Wild on OIF 3
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Wild On OIF 3 Is No More
Monday, June 12, 2006
Wild on OIF 3 was my first attempt a blogging, but it has served its purpose. I'm a maladjusted civilian now, and a wartime blog just doesn't seem to cut it anymore. I would like to thank the readers who commented, even those who tried to steal my thunder through superior comedy.
I hope you enjoyed the ride.
SGT Mac (Gun 7 Mike)
I hope you enjoyed the ride.
SGT Mac (Gun 7 Mike)
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Monday, June 12, 2006
I Am Still Alive
Sunday, March 12, 2006
After receiving threatening emails and comments, I have decided to post again. I thought this was going to be just a war time blog, but my public has demanded more. Well, basically, I have completed reintegration training (don't drink and drive, don't beat your wife, blah blah blah). I am no fully ready to be a part of society, hah!
I'm getting out of the Army next month, no job, no place to live. Things are looking pretty good. I will be working on a new blog to cover the post-military era. I have some incredible new directions for Jim & Jim, but they may require some time (you know, get a job, find a place to live, arrrggh, priorities).
Anyhow, be patient, and quit harrassing me about the damn blog.
I'm getting out of the Army next month, no job, no place to live. Things are looking pretty good. I will be working on a new blog to cover the post-military era. I have some incredible new directions for Jim & Jim, but they may require some time (you know, get a job, find a place to live, arrrggh, priorities).
Anyhow, be patient, and quit harrassing me about the damn blog.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Sunday, March 12, 2006
Comments:
More than 2 weeks, Sgt. / Mr. Dan. How are you? And a big zstkmd to you!
posted by 
: 3/28/2006 04:53:00 PM
The End of Innocence
Sunday, January 22, 2006
SGT MacDonald has landed. I am back in Ft Irwin, California. I don't have my car, yet, I have one set of civilian clothes, and my room has no heat, but it's great to be back.
The Trip:
My last post mentioned being delayed in Kuwait. Well, we finally got on the bus 12 hours later and headed to the redeployment station. The military is famous for putting soldiers on a long bus ride and then immediately sending them into a long, drawn-out briefing without providing a chance to go to the restroom (or porta-john, in most cases). After an uncomfortable briefing, we got a bathroom break and then headed to customs. My last Cuban cigar fell victim to the prying eyes of Big Brother, but I had jumped through another hoop on the journey home.
Another wait in the 'Sterile Yard' (customs holding area). I drank way too much espresso and stayed up all night (not that a comfortable place to sleep could be found). At 8am, it was back on the busses, at 8:30am, it was off the busses - the plane wasn't ready or something like that. At 9:30am it was back on the busses and off to KCIA (Kuwait City International Airport) wait for a couple of hours and finally on to the plane.
The commercial jets chartered by the government always come from airline that I've never heard of. This trip it was World Airways (better than ATA Air or North American Airlines). We got the B team on the fight attendandants. A couple of crappy meals and movies and we were in Shannon, Ireland. Buying alcohol at the Duty-Free was prohibited (no single malt Scotch for me), but the bar was open. I enjoyed a couple of Guinnesses and a couple of Jamesons and was feeling pretty good.
I slept much of the way across the Atlantic thanks to the Irish brewing and distilling. We hit Bangor, Maine sometime in the evening (my internal clock is screwed up, so I don't know when it was) I made some phone calls and bought some magazine and got back on the plane for the final leg to SCLA (Southern California Logistical Airport in Victorville, CA). When the plane landed in Victorville, we turned in our weapons (I already miss my rifle) did some paperwork and got on some nice American busses for the trip to Ft Irwin.
Arrived in Ft Irwin, they lined us up and said dismissed. I am out of time. More to follow.
The Trip:
My last post mentioned being delayed in Kuwait. Well, we finally got on the bus 12 hours later and headed to the redeployment station. The military is famous for putting soldiers on a long bus ride and then immediately sending them into a long, drawn-out briefing without providing a chance to go to the restroom (or porta-john, in most cases). After an uncomfortable briefing, we got a bathroom break and then headed to customs. My last Cuban cigar fell victim to the prying eyes of Big Brother, but I had jumped through another hoop on the journey home.
Another wait in the 'Sterile Yard' (customs holding area). I drank way too much espresso and stayed up all night (not that a comfortable place to sleep could be found). At 8am, it was back on the busses, at 8:30am, it was off the busses - the plane wasn't ready or something like that. At 9:30am it was back on the busses and off to KCIA (Kuwait City International Airport) wait for a couple of hours and finally on to the plane.
The commercial jets chartered by the government always come from airline that I've never heard of. This trip it was World Airways (better than ATA Air or North American Airlines). We got the B team on the fight attendandants. A couple of crappy meals and movies and we were in Shannon, Ireland. Buying alcohol at the Duty-Free was prohibited (no single malt Scotch for me), but the bar was open. I enjoyed a couple of Guinnesses and a couple of Jamesons and was feeling pretty good.
I slept much of the way across the Atlantic thanks to the Irish brewing and distilling. We hit Bangor, Maine sometime in the evening (my internal clock is screwed up, so I don't know when it was) I made some phone calls and bought some magazine and got back on the plane for the final leg to SCLA (Southern California Logistical Airport in Victorville, CA). When the plane landed in Victorville, we turned in our weapons (I already miss my rifle) did some paperwork and got on some nice American busses for the trip to Ft Irwin.
Arrived in Ft Irwin, they lined us up and said dismissed. I am out of time. More to follow.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Sunday, January 22, 2006
Comments:
kaahxzb & welcome home.
posted by : 1/24/2006 04:36:00 PM
Hey Dan, Did you mfall off the face of the Earth? There are a lot of folks that have followed, supported, and prayed for you. How about an update?
pfcjz..LOL!
pfcjz..LOL!
posted by : 2/15/2006 05:18:00 PM
No more Jim & Jim... No more news... No more book reviews... No more sarcastic wit... No "hey I'm out and alive"... No more anything.. Why did we care?
posted by : 3/09/2006 04:28:00 PM
World Travel, Army Style
Friday, January 20, 2006
It is a good thing that my time in the Army has taught me not to be too optimistic, because when the word came down that our flight would not be leaving today, I was neither surprised nor upset. One has to roll with the puches. I can now be fully OPSEC (Operational Security) compliant, and say, I don't know when the hell I'll be getting back.
