Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Here's the Thing ...

Golden Gate, Kyiv
(Source¹)
It's been an interesting couple of weeks here at the Chant and in real life.

I have deleted more comments over the past two weeks then I have for the first nine years and fifty weeks of the blog's existence. Perhaps because more people are stopping by here? I don't know. (We have seen an increase in readership over the last two years. Which is a good thing.)

However, I don't like deleting comments, I only do so when the rules are violated. What are the rules you ask? Stated simply -


Now the "Just be polite..." bit I stole borrowed from Buck, not long after his untimely demise. It kinda goes along with what I learned growing up, "if you can't say something nice ..."

I am often guilty of being unable to say something nice, but going ahead and speaking anyway. But that's in real life, when I'm actually talking, with the written word I like to think I'm a bit more circumspect. I expect folks to do the same here on the blog.

Opinions are okay, but you have to consider the context. Stating your opinion as to someone's character when that someone has just died, and I am mourning that someone's death, is not a great idea. In fact, I found it unacceptable, so those comments were deleted.

Commenting upon the character of another reader is also unacceptable. And yes, that has happened. Just so we're clear.

Now you can post a path (no links please) to an opinion which differs from an opinion expressed herein, and I'll let it stand. But if I find that opinion questionable, I will say so. (And have recently.)

All that being said, the bottom line is "If you can't be nice, go somewhere else." Really, I'm serious.

Now to address the moderation part of the rules, this was put in simply to screen out the idiot spammers who like to leave comments on old posts. I mean, really old posts. Seriously, someone expects somebody to chase a link in a comment on a five year old post? I was actually getting quite a few of these, so I put moderation into effect on posts older than five days.

I actually get the occasional valid comment on old posts. Usually from someone who just found, and read, that post, old as it was, it interested someone enough to comment upon it. Those I will actually allow through and answer the comment, eventually. So if you see your comment not showing up right away, check the date of the post. And be patient, if you didn't break the rules, I'll let it in, and answer it.

Then there are the times that Blogger (operated by Google) will occasionally just have a fit and determine that your comment is invalid, or spam. I have actually had my own comments go to spam. Rare, but it happens.












What you see above is the standard "I'm not logged into Google" comment form. If you are logged in to Google, you'll see your avatar in the little picture box (provided you have one) and your account name in the pulldown window.

I have never tried the Name/URL selection so I can't address how that works. As for Anonymous, it means exactly that. Any comment you leave will be marked "Anonymous." Though I'd like to see a name/internet handle in the comment block itself, it isn't required. A lot of readers will do that rather than create a Google account. Which I understand the reasons for not doing so.

One note on that "Preview" button. If you press it, you'll get the display below. Or you won't (which means your comment has now vanished, never to see the light of day again). But if the "Preview" button works, you'll see something like this (note that it's different if you're commenting as "Anonymous") -


In theory, and really, most of the time, you can click on "Edit" and will be able to edit your comment, then publish it. Or not. Sometimes this is where comments get sent to Neverland. Most of the time, this Preview feature works. But not always.

If you are commenting as "Anonymous" and wish to Preview your comment, you might (or might not) see one of those "Captcha" things. I have that feature turned off as it's annoying as Hell. Sometimes you see the damned Captcha thing even if you are commenting with a Google account or a Name/URL. Blogger isn't always consistent with it's interface. It's a software thing. Don't blame me, I have that "feature" disabled.


I intend to get back to the book as soon as possible. (Note that I didn't say "ASAP," which some folks tend to think means "right now!", but doesn't, it means exactly what it says. Story to follow.)

I'm headed out to Sandy Eggo soon, for two weeks, tops, sometimes those trips are fewer days than planned. I'm not sure how much chance I'll have to write fiction, as these trips tend to keep me busy aboard ship for ten plus hours a day. When I get back to the hotel I usually want to chillax for an hour or two before retiring for the evening. Sometimes I'll write, sometimes I won't. We shall see ...

Now for that "ASAP" story.

