Thursday, April 28, 2022

Army Coffee, Woke Schools, and Presidential Political Schemes


 My recent posts about strong coffee caused some reaction and also stirred memories of Army coffee circa 1960’s.

 Our unit spent a lot of time in the field and our cooks made coffee in a ten gallon pot. After bringing the water to a boil, they dumped coffee directly into the pot with no filter. The coffee was strong. Most of the grounds settled to the bottom but you always got some in your canteen cup.

 One of our cooks was Michael Machalski, a graduate from Michigan State where he was an offensive guard. A draftee, with a Master Degree in Applied Mathematics, he had “attitude”. Original sent to some esoteric specialty training he decided he didn’t like, he “flunked”. The Army sent him to cook school.

 Mike was 6’3”, a solid 240 lbs, with a prominent jaw and a small forehead. He played the dumb Pollack role to the hilt and relished the reaction it caused.

 Ever unit seems to have a Lieutenant Fuck Up. Ours was named Curtiss and right out of central casting. Arrogant, stupid, and incompetent, he brought his “bride” with him. Shirley liked to sit in their compact station wagon wearing a skirt, and no underwear with her feet on the dashboard. LT Fuck Up seemingly didn’t notice.

One morning on the Rhine River Mike was preparing to dump the morning coffee dregs when LT Fuck Up decided to be “officer”.

He demanded to know what Mike was doing.

“Washing my socks, sir. This is the only way to kill the athletes feet”.

“Is that the men’s coffee”, demanded Lt Fuck Up?

“Yes Sir”, responded Mike.

“You will dump that immediately”, ordered LT Fuck Up.  Too bad he was standing directly in front of Mike who immediately tipped the pot forward and emptied it.

Mike and I were partners in trouble and semi permanent members of the First Sergeant’s “volunteer after duty hours work crew”.  He was a good man to have your back in a bar fight. He was also a damn good cook.


Schools

I like to read opinions about important subjects written by people within. This was on Falsebook.

Brent Walker

neopr4904ap 1gt0c1ct l3A 2 c5Mi:P  · 

For a group of people who likely haven’t stepped foot on an elementary school campus in decades, there seem to be some strong and very misinformed feelings about what goes on there. Kindergarteners aren’t learning about sexual intercourse, Second Graders aren’t being encouraged to explore different genders, and Fifth Graders aren’t being pitted against each other in some sort of guilt-inducing race war. That’s utter nonsense, and the people peddling it are lying to you for votes and ratings.

Instead of raging over the vile hogwash you are being fed, I’d encourage you to make better use of your time by volunteering an hour of your week reading with struggling students, becoming a business partner to help fund different school projects, or signing up to be a substitute teacher once a month. Find your local elementary school and start putting effort into getting to know the staff and students there. We aren’t evil liberals indoctrinating the neighborhood kids with some leftist agenda; we’re real people with big hearts who choose to spend every day working with kids so they better comprehend what they read, explore the world around them, ask questions so they can more fully understand what they see, and live effectively in a community. We tie shoelaces, give hugs to sad seven-year-olds, talk through conflict between fourth-graders, and provide wet paper towels to soothe boo-boos Kindergarteners swear exist but we can’t actually see. We laugh with our kids, eat lunch with them, and give them a feeling of comfort and stability many are missing at home. Sometimes we might even provide the first smile or kind word they’ve gotten that day. And yes, we occasionally lose our cool and raise our voices because the little boogers have gotten on our last nerve and we’re human, for goodness sake.

But mostly we love.

Stop believing the lies, quit demonizing us, and let us do our jobs. Carve out some time in the coming weeks and and make a visit so you can see what really happens in these weird and beautiful little spaces.

 

Aside from his condescending tone, he makes some sense. My response is any woke activities are wrong and the first people to raise hell should be the teacher. Defend your profession and root out the evil!

Paranoia


All predictions are massive losses by the (P)regressives come mid terms. Until then, they control the Legislature. Kamala Harris will resign citing health concerns and Slo Joe will nominate whoever he is told to replace her. The Democrats will swiftly approve. The Slo Joe dies or resigns for health reasons.
  Viola, #47. Who will it be?


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5 comments:

drjim said...

I've got friends like Mike. They're very good to have.

Greybeard said...

I think time as an enlisted man should be a requirement to take a commission.
This book is the best I've ever read comparing GOOD vs. BAD Officers. I recommend it highly:
https://smile.amazon.com/Once-Eagle-Anton-Myrer/dp/0062221620/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3IXHQMDGB0WW1&keywords=once+an+eagle&qid=1651236238&s=books&sprefix=Once+an+Eag%2Cstripbooks%2C186&sr=1-1

Well Seasoned Fool said...

DrJim
Agree.

GB
Most of the officers I knew were good - no complaints. Because most were good, the bad ones stood out. In the case of LT Fuck Up, had the balloon went up, he would have been our first causality.

Old NFO said...

GREAT story! And yeah, we 'all' know that guy... LOL

Well Seasoned Fool said...

Old NFO
Thanks. Let me add I truly admire everyone who had the fortitude to make a career of the military in spite of the Fuck Ups of all ranks. I didn't have the patience.