ColonelHaiku
True Classic
A
.
.
Last edited:
Amid the Memorials, Ambiguity and Ambivalence
- Thread starter ColonelHaiku
- Start date
erikchorazy
Daily Driver
This seems to be an endemic response from our gov't
I was a gov't employee, made friends & enemys, but one of my several select friends sticks out. We'd swap guitar playing tips, went into the basement of the field station HQ & enjoyed some herbal relaxation, I kept pushing Rich to quit playing with his Kawaii session trainer & we could go do a coffee house gig together somewhere in Salem, OR. I got busy, he went solo, we shared plenty of air & chops for a couple years.
I got married, he got engaged, he was flying back from the east coast when his plane went into the dirt. He became a bit of a hero around the office, had a field station named after him, and they made a button with his picture on it. I got pissed off when I saw the button - not sure why, it just seemed to commercialize him a bit.
Then, when the argument was going on about which of the Regional Offices would take credit for commemorating a field station in his name, I got more pissed.
Some time later, I watch the 911 movie on TV & see the actor portraying Rich - I was infuriated. Where the hell was my friend - that wasn't Rich - he didn't talk like that - etc.
I left federal service, for a variety of reasons, but this sits towards the top. I lost a friend, we lost a true advocate for natural resources, and a quiet man who's focus on getting what needs to be done DONE. He wasn't a damn button.
I was a gov't employee, made friends & enemys, but one of my several select friends sticks out. We'd swap guitar playing tips, went into the basement of the field station HQ & enjoyed some herbal relaxation, I kept pushing Rich to quit playing with his Kawaii session trainer & we could go do a coffee house gig together somewhere in Salem, OR. I got busy, he went solo, we shared plenty of air & chops for a couple years.
I got married, he got engaged, he was flying back from the east coast when his plane went into the dirt. He became a bit of a hero around the office, had a field station named after him, and they made a button with his picture on it. I got pissed off when I saw the button - not sure why, it just seemed to commercialize him a bit.
Then, when the argument was going on about which of the Regional Offices would take credit for commemorating a field station in his name, I got more pissed.
Some time later, I watch the 911 movie on TV & see the actor portraying Rich - I was infuriated. Where the hell was my friend - that wasn't Rich - he didn't talk like that - etc.
I left federal service, for a variety of reasons, but this sits towards the top. I lost a friend, we lost a true advocate for natural resources, and a quiet man who's focus on getting what needs to be done DONE. He wasn't a damn button.
Espritblue
over x'd
Yes, it is a sad statment...
But as so little outrage is expressed, I fear our beloved country really has gone beyond the point of no return. Glad am I that the generation that fought the 2nd World War is quickly passing so as not witness the uter mess their children has made of this proud great nation. Never before in the history of civilization has one nation, one idea, had such a profoundly beneficial effect on the entire world. When disasters strike around the world, who is first to help?
I have a theory. We have so much in this country that has been given to us by the efforts of our predecessors, that we really no longer value what we have, but rather, out of a sense of guilt, wish to share what we have with all the world. Of course, we still want our "stuff", our freedoms, our security. You can not give these things away, and still have them. Something we now will learn with a great deal of pain that is coming our way. We are all to blame, we all wasted our votes on career polititions, both sides of the isle, we raised our families and had our careers, and as long as we were still "vertically mobile" we payed little attention to what was being taught to our kids and what was being passed by our ever expanding government.
And how did we get so out of touch with the realities of economics? I could go on, but what is the point. My days of globe hopping are over. I focus on my son, now in college, my new manufacturing business, that I refuse to ship overseas (I've been told I'm stupid for that), and these fun little cars. Take care.
Steve K
But as so little outrage is expressed, I fear our beloved country really has gone beyond the point of no return. Glad am I that the generation that fought the 2nd World War is quickly passing so as not witness the uter mess their children has made of this proud great nation. Never before in the history of civilization has one nation, one idea, had such a profoundly beneficial effect on the entire world. When disasters strike around the world, who is first to help?