So, there I was*

For my last seven and a half years in the Air Force I was assigned to NATO. I worked with a number of US and non-US folks - mostly Germans, Italians, Norwegians, Dutch, Belgians, and the occasional Greek or Turk (but not in the same room, or cockpit, remind me to tell you that story some day).

Anyhoo, we had our operational (read NATO) chain of command (my boss was a German Oberstleutnant the last two years I was there) and our administrative (read USAF) chain of command. The former covered our day-to-day duties, which was supporting the NATO fleet of seventeen E-3A aircraft (reduced to sixteen via mishap before I left, no, I didn't break it.) The latter was for things like annual performance evaluations, pay, promotions, etc. Ya know, USAF things not involving operational stuff. Remember, I belonged to NATO at the time.

NATO E-3A AWACS
(Source)
Anyhoo, we had a bunch of USAF captains, most of whom weren't all that useful from a NATO point of view. But in order to keep them gainfully "employed," the USAF squadron to which we belonged (administratively mind you) kept giving them things to do. Ya know, things to keep we unruly enlisted types in line.

Now my own penultimate captain, a decent chap, one day came to me with some idiotic request from USAFE.² He indicated to me that this tasking must be executed "ASAP." (I don't recall if he pronounced it as one word or by its component letters, I prefer the former but will accept the latter.)

Of course, I responded with "Roger, WILCO."³

At the time I was also working a tasking from my German boss, something of much more weight and impact than the bit o' busy work sent down by USAFE. Priorities dontcha know? (We were enforcing the No Fly Zone over the former Yugoslavia at the time.)

Now the following day my captain comes to see me, wants to know if I have executed the tasking he gave me. I responded with "Negative Sir, it has not been possible for me to do that just yet."

As he started to say "But I told you that it needed to be done ASAP ... Oh."

"Yes Sir, you did say 'As Soon As Possible.' Due to my NATO job, the reason that I am in Germany, I haven't been able to do that other thing yet. I might be able to tomorrow, but ..."

"It's okay, I'll do it myself." he exclaimed as he drove out of sight.

I thought to myself, "Yes that's right, something you should have done in the first place."

"ASAP." Words, they mean something.

So yeah, back to the book at some point, but not today.

Tuna will be along tomorrow, be nice to him, it's his birthday tomorrow.

Oh yeah, one more thing, the Greek/Turk story.

So, there I was (again)

Again, this was while I was in NATO. Most folks in Europe know about the long-standing animosity between the Greeks and the Turks, Hell, it goes back thousands of years. Note that I said "most folks."

Seems that there was an American scheduler (we, as a Nation, are often ignorant of both history and geography) who made the decision to schedule an AWACS flight with a Greek pilot and a Turkish co-pilot. Notwithstanding the policy of not attempting to make folks from those two nations work directly with each other, our intrepid airman figured it would be "no problem."

And it wasn't, at least not until the two flyers were in the cockpit together and had a disagreement over the preflight checklist (so I heard - yes, this is inadmissible as evidence as it is hearsay)). Fisticuffs ensued.

The unfortunate American was briefed to "not do that again, ever." The rumor mill had the sparring flyers sent back to their respective nations for conduct rather unbecoming.

Not sure I ever really believed that story. But it is a good story.

So yeah, Tuna tomorrow, I'll be back on Thursday with something for your edification and entertainment.

Stay frosty ...




¹ More information here.
² United States Air Force Europe, the command responsible for USAF units in Europe. A pale shadow of the mighty Pacific Air Forces (PACAF).
³ WILCO = Will Comply
* SJC applies.

80 comments:

  1. Well, I am working at next installment of "Ewok report". Will send it later this day.
    (I got nicknamed Ewok in local tabletop wargaming club, and I loved the nick so much I stole it for much of my online personnae...)
    And there is a reason Greeks and Turks have been keeping defence spending up even in the heyday of the "Peace Dividend" (RIP).
    Buying guns to keep each one in check...

