Creeeeeepy. Thanks, mhoye

[theweaselking]

Maine National Guard members in Iraq and Afghanistan are never far from the thoughts of their loved ones. But now, thanks to a popular family-support program, they're even closer.

Welcome to the ``Flat Daddy" and ``Flat Mommy" phenomenon, in which life-size cutouts of deployed service members are given by the Maine National Guard to spouses, children, and relatives back home.

The Flat Daddies ride in cars, sit at the dinner table, visit the dentist, and even are brought to confession, according to their significant others on the home front.

``I prop him up in a chair, or sometimes put him on the couch and cover him up with a blanket," said Kay Judkins of Caribou, whose husband, Jim, is a minesweeper mechanic in Afghanistan. ``The cat will curl up on the blanket, and it looks kind of weird. I've tricked several people by that. They think he's home again."

Comments

[springheel-jack.livejournal.com]

The obvious way forward is to have daddy stuffed and mounted when he'd killed by an IED. In fact, it's to be hoped for - as a taxidermied skin, he'll be both tractable and three-dimensional.

[flemco.livejournal.com]

That's just fucking creepy as hell.

[silmaril.livejournal.com]

Not enough days in the week for all the therapy those kids are going to need.

[interactiveleaf.livejournal.com]

"Moooooommmmm! Dad's touching me! Make him stay on his side of the car!"

[drjamez.livejournal.com]

And some people wonder why I love living in Maine. Dead mutant dogs, the most prolific horror writer ever, the geographic setting for Dark Shadows, and now this. There's a reason we're called "Mainiacs," I guess.

On topic: child abuse will be easier to detect and litigate. "Clearly, your honor, the pattern of the paper cuts indicate that Sgt. Judkins was present in the room with his son."

- James -

[desdenova.livejournal.com]

Speaking as somebody who grew up in a military family with a father who was often away from home, due to Army Stuff, I'd like to say, "That's pretty fucked up, right there."

[graethorne.livejournal.com]

As a former dependant of a career military officer, add my vote to the Truely Fucked Up column.