Deborah 4

Saturday, 9:00 am, everyone has poured coffee. Col Anderson says quietly, "may as well start," and conversations taper off. She smiles gently, "first item on the agenda of our quarterly meeting, you will recall we agreed to ask Lt Nachtenstein to prepare a historical type speech, something we can trot out and use when our poor long-suffering Reservists get yet another low class assignment."
Everyone laughs.
"You will recall it would use for theme an Ulster tour, done for the Brits. Before we start get into the mindset. This isn't a speech designed for officers, so imagine the reaction of your Sgt as you deliver such. Now, Lt, if you would please."
I rise, "I decided to throw caution to the winds, risk putting y'all to sleep with a little history. I know, moan and groan. But often it helps to take a brief look at where we've been. Let's go back two centuries, Machine Age, Industrial Age, Pre-Electronic Age. In those days, a tank or artillery piece was working class design, sturdy and simple. Rapidly you could train a farm boy or skilled factory operator to effectively use and repair it. Cheap too, most western nations could easily afford large standing armies.
"Enter the geeks, the electronic set. More bells and whistles, price tags soaring. Soon armies had mutated into being small, very expensive per member. The Americans and Brits went for this in a big way. Splashed trillions of dollars. But it had one fatal flaw. Whenever you need bodies, they aren't there.
"Canada, being much smaller and poorer, simply could not play in that league. Air Force disappeared. Navy too, leaving only a Coast Guard. Army lost its tanks, armored vehicles, and even APC's (Armored Personnel Carriers).
"Ok, so we only have jeeps and trucks. But every now and then, we have the prestige of saving our big cousins' butts. Think of things like floods or that big fire in California or aiding the Brits in Ulster. So, we may be poor, but we are not out of the game. Thank you."
Col smiles, "questions will be allowed, but not in officerial tone. Sort of questions your Sgt would ask."
Grin, one asks, "you speaking from experience, or is that all hot air?"
"I have done one tour in Londonderry, a full year, with the Gordon Highlanders."
Another, "pretty wimpy tour, I heard they never fired a shot. IRA forgot to show up."
"Peacekeeping is keeping the peace. If it can be done without a shot, so much the better."
No further questions, Col says, "just a sample, no compulsion to use the idea in whole or part. Take what you wish for yourself and leave the rest. And now, let us move on to grim. Capt Ahenakew, the financial report please."
Mother phones, brother David has returned two days ago from an absence of 8 years in Israel, studying in a yeshiva (religious school). Already he's driving Mum nuts, has the "black hat" (ultraOrthodox or Haredi) attitude to kosher, her kitchen is a battle zone. She suspects he is devoid of job skills, as there were no secular courses.
My first impression is he's ill, deathly pale, obviously inside all the time. Contrasted to me, odd weekend and summer of soldiering and walking a lot.
He knows zip about computers, two-fingers on the keyboard.
His main obstacle though is attitude. He went away smart ass, nitpicky. Years of reading and debating the fine print of Torah has made him more so.
May the Lord have mercy on whomever he marries or works for or with.
Joel and I are curious about Murray's marketing intentions. It is, after all, a different matter to try to sell to people who have never entered a bookstore.
He appears to have it covered well. Both the local Jewish weekly and the local daily have advised Murray it is indeed news, and will publish a story when the time comes.
As well, he has checked out transit advertising, believes it to be best value for our purposes and budget.