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    Replies
    1. Looking forward to the update Pawel. Stay safe.

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    2. Paweł - I do like the "Ewok" nickname, it fits. 😁

      Will publish on Thursday, I promised Wednesday to Tuna, it's his birthday ya know.

      Delete
  2. Sorry to hear of folks being ugly, Sarge; especially when someone is mourning another. The "preview" function is a useful one, if only to give an opportunity to ask ones self "Is that really what I want to say?"(it's also good for rooting out machine-induced "corrections").
    Your policy is a good one and it IS "y'alls" blog. We are the guests here and should behave as such. There's already enough ugliness and division in the world. I come here for the fiction especially - it's a good diversion, even if describing another difficult time.
    T'any rate, I hope you have easy travels and the Muse is kind to us all.
    Boat Guy

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    1. The Muse is looking forward to the trip. (Probably thinks it's her chance to goof off!)

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  3. I am old enough to remember when discourse was expected to be civil, even among differing points of view. Somehow that no longer seems to apply. Maybe to anonymity on the internet encourages the cowardly and base. Bring back dueling?
    Anyway I approve of having standards, more power to you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think anonymity is the key factor here. Keyboard warriors ...

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    2. When in discourse with the enemies of our country we have been civil far too long. They abandoned civility long ago and we should not cede the field.
      That said, this blog is NOT the field.
      Boat Guy

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    3. Oh and bringing back duelling would suit me to a "t". Would that we could.
      BG

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  4. It is your bat and ball after all Sarge so your rules. Being at a keyboard seems to bring out the thoughtlessness in some folks, speaking ill of the dead (unless they're Commies) is a no-go. Too many of my fellow Americans don't realize that there is HISTORY before they were born.

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    1. Yes, we tend to forget that the human race has been around a very long time.

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    2. On the other hand, too many of non-Americans think that their little slice of heaven is much more important than America. Even if we've saved them, twice or more, from being crushed under the heels of tyranny or from starving to death or some other disaster.

      Incidents from a thousand years ago aren't as important as things now. Or shouldn't be. Just because your ancestor got whacked by my ancestor at the Battle of Hastings is no reason to get all pissy about me. (And, yes, I had some Aaaaanglo-Saxonish person get all uppity because they found out I was from a Norman at that battle. Yeesh, let it rest, dude.)

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    3. I had a Dutchman point out to me how young the United States was, in a rather insulting fashion. All I said was "You're welcome." He looked puzzled, then I pointed out the reason he wasn't speaking German. But yeah, history is what happened a while ago, let it go, let it go ...

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  5. Now, I have 2 eyes and 2 ears but one mouth, so it seems logical to me that I should be watching and listening four times as much as I should be commenting. I read your site (almost) everyday, yet I don't comment very often... but I will comment to show appreciation, encouragement, or (I think) add to the narrative. You have rules, as we all do, I respect that... Just be polite... that's all I ask. Words to live by... Until it's time to hoist the Black flag and start slitting throats. But that is another story.
    Have Fun !

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    1. Have fun, Aye! (Though I expect we'll be very busy on the ship, we often are.)

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    2. I read that "two eyes, two ears, and one mouth" and heard my Mom's voice finishing it with "there's a clue there, Tommy." Thanks for jogging that in my memory, I've been missing her more than usual recently.

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    3. There are times ...

      Condolences htom, some things never heal.

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    4. My time on active ships is done. Museum ships are a blast! I need to get down to the Midway (my Dad served as fire marshal on her in the late '70's) My two boys and I hit the Texas, Kidd, Alabama , and North Carolina, a few years ago. I ended up with a small crowd around me in every engine room as I explained boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, generators, and throttle boards to my sons. Get me below decks with "That Smell" and I grin... Get me in a steam plant and I'm smiling ear to ear. I do miss it.

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    5. I too enjoy the museum ships, we have a number of them at Battleship Cove in Fall River, MA. I do know "That Smell."

