Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Wednesday's Digressions

My new Bass Bremmers are en route as I write this.  Man, I have literally been waiting on a shoe like this- they look
 like I designed them myself. Prediction: not only are they a timeless style- They're so well made, I'll be getting compliments on them 20 years from now.

  • There was time when being called a pimp was a vile pejorative now it can be very complimentary if still a bit crude.
  • Sobering tattoo commercial.
  • There is a book out I believe titled Soldaten- On Fighting Killing and Dying. It was written from manuscripts of secretly recorded conversations of German POWs during WWII. The premise seems to be the Germans were monsters as their own conversations proved from their blase attitudes toward violence.  My first thoughts: The average German infantryman saw more combat than the average American could ever dream of and the odds were much more often stacked against him- in a material sense at least. The Germans were professional soldiers- few Americans would have termed themselves that. American GIs murdered prisoners out of spite, robbed civilians and raped women- maybe not to the extent as would happen in the wake of a German advance but it happened. History is written by the winners.  
  • When I was a boy the boys who chose the Americans for WWII combat play were the lesser informed who only knew WWII from episodes of Combat! and Rat Patrol.
  • I had homemade potato masher grenades and wore old adult cowboy boots for hobnails. I could also curse in German and cry out in pain when shot.
  • Hey cut me some slack- I could also beg the American to not shoot me when captured.
  • Man, I could have sworn Pet Shop Boys did this song. Regardless, it is straight up 1980s.

4 comments:

an Donalbane said...

Dude - no bueno to even acknowledge you've ever heard of the Pet Shop Boys.

Tat commercial was interesting. I thought it was poignant when he said "Don't even think about being a bank teller." because just yesterday, such a person asked one of my employees if he could apply, adding, "Will they hold it against me if I'm a felon?"

Like the lady in Mobile, AL, said of the guy who seen the leprechaun - "He musta gottahode of some bad crack."

'Cause it's not all the good stuff out there, right?

an Donalbane said...

BTW, two thumbs up on the Bass shoes. I was probably 10 years out of high school before I considered it safe to wear anything but wingtips as dress shoes. Back in the day, a nice pair of oxblood brogues were my prized footwear.

Still have some oxfords, including a pair of two-tone brown/tan that are physically quite comfortable, but cause a bit of self-consciousness, as they seem [to me], a tad more ethnic than I am.

an Donalbane said...

OK, last comment to this post - tripping down memory lane.

In the 80's, I was digging the oxfords for work, some awesome Dan Post (old style with the sealed welt), a de rigueur pair of LLB Maine Hunting Shoes, and about 3 pairs of Kaepa double-laced sneakers.

Guess it's hard to escape the conclusion that I was a nerd.

Was?

el chupacabra said...

Hey Don, Well, PSB kinda had their moments but you would actually have to hear stuff other than what you're prolly thinking of- not terrible- really.

I hear the felon question often- about nursing!

Thanks on the shoes They're here and except for a very slight boo boo on a seam they're magnificent.

Nerd!? Oh well, people have probably said worse- right?

I never went down double lace lane but oxblood brogues are still pimp in my book.