NCA

[Mr.Mcknowitall]

The Numismatic Consumers Alliance conducted their first Grading Class at the Baltimore Show.

 

When this opportunity was first announced, I decided to attend.

 

I thought the class would focus on counterfeit detection, and I can always use assistance in improving my knowledge base in this area. When I arrived, the class description was posted, and did not contain the word "counterfeit".

 

The Teacher was Mr. Rick Sear. In his opening remarks, he said the class would not be about counterfeit detection. It would be Morgan grading.

 

I am not ashamed to admit that I am not the fastest and most accurate eye in the numismatic world, and decided that since I had already invested the $35.00 fee, I would stay and learn something.

 

Mr. Sear is a very unassuming person. You get the feeling that he genuinely likes people, and enjoys the opportunity to share knowledge. He was not so overly enthusiastic that you wanted to throw a beer bottle at him because it made you feel ill. He is very straightforward and a little impish, and slightly leans toward a fondness for Jack Benny type one-liners.

 

He was more than effectively assisted by a very confident and knowledgeable John Marberger (not sure but hope I spelled right), a USNA Grad, and a Lt. Commander on the USS Lincoln, if I recall correctly, with 15 years under his belt. Lt.C. Marberger is a wonderful example of our Officer Corps, and he renews your faith in those that serve in our Armed Forces, and Officers of the Line. He never mentioned any of his personal background. I discovered his particulars in quiet side conversation.

 

His expertise is Morgans and Morgan grading, and it was quite evident he knows something about the subject.

 

So, what was it like?

Unusual.

 

Mr. Sear had each of us give a 20 words or less history of our collecting experience. He had to cut 2 people off, as I recall, and surprisingly I was not one of those that offended the 20 word Rule (I know-surprised the heck out of me, also). The attendees ranged from a year collecting to 45 years collecting.

 

A quick lesson via computer and screen about Morgan grading and pictures of various grades, and then right to it.

 

A box of 20 Morgans were passed around. We were given a chart with pictures of the various general grades of Morgans at the top-f, vf, ef, au, ms, with columns below.The object was to grade each piece and enter in the appropriate column.

 

Looking glasses, magnifiers, loups, computer assisted view enhancers, etc. were not allowed.

 

LtC. Marburger gave a very effective "its all about luster" tip; the point of which was: if it aint there drop to vf, if it is there, start climbing up the scale.

 

Mr Sear emphasized that 90% of the story of the coin is quickly discovered by observing the obverse,spinning it and moving it side to side, while holding it with arm comfortably bent and hand elevated- in my case, 1-1.5 feet from my eyes. He made the point that the Reverse condition rarely improves the grade determined from the Obverse, and quite often lowers it.

 

There was one really adept Orangatan in the Class, and I swear the coin was 5.7 feet away from his eyes.

 

The box of 20 included both the easy and slightly deceptive range.

 

Right away, the person sitting next to me and a person at another table offended the instructors by-yep-pulling out their Loupe. I thought Mr. Sear was going to have a Heart Attack, and his bellowing voice that announced the infraction could have been used as a foghorn on Lt.C Marbergers' place of duty.

 

I should mention that this was to be a timed exercise. Unfortunately, Mr. Sear did not consult Rolex on the choice of, and preferred device for, this exercise.

 

His machine of choice failed. Mr. Sear was apologetic and stated it was brand new. Lt.C. Marberger, although verbally quiet, certainly with the use of eye movement portrayed the ineptitude of civilian efficiency via purchasing the timepiece at Mannys Watch Emporium on 3rd. Ave. in the Bronx (and not at least testing it more than once). Mr. Sear was more distraught at the fact he no longer had the receipt and could not return it, not that this would work in the Bronx anyway, from my limited experience.

 

So, Mr. Sear used his sure fired ability to sort of judge the time, gently chiding some stragglers, and not so gentle encouragement with repeat offenders that were spending more time discussing the coin with fellow table sitters than Mr. Sear thought necessary. One enterprising soul, that believed he could fill General Petreaus' shoes, chose to defend his position and use of time by entering into a Roman Forum speech about the TPG grading times and the necessity to give due consideration of a coin without regard to time, in order to effectively reach a proper conclusion about the merits of the coin. This was an impressive speech, and I for one decided that when Class was over I would follow the gentleman around the Bourse in an effort to gain an advantage in buying. I quickly changed my strategy when it was discovered that the coin this individual had just concluded grading was some 30 points off.

