[lit-ideas] Sunday Twofer
- From: David Ritchie <profdritchie@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2012 11:11:36 -0700
Does it really matter if you have a tin ear? I mean does it really matter if
you have a tin ear? All these guys putting their rules up to our faces,
measuring from here to here, saying what goes? Face to face in interviews they
want to know if you'll come through, so they watch you in your eyes, connect up
the dots, assess the apostolic in your faces. They squeeze your hand to see
what drops out. What you probably don't know is when you close the door
behind, when they're gone from view, they lick each other's ears. Can't get
enough of that tin. Can't get enough of that tongue. Love how it shines. In
their dark-suited night.
I learned on that Alfred burned cakes and Canute made waves... by trying to
stop them. This was how history went. So then I developed a juvenile's
interest in war. All that noise and thrill and general bigness, all that
weight. I knew from an early age that to aid Singapore's defence Churchill
ordered the "Prince of Wales" and the "Repulse," two capitol ships, also four
destroyers, to intercept a Japanese invasion fleet. And I knew that the big
ships were sunk by planes. Recently I was in Singapore, so I looked this up
why was there no air cover. One aircraft carrier was allocated in November,
before Pearl Harbor you'll note, to Force G (crafty code name for the fleet),
but it ran aground off Jamaica. Another one set off, but proved too slow.
There was a plan for land-based air cover. There was hope that the "Prince of
Wales'" latest and most up-to-date radar would suffice. It was buggered by the
climate. There was a general under-estimation of the Japanese. At least they
were none of the ships was named "Invincible," which seems a silly thing to
call a man of war. The French started that, and had theirs captured by the
Brits. Since then there have been a further six in the Royal Navy. The
irony's in their ends. My boat's named the "Really Quite Vincible." Carry on.
David Ritchie,
Portland, Oregon
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