a most curious phenomenon

[franksolich]

I wonder what's going on, and if anyone's noticed it going on elsewhere.

First, I have to point out that because I'm deaf, and because I live in an area lacking congestion, I have the leisure to notice things most people wouldn't notice.

And second, I have to point out that "flag waving" is not generally done in Nebraska.

It's probably trauma still left over from the first world war, but that's the way it is.

Like everybody else around here, I of course have a full-sized American flag.....but one of those rare antiques, with only 49 stars.  The last time I had it out was during the last half of September 2001.

Anyway.

I went to the big city this afternoon, and through four towns.

I had gone through those same four towns, and to the big city, on Tuesday.

What a difference two days make.

This part of the Sandhills is suddenly, spontaneously, abruptly, breaking out in blossoms of flags.  There's more flags flying right now, this afternoon, than I've seen since mid-September 2001.

Flags all over the place.

And a second phenomenon; those SUPPORT THE TROOPS magnetic ribbons, which had pretty much evaporated a couple of years ago--on one stretch inside the big city, where I passed 17 automobiles, 12 of them had those magnetic ribbons, and these were new ones, not faded ones.  I'll bet that last Tuesday, a mere two days ago, there wasn't 1 in 170 vehicles having such a thing.

I asked one person why he was flying the flag.

He said, "I dunno; it just seems like a good idea."

I asked another person why the SUPPORT THE TROOPS ribbon on her vehicle.

She said, "I dunno; just today I got the feeling it'd be good to put it on."

All these people, apparently without prompting or without instructions, suddenly doing this.

Do you suppose there's some collective mass subconscious going on here?

[Chris_]

Think Jung.....

[DumbAss Tanker]

A 49-star flag is a rare item indeed, Frank, unless you mistyped that for "48."  They were only made for a year, before adoption of the current 50-star flag.

[franksolich]

A 49-star flag is a rare item indeed, Frank, unless you mistyped that for "48."  They were only made for a year, before adoption of the current 50-star flag.

One of the older brothers, when a Cub Scout in 1959, got it, and I inherited it.

[djones520]

Thanks for reminding me Frank.  I need to go hang my flag up.

It's kinda sad, we live in a military housing complex.  About 700 homes.  Everyone of them had a free flag given to them by the Housing office, and looking down my street I see 1 flag flying.

[Crazy Horse]

Thanks for reminding me Frank.  I need to go hang my flag up.

It's kinda sad, we live in a military housing complex.  About 700 homes.  Everyone of them had a free flag given to them by the Housing office, and looking down my street I see 1 flag flying.

First slap yourself...................now go and slap all the Air Farce neighbors, If ya have Squid neighbors slap em to

[MrsSmith]

Maybe they had school elections that turned out like the one at my kid's middle school.  Several kids, among them mine, gave speeches in support of candidates.  My kid pointed out Obama's abortion record, talked about Trig Palin, and hit on the stuff the Democratic Congress isn't fixing.  But Obama won, 76 to 24.  (My kid came home crying.    Goofy critter.   )

[RightCoast]

First slap yourself...................now go and slap all the Air Farce neighbors, If ya have Squid neighbors slap em to

On the off chance there is a Marine on your street don't slap himits simply too dangerous...on second thought that is probably the 1 flag.

[RightCoast]

Maybe they had school elections that turned out like the one at my kid's middle school.  Several kids, among them mine, gave speeches in support of candidates.  My kid pointed out Obama's abortion record, talked about Trig Palin, and hit on the stuff the Democratic Congress isn't fixing.  But Obama won, 76 to 24.  (My kid came home crying.     Goofy critter.   )

My son's class voted 14-4 Obama, its fourth grade and the substitute they had yesterday was - based on my son's and other kid's reports - electioneering hard for the Messiah no doubt hoping the little skulls full of mush would go home and say "mom, dad you have to vote Obama!"

[Thor]

On the off chance there is a Marine on your street don't slap himits simply too dangerous...on second thought that is probably the 1 flag.

Awww, come on, Marines ain't all that........ I've slapped a few around in my life... 

[NHSparky]

I wouldn't worry too terribly much.  I remember as a tyke back in the day and everyone wanted Carter.  What idiots we were even then.

Frankly, I've had it.  We're getting screwed either way, it seems--either by our guy or theirs, but we're still getting screwed regardless.

[Thor]

I wouldn't worry too terribly much.  I remember as a tyke back in the day and everyone wanted Carter.  What idiots we were even then.

Frankly, I've had it.  We're getting screwed either way, it seems--either by our guy or theirs, but we're still getting screwed regardless.

I voted for Carter, thinking that a Navy Nuke Engineer would be able to cut the mustard........ boy was I WRONG !!!