I have been drinking bad lattes at the local coffee shop, and not a whole lot of anything else. More to follow, hopefully from a location closer to the USA.
I have been drinking bad lattes at the local coffee shop, and not a whole lot of anything else. More to follow, hopefully from a location closer to the USA.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Friday, January 20, 2006
Comments:
With any luck you'll have a cool layover somewhere. I hear the Azores are nice. Mine was at Rota Spain. I can tell you that was nice. In 6 hours, I got to jump in the ocean, drink several beers and eat some tapas. Good times. Safe trip home and remember they own you until you ETS. Stay outta trouble.
posted by : 1/21/2006 07:27:00 AM
Goodbye for Good
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
SGT MacDonald has left the country!
I am in Kuwait for a few days. Operational Security prevents me from saying when I will finally be back in the States (Saturday, January 21, 1300 hours), but the time is drawing very near. Hopefully, I can get out of the Army before they Shanghi me for another tour here. I have seen enough of the Middle East to last me a while.
The past several days have been drudgery. Basically, we would show up to formation at 7am and be told to continue cleaning our rooms and packing for the last week. My coffee intake has increased considerably. Since we're always being treated like children (funny for people who are trained to kill), I couldn't go anywhere on camp without a "battle buddy." Kinda makes life inconvenient, especially when one is a loner.
The "battle buddies" I have hooked up with happen to be runners (the kind that actually buy running magazines) so I have been running alot in the last few weeks. I just completed my first 10k yesterday at a respectable time for an old-timer like myself. Running makes me feel not so bad about quitting quitting smoking. Yeah, smoking is bad for you, but so is gaing weight like Kristi Alley at a free buffet, so I'd rather be slim than healthy.
I am trying to think of ideas for a post-Wild on OIF 3 blog and am open to suggestions. There are only a few posts left before this blog will come to an end.
So, in closing, I am excited to be coming home, blah blah blah, proud to serve my country, yadda yadda yadda, haunted by the memories, blah blah blah. This is Gun7Mike signing off from lovely Kuwait.
I am in Kuwait for a few days. Operational Security prevents me from saying when I will finally be back in the States (Saturday, January 21, 1300 hours), but the time is drawing very near. Hopefully, I can get out of the Army before they Shanghi me for another tour here. I have seen enough of the Middle East to last me a while.
The past several days have been drudgery. Basically, we would show up to formation at 7am and be told to continue cleaning our rooms and packing for the last week. My coffee intake has increased considerably. Since we're always being treated like children (funny for people who are trained to kill), I couldn't go anywhere on camp without a "battle buddy." Kinda makes life inconvenient, especially when one is a loner.
The "battle buddies" I have hooked up with happen to be runners (the kind that actually buy running magazines) so I have been running alot in the last few weeks. I just completed my first 10k yesterday at a respectable time for an old-timer like myself. Running makes me feel not so bad about quitting quitting smoking. Yeah, smoking is bad for you, but so is gaing weight like Kristi Alley at a free buffet, so I'd rather be slim than healthy.
I am trying to think of ideas for a post-Wild on OIF 3 blog and am open to suggestions. There are only a few posts left before this blog will come to an end.
So, in closing, I am excited to be coming home, blah blah blah, proud to serve my country, yadda yadda yadda, haunted by the memories, blah blah blah. This is Gun7Mike signing off from lovely Kuwait.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Comments:
I'll bet everyone who cares about you is HAPPY to hear you're not in Iraq any longer...and that you're on the way home. Gwen & Devin can't wait for you to get back, not that we've told them any specific time/date yet. Fly safely.
posted by : 1/18/2006 03:30:00 PM
Hey Dan, Congrats, and how about naming your post-wild on OIF "dejayzzi"?
posted by : 1/18/2006 05:11:00 PM
Lost in Translation
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
I have nothing to do.
Everything we have is packed up. We are just waiting to get on the plane. I seem to remember the whole redeployment process being much more hectic the first two times around. I guess there are advantages to not having a defined job or responsibilities. There are defintely disadvantages, as I find myself in charge of alot of menial work details, because everyone else in my platoon has a job, but all in all, the last couple of weeks has been pretty relaxing.
I am not really prepared to enlighten today, so, off the top of my head, I'll start the debate of greatest movies (by genre).
WWII: Kelly's Heroes, The Dirty Dozen
Western: Pale Rider, High Plains Drifter
Sports: Major League, Caddyshack
Prison: Shawshank Redemption, The Longest Yard (the original), Cool Hand Luke
Science Fiction: Star Wars, The Terminator
Slasher: Halloween, Scream
Weird: Blue Velvet
Heist: The Score, Entrapment
Comedy (goofball): Airplane, Spaceballs
Vietnam: Full Metal Jacket, Apocalypse Now
Cops and Robbers: Payback
Buddy: Lethal Weapon, Beverly Hills Cop
Gangster: Casino, Goodfellas, The Godfather
Gangsta: Colors, New Jack City
Comedy (romantic): When Harry Met Sally, Lost in Translation
Adventure: Raiders of the Lost Ark
Action: Die Hard
Comedy (teen): Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Animated: Toy Story, Monsters Inc.
Historical: Michael Collins, The Messenger, Braveheart
I just got kicked off the computer. Comments are welcomed and encouraged.
Everything we have is packed up. We are just waiting to get on the plane. I seem to remember the whole redeployment process being much more hectic the first two times around. I guess there are advantages to not having a defined job or responsibilities. There are defintely disadvantages, as I find myself in charge of alot of menial work details, because everyone else in my platoon has a job, but all in all, the last couple of weeks has been pretty relaxing.
