or as westerners know it: vienna. the capital of austria is quite nice. it's pretty obvious they serve a lot of tourists (even in the winter when we went). large sections of town are set up exclusively for tourists. for the non-german speakers, this is where you'd spend most of your time...although a large portion of the non-tourist catering population also speak passable english.
i felt almost completely at home there. most of this is attributable to my ability to conduct basic communication (greetings, ordering/buying things, etc.) in german. as it is a major tourist attraction as well, most things (like public transit) also have directions in the common european languages so if you happened to get lost just get the translation.
while we were there, i got to visit the christmas markt (christmas market...funny how they used the english word for christmas). as with any european style market, i enjoyed running around sampling the food. there were trinkets available as well, but i'm not much for trinket shopping. so i got to enjoy the food and practicing my german.
we also visited the schonbrunnschloss (schonbrunn palace...roughly). this was the summer residence of the habsburg dynasty. it was quite impressive, and an excellent demonstration of the power and influence of the austro-hungarian empire. the entire palace is huge! the building currently houses the museums of schonbrunn and sisi as well as provides housing for quite a number of people (or at least i assume that huge wing is housing as it would be rather large for a museum). in it's glory days when it was still functioning as a true palace, the royal court included over 1,000 attendants that were also housed in the building.
all in all, i loved the short trip. this is rather funny as my hosts (the long family) were not at all impressed, and prefer the 'comforts' of budapest. i suppose this is a good thing as they are missionaries to hungary; not austria. i hope they'll forgive me for not sharing their sentiments though. the next blog will include my experience(s) on their home turf.
2010-12-26
2010-12-19
travel (part 1)
well...i'm in hungary now so i thought i'd share my experience about the trip here (more about the rest of it will be posted later).
so first i had to get past the fascists at the airport (aka the transportation security administration). to my surprise, i discovered the indianapolis airport wasn't taking everyone through their new 'screening' methods (aka porn or grope). they seemed to be either rolling with a random or profiling system. i would have stopped to ask them about it, but i didn't want to be profiled/selected to be groped so i quietly moved along...this was, of course, after removing everything from my pockets, taking off my belt and shoes, and going through a metal detector. the metal detector's fine, but my shoes...really?
anyway...the little hopper (plane) going between indy and chicago was running late as they had to contend with snow and ice at both ends of their trip. you'd think they would account for cold weather as it was (after all) winter, but they didn't. this caused me to miss my connection in chicago and get re-routed to a later flight. that part was, surprisingly, easier than i expected: just run over to customer service and presto...easy (and no charge)! the only thing i had to do was shoot off a quick email to the receiving party over here (in hungary) informing them of my new itinerary. this is when i discovered just how convenient it is to have a smart-phone.
fast forward to duseldorf (in germany). i had to go through their screening process as well...i think i unnecessarily left their 'secure' area...i guess i'll find out on the way back through. anyway, their process is so much easier than ours. they simply had me remove everything metal from my person and walk through a metal detector; no removing of shoes or any of that nonsense. clearly, the TSA have lost all sense of reality, and are implementing unnecessary procedures. conspiracy theorists would claim it's a power grab to prepare us for the new fascist state, while i simply think what we're seeing is the result of government being too large and full of incompetent people (especially around the top).
after a bit of a wait, i hit the plane to budapest. apparently, they don't get a lot of air traffic here as the airport is tiny: it consists of the baggage claim section (2 small carousels), and a non-secure area that's only twice the size of the baggage claim section. the small size made it easy for me to recognize my bag did not arrive with me. the lost baggage claim process was fairly simple; i just had to wander between lufthansa, customs, and the airport's claim desk. other than the back and forth though...easy.
my bag finally did arrive about 30 hours after i did. the airline was kind enough to deliver it to the house (score)! i opened it up and possibly discovered why it was so late: my laptop had been disassembled and poorly re-assembled. i suspect this was done by none other than the no longer so friendly TSA; it would make sense as they're incompetent in everything else they do so why would laptop re-assembly be an exception? i find it rather disconcerting that dis-assembly was necessary to see there weren't any explosives in there as well as we have machines that could have determined it was clean. i guess they're fans of the more intrusive method; again, hardly a surprise from the TSA.
fortunately for me, my job insures i have no trouble fixing sloppy re-assembly of laptops. i get the feeling most people would have a little more trouble with it though. so if you don't want your electronics to be opened up and have who knows what done to them, don't put them in your checked baggage. that would be lesson #1.
lesson #2: lufthansa (a german airline) is far nicer than any american counterpart. they afford you more leg room (at least in economy class), their flight attendants are more friendly, and they're all multi-lingual. not that language is a problem when it comes to the more common ones like english, german, spanish, even greek...but i quickly discovered i've had zero exposure to hungarian. i've managed to learn 2-3 words since i've been here, but starting from a clean slate is quite frustrating.
which leads nicely into point #3: next time i travel to a foreign country, i'm going to at least learn some basic phrases. not being able to greet someone in another country in their own language is unacceptable (at least for me). this time, i did the typical american thing and hurled myself into a completely foreign country with no method of fending for myself. if i didn't have friends here, i'd be screwed.
well...i've gone on enough for now. more will follow about the rest of the trip later.
so first i had to get past the fascists at the airport (aka the transportation security administration). to my surprise, i discovered the indianapolis airport wasn't taking everyone through their new 'screening' methods (aka porn or grope). they seemed to be either rolling with a random or profiling system. i would have stopped to ask them about it, but i didn't want to be profiled/selected to be groped so i quietly moved along...this was, of course, after removing everything from my pockets, taking off my belt and shoes, and going through a metal detector. the metal detector's fine, but my shoes...really?
anyway...the little hopper (plane) going between indy and chicago was running late as they had to contend with snow and ice at both ends of their trip. you'd think they would account for cold weather as it was (after all) winter, but they didn't. this caused me to miss my connection in chicago and get re-routed to a later flight. that part was, surprisingly, easier than i expected: just run over to customer service and presto...easy (and no charge)! the only thing i had to do was shoot off a quick email to the receiving party over here (in hungary) informing them of my new itinerary. this is when i discovered just how convenient it is to have a smart-phone.
fast forward to duseldorf (in germany). i had to go through their screening process as well...i think i unnecessarily left their 'secure' area...i guess i'll find out on the way back through. anyway, their process is so much easier than ours. they simply had me remove everything metal from my person and walk through a metal detector; no removing of shoes or any of that nonsense. clearly, the TSA have lost all sense of reality, and are implementing unnecessary procedures. conspiracy theorists would claim it's a power grab to prepare us for the new fascist state, while i simply think what we're seeing is the result of government being too large and full of incompetent people (especially around the top).
after a bit of a wait, i hit the plane to budapest. apparently, they don't get a lot of air traffic here as the airport is tiny: it consists of the baggage claim section (2 small carousels), and a non-secure area that's only twice the size of the baggage claim section. the small size made it easy for me to recognize my bag did not arrive with me. the lost baggage claim process was fairly simple; i just had to wander between lufthansa, customs, and the airport's claim desk. other than the back and forth though...easy.
my bag finally did arrive about 30 hours after i did. the airline was kind enough to deliver it to the house (score)! i opened it up and possibly discovered why it was so late: my laptop had been disassembled and poorly re-assembled. i suspect this was done by none other than the no longer so friendly TSA; it would make sense as they're incompetent in everything else they do so why would laptop re-assembly be an exception? i find it rather disconcerting that dis-assembly was necessary to see there weren't any explosives in there as well as we have machines that could have determined it was clean. i guess they're fans of the more intrusive method; again, hardly a surprise from the TSA.
fortunately for me, my job insures i have no trouble fixing sloppy re-assembly of laptops. i get the feeling most people would have a little more trouble with it though. so if you don't want your electronics to be opened up and have who knows what done to them, don't put them in your checked baggage. that would be lesson #1.
lesson #2: lufthansa (a german airline) is far nicer than any american counterpart. they afford you more leg room (at least in economy class), their flight attendants are more friendly, and they're all multi-lingual. not that language is a problem when it comes to the more common ones like english, german, spanish, even greek...but i quickly discovered i've had zero exposure to hungarian. i've managed to learn 2-3 words since i've been here, but starting from a clean slate is quite frustrating.
which leads nicely into point #3: next time i travel to a foreign country, i'm going to at least learn some basic phrases. not being able to greet someone in another country in their own language is unacceptable (at least for me). this time, i did the typical american thing and hurled myself into a completely foreign country with no method of fending for myself. if i didn't have friends here, i'd be screwed.
well...i've gone on enough for now. more will follow about the rest of the trip later.
2010-12-09
wikileaks
so i don't know how many of you have been following the wikileaks news. i'll give a brief synopsis up to this point. as i'm sure all of you know, wikileaks is at the heart of an international drama of epic proportions because of their unfailing commitment to publishing material world governments strive maintain sole possession of.
so which government has the most secrets? the united states of america! that's right, our own government has more secrets than any other. i have no proof of this (of course) because proving it would require someone have access to every government secret across the globe. i'm quite certain, though, we the are the proprietors of the world's most secretive government. this is rather ironic as we started off as the world's most transparent.
as a result, the world's (arguably) sole superpower we are the best positioned and most concerned with an organization that's publishing secrets. it's become quite clear in this case, we are leveraging this position to it's fullest. to see this, we merely need to check out what's happening with wikileaks' spokesperson, and editor and chief; julian assange.
a few months ago, mr. assange was in sweden for a conference. during his stay, he had sex with a couple women. apparently, they weren't too pleased as they attempted to file charges against him. the swedish courts, however, would have none of it and dismissed the case. this was, of course, before wikileaks started publishing extremely embarrassing, and possibly destabilizing material.
fast forward to today and we see sweden has issued an arrest warrant for julain assange. this has to do with the same case their courts dispensed with a few months ago. but that's not all. the swedes have also failed to present any evidence against mr. assange; nor have they even presented charges. they're demanding his extradition (from britain) to sweden. so chances are good there's still no case against him.
there's speculation the united states is behind this as sweden has been used in the past to dispose of terrorists we'd rather not hold here. though there are more obvious cases of our government applying pressure to wikileaks. amazon stopped hosting wikileaks, and paypal froze mr. assange's account. there's no evidence here either, but i'm convinced these attacks were also the result of government pressure.
so there are several interrelated questions that come out of all this: 'is this action warranted', 'is wikileaks a terrorist organization'.
as a soldier who's been charged with keeping government secrets, one would think my answers to these questions would be yes. after all, that's the stance our government is taking. they've called wikileaks and all the journalists associated with it information terrorists, and are utilizing most of the 'weapons' in their arsenal to negate the 'threat'.
at first, i have to admit i agreed with this assessment. i was in a war zone surrounded by fellow members of the military, and my access to news was severely limited by both logistics and time. the brainwashing factors were high. fortunately, i've returned to civilization, and re-gained access to the free media. (this is opposed to the mainstream media that often become cheerleaders for our government.)
now i've heard 'wikileaks' side' of the argument. i've heard how they've redacted their leaks to protect the 'little guys' it would have otherwise condemned to death. (did you know, for example, the government used their own unabridged copies of the material on wikileaks when they cited how many people were in jeopardy.) the only things threatened by the wikileaks' postings are our government and its officials.
i'm of a mind this is a good thing as the world's biggest terrorist organization is now our own government. we terrorize the people we imprison and torture it guantanamo bay (innocent until proven guilty? please, we won't even try them in a civilized court). we terrorize the iraqi and afghan people (i've seen the collateral damage; it's not something i'd want anywhere). we even terrorize our own citizens (hello transportation security administration in our airports).
i truly hope julian assange is released; as i hope the onslaught of wikileaks will end. however, reality tells me mr. assange will probably end up in some secret prison to be held without trial. and wikileaks? i imagine mr. assange is merely the first of many reporters to be repressed.
so which government has the most secrets? the united states of america! that's right, our own government has more secrets than any other. i have no proof of this (of course) because proving it would require someone have access to every government secret across the globe. i'm quite certain, though, we the are the proprietors of the world's most secretive government. this is rather ironic as we started off as the world's most transparent.
as a result, the world's (arguably) sole superpower we are the best positioned and most concerned with an organization that's publishing secrets. it's become quite clear in this case, we are leveraging this position to it's fullest. to see this, we merely need to check out what's happening with wikileaks' spokesperson, and editor and chief; julian assange.