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    6. DV- USS SLATER (DE-766)in Albany, NY is one of the best ships in the historic fleet. Nearly fully restored to WW2 configuration in every detail (except a few). USS OLYMPIA, Dewey's flagship at Manila Bay, located in Philadelphia, PA, is also a jewel, especially the engineering spaces, although I am not sure they are still open for public access.

      OAFS- Recommendation for other commenters- before hitting "publish" button, do a quick "control-V" copy on the draft comment, to minimize use of sailor language when Booger randomly deletes a draft comment.
      John Blackshoe

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    7. I need to get up to visit the Massachusetts, I have a love for So. Dakota class BB's. "That Smell" can't be described or explained, it has to be experienced. Very glad you understand.

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    8. JB - I find myself doing that, a lot. It helps keep the blood pressure down!

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    9. DV - There's also a Russian corvette, the Joey P. (USS Joseph P. Kennedy), and the USS Lionfish, a WWII Balao-class submarine. (A Huey helicopter, a landing craft and a couple of PT boats as well!)

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  6. You are blessed(?) with several readers who do not mind being comment-deleted (or even being verbally spanked publicly). We realize, for the most part, that our Weltanschauungen are quite different, having been molded by experiences that some commentators/readers would have difficulty even imagining.
    There are also those of us who make leaps from A to M (or even to Y) expecting everyone else to follow – it’s just so simple and obvious, y’ know! leaving quite a few readers wondering why we’re discussing something so off-topic.
    Then again, there are those of us who should have our keyboards taken away; not as punishment, mind you – It’s just so damned difficult to write on padded walls…

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    1. You have never been a problem boron. I don't mind people speaking their minds, but not in a vicious way, I just can't tolerate that.

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  7. Greeks and Turks.
    I spent a large part of the Med Cruise of '75 orbiting an island called Cyprus because of issues between the Greeks and the Turks.

    I wonder if the Air Force equal to a Navy sea story is an air story?

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    1. I should not have trusted my memory. It was probably the '74 cruise.

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    2. Well, a lot of the Cypriots are Greek, a large minority are Turkish. There has always been a lot of strife in that area.

      Nah, in the Air Force it's a "war story." We are, after all, Army brats.

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    3. Memory, the second thing to go. (In my case hair was first. YMMV)

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  8. "long-standing animosity between the Greens and the Turks"

    I mean, everyone who loves civilization hates the Greens, but I think that's a typo.

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  9. Sarge, among many deplorable things that have happened over recent years the very real breakdown in civility is one of them. And not just among young folk (Confucius was lamenting the same thing 2500 years ago), but among more more "seasoned" folks. It is as if we have taken complete loss of our senses and our ability to communicate rationally, or (as the saying goes) the keyboard somehow gives the alcoholic equivalent of "Dutch Courage". Anonymity in posting offers many benefits in a world where more and more, having a different opinion marks one; it also seems to encourage the worst in some.

    Standing comment to those who engage in that sort of thing: Please start your own blog. Really. The rest of us are here for good fiction, good stories, and amusing slices of life.

    Being in project management as I am now, it is amazing how many things are "ASAP" which are not really quite "ASAP". Also, I did not know the origination of "WILCO", so thank you for that!

    I hope you have a wonderful time in San Diego. I actually had to pass through there in transit recently and thought it had been a while since I had stopped in. My nephew now lives there, so it is not like I do not have an excuse.

    Looking forward to Pawel and Tuna's updates!

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    1. I enjoy my trips to Sandy Eggo. No doubt I will stop by Shakespeare's and have a Guinness in honor of Lex.

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  10. Funny how they never understand the the "P" in ASAP stands for "Possible". For you at the time, it wasn't "possible". I have that problem where I work. They put four or five items in line for me to do. I ask for their priority to each other and never get an answer, so I assign my "priority" to them. To me the most important is what they need on the floor to get orders out the door (that's how we get paid). Next are changes for upcoming orders. (again how we get paid). Then there's things for R&D. Those are usually my favorites because I get to be inventive. The last is "Administrative". (training, ISO and things like that). The problem is that when you deal with different people, their needs have the highest priority in their mind, so when you say that you haven't done theirs's yet, that's when they try to go over your head.

