Date: Thu, 8 Apr 1999 07:04:22 -0400
From: Unka Bart <mendicant-AT-buddhist.com>
Subject: Re: Send a folksinger to the Balkans...


Oooops, Carp just reminded me that I didn't sent it to the list, just him.
Thanks for the "Heads-up," Carpo!

>On Tue, 6 Apr 1999 NINT0oL-AT-aol.com wrote:
>
>> In a message dated 3/31/99 11:25:15 AM EST, dcombs-AT-bloomington.in.us writes:
>
>> Did you volouteer for the military? and if so waht are youre reasons?

But of course!  Playing soldier is more fun that anything one can do that
doesn't involve a condescending member of another gender, nothing else even
comes close.  Driving fast car and motorcycles at anti-social velocities
is, at best, a distant second.  (heavy sigh...)

>Since I'd always wanted to obtain a little skill at blowing things up,

Did I mention getting to play with full-auto guns?  And then, for good
measure, that stuff that Carpo mentions.  Geez, you think an M-80 or a
Cherry-bomb is loud - sheeeee-it, man; you ain't heard *Nothin'!*  And
second best of all, I got to *teach* others to blow a wide variety of stuff
up, so naturally, I had to *practice* a lot.  (will someone please answer
that goddamn phone...)

Best of all was being an artilleryman.  Man!  If you want to put a
*serious* hurtin' on someone, there's absolutely nothing like having your
very own 8" Howitzer (yes, yes, I know, I know.  But honestly, those
Fokkers were flying Messerschmidts... but I digress...).

>All in all the military was a positive experience for me because I was a
>bit older--22/23--than my peers and I was smart enough to know how to stay
>out of sight.  I learned self-discipline which had somehow escaped me and
>I also learned that most people are really stupid about anything beyond
>their immediate vision.

Words of wisdom there, laddie.  Just like in real war, keepin thy ass down
is a great way to remain intact for another day.

And as I recollect, the military was a positive experience for me too.  I'm
positive.  Positively.  Yep, it was an *experience*, Positively!

By the way, I lied about the best part.  The *best* part was gettin *Paid*
for all that fun!  Or maybe it was the friendly natives, I'm old; I forget
these little details...

>All in all I can't say it was bad for me, but I know how to manipulate
>systems.  I wouldn't recommend it for my son.

Then again, there's no better place to pick up that handy little skill...

I would't recommend it for my cat, however...

Yer Kindly Ol' Unka Bart