 

This was the pattern thru 2 more boxes of 20, and Mr. Sear and LtC. Marberger were very patient and effective, and it was clear that LtC. Marbergers' original tip about luster and Mr. Sears' instruction of 90% percent of the coin story is told by viewing the obverse in a certain manner, were very true. All students, without exception, had improved by the end of the Class. Mr. Sear and LtC. Marberger graciously entered into one-on-one discussions with anyone that had particular issues with a certain coin and condition.

 

All attendees were given a 2012 Red Book, a Grading Book and a magnifier that was both 3x and 6x power.

 

At the conclusion Mr. Sear told us that our Class fee of $35.00 was being refunded. He asked only that any constructive ideas on how to improve the Class be shared with him, since this was the FlagShip Class (LtC. Marbergers' eyes happily lit up at the use of the word "FlagShip"- I guess he thought Mr. Sear didn't have it in him to use such an exhalted term).

 

One fellow did have some improvement observations using technology, that had words that scared me in the suggestion. I am no Bill Gates.

 

Me, I found it a very comfortable experience, and would not change much, except a suggestion on where and how to properly puchase a timepiece.

 

These 2 Gentlemen freely dedicated their time for our benefit, and in particular LtC. Marberger, who came up from his place of Duty in Norfolk, I believe, to assist, had done so on a moments notice, because the planned assistant to Mr. Sear became very ill on Wednesday, and LtC. Marbergers' generosity of time made the Class whole.

 

I assure you I could think of a lot better things to do as a young Officer of the Line visiting Baltimore, like trying out "You lost that lovin Feelin" in a few places of interest.

 

 

 

 

[RWB]

Thanks for the interesting class description. It’s great to hear about people devoting time to doing something productive instead of complaining about ebay or grading points.

 

Why did you believe it dealt with counterfeit detection? Also, why was it limited to Morgans...time...interest?

 

[Mr.Mcknowitall]

Thanks for the interesting class description. Its great to hear about people devoting time to doing something productive instead of complaining about ebay or grading points.

 

Why did you believe it dealt with counterfeit detection? Also, why was it limited to Morgans...time...interest?

 

Thank You for your response.

 

The Class was originally described, very early on, as a counterfeit detection Class.

 

Morgans selected, because a very good way, due to size of the coin, to learn about the nuances of grading. Easy to see the finer points.The time lesson was to impress upon us the luster/Obverse story quickly and then decide the merits of further scrutiny or move on to the next coin.

 

LtC. Marberger had a very good suggestion to emphasize the object lesson of the Class: Go out on the Bourse, and ask any Dealer if you could review a box of TPG Morgans. As you lift out each coin, cover the portion on the Holder that denotes the Grade, and using the lessons learned, grade the coin. By the time you go thru 12-15 Boxes, you will start nailing the general aspects of the coin. I agree. You can't view enough coins-regardless of denomination or size.

[RGT]

As much as I tried to enjoy your recount of the class, as a former Naval officer myself I had difficulty getting past the improper use of Lt.C. instead of the proper rank of LCDR. Disrespect for our military will not be tollerated (until you become Commander in Chief).

[Mr.Mcknowitall]

As much as I tried to enjoy your recount of the class, as a former Naval officer myself I had difficulty getting past the improper use of Lt.C. instead of the proper rank of LCDR. Disrespect for our military will not be tollerated (until you become Commander in Chief).

 

I must attibute this to the difference between the Army and the Navy. We always improvise on the side of brevity, and NCO ranks are generally smarter than the Officers of the Line in accomplishing this. This may have attributed to your difficulty, although I can't be sure.

 

It is also possible this is the reason for an Officer sometimes using the term 'former" to describe oneself, due to the general difficulty Officers have with simple concepts, that prohibit their career growth.

 

Now, I am not against Officers mind you... however, I have seen certain monkeys that are more adept with a roll of duct tape.

[cpm9ball]

As much as I tried to enjoy your recount of the class, as a former Naval officer myself I had difficulty getting past the improper use of Lt.C. instead of the proper rank of LCDR. Disrespect for our military will not be tollerated (until you become Commander in Chief).

 

I thought it was a very good report, but I will admit that I kept referring to the naval officer as Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Marberger every time I saw the abbreviation.

 

Chris

[Mr.Mcknowitall]

As much as I tried to enjoy your recount of the class, as a former Naval officer myself I had difficulty getting past the improper use of Lt.C. instead of the proper rank of LCDR. Disrespect for our military will not be tollerated (until you become Commander in Chief).

 

I thought it was a very good report, but I will admit that I kept referring to the naval officer as Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Marberger every time I saw the abbreviation.