[MrsSmith]

My son's class voted 14-4 Obama, its fourth grade and the substitute they had yesterday was - based on my son's and other kid's reports - electioneering hard for the Messiah no doubt hoping the little skulls full of mush would go home and say "mom, dad you have to vote Obama!"

My kid was pretty sure her teacher didn't push either one...but no telling about the others.  Kansas is supposed to be pretty solidly Republican... 

[RightCoast]

Awww, come on, Marines ain't all that........ I've slapped a few around in my life... 

Did you enjoy your hospital stay after??

[Crazy Horse]

Did you enjoy your hospital stay after??

The proud are good, but they would never accomplish that with a black shoe................oh never mind Thor's a brown shoe

[RightCoast]

The proud are good, but they would never accomplish that with a black shoe................oh never mind Thor's a brown shoe

Black shoes and green hats,
they think they're all thats.
They fight too, and march to beats,
But if the truth be known
It has been shown
only Marines guard Heaven's Streets. 

[Thor]

Black shoes and green hats,
they think they're all thats.
They fight too, and march to beats,
But if the truth be known
It has been shown
only Marines guard Heaven's Streets. 

Ohhh puleeze....... they wouldn't trust the Marines to guard the gates or streets of heaven because the Marines have lost a couple of gates in the past

[miskie]

I wouldn't worry too terribly much.  I remember as a tyke back in the day and everyone wanted Carter.  What idiots we were even then.

Frankly, I've had it.  We're getting screwed either way, it seems--either by our guy or theirs, but we're still getting screwed regardless.

I remember the class bully in tears because of that election - his mom told him that if Reagan was elected, we would all surely die in a nuclear war. He was back to punching girls in the forehead a day or two later.

[RightCoast]

Ohhh puleeze....... they wouldn't trust the Marines to guard the gates or streets of heaven because the Marines have lost a couple of gates in the past

For our high level of success we have had far fewer losses than any other subserviant service.

[Thor]

Is that why the Navy bases switched away from the Marines to Civilian cops at the gates ?!?!?!? 

[SaintLouieWoman]

My kid was pretty sure her teacher didn't push either one...but no telling about the others.  Kansas is supposed to be pretty solidly Republican... 

But sadly you have that dem governor. I guess you shouldn't be surprised. The teacher might have slanted it without being obvious.

Very interesting that Frank has noticed so many flags flying in Nebraska. Frank, do you think Nebraska will go for McCain/Palin?

[franksolich]

Very interesting that Frank has noticed so many flags flying in Nebraska. Frank, do you think Nebraska will go for McCain/Palin?

The only question re: Nebraska is, will the Big Zero get fewer votes than the Incompetent did in 1976 and 1980?

For those not familiar with Nebraska or electoral statistics, the Incompetent One holds the records for lowest vote-totals for a Democrat candidate for the presidency in modern times--not only in 1980 when he lost in a massive landslide to Ronald Reagan, but also in 1976.

For some reason, Nebraska never liked the Incompetent One, even before it was clear to the rest of the country how incompetent the Incompetent One was.

The Incompetent One received fewer votes here than other Democrats buried in massive Republican landslides--fewer than Alfred Smith in 1928, fewer than Adlai Stevenson in 1952 and 1956, fewer than George McGovern in 1972, fewer than Walter Mundane in 1984.

Is the Big Zero destined to best that, in Nebraska?

We'll see.

I'm still greatly mystified as to the sudden appearance of hundreds, thousands, of flags flying here.  There haven't been so many since shortly after 9-11, and there's no sign of a deliberate campaign to do it.

When I was in town (in town, not in the big city) last night, I did further inquiries.  Nobody heard anything about flying the flag, nobody noticed others were flying the flag; it seems everybody solely and individually and personally felt some sort of compulsion to put up the flag.

It's very odd, and surely it means something.

Ah, the things one notices when not congested with people and things.

[Wineslob]

Hummm Frank, M. Night Shyamalan might have a new story to write............

[Lauri]

Thanks for reminding me Frank.  I need to go hang my flag up.

It's kinda sad, we live in a military housing complex.  About 700 homes.  Everyone of them had a free flag given to them by the Housing office, and looking down my street I see 1 flag flying.

hey, try this on..

my canadian husband flies our US flag for almost any reason.

our American born neighbors? not so much..

but yeah, thanks for reminding us Frank.. if Obama wins I have thoughts of turning it upside down to show my distress. 

[rich_t]

I have a 14 foot flagpole in my front yard.  I fly the American flag year-round.  Although I do need a new one now has the windstorm we had a month or so ago shredded my old one.