Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Yet ANOTHER Re-Run...

Blog-Bud Barry has a post up that caused me to go searching in the archives for some photo back-up for a statement I made in comments at his place. The particular post I was looking for contains a war-story that folks who are new in these parts more than likely haven't read. So... just for grins 'n' giggles...

A Lightweight Post for a Sunday

Via Kris, another one of those quiz thingies. This time, it’s “What Book Are You?”



You're Siddhartha!
by Hermann Hesse

You simply don't know what to believe, but you're willing to try anything once. Western values, Eastern values, hedonism and minimalism, you've spent some time in every camp. But you still don't have any idea what camp you belong in. This makes you an individualist of the highest order, but also really lonely. It's time to chill out under a tree. And realize that at least you believe in ferries.

Take the Book Quiz at the Blue Pyramid.

This one is closer than most, aside from the fact the test results say I’m really lonely. Au contraire. I’m alone, true, but I am not lonely. Big difference. Boy-Howdy is it ever true when they say “you've spent some time in every camp. But you still don't have any idea what camp you belong in.” That statement really nails it! And I do believe in ferries, having been on quite a few. The book selection is interesting in one other aspect: check out this photo of my USAF-issued dog tag (click for larger). I’m Buddhist, by an official act of the US Gub’mint. The story behind that lil bit of trivia goes like this…

Once upon a time while I was still on active duty it came to pass, via directive, that all personnel had to have Official ID tags in their possession, at all times. Those of us who had lost their ID tags were ordered to report to the CBPO and get re-issued. So, I took my ol’ self down to the personnel shop, found the ID-tag foundry and presented my ID card to the airman in charge. He looked at it in a bored manner and asked “What’s your religion?” “No preference,” sez I. “No go,” sez he, “You have to choose a religion…pick one from this list…” and he shoves a list of about 25 religious denominations across the desk to me. I scan it quickly, and he’s right: there are no “No preference” or “Agnostic” categories. So I said “I’m Buddhist.” The airman didn't bat an eye and proceeded to pound out my dog tags. Ten minutes later I walked out of the personnel shop with my newly-minted dog tags and a brand-new religion. The Second Mrs. Pennington was most impressed when I got home, she being a closet Buddhist and all.

Siddhartha, indeed.

Today is brilliantly clear and cold. It almost, but not quite, hurts to gaze upon the fields of snow outside the window. The park’s roads are still white, what with the cold and lack of traffic. We haven’t progressed to that slushy-gray muck yet. But it will come. In the meantime, I’m enjoying the view.

Here are a few quick P-Town snow facts, courtesy of the Portales News-Tribune. They say:

A winter storm that lingered over the middle of New Mexico dumped more than 10 inches of snow across parts of Clovis and eastern New Mexico Saturday.

[…]

Snow facts
—Portales averages 9.2 inches of snowfall each year.
—The city's snowiest season on record was 1972-73, when 26.9 inches fell.
—Portales recorded 22 inches of snow in December of 1997, a record for one month.
—Portales received one-half inch of snow last season, all of it in March.
—Saturday's snowfall was the most in Portales since March of 2005, when the city saw 10.5 inches for the month.

How about that?

(Originally posted January 21, 2007)

And you got some P-Ville weather facts, too! A two-fer... or mebbe even a three-fer, if ya do the quiz.

18 comments:

  1. Similar occurence, back in 1982; I had "Sadist" placed on my tags. I think they are in the box with all of the pictures.

    Of course, by 1992 I became a "Reformed Druid".

    I have never understood why a person's belief have to be placed on a tag. Could get you killed in some parts of the world.

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  2. Alone, but not lonely. Kind of like I'm never bored, even when you think I'm not doing anything.

    I'm rarely bored or lonely, I like my own company and interests too much for either adjective to ever be applied with any accuracy.

    I didn't take the test, no patience today for that stuff on my hormonal swing through the month. The cold moved back in this morning - I went from skirts to sweats in twenty short minutes. I hate weather.

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  3. Hmm. To Kill a Mockingbird?
    "Perceived as a revolutionary and groundbreaking person, you have changed the minds of many people. While questioning the authority around you, you've also taken a significant amount of flack. But you've had the admirable guts to persevere."
    This is SO not me. I tried a few other variants, but nothing rings true for me. Oh well.