 

Chris

 

I see, another Officer.

 

O.K., lets start with the word "recount". I will, of course, exclude Officers from understanding this word.....it causes other follow-on Officers reading a Report to become confused and disoriented, so much so that they don't remember if they are in the Army or the Navy, and miss the point of a Report. This is why we have the NCO designation in the Military.

 

[MarkFeld]

Excellent report John! (thumbs u

[Mr.Mcknowitall]

Excellent report John! (thumbs u

 

Thank You for your kind words.

 

This is the first clue that one is not an Officer of the Line.

 

With Continuing Respect,

John

 

PS: I do hope the Officers know I am just taking a shot....

[MJ]

Excellent report John! I'm a big fan of Rick Sear and one would do well to listen to what he has to say/write. He knows the coin business as well as anybody.

 

MJ

[Mr.Mcknowitall]

Excellent report John! I'm a big fan of Rick Sear and one would do well to listen to what he has to say/write. He knows the coin business as well as anybody.

 

MJ

 

Thank You.

I share your evaluation of Mr. Sear.

It is also my fondest wish that he never decides to collect time pieces, of any nature, description and or condition, because I would be forced to change my evaluation.

[RGT]

As much as I tried to enjoy your recount of the class, as a former Naval officer myself I had difficulty getting past the improper use of Lt.C. instead of the proper rank of LCDR. Disrespect for our military will not be tollerated (until you become Commander in Chief).

 

I must attibute this to the difference between the Army and the Navy. We always improvise on the side of brevity, and NCO ranks are generally smarter than the Officers of the Line in accomplishing this. This may have attributed to your difficulty, although I can't be sure.

 

It is also possible this is the reason for an Officer sometimes using the term 'former" to describe oneself, due to the general difficulty Officers have with simple concepts, that prohibit their career growth.

 

Now, I am not against Officers mind you... however, I have seen certain monkeys that are more adept with a roll of duct tape.

 

Entirely not your fault. I have difficulty with incompetence in general, not just with respect to military ranks. You would think that having been exposed to so much incompetence over the years that I would have gotten better at overlooking it.

 

So you are saying that the NCO ranks are better at brevity while Officers tend more toward accuracy. I can see how this would prompt you to use only three letters in the abreviation instead of the correct four, however with the two periods you needed this becomes a false economy.

 

An Officer would never describe themselves as a "former Officer" however I occasionally describe myself as such since I am no longer an Officer. I consider the act of resigning my commision as one of my best career growth moves.

 

I hope that I have stated my thoughts in a way that even an NCO (or former NCO, if you prefer) could understand them.

 

[Mr.Mcknowitall]

As much as I tried to enjoy your recount of the class, as a former Naval officer myself I had difficulty getting past the improper use of Lt.C. instead of the proper rank of LCDR. Disrespect for our military will not be tollerated (until you become Commander in Chief).

 

I must attibute this to the difference between the Army and the Navy. We always improvise on the side of brevity, and NCO ranks are generally smarter than the Officers of the Line in accomplishing this. This may have attributed to your difficulty, although I can't be sure.

 

It is also possible this is the reason for an Officer sometimes using the term 'former" to describe oneself, due to the general difficulty Officers have with simple concepts, that prohibit their career growth.

 

Now, I am not against Officers mind you... however, I have seen certain monkeys that are more adept with a roll of duct tape.

 

Entirely not your fault. I have difficulty with incompetence in general, not just with respect to military ranks. You would think that having been exposed to so much incompetence over the years that I would have gotten better at overlooking it.

 

So you are saying that the NCO ranks are better at brevity while Officers tend more toward accuracy. I can see how this would prompt you to use only three letters in the abreviation instead of the correct four, however with the two periods you needed this becomes a false economy.

 

An Officer would never describe themselves as a "former Officer" however I occasionally describe myself as such since I am no longer an Officer. I consider the act of resigning my commision as one of my best career growth moves.

 

I hope that I have stated my thoughts in a way that even an NCO (or former NCO, if you prefer) could understand them.

 

It is with sincere feelings of apology for any distress I have caused you by the choices of my vocabulary.

 

I can only refer you to my Postscript in my reply to Mr. Feld, above.

It is possible you missed it.

 

If you did not miss it, and have carefully chosen your words, then I can only humbly state that brevity convinced me not to hit the caps button and use up screen space via length, with so many caps. It is also my experience that an Officer tends to overlook length in discussing brevity, and the Officer indeed tends to increase their length, and indeed exaggerate their own true brevity when replying.

