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| New Zealand soldier resting and smoking a pipe in the deserts of North Africa. (Colorized) (Source) |
The Muse has been on fire lately, but she needs a bit of a kip, so I gave her the day off.
We've gone from rural France to rural Norway in the past week, just wanted to remind everyone that not all the fighting in WWII was at the front.
Now on Friday some of you may have noticed comments go missing. Well, it's what I do when I get the sense that someone wants to go off on a tangent and relate what I'm writing about to what's going on these days in current events.
Sorry, I'm just not having it. If I want to get depressed, I watch the frigging news.
Guess what I don't watch a lot of these days?
Oh, and for those of you who want to explain something to me in the comments, don't, it's just annoying.
So yes, a couple of comments were deleted, some forever, one I left standing in all of its "This comment has been deleted by a blog administrator" glory. I did read it, felt it was way off topic and smacked of a rant. You want to rant, fine, there is a time and a place for it. One of my historical fiction posts ain't that place.
Again, sorry, es tut mir Leid, gomen'nasai, je suis désolé, etc., etc.
It's my party dontcha know?
Anyhoo, we'll pick things back up in Norway on Tuesday. Don't assume that the rifle scope and the jerk of a Leutnant are related. The rifle scope was referenced way back in February when the good lieutenant was still back in Potsdam.
Schülze's detachment needed an officer, so I gave 'em an officer. How long he lasts? Well, we just need to wait and see. The Muse doesn't always let me know in advance which direction a story line might take, sometimes I'm as surprised as you are!
Well, the scope showing up at the same time as the jerk is just coincidence. Providential coincidence, as 'sniper check' saluting and hat doffing will draw attention.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, well, it's your game, your rules and I try to follow them.
We'll have to see which direction the lieutenant goes in, will he be scoped or won't he?
DeleteYah........your ball your game Sarge. Will have to think twice about words before hitting "Send".
ReplyDeleteIt's hard, I know.
DeleteAs I read (I just cannot watch the various Charlie McCarthys on TV) the several blogs today, I've come to the realization that I am living in the middle of a historical novel.
ReplyDeleteYou're very, very lucky to have a muse who can direct traffic. As soon as my head hits the pillow, my characters start elbowing each other out of the way, screaming for my attention (I just wish they could type). No wonder I'm exhausted when I drag my sorry...
People feel very comfortable ranting on your site. In some ways it's a good thing: it provides the escape valve that's prevented CWII from breaking out, but it can get easily out of hand taking up space and possibly offending some of your more serious readers who are far more interested in the story than what some airhead (Oops! just looked in a mirror) has to say.
There! I've taken up more room than I wanted/should: Sorry!
I try to keep the off-topic chatter down as much as possible. There are some posts which seem to invite some to rant, I'll let it be, within reason.
DeleteYour circus, your monkeys, Sarge. I really enjoy your writing and I apologize if I have distracted or annoyed you.
ReplyDeleteTake a knee, face outboard and drink water
Boat Guy
You have, to my knowledge, never offended.
DeleteCrusty Old TV Tech here. Every Muse deserves a "smokum if you've gottum". In GI's such a break usually results in better performance afterwards, though no less grumbling (that is a Muse's perogative, too!).
ReplyDeleteOn the scope, "Sometimes a cigar is, just a cigar!".
Freud got that bit right!
DeleteBreathers are good things. There are days I miss the nicotine hit from smoking, but I'm glad I managed to quit. Still have the pipes I sometimes used (tobacco) somewhere, in a cigar box that's probably in a box of old magnetic tapes or CDC/Cray documentation.
ReplyDeleteI get that.
Delete(Heh, CDC/Cray documentation and mag tapes ...)
ReplyDeleteIt is a hard thing sometimes to remember what and where to comment and on what, especially when one is (more or less) breathlessly waiting for the next installment (not saying yours is the first site I hit in the morning...okay, maybe I am). I am as guilty as any.