a few months ago, mr. assange was in sweden for a conference. during his stay, he had sex with a couple women. apparently, they weren't too pleased as they attempted to file charges against him. the swedish courts, however, would have none of it and dismissed the case. this was, of course, before wikileaks started publishing extremely embarrassing, and possibly destabilizing material.
fast forward to today and we see sweden has issued an arrest warrant for julain assange. this has to do with the same case their courts dispensed with a few months ago. but that's not all. the swedes have also failed to present any evidence against mr. assange; nor have they even presented charges. they're demanding his extradition (from britain) to sweden. so chances are good there's still no case against him.
there's speculation the united states is behind this as sweden has been used in the past to dispose of terrorists we'd rather not hold here. though there are more obvious cases of our government applying pressure to wikileaks. amazon stopped hosting wikileaks, and paypal froze mr. assange's account. there's no evidence here either, but i'm convinced these attacks were also the result of government pressure.
so there are several interrelated questions that come out of all this: 'is this action warranted', 'is wikileaks a terrorist organization'.
as a soldier who's been charged with keeping government secrets, one would think my answers to these questions would be yes. after all, that's the stance our government is taking. they've called wikileaks and all the journalists associated with it information terrorists, and are utilizing most of the 'weapons' in their arsenal to negate the 'threat'.
at first, i have to admit i agreed with this assessment. i was in a war zone surrounded by fellow members of the military, and my access to news was severely limited by both logistics and time. the brainwashing factors were high. fortunately, i've returned to civilization, and re-gained access to the free media. (this is opposed to the mainstream media that often become cheerleaders for our government.)
now i've heard 'wikileaks' side' of the argument. i've heard how they've redacted their leaks to protect the 'little guys' it would have otherwise condemned to death. (did you know, for example, the government used their own unabridged copies of the material on wikileaks when they cited how many people were in jeopardy.) the only things threatened by the wikileaks' postings are our government and its officials.
i'm of a mind this is a good thing as the world's biggest terrorist organization is now our own government. we terrorize the people we imprison and torture it guantanamo bay (innocent until proven guilty? please, we won't even try them in a civilized court). we terrorize the iraqi and afghan people (i've seen the collateral damage; it's not something i'd want anywhere). we even terrorize our own citizens (hello transportation security administration in our airports).
government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have....the course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases.part of our government's growth and influence includes its ability to hold secrets that should not be kept. don't get me wrong here; there are secrets that absolutely need to be kept. what wikileaks has posted, however, do not fall into the category of necessary secrets.
- gerald ford
i truly hope julian assange is released; as i hope the onslaught of wikileaks will end. however, reality tells me mr. assange will probably end up in some secret prison to be held without trial. and wikileaks? i imagine mr. assange is merely the first of many reporters to be repressed.
i don't wanna be afraid
i don't wanna run away
i don't want to be here fading
it's more that I can take
i'm never gonna be the same
i threw it all away
i don't want to be here fading
just let go! (look what you do to me)
let go! (look what you do to me)
- red 'let go'
2010-11-24
we the sheep
well, today was the supposed demonstration day where people were going to opt out of the new porn scanners the TSA has installed in our airports. i was pretty excited to see how it would turn out; i expected huge delays at airports across the country...i was sorely disappointed. on this, one of the busiest travel days of the year, a grand total of 10 people opted out of being scanned at indianapolis international airport during the morning hours. statistics for this afternoon are not out, but i'm not very hopeful that the numbers will be better. similar reports of sporadic demonstrators, but nothing major are coming from other airports as well.
i'm sure, by now, you're all asking why i'm making such a big deal out of this. it's because the TSA is a sham. they do not make planes safer. terrorists were already ahead of this technology before it even got to our airports. they were putting bombs on freight planes, or putting their explosives in their rectums. neither of these are preventable with the shiny new scanners or groping at effect at our passenger terminals. additionally, the terrorists that are targeting us have been coming from airports outside the united states; where these methods are not used.
but the fact that the TSA doesn't make us any safer is not the most alarming thing about this. what is alarming is the people's apathy to their right to be secure in their person being violated. if a private citizen (or company) attempted to do what the TSA is doing now, they would be arrested and sent to jail for sexual assault. this is the case whether you have the pornographic scan taken or the grope (or as they call it, enhanced pat down). we didn't even subject the afghani people to anything this invasive, and a good number of them actually are terrorists. this is because we know if we tried this in afghanistan, there would be even more attacks on our installations. it seems the afghanis have a better understanding of their basic human rights than we do.
but would that be a lawful amendment?
but if that wasn't enough to convince, here's a quote that states in no uncertain terms how the framers of our constitution felt about this.
it's time the american people stopped putting up with our government which is clearly unable to keep us safe. why is it every time something happens, the government cracks down on it's citizens instead of empowering us to defend ourselves? instead of imposing more onerous and ineffective security screenings, the government should have been giving every firearm licensee the right to carry airplane safe ammunition. how many planes would get hijacked if half the people flying had the means to stop hijackers? instead of one flight marshal per plane, how about 50? and they wouldn't even have to be payed!
but we keep trudging along. you want to take a naked picture of me...ok. you want to touch my genitals...ok. all is forgiven as long as i'm safe.... if the constitution was to be re-written today, it wouldn't start off saying we the people. it would (if accurate) begin 'we the sheep....'
i'm sure, by now, you're all asking why i'm making such a big deal out of this. it's because the TSA is a sham. they do not make planes safer. terrorists were already ahead of this technology before it even got to our airports. they were putting bombs on freight planes, or putting their explosives in their rectums. neither of these are preventable with the shiny new scanners or groping at effect at our passenger terminals. additionally, the terrorists that are targeting us have been coming from airports outside the united states; where these methods are not used.
but the fact that the TSA doesn't make us any safer is not the most alarming thing about this. what is alarming is the people's apathy to their right to be secure in their person being violated. if a private citizen (or company) attempted to do what the TSA is doing now, they would be arrested and sent to jail for sexual assault. this is the case whether you have the pornographic scan taken or the grope (or as they call it, enhanced pat down). we didn't even subject the afghani people to anything this invasive, and a good number of them actually are terrorists. this is because we know if we tried this in afghanistan, there would be even more attacks on our installations. it seems the afghanis have a better understanding of their basic human rights than we do.
the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.above is the constitutional amendment that's supposed to protect us from the TSA's new screening procedures. in order for anyone to search an american citizen the way TSA does at our airports, the person (or entity) performing the search must have a warrant. warrants are to be issued by judges. in order for a judge to issue a warrant, there must be probable cause. attempting to board an airplane is not probable cause. the constitution is supposed to be the supreme law of the land. any law that violates the constitution is null and void. in order for the TSA to legally search us as they do, the constitution would have to be amended.
- united states constitution, fourth amendment
but would that be a lawful amendment?
we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.according to the declaration of independence, there are certain unalienable rights. unalienable rights cannot be repudiated. the right to liberty would certainly include the right to be secure in one's person. therefore, it was our founder's belief that one cannot surrender his right to be free of unwarranted searches.
- declaration of independence [of the united states]
but if that wasn't enough to convince, here's a quote that states in no uncertain terms how the framers of our constitution felt about this.
they who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.there's a chilling thought.
- benjamin franklin
it's time the american people stopped putting up with our government which is clearly unable to keep us safe. why is it every time something happens, the government cracks down on it's citizens instead of empowering us to defend ourselves? instead of imposing more onerous and ineffective security screenings, the government should have been giving every firearm licensee the right to carry airplane safe ammunition. how many planes would get hijacked if half the people flying had the means to stop hijackers? instead of one flight marshal per plane, how about 50? and they wouldn't even have to be payed!
but we keep trudging along. you want to take a naked picture of me...ok. you want to touch my genitals...ok. all is forgiven as long as i'm safe.... if the constitution was to be re-written today, it wouldn't start off saying we the people. it would (if accurate) begin 'we the sheep....'
2010-11-11
armistice day
happy armistice day; or more commonly known in the united states: veterans day. today western europe celebrates the end of what was then known as the great war. americans altered the meaning a bit to remember military veterans.
regardless of what or who's being remembered, the day reminds us that freedom is not free. on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the world thought they would never again see the terrors they were laying to rest. yet 21 short years later, the world witnessed a still greater horror: the second world war. while nothing has come along to match that cataclysm since, the curse of war has been a persistent presence: korea, vietnam, iraq, afghanistan.
but the world has too many demons in need of vanquishing; we simply cannot fight everyone. especially when there are such insidious forces rotting away our home. the scourge we now face involves money.
our founding fathers recognized the threat from the beginning.
while i was away peter schiff managed to expand his weekly broadcast to 5 nights a week. his economic commentary can be found at his radio website.
the political watchdog and constitutional defender judge andrew nepolitano has managed to get his show on fox. his show is also making the move from a weekly broadcast to every weekday. old episodes can be accessed via a website as well.
america is finally starting to learn. on this armistice day, perhaps we should all vow to get ourselves a true education; not the pitiful excuse for one our government is peddling.
then the true fight for freedom can begin...with property rights, and sound money. how many wars of the past century can be traced back to monetary issues? we lead the world down this keynesian rabbit hole. it's time to lead the world back out of it.
regardless of what or who's being remembered, the day reminds us that freedom is not free. on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the world thought they would never again see the terrors they were laying to rest. yet 21 short years later, the world witnessed a still greater horror: the second world war. while nothing has come along to match that cataclysm since, the curse of war has been a persistent presence: korea, vietnam, iraq, afghanistan.
but the world has too many demons in need of vanquishing; we simply cannot fight everyone. especially when there are such insidious forces rotting away our home. the scourge we now face involves money.
our founding fathers recognized the threat from the beginning.
banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. if the american people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.if only we had heeded their warning.... we're now paying the price for our ignorance. but there is hope.
- thomas jefferson
while i was away peter schiff managed to expand his weekly broadcast to 5 nights a week. his economic commentary can be found at his radio website.
the political watchdog and constitutional defender judge andrew nepolitano has managed to get his show on fox. his show is also making the move from a weekly broadcast to every weekday. old episodes can be accessed via a website as well.
america is finally starting to learn. on this armistice day, perhaps we should all vow to get ourselves a true education; not the pitiful excuse for one our government is peddling.
then the true fight for freedom can begin...with property rights, and sound money. how many wars of the past century can be traced back to monetary issues? we lead the world down this keynesian rabbit hole. it's time to lead the world back out of it.
2010-11-05
guy fawkes
remember, remember
the fifth of november
the gunpowder treason and plot
i know of no reason
why the gunpowder treason
should ever be forgot
today marks the 405th anniversary of what is popularly known as the gunpowder treason plot; a failed attempt to assassinate the king of england along with most of the british parliament. the authorities discovered guy fawkes guarding a bunch of gunpowder barrels that would have leveled the parliament building. the day (or night) has been celebrated in briton and it's colonies ever since; generally with fireworks and burning effigies of unpopular figures (traditionally guy fawkes). it's popularity has been waning in recent years, but i suspect it might re-emerge as things become more tumultuous.
it's proximity to election day (in the united states) makes me still more inclined to believe the holiday's due for a comeback. perhaps in a couple years we'll be burning effigies of the monetary terrorists in office.
a few days ago, the american people sent a clear, small government message to capital hill. and what was the response? the federal reserve announced they'd buy another $600 billion of government bonds. this is exactly the opposite of small government: it enables the federal government to go further into debt, and it tosses another dose of inflation at us. but i guess the fed wouldn't care as they're not elected. the only thing keeping the fed in existence is the public's ignorance (hello government controlled schools).
it is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, i believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.
-henry ford
it's going to take a lot of education about government and monetary policy, and vigilance at the polls to redeem the country. the depression is upon us already; what we do today merely determines the degree. all the while, our government continues to run as quickly as possible in the wrong direction.
will the neophytes be able to make a difference in time? i certainly hope so. time is quickly running out. if this clock expires, there will certainly be blood in the streets.
