A Soldier's Christmas

[djmcmath]

Do we get to call you for what you are -- a troll?

BTW, for all those who have served honorably -- Randy, Scott, Flint, et al. -- thanks for your service. I'm a guy who's appreciative of the sacrifices that you've made, even while recognizing the vocal outcry of people like Stuart.

Dan

[stuartj]

Understand that not everyone is going suck up the folksy sacharine fairytale country and western nonsense for which some of you guys seem to have an insatiable appetite.

In the meantime, you may call me whatever you like, Shadowfax. Just dont call me late for dinner.

Stuart

[M.D. Holloway]

10,000:1 kill ratio - not for nothin, but you gots to like the talent!

stuartj and victor - you really think you will bend the nationalism here? The only result will be an increase in hostility. I, personally like a good doonybrook, but you may get more flys with your ***** if you sweet'n it some.

But thats just some sillyarse redneck musin about...

[BigD9146gt]

The funny thing stuart, is your inability to agree to disagree. So what if people want to beleive what we are doing is right. You honestly think your going to change their minds? Your choice of thread selection to prove your points is more of a sign you look for fights than try to have a civilized conversation.

Beleive what you want, 952 didn't stay on topic, so he's out. There are plenty of other Libs and hippies that are still on this board that get into it rather heated debates with the majority of right winged red necks on this board. Its easy to single yourself out becuase there are less of you willing to egg on a fight (its not in a hippies blood to fight), but for you extremests, you can be heard. Just keep it on topic.

And when a right winged red neck starts calling you names... GET OVER IT. They're not worth it, they'll only drag you to the result of "another Lib gets kicked off because they don't agree with the red necks" bla bla waa waa. Trust me, i know its hard and you want to defend yourself, but your not giong to change their mind, they already hate you as they are trying to drag you in. My lecture has ended. I am not good at doing all of the things i listed above, but i am aware of them and i try to be self conscience about them.

Marry Christmas. Oh, and the tree thing is German. It was adopted way back in the day when an English Prince married a German Princess and she had to have a tree with decorations for christmas.

[djmcmath]

Originally posted by BigD9146gt
It was adopted way back in the day when an English Prince married a German Princess and she had to have a tree with decorations for christmas.

I knew it was a woman! It would have to be a woman's demand to take a perfectly good tree growing right outside and have a man move it into the house where it can be "beautified," before it requires endless hours of care and feeding in the form of cleaning up those stupid needles on the floor! Who gets to take the tree to the landfill after Christmas? Who gets to vacuum up that mess when the tree is gone? Yeah, see? And who gets to sit around on her fat a$$ eating Christmas chocolates and saying things like "I'll diet in January, honey!" while you're busting your a$$ trying to get that tree mess cleaned up?

Women! Who needs 'em. I'm going for a drive!


Dan

[stuartj]

Don

Thanks for your thoughts, lucid as they are. I doubt be kicked off by the Dukes of Hazard either, all powerful moderators willing.

But off topic? This is the OFF TOPIC lounge. I take it you mean dont disagree "my country right or wrong" set?

A post is made celebrating lauding the military, swelling nationalist fervour in the breast and urging support fighting of the good fight. Subtext, Iraq. A well documented threat to the USA, as we all know, what with all those WMDs and terror links.

Were it not for the tragedy of Iraq (but you gots to like the talent!!) the dark comedy would be apparent.

cheers

Stuart

[BigD9146gt]

Ya, doesn;t that just kill you Dan? Thanks for your discription, that was classic

Stuart, after going over your previous statements, I appologize for the previous post.

The off topic part i don't get. I don't remember saying anything about you being off topic...calling people names yes, but thats about it

As for the "fairy tails and western nonsence"... Doesn't every country onthe face of the earth have "fairy tails and nonsence"? Most of our fairy tails, if not all, are adopted from everyone else. The only ones we have made up are baseball, basketball and football(americano style) hall of fame riches and caviar dreams. Placing the value of a teacher below that of a man who runs home, puts a ball in a 10ft high ring, and takes a pig skined covered anal dipository device across 100 yards is hardly heroic.

Never the less, its too my understanding that the countries that we occupy are largly uneducated. That in itself is a receipt for disaster to anyone with a salesman mentality and the will to brainwash. Is the US the next to brainwash them? I can assume you will agree. But at least we're not going to publicaly behead anyone for not agreeing. If this board was stationed over there, and we found you, your sure as ***** some of hte other members might behead you... Well thats the feeling i got anyways.

[rcecale]

Here's one especially for Victor and Stuartj. It's because of the military that you have the freedom to sound off like you do. You would do well to remember that. Happy Holidays, you two knuckleheads...and everybody else, too!

Randy

THE SANDS OF CHRISTMAS
By Michael Marks

I had no Christmas spirit when I breathed a weary sigh,
and looked across the table where the bills were piled too high.
The laundry wasn't finished and the car I had to fix,
My stocks were down another point, the Chargers lost by six.

And so with only minutes till my son got home from school
I gave up on the drudgery and grabbed a wooden stool.
The burdens that I carried were about all I could take,
and so I flipped the TV on to catch a little break.

I came upon a desert scene in shades of tan and rust,
No snowflakes hung upon the wind, just clouds of swirling dust.
And where the reindeer should have stood before a laden sleigh,
eight Humvees ran a column right behind an M1A.

A group of boys walked past the tank, not one was past his teens,
Their eyes were hard as polished flint, their faces drawn and lean.
They walked the street in armor with their rifles shouldered tight,
their dearest wish for Christmas, just to have a silent night.

Other soldiers gathered, hunkered down against the wind,
To share a scrap of mail and dreams of going home again.
There wasn't much at all to put their lonely hearts at ease,
They had no Christmas turkey, just a pack of MREs.

