorly and even then we have far more firepower and spend far more than almost the entire world combined. Our navy can sweep the seas and render us nearly invulnerable plus disrupt any supply lines or ability to deliver troops against the US.And you know what? There isn’t a nation on earth that doesn’t know it.So what are such parades for?One answer is simple: you find parades like this where the military is the real power in the country; when the government’s ability to rule is based primarily on the support of the military; where the military could install the next President. This is where the government is acknowledging the role of the military and displaying the fact that the military supports the leadership. It’s job security. It is to deter anyone from upsetting the apple cart.In the US where the military reports to the civilian government we don’t need this kind of demonstration.Another answer is to convince the people that the government is competent to defend the country.Another is to demonstrate to other nations the power available as a deterrence to aggression; or as a threat and warning to other nations.Now only one of those would be a reason for the US to do that. Incompetence in government is at an all time high. Is it a good reason to have such a parade? I think not.Also consider that for the military it’s a huge pain in the ass and will cost multi millions of dollars. The average joe who will march will not thank you, he’ll spend many hours preparing his uniform and in drill for the parade all out of his “spare” time when he’s not doing his real job.This parade serves no useful purpose and IMHO is a sign of weakness and incompetence.