2010-11-02
election day
well, the poll seems to not be getting very far. perhaps people's RSS feeds won't update unless i post something else? if that's what's holding things up, this should help. and if you haven't read my previous post (that was initially blank), go ahead and try that.
so today is mid-term election day. i expect turn-out will be larger this year than in previous mid-term years. my address is still listed as the one i was at before the whole deployment thing started so my polling center was in downtown indy. it was quite a bit emptier than 2 years ago during the 'big' election. i'm going to guess that has something to do with indianapolis being a primarily democratic zone. it was also rather telling that someone handed me a list of democrat candidates on my way in. i guess they think people are too brain dead to read what party the candidate is a part of? it's written directly under their name....
well, they'll be disappointed as i voted libertarian wherever there was one on the ballot. i realize this might cause some annoy some of my readers as well, but such is life. indiana's a primarily republican state, and i feel the republican candidates stand a pretty good chance of getting elected regardless of my puny vote. as such, it's far better spent raising awareness for the libertarian party. i realize there are some republicans and democrats that are more libertarian than their party, but none of those types were on my ballot so....
regardless of your political leanings, i would like to encourage anyone that's reading this to please go vote. i'm relatively certain my readers are educated enough to have a valid opinion so go make it heard.
the revolution continues today. let's hope it gets resolved before things get bloody.
so today is mid-term election day. i expect turn-out will be larger this year than in previous mid-term years. my address is still listed as the one i was at before the whole deployment thing started so my polling center was in downtown indy. it was quite a bit emptier than 2 years ago during the 'big' election. i'm going to guess that has something to do with indianapolis being a primarily democratic zone. it was also rather telling that someone handed me a list of democrat candidates on my way in. i guess they think people are too brain dead to read what party the candidate is a part of? it's written directly under their name....
well, they'll be disappointed as i voted libertarian wherever there was one on the ballot. i realize this might cause some annoy some of my readers as well, but such is life. indiana's a primarily republican state, and i feel the republican candidates stand a pretty good chance of getting elected regardless of my puny vote. as such, it's far better spent raising awareness for the libertarian party. i realize there are some republicans and democrats that are more libertarian than their party, but none of those types were on my ballot so....
regardless of your political leanings, i would like to encourage anyone that's reading this to please go vote. i'm relatively certain my readers are educated enough to have a valid opinion so go make it heard.
the revolution continues today. let's hope it gets resolved before things get bloody.
the tree of liberty needs to be watered from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
- thomas jefferson
they will not force us
they will stop degrading us
they will not control us
we will be victorious
- muse the uprising
2010-10-26
home
for those of you that noticed the blank post, that was my attempt to post something via my new droidx (one of verizon's android phones). it didn't work out so well.
anyway, i'm home, and have a lot of free time ahead of me. i was thinking about running around and visiting all the nice people that sent me care packages...or anyone else i haven't seen in a while. i'm leaning toward hitting up jon in budapest in early december, but it looks like all of november is more or less free (absent the very beginning when i'll be voting).
my car's in the shop right now getting all fixed up so if you'd like me to come visit you, just shoot me an email: porcupous at yahoo.
there's also the matter of this blog's future i'd like to ask for some feedback on. i'm still of the mind that the vast majority of people live boring lives, and blogs are an attempt to get people to notice them when they'd be much better off if they just went out and found some friends. it's this attitude that kept me from having a blog for a long time. when i deployed though, it proved much easier to blog than email 50 people individually.
but now i'm back; back to the boring life of one of the 300 millionish people in america. this makes it hard for me to justify keeping this. however, someone did mention that they would like me to keep posting. so...i'm going to leave it up to my readers. pick your favorite option on the poll. this is a simple, majority wins thing. since there aren't many people that read this, it won't take much to make this poll go either way.
anyway, get to voting...and emailing me if you want me to drop by.
anyway, i'm home, and have a lot of free time ahead of me. i was thinking about running around and visiting all the nice people that sent me care packages...or anyone else i haven't seen in a while. i'm leaning toward hitting up jon in budapest in early december, but it looks like all of november is more or less free (absent the very beginning when i'll be voting).
my car's in the shop right now getting all fixed up so if you'd like me to come visit you, just shoot me an email: porcupous at yahoo.
there's also the matter of this blog's future i'd like to ask for some feedback on. i'm still of the mind that the vast majority of people live boring lives, and blogs are an attempt to get people to notice them when they'd be much better off if they just went out and found some friends. it's this attitude that kept me from having a blog for a long time. when i deployed though, it proved much easier to blog than email 50 people individually.
but now i'm back; back to the boring life of one of the 300 millionish people in america. this makes it hard for me to justify keeping this. however, someone did mention that they would like me to keep posting. so...i'm going to leave it up to my readers. pick your favorite option on the poll. this is a simple, majority wins thing. since there aren't many people that read this, it won't take much to make this poll go either way.
anyway, get to voting...and emailing me if you want me to drop by.
2010-10-10
the end
my journey home will begin soon. as such, i probably won't be checking this as it's rather difficult while in transit. the hotline number for flight information is 1-800-237-2850 extension 4019. they probably won't have any information there for a few more days as getting us back is rather logistically complicated.
they claim there will be a 'welcome home' ceremony on stout field immediately following our plane landing. i think they're a little nuts as i'm sure i'll be too tired then to want to see anyone. if people want to show up, that's fine; just don't be surprised if my responses are little more than grunts of acknowledgment.
anyway, i've gotta go. laterz
they claim there will be a 'welcome home' ceremony on stout field immediately following our plane landing. i think they're a little nuts as i'm sure i'll be too tired then to want to see anyone. if people want to show up, that's fine; just don't be surprised if my responses are little more than grunts of acknowledgment.
anyway, i've gotta go. laterz
2010-10-03
short
well, the time for us to go home is getting really close. everyone's busy packing. i'll be mailing a trunk home as i seem to have accumulated a few more things than i came here with. as for the timeline, all i can say at this point is we'll be back sometime in the last half of this month (october, in case anyone's lost track). the state's going to set up a toll free number to dial for up-to-date information about our arrival. i'd give it out, but i left the number in the office. i'll be sure to post it before we leave salerno.
i apologize for not giving more timely updates. things have been rather busy with packing, and training the new guys. when i post anything else in here before we take off, it'll be something quick and concise as i probably won't have much time.
well, i've got some work to get back to. i'll catch you guys later.
i apologize for not giving more timely updates. things have been rather busy with packing, and training the new guys. when i post anything else in here before we take off, it'll be something quick and concise as i probably won't have much time.
well, i've got some work to get back to. i'll catch you guys later.
2010-09-11
11 September
nine years...on the ninth anniversary of the reason i'm here, it's impossible to forget what day it is. my feelings are mixed when it comes to this subject. i think it's tragic how it took something like this to make america wake up to the threat of terrorism. the signs were there before, but most of us just went about oblivious to the whole thing. they weren't blowing things up in the continental united states so we were safe right? but then...it's amazing how one day changed everything.
we're not at the point many of our friends are. israel's been dealing with this sort of thing for millennia; whether they had their own country or not. i'm glad we're not at there, but sometimes i wonder if people would wake up more if we were.
so now we have soldiers running all over the world seeking out terrorists. while i'm glad we're giving them a distraction to keep them busy, i can't help but wonder if it's the right strategy in the long run. america won't be able to maintain things as they are for long. we've been living beyond our means for decades, and the bill collector's knocking on our door. the united states currently accounts for 51% of all the world's military spending. while we may have been able to afford that at one point, my line of work is now one of the many things dragging our government (and everyone else) further into the abyss. will we have made enough of a difference by the time we go home to make things safer? or will we have merely succeeded in galvanizing the ones that hate us?
the bureaucracy will never understand this though. rather than being our savior, the government is now an albatross around the country's neck. some of the most feared words in the english language are "we're from the government, and we're here to help". i know if anyone ever said that to me, i'd be scared.
there is still some hope left though. a few states are resurrecting the concept of nullification; or even succession. millions of citizens are awaking, and demanding their rights back.
will we be as safe with a smaller government? i think we can be. one thing is for certain though, we'll discover the answer to that question shortly. the government will be forced to shrink as the economic situation deteriorates. it's time to start preparing; big brother's days are numbered.
we're not at the point many of our friends are. israel's been dealing with this sort of thing for millennia; whether they had their own country or not. i'm glad we're not at there, but sometimes i wonder if people would wake up more if we were.
so now we have soldiers running all over the world seeking out terrorists. while i'm glad we're giving them a distraction to keep them busy, i can't help but wonder if it's the right strategy in the long run. america won't be able to maintain things as they are for long. we've been living beyond our means for decades, and the bill collector's knocking on our door. the united states currently accounts for 51% of all the world's military spending. while we may have been able to afford that at one point, my line of work is now one of the many things dragging our government (and everyone else) further into the abyss. will we have made enough of a difference by the time we go home to make things safer? or will we have merely succeeded in galvanizing the ones that hate us?
the bureaucracy will never understand this though. rather than being our savior, the government is now an albatross around the country's neck. some of the most feared words in the english language are "we're from the government, and we're here to help". i know if anyone ever said that to me, i'd be scared.
there is still some hope left though. a few states are resurrecting the concept of nullification; or even succession. millions of citizens are awaking, and demanding their rights back.
will we be as safe with a smaller government? i think we can be. one thing is for certain though, we'll discover the answer to that question shortly. the government will be forced to shrink as the economic situation deteriorates. it's time to start preparing; big brother's days are numbered.
2010-09-05
updates
it's been while since i've posted anything substantial. things have been busy for several reasons, and i'll go into a few of them.
the combatives class i was taking is long since over and my ribs are almost back to normal. they still hurt more than they should if someone hits me, but at least i'm not doubling over in pain any more. i enjoyed the class so much, that i volunteered to be an assistant instructor for the next class they gave. it doesn't hurt nearly as bad if you're not one of the students, and it gave me a chance to get some extra practice in. it looks like there will be 1 more class before we leave, and i'm looking forward to helping out with that one as well. it's amazing how much finding something fun to do can make this place more bearable.
in a few short weeks the advanced party for our replacements will be here. the unit's been busily preparing for their arrival. it's gotten to the point where every last person is thinking about when we'll be able to leave.
unfortunately, may have taken the negative influences of the unit as a sign that the army's not for them. it saddens me to see young disgruntled soldiers; especially when i know it's because of one bad unit. at least i've managed to convince my former soldiers (from when i was a platoon sergeant) that this unit is not like most.
and finally, i've learned the second of six of my grandparents passed away on friday. death has never been the same since my mom died when i was eleven. that hit me so hard, and i spent years recovering from it. months being angry at god, and years being depressed and trying to control my emotions. since then, the death of someone who's time has come and was anticipated holds no pain.
when i saw my grandmother in june, i knew she wasn't long for this world. i was pleasantly surprised she held out for a couple more months. i hope that extra time has better prepared everyone else for her passing. she was a effervescent woman who's passion for life bought her loved ones at least an extra year with her. may she rest in peace, and await the day the rest of us will join her.
the combatives class i was taking is long since over and my ribs are almost back to normal. they still hurt more than they should if someone hits me, but at least i'm not doubling over in pain any more. i enjoyed the class so much, that i volunteered to be an assistant instructor for the next class they gave. it doesn't hurt nearly as bad if you're not one of the students, and it gave me a chance to get some extra practice in. it looks like there will be 1 more class before we leave, and i'm looking forward to helping out with that one as well. it's amazing how much finding something fun to do can make this place more bearable.
in a few short weeks the advanced party for our replacements will be here. the unit's been busily preparing for their arrival. it's gotten to the point where every last person is thinking about when we'll be able to leave.
unfortunately, may have taken the negative influences of the unit as a sign that the army's not for them. it saddens me to see young disgruntled soldiers; especially when i know it's because of one bad unit. at least i've managed to convince my former soldiers (from when i was a platoon sergeant) that this unit is not like most.
and finally, i've learned the second of six of my grandparents passed away on friday. death has never been the same since my mom died when i was eleven. that hit me so hard, and i spent years recovering from it. months being angry at god, and years being depressed and trying to control my emotions. since then, the death of someone who's time has come and was anticipated holds no pain.
when i saw my grandmother in june, i knew she wasn't long for this world. i was pleasantly surprised she held out for a couple more months. i hope that extra time has better prepared everyone else for her passing. she was a effervescent woman who's passion for life bought her loved ones at least an extra year with her. may she rest in peace, and await the day the rest of us will join her.
when we all get to heaven
what a day of rejoicing that will be
when we all see jesus
we'll sing and shout the victory
2010-08-28
quick post
as i'm sure most of you are already aware via the news, the FOB was attacked this morning. i'm can't talk details, but can tell you that i and the rest of my unit are all right. so don't worry :)
i'd also like to state again that no news is good news. if you hear something in the news that sounds bad, but haven't heard anything from me, it's probably because i (and my brothers in arms) are dealing with the situation.
well, i've gotta get going. enjoy the rest of your saturday.
i'd also like to state again that no news is good news. if you hear something in the news that sounds bad, but haven't heard anything from me, it's probably because i (and my brothers in arms) are dealing with the situation.
well, i've gotta get going. enjoy the rest of your saturday.