    Funny about your topic on labeling, Buck. Just this morning I was intrigued by the all-but-impossible idea of drawing a huge Venn diagram for all the many belief systems we feel we belong to. For instance: libertarian. Libertarian devotee of Ayn Rand? Libertarian influenced by Rand's thinking but still religious? Libertarian focused on the Founding documents/philosophy and pro life Catholic?
    Then on the other side you get into the Pelosi pro choice Catholic socialist.
    Etc.
    The mind boggles, doesn't it?
    Then you could get into Venn diagrams of past histories and cultures. Sounds like a lifelong project. Maybe you could get a start on it whenever you're bored, ne?

    Interesting about having to choose a religion on your dog tag. I just looked it up on Wiki and found out that the Marine Corps is the only branch that allows for "no preference."
    What if you experience a religious conversion? Can you get your dog tag updated? (dog tags have been upgraded to ID tags in the Army now)

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  4. Bec said: oops, that anonymous construction was mine.

    I came back to ask if your top topic was meant to refer to "The coming evangelical collapse"? Thanks for sticking up for the evangelicals, Buck. You were very diplomatic and well reasoned, as always. Didn't seem to go with "grins 'n' giggles," though. :)

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  5. DC: The Navy LET you put those things on your tags... or did you have unofficial tags made? You guys were a lot more liberal than I give you credit for.

    Daphne sez: I'm rarely bored or lonely, I like my own company and interests too much for either adjective to ever be applied with any accuracy.

    We're of like minds. Some folks may think this attitude is narcissistic, but I don't. And lots of people have very strong needs to be surrounded by other people... I don't. I spent 57 some odd years of my life surrounded by other people and enjoy my solitude these days WAY too much to give it up. Kinda like that ol' joke that goes...

    Q: Why are you always talking to yourself?

    A: Some times it's the only intelligent conversation I can get.

    Bec sez: The mind boggles, doesn't it?

    That it does... and the subject is VERY interesting. There are probably as many variations on value systems/beliefs as there are people. We (the generic "we") may seem to be in general agreement on any one given subject, yet there are ALWAYS variations... sometimes subtle, sometimes not.

    You can get your religious preference changed on your dog tags, as far as I know. Interesting point: when I went in the AF back in 1963 there were only three options for religious preference, IIRC, Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish. Period. My original dog tags said "Protestant." Interesting point about the Marines, too. Thanks for that!

    The reason I chose to put up this re-run was strictly coincidence, btw, and has nothing to do with Barry's topic. I'm not feeling particularly inspired today and this post was about as good as any. That and I hate "dead air." ;-)

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  6. Buck,
    I had 2 sets, the ones I got in boot camp had ROM CATH on them (for my mother) but the set I got just after I finished the "Flight Deck Survival School" at North Island (in beautiful San Diego, CA)had "No-PREF" on them. That was a great school, lots of running around parked aircraft all the while carrying fire hoses or cans of foam or stokes litters. Hard work, lots of sweat and scrapped raw knee caps. At graduation we did not get fancy certificates, just these little appointment cards to see the Legal 'O' - they wanted us all to get our affairs in order and new Dog Tags to put in boots and float coats, you know just in case that was all they had left of you. It would be an interesting 4-years sea duty my medical records got thick starting with my very first day (carried off in one of them stokes litters). Ah well, all in the past now, someone else is having all the fun.

    BTW - I received my first load of El Pinto Salsa today (12 bottles, free shipping bonus). You see the great plague of real salsa and chili (New Mexican food in total) that you spoke of several weeks ago extends all the way down the eastern seaboard (when I lived in Florida there was none there either). This will be a nice treat here in PA, kind of a pick-me-up from the long slow turn from winter. I am already planning tomorrows breakfast of huevos rancheros with the Wild and Fiery Chipotle Salsa. Hmmmm, I can hardly wait to wake up and get the cast iron out!!!

    BT: Jimmy T sends.

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  7. Barco Sin Vela II wanted to know the answer to: "I have never understood why a person's belief have to be placed on a tag."
    I had that explained to me by a CPO from WWII that I met. His answer: "So they know if you want a religious ceremony or we can just throw you over the side."