 

I will agree with you that resigning your commision appears to have been a good career growth move. I've only your observations to consider, though, so I could possibly be wrong.

[nk1nk]

John,

 

I will say I enjoyed the write up on your class and was pleasantly surprised that I could actually follow and understand it completly. I was also brought back to reality as I tried, but failed to follow or understand your posts that followed, something about brevety.... accuracy...col. sanders....blah blah blah, what do I know anyway.

 

Respectfully confused,

Nick

[Mr.Mcknowitall]

John,

 

I will say I enjoyed the write up on your class and was pleasantly surprised that I could actually follow and understand it completly. I was also brought back to reality as I tried, but failed to follow or understand your posts that followed, something about brevety.... accuracy...col. sanders....blah blah blah, what do I know anyway.

 

Respectfully confused,

Nick

 

I appreciate your courtesy.

I will in the interest of brevity, explain the rest of the story.

 

1) A former U.S. Navy Officer that is a Board member replied in the negative about my usage of the letters I typed for the rank of Lieutenant Commander. I assumed that it was in jest.

 

2) I replied in jest, and with a slight touch of us against them-the lower ranks against the Officers, so to speak, a time honored pastime in the Military.

 

3) Another member also stated confusion at my letter choice on the same subject, so true to my nature, I continued my jest.

 

4) In reply to Mr. Felds' kind words, I postscripted that I hoped the Officers on the Board knew I was pulling their leg.

 

5) The original Officer replied in a manner that indicated he was very serious in his manner when he first replied,which I had assumed was good natured ribbing toeard my Post.

 

6) In reply to this Officers' second posting, I apologized for any distress I caused the Officer, and directed him to my postscript in my reply to Mr. Feld, in case he had missed it.

 

I then added that IF he did not miss my postscript (meaning he was offended originally, which shocked me) then my only choice of reply was using hidden nuances about the length of an Officer, and I agreed with him concerning his career choice to resign as an Officer.

 

I tell ya, I could write a book about misunderstandings in cyberspace...I just don't know any more.

 

But (blah,blah) what to I know?

 

With Respect,

John

 

PS: However, it is true that there are certain monkeys that know more about duct tape than an Officer........not that I want to continue the jest or anything...

the Good Lord knows I don't want to make trouble.

[RGT]

It is with sincere feelings of apology for any distress I have caused you by the choices of my vocabulary.

 

I can only refer you to my Postscript in my reply to Mr. Feld, above.

It is possible you missed it.

 

If you did not miss it, and have carefully chosen your words, then I can only humbly state that brevity convinced me not to hit the caps button and use up screen space via length, with so many caps. It is also my experience that an Officer tends to overlook length in discussing brevity, and the Officer indeed tends to increase their length, and indeed exaggerate their own true brevity when replying.

 

I will agree with you that resigning your commision appears to have been a good career growth move. I've only your observations to consider, though, so I could possibly be wrong.

 

I certainly did not miss your postscript to Mr. Feld, however I could not let my poor timing deprive me of a good "dressing down". Also I have read enough of your posts to know it was all in jest. Unfortunately I don't post frequently enough for you to have that same advantage.

 

I don't judge someone based on their status as an officer or NCO or even the status of former. There are plenty of officers that fall short of your description and there are many upstanding officers despite the fact that they may collect Morgans. The same can be said about those serving as NCO. I hear there may even be some worthwhile CWO's.

[MarkFeld]

It is with sincere feelings of apology for any distress I have caused you by the choices of my vocabulary.

 

I can only refer you to my Postscript in my reply to Mr. Feld, above.

It is possible you missed it.

 

If you did not miss it, and have carefully chosen your words, then I can only humbly state that brevity convinced me not to hit the caps button and use up screen space via length, with so many caps. It is also my experience that an Officer tends to overlook length in discussing brevity, and the Officer indeed tends to increase their length, and indeed exaggerate their own true brevity when replying.

 

I will agree with you that resigning your commision appears to have been a good career growth move. I've only your observations to consider, though, so I could possibly be wrong.

 

I certainly did not miss your postscript to Mr. Feld, however I could not let my poor timing deprive me of a good "dressing down". Also I have read enough of your posts to know it was all in jest. Unfortunately I don't post frequently enough for you to have that same advantage.

 

I don't judge someone based on their status as an officer or NCO or even the status of former. There are plenty of officers that fall short of your description and there are many upstanding officers despite the fact that they may collect Morgans. The same can be said about those serving as NCO. I hear there may even be some worthwhile CWO's.