2010-08-11
stupid ribs
well, i haven't posted in a while so i should probably get to it. the combatives class i was taking is all done, and all it cost me was some bruised ribs. for those of you that have never had the thrill of bruised ribs, they hurt! a couple weeks later i'm just now getting to the point where it doesn't hurt to sleep. i'd do it all again though. i learned a lot, and a little pain (or in this case a lot) was better than spending those nights being mad at people in my unit.
re-deployment (what the army calls going home) is all the rage these days. we've begun planning for the big trip, and it's all some people think about. personally, it's a little early to be obsessing over something that's still 2 months away, but i guess some people really don't like it here. oh well, whatever gets them through.
i got the package dad and mom sent today. today's the first day anyone around here's gotten mail in about a week. we're supplied by aircraft that doesn't fly when it gets wet outside.
and lately it's been really wet. we've had 8 inches of rain in the last 3 weeks. for a place that's not supposed to get a lot of water, it sure rains a lot. and i love it! rain is so awesome...and it has the bonus effect of keeping the temperature down. if the next few weeks have a bit of rain every day like this week's had, i'd be one happy guy. i think the last few weeks have been a fluke though.
oh yeah, happy ramadan for anyone that's watching the muslim holidays. for the next 30 days the locals will either be more aggressive, or less prone to attacking us in favor of getting closer to their god. i'm hoping for the latter, but we'll see.
well, this is getting long so i'll get off here. write you all later.
re-deployment (what the army calls going home) is all the rage these days. we've begun planning for the big trip, and it's all some people think about. personally, it's a little early to be obsessing over something that's still 2 months away, but i guess some people really don't like it here. oh well, whatever gets them through.
i got the package dad and mom sent today. today's the first day anyone around here's gotten mail in about a week. we're supplied by aircraft that doesn't fly when it gets wet outside.
and lately it's been really wet. we've had 8 inches of rain in the last 3 weeks. for a place that's not supposed to get a lot of water, it sure rains a lot. and i love it! rain is so awesome...and it has the bonus effect of keeping the temperature down. if the next few weeks have a bit of rain every day like this week's had, i'd be one happy guy. i think the last few weeks have been a fluke though.
oh yeah, happy ramadan for anyone that's watching the muslim holidays. for the next 30 days the locals will either be more aggressive, or less prone to attacking us in favor of getting closer to their god. i'm hoping for the latter, but we'll see.
well, this is getting long so i'll get off here. write you all later.
2010-07-25
perspective
well, it's been a couple weeks. things have been busy as usual, but i finally got a day off (or most of one anyway). things have been going quite well for me since i've returned to the place no one wants to be.
this includes the afghans; they leave the country when they're able as well. it makes reconstruction extremely difficult when your trained, upper tier work force doesn't want to stick around to create their own businesses and thus jobs. if the current trends continue, i fear afghanistan will be forever doomed to the agrarian state they're now in.
but back to what i was going to talk about.... being home gave me some much needed perspective. the unit survived without me for 3 weeks. i say survived because it clearly didn't fair as well as it would have had i been here. so i'm not critical, but am off great value. this realization has caused me to not be so obsessed with work. there are certain tasks that will still be around to do the next day and don't necessarily require immediate attention. my work might be going a little slower than before due to this, but at least it's getting done faster than if wasn't here at all. i've basically given myself more me time.
for the last week or so i've been using this extra free time to take a combatives class. they basically teach you how to fight. for those of you that are curious about the specifics, they use jiu jitsu for grappling and ground fighting, and muay thai for striking or when you're not right on someone. the class is exhausting, but fun. after 3 hours of intense exertion i find i'm too tired to be angry at anything...like, say the people in my unit that tend to upset me. it's also a lot easier to go to sleep at night...well, when i get over the pain of whatever got hurt. a little pain every now and then isn't so bad though; it reminds you you're still alive.
anyway, the fighting with the perspective have made me quite a bit happier than i was before. any of you that know rather well could probably read between the lines to see i was a bit depressed before. now i'm mostly tired...and sore...which is much better.
well, i've got more class tonight so i'm going to wrap this up and try to enjoy what free time i have. catch you all later.
this includes the afghans; they leave the country when they're able as well. it makes reconstruction extremely difficult when your trained, upper tier work force doesn't want to stick around to create their own businesses and thus jobs. if the current trends continue, i fear afghanistan will be forever doomed to the agrarian state they're now in.
but back to what i was going to talk about.... being home gave me some much needed perspective. the unit survived without me for 3 weeks. i say survived because it clearly didn't fair as well as it would have had i been here. so i'm not critical, but am off great value. this realization has caused me to not be so obsessed with work. there are certain tasks that will still be around to do the next day and don't necessarily require immediate attention. my work might be going a little slower than before due to this, but at least it's getting done faster than if wasn't here at all. i've basically given myself more me time.
for the last week or so i've been using this extra free time to take a combatives class. they basically teach you how to fight. for those of you that are curious about the specifics, they use jiu jitsu for grappling and ground fighting, and muay thai for striking or when you're not right on someone. the class is exhausting, but fun. after 3 hours of intense exertion i find i'm too tired to be angry at anything...like, say the people in my unit that tend to upset me. it's also a lot easier to go to sleep at night...well, when i get over the pain of whatever got hurt. a little pain every now and then isn't so bad though; it reminds you you're still alive.
anyway, the fighting with the perspective have made me quite a bit happier than i was before. any of you that know rather well could probably read between the lines to see i was a bit depressed before. now i'm mostly tired...and sore...which is much better.
well, i've got more class tonight so i'm going to wrap this up and try to enjoy what free time i have. catch you all later.
2010-07-09
back
well...i'm back at salerno; safe and sound. amazingly enough, people here missed me so i guess i must be doing my job well enough that they noticed when i wasn't.
i also missed one of my new friends (since i've been here). mr. kim lively (yes, he has a girl's name), our USDA guy is pretty cool. we happened to schedule our leave consecutively. he was getting back when i was leaving so i hadn't seen him in 6 weeks. it was great to catch dinner with him and laugh at a few jokes. you have to make jokes and laugh out here or you'll go crazy. i've seen it happen to one of our guys. he snaps at people for minor offenses. it's not fun to watch.
well, i need to get back to cleaning up my room, and prepping my gear. i've got a long day of work waiting for me tomorrow.
laterz
i also missed one of my new friends (since i've been here). mr. kim lively (yes, he has a girl's name), our USDA guy is pretty cool. we happened to schedule our leave consecutively. he was getting back when i was leaving so i hadn't seen him in 6 weeks. it was great to catch dinner with him and laugh at a few jokes. you have to make jokes and laugh out here or you'll go crazy. i've seen it happen to one of our guys. he snaps at people for minor offenses. it's not fun to watch.
well, i need to get back to cleaning up my room, and prepping my gear. i've got a long day of work waiting for me tomorrow.
laterz
2010-07-05
the 4th
independence day used to be a minor annoyance as the neighbors would set off little fire starters and smoke up the street. but that's what kids (or adults that seem to think they're kids) do right? there was always the big pretty display in the evening so it wasn't so horrible.
in retrospect, i probably should have picked another time to be home. while i understand the explosions i hear are just fireworks, i still get nervous. i start wondering what happened; should i go help someone? i make a quick assessment of the structural integrity of whatever structure i'm in; would it stand up to a rocket? if i'm not in some sort of building, i catch myself looking around for one...preferably one with solid walls and no windows. i'm hoping in time, this will pass. i guess i'll see this time next year.
vacation hasn't all been fireworks though. the first week and a half were spent relaxing and getting some perspective. that place 1/2 way around the world that's dominated my life for the last half a year seems so far off and insignificant from the states. how could anyone here understand what it's like?
perhaps it's better that they don't. if americans understood nice and sheltered we are over here, perhaps they'd settle with what we have. war isn't on our doorstep.
perhaps if they saw the corruption that permeates the afghan government, they'd accept what we see here as an inevitable part of maintaining order.
yes, america has a pretty good thing going. but this is no time to slack off. we've been politically asleep for far too long. wake up you slumbering giant; shake off the chains of tyranny emplaced while we were asleep. the revolution is coming, and i certainly won't try to stop it. for a couple weeks i've once again heard the drums of change. the beat is inspiring and challenging. it calls to me; tells me to keep the violence that's so prevalent in other places at bay. the larger the group of revolutionaries, the less likely things will end in blood and tears. how many will make their voices heard? as always, time will tell.
in retrospect, i probably should have picked another time to be home. while i understand the explosions i hear are just fireworks, i still get nervous. i start wondering what happened; should i go help someone? i make a quick assessment of the structural integrity of whatever structure i'm in; would it stand up to a rocket? if i'm not in some sort of building, i catch myself looking around for one...preferably one with solid walls and no windows. i'm hoping in time, this will pass. i guess i'll see this time next year.
vacation hasn't all been fireworks though. the first week and a half were spent relaxing and getting some perspective. that place 1/2 way around the world that's dominated my life for the last half a year seems so far off and insignificant from the states. how could anyone here understand what it's like?
perhaps it's better that they don't. if americans understood nice and sheltered we are over here, perhaps they'd settle with what we have. war isn't on our doorstep.
perhaps if they saw the corruption that permeates the afghan government, they'd accept what we see here as an inevitable part of maintaining order.
yes, america has a pretty good thing going. but this is no time to slack off. we've been politically asleep for far too long. wake up you slumbering giant; shake off the chains of tyranny emplaced while we were asleep. the revolution is coming, and i certainly won't try to stop it. for a couple weeks i've once again heard the drums of change. the beat is inspiring and challenging. it calls to me; tells me to keep the violence that's so prevalent in other places at bay. the larger the group of revolutionaries, the less likely things will end in blood and tears. how many will make their voices heard? as always, time will tell.
2010-06-22
home
well, i'm in the states for a couple weeks of leave. this means i may or may not be writing much. i'm leaning toward the no option at this point as i doubt people want to hear about what i'm doing at home. anyway, i'm going to get back to enjoying my free time. later.
2010-06-13
planes and such
so i finally got a day off...yay! the break has been fantastic; just getting to sleep in has been nice. anyway, this is the last day off i'm going to have before i begin my travel back for R&R. there are a few more days of work between now and then, but they shouldn't be too horrible.
i've been trying to teach my 'radio guy' everything he needs to do while i'm gone. we'll see how much he retains.
once i hit the airport in atlanta, the clock on my leave starts; i get 14 days. i plan on seeing as many friends in that time as possible. when i'm not seeing friends, i'm going to do absolutely nothing. it will be fun.
it'll be nice to be somewhere that's not so hot too. the last few weeks the temperature has been around 105. heat indexes have been in the 120s. you know it's hot when breezes make you hotter instead of cooler.
anyway, i'm going to get back to my day off. i might blog while i'm traveling if i can find an internet connection. if you don't hear anything from me, it's because i haven't found one. later.
i've been trying to teach my 'radio guy' everything he needs to do while i'm gone. we'll see how much he retains.
once i hit the airport in atlanta, the clock on my leave starts; i get 14 days. i plan on seeing as many friends in that time as possible. when i'm not seeing friends, i'm going to do absolutely nothing. it will be fun.
it'll be nice to be somewhere that's not so hot too. the last few weeks the temperature has been around 105. heat indexes have been in the 120s. you know it's hot when breezes make you hotter instead of cooler.
anyway, i'm going to get back to my day off. i might blog while i'm traveling if i can find an internet connection. if you don't hear anything from me, it's because i haven't found one. later.
2010-06-11
busy
i'd gotten used to posting something on my days off. well...the last time i had a day off was the last time i posted nearly a month ago. actually, i still haven't had a day off; i'm writing this over lunch. this isn't cause for concern though. as i've told people before, no news is good news. if something happens to me, the army (and the red cross) will notify someone within 24 hours.
anyway, on to the reason i'm taking a quick break from my lunch... my leave is coming up soon. exact dates are impossible to predict, but i expect to be home around the 20th (very rough estimate). i'll be sure to call someone from the airport in atlanta with more detailed information. until i get there though, i have no idea when i'll get home.
well...i've gotta get back to work. write you later.
anyway, on to the reason i'm taking a quick break from my lunch... my leave is coming up soon. exact dates are impossible to predict, but i expect to be home around the 20th (very rough estimate). i'll be sure to call someone from the airport in atlanta with more detailed information. until i get there though, i have no idea when i'll get home.
well...i've gotta get back to work. write you later.
