Red State Update. I've missed these guys
This is a hilarious day (for me). Your mileage may vary.
For the first time in about a year, I went and bought three bags of coal the other day (Yessir, yessir, three bags full).
I haven't done so prior to this because it's a 35 mile drive - one way - and the stuff is getting expensive. Eight years ago it was going for $20 per 50# bag - now, $28.50 (It comes from Kentucky so it makes some sense).
It also comes with a learning curve that, being propane-lazy, I needed to go through again.
First time out, I labored mightily to work down a hunk of very nice steel only to burn it in half after two hours of work.
But, I love the stuff. I've missed it. You get really dirty and it smells wonderful.
Now, the smell...
Across the street from me lives one of those "hippies" that one loves to hate. He's old by the way - pushing sixty.
But, he's also a serious pussy.
M. Schubert - oh wait - maybe I should put it as Michael S. That's better - anonymity for this guy who I have no desire to "out" in any way.
About five years ago he called the county zoning office claiming violations on our property.
One of said transgressions was the operation of a "forgery" on the premises.
I know. Could ya die?
The day the guy showed up I was just starting a coal fire. It was just a little after the absolute stinky/smoky phase but still putting out plenty of my favorite cologne.
Short version: the guy that the zoning folks sent said: "This is it?"
End of story.
During the period that we were doing a paper route (never forget your childhood roots) he took issue with the state of the muffler on my car. At one point he yelled from his porch asking when I was going to take care of it.
To that end he duct-taped a nasty-gram to our front door (A class act all the way) which was intended to express the feelings of all our neighbors -Not!
That fizzled when he hollered at Mary while she was getting the mail and she chewed him out over a distance of fifty yards or so in full view of God and everybody.
Back to today.
I've been burning this stinky, smoky stuff on the place for eight years now and I long ago quit worrying about sirens I might hear. They were all going somewhere else.
Today, they kept getting closer and closer... then I hear the sound of a big truck out front. Like... fire truck size.
They were in the process of turning around (We live on a dead end) by the time I walked out to the front.
"Good neighbor" was conveniently futzing around in the trunk of his car at the time.
The driver took off his ear-muffs and asked me how I'm doing.
I'm fine I said then added that I'd just lit my coal forge and that it smokes a bit during the first ten or fifteen minutes - and that I've done the same for eight years now with no fire alarms being sounded.
He didn't even get out of the truck - just nodded said 'thanks' and drove off.
About fifteen minutes later my daughter got home from school and said that there was a red van marked "Fire Department" in the street out front.
I thought that I may get to talk to a Fire Marshal- not a big worry. I'm not hazardous in any burnin'-down-the-neighborhood sense.
No one ever came over to where the "hazard" was - at all.
Betsy told me that "the guy" was talking to Michael S. - I mean M. Schubert.
I'm guessing that they weren't swapping recipes.
I'm ready to pee my pants with glee over this.
Okay - enough about me.
You know that loud-mouthed asshole in the bar who's always going on about his time in Special Ops...
Run his name by these folks:
Posers, beware!
"There were about 500 SEALs that operated in Vietnam, and I've met all 20,000 of them."
Lot's of different pics of this sign.
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3 comments:
First ran into the whole "stolen valor" issue maybe a couple years ago, by looking for infos (read : some dirt) about Mickey Strider, and managed to find and that website to my bookmarks :
http://pownetwork.org/phonies/phonies.htm
As an aside, what I've been surprized by, over the years, is the ongoing "fetichization" of the military by (the portion of I'm the most likely to interact and/or read) the Us public, and to a corresponding degree of shallowness about "military affairs" (emotion-driven, gear-obsessed - not that there is anything wrong with it, but, still -, tacticool scene, linguo - HSLD, Doors-kickers,... -,...) that is to me very reminiscent of how one would support his favorite sport team. Vicarously, and with no real, personal involvement, apart from some grassroots, generally military families, orgs that helps wounded veterans, help send mail,... I've actually gone increasingly uncomfortable with that, but, then again, I should go outside in the Real World more, and get more fresh air.
So, this plethora of posers and phonies does not surprize me, as it seems to fits within a larger trend. I guess that in the 80's, such people would have been more likely to pose as POWs or hardbitten, hardluck vets, now, it seems like the wind is blowing more toward this "fetichism".
And, as for the actual blog entry, pretty funny, and a good read, as always (just surprized you didn't manage to wove in some obscure WWI or WWII trivia, but, fun anyway).
I think the fetishization you mention is a direct result of no longer having a draft.
As noble as the "all volunteer" military idea is in principle, in practice, it's made an entire generation exempt from any genuine participation while at the same time glorifying the "heroes" who enlist out of merely a sense of duty (admirable) or unemployment.
If nearly everyone's had military experience then nobody would be "special" because of it.
And no, during the eighties, this current crop of wannabes were in grade school but that was the beginning - Reagan's wartime budget minus war and the plethora of new weapons "systems" that are nothing but corporate welfare.
It excites all the video-gaming tough guys.
"I think the fetishization you mention is a direct result of no longer having a draft."
http://www.johntreed.com/militarydraft.html
http://www.johntreed.com/liberal.html
http://www.johntreed.com/selfless.html
From http://www.johntreed.com/military.html
One unrelated random thought is that the french IIIrd Republic was a very militaristic one, and doing his time as a draftee was a real "rite of passage" back then, all FIVE years of it, I repeat, all 5 years of it (later reduced to two, then three again just before WWI)...
But, from what I can read, there seemed to be a very ambivalent attitude about it, IE on one side, the whole 'serving his country, manliness, Strenghty & Honor",...', but, OTOH, a lot of derision in the popular culture of the time about the military life, songs, jokes,... the most famous example being the sapeur Camembert, a well-meaning dimwit who is the scourge of the insufferable and incompetent officers of his regiment. A similar treatment, from a different european would be http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good_Soldier_%C5%A0vejk (very fun books), and, in the USA, you had Beetle Bailey, didn't you?
Note that I'm not antimilitaristic, and am actually desillusioned by the french counterpart to this "rear guilt survivor", IE the total indifference and/or reflexive anti-miltary posture that is near universdal in here parts.
Anyway, along "serious" blogs, I do find some contrarian ones to be very refreshing, even if this often measn the war nerd, good olde mike sparks, or non-US blogs (you were once linked to, not by me, in the comments of a german milblog, btw).
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