Sunday, July 24, 2005
Great News From The Front Lines
Jack Army reports on encountering a souvenier stand in Iraq, and points out that nothing smells like freedom and prosperity than selling overpriced crap.
I am reminded of my trip to the Soviet Union in 1991. A kid on the corner was selling his brother air force officers cap, I'm betting the brother had a problem of some sort 'cause this was authentic - sweat stains, hand lettered name int eh top, all of it. Kid wanted $8 - "hard currency" meaning forget roubles, give me dollars. All I had was a ten, so I gave it to him, the kid kissed may hand and emptied his pockets of all the garbage he had -- rubber bands, toy compass, that kind of stuff. Apparently I'd tipped him a fortune. Jack's dead right on this one -- six months later the Soviet Union ceased to exist.
On another note, we have been following the story here at Blogotional of the murder of CAPT Phil Espisito in Iraq, apparently a craven act by an underling that was not hacking it. Anyway, I was heartened to come across this piece about a fund raiser in CAPT Espisito's hometown to raise money for his surviving wife and kids. Good people take care of their own -- obviously, this is a town of good people.
I am reminded of my trip to the Soviet Union in 1991. A kid on the corner was selling his brother air force officers cap, I'm betting the brother had a problem of some sort 'cause this was authentic - sweat stains, hand lettered name int eh top, all of it. Kid wanted $8 - "hard currency" meaning forget roubles, give me dollars. All I had was a ten, so I gave it to him, the kid kissed may hand and emptied his pockets of all the garbage he had -- rubber bands, toy compass, that kind of stuff. Apparently I'd tipped him a fortune. Jack's dead right on this one -- six months later the Soviet Union ceased to exist.
On another note, we have been following the story here at Blogotional of the murder of CAPT Phil Espisito in Iraq, apparently a craven act by an underling that was not hacking it. Anyway, I was heartened to come across this piece about a fund raiser in CAPT Espisito's hometown to raise money for his surviving wife and kids. Good people take care of their own -- obviously, this is a town of good people.