2010-05-09
ps
so with all that goes on around here and the lack of media, it gets easy to forget holidays. like today when i totally forgot it was mother's day until i hit chow this evening. they actually served decent food! it was pretty awesome. the only problem with them having decent food is you end up getting everything and not being able to finish it all. oh well, it was worth it.
to all you mothers out there, happy mother's day; i hope it's a good one. as the old outback song goes:
anyway...write later
to all you mothers out there, happy mother's day; i hope it's a good one. as the old outback song goes:
no one ever loves you like your mum, mumi forget the rest...
even when she whacks you on your bum, bum
anyway...write later
better
i got my 'second' back this week, and it's been pretty sweet. all those little things i didn't have time for before i've been having him do. i'd forgotten how nice it is to have help. i'm also busy spinning him up on what he has to do while i'm on leave. i don't envy him; it'll not be fun while i'm away. he can handle it; just not fun.
i also got the package from ashley and some of the guys at work this week. thanks to the blanket, i've finally moved out of my sleeping bag. not that sleeping bags are that horrible, but sheets and blankets are nice. i've been steadily working my way trough the snacks too :)
one more week down. i still refuse to count the time left; that's just depressing. i'll just be happy another week's over. and that today's a day off; whee!
well, volleyball's calling my name so i'll take off. all you boys and girls at home do something fun for me. laterz
i also got the package from ashley and some of the guys at work this week. thanks to the blanket, i've finally moved out of my sleeping bag. not that sleeping bags are that horrible, but sheets and blankets are nice. i've been steadily working my way trough the snacks too :)
one more week down. i still refuse to count the time left; that's just depressing. i'll just be happy another week's over. and that today's a day off; whee!
well, volleyball's calling my name so i'll take off. all you boys and girls at home do something fun for me. laterz
2010-05-02
one less thing
back in the states when we were forming the unit, the headquarters platoon sergeant position was like a hot potato; no one wanted the job. after some consideration, it was determined that i was the least busy of the available candidates so i got stuck with it. queue sarcastic yay. then we got here, and my workload skyrocketed. suddenly i had a bunch of equipment to maintain, reports to submit, improvements to make.... those other candidates i was speaking of were still busy, but not nearly as busy as they had been. basically, their jobs got less demanding while mine became more so. i consistently work longer hours than the others just from my IT and commo job than the others do with theirs.
well, i finally caught a break. i'm no longer the platoon sergeant. queue me tossing the hot potato. but the strangest part of all...i actually got used to the position. in the couple days since i've been relieved of the burden of leadership, i've caught myself starting to do something that's no longer my job out of habit. plus i've grown a certain affinity for my former underlings, and still feel protective. hopefully in another week or two, i'll have let go. i could certainly use more free time, and less stress.
well, i should get off here and try to relax a little. that's going to be a little more difficult as i started drinking something that has artificial sweetener. i didn't realize it until i'd had a few sips and noticed it tasted funny. the headache is already setting in (i get headaches from artificial sweeteners)...ugh. why can't people just use real sugar?
wow, i'm having trouble concentrating. i think i'm going to go lay down for a while. later peeps.
well, i finally caught a break. i'm no longer the platoon sergeant. queue me tossing the hot potato. but the strangest part of all...i actually got used to the position. in the couple days since i've been relieved of the burden of leadership, i've caught myself starting to do something that's no longer my job out of habit. plus i've grown a certain affinity for my former underlings, and still feel protective. hopefully in another week or two, i'll have let go. i could certainly use more free time, and less stress.
well, i should get off here and try to relax a little. that's going to be a little more difficult as i started drinking something that has artificial sweetener. i didn't realize it until i'd had a few sips and noticed it tasted funny. the headache is already setting in (i get headaches from artificial sweeteners)...ugh. why can't people just use real sugar?
wow, i'm having trouble concentrating. i think i'm going to go lay down for a while. later peeps.
2010-04-25
choppers
helicopters are a regular part of life here. if you go a day without seeing at least 5 flying around, it's a slow day. they run medevacs, they haul supplies, they provide air support, and they transport troops. our unit uses choppers to do missions that are distant from the FOB. this week it was decided (for me) that i should go on one of these missions. some lame excuse like it would be good for my development was used. never mind everything else i was doing at the time. i'm one of the busiest people in the unit, and they want to drag me out to the middle of nowhere because in some way they can't explain it'll be good for me.
the day they told me i was going had been a good day up to that point. i'd been running around all day fixing things. fixing things always makes me feel better; i mean, it's my job so i should be happy when i do it right? in this case, it was fixing another communication system our guys have when they're out and about. redundancy is good, very good. then they told me i was going out, and my whole day reversed itself. i went back to the foul mood 1/2 the unit's assumed at this point. things are so depressing here. it's even worse when you know the depressing parts are unnecessary; doled out by the very people that are supposed to be helping.
at least today was good. there's a ton of work i need to catch up on (especially after losing a day running around playing infantry), but i took the day off. one more week and my 'second' will be back. maybe i'll catch up on the work then. i really needed the break today though. not having to see certain people does amazing things for my mood; even if it's only for a day.
for those of you that read this and are the praying types, pray for patience and endurance. the whole unit could use more of these traits, and they're the characteristics that will get us though this deployment with our sanity intact. i've been worrying about my soldier's sanity a lot recently. i know i'll stay sane, but being angry and depressed all the time isn't good for me.
one more day off over...one more week down...one day closer to my leave (whoo)...one more night listening to some kickin' toons...
the day they told me i was going had been a good day up to that point. i'd been running around all day fixing things. fixing things always makes me feel better; i mean, it's my job so i should be happy when i do it right? in this case, it was fixing another communication system our guys have when they're out and about. redundancy is good, very good. then they told me i was going out, and my whole day reversed itself. i went back to the foul mood 1/2 the unit's assumed at this point. things are so depressing here. it's even worse when you know the depressing parts are unnecessary; doled out by the very people that are supposed to be helping.
at least today was good. there's a ton of work i need to catch up on (especially after losing a day running around playing infantry), but i took the day off. one more week and my 'second' will be back. maybe i'll catch up on the work then. i really needed the break today though. not having to see certain people does amazing things for my mood; even if it's only for a day.
for those of you that read this and are the praying types, pray for patience and endurance. the whole unit could use more of these traits, and they're the characteristics that will get us though this deployment with our sanity intact. i've been worrying about my soldier's sanity a lot recently. i know i'll stay sane, but being angry and depressed all the time isn't good for me.
one more day off over...one more week down...one day closer to my leave (whoo)...one more night listening to some kickin' toons...
won't you see it in your heart
don't you know you played your part real good
won't you see it in your heart, you should
know you always played your part real good
in the end, i'll be there, i'll be standing by your side
we will see how the tide hides away all the dirt
that's something to die for, that's something to die for
- carolina liar 'something to die for'
2010-04-18
blog fail
i tried posting something earlier and my internet died. i'm taking it as a sign from god that i shouldn't post things like that. it was pretty depressing; a bit more depressing than things actually are. so that old depressing thing can rest in peace. i don't really have much to replace it with though so...we'll call this the inadequate replacement and move along. nothing to see here...this is not the post you're looking for....
well, back to doing nothing for a bit. and it will be wonderful.
well, back to doing nothing for a bit. and it will be wonderful.
2010-04-11
another week
another week bites the dust, and the natives are getting restless. for the locals, that means it's getting warmer and they can attack us more. for the unit, it means people are really starting to feel the deployment. spending so much time around the same people has a tendency to grind on you, and faults are amplified. people taking leave should alleviate some of that, but just how much remains to be seen.
speaking of leave, my 'second' is going on leave this week. i'm sure that'll mean more work for me, and no one to pass stuff on to. i guess i've always been sort of alone being the only IT person in the unit, but at least before i had someone i could give simple tasks to. we'll see how things go.
well...this is going to be a short one as i'm not in a chatty mood today for some reason. i'll write again in a few....
speaking of leave, my 'second' is going on leave this week. i'm sure that'll mean more work for me, and no one to pass stuff on to. i guess i've always been sort of alone being the only IT person in the unit, but at least before i had someone i could give simple tasks to. we'll see how things go.
well...this is going to be a short one as i'm not in a chatty mood today for some reason. i'll write again in a few....
tell the swine we will make it out alive
there's a note in the pages of the book
so sleep tonight; sleep dreamlessly this time
when we awake we'll know that everything's alright
then sing to me about the end of the world
end of these hammers and needles for you
hold on to the world we all remember fighting for
there's some strength left in us yet
hold on to the world we all remember dying for
there's some hope left in it yet
- flyleaf, 'arise'
2010-04-04
birthday
i try to keep my birthdays under wraps, but our personnel sergeant posted a list of everyone's birthdays (to include year) on her door. that pretty much made it impossible to keep it a secret. i went into work on friday and the commander made it a point to find me and wish me a happy birthday. for the rest of the day, the sergeant major made it a point to quietly sing happy birthday whenever he passed me too. it was pretty ridiculous. if there would have truly been something special about it, maybe it would have been ok. but alas, i'm still in a war zone and it was a normal work day. not to mention i'm getting old...i especially feel that way around all these youngsters. one of them asked me how old i was, and i asked if almost dead was an age. i can claim that right?
anyway, i got the package from dad and mom this week. the CDs are awesome; flyleaf and fireflight rock! the snacks are pretty cool too. one of the chilli cans broke open, but i managed to clean most of the stuff up. some of the letters take some extra care with chilli on them, but that does make things interesting. all those people with normal looking mail are boring.
well, i'm going to get back to enjoying my day off. i hear there's volleyball to be played a little later. it's pretty hot (90s) for it, but i'll take what i can get.
anyway, i got the package from dad and mom this week. the CDs are awesome; flyleaf and fireflight rock! the snacks are pretty cool too. one of the chilli cans broke open, but i managed to clean most of the stuff up. some of the letters take some extra care with chilli on them, but that does make things interesting. all those people with normal looking mail are boring.
well, i'm going to get back to enjoying my day off. i hear there's volleyball to be played a little later. it's pretty hot (90s) for it, but i'll take what i can get.
hoping with each new day
i'm moving forward, i push the fear away
and i let go
'cause i'm so through with barely hanging on
leaving what's in the past behind
i come closer to crossing over the line
and i won't stop
until i get what i've been fighting for
you've said it all before
tell me again that i am strong
tell me again that i won't fall
i need you here to fix me where i'm wrong
take me beyond what i can see
break me, make me believe
you have made me all i need to be
- fireflight 'all i need to be'
2010-03-29
leave
i know i told everyone i wasn't coming home until i was all done out here, and i continued to think that up until last week. now the unit assures me they can live without me for a bit so...i'll be heading home for a couple weeks in late june. i hope they'll be ok while i'm gone; it makes me nervous to leave them. i guess one of two things will be realized when i get back to the not so fun place: either the unit will have been fine and they'll be more willing to let me skip out on work, or things will have not gone so well and they'll appreciate me more. i guess we'll see.
that's the major thing that's been going on with me. things are getting more and more routine as time goes by. i'm even managing to get a few new projects off the ground, and make some real improvements to our IT infrastructure. this is truly a weird feeling as i've always subscribed to the 'if it isn't broken, don't fix it' mentality. making improvements doesn't fit into that too well (or it gets put on the back-burner). could this mean i'm running out of things to do? that would be a weird feeling too as it seems i've been go go go since i got here.
well, i've got an early morning tomorrow so i'll get going.
one more night loving the evening for it's relief from the heat...one more night contemplating whether to dig into some snacks...one more night rocking out with my tunes...
that's the major thing that's been going on with me. things are getting more and more routine as time goes by. i'm even managing to get a few new projects off the ground, and make some real improvements to our IT infrastructure. this is truly a weird feeling as i've always subscribed to the 'if it isn't broken, don't fix it' mentality. making improvements doesn't fit into that too well (or it gets put on the back-burner). could this mean i'm running out of things to do? that would be a weird feeling too as it seems i've been go go go since i got here.
well, i've got an early morning tomorrow so i'll get going.
one more night loving the evening for it's relief from the heat...one more night contemplating whether to dig into some snacks...one more night rocking out with my tunes...
oh johnny wishes he was famous
spends his time alone in the basement
with lenon and cobain and a guitar and a stereo
and while he wishes he could escape this
but it all seems so contagious
not be yourself and faceless with a song that has no soul
- our lady peace 'innocent'
2010-03-21
day off
so last sunday, the unit decided to go on mission. working on a day that you've gotten used to having off is rough. there's something immensely relaxing about sleeping in at least one day of the week. well, today i'm going to make up for it by doing absolutely nothing. as long as no emergencies pop up, i expect this plan to work out flawlessly.
