A Farm Kid in the Marines

I recently got this email and thought the story was amusing.


Dear Ma and Pa,

I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled.

I was restless at first because you get to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m. But I am getting so I like to sleep late. Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot, and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Practically nothing.

Men got to shave but it is not so bad, there's warm water. Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and other regular food, but tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee. Their food, plus yours, holds you until noon when you get fed again. It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much.

We go on 'route marches,' which the platoon sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it's not my place to tell him different. A 'route march' is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks.

The sergeant is like a school teacher. He nags a lot. The Captain is like the school board. Majors and colonels just ride around and frown. They don't bother you none.


This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don't move, and it ain't shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't even load your own cartridges They come in boxes.

Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It ain't like fighting with that ole bull at home. I'm about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake .. I only beat him once... He joined up the same time as me, but I'm only 5'6' and 130 pounds and he's 6'8' and near 300 pounds dry.

Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding in.

Your loving daughter,
Sarah

Signs of the apocalypse

I don't like Robert Gibbs. To put it mildly, I think he's a tool. But I first saw this story on Yahoo this afternoon, then decided to follow it over to Townhall (since the embedded video at Yahoo originated from TH) to see what else they posted about it.

Here's the thing: I have to side with Gibbs on this more than I do the reporter. Judging from the comments at TH, I'm apparently the only Conservative who takes this stance. But while Gibbs' comparing the reporter to his child is completely out of line, it's not like he was dealing with a real peach of a lady. She's rude, she was asking questions that are fit more for TMZ than any relevant political organization, and she cops a serious attitude.

Here's a tidbit for you: I strongly considered going into journalism until I took my first reporting class. I decided against it when I saw how many people in that world are like this chick. So while I don't think Gates handled this just real well, I wouldn't blame him for blowing her off...or basically anything he did up until the son comparison or following it.