I am not really prepared to enlighten today, so, off the top of my head, I'll start the debate of greatest movies (by genre).
WWII: Kelly's Heroes, The Dirty Dozen
Western: Pale Rider, High Plains Drifter
Sports: Major League, Caddyshack
Prison: Shawshank Redemption, The Longest Yard (the original), Cool Hand Luke
Science Fiction: Star Wars, The Terminator
Slasher: Halloween, Scream
Weird: Blue Velvet
Heist: The Score, Entrapment
Comedy (goofball): Airplane, Spaceballs
Vietnam: Full Metal Jacket, Apocalypse Now
Cops and Robbers: Payback
Buddy: Lethal Weapon, Beverly Hills Cop
Gangster: Casino, Goodfellas, The Godfather
Gangsta: Colors, New Jack City
Comedy (romantic): When Harry Met Sally, Lost in Translation
Adventure: Raiders of the Lost Ark
Action: Die Hard
Comedy (teen): Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Animated: Toy Story, Monsters Inc.
Historical: Michael Collins, The Messenger, Braveheart
I just got kicked off the computer. Comments are welcomed and encouraged.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Comments:
I came up with this list right off the top of my head. I have probably missed many movies and many genres. I know, for sure, that I forgot to mention the unforgetable ttwzvlb.
posted by 
sgt mac (gun 7 mike) : 1/12/2006 10:26:00 PM
Maybe a movie blog. That could be the civilian equivalent to 'Wild on OIF 3' I'm sure it will be popular with rxizbvr fans
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) : 1/18/2006 08:51:00 AM
His Mother was a Mudder
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Well, 95% of our gear is packed. We're just waiting for the plane. I can't really say when we are schedule to fly out (January 16) for security reasons, but it is approaching quickly.
Iraq had one of its nice winter storms yesterday, rain, rain, and some more rain. All that rain combined with the dirt that covers this entire country makes mud - lots of it. I am really looking forward to seeing grass again (the astro turf we used to lay out our equipment for customs inspection doesn't count).
My reading has dropped to nil, especially since all of my books are packed up in a shipping container. I have been playing with the paper airplane calendar that my parents sent me, and the fresh roasted coffee from my brother (don't hate me Chris, but I had to grind up all of the beans, because the grinder had to be packed away).
What does purple taste like?
Iraq had one of its nice winter storms yesterday, rain, rain, and some more rain. All that rain combined with the dirt that covers this entire country makes mud - lots of it. I am really looking forward to seeing grass again (the astro turf we used to lay out our equipment for customs inspection doesn't count).
My reading has dropped to nil, especially since all of my books are packed up in a shipping container. I have been playing with the paper airplane calendar that my parents sent me, and the fresh roasted coffee from my brother (don't hate me Chris, but I had to grind up all of the beans, because the grinder had to be packed away).
What does purple taste like?
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Sunday, January 08, 2006
Comments:
I was thinking more along the lines of lrzjboad.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) : 1/10/2006 11:03:00 PM
Corned Beef and Cabbage
Monday, January 02, 2006
Happy New Year
I am no longer "going outside the wire" but the schedule remains hectic nonetheless. This is my 3rd time packing up to leave this godforsaken country, and I plan to make it my last. Pack, pack, pack.
I have been enjoying the fresh roasted coffee my brother sent me for Christmas. It will be a sad day when I have to pack the bean grinder away. I have decided that the water heater, although bulky and fragile, is going to stay with me until I step on the plane for the States. The troops are looking forward to the refuel stop in Shannon, Ireland. I can almost taste the Guinness.
Some may think I was harsh in describing the commander? in my last post, but I was merely relaying some of the opinions voiced by my peers. I can take no resposibility for what they say.
My reading has stalled lately. I am the man in headquarters that doesn't really have a job, so I do lots of different things. Reading hasn't been one of them.
I am no longer "going outside the wire" but the schedule remains hectic nonetheless. This is my 3rd time packing up to leave this godforsaken country, and I plan to make it my last. Pack, pack, pack.
I have been enjoying the fresh roasted coffee my brother sent me for Christmas. It will be a sad day when I have to pack the bean grinder away. I have decided that the water heater, although bulky and fragile, is going to stay with me until I step on the plane for the States. The troops are looking forward to the refuel stop in Shannon, Ireland. I can almost taste the Guinness.
Some may think I was harsh in describing the commander? in my last post, but I was merely relaying some of the opinions voiced by my peers. I can take no resposibility for what they say.
My reading has stalled lately. I am the man in headquarters that doesn't really have a job, so I do lots of different things. Reading hasn't been one of them.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Monday, January 02, 2006
Comments:
Happy New Year. It will indeed be happy for your family when you're back in the states this year...
posted by : 1/02/2006 04:53:00 PM
Merry Freakin' Christmas
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Merry Christmas. I finally have a chance to sit down and do some blogging. The Christmas debacle (or is it fiasco, I get the 2 confused) started on Christmas Eve. A piece of equipment known as a sensitive items has turned up missing it was a low-tech sight for a rifle (retail value: $200). So on the 24th we have to line up and have the serial numbers on our equipment verified, but the missing sight doesn't turn up. By the way, the person who signed for this equipment is in Kuwait as part of the advance party, he is being grilled by the commander? ((and I use that term loosely) via email. What's the next step in the Arm'y doctine to deal with a missing sensitive item? Lock down. I spent Christmas Eve in my room, woohoo!