i got the package from grandpa and grandma johnson yesterday. mmm...snacks. i doubt you'll be reading this directly, but thanks.
it's really starting to get warm out. it's like 90 degrees outside. people are starting to lay off the outdoor activities. i ran down to the post's coffee shop for a smoothie, and it's so much more tasty with this heat. i'm glad our rooms are air conditioned.
last week, someone thought it would be a bright idea to send me out on mission. it's one thing to be running around the country side doing something constructive, but there's absolutely nothing i can currently do to improve things out there. as bad as it sounds, my place is in the rear (on base) providing support. i know a lot of soldiers aren't horribly worried about what i do here, but there would be a lot of leaders left in the dark without my help keeping their computer systems up and running.
the battlefield has changed so much in the last few decades. hell, even in the last few years. most people don't know the internet was initially developed for the military. now we're using many of the innovations coming from enterprising young people to communicate better, faster, and more securely. funny how things have come full circle. we even use civilians for a lot of the more technical support tasks. the entire computer help desk is comprised of civilians (or at least the ones that know what they're doing are civilians). soldiers are trained for other things.
well, that's enough rambling for now. i've got a day of lounging to enjoy...
i got the package from grandpa and grandma johnson yesterday. mmm...snacks. i doubt you'll be reading this directly, but thanks.
it's really starting to get warm out. it's like 90 degrees outside. people are starting to lay off the outdoor activities. i ran down to the post's coffee shop for a smoothie, and it's so much more tasty with this heat. i'm glad our rooms are air conditioned.
last week, someone thought it would be a bright idea to send me out on mission. it's one thing to be running around the country side doing something constructive, but there's absolutely nothing i can currently do to improve things out there. as bad as it sounds, my place is in the rear (on base) providing support. i know a lot of soldiers aren't horribly worried about what i do here, but there would be a lot of leaders left in the dark without my help keeping their computer systems up and running.
the battlefield has changed so much in the last few decades. hell, even in the last few years. most people don't know the internet was initially developed for the military. now we're using many of the innovations coming from enterprising young people to communicate better, faster, and more securely. funny how things have come full circle. we even use civilians for a lot of the more technical support tasks. the entire computer help desk is comprised of civilians (or at least the ones that know what they're doing are civilians). soldiers are trained for other things.
well, that's enough rambling for now. i've got a day of lounging to enjoy...
2010-03-17
return of the artillery
those of you who have followed my blog for a while (or that have read my older posts) will remember me talking about the loud, booming noises that go off pretty much whenever. well, this last week they resumed with the booming. for about a month previously, it had been rather quiet...something about too much collateral damage. thankfully, they changed their minds and are now back to delivering big exploding packages right in the taliban's laps. sure it's noisy and wakes me up in the middle of the night, but it makes me feel so much better knowing my fellow servicemen are getting the support they need. keep up the good work boys, and blow the hell out of your targets.
i got the package from aunt susie...ok, i don't actually remember when it arrived...i've been kind of busy and unable to get to the internet so these things escape me. anyway, the bottle of spices...brilliant! now my food can get some much needed flavor; i swear they're hiding bags of the stuff in the back. maybe if i asked them for a side of flavor....
anyway, i'm feeling rather drained from today's events, and need some chill time. i'll write a few more lines later.
one more night thinking of food (again!)...one more night on a dark fob (new moon)...one more night listening to the typical tunes...
i got the package from aunt susie...ok, i don't actually remember when it arrived...i've been kind of busy and unable to get to the internet so these things escape me. anyway, the bottle of spices...brilliant! now my food can get some much needed flavor; i swear they're hiding bags of the stuff in the back. maybe if i asked them for a side of flavor....
anyway, i'm feeling rather drained from today's events, and need some chill time. i'll write a few more lines later.
one more night thinking of food (again!)...one more night on a dark fob (new moon)...one more night listening to the typical tunes...
yesterday while walking beneath an overpass
i saw the figure of jesus standing barefoot on broken glass
his beard was dragging, smell of urine filled the air
asking for some change, anything that i could spare
emaciated, his shaking fists balled up
influenza and pneumonia, begging god to take his cup
so different from his pictures, breathing air through yellow tubes
jesus christ dying of aids can see right through you
- brave saint saturn, 'under bridges'
2010-03-07
moquito season
well, the temperature is slowly rising. i don't expect to see temperatures below freezing in our remaining time here; it's so sad. as it gets warmer, the bugs and animals will start to get more frisky too. the nice thing about below freezing temperatures is it makes all those things die, or hibernate, or otherwise not bother people. as such, i've resumed taking the malaria meds they gave us. not that it makes it impossible to catch malaria; just a little harder. i don't want people to worry, but we're in the part of the country with the highest malaria incidence rates (for soldiers anyway). so if anyone happens to have a spare bug zapper they're not using, i have power outlets. *cough* hint *cough*.
it seems the new guys have some decent volleyball players. i ran over to the post courts today (not that they're that spectacular, but they work), and got in on a few games. it was way better than when i've tried playing with the guys from my unit. they're not good...at all...and there's a decent chance you'll get hurt from them coming over the net and smacking you...or kneeing you, or elbowing you...you get the idea.
hey ashley. welcome to the blog. the main thing i enjoy right now is snacks. nuts work well, or the canned chicken and fish was pretty good. basically, anything that doesn't spoil quickly. one of my roomates got a microwave now, so i can pop over there and nuke something if i have to. it doesn't rotate what it's zapping though, so anything that requires that sort of thing (like popcorn) is probably not a good idea. the last time he tried to make popcorn, he just about caught the bag on fire. that would have sucked; burning down our living space. it wouldn't take long either as just about everything in here is made of wood.
anyway, i'm going to pop in a pirated copy of 'avatar', and chill. one of the perks about being in the middle of nowhere: no one cares enough to come after you for pirating stuff. i get the feeling being in a war zone has a bit of a deterring effect as well.
one more night dreading the approach of summer...one more night being grateful for the little things...one more night listening to my music...
it seems the new guys have some decent volleyball players. i ran over to the post courts today (not that they're that spectacular, but they work), and got in on a few games. it was way better than when i've tried playing with the guys from my unit. they're not good...at all...and there's a decent chance you'll get hurt from them coming over the net and smacking you...or kneeing you, or elbowing you...you get the idea.
hey ashley. welcome to the blog. the main thing i enjoy right now is snacks. nuts work well, or the canned chicken and fish was pretty good. basically, anything that doesn't spoil quickly. one of my roomates got a microwave now, so i can pop over there and nuke something if i have to. it doesn't rotate what it's zapping though, so anything that requires that sort of thing (like popcorn) is probably not a good idea. the last time he tried to make popcorn, he just about caught the bag on fire. that would have sucked; burning down our living space. it wouldn't take long either as just about everything in here is made of wood.
anyway, i'm going to pop in a pirated copy of 'avatar', and chill. one of the perks about being in the middle of nowhere: no one cares enough to come after you for pirating stuff. i get the feeling being in a war zone has a bit of a deterring effect as well.
one more night dreading the approach of summer...one more night being grateful for the little things...one more night listening to my music...
i know that you can change the future
i know that we can make it happen
in my head there is a riot
and i don't think that i can fight it
'cause we have had enough
all the violence has touched
every part of our lives
our innocence is gone tonight
-papa roach, 'had enough'
2010-03-01
hot
and not in a good way like chicks. according to the weather report, it only got up to 70 degrees, but i don't believe them. or maybe it was all that gear we have to wear around here. in any case, i got hot...i hate being hot. i want to go with the last group that just left here and went to alaska. now that sounds nice. or even back home would be ok with it's highs in maybe the 40s. for all you majority types that like it hot and worship the sun, you can come over here and have it. summer's going to suck hard :(
oh yeah, i tried some of the canned chicken and tuna that got sent to me. all i have to say about that is: yummy. that stuff beats the chow hall by miles. thanks guys.
we had out first mandatory fun day last weekend. for those of you that aren't too familiar with the army, mandatory fun day is when they schedule some random, supposedly fun event and force everyone to show up...and you'll have a good time, or else... at least it's not back in the states where they can make you bring your family too. being the team's technical support, they thought it would be funny to have me set up movies and popcorn. both were a flop as people decided to stay outside. tomorrow morning i'll need to make a dumpster run to get rid of the 1/2 bag (and i mean like a big trash bag) of popcorn that's left over and getting staler as i type. it did make for a better dinner than the chow hall when it was fresh though. thank you 'morale welfare and recreation' (MWR).
why is everything about food tonight? i guess i must be bitter about the crap i had for dinner. i ditched the main line entirely and went for the 'chinese' food they had in the secondary line. what i would give for a panda express or that little chinese mom and pop store that used to be next to work...that place was awesome!
anyway, i'm going to wrap this up before i depress myself too much thinking about real food.
one more night trying to decide if i want to break into my stash of peanuts...one more night hoping it'll stay cold just a little longer...one more night listening to some tunes while i blog...
oh yeah, i tried some of the canned chicken and tuna that got sent to me. all i have to say about that is: yummy. that stuff beats the chow hall by miles. thanks guys.
we had out first mandatory fun day last weekend. for those of you that aren't too familiar with the army, mandatory fun day is when they schedule some random, supposedly fun event and force everyone to show up...and you'll have a good time, or else... at least it's not back in the states where they can make you bring your family too. being the team's technical support, they thought it would be funny to have me set up movies and popcorn. both were a flop as people decided to stay outside. tomorrow morning i'll need to make a dumpster run to get rid of the 1/2 bag (and i mean like a big trash bag) of popcorn that's left over and getting staler as i type. it did make for a better dinner than the chow hall when it was fresh though. thank you 'morale welfare and recreation' (MWR).
why is everything about food tonight? i guess i must be bitter about the crap i had for dinner. i ditched the main line entirely and went for the 'chinese' food they had in the secondary line. what i would give for a panda express or that little chinese mom and pop store that used to be next to work...that place was awesome!
anyway, i'm going to wrap this up before i depress myself too much thinking about real food.
one more night trying to decide if i want to break into my stash of peanuts...one more night hoping it'll stay cold just a little longer...one more night listening to some tunes while i blog...
turn my mic up louder, i got to say somethin'
light weight step it aside, when we comin'
feel it in your chest, the syllables get pumpin'
people on the street, they panic and start runnin'
words on loose leaf, sheet complete comin'
i jump on my mind, i summon the rhyme of dumpin'
feeling the blind, i promise to let the sun in
sick of the dark ways, we march to the drummin'
jump when they tell us they want to see jumpin'
screw that, I want to see some fists pumpin'
risk something, take back what's yours
say something that you know they might attack you for
'cause i'm sick of being treated like i have before
like i'm stupid standing for what i'm standing for
like this war is really just a different brand of war
like it doesn't cater to rich and abandon poor...