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  8. "You're The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy!
    by Douglas Adams
    Considered by many to be one of the funniest people around, you are quite an entertainer. You've also traveled to the far reaches of what you deem possible, often confused and unsure of yourself. Life continues to jostle you around like a marble, but it's shown you so much of the world that you don't care. Wacky adventures continue to lie ahead. Your favorite number is 42."

    Heh! What's ironic about that answer is the fact that when someone comes up to me and says "I have a question" I will usually blurt out "42" before they can actually ask the question. I definitely get some strange looks with that.

    The scary part is that much of that descriptions sounds dead on...

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  9. An oldie, but a goodie!

    I still tell your Buddhist dog-tag story at work and get some funny looks. There is the "No Preference" option available, and I have more than one set of tags. One has "Roman Catholic," for mom as well Jimmy T! The other has the "No Preference" because I too believe in oh-so-many things...one of them being let's not advertise in the AOR.

    SN1

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  10. When asked "what denomination are you" we often answer anti-denomination. I also hate the "Race" question when filling out forms. If we are all equal, why do they need to know my race? I like to put "other."

    My book was "Babar the King." Did I take the right quiz?

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  11. I remember Dec. 1997's snowfall well. Our oldest was 7 months old and Christmas was pretty special since she was the firstborn grandchild on either side. We had ice, then snow, then more ice, and finally our hay barn collasped. It was held up only by the hay that was stacked inside it. Feeding cows was a challenge as the pickup wouldn't make it to the barn in all that snow. Jeff had to walk to the front end loader to get to the hay for the cattle.

    Sure wish we could get some of that snow now.

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  12. This was a fun quiz. I am "Ulysses" by James Joyce.

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  13. JimmyT: re: "Flight Deck Survival School" All the fun, eh? I've prolly said this before, but I'll say it again: You guys have my UTMOST admiration. I simply cannot imagine doing what you did, day in and day out, for a full career. The mind accepts and understands the gist of things from an intellectual perspective, but boggles at the reality... and I'm talking specifically about that PBS series "Carrier." There was some excellent footage in that show.

    Your news about receiving your El Pinto shipment made me smile! I hope you're not disappointed, but I don't think you will be. ;-)

    Cat sez: I had that explained to me by a CPO from WWII that I met. His answer: "So they know if you want a religious ceremony or we can just throw you over the side."

    There's probably SOME truth in that, LOL! Thanks for that...

    Buckskins sez: The scary part is that much of that descriptions sounds dead on...

    I felt the same way about mine. This lil quiz is definitely among the better ones I've seen.

    Buck sez: The other has the "No Preference" because I too believe in oh-so-many things...one of them being let's not advertise in the AOR.

    I wonder when the AF instituted the "No Pref" option. I have a distinct feeling it was sometime after 9/11. Your point about the AOR is VERY well taken.

    Lou: I have the same sorts of feelings about survey questions... as in "why do you CARE?" And... you're the first person I know that got "Babar" as an answer!

    Jenny: I remember you telling that story. It must have been quite an exciting winter, that. And yeah... we need SOME precip, but I'd prefer rain, ya know. ;-)

    Michelle: I ain't surprised! "Ulysses" is one of the best English language books of all time. Quite suitable for a woman of your talent.

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  14. I had "no preference" on my Army tags. I knew a lot of people who did. Perfectly authorized.

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  15. Andy: Ya know... I'm beginning to doubt my memory, what with all the folks coming out of the woodwork saying "No Pref" was an option. But I swear to God the story is TRUE.

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  16. THAT made me laugh, Paula! And scratch my head at the same time, coz only God knows what that means... and you, of course. ;-)

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  17. What's wrong with narcism?! In small doses it's a very healthy attribute to own.

    I finally took your quiz and roared with laughter at the result - Love In The Time Of Cholera.

    That's too damn funny. I actually read that surreal book. I might need to blog that one.

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  18. Hmmm. I haven't read "Love," but I had to look it up on The Wiki, of course. And now I'm hoping you DO blog about this. I sense there may be some identification there. Just sayin'. I'm more than likely wrong, strange as THAT might seem. ;-)

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