It gets better. Christmas Day 2005. Still on lock down. Get up shower, shave, drink coffee. I still can't go anywhere so no exercise today. We head out into sector in the morning. Since it is a special day and our second-to-last shift in sector the commander makes arrangements for us to eat christmas dinner in Abu Graib prison. Too bad the terrorist with the remote control rocket launcher doesn't know our chow schedule, because he launches a rocket at who knows where just minutes before our rotation into the prison was to begin. After a bunch of chasing of ghosts (this is supposed to be Christmas, not Halloween), we discover that the launcher was controlled by a washing machine timer (crafty little devils). Of course, the Squadron commander wants the launcher brought into camp, which requires an escourt by us. Christmas dinner is looking shakey, but still possible. Oh yeah, while searching for a rocket trigger man (reported up to higher as a mortar team? by the commander?), one of our Bradley's (big, tank-like) get nearly falls inot a canal and gets stuck. All hope is lost. Amazingly, we recover the Bradley and pick up the launcher and just have time for one platoon to pick up Christmas dinner for the troop. It turns out to be one of the poorest meals I have ever eaten. The roast beef was dryer than morman county in Utah. This story is getting long and I haven't ever gotten to the good stuff yet.
Crappy meal, and one rocket launched, not too bad for a shift in sector. Upon our return to camp around midnight we are informed by our esteemed commander? that the riflr sight is still missing and a hard target search is to be completed. Remember, the guy who lost this thing isn't even in the country, but my room is being searched by a LT in the middle of the night. Room searches are followed by vehicle searches and then searches of all of the troops shipping containers and buildings. Needless to say, after 6 hours of fun in the coldest night of the year, the rifle sight still doesn't turn up. 1st Sergeant finally relents and lets us get 6 hours of stut eye.
Around noon on the 26th (we've been locked down for 2 days now) We get another formation and a chance to confess to taking the sight (even though, yes, we known, the guy who signed for it is in Kuwait. No takers and no sight. After 48 hours of utter stupidity, the commander? has finally decided that he is 95% sure that none of us stole the damn thing and lifts the lock down. Just in time for our next (and final) patrol out into the badlands. We draw a cold night for our last shift. Smoke cigars, take pictures and immediately start tearing down to redeploy.
Some may wonder why I refer to the commander? as the commander? Well, to put it simply, he is the most hated man I have ever known. I have yet to talk to anyone in the troop that like the guy or thinks he's an able commander? Some of the word and phrases heard recently when reffering to him (and I'm leaving out the good ones for decency's sake): pompus, arrogant, idiot, ass, stupporn, superiority complex, inferiority complex, fat, what the hell is he doing, this guy is nuts, he believes all of his subordinants are incompetant, why would anyone do that. Now if it were just a bunch of private griping, that would be one thing, but these comments come from all the soldiers in the troop, including other officers and senior NCOs. Anyway, belittling the commander? is a new hobby of mine (and many others). Not real challenging, but fun.
So Christmas 2005 pretty much sucked, except for the package I just got today from my brother. The freshest damn coffee in Iraq. Thanks!
It gets better. Christmas Day 2005. Still on lock down. Get up shower, shave, drink coffee. I still can't go anywhere so no exercise today. We head out into sector in the morning. Since it is a special day and our second-to-last shift in sector the commander makes arrangements for us to eat christmas dinner in Abu Graib prison. Too bad the terrorist with the remote control rocket launcher doesn't know our chow schedule, because he launches a rocket at who knows where just minutes before our rotation into the prison was to begin. After a bunch of chasing of ghosts (this is supposed to be Christmas, not Halloween), we discover that the launcher was controlled by a washing machine timer (crafty little devils). Of course, the Squadron commander wants the launcher brought into camp, which requires an escourt by us. Christmas dinner is looking shakey, but still possible. Oh yeah, while searching for a rocket trigger man (reported up to higher as a mortar team? by the commander?), one of our Bradley's (big, tank-like) get nearly falls inot a canal and gets stuck. All hope is lost. Amazingly, we recover the Bradley and pick up the launcher and just have time for one platoon to pick up Christmas dinner for the troop. It turns out to be one of the poorest meals I have ever eaten. The roast beef was dryer than morman county in Utah. This story is getting long and I haven't ever gotten to the good stuff yet.
Crappy meal, and one rocket launched, not too bad for a shift in sector. Upon our return to camp around midnight we are informed by our esteemed commander? that the riflr sight is still missing and a hard target search is to be completed. Remember, the guy who lost this thing isn't even in the country, but my room is being searched by a LT in the middle of the night. Room searches are followed by vehicle searches and then searches of all of the troops shipping containers and buildings. Needless to say, after 6 hours of fun in the coldest night of the year, the rifle sight still doesn't turn up. 1st Sergeant finally relents and lets us get 6 hours of stut eye.
Around noon on the 26th (we've been locked down for 2 days now) We get another formation and a chance to confess to taking the sight (even though, yes, we known, the guy who signed for it is in Kuwait. No takers and no sight. After 48 hours of utter stupidity, the commander? has finally decided that he is 95% sure that none of us stole the damn thing and lifts the lock down. Just in time for our next (and final) patrol out into the badlands. We draw a cold night for our last shift. Smoke cigars, take pictures and immediately start tearing down to redeploy.
Some may wonder why I refer to the commander? as the commander? Well, to put it simply, he is the most hated man I have ever known. I have yet to talk to anyone in the troop that like the guy or thinks he's an able commander? Some of the word and phrases heard recently when reffering to him (and I'm leaving out the good ones for decency's sake): pompus, arrogant, idiot, ass, stupporn, superiority complex, inferiority complex, fat, what the hell is he doing, this guy is nuts, he believes all of his subordinants are incompetant, why would anyone do that. Now if it were just a bunch of private griping, that would be one thing, but these comments come from all the soldiers in the troop, including other officers and senior NCOs. Anyway, belittling the commander? is a new hobby of mine (and many others). Not real challenging, but fun.
So Christmas 2005 pretty much sucked, except for the package I just got today from my brother. The freshest damn coffee in Iraq. Thanks!