- linkin park, hands held high
2010-02-21
new guys
so our higher recently changed out. they're driving me nuts changing everything, and generally making me work longer than normal. today was a good example. they decided to have to an exercise in the morning. the one morning when i usually sleep til noon, and they want to have me up and about doing commo checks. hey retards, we've been using our commo assets to run missions while you guys have been setting yourselves up! anyway, enough about that.
i got the box dad and mom sent me a while back. i've been a little distracted so it hasn't come up. the movies are cool. every once in a while, i get to kick back and watch something so...nice. i don't do chocolate, but my cooworkers loved the tootsie rolls. i'll toss them one, and they return a nice smile :) some of them discovered the kit-kats, and just about started a fight over them. i tried to tell them i was saving them for sometime special, but they just complained about me not sharing. they don't seem to get the idea that i'll be happy to share once i actually decide to start eating them. anyway...
as february comes to an end, i sense the weather's going to be getting warmer soon. it's a shame, cause i kinda like the way the weather's been; chilly in the morning and temperate during the day. summer's going to suck.
one more night hating officers for the extra work they generate...one more night being grateful for the little things...one more night listening to techno while i blog...
i got the box dad and mom sent me a while back. i've been a little distracted so it hasn't come up. the movies are cool. every once in a while, i get to kick back and watch something so...nice. i don't do chocolate, but my cooworkers loved the tootsie rolls. i'll toss them one, and they return a nice smile :) some of them discovered the kit-kats, and just about started a fight over them. i tried to tell them i was saving them for sometime special, but they just complained about me not sharing. they don't seem to get the idea that i'll be happy to share once i actually decide to start eating them. anyway...
as february comes to an end, i sense the weather's going to be getting warmer soon. it's a shame, cause i kinda like the way the weather's been; chilly in the morning and temperate during the day. summer's going to suck.
one more night hating officers for the extra work they generate...one more night being grateful for the little things...one more night listening to techno while i blog...
with an open heart
knowing deep inside
you left a trail of love behind
can i follow in your footsteps
like a golden star
that's the way you shine
you paved a road that's so divine
can i follow in your footsteps
- dj encoure, follow in your footsteps
2010-02-16
singing
so everyone that knows me knows i love to sing; just not when others are around. they like to complain a lot (especially the bunch i'm with now). a few days ago i managed to be the only one in our 'room' of 6. i figured i'd just throw on some headphones and sing along with my favorite songs. what came out was atrocious. i don't know if it was the lack of practice or that i don't sound as much like haley williams as i thought (man, she can sing). so lesson learned: practice, practice, practice; even if it's just for myself. back in the states that's easy due to all the commuting i do. here though...
things have been a little busier than usual the last few days. a new group came in, and they're messing up everything that was perfectly good before they got here. this happens with every unit in the military. the new guys want to distinguish themselves from the old guys. i think it's mostly officers trying to get something good put on their evaluations, but that doesn't make it any less painful for everyone else. one more reason i'll never be an officer.
well, i need to get back to work. one more night in endless meetings...one more night of short sleep as i have to get up dark and early tomorrow...one more night wishing i could sing really, really loud...i mean on the verge of screaming singing...it feels so good pushing your voice that hard...
things have been a little busier than usual the last few days. a new group came in, and they're messing up everything that was perfectly good before they got here. this happens with every unit in the military. the new guys want to distinguish themselves from the old guys. i think it's mostly officers trying to get something good put on their evaluations, but that doesn't make it any less painful for everyone else. one more reason i'll never be an officer.
well, i need to get back to work. one more night in endless meetings...one more night of short sleep as i have to get up dark and early tomorrow...one more night wishing i could sing really, really loud...i mean on the verge of screaming singing...it feels so good pushing your voice that hard...
2010-02-09
cold?
the weather's been crazy lately. it's actually chilly outside! the temperature's a little over freezing and the wind's blowing like pretty hard. i can't imagine what the people in the mountains are going through. not that i'm complaining. i like my seasons; this is just a little unexpected.
the last couple days before it got cold, it was nice (or at least what i consider nice). it rained for 2 days! considering that's the second time i've seen it rain here, i find that rather impressive. and i loved it.
when it cleared, i got grumpy cause the sun came out...that infernal ball of gas in the sky! i swear i'm like the opposite of what we're all told to be like. i like it cloudy, and rainy when i'm outside. i like it dark and windowless when i'm inside.
one of the people i'm here with recalled when she'd seen me in my natural environment (back at our computer shop in indy). she said it was dark, i had a dark desktop, and was listening to dark music. ah...fond memories. it's like i'm drawn to things that are depressing. the beautifully depressing things...
i'm reminded of the silmarilian by j. r. r. tolken. the world he created draws some fairly accurate parallels with our world. the god character had what parallels to angels that would sing constantly. the song they sung was the history of the physical world, and they sang reality into existence. the devil character and his minions didn't like that so they sung dissonance into the song. but even the dissonance when mixed with the angel's song, was beautiful. and so all the evil designs were twisted into the divine purpose, and came to good.
all those things i'm supposed to hate: the dark, the rain, the clouds, the depressing music...i wouldn't say they bring a smile to my face, but they please me. there's a place for everything.
well...i've rambled on enough. wish me more rain that i may dance in it.
the last couple days before it got cold, it was nice (or at least what i consider nice). it rained for 2 days! considering that's the second time i've seen it rain here, i find that rather impressive. and i loved it.
when it cleared, i got grumpy cause the sun came out...that infernal ball of gas in the sky! i swear i'm like the opposite of what we're all told to be like. i like it cloudy, and rainy when i'm outside. i like it dark and windowless when i'm inside.
one of the people i'm here with recalled when she'd seen me in my natural environment (back at our computer shop in indy). she said it was dark, i had a dark desktop, and was listening to dark music. ah...fond memories. it's like i'm drawn to things that are depressing. the beautifully depressing things...
i'm reminded of the silmarilian by j. r. r. tolken. the world he created draws some fairly accurate parallels with our world. the god character had what parallels to angels that would sing constantly. the song they sung was the history of the physical world, and they sang reality into existence. the devil character and his minions didn't like that so they sung dissonance into the song. but even the dissonance when mixed with the angel's song, was beautiful. and so all the evil designs were twisted into the divine purpose, and came to good.
all those things i'm supposed to hate: the dark, the rain, the clouds, the depressing music...i wouldn't say they bring a smile to my face, but they please me. there's a place for everything.
well...i've rambled on enough. wish me more rain that i may dance in it.
2010-01-31
rain
i'm only happy when it rainswe saw our first rain a few days ago. i was starting to wonder if that ever happened here. i see plants around so i figured it had to happen every now and then. apparently, when it rains here, it really rains. a full day of rain is what we ended up with; almost 24 hours worth. total accumulation of 1.3 inches. the ground was not ready for that. it rains so scarcely here that when it does, there isn't anything to keep it around. 2 days later the only way you could tell it had rained was it wasn't as dusty as before. it was an overall positive thing. the farmers get to try growing something, the taliban get a little less support from the locals, and the soldiers don't have to breathe in as much dust.
i'm only happy when it's complicated
and though i know you can't appreciate it
i'm only happy when it rains
- garbage
people with sinus or breathing issues definitely shouldn't come here. friends have been hacking up dirt, and ending up with a brownish mess when they blow their noses. i'd think it was pretty horrible if i hadn't experienced worse dust in kosovo. there it was the result of too much gravel being put down though. believe me, you can throw down too much gravel.
i hate to use you guys as a supply line but...i'm starting to run low on shampoo. i don't use much due to the army not letting me have hair, but it is nice to scrub what little i can grow. i could also use a new pair of shower shoes (cheap flippy floppies). the gravel is really hard on them so they don't last as long as they normally would. i don't dare head for the shower without them though; that floor is nasty in spite of being cleaned 3 times a day. so if anyone feels like sending me something i could use, there's a list.
well, it's my 'day off' so i'm going to try finding something fun to do. that probably means scrounging up some food, playing some volleyball, and taking another shower...ah, showers. is it sad when showering is the best part of you day?
2010-01-26
life goes on
it's been a while since i've dropped a line or two here. the primary reason is lack of interest in the internet (crazy i know). that combined with it (the internet) not always being readily available have kept me silent for a while. so what's happened since i was on here last....
the fob got rocketed; that was interesting. the incoming siren sounded in the dead of night. i'm really glad we sleep in hardened structures, because getting up in the middle of the night and heading for a bunker is not my idea of fun. i woke up long enough to realize where i was then rolled over and went back to sleep. or at least i tried to...that siren's loud! louder than that outgoing artillery depending on where you're located. in the morning, we discovered the taliban are lousy shots. 3 rockets and none of them hit anything (important). later in the day we discovered a rocket that wasn't fired. so we went out and blew it up.
there are so many explosions around here, you start to lose track of them. 1/2 the time i'm not even curious enough to try figuring out what it was. i'll know if something seriously threatening happens.
wow, 15 minutes for verizon to load so i can pay my bill...this is why i don't do the internet so much. i really need to call them and tell them to stop billing me. maybe this sunday....
while i'm on random thoughts, gratz kathy on the new job. i'm sure most of you don't know her, but just in case someone does, give her a pat on the back for me.
ok, i'm starting to digress so i should wrap this up. one more night with the random explosions...one more night trying to ignore my roomates that are skyping (hello unintentional eavesdropping)...one more night listening to paramore while i blog...
the fob got rocketed; that was interesting. the incoming siren sounded in the dead of night. i'm really glad we sleep in hardened structures, because getting up in the middle of the night and heading for a bunker is not my idea of fun. i woke up long enough to realize where i was then rolled over and went back to sleep. or at least i tried to...that siren's loud! louder than that outgoing artillery depending on where you're located. in the morning, we discovered the taliban are lousy shots. 3 rockets and none of them hit anything (important). later in the day we discovered a rocket that wasn't fired. so we went out and blew it up.
there are so many explosions around here, you start to lose track of them. 1/2 the time i'm not even curious enough to try figuring out what it was. i'll know if something seriously threatening happens.
wow, 15 minutes for verizon to load so i can pay my bill...this is why i don't do the internet so much. i really need to call them and tell them to stop billing me. maybe this sunday....
while i'm on random thoughts, gratz kathy on the new job. i'm sure most of you don't know her, but just in case someone does, give her a pat on the back for me.
ok, i'm starting to digress so i should wrap this up. one more night with the random explosions...one more night trying to ignore my roomates that are skyping (hello unintentional eavesdropping)...one more night listening to paramore while i blog...
now i've got a feeling if i sing this loud enough
that you would sing it back to me
i've got a feeling if i sing this loud enough
that you would sing it back to me...
2010-01-17
sunday
we've been here over a month now, and we're starting to settle into our groove. it's nice. sundays are our sort-of days off. that is as long as nothing big happens. we're mostly through the day and nothing big's happened. of course, now that i've said that....
anyway, it was a fun day. i got to sleep in, take my time in the shower, play some volleyball....
the living conditions here are the nicest i've encountered (when deployed). we get to stay in nice mortar proof buildings. they make long hallway looking rooms that we use plywood to separate. my room houses 6 people and we've divided up the space 6 ways. that leaves me with a nice 10' x 10' box. considering how un-picky i am, that makes this pretty close to my ideal room.
if there was one thing i could change, i'd try finding a way to make it darker. the lights are controlled by 2 switches on either end of the hall. the 'walls' of plywood don't go all the way to the ceiling to allow the temperature control units (also on either end of the hall) to do their job. so the lights shine down into the room regularly. nothing kills your night vision like those lights. on moonless nights, i either have to take a light, or wait a couple minutes before going anywhere. it's rather annoying, and makes me feel less secure being 'blind' like that. for a while, i tried using my night vision goggles, but then there's this big bulky thing on your head and there's no peripheral vision on those things.
well, it's almost dinner time so i'm gonna run.
anyway, it was a fun day. i got to sleep in, take my time in the shower, play some volleyball....
the living conditions here are the nicest i've encountered (when deployed). we get to stay in nice mortar proof buildings. they make long hallway looking rooms that we use plywood to separate. my room houses 6 people and we've divided up the space 6 ways. that leaves me with a nice 10' x 10' box. considering how un-picky i am, that makes this pretty close to my ideal room.
if there was one thing i could change, i'd try finding a way to make it darker. the lights are controlled by 2 switches on either end of the hall. the 'walls' of plywood don't go all the way to the ceiling to allow the temperature control units (also on either end of the hall) to do their job. so the lights shine down into the room regularly. nothing kills your night vision like those lights. on moonless nights, i either have to take a light, or wait a couple minutes before going anywhere. it's rather annoying, and makes me feel less secure being 'blind' like that. for a while, i tried using my night vision goggles, but then there's this big bulky thing on your head and there's no peripheral vision on those things.
well, it's almost dinner time so i'm gonna run.
2010-01-13
ouch
some guys in my unit saw some locals get blown up today. it was pretty traumatic. we're all physically ok, but it might be a few days before some feel 'normal'. post traumatic stress is very real, and i'm afraid some of us will have it before much longer. i know a lot of you pray for me every day; i ask you to extend that to the soldiers i'm here with.
