Glurge Is Both A Floorwax & A Dessert Topping

I hate glurge.

The people who like glurge (or at least aren't as offended by it as I am) don't call it that. As a matter of fact they don't even have a name for it.

But if you want to see the harm done by glurge in our society, just open you eyes a little wider next Memorial Day.

Here is the question of the hour;

What are the advantages of having a Memorial Day?

Few things on this Earth piss me off more than something with "Support Our Troops" printed on it. -
There are thousands of ways to support the men and women of our armed forces...none of them involve t-shirts, bumper stickers or yard signs.

I'm the 6th generation of my family to serve in the United States Military. I was raised that the outward show of support only required a flag that was flown properly...and maybe a yellow ribbon on a tree in the front yard. Anything more than that and you were just showing off for the neighbors.
At the tomb of the unknowns there isn't a chorus line of singing dancing Marines in full battle gear. It's just one guy...doing his job...guarding the tomb.

Whatever happened to quiet dignity?

Why do I have to be forced to wade through a slimy bog of glurge about how much we owe our troops and how great they all are?
When I was in uniform and walking around in public, I would cringe whenever somebody felt the need to make some noise about the service member in their midst.
All I could see was somebody who wanted credit for their patriotism.

What I treasured the most, were the silent nods from the silver headed men and women who had in their eye a familiar glint. A hint of recognition.

Those of you who know what I'm talking about will remember the feeling... as soon as they were out of eyesight, you'd check your uniform to make sure nothing was out of place. Making sure that those who came before will be proud of what they see today.


The point I'm finally getting around to is this:

To honor the troops, you must first follow their example.

A cheesy e-mail about patriotism and a story about how bad the California Liberals are is not how we honor our dead heroes...it's how we shame them. Talking and crying rather than getting something done.

Next time you want to honor the troops, here are a few suggestions;

1. Shine your shoes.
2. Say "Yes, Sir" and "No, Ma'am".
3. When you have a hard task in front of you, get it done without bitching and moaning or making excuses.
4. Look people in the eye.
5. Mean what you say and keep your promises.
6. Take care of your family.
7. Don't fly your flag in the dark or leave it out in the rain.
8. Learn the words to the national anthem.
9. Vote
10. Enlist in the service of your choice.


We honor the sacrifice by being better citizens.

That's it.


A bumper sticker can't dissarm a terrorist.
A sappy e-mail will never be worthy of a salute.

Glurge is just about as unpatriotic as you can get.

Pinch Me

I didn't know you could really be "too happy" until now.

Ever since I've moved here ...I can't relax and I can't sleep.

I'm too happy.

My mind is a nonstop buzz of all of the little things that are wrong at the moment. Being in debt really isn't so bad as long as you have a good job that can cover the payments.
For some reason I continue to focus on my debts or the fact that I need to wash my truck.
Everything is so right that I just can't trust it.

My face hurts because I smile so much.

These are good problems to have.