Utterly Meaningless » 2014 » February
  • LIFE IN PARKERSBURG, WV

    Filed on February 24, 2014 at 7:05 am under by dcobranchi

    There’s an interesting LttE in my local paper. He’s responding to an earlier letter that endorsed allowing soldiers to wear certain religious garb as part of their uniforms (like turbans for a Sikh soldier).

    Mr. Nichols and Mr. Harpool apparently have never served in the U.S. military. Their displayed lack of knowledge and comments and, obviously, their lack of being an informed voter, are quite evidently displayed. I am currently writing a book, and I will gladly send them a free copy of it when I am done and try to educate them a little more. Uniform in the dictionary: “adj. 1. unvaried, regular, constant. n. 1. sameness, consistency, identical with others (as in police uniforms and military).”

    I served in the first Gulf War, and a kid in my platoon was from Jordan (Muslim) and was a great kid to work with. He became a translator for Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf. Another kid was a black man who was also Muslim, good kid, but when it came to war time, he questioned whether or not he could kill his “brother” Muslims. Perhaps if they wore turbans their enemy of us “Infidels” could be distinguished.

    People are good, no matter where they may be from if they choose to be. Christians are being killed on a daily basis in the Middle East and parts of Africa. What tolerance of other religions do the Muslims really portray. Yes, there are peaceful ones, but where are they to stop the progression of Islamic militants? Kuwait is one of our few allies left in the Middle East and may God bless any of the Middle Eastern people who stand against tyranny.

    As far as wearing of the military uniform, since “Devil Worship” is considered a form of religion by the U.S. government, does that mean they could wear red hats with horns and carry a pitchfork instead of a rifle? I think not, and any such change makes us all look like idiots. I rest my case.

    Brian R. Dent

    Parkersburg

    I didn’t realize that Satanists wore red hats with horns and carried pitchforks. You learn something new every day, I guess. As for looking like an idiot, Mr. Dent, I heartily agree.

    Case closed!

    ALMOST HEAVEN

    Filed on February 15, 2014 at 8:03 am under by dcobranchi

    This has to be the definition of a no good very bad day:

    A rush-hour wreck Friday at the Interstate 77 Williamstown-Marietta Bridge involved a lost couch and a tractor-trailer, sent two to the hospital and closed the southbound lanes of the bridge for more than an hour, officials said.

    Around 5 p.m., an unknown motorist carrying a load of furniture and traveling southbound across the I-77 Williamstown-Marietta Bridge lost control of the load and deposited a couch on the bridge behind the vehicle, said Deputy M.C. Hupp with the Wood County Sheriff’s Office.

    Behind the unidentified motorist, Tracy West, 41, of Orma, W.Va., and his wife Melissa West, 36, of Orma, W.Va., were test-driving a Dodge Ram pickup from a local dealership, Hupp said.

    Tracy West was unable to stop in time to avoid striking the couch, Hupp said. The couch was hit, and ended up beneath the Ram’s undercarriage, Hupp said. The test-driven Ram was forced to stop in the center of the I-77 Williamstown-Marietta Bridge due to being hung up on the couch, said Hupp.

    Unable to stop on the slick bridge surface, a tractor-trailer from Broughtons Dairy then struck the Ram from behind, Hupp said. The tractor-trailer was driven by George Mosser Jr., 54, of Marietta.

    At least the couch wasn’t on fire.