2010-01-12
second and third order effects
so the big wigs in charge of me like to talk a lot about 'second and third order effects'. it refers to the (often unanticipated) obscure results of a course of action. i've got a great example for you. queue story time:
a lot was happening in our area the base commander didn't like. so they decided to be extra cautious and not allow any locals on. well, it worked great for keeping us physically safe; first order effect was a smashing success. but wait! those people did a lot of useful stuff on base. things like digging ditches, constructing shiny new mortar proof buildings, running a to-go dining facility, and our laundry. that's right, our laundry. second and third order effects: FAIL!!
i'm not sure about some of you, but i happen to like clean clothes. it's right up there with showering (something i wish my soldiers enjoyed as much as i do). i'm glad that mess only lasted a little over half a week, cause i was about to have to start recycling my dirty cloths. i know from experience that wearing dirty cloths is not fun.
so there's my story for the day, and the lesson. try to consider all the angles before you make a decision.
moving on...i got the package susie (aunt type) sent today. i love the miniature dominoes and playing cards. they're cute and portable. wait a minute, i'm not supposed to like cute stuff; being a tough soldier: fail. but seriously, i like them. and how did you know i like the curiously addicting mints (altoids)?
anyway, the blog seems to be a huge success. people are actually reading it; thus proving i'm not a narcissist. i was kinda worried for a while there, but it worked out. i'll try to come up with interesting stuff to write every few days.
one more night on a dark fob (the moon's waning)...one more night feeling strangely happy...one more night writing smart ass comments in my blog...
a lot was happening in our area the base commander didn't like. so they decided to be extra cautious and not allow any locals on. well, it worked great for keeping us physically safe; first order effect was a smashing success. but wait! those people did a lot of useful stuff on base. things like digging ditches, constructing shiny new mortar proof buildings, running a to-go dining facility, and our laundry. that's right, our laundry. second and third order effects: FAIL!!
i'm not sure about some of you, but i happen to like clean clothes. it's right up there with showering (something i wish my soldiers enjoyed as much as i do). i'm glad that mess only lasted a little over half a week, cause i was about to have to start recycling my dirty cloths. i know from experience that wearing dirty cloths is not fun.
so there's my story for the day, and the lesson. try to consider all the angles before you make a decision.
moving on...i got the package susie (aunt type) sent today. i love the miniature dominoes and playing cards. they're cute and portable. wait a minute, i'm not supposed to like cute stuff; being a tough soldier: fail. but seriously, i like them. and how did you know i like the curiously addicting mints (altoids)?
anyway, the blog seems to be a huge success. people are actually reading it; thus proving i'm not a narcissist. i was kinda worried for a while there, but it worked out. i'll try to come up with interesting stuff to write every few days.
one more night on a dark fob (the moon's waning)...one more night feeling strangely happy...one more night writing smart ass comments in my blog...
2010-01-10
the revolution
can you hear the drums of revolution beating? when i was home, the sound was deafening. the tea parties; the news obviously avoiding stories they don't want to cover; the daily health care reform debate; freedomwatch on fox; the plethora of non-politician candidates running for office; the 12 sep march on washington the state run news tried to ignore; the siege of philadelphia during the g-20 summit....
but here there are only whispers. out here, isolated from the american media; cut off from friends; where afghani events drown out what's going on in the states.
so far from home with the best trained, best outfitted, and best funded military in the world you'd think i'd feel like i was fighting for freedom. and sure, i guess we are fighting for afghani freedom from the taliban, but who will replace them? the strong central government we're installing? the same system of governance the people back home are revolting against? have we learned nothing?
the afghans have had a system of local governance in place for millennia. and it worked. sure there were issues, but they're surely a smaller evil than the rampant corruption inherent in any large scale system of governance. let us not forget large, powerful, central governments have brought about nazi germany, the union of soviet socialist republics, the people's republic if china, the mess now known as great britain, the beast we're fighting in our own land.
how do the sayings go? a government large enough to give you everything you ever wanted it powerful enough to take everything you have. and. absolute power corrupts absolutely.
our founding fathers believed there would need to be a revolution in every generation. well, we haven't had one of those in quite some time. so here it comes. ironically, it's a revolution intent on returning to something resembling what the founders initiated. back to a system of local governance. where the people have firearms to protect themselves from the government; the biggest crook of all.
way out here, i feel like i'm on the sidelines of this fight. just a distraction to try and get the public to fight someone else. how i long to be home. i want to exercise my right to assemble peacefully and petition my government for a redress of grievances. my friends, my countrymen, their freedoms are being snatched away, and i'm stuck all the way out here.
will you fight for me? will you demand the power be given back to the people? will you help tie the hands of big brother? will i return to a country that's better or worse than i left it?
but here there are only whispers. out here, isolated from the american media; cut off from friends; where afghani events drown out what's going on in the states.
so far from home with the best trained, best outfitted, and best funded military in the world you'd think i'd feel like i was fighting for freedom. and sure, i guess we are fighting for afghani freedom from the taliban, but who will replace them? the strong central government we're installing? the same system of governance the people back home are revolting against? have we learned nothing?
the afghans have had a system of local governance in place for millennia. and it worked. sure there were issues, but they're surely a smaller evil than the rampant corruption inherent in any large scale system of governance. let us not forget large, powerful, central governments have brought about nazi germany, the union of soviet socialist republics, the people's republic if china, the mess now known as great britain, the beast we're fighting in our own land.
how do the sayings go? a government large enough to give you everything you ever wanted it powerful enough to take everything you have. and. absolute power corrupts absolutely.
our founding fathers believed there would need to be a revolution in every generation. well, we haven't had one of those in quite some time. so here it comes. ironically, it's a revolution intent on returning to something resembling what the founders initiated. back to a system of local governance. where the people have firearms to protect themselves from the government; the biggest crook of all.
way out here, i feel like i'm on the sidelines of this fight. just a distraction to try and get the public to fight someone else. how i long to be home. i want to exercise my right to assemble peacefully and petition my government for a redress of grievances. my friends, my countrymen, their freedoms are being snatched away, and i'm stuck all the way out here.
will you fight for me? will you demand the power be given back to the people? will you help tie the hands of big brother? will i return to a country that's better or worse than i left it?
2010-01-07
trouble of our own making 2
well, the missing item turned up (and there was much rejoicing). the down side is it looks like someone planted it; meaning they grabbed it and held onto it long enough to cause a big stir and get the guy who's equipment it was in trouble. i understand no liking someone, but common. of course, there's no way to prove anything so i guess i'll just have to be happy knowing it won't be used to kill us.
things have slowed down considerably. i actually have a few hours in the evening now to decompress. as long as no one tries attacking the base, things should remain this way for a while...but then, we are in their 'slow' season.... i'm not looking forward to their busy times.
so i've been asked about the food. well...there sure is a lot of it. i've also discovered most things can be made to taste better with some salad dressing. i think my favorite is cheeseburger with caesar...though potato with blue cheese is pretty good too. a good portion of the time in the chow hall is spent staring at food trying to decide if i really want to eat what i'm looking at. strangely enough, the whole situation has turned out rather well for some of our heavier guys who are now in the 'i don't want to eat what they're serving us' diet. hello weight loss program.
if anyone feels like sending snacks, i wouldn't be opposed to the idea. i generally shy away from sweets, things that melt, things that spoil quickly, things that require an oven or microwave, and edible underwear. i know that doesn't leave you much to play with, but a cleaver bunch like you will probably find a category i missed to ship over.
the only stuff i really need are the hygiene supplies i'm stockpiling. because i LOVE being clean. clean is the new hotness!!
one more night typing out a quick blog. one more night still working on that bottle of sparkling grape juice i snatched up from the chow hall. one more night contemplating how nice showers are...mmm, shower.
things have slowed down considerably. i actually have a few hours in the evening now to decompress. as long as no one tries attacking the base, things should remain this way for a while...but then, we are in their 'slow' season.... i'm not looking forward to their busy times.
so i've been asked about the food. well...there sure is a lot of it. i've also discovered most things can be made to taste better with some salad dressing. i think my favorite is cheeseburger with caesar...though potato with blue cheese is pretty good too. a good portion of the time in the chow hall is spent staring at food trying to decide if i really want to eat what i'm looking at. strangely enough, the whole situation has turned out rather well for some of our heavier guys who are now in the 'i don't want to eat what they're serving us' diet. hello weight loss program.
if anyone feels like sending snacks, i wouldn't be opposed to the idea. i generally shy away from sweets, things that melt, things that spoil quickly, things that require an oven or microwave, and edible underwear. i know that doesn't leave you much to play with, but a cleaver bunch like you will probably find a category i missed to ship over.
the only stuff i really need are the hygiene supplies i'm stockpiling. because i LOVE being clean. clean is the new hotness!!
one more night typing out a quick blog. one more night still working on that bottle of sparkling grape juice i snatched up from the chow hall. one more night contemplating how nice showers are...mmm, shower.
2010-01-04
trouble of our own making
every now and then a soldier will lose something. on even rarer occasions that something will be an item you never want to fall into enemy hands. one such device came up missing, and there was no end to the trouble. 1/2 a day for everyone was spent searching. 1/2 a week is being spend doing the paperwork. they put cords on things for a reason; one this soldier apparently didn't grasp. i just hope it doesn't fall into the wrong hands, because it would be used to kill us or our allies. now the damage is done, and we wait, and wait, and dare to hope...hope and pray it was picked up by another soldier....
but on to brighter topics.... i got the postcard jon sent me from budapest today. that makes it exactly 1 month to get here. i'm guessing that'll be about how long anything shipped from outside the u.s. takes to get here. things shipped from the u.s. take about 2 weeks to arrive. ah, the joys of being in the back end of the world. so the mystery of how long it takes mail to get here is solved. as the for the mystery of how the chocolate didn't melt? i guess some things were meant to remain enigmas... or maybe it was magic chocolate...mmm, magic chocolate....
i got around to posting a pic of me for my profile. i know it's hard to tell that's me. the friend that took it said i look like some soft of insect with no face and all eyes. so if you were ever wondering what i'd look like with no face, there it is. one of these days i'll get around to snapping a photo of myself with all my body armor on. it weighs 1/2 what i do. not that that's saying much as i weigh less than most girls my height. it seriously weighs 70-80 pounds though. imaging trying to run with all that crap on, and you'll get pretty close to what it would feel like to be in combat...except that you'd also be scared shitless. that's one memorable event i'll be happy to miss out on.
one more night in the world's butt crack...one more night being grateful for the little things (like taking a shower..so nice!)...one more night nursing my bottle of sparkling grape juice i swiped from the chow hall. what i'd give for a glass of champagne...
but on to brighter topics.... i got the postcard jon sent me from budapest today. that makes it exactly 1 month to get here. i'm guessing that'll be about how long anything shipped from outside the u.s. takes to get here. things shipped from the u.s. take about 2 weeks to arrive. ah, the joys of being in the back end of the world. so the mystery of how long it takes mail to get here is solved. as the for the mystery of how the chocolate didn't melt? i guess some things were meant to remain enigmas... or maybe it was magic chocolate...mmm, magic chocolate....
i got around to posting a pic of me for my profile. i know it's hard to tell that's me. the friend that took it said i look like some soft of insect with no face and all eyes. so if you were ever wondering what i'd look like with no face, there it is. one of these days i'll get around to snapping a photo of myself with all my body armor on. it weighs 1/2 what i do. not that that's saying much as i weigh less than most girls my height. it seriously weighs 70-80 pounds though. imaging trying to run with all that crap on, and you'll get pretty close to what it would feel like to be in combat...except that you'd also be scared shitless. that's one memorable event i'll be happy to miss out on.
one more night in the world's butt crack...one more night being grateful for the little things (like taking a shower..so nice!)...one more night nursing my bottle of sparkling grape juice i swiped from the chow hall. what i'd give for a glass of champagne...
2010-01-01
happy new year
i don't think anyone here has really had a chance to celebrate the new year. between the attack at FOB chapman and the missions we've been running, everyone's pretty tired. at least things seem to have gotten back to 'normal'.
i got my package from dad and mom today (thanks guys). i never thought i'd be so happy to see new razors. also, if you were timing how long it took to get here, there you go. speaking of mail, a few of you have asked for an address. here you go:
anyway, i've got an early day tomorrow, and lots of boom, boom-ing to try sleeping through (the down side of being co-located with the artillery). one more night with a full moon lighting everything up...one more night wishing my roomates would shut up and turn the lights off...one more night hoping i don't wake up in the middle of the night having to go to the bathroom (it's a hike)...one more night, and so many more to go....
i got my package from dad and mom today (thanks guys). i never thought i'd be so happy to see new razors. also, if you were timing how long it took to get here, there you go. speaking of mail, a few of you have asked for an address. here you go:
SSG Johnson, Stephen T.so back to the pseudo celebrating, it's the end of new years day and the most i've done is steal a bottle of welch's sparkling grape juice from the dining facility. it's not much, but i'll drink it and act like it's a big deal. i tried to eat the dark chocolate i got in the mail today, and managed to get a bite in before it was enough. i'll pass it out to my guys; they should enjoy it :)
2-19 ADT
FOB Salerno
APO AE 09314
anyway, i've got an early day tomorrow, and lots of boom, boom-ing to try sleeping through (the down side of being co-located with the artillery). one more night with a full moon lighting everything up...one more night wishing my roomates would shut up and turn the lights off...one more night hoping i don't wake up in the middle of the night having to go to the bathroom (it's a hike)...one more night, and so many more to go....
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