Thursday, December 10, 2009

So that's why they wear those things...

Thanks to the shemagh John Shirley brought me from Afghanistan (and this handy instructional shemagh-tying video from U.S. Cavalry,) my nose stayed toasty warm and un-frostbitten while lugging the trash cans to the curb.

Thank you, John!

21 comments:

  1. Hah! Now you understand.

    And you used to mock my Multigator!

    Shootin' Buddy

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  2. There's a native version of those things: The woolen scarf

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  3. But if you just drape one over your shoulders (preferably the black-and-white model) in some "progressive" circles, it means you are pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel.

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  4. Anon,

    Yes, but the shemagh has a thousand and one uses, because of its size and cotton fabric.

    I had a nice scarf my first winter up here; Shiva only knows where it got off to...


    Chas,

    This one's sort of a dark blue, gold, and white, and it came from Afghanistan; college radicals wear black and white ones that came from Abercrombie & Fitch. Also, I've never just draped it over my shoulders like a fashion accessory; I usually use it to keep my neck warm.

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  5. I could never figure out what was so "tactical" about putting a flaky pastry on my head. And the honey kept getting all stuck in my hair.

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  6. No hoser hat? Take off, eh!

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  7. The tactical part: your enemy laughs himself silly. While he's doing so, you throw hot coffee in his face...

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  8. Of course, if you want to make sure that you aren't confused with a Palestinian sympathizer, you can order the Israeli version, which features a Star of David pattern instead of the houndstooth pattern usually employed.

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  9. Uh, I generally don't wear garments with foreign flags on them, not being foreign and all.

    Actually, I pulled my ball cap back on over the shemagh; it has a subdued U.S. flag velcroed to the front. Do I get points for that?

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  10. A ball cap on top of a shemagh/kaffiya? That's cultural appropriation! Or something.

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  11. Somebody referred to my billed, earflapped, Gore-Tex and fleece number as a "goofy hat" today. Hey, it's four degrees Fahrenheit, there's a breeze, and I can still feel my ears. Here on my side of the hat, I like it just fine.

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  12. A guy with a Georgia accent telling how to tie a shemagh?
    That ain't natural.

    Erik in Colo.

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  13. I'm pretty sure you scared/confused the crap outta your neighbors during this evolution...

    "Abner! I TOLD you the blonde was up to something!"

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  14. Keeps the grit out when it's dusty, too.

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  15. And Dad and I got our shemaughs from the same place that you got yours. (Thanks, John! For this and SO much more.)

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  16. I really like the idea of those things but I just can't bring myself to make wearing one my own. Every time I try, I get visions of Che t-shirt wearing undergrads in flip flops and designer jeans. Then I beat myself up a little over carrying about crap like that.

    Repeat.

    Maybe I just need to find one that doesn't have anywhere near a traditional pattern on it...

    Thanks for making it clear I'm not the only one with cognitive dissonance over the whole head wear vs dessert thing!

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  17. I picked one up in "tactical" sage green and tan, like it much more than the plain tan'n'black (not to be confused with the Black and Tans!).

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  18. Maybe if I could get one in red, white and blue?

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  19. I've got a picture of son in the cupola of a MRAP, and he looks like he's wearing a stillsuit: no skin showing at all. Between temperature and dust and wind...

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