In our quest to maintain a sense of humor in what has become a very unpleasent situation world-wide, I thought it was time to start a thread of "all-time great quotes". Actors, politicians, military, all are fair game. I'll "prime the pump", so to speak, with two of my favorites:
1.) Sometime in 1943, Arleigh Burke and his destroyer group were on a night patrol in the Slot along with portions of another division. They encountered a Japanese destroyer group and a fight began, with the US ships attacking from both port and starboard of the Japanese formation. Suddenly Burke's TBS squawked: It was the other commander. "Arleigh, are you shooting at me?" he asked. There was silence on the circuit for a few seconds; then came the answer. "Sorry, but you'll have to excuse the next three salvos. They're already on the way."
2.) Calvin Coolidge really didn't talk much. He called a working meeting one damp misty day aboard the Presidential yacht Mayflower. His cabinet and staff dutifully boarded and the ship set out onto the Potomac. At one point, Coolidge got up from the meeting, took his hat and coat, and walked wordlessly out of the conference room. His staff found him standing at the bow of the ship, staring out into the mist. Knowing his solitary nature, they left him alone to his thoughts for awile. The conversation back aft swirled about what might be on the great man's mind, what with all the problems the US faced.
Finally, one of his staff broke with the group and walked up to him, intending to ask him what he might be thinking. Coolidge didn't give him the opportunity.
Raising his arm and pointing out toward the shore, he said; "Over there, on that sandbar. Seagull. Hasn't moved in about twnety minutes...I think he's dead."
Such is the way great minds think.
Let's hear yours.