jedi757

“Call ’em like you see ‘em and to hell with it.”—Ernest Hemingway. “Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities, Can Make You Commit Atrocities.”—Voltaire

[jedi757 @MarkClark321]

@CynicalPublius Someone has to stay and fight.

[jedi757 @MarkClark321]

@jones96706 @CynicalPublius "DELUSION IS A HELL OF A DRUG!"

[jedi757 @MarkClark321]

@CynicalPublius I live in CA and while I am partially ashamed to say I did not bother voting this election, because I cynically concluded it would not matter.

In defense, it does appear my cynical conclusions are being proven almost by the minute.

[jedi757 @MarkClark321]

@seanonolennon @depressionlesss and @SheldrickTrust are good follows for that, if you are not already aware of them.

[one cleveland baseball fan @1CLEbaseballfan]

Before the majors, Larry Doby starred for the Newark Eagles of the Negro Leagues, debuting at age 17 in 1942.

Just 5 short years later, he was the first Black player to the American League, debuting at age 23 in 1947.

Designate July 5 as Larry Doby Day @MLB.

[Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius]

I want to tell you a story about a “journalist.”

I’m pretty sure the journalist in question was Scott Pelley, but for reasons I am about to explain I can’t be 100% sure—I just know it was a major US TV reporter.

August, 2003.

I was the G-4 of the 82nd Airborne Division. The IED threat had just become a real thing in Iraq and the 82nd—having just returned from Iraq—was sent back to the fight.

The “Division Support Area” was earmarked for a place called al Taqaddum, or “TQ.” I led the advance party to occupy the site (we drove from Kuwait). TQ was a huge area on a high bluff, west of Fallujah, and had a cratered Iraqi Air Force airfield. Later in the war it was a plush site with a PX and restaurants, but when I occupied it, it was nothing but a bunch of abandoned buildings, hulks of old Iraqi fighting vehicles blocking the runway, nightly rocket and mortar attacks, and constant probing of the huge perimeter by insurgents.

The IED threat was happening because insurgents were pulling artillery rounds out of abandoned Iraqi army ammunition supply points and turning them into roadside bombs.

We had been on TQ about one full day when the front gate called me on the radio: “All American 4, we have some TV reporters here, they want to come in, what should I do, over?”

After telling the gate to check IDs and do a sweep of their vehicle, I said: “Send them to me, over.”

A few minutes later an armored Mercedes pulls up to our TOC. The “talent” is in the very back where I could barely see him, but I’m pretty sure it was Scott Pelley. (Pelley was definitely in Iraq at the time, I checked.)

His producer gets out from the air-conditioned Mercedes plushness and pulls out a map. He arrogantly points to an Iraqi ammo supply point between TQ and Ramadi and demands: “I need you to escort us to this location.”

(They wanted to do a story with reporter speaking against a backdrop of an ammo supply point, because that’s where the IEDs were coming from.)

“NEED? I’m sorry sir, that site is not secured and I am not putting my paratroopers at risk for your story.”

Big disappointment and head shaking. I’m thinking: “The NERVE of this guy. Does he think I work for him?”

He then asks: “Well what will happen if we go by ourselves?”

My response: “You’ll probably die.”

(Important background: TQ also had a giant Iraqi ammo supply point that was inside the wire but we had not cleared it yet—it could have been booby-trapped, we just did not know at the time.)

He points at the map again: “Well how about the ammunition right here? We can just drive over there, right?”

“No sir, you cannot. We have not cleared that site.”

By this time he was visibly angry, he had a chat with the talent in the back, and then they all got back in and left without even saying thank you or good bye.

(Important point: the ammo on TQ he wanted to use as a backdrop for his “story" was SECURED from Iraqis grabbing any of it, yet they wanted to use that as a backdrop for a story on Iraqis grabbing ammo.)

The point of this story is this: those “journalists” were incredibly arrogant, incredibly dismissive of anyone in uniform with dirty boots, and basically oozed a sense of entitlement as if they were on some sort of noble mission, when in reality their mission was to smear the effectiveness of our operations because Bushitler.

When you hear Scott Pelley talk, oozing with arrogance over his “combat” experience, remember that he is of a breed that all think and act alike. To those "journalists," we were not American fighting men and women in combat. No, we were there for their convenience. It sickened me, and still does.

You think you hate journalists enough...

[jedi757 @MarkClark321]

@freeamericanyes @EddieSpeir In the end. it's always about control.

"You can't get rich in politics unless you're a crook." - Harry Truman

[jedi757 @MarkClark321]

@TheBrancaShow How about voting as well?

[ExtantBuffalo @ExtantBuffalo]

@doggintrump Florida counts 11 million ballots in about 3 hours.

California has 16 million votes and 25,000 precincts. Each precinct has 640 ballots to count. I know Californians are really really stupid but even they should be able to use their fingers and toes to get to 640 in a few hours

[jedi757 @MarkClark321]

@1CLEbaseballfan Just tuning in myself.

[jedi757 @MarkClark321]

@GreenEggs1985 @CLEsportsTalk I’m not going to punish the team by not watching them, but will never say the G-word. Indians/Tribe forever.

[Cleveland Sports Talk @CLEsportsTalk]

#LIKE if you’d be HAPPY if the #Guardians changed the name back to the #Indians cause they’re actually good now 🔥🔥🔥

#RETWEET if you still wear your Indians gear!!!

[one cleveland baseball fan @1CLEbaseballfan]

JOIN ME in asking @MLB to designate July 5 as Larry Doby Day.

[jedi757 @MarkClark321]

Ha! I live in Northern California now (so I have to get the MLB package to watch.) But grew up in Tiffin, Ohio (about an hour south of Toledo) Which unfortunately meant we had some Detroit Tigers fans as well. I was just back there and EVERYONE says Indians, and the local sports bar only has Indians banners and posters n the wall. So not sure how much help I can be out here, but if there's anything I can do (even just sign a petition) let me know.

[jedi757 @MarkClark321]

@dylynj77 @johnrich Keep me posted.

[jedi757 @MarkClark321]

@dylynj77 @johnrich The G-word is not permitted in my house. It’s either Indians or Tribe, and I am not alone.

[jedi757 @MarkClark321]

I grew up in Northern Ohio, so early on, I really didn’t get Trump and saw him was just kind of a blow hard. Some years later, I was based in New Jersey in the Air Force, and finally got the East Coast Way of talking. Once I got into it, I actually found it pretty fun and even though I live in California now it can still come out now and then—especially if I lose my temper a bit. I totally get Trump now.

[jedi757 @MarkClark321]

@dylynj77 @DispatchAlerts I just wish someone would explain to me why we celebrate a fringe of society known for high degrees of social dysfunction, mental illness, and not to mention pedophilia. We should be celebrating good parenting and healthy family lifestyles.

[jedi757 @MarkClark321]

@bennyjohnson Voter fraud will carry the day for Bass. Bookmark this.

[jedi757 @MarkClark321]

@harpua71burner @Ziggys_Duck I think if Season 5 had been given a full 12 eps it would have given them the time they needed to flesh a few things out better. I still like it though.