Left out Number five: I’m retired; however, that still means I’m subject to recall, especially since I didn’t retire all that long ago.
[QUOTE]
Originally Posted by Elvis Costello
Whats so funny about peace, love and understanding?
Monty, Monty, Monty.
From the Merriam-Webster website:
(emphasis added)
You took this sentance:
and for some reason took offense at that sentance out of the overall sentiment and purpose of the OP. That, by my defintion and that of Merriam-Webster, is taking something out of context.
As for this:
I honestly don’t understand why you are such a goat-felching, thick headed asshole who not only refuses to admit he could possibly be wrong but then attacks those who politely suggest said wrongness. Perhaps it all derives from some deep rooted psychological insecurities. Or maybe it’s that no one loves you and the purpose of the OP was entirely lost on you. Frankly, I really think too little of you to really try and figure it out. But these facts remain: I have the utmost respect for service men and women, I worry about the well being of my Pen Bud and one particular service woman who is closer to me than a sister on a daily basis [sorry, Trip. I’m a worrier…], and that you are, at the very least, a jerk.
And if hell is populated with people as well-read, clever, funny and fun to be around as THespos, then I’m actively looking forward to the experiance of going there.
And because this is the Straight Dope, and because someone might want a cite on Monty’s aforementioned goat-felching jerkiness, check thissearch out. A total of NINE BBQ pit rants directed at Monty. That’s got to be some kind of record.
Sorry, Monty. But when people acuse me of things that are blatently false, and THEN tell me to go to hell, I tend to take it personally.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by SwimmingRiddles *
Call me clueless, call me idealistic,…
[quote]
Okay. You’re clueless and idealistic. Given enough time, you’ll probably get over it.
It’s a cold, cruel world. ALL of us are tired of war, but it isn’t exactly a picnic where you pack up and go home when you get tired. Sometimes you have to stand up and fight for your family, your country, and what you believe in, either at home or on the frontline. And sometimes, it takes your entire life. Think about it.
In the meantime, my hat’s off to your dad.
00
Monty, would you CHILL the fuck out? The OP is upset about possibly losing loved ones and she is venting. Get a fucking grip.
I think war fucking sucks too, and I’m TERRIFIED that we’re going to end up in another Vietnam and possibly a nuclear war.
I think war fucking sucks too, Guin. Where the fuck did I say I don’t think that?
Oh, & SR: nice stunt there. One of those threads was started by a banned one, and another by someone who used to use sockpuppets.
Silly Riddles, why are you arguing with Monty? Don’t you know he is always right? And if he isn’t right, then those on the other side are moronic, don’t know what they’re talking about, and illiterate. It’s not his fault he’s always correct!
Aw, shucks, SwimmingRiddles…If only I used sigs…
You’re too kind.
And we all know that posters who have been banned or who have used socks have never said anything valid on the boards. :rolleyes:
I noticed a common theme running through those threads, Monty. Seems that when you are proven wrong, you have difficulty admitting it.
Sly, is that you?
And, yes, fuck war.
00 Buckshot said:
That just about sums it up. I’d add that it really sucks when you’re standing up to fight for something that you don’t believe in. You can end up just as dead. But if you can’t take a joke, you shouldn’t have joined, right?
Which is why (in my opinion), most “sharp-end soldiers” are not usually gung-ho for the glory of war; it’s the stay-at-home supporters and the blunties who talk of glory and ‘magnificent battles’. It’s easy to talk heroically if all you’re doing is loading MREs into the back of Albert, somewhere on an airfield far far away from any enemy shooting at you. We used to call those folk “Naafi Heros”.
What Scruff said. My father is not proud of his Vietnam experiance, he was drafted, he was 19, he did what he was told and went where they pointed. Unfortunately, where they pointed was a landmine ridden rice patty, but I digress.
What my father IS proud of is the way that he survived, emotionally and physically. I’m closer to my dad then either of my sisters are, and I daresay that I know the innerworkings of his head better then my mother. I recently had a conversation with him about how Nam changed him. He said that it is pointless to look back on any life-changing experiance with regret or to wish it never happened. It changed you, and if you deal with it appropriately, the change can often be for the better. He said that he came back from Nam with a maturity at 20 that his brother lacks at 45. But he’s not proud of the affair. He could have gone into the reserves to stay off the draft, but he didn’t want to commit to the years the reserves required. He didn’t go because he wanted to defeat Communism, or because Nixon told him to, or because he had always wanted to see the sun rise over Chu Lai. He did it because he was 19. His purple heart remains in the box it came in, in his bureau drawer. He DOES wear the purple bar on his sport coat, but more as a reminder of a life experiance that forever altered him, not because he’s terribly proud of what he did when he was there.
So that’s a long-winded way of saying: Buckshot, thank you for tipping your hat to my dad, but I’m sure he’d much rather it stay on your head. From my experiance, he is awfully worried about people not wearing hats and catching colds.