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Comments:
Winding Down
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Well, we just finished our election coverage surge (12 days worth of 15 hours on, 9 hours off) and there were a few hitches. We had one friendly fire incident (U.S. vs Iraqi Army - no casualties, I don't know what that says about our marksmanship, especially since the opening volley was fired by us with a .50 caliber sniper rifle at less than 100 meters), one mistaken identity (it is amazing how much a cow looks like 2 guys digging an IED hole when viewed through thermal sights - the cow survived - more excellent marksmanship), one mistaken friendly fire incident (when shooting at a suspected IED (which is strictly forbidden), make sure there are no Iraqi Army positions nearby, they though they were under attack - again, no casualties), and one more mistaken identity (the helicopters spotted some guys out during curfew, and we raided the compound, driving through the front gate and everything, to find out they were security guards at the fueling station).
All of the mayhem has provided a healthy dose of laughter. My kids watch Goof Troop on TV, but I'm living the real thing. There are only a handful of combat patrols left, we are nearing the end. I should have stayed in Germany. My former unit, 1st Armored Division, recently arrived in Kuwait only to be told that they were not needed anymore, and they will be going back to Europe without ever setting foot in Iraq, nice eh.
There's not too much Christmas spirit around here, then again, I'm in Iraq. Hope everyone is having a happy holiday season, I'll catch the next one.
All of the mayhem has provided a healthy dose of laughter. My kids watch Goof Troop on TV, but I'm living the real thing. There are only a handful of combat patrols left, we are nearing the end. I should have stayed in Germany. My former unit, 1st Armored Division, recently arrived in Kuwait only to be told that they were not needed anymore, and they will be going back to Europe without ever setting foot in Iraq, nice eh.
There's not too much Christmas spirit around here, then again, I'm in Iraq. Hope everyone is having a happy holiday season, I'll catch the next one.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Sunday, December 18, 2005
Comments:
Dan,
Merry Christmas and God Speed you home.
Iaglivd= Happy, Happy?
Merry Christmas and God Speed you home.
Iaglivd= Happy, Happy?
posted by : 12/24/2005 05:57:00 PM
Jim and Jim No 8
Monday, November 28, 2005
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Monday, November 28, 2005
Comments:
I felt that Jim and Jim No 8 sucked edevbr as soon as I published it, but that is the way things sometimes go. Jim and Jim No 7 is something special, however.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) : 12/01/2005 12:13:00 PM
Jim and Jim No 7
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Monday, November 28, 2005
Comments:
Patience is a Virtue
Sunday, November 27, 2005
I have a new Jim and Jim ready to serve up, but the damn internet is not cooperating. So my masses of fans will just have to wait. I don't know when my next chance to upload is, I've been working alot more lately since my First Sergeant went on leave. My goal was to coast on out of the military, but now I have responsibilities. How do I get myself into these jams? I find it very easy to be a slacker in the big picture of life (mid-thirties and no definite career track), but when it comes to day-to-day crap, I'm the guy to count on. blah blah blah.
I've been losing sleep lately, and no, it's not because of anything mental (I know what you're thinking). It's because I can't stop watching Desperate Housewives. What the hell is happening to me? The worst part is I always have that damn Danny Elfman theme running through my head. On a side note, I think that Danny Elfman would freak the shit out of me. Have you every noticed that his soundtracks are always way too quirky and mirthy (and I never use the words quirky and mirthy). If he and Bil Keane (I still don't trust that guy, Bil with one L, sheesh) got together the universe would probably implode in a fit obscene quirthy cuteness.
Ugh, blog make head hurt.
I've been losing sleep lately, and no, it's not because of anything mental (I know what you're thinking). It's because I can't stop watching Desperate Housewives. What the hell is happening to me? The worst part is I always have that damn Danny Elfman theme running through my head. On a side note, I think that Danny Elfman would freak the shit out of me. Have you every noticed that his soundtracks are always way too quirky and mirthy (and I never use the words quirky and mirthy). If he and Bil Keane (I still don't trust that guy, Bil with one L, sheesh) got together the universe would probably implode in a fit obscene quirthy cuteness.
Ugh, blog make head hurt.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Sunday, November 27, 2005
Comments:
Aim to Underachieve
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Happy Thanksgiving. What am I thankful for? Not much. Motivation and moral are off 63% since returning from leave. I don't know if it was just coming back here, the quitting smoking (6 weeks), passing my ETS date, or working for an idiot (new commander, henceforth known as -insert expletive here-).
The troop had a PT test today (fitness), and I was a shining example of mediocrity.
Book Reviews:
Carl Hiaasen, Basket Case This one involves a middle-aged obituary column news writer who investigates the mysterious death of a rock-n-roll once was. In the course of the story, he beats the crap out of a guy using a frozen-solid 3-foot-long monitor lizard, need I say more.
John Gardner, James Bond: Scorpius Religious fanatics, SAS commandoes, inflatible boats, human bombs, London, Q Branch, psycho wards, Hilton Head, megalomaniac crime lords, car chases, pits of poisonous snakes, and a beautiful heiress, your standard 007 fare. I liked the part where Bond is flying across the Atlantic, and the movie on the flight is 'The Untouchables,' and 007 thinks to himself that he really likes the actor who played the old Chicago cop.
Raymond Benson, James Bond: The Man with the Red Tattoo 007 returns to Japan (no Kissy Suzuki in this one, but Tiger Tanaka returns) to stop a crazed yakuza crime lord (I'm sensing a trend in the Bond novels) from unleasing a genocidal plague upon humanity. This one has a deformed midget killer, wow.
Maeve Binchy, Quentins The story of the stories that happen in and around a restaurant, 'Quentins' in Dublin. I may have picked up a chick book here, but I found it hard to put down. No chases, guns, or explosions. Just stories about people, and how the events that shape their lives can be traced back to some fancy-shmancy eatery in Ireland. I may have read a chick story, but at least I got shot at while doing it (insert cro-mag grunt here -- and it was the Iraqi Army that fired on us, but they are terrible shots, no harm done).