 

The post you quoted and replied to above, was from Mr. Curlis, not from me (Mark Feld).

[RGT]

It is with sincere feelings of apology for any distress I have caused you by the choices of my vocabulary.

 

I can only refer you to my Postscript in my reply to Mr. Feld, above.

It is possible you missed it.

 

If you did not miss it, and have carefully chosen your words, then I can only humbly state that brevity convinced me not to hit the caps button and use up screen space via length, with so many caps. It is also my experience that an Officer tends to overlook length in discussing brevity, and the Officer indeed tends to increase their length, and indeed exaggerate their own true brevity when replying.

 

I will agree with you that resigning your commision appears to have been a good career growth move. I've only your observations to consider, though, so I could possibly be wrong.

 

I certainly did not miss your postscript to Mr. Feld, however I could not let my poor timing deprive me of a good "dressing down". Also I have read enough of your posts to know it was all in jest. Unfortunately I don't post frequently enough for you to have that same advantage.

 

I don't judge someone based on their status as an officer or NCO or even the status of former. There are plenty of officers that fall short of your description and there are many upstanding officers despite the fact that they may collect Morgans. The same can be said about those serving as NCO. I hear there may even be some worthwhile CWO's.

 

The post you quoted and replied to above, was from Mr. Curlis, not from me (Mark Feld).

 

That is an accurate statement but I'm not sure why you felt the need to make it. However, I am remembering the reason that I quit posting as much as I used to.

[Mr.Mcknowitall]

I don't know about you guys, but I am blaming the destruction of this perfectly innocent, entertaining, witty, on-point, Mark Twainish/Jeffersonian-like, refreshing family-friendly topic Original Thread, on the Navy.

 

It just goes to prove: if it aint long enough, don't brag about it.

 

However, there is no need to stop Posting.

 

Millions and millions of electronic impulses will die.

[nk1nk]

It is with sincere feelings of apology for any distress I have caused you by the choices of my vocabulary.

 

I can only refer you to my Postscript in my reply to Mr. Feld, above.

It is possible you missed it.

 

If you did not miss it, and have carefully chosen your words, then I can only humbly state that brevity convinced me not to hit the caps button and use up screen space via length, with so many caps. It is also my experience that an Officer tends to overlook length in discussing brevity, and the Officer indeed tends to increase their length, and indeed exaggerate their own true brevity when replying.

 

I will agree with you that resigning your commision appears to have been a good career growth move. I've only your observations to consider, though, so I could possibly be wrong.

 

I certainly did not miss your postscript to Mr. Feld, however I could not let my poor timing deprive me of a good "dressing down". Also I have read enough of your posts to know it was all in jest. Unfortunately I don't post frequently enough for you to have that same advantage.

 

I don't judge someone based on their status as an officer or NCO or even the status of former. There are plenty of officers that fall short of your description and there are many upstanding officers despite the fact that they may collect Morgans. The same can be said about those serving as NCO. I hear there may even be some worthwhile CWO's.

 

The post you quoted and replied to above, was from Mr. Curlis, not from me (Mark Feld).

 

Mark, I think you missed the "to" right before your name in RGT's post.

 

Nick

[Mr.Mcknowitall]

Yeah, yeah, like misunderstandings matter at this point.

 

I am already on the S List and as usual, all I did was open my big mouth.

 

Nice of you to try to rescue this perfectly innocent, entertaining, witty, on-point, Mark Twainish/Jeffersonian-like, refreshing family-friendly topic Original Thread, though.

 

Oh, sorry, repeating myself.

I just got beat up by the Navy and am dazed; forgive me.

[MarkFeld]

It is with sincere feelings of apology for any distress I have caused you by the choices of my vocabulary.

 

I can only refer you to my Postscript in my reply to Mr. Feld, above.

It is possible you missed it.

 

If you did not miss it, and have carefully chosen your words, then I can only humbly state that brevity convinced me not to hit the caps button and use up screen space via length, with so many caps. It is also my experience that an Officer tends to overlook length in discussing brevity, and the Officer indeed tends to increase their length, and indeed exaggerate their own true brevity when replying.

 

I will agree with you that resigning your commision appears to have been a good career growth move. I've only your observations to consider, though, so I could possibly be wrong.

 

I certainly did not miss your postscript to Mr. Feld, however I could not let my poor timing deprive me of a good "dressing down". Also I have read enough of your posts to know it was all in jest. Unfortunately I don't post frequently enough for you to have that same advantage.