I have a theory. We have so much in this country that has been given to us by the efforts of our predecessors, that we really no longer value what we have, but rather, out of a sense of guilt, wish to share what we have with all the world. Of course, we still want our "stuff", our freedoms, our security. You can not give these things away, and still have them. Something we now will learn with a great deal of pain that is coming our way. We are all to blame, we all wasted our votes on career polititions, both sides of the isle, we raised our families and had our careers, and as long as we were still "vertically mobile" we payed little attention to what was being taught to our kids and what was being passed by our ever expanding government.
And how did we get so out of touch with the realities of economics? I could go on, but what is the point. My days of globe hopping are over. I focus on my son, now in college, my new manufacturing business, that I refuse to ship overseas (I've been told I'm stupid for that), and these fun little cars. Take care.
Steve K
usta in Portland
Daily Driver
Where is it required that...
we exam America's sin? This article is one guy's very peculiar take on the meaning of a bunch of wide spread and essentially vulgar undertakings by a bunch of pretty vulgar and shallow thinking people.
I don't see how that is anything other than what it is, especially not some commandment to search our souls for our own complicity in the crime(one can say what they please about our doings in the world but nothing can justify blaming the country for a criminal act like this). The article itself is part of the problem-trying to make hay out of the event in one way or another. But, that's people for you-always climbing up some cross with the suffering one so as to be seen at a greater distance and by a greater multitude.
we exam America's sin? This article is one guy's very peculiar take on the meaning of a bunch of wide spread and essentially vulgar undertakings by a bunch of pretty vulgar and shallow thinking people.
I don't see how that is anything other than what it is, especially not some commandment to search our souls for our own complicity in the crime(one can say what they please about our doings in the world but nothing can justify blaming the country for a criminal act like this). The article itself is part of the problem-trying to make hay out of the event in one way or another. But, that's people for you-always climbing up some cross with the suffering one so as to be seen at a greater distance and by a greater multitude.
ColonelHaiku
True Classic
/
Last edited:
You can't be angry forever...
... or the terrorists win.
Anger is only one step in mourning. Eventually you have to find a part in you that comes to terms with it, then you can remember without anger.
It's not easy, but it's better than staying angry.
Everyone mourns in their own way. Some people react, some reflect. Often we do both in varying degrees. Don't believe based on what people do in public that they don't remember.
... or the terrorists win.
Anger is only one step in mourning. Eventually you have to find a part in you that comes to terms with it, then you can remember without anger.
It's not easy, but it's better than staying angry.
Everyone mourns in their own way. Some people react, some reflect. Often we do both in varying degrees. Don't believe based on what people do in public that they don't remember.
ColonelHaiku
True Classic
usta in Portland
Daily Driver
How can it be...
seriously asserted in the face of 6000 American dead; who knows how many wounded for life; 137,000 civlians dead; the spending over the next 20 years of about $4T; that 9/11 is of no consequence?
How? How much bigger do those numbers need to be to meet an acceptable level of significance? What needs to be said or done that has not been said or done at some point in the last ten years? What?
What are you looking to elicit by these posts? I don't get it.
Here is what it means to me-it was the day my country was ruined, perhaps forever. That is not something I want to remember. If you do, be my guest.
seriously asserted in the face of 6000 American dead; who knows how many wounded for life; 137,000 civlians dead; the spending over the next 20 years of about $4T; that 9/11 is of no consequence?
How? How much bigger do those numbers need to be to meet an acceptable level of significance? What needs to be said or done that has not been said or done at some point in the last ten years? What?
What are you looking to elicit by these posts? I don't get it.
Here is what it means to me-it was the day my country was ruined, perhaps forever. That is not something I want to remember. If you do, be my guest.