James Swain, Loaded Dice I read one of James Swain's other books about card cheats and the Las Vegas casinos, and enjoyed it. This book starts out that way but then somehow devolves into a race to stop terrorists from killing a bunch of people. Cripes, we already have way too many fomulatic 'get the terrorist before he kills' books out there, and not nearly enough 'figure out how this guy is cheating the casino' books. Mr Swain should stick to the stuff that made me pick up a second book.
James Luceno, Star Wars: Labyrinth of Evil This Clone Wars novel takes place just before Episode III. The story itself isn't entirely engaging, but the details really fill in alot of the blanks between Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. You can really see Palpatine setting up Anakin Skywalker for his big fall - great stuff. I have actually run out of Star Wars books.
Martin J Smith & Patrick J Kiger, Poplorica A look at how little known events or inventions of the past can have a profound effect on today's culture. Diapers, green lawns, panty hose stealth advertising, the slam-dunk and TV dinners are all featured. This is strictly an American phenomenon, and the results can be quite amusing.
Right now I am reading Professional ASP.net 2.0 1200 pages of programming fun - I gotta plan for life after the Army.
The troop had a PT test today (fitness), and I was a shining example of mediocrity.
Book Reviews:
Carl Hiaasen, Basket Case This one involves a middle-aged obituary column news writer who investigates the mysterious death of a rock-n-roll once was. In the course of the story, he beats the crap out of a guy using a frozen-solid 3-foot-long monitor lizard, need I say more.
John Gardner, James Bond: Scorpius Religious fanatics, SAS commandoes, inflatible boats, human bombs, London, Q Branch, psycho wards, Hilton Head, megalomaniac crime lords, car chases, pits of poisonous snakes, and a beautiful heiress, your standard 007 fare. I liked the part where Bond is flying across the Atlantic, and the movie on the flight is 'The Untouchables,' and 007 thinks to himself that he really likes the actor who played the old Chicago cop.
Raymond Benson, James Bond: The Man with the Red Tattoo 007 returns to Japan (no Kissy Suzuki in this one, but Tiger Tanaka returns) to stop a crazed yakuza crime lord (I'm sensing a trend in the Bond novels) from unleasing a genocidal plague upon humanity. This one has a deformed midget killer, wow.
Maeve Binchy, Quentins The story of the stories that happen in and around a restaurant, 'Quentins' in Dublin. I may have picked up a chick book here, but I found it hard to put down. No chases, guns, or explosions. Just stories about people, and how the events that shape their lives can be traced back to some fancy-shmancy eatery in Ireland. I may have read a chick story, but at least I got shot at while doing it (insert cro-mag grunt here -- and it was the Iraqi Army that fired on us, but they are terrible shots, no harm done).
James Swain, Loaded Dice I read one of James Swain's other books about card cheats and the Las Vegas casinos, and enjoyed it. This book starts out that way but then somehow devolves into a race to stop terrorists from killing a bunch of people. Cripes, we already have way too many fomulatic 'get the terrorist before he kills' books out there, and not nearly enough 'figure out how this guy is cheating the casino' books. Mr Swain should stick to the stuff that made me pick up a second book.
James Luceno, Star Wars: Labyrinth of Evil This Clone Wars novel takes place just before Episode III. The story itself isn't entirely engaging, but the details really fill in alot of the blanks between Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. You can really see Palpatine setting up Anakin Skywalker for his big fall - great stuff. I have actually run out of Star Wars books.
Martin J Smith & Patrick J Kiger, Poplorica A look at how little known events or inventions of the past can have a profound effect on today's culture. Diapers, green lawns, panty hose stealth advertising, the slam-dunk and TV dinners are all featured. This is strictly an American phenomenon, and the results can be quite amusing.
Right now I am reading Professional ASP.net 2.0 1200 pages of programming fun - I gotta plan for life after the Army.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Comments:
Happy Thanksgiving Dan. No snow here in Texas just 80 deg and sunny. PT test on Thanksgiving? This the new CO's idea? Yikes.
Hope they feed you well today.
Go Cowboys!
Hope they feed you well today.
Go Cowboys!
posted by : 11/24/2005 11:50:00 AM
Hope You Had a Happy Ramadan
Friday, November 04, 2005
Well, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan is over, not too many attacks against us, so I guess it was a good one. I really don't know what the hell to write. I seem to have lost motivation (down 42%) since I got back from leave, or maybe it was when I quit smoking, or perhaps when my 4-year contract with the Army expired but I found myself still wearing this damn tan uniform. Whatever it is, my motivation over the last month has taken a tailspin (down another 4% since I started this post).
Jim and Jim requires motivation, dedication, inspiration and perspiration which I don't have at this time. I have not forgotten about the dynamic duo.
I read some books, but can't really recall them at this time. A kind American sent me a stack of Ian Fleming books that I am about to set into (morale up 6%).
You may have noticed that I have started to quatify some of my emotions. It has become a little hobby that seems to irk my CO, so I think I will continue with it (irking the CO is always good for a 7% morale boost and a 3% jump in motivation).
More to follow...
Jim and Jim requires motivation, dedication, inspiration and perspiration which I don't have at this time. I have not forgotten about the dynamic duo.
I read some books, but can't really recall them at this time. A kind American sent me a stack of Ian Fleming books that I am about to set into (morale up 6%).
You may have noticed that I have started to quatify some of my emotions. It has become a little hobby that seems to irk my CO, so I think I will continue with it (irking the CO is always good for a 7% morale boost and a 3% jump in motivation).
More to follow...
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Friday, November 04, 2005
Comments:
gmylsnu: verb, to catch oneself from falling while leaning too far back in a chair ie. "If I hadn't gmylsnued myself, I would have smacked my head on the floor."
