h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

And I'm just about to send you an invitation to the h2g2 Scouts YahooGroup. Many thanks for volunteering!

Paully

You may talk o' gin and beer
When you're quartered safe out 'ere,
An' you're sent to penny-fights an' Aldershot it;
But when it comes to slaughter
You will do your work on water,
An' you'll lick the bloomin' boots of 'im that's got it.

That's gotta be Rudyard Kipling, or I'll eat my pith 'elmet! (If you don't take it first!).

Jealous of your shiny new badge!

'No Surrender' is a brilliant Entry. Congrats!

By the way, my (*"<:?) of a mutter-in-law used to rub wintergreen on her droopy overlarge appendages of breasts to keep out the winter cold!
You conjure-up this unfortunate image every time I read your new name, you old soldier, you! Relieve me of my pathetic ignorance and tell me what a PFC is, please!

f.

A PFC is a Private First Class. Ex-PFC Wintergreen was punished for going AWOL by being made to dig and fil up holes. Winergreen was happy with this arrangment because he realized that when he stopoed digging holes he would be sent to the front. He often imasgined that he would get a medal for his hole-digging. Since he worked in the mailroom he was able to throw away General Dreedle's communications which he thought were excessively verbose. On several occasions he destroyed orders promoting inept officers.

Ah! Right, PFC.,

But your answer begs the question: Why would a noble ex-serviceman of your standing and achievements wish to be associated with a guy like Wintergreen?
I can't imagine you going absent without leave at any point in your military career!
But then, all true military gentlemen try to hide their accomplishments.

Take (Thomas Edward) Lawrence of Arabia; he resigned his commission in the army and signed on as an ordinary aircraftsman in the RAF under the name of Ross, and when it was discovered who he really was, he changed his name again, this time to T. E. Shaw. His great fame as the desert field commander thought to possess a blood lust, embarrassed and disturbed him.

Congratulations on your promotion within h2g2!

Oops! sorry PFC; it wasn't you after all, it was Hungry Joe!

Sorry Hungry Joe, didn't look to see who had replied; common failing of mine I'm afraid, got me into trouble a few times already!

But the question still stands!

f.

Have one on me, Joe

Frontiersman,

That's a really good question.

You would have had to be involved in the Viet Nam conflict to understand my dislike for corrupt politicians and my bias. We were prevented from targeting SAM sites for political reasons. Over 400 F-105 "thuds" out of the 700 built were shot down as a result. I'm afraid that my bias and hatred for politicians has begun to show. I apologise.

Currently "support our troops" magnetic stickers are everywhere in America, but there are no funds availabe to treat our Iraq amputees and congress has taken a vacation without authorizing additional funds to treat Iraq war veterans.

Yearning for Yossarian

http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0910-08.htm

It just goes to show then, Joe-Phred-PFC Wintergreen, how terribly parochial and out of touch some of us Brits are these days, I'm afraid.

I didn't quite realize the true current political climate in the States!

Neither did I realize just how strongly you feel about US policies and what you perceive as government meanderings!

Unless I am an ignorant devil and don't listen closely enough to the news and world events programmes in the UK media, there must be some kind of 'news blackout' on the things you have mentioned. Government 'D' notices and the like?

Crazy mixed up world we've got these days, as ever I suppose.

f.

I sent you a pint of ale with the last post, as you can see! Why in heaven's name did it only come out as the GuideML version? The others alongside it have come out correctly!


f.

No need to apologize...it's not commonly known in the US that Iraq veterans face long waiting times for treatment. The media has let us down....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/28/AR2005062800545.html

http://www.vvaw.org/commentary/?id=510

Frontiersman...you might wonder about the accuracy of the VVAW, but I've been a member since 1972 and I think they're on the right track. Of course our "government" would probably not agree.

Goodness...how did this happy thead get so far off track...my apologies to all friends...

"The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all your Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it"

Welcome back to your name Phred.

Peace, dude!