It must have been a couple of weeks ago that I got back into watching NCIS: Los Angeles. They've been rerunning the last few episodes of Season 2. In the season finale, "Familia," we learn that NCIS director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) backs up all his critical files on his Microsoft SkyDrive. He asks Nell Jones (Renée Felice Smith) to disable the keystroke recognition software on her computer before he types in his password—
Whoa, whoa, wait a minute! Director Vance, head of an American intelligence agency, keeps his critical files on the Web just like that? Are you kidding me? Does this make any sense to you? It's one thing to hide things in plain sight, but this just seems idiotic to me. I don't keep critical files on the Web, and I don't even have a security clearance.
I don't know if this is true or not, but I'm told that at some places that deal with issues of national security, they remove the hard drives from the computers and store them in a vault at night. This on top of the fact that the janitors have to have security clearance: so, if one of them were to steal a computer, they would still not get any sensitive info out of it. Also, CIA and NSA employees can't even take cellphones, flash drives, etc., into the CIA or NSA Headquarters. I imagine similar measures are in effect at other intelligence agencies.
This takes the cake as the most ridiculous, stupid and awkward product placement I have ever seen in a TV show.
Showing posts with label NCIS: Los Angeles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NCIS: Los Angeles. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Vicissitudes of rank in Los Angeles
The show: NCIS: Los Angeles
The episode: "Keepin' It Real," first aired last night.
What happened: The crooked Marine Gunnery Sergeant Jerrold Mulhearn (Mark Rolston) attempts to switch $20 million in newly minted U. S. currency destined for shipment to Afghanistan with counterfeit money printed on paper he obtained from Agent Callen (Chris O'Donnell). The Gunny is assigned to a supply depot at Camp Pendleton. Agent Vail (Adam Jamal Craig) puts on a Marine uniform and goes to Pendleton to get Mulhearn's signature on a form, addressing him as "Sergeant." Mulhearn signs the form and gets back to barking orders at his men.
What doesn't quite add up: So Gunny Mulhearn is putting on a Drill Instructor act and he doesn't chew Agent Vail out for calling him just a Sergeant (E-5) when he's a Gunnery Sergeant (E-7)? In fact, that slip-up should've alerted Mulhearn to the fact that someone was on to him. Though I admit I didn't notice what rank insignia Agent Vail was wearing on his Marine uniform. Maybe a Marine won't complain about being called the wrong rank by a higher ranking Marine, but in the case of a Gunnery Sergeant, at the enlisted rank structure that leaves just E-8 and E-9, and someone Vail's age shouldn't attain those ranks. So if Vail was posing as a Marine officer, Mulhearn neglected to call him "sir." Hey, Bellisario: just because JAG is over doesn't mean you don't need military consultants anymore.
And another thing: I don't know how Marine SNCOICs of supply depots run their operation nowadays, but when I served as a supply clerk, I never knew of a supply chief pretending to be a Drill Instructor.
The episode: "Keepin' It Real," first aired last night.
What happened: The crooked Marine Gunnery Sergeant Jerrold Mulhearn (Mark Rolston) attempts to switch $20 million in newly minted U. S. currency destined for shipment to Afghanistan with counterfeit money printed on paper he obtained from Agent Callen (Chris O'Donnell). The Gunny is assigned to a supply depot at Camp Pendleton. Agent Vail (Adam Jamal Craig) puts on a Marine uniform and goes to Pendleton to get Mulhearn's signature on a form, addressing him as "Sergeant." Mulhearn signs the form and gets back to barking orders at his men.
What doesn't quite add up: So Gunny Mulhearn is putting on a Drill Instructor act and he doesn't chew Agent Vail out for calling him just a Sergeant (E-5) when he's a Gunnery Sergeant (E-7)? In fact, that slip-up should've alerted Mulhearn to the fact that someone was on to him. Though I admit I didn't notice what rank insignia Agent Vail was wearing on his Marine uniform. Maybe a Marine won't complain about being called the wrong rank by a higher ranking Marine, but in the case of a Gunnery Sergeant, at the enlisted rank structure that leaves just E-8 and E-9, and someone Vail's age shouldn't attain those ranks. So if Vail was posing as a Marine officer, Mulhearn neglected to call him "sir." Hey, Bellisario: just because JAG is over doesn't mean you don't need military consultants anymore.
And another thing: I don't know how Marine SNCOICs of supply depots run their operation nowadays, but when I served as a supply clerk, I never knew of a supply chief pretending to be a Drill Instructor.
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