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) : 11/04/2005 01:09:00 PM
Since I started playing World of Warcraft, your up 6%, down 3% actually makes sense to me. And, to make if more ridiculou, Ma-Ma is playing WoW too. Saw Devin this morning...he came over to play a game on X-Box after he and Jan took Gwenyth to school. Like father, like grandmother, like great grandmother; like son.... Hang in there...it's not that much longer, percentage wise.
posted by : 11/08/2005 10:10:00 AM
Halloween pictures of Gwenyth & Devin are on my website now. Why did it take so long?? In three words...World of Warcraft.
posted by : 11/13/2005 09:22:00 AM
Dan, Happy Thanksgiving. If there is anything you are looking for...
posted by : 11/22/2005 07:09:00 PM
Living on Borrowed Time
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Sorry for the delay in updating the blog. I just got off a 2 week stretch of 16 hours on, 8 hours off (why? you ask, Ramadan plus the Iraqi Referendum vote). Doesn't leave much time to do anything besides eat, sleep, shower. I quit smoking in the middle of all that. Why? Because I'm an idiot, and the conditions here don't suck enough, so I decided to further torture myself.
I am officially disgruntled. My ETS (End of Term of Service) date has come and gone, and yet, here I am still in the Army. I am really looking forward to being Mr. MacDonald.
Books read:
Kevin S. Decker and Jason T. Eberl, ed. Star Wars and Philosophy This one is a series of articles discussing philosophical issues as they apply to the Star Wars universe. Good versus Evil (the Light Side versus the Dark Side), Predeterminism and the Force, the Ethics of Cloning, Droid Autonomy, etc. Some of the articles were very insightful, some tried to shoehorn the values of the Star Wars universe into the belief systems of Earthly philosophers (which can work with only limited success, as the likes of Socrates, Aquinas, Hegel, etc developed their worldviews without the presence of the Force, which I imagine would have a profound impact on one's worldview), and some just sucked. Part of a series of books: Popular Culture and Philosophy.
James Swain, Grift Sense I picked this one up at Abu Ghraib Prison because I had finished the previously mentioned book and still had several hours left on shift. I haven't ever read a 'retired Atlantic City detective living in Florida, goes to Las Vegas to catch the con artist back from the dead who is trying to rip off a casino with a brilliantly complex scam involving beautiful women, a giant assassin with tiny hands, and an antique progressive jackpot slot machine' book. Well, I have now.
Michael A. Stackpole, Star Wars, Ruin This one is from The New Jedi Order series and takes place about 25 years after Star Wars: A New Hope. The sense of adventure is gone. It seems like terrible things just keep happening to Han and Leia (they got married and had kids several books ago), who should have lived 'happily ever after' after Return of the Jedi. One of their kids is killed, Chewbacca is killed, it just doesn't sit right. I don't think I will be reading anymore books from The New Jedi Order.
Jim and Jim: I don't know where the hell this one is going. I have some fundamental questions about the nature of their relationship to answer before moving forward. There are alot of whys to answer if this comic strip is to have any lasting impact on society. I am losing sleep over this while the bobcats lurk in the shadows.
I am officially disgruntled. My ETS (End of Term of Service) date has come and gone, and yet, here I am still in the Army. I am really looking forward to being Mr. MacDonald.
Books read:
Kevin S. Decker and Jason T. Eberl, ed. Star Wars and Philosophy This one is a series of articles discussing philosophical issues as they apply to the Star Wars universe. Good versus Evil (the Light Side versus the Dark Side), Predeterminism and the Force, the Ethics of Cloning, Droid Autonomy, etc. Some of the articles were very insightful, some tried to shoehorn the values of the Star Wars universe into the belief systems of Earthly philosophers (which can work with only limited success, as the likes of Socrates, Aquinas, Hegel, etc developed their worldviews without the presence of the Force, which I imagine would have a profound impact on one's worldview), and some just sucked. Part of a series of books: Popular Culture and Philosophy.
James Swain, Grift Sense I picked this one up at Abu Ghraib Prison because I had finished the previously mentioned book and still had several hours left on shift. I haven't ever read a 'retired Atlantic City detective living in Florida, goes to Las Vegas to catch the con artist back from the dead who is trying to rip off a casino with a brilliantly complex scam involving beautiful women, a giant assassin with tiny hands, and an antique progressive jackpot slot machine' book. Well, I have now.
Michael A. Stackpole, Star Wars, Ruin This one is from The New Jedi Order series and takes place about 25 years after Star Wars: A New Hope. The sense of adventure is gone. It seems like terrible things just keep happening to Han and Leia (they got married and had kids several books ago), who should have lived 'happily ever after' after Return of the Jedi. One of their kids is killed, Chewbacca is killed, it just doesn't sit right. I don't think I will be reading anymore books from The New Jedi Order.
Jim and Jim: I don't know where the hell this one is going. I have some fundamental questions about the nature of their relationship to answer before moving forward. There are alot of whys to answer if this comic strip is to have any lasting impact on society. I am losing sleep over this while the bobcats lurk in the shadows.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Comments:
A man walks into a bar carrying a zduxuth. He takes a stool and sets the zduxuth on the bar next to him. The bartender says to him, "I bet your zduxuth could really use a zthda." Ha Ha Sometimes I crack myself up.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) : 10/19/2005 11:06:00 PM
Dan,
Is it time for another 'care package'? I'm hearing that the troops want candy to give to the Iraqi kids. If true, any favorites? Of course, I'll make sure the 'adult candy' is included.
Stay safe & God speed,
Ben
PS Is the a Star Wars interpretation for "tnrwtqyp"?
Is it time for another 'care package'? I'm hearing that the troops want candy to give to the Iraqi kids. If true, any favorites? Of course, I'll make sure the 'adult candy' is included.
Stay safe & God speed,
Ben
PS Is the a Star Wars interpretation for "tnrwtqyp"?
posted by : 11/01/2005 04:08:00 PM
Change of Address
Thursday, September 29, 2005
I have a new zip code 09344. Don't worry, all of those care packages sent to the old zip code will still arrive, however.
Weather Alert! The high temperature here was in the double digits! 97 degrees is better than 107. I might have to break out the long underwear.