 

I don't judge someone based on their status as an officer or NCO or even the status of former. There are plenty of officers that fall short of your description and there are many upstanding officers despite the fact that they may collect Morgans. The same can be said about those serving as NCO. I hear there may even be some worthwhile CWO's.

 

The post you quoted and replied to above, was from Mr. Curlis, not from me (Mark Feld).

 

That is an accurate statement but I'm not sure why you felt the need to make it. However, I am remembering the reason that I quit posting as much as I used to.

 

I posted it because, at the time, I thought that you had me and Mr. Curlis confused. I see now, that I was the one who was confused. Sorry for that.

[MarkFeld]

It is with sincere feelings of apology for any distress I have caused you by the choices of my vocabulary.

 

I can only refer you to my Postscript in my reply to Mr. Feld, above.

It is possible you missed it.

 

If you did not miss it, and have carefully chosen your words, then I can only humbly state that brevity convinced me not to hit the caps button and use up screen space via length, with so many caps. It is also my experience that an Officer tends to overlook length in discussing brevity, and the Officer indeed tends to increase their length, and indeed exaggerate their own true brevity when replying.

 

I will agree with you that resigning your commision appears to have been a good career growth move. I've only your observations to consider, though, so I could possibly be wrong.

 

I certainly did not miss your postscript to Mr. Feld, however I could not let my poor timing deprive me of a good "dressing down". Also I have read enough of your posts to know it was all in jest. Unfortunately I don't post frequently enough for you to have that same advantage.

 

I don't judge someone based on their status as an officer or NCO or even the status of former. There are plenty of officers that fall short of your description and there are many upstanding officers despite the fact that they may collect Morgans. The same can be said about those serving as NCO. I hear there may even be some worthwhile CWO's.

 

The post you quoted and replied to above, was from Mr. Curlis, not from me (Mark Feld).

 

 

 

Mark, I think you missed the "to" right before your name in RGT's post.

 

Nick

 

Thank you, Nick and you are correct.

[newprepper]

Coming from a 13 year NCO, one thing I've noticed is we don't tend to get hung up on mistakes that don't affect anything. We concentrate on the meat and potatos and drive on. It's the officers job to pretty everything up and dot the I's and cross the T's for us knuckle dragging, mouth breathing neanderthals. Nice report JC

[leeg]

It was a good read.

 

Thanks!

 

(thumbs u

[Mr.Mcknowitall]

Coming from a 13 year NCO, one thing I've noticed is we don't tend to get hung up on mistakes that don't affect anything. We concentrate on the meat and potatos and drive on. It's the officers job to pretty everything up and dot the I's and cross the T's for us knuckle dragging, mouth breathing neanderthals. Nice report JC

 

Thank You.

I am happy you enjoyed my little story.

 

I do note, however, how easy it was to be bombed by the Navy , over an innocent rambling.

 

See how easy it was to get slapped?

 

You are not alone....someone is out there waiting.

[Mr.Mcknowitall]

It was a good read.

 

Thanks!

 

(thumbs u

 

Coming from you, I consider it an honor that you would take Notice.

 

I have enjoyed your Posts for many, many years.

 

Thank you for the entertainment over the years.

 

PS: Watch out for the Navy Officers lurking around here, though...

[newprepper]

Coming from a 13 year NCO, one thing I've noticed is we don't tend to get hung up on mistakes that don't affect anything. We concentrate on the meat and potatos and drive on. It's the officers job to pretty everything up and dot the I's and cross the T's for us knuckle dragging, mouth breathing neanderthals. Nice report JC

 

Thank You.

I am happy you enjoyed my little story.

 

I do note, however, how easy it was to be bombed by the Navy , over an innocent rambling.

 

See how easy it was to get slapped?

 

You are not alone....someone is out there waiting.

 

Welcome to my life

[RGT]

I feel that I owe John an apology for derailing his thread. I thought that I knew John well enough from his prior postings that he would appreciate a correction and that he would enjoy a minor ribbing. If fact after the first couple of exchanges I was thinking all was still in fun. It wasn't until I read John's response to nk1nk that I realized that he thought I was seriously upset.

 

I tried to set the record straight but did so in an indirect manner which John chose to ignore. In fact, from his continued ranting on the subject (about me, not to me) it appears that John actually does harbor some resentment towards military officers, current and former. I certainly did not intend to cause a stir and will try to refrain from any further ill advised attempts at humor in the future. My communication skills are not up to the task.

[newprepper]

I may be wrong, but I don't believe that to be the case