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Something thoughtful for the weekend

I’ve posted about Richard Johnson before — like, five years ago. He’s a National Post (of Canada) illustrator who, in the tradition of the war artists of old, has embedded himself with Canadian troops in Afghanistan to…well, draw pictures of stuff. He’s good.

About six weeks ago, he emailed to say he was going back (not me personally; I’m on his mailing list) and I keep forgetting to post. So here, for the weekend, is a link to his Kandahar Journal in the Post. Also, his own website. If you’re of a Twittering frame of mind, you can follow him thusly: @newsillustrator.

Something a little more worthy to think about for a while. Good weekend, folks!

Comments


Comment from Gromulin
Time: October 5, 2012, 10:39 pm

As someone who can’t draw a stick figure with the correct amount of limbs, I’m struck by how much visual information is conveyed, literally, between the lines. The areas that are just the paper, and not the pencil.


Comment from twolaneflash
Time: October 5, 2012, 10:49 pm

My son arrived home from Afghanistan last night. His Special Forces team spent 9 months engaging the enemy almost daily and are truly blessed to be home alive and whole. Last night before going to bed, he spoke of wanting his post-military career to be physical rehab of wounded warriors. I can’t see my son’s wounds, but I feel them. Tonight, he’s celebrating his safe return to The Land of Round Doorknobs by attending the National League Baseball Wild Card game in Atlanta with friends. Thanks to God for all who serve and sacrifice so immeasurably. May their eternal reward be great.


Comment from S. Weasel
Time: October 5, 2012, 11:24 pm

So glad your son is home and safe, ‘Flash (Special Forces, whoa!). We owe so much to them.


Comment from Joan of Argghh!
Time: October 6, 2012, 1:33 am

Followed and promoted on Twitter. Really worthy stuff.


Comment from Nina
Time: October 6, 2012, 3:51 am

Tell your son thanks, please.


Comment from Oceania
Time: October 8, 2012, 4:22 am

DU – hell of a way to die.


Comment from Oceania
Time: October 8, 2012, 4:25 am

What do you owe to your special forces exactly?
I smell something here …. whiffy.


Comment from S. Weasel
Time: October 8, 2012, 1:32 pm

If we told you, we’d would have to kill you.


Comment from Pablo
Time: October 8, 2012, 2:57 pm

Stoaty, you’ve got to get the old man out of England right now!!! RUN!!!

http://www.badger-killers.com/

via Popehat


Comment from Redd
Time: October 8, 2012, 4:48 pm

Wow, I went to that site and they are advertising: Full Moon Badger Action. Sounds dirty…


Comment from kilroy182
Time: October 8, 2012, 7:55 pm

Happy Columbus Day all!


Comment from Redd
Time: October 8, 2012, 8:11 pm

Thanks for reminding me that there is no mail today, kilroy!


Comment from Oceania
Time: October 9, 2012, 1:13 am

Hmmmmm Americans and killing …. history will judge your failed nation harshly.


Comment from twolaneflash
Time: October 9, 2012, 2:16 am

Reply to OCEANIA:

Today should be “Queen Isabella Day”. She not only financed Columbus, she drove the Muslims out of Spain; the Inquisitions were begun to ferret out those hiding as Christians. God save the Queen! We could use her like in America today.

As for America and killing, you should know Americans are not afraid to exercise the final option in defense of freedom. We are the only nation to drop nuclear weapons on a civilian population, to firebomb civilian cities with so many incendiaries that the torched bodies numbered in the tens of thousands, to slaughter armies, and then to return home without taking a square inch more land than it took to bury our dead. We are not to be fucked with, especially by the likes of you.


Comment from Oceania
Time: October 9, 2012, 10:13 pm

But we have fucked with you, time and time again.
You served our needs to be drawn into two world wars, and we even sank one of your submarines to ensure it.
You can’t even work out what happened on your ‘9/11’ … funny that? Remember Pearl Harbour? We were listening weeks in advance, waiting.
You’ve never won a war by yourselves that comes to mind … in fact, your batting average is worse than the French.


Comment from J.S.Bridges
Time: October 9, 2012, 11:49 pm

“But we have fucked with you, time and time again.”

No – no, actually, you have not…yet. If you had, you’d still be feeling the end-result (ask the Nipponese and the former Germanic hordes about that); if/when you ever do, you Kiwi bints will last about ten seconds longer than it takes to send “greetings” from us to your hoveled shores.

For your own miserable sakes, try really hard not to actually piss us off, dork.

“You served our needs to be drawn into two world wars, and we even sank one of your submarines to ensure it.”

Oh, please – even your miserably poor grasp of history, coupled to your obviously-unwarrantedly inflated ego, can’t make that moronity fly. Try some other fantasy – that one’s not even close to your previous nadir of self-delusionary comment.

“You can’t even work out what happened on your ’9/11′ … funny that?”

We know “what happened” on 9/11 – the dwindling, rabid-fringe “Truthers” are simply the same sort of witless fact-fudgers and mindlessly arrogant shadow-spookers as you.

“Remember Pearl Harbour? We were listening weeks in advance, waiting.”

Waiting for what? A chance to hide under the bed, while the Brood Of Nippon kicked your ineffectual asses out of The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere and adjacent parts? You actually expect anyone but the terminally brainless like yourself to accept that you knew what was coming, and imagined “…now them Yanks are gonna get whaffer, an’ serves ’em roight!!”?

“You’ve never won a war by yourselves that comes to mind … in fact, your batting average is worse than the French.”

Still ignoring – and totally ignorant of – any actual history, we see. Doubtful, anyhow, that anything of much utility ever comes from what you call your “mind”, anyway – how can anything escape a near-total vacuum?

We’ve never actually lost any war we’ve been seriously involved in – aside from roughly half of us (the Southern half) losing out in our own War Between The States – though our politicians have thrown a few into the ash-can after we’d already won them militarily as well as economically. The dolt we’ve been saddled with for the past near-four years is engaged in attempting just that right now.

We don’t often start wars, anyway – though we do have a strong tendency to finish (generally as the majority force, by far) most of the ones others start.

As for the French: They about hold the record for Starting But Failing To Finish – which is still better than you Flightless Birdbrains, who’ve never even started anything seriously combative on your own worth remembering. Some of your more intelligent near-neighbors have even done better, while you’ve had to rest your Anzac Pride on lending a helping hand, here and there, now and again, to the efforts of your far-more-skilled betters.

The only thing even remotely “Oceanic” about you, in particular, is the enormous volume of both your ahistoric ignorance and your content-free delusion.

(Apologies for some abuse of badwidth, Sweasey – ordinarily I try to refrain from troll-whacking; it’s generally a waste of time, especially with the more brain-bereft of the species. However, your particular single-celled blog infestation needs a solid Fisk-fisting occasionally, just to remind him/her/it that there is a reality, and he/she/it’s not dwelling in it to any useful extent.)


Comment from twolaneflash
Time: October 10, 2012, 4:46 pm

Oceania, bless your heart. I’ll keep the history lesson simple for you. America whipped the British Empire’s ass twice, then saved their ass twice. You’re welcome, that you’re not speaking German, Japanese, Chinese, or Russian. No need to thank us. Virtue is its own reward. Now, go fuck yourself.

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