As to the other - I think sometimes there is such frustration about not being able to talk about certain things in most circles that when one finds a circle of relatively like minded individuals, one feels like these things can be discussed. That is not necessarily any more true than "out there", and it can be frustrating as a blogger to have a comment come back to the same subject no matter what the point of the blog post is (like a Rorschach test, no matter what is written, the subject always sees "rutabagas"). I certainly understand people can be exercised about issues, but at least appearing to be monomaniacal about a subject and forcing it into every conversation is not a way to make a point. As I have written elsewhere, in theory Cato the Elder's pronouncement after every speech in the Roman Senate "In my opinion, Carthage must be destroyed" sounds great in principle, but undoubtedly became terribly boring and unappreciated in the end.
I do very much like the picture.
Ah yes, Carthago delenda est, I see it's modern day equivalent from time to time. Such behavior does indeed become tiresome over time.
Delete(At the risk of being way off topic, but too good not to share)...The story is of someone being given a Rorschach test (in the picture set is a blank white card as a 'control'). He looked at the white card for a while, then said "But it's upside down". The shrink actually looked at it himself, rotated it around, and looked again...
Delete🤣🤣🤣
DeleteAgreed Don McCollor, too good to not share!
Delete👍
DeleteSarge- Yes, your historical fiction accounts are most enjoyable, and a very welcome diversion from the mostly fictional "news" being fed to us today.
ReplyDeleteJust remember the historical event which supports your control over the debate:
---When a moderator tried to silence Ronald Reagan's microphone during a 1980 Republican primary debate that he had personally financed, Reagan shouted: "I am paying for this microphone!"---
Anyone unhappy with your editorial decisions is welcome to go...uh.... set up their own blog and buy a microphone elsewhere
I will happily stock with this channel!
John Blackshoe
My blog is my escape from "out there." Someone bringing "out there" into the comments (when the topic had nothing to do with "out there") is very much akin to walking through mud then going into the parlor without wiping one's feet.
DeleteNot nice.
I like the Reagan story!
I have a Mk.4 Enfield Great rifle.
ReplyDeleteA very good weapon indeed!
DeleteIt is. I was fortunate enough to buy two cases of ball ammo for it. I shot, one time, in a high-power rifle match. I got a lot of funny glances from the match shooters with their M-1s and M-1As. (Not having a proper shooting coat and using a mover’s blanket as a shooting pad added to the glances.) But I had fun.
DeleteFun matters! It always has.
DeleteI panicked there for a moment, thinking back to what I wrote on Friday. I always think politically and wondered if I had been the offender! I'm glad to find out I wasn't, but I'm sure my comments can instigate things at times!
ReplyDeleteYour posts are radical, but they're your posts and I like the outlet they provide. Your comments are pretty good and you stay on topic (most of the time 😏), you're good!
DeleteMy conservative viewpoints are radical? Hmm. haha.
DeleteWell, in the sense that they aren't run of the mill viewpoints. I mean it in a good way, of course.
DeleteI seldom give in to rants unless I’ve got evidence to back it up, and then I wouldn’t think of using someone else’s forum… koobecaf has a bigger audience.
ReplyDeleteI’m about ready to take a potshot at a certain blogging platform that has me blocked on my cell phone, though.
Booger have not covered themselves in glory lately. It's almost as if they want to screw it up.
DeleteHey Old AFSarge;
ReplyDeleteYour House your Rules :), When I want to rant, I go on my blog and rant, LOL. I did have two of those Enfields...until that dreadful kayak accident *Sniff*Sniff*, was cool holding a piece of history in my hand.
I have weapons like that.
DeleteAs an aside, is that hair or dirt covering that guy in the picture? My middle son has to take testosterone shots and he looks like a wookie, like that New Zealander! This crazy Irish/English/Scottish/German boy didn't develop any of that chick magnet stuff 'til after pilot training at 22!
ReplyDeleteHe is a hairy lad, isn't he? Betcha he needs to shave twice a day when in garrison!
Delete