While Tom Ricks is away from his blog, he has selected a few of his favorite posts to re-run. We will be posting a few every day until he returns. This originally ran on February 15, 2011.

It has come to this: Alex Horton, who gives a hoot, has written a piece on his VA blog about how to talk to a veteran without insulting him or pissing him off.

The whole piece is worth reading, but here are his basic five dos and three don'ts :

1. Do: Ask About Our Buddies

2. Do: Listen

3. Do: Try To Learn Something

4. Do: Have an Open Mind

5. Don't: Talk Politics

6. Don't: Be Cavalier with Questions. (Especially that old favorite about how many people you killed.)

7. Don't: Assume Everyone Is Crippled With PTSD

8. Do: Something