On a side note: don’t bother posting about how my father is a traitor for not banging his battle drum and spreading the war paint across his chest. It would just mean that I would be required to open a can of Swiddle’s Custom Made Whoop-Ass, and that always takes something out of me. My dad’s a rock star, and anyone who says differently is wrong. Nevermind the fact that having a Nam Vet for a Dad, and being a bit of a tom boy lead him to teach me a fair amount of hand-to-hand.
Yes, I am a Daddy’s girl. And damn proud of it.
As for the ever-prolific Monty: hows 'bout this: I’ll STIPULATE that those two threads are null. Consider it an early Valentine’s present. That still leaves SEVEN pit threads devoted to how silly you are. But somehow I think “Nice stunt” is just about the nicest thing your bitter little being is capable of squeezing out of its weezened self, so I’ll just take it as a compliment and call it a day.
God, reading Monty is always an experience (a bad one). Calm the fuck down Master Chief. I was never banned and I never used a sockpuppet and let me tell you, the thought of sending you to the pit has crossed my mind, luckily you are not worth the effort.
To the OP, I pray against all odds that this war will not happen, and if it does let’s hope we won’t regret many deaths. Let’s hope.
Also tell your dad to wear his jacket with pride, all arguments against war are always better when said by a veteran.
I was not a master chief, Estilicon. I was not referring to you. You are so unfamiliar with the concept of truth and logic, it boggles my mind that very soon you will be an actual lawyer.
SR: I don’t care what you think about the number of threads “dedicated” to me. You might haul off and read them to see exactly what’s in them. Or not.
Or you might want to realize that I was only addressing the part of your OP that appeared to paint us military types as wannabe killers. That you, and the others in this thread, decided that I was addressing something other than what I specifically said I was addressing shows me that 'tis you and they who are being silly.
I don’t want any presents from you.
Okay, the last posting of mine was silly–the last sentence, that is.
Let’s try it this way:
-
I don’t like the idea of a war happening. In that, I hope I’m in agreement with every other sane person on the planet.
-
The comment, the sole comment, the sole comment, the sole comment, the sole comment of the OP that I was addressing was the one about “finally getting to use the training,” as in “going to war.”
2a) I saw that as saying, “Hey, those military folks are thrilled to be getting to go kill some folks.”
& also as saying
2b) “Hey, those military folks are finally getting to do what they’re being paid to do.” As in: "Hey, those military folks have been getting paid all along to do nothing.
- I NEVER SAID PEOPLE SHOULDN’T BE UPSET ABOUT THEIR LOVED ONES BEING SENT TO A WAR.
Got that? I never said it, I never implied it. On the contrary, I specifically said I didn’t have a problem with it.
-
Perhaps I could’ve asked you, “What do you mean by that comment there, Swimming?” Somehow, I think the fallout would’ve been the same. I might be wrong on that.
-
Vent, definitely vent, and vent a lot about this war which appears to be headed to an actual shooting war on both sides. Vent about the possible loss of a good number of good men and women in an area whose residents don’t give a good you-know-what about them or their sacrifices. Vent, definitely vent, and vent a lot about the people, on both sides, who lie flat out to get their ends and don’t care at all about the means they use.
Yes, vent about that. But I ask, and this would be a nice “valentine’s day” present, that when you vent, you be a tad more selective in how you describe those good men and women of our Armed Forces, including the reserve components, and what they do on a daily basis.
And, yes, I’ll be a tad more selective in how I respond/ask/describe also. I’ll even try, “Hey, you know some folks could see that as saying such-and such. Is that what you meant? I sure hope that’s not the way you meant it to come across.”
How’s that?
That is the normal and expected mode of behavior from civilized posters. If you did that, you would not be doing anyone any favors; you’d be hitting the median ettiquite line instead of the rude and obnoxious line.
But it’s definately a move in the right direction.
Another would be to apologize for over-reacting. Obviously if my best friend is a service woman, my father is a vet and my buddy Tripler sees fit to correspond with me (all of which were posted in the OP) then I don’t believe that:
I have this strange habit of accepting and respecting my friends and family in their entirety, not just the convient parts of them. I respect my best friend. I respect her religious stance, though it be different then mine. I respect her job, though it be different then mine. So frankly, I think you owe me an apology for putting words in my mouth that directly contridict that trust and respect. I don’t know WHY you interpreted my words in the incorrect manner that you did, perhaps your own insecurities may be to blame.
And for the record, the “phrase” in question was a direct quote from her. I was telling her how much I worried, and she said “Don’t. It’s what I’m trained for. It’s what I’m paid for. I’m a soldier, my job is to put my ass in dangerous situations and then avoid getting it blown off.” So if you have any further issue with that statement, I have a Staff Sgt. who will gladly correct you on Swiddle’s stance on people in the military.
Monty, I like you. You’re a cool poster. But sometimes, you just need to calm the fuck down, okay man?
Here, have some s’mores.
Thanks, Guin. But, please, no s’mores!
Thanks for, yet again, not reading what I actually wrote, Swimming.