<HTML>buying the ranch: idiom = dying, passing away, kicking the bucket. synonym: buying the farm. Recently, news has been all over that press access to Andrews AFB, site of the military morgue, has been restricted. Considering past history, a cynic might see some connection between ambiguity about US casualty counts and this new restriction. DoreneC In a message dated 10/30/2003 12:34:42 PM Pacific Standard Time, cgrimes@rawbw.com writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Buying the ranch in Germany refers to dying in the military medical facility in Ramstein where they evacuate the wounded. Cold storage refers to the big military morgue facility in Maryland (Andrews?). It's the central base for processing bodies and remains where they get cleaned up and boxed for shipment home. This is all my fantasy about covering up casualties and I have no substantiation except similar beaucratic bullshit went on during the Vietnam era to keep the US casualties appear lower than they were. Chuck Grimes ___________________________________ http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk</BLOCKQUOTE> </HTML>