Matthew
True Classic
9/11 had and interesting effect on me. Before that day I was super paranoid about Islamic terrorism and was convinced the government was not taking it seriously. I was pretty sure that one day there was going to be a massive series of coordinated attacks all across the country leaving thousands, maybe tens of thousands, dead. I figured it would be suicide bombers, bombs, shootings and chemical/biological attacks with nuclear being an outside possibility. 9/11 and the aftermath taught me that these people really aren't very effective, organized or capable. The only attacks that were carried out were so simple and crude that I probably could have pulled off any one of them by myself with a few months of planning. Yet the only reason it was even possible was because few people believed it was. Regardless of the security measures it would be very difficult to repeat. So now I've come around to the point were I believe terrorists are not nearly as dangerous as the government says they are. Also, it became more clear that our foreign policy needlessly provokes terrorists and would be terrorists. That's not to say we are to blame for the attacks but why needlessly provoke people that would most likely stay busy killing each other if we stayed out of their business?
One thing that is certain is that the terrorists won in many ways. Just a simple trip to the airport will illustrate that. Like Pat pointed out, 9/11 may have put the final nail in this country's coffin. It's not something I'm interested in remembering.
One thing that is certain is that the terrorists won in many ways. Just a simple trip to the airport will illustrate that. Like Pat pointed out, 9/11 may have put the final nail in this country's coffin. It's not something I'm interested in remembering.
ColonelHaiku
True Classic
usta in Portland
Daily Driver
Isn't it generally agreed that..
Hollywood hit rock bottom with 'Smokey and the Bandit'
But, seriously folks. Maybe we should really have a some good old fashioned censorship and prior restraint and content management via the ,um, who would be good? Heston's dead unfortunately (I mean in terms of being the designated censor, in every other way it looks a major improvement to me) How about the national PTA? Or maybe the National Council of Evangelical Churches? Or the Veterans of Foreign Wars? Or FOX news? How about the Council on All Things We Like and Stuff we find Icky and Boy Am I a Patriot.
Gawd that First Amendment is just the peskiest of a bunch of damn pesky things out there.
Hollywood hit rock bottom with 'Smokey and the Bandit'
But, seriously folks. Maybe we should really have a some good old fashioned censorship and prior restraint and content management via the ,um, who would be good? Heston's dead unfortunately (I mean in terms of being the designated censor, in every other way it looks a major improvement to me) How about the national PTA? Or maybe the National Council of Evangelical Churches? Or the Veterans of Foreign Wars? Or FOX news? How about the Council on All Things We Like and Stuff we find Icky and Boy Am I a Patriot.
Gawd that First Amendment is just the peskiest of a bunch of damn pesky things out there.
Dan Sarandrea (Phila)
Waitin' On Parts...
"....establish a beachhead of Middle Eastern democracy in Iraq....."
Wait, I thought the USA invaded IRAQ to get the WMDs. I'm sooooo confused.:fart:
"Middle Eastern democracy"
"Middle Eastern democracy"
"Middle Eastern democracy"
"Middle Eastern democracy"
"Middle Eastern democracy"
"Middle Eastern democracy"
Wait, I thought the USA invaded IRAQ to get the WMDs. I'm sooooo confused.:fart:
"Middle Eastern democracy"
"Middle Eastern democracy"
"Middle Eastern democracy"
"Middle Eastern democracy"
"Middle Eastern democracy"
"Middle Eastern democracy"
ColonelHaiku
True Classic
.,
Last edited:
usta in Portland
Daily Driver
What does he say Matt?...
I can't hear it.
I can't hear it.
ColonelHaiku
True Classic
.
Last edited:
usta in Portland
Daily Driver
Yep, fit as a fiddle!
:dance::dance:
:dance::dance:
usta in Portland
Daily Driver
Fabulous....
I love this guy-nut or not
Or we could negotiate to only have has many bases on foreign territory as foreign powers have on ours. That sounds fair.:wink2:
Don't want to be unreasonable. Say the Swiss Navy wanted a little installation down in Norfolk-we could put some of them stealth boats on lake Geneva.
I love this guy-nut or not
Or we could negotiate to only have has many bases on foreign territory as foreign powers have on ours. That sounds fair.:wink2:
Don't want to be unreasonable. Say the Swiss Navy wanted a little installation down in Norfolk-we could put some of them stealth boats on lake Geneva.