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    1. Ah, you've "been there, done that."

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    2. The problem is that those with the issues least necessary tend to be those with the most organizational power.

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  11. Re: the sometimes edit doesn't work. I've noticed that. I think the issue is with cookies. My primary browser is Brave for its better security. One of the presets in it are cookies are automatically off if not manually turned on. So I'm thinking Blogger uses cookies to track where you were when you commented and return you there when you push publish. Just a thought.

    I don't see much of what's going on behind the curtain, as it appears to me that the majority of commenting here is following the rules and an enjoyable conversation among friends. If that's not the whole story, then you're doing a fantastic job of cleaning things up and I (we) appreciate your efforts. Wish they weren't needed, but...

    Have a safe trip.

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    1. I try to put the fires out before they spread. Glad to hear that's working.

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  12. I enjoy you blog and the Monday report but rarely comment. Something along the lines of if you can't add something, shut up. By temperament I don't do well in large structured organizations. Somehow I made it three years in the Green Machine, even making SP 5, but lucked out being selected for Combat Engineers. At least in the 1960's, their culture wasn't Big Army. I do admire folks like you that can function in large organizations. That is how things get done.

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    1. Big anything (Army, Air Force, Navy, Corporation) is seldom a good thing. They are far too enamored of themselves in my view.

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  13. Rudeness in society. Someone somewhere asked if I had read Robert Heinlein's "Job" and how was that science fiction? I replied "Yes, and it's not. The title says it's a comedy!" I then learned that there are people who have a very different understanding of comedy as art. All of which brought me into rereading Heinlein (again) first from Number of the Beast, through Job, then from Time Enough for Love to To Sail Beyond the Sunset, and now I've gone back to the beginnings, where (in the 40's) he's warning of rudeness being the mark of the beginning of end of civilization.

    NOW, I notice that my presentation last Saturday to the Minnesota Futurists on the future of "Energy Slaves" was showing (unintentionally) when that's coming about. How, I don't know. We can't make enough calories to feed the world, can't transport them, can't move off the planet. There's going to be a huge population crash in the next hundred years. Rudeness may be the least of our problems: imagine Earth's human population collapsing to ~100 million and the consequences.

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    1. We could make enough calories to feed the world, right here, right now(ish over the next year) as farmers and seed suppliers are all saying "Let us plant and let us grow" and domestic fertilizer plants (curiously, often petrochemical companies) are saying "Let us make fertilizer" but the crop buyers are saying "We won't buy unless we can get some minimal pricing agreements from FedGov so if the crisis they have caused peters out, we don't take it in the shorts."

      Seriously, we have the ability this year to meet demand by year's end. And to overproduce and cover for Russia and the Ukraine and everywhere else. If we allow and encourage and support our agricultural system to go full tilt forward.

      But, no, growing a metric butt-load of food is, apparently, not 'green' and doesn't 'sequester enough carbon to offset manmade global warming' so our power-elite are going to eat to excess while our nation, and the world, dies from starvation.

      Whodathunk the Holomodor would ever come to these shores?

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    2. Good reference there Beans. We are ruled by a so-called elite who need to be rooted out - lock, stock, and barrel.

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  14. Godspeed OAFS. I have my own opinions about people and things. I felt / feel bad that someone that meant a lot to you is cashiered. It's tough to outlive people you actually like. I'm trying to be a person other folks like in spite of how much I want to "see the enemy driven before you and hear....." I think most of us that inhabit this comment section are similarly inclined. I understand the house rules, and it's not just to keep the Sissy La-la's happy. Rowdy places usually draw undue attention from the SP's. And we don't want that. My last concussion was at least one too many. By the way, do you slide down the ladders and bounce onboard?

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    1. Oh, not that LAST is going to be a picture I keep in my mind every time I see something from Sarge! ;-)

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    2. I creep down ladders and seldom bounce anywhere, never up the brow.

