Harrumph. I'm right hacked off about the recent Virginia election results, and with good reason. I managed to avoid falling headlong into a drunken stupor about the whole thing simply 'cause I reckoned that I'd find myself quoted in a local paper calling T.M. Kaine something unprintable.
Such an appearance would, of course, be immediately followed by an editorial tsk-ing "drunken Republicans for their lack of bipartisanship in launching unwarranted attacks against progressive candidates" or somesuch. Keeping that in mind, I (wisely) chose to avoid the whiskey.
After stewing for a couple of days, I thought of something literary as an inspiration for a one-liner response to the results. It is inspired by the Tom Clancy/Larry Bond novel Red Storm Rising, one of my all-time favorites.1
I can't find either of my copies at the moment, so some details will be approximate, but here goes: The US Navy (personified by Ed Morris and his ship) has escorted an eastbound convoy to resupply NATO forces. The Soviets (through their subs and bombers) have picked off several ships in the convoy. Morris wonders how the merchantmen are holding up, and he gets his answer by way of blinker light.
I don't have a blinker light, but let me echo the sentiment of the unnamed merchie:
"THANKS FOR NOTHING, NAVY NORTHERN VIRGINIA"
No, I'm not bitter. Once the irritation wears off, I intend to write a little something approaching a vague manifesto for what the Tories might've called "The Way Forward".
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1 So favored that I wound up calling my 'commander' file in M1 Tank Platoon II 'Terry Mackall'; moreover, I was tempted to dub my helo driver(s) in Jane's Fleet Command as 'Jerry the Hammer'. It is, however, sad to note that my favorite-named submarine in the novel doesn't make it out.