They didn't have a garland or a stocking I could see,
They didn't need an ornament--they lacked a Christmas tree.
They didn't have a present even though it was tradition,
the only boxes I could see were labeled "ammunition."

I felt a little tug and found my son now by my side,
He asked me what it was I feared, and why it was I cried.
I swept him up into my arms and held him oh so near
and kissed him on the forehead as I whispered in his ear.

There's nothing wrong my little son, for safe we sleep tonight,
our heroes stand on foreign land to give us all the right,
to worry on the things in life that mean nothing at all,
instead of wondering if we will be the next to fall.

He looked at me as children do and said it's always right,
to thank the ones who help us and perhaps that we should write.
And so we pushed aside the bills and sat to draft a note,
to thank the many far from home, and this is what we wrote:

God bless you all and keep you safe, and speed your way back home.
Remember that we love you so, and that you're not alone.
The gift you give you share with all, a present every day,
You give the gift of liberty and that we can't repay.

Copyright 2003 Michael Marks: "I freely submit this poem for reprint without reservation--this is an open and grateful tribute to the men and women who serve every day to keep our nation safe."

[Victor]

knuckleheads? Knuckleheads???

Right. That's it.

I can no longer endure the awesome barrage of intellectual firepower from Team USA. I am off this Pelican Board forever – tail between my legs and ego in check. This time I mean it.

[Victor]

Originally posted by rcecale
Here's one especially for Victor and Stuartj. It's because of the military that you have the freedom to sound off like you do. You would do well to remember that. Happy Holidays, you two knuckleheads...and everybody else, too!

Randy

THE SANDS OF CHRISTMAS

Geschmaltz .. Geschmaltz ... Geschmaltz *SCHNIPPP!!!*


By Michael Marks
"[/i]

I'm back! Missed me?

Your military killed my opa! (before you run off for a dictionary - that’s grandfather in German). Some of us are related to those involved in the great struggle to bring Porsches to Amerika - and so on. You know the rest, I’m sure you have seen Schindler’s list and Saving Private Gump etc. (How killer where the sound FX!?!)

So if your poems are equally valid for me too then: BRING ON THE SCHMALTZ!

(Oh - and I can't think of a comeback for knucklehead. I was thinking pickle smoocher but it's sorta too juvenile. And a good 'ol traditional dick-head is a little harsh under the circumstances. You know. Yuletide and all. You win on that one.)

[stuartj]

Randy, old boy, I think that says it all. Perhpas you are confusing poetry with words that rhyme? A -no doubt - futile attempt to raise the tone is pasted below.

Stuart

Sonnet to my friend (with an identity disc)

If ever I had dreamed of my dead name
High in the heart of London, unsurpassed
By Time for ever, and the Fugitive, Fame,
There seeking a long sanctuary at last, -


Or if I onetime hoped to hide its shame,
- Shame of success, and sorrow of defeats, -
Under those holy cypresses, the same
That shade always the quiet place of Keats,


Now rather thank I God there is no risk
Of gravers scoring it with florid screed.
Let my inscription be this soldier's disc.
Wear it, sweet friend. Inscribe no date nor deed.
But may thy heart-beat kiss it, night and day,
Until the name grow blurred and fade away.


Wilfred Owen

[Victor]

Baby Jesus is crying........

[Victor]

Knuckleheads....I still can't get over knuckleheads.

Man that hurts!

5 years in the wehrmacht, almost a decade as an amateur wrestler and an 18 month stint earning beer money as a country musician has done nothing to prepare me for this onslaught!

[RoninLB]

Originally posted by Victor

5 years in the wehrmacht, almost a decade as an amateur wrestler and an 18 month stint earning beer money as a country musician has done nothing to prepare me for this onslaught!

very nice background.

I know a guy who was a tank commander W Germany in the late '60's. Picture a Woodstock type guy that GM, Ford, and Chrysler wanted to recruit for their Detroit car schools after he was thru with trade school.

anyway, there was some kind of a giant head count of everything. They showed one extra tank. Somehow some guys were picked to dig a hole and hide this extra tank. 2yrs later when he left W Germany the tank was still burried

[Victor]

Originally posted by RoninLB
very nice background.

Thanks Ron - the arthritis is killing me though. Damn unergonomic Fender Telecasters!

[rcecale]

Just a small piece from A.E. Housman. No doubt he was writing as a man who loved his country and his freedom.

But if you ever come to a road where danger
Or guilt or anguish or shame's to share.
Be good to the lad who loves you true,
And the soul that was born to die for you
And whistle and I'll be there

Hey! This poetry stuff is kinda cool!

Randy

[Victor]

Originally posted by rcecale
Just a small piece from A.E. Housman. No doubt he was writing as a man who loved his country and his freedom.

But if you ever come to a road where danger
Or guilt or anguish or shame's to share.
Be good to the lad who loves you true,
And the soul that was born to die for you
And whistle and I'll be there

Hey! This poetry stuff is kinda cool!

Randy

Ah. Dude - any moron can cut and paste. You have not answered my question.

[stuartj]

Originally posted by Victor

5 years in the wehrmacht, almost a decade as an amateur wrestler and an 18 month stint earning beer money as a country musician has done nothing to prepare me for this onslaught!

Jelly or mud? Either one equips you ably, I'd have thought...

[Victor]

HOW DARE YOU???

Neither - my weapon of choice was baked beans.

[rcecale]

Which question? This one?

Originally posted by Victor
I'm back! Missed me?

No, actually, I didn't miss you. Even though I read the news of your departure, it really had no effect. Must be because I had heard that story before. Way too many times.

And, you slight me for cutting and pasting? Let's revisit your attempt at "originality" on the first page of this thread. Sheesh, whatta maroon!

Randy