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    3. Gosh... sliding down ladders... such fun, and for the young. Again I do miss it so...

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    4. I will confess that one of the sailors, seeing me go down a ladder, commented that I was "pretty limber for an old fart."

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    5. At great personal risk, I'm going to comment. Well...He got one part of that right.

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    6. Better a ladder than a debark net. They are even worse going up. Old Guns

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    7. I don't need to imagine. "Left foot on the net, hit the net." Got a real appreciation for the men who did that and then went to fight instead of shoot blanks
      Boat Guy

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  15. Me being the curious "what's under the scab?" type of guy wants to kind of know what people are saying. But then again, I don't.

    It's your house, your rules. If you say "Take your shoes off when entering" then we need to take our shoes off. Same with comments.

    Now, we here can get downright nasty in very civilized ways, but that's part of that learned discourse thingy that juvat mentioned earlier. Which is fine, as everyone's a pundit, everyone has at least one opinion about everything. And sometimes snarky and 'mean tweetish' is a valid way to go.

    But follow the rules. Yeesh. I've deleted many comments before publishing because they weren't nice or valid or even on topic or... If I can do that, then so can everyone else.

    Life today is sooo dang strange. This little corner of Heaven on Earth needs to stay Heaven on Earth.

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    1. Well said. The comments I deleted (there were only a few) are best forgotten, forever.

      Delete
  16. You've had to delete a ton of comments? Sounds like maybe the spam bots have invaded again. I promise it wasn't me. Did you hear that the Babylon bee has been banned from Twitter for being "meanspirited?" It's a parody site, so Twitter is the one who's being mean. I have had to delete and retype many comments over the years because I've never seen that edit feature. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. As for that NATO piece, he should have said RFN vice ASAP! See you tomorrow.

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    1. Not a ton, but more than one. Not spam bots, these were actual humans who have behaved in the past but decided to (for whatever reason) cross the line of departure and wound up in "not nice land."

      Be careful with that "Edit" feature, like I said, sometimes it kills the comment.

      If he had said "RFN" he would have had a long, less than satisfying, conversation with my German boss. And he would still have had to wait.

      Delete
  17. I am always nice because of Buck, you and those of us who read this here blog on a regular or semi regular basis.

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  18. I’m not happy with Blogger.
    It will only let me comment as myself when I access other blogs through my own [which I admit I have been neglecting].
    There’s no reason why, IMHO, anyone can’t be polite.

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    1. I think that's because of the way Google wraps everything into one account (Google, Gmail, Blogger, etc.) and yup, it's a pain.

      Being polite costs nothing, so why not?

      Delete
  19. Snerk...That scheduler should have been fired too! Or made to sit down and read some history!

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  20. Hey Old AFSarge;

    I always have been polite on every blog that I visit, it is "Their" house and to be a "Dick" is rather crass, I have had a few people show up on my yard and crap on my lawn also and it is annoying when I have to clean up and delete their comment and them at the same time. Manners is a dying art, nobody practices it anymore.

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  21. I was recently poking fun at some snobs I encountered years ago during mandatory continuing ed training, and got a mention in a trade forum frequented by some of the same class of people (senior merchant ship captains from one particular maritime trade college), and the fur flew. I was plagued by insecurities, I was bitter, I was disillusioned, etc.
    Part of me is flattered that people that hate me read my stuff. But yeah, you're not supposed to take a crap on your host's coffee table.

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    1. Haha! I mentioned that post and those fellows from that particular maritime trade college to a Navy colleague of mine. He concurs with your professional opinion!

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  22. Frosty eh? Have we been reading Ringo?
    Have a safe trip to the nice place.
    I hope you'll have time for a gelatto and a Guinness 'for strength' and recall a few we shared there together.

    ReplyDelete

Just be polite... that's all I ask. (For Buck)
Can't be nice, go somewhere else...

NOTE: Comments on posts over 5 days old go into moderation, automatically.