My grip on reality is slipping. I think I am just pretending to be sane these days for appearances sake. I'll probably lose it on the 8th of October, the day I should be getting out of the Army.
The Indians are driving me crazy (crazier?). Being a Cleveland sports fan, I really hope they get into the postseason, but the Cleveland curse of failure is looming on the horizon. The words 'crushing defeat' have been heard far too often in that town.
Weather Alert! The high temperature here was in the double digits! 97 degrees is better than 107. I might have to break out the long underwear.
My grip on reality is slipping. I think I am just pretending to be sane these days for appearances sake. I'll probably lose it on the 8th of October, the day I should be getting out of the Army.
The Indians are driving me crazy (crazier?). Being a Cleveland sports fan, I really hope they get into the postseason, but the Cleveland curse of failure is looming on the horizon. The words 'crushing defeat' have been heard far too often in that town.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Thursday, September 29, 2005
Comments:
Hey Dan Where are you? You haven't posted in almost 2 weeks. Is Jim & Jim comming back? What do you want in an "Ohio care package"? (you know what I mean).
posted by : 10/11/2005 06:19:00 PM
Iraq Didn't Go Away
Monday, September 26, 2005
I'm not too happy to be back in Iraq. I need care packages. Coffee, books (Star Wars, James Bond, non-fiction), Werthers, etc.
SGT Daniel MacDonald
G Troop, 1/11 ACR
APO AE 09372
Thanks.
SGT Daniel MacDonald
G Troop, 1/11 ACR
APO AE 09372
Thanks.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Monday, September 26, 2005
Comments:
Dan,
would you like some rice with your spam? What was with the previous post?
Don't know yet what fun things we can find in Texas to send you, but it's on the way soon.
bob
Wish I coulda gone to Budapest.
would you like some rice with your spam? What was with the previous post?
Don't know yet what fun things we can find in Texas to send you, but it's on the way soon.
bob
Wish I coulda gone to Budapest.
posted by : 9/26/2005 06:24:00 PM
My blog now has Word Verification to block unwanted spam. The crazy spam post has been deleted.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) : 10/18/2005 07:47:00 AM
Budapest or Bust
Thursday, September 22, 2005
24 hours later, and I am still in Budapest, Hungary. We spent the night at a resort on Lake Balaton. It is the off-season at the lake, but a shower, a bed, nad three hot meals is better than an MRE and a cot in a cold aircraft hanger. One of the local swans hissed at me and bit my finger, but he got a goldfish cracker out of it. 'They' say we should be leaving tonight, more to follow on that one.
A couple of books read in transit (I didn't read anything while on leave):
Peter Farrelly, The Comedy Writer This one follows a guy in near-mid-life crisis (sound familiar?) trying to make it as a writer in Hollywood. It's got midgets, psychotic girlfriends, voluptuous starlets, and run-down motel rooms. It wasn't hilarious, but it made me laugh. I like these stories with a twist about trying to make it in Hollywood (ie Get Shorty, Players). I connected with this one because as I approach mid-life (I'm not there yet, however), I don't know what the hell I'll be doing next year.
Dennis Lehane, Mystic River I heard this was a good movie, and after reading the book, I definitely want to see Clint Eastwood's take on it. I like these gritty stories about Irish-Americans. I had trouble putting it down, especially since my seat on the plane did not recline and I couldn't sleep. No midgets, still excellent.
Right now I am reading Star Wars and Philosophy, real geek stuff to curdle my noodle.
My battery is running low, so I am going to sign off for now. My next post may be from Southwest Asia, it may be from Eastern Europe. We will see.
A couple of books read in transit (I didn't read anything while on leave):
Peter Farrelly, The Comedy Writer This one follows a guy in near-mid-life crisis (sound familiar?) trying to make it as a writer in Hollywood. It's got midgets, psychotic girlfriends, voluptuous starlets, and run-down motel rooms. It wasn't hilarious, but it made me laugh. I like these stories with a twist about trying to make it in Hollywood (ie Get Shorty, Players). I connected with this one because as I approach mid-life (I'm not there yet, however), I don't know what the hell I'll be doing next year.
Dennis Lehane, Mystic River I heard this was a good movie, and after reading the book, I definitely want to see Clint Eastwood's take on it. I like these gritty stories about Irish-Americans. I had trouble putting it down, especially since my seat on the plane did not recline and I couldn't sleep. No midgets, still excellent.
Right now I am reading Star Wars and Philosophy, real geek stuff to curdle my noodle.
My battery is running low, so I am going to sign off for now. My next post may be from Southwest Asia, it may be from Eastern Europe. We will see.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Thursday, September 22, 2005
Comments:
Dan, I saw your Mom and Dad the other day. They both said you enjoyed the last "Ohio Care Box". Is it time for another one?
posted by : 9/24/2005 06:30:00 AM
Hungry in Hungary
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Wild on OIF 3 is back up from Budapest, Hungary. While we were waiting for our plane to be refueled, one of the service trucks ran into the back of the aircraft and damages the horizontal stabilizer. So we have deplaned and are now in the Budapest airport waiting for our ride to be fixed (we may be here a while, which in Army-speak could be a long freakin' time)
My experience being back in uniform has not been too great so far. The plane we took from Dallas (the now broken one) had seats that looked and felt like they had a few decades and several million miles on them. I got stuck in the row in front of the exit row where the seats do not recline. While trying to get comfortable in a crooked, worn-out seat, I kept reading aloud the sticker in front of me, "Seat back does not recline. Please do not force." It became my mantra for the 10+ hour flight.
My 15-day leave was great! I spent some good time with the kids, ate fantastic food, drank Guinness, went to a wedding, watched the Indians go 13-1, went to Sea World, sat in a hot tub, and generally enjoyed being out of uniform. But now it is back to work (if I hadn't been stop-lossed, I would be on terminal leave right now), and I am now fully disgruntled.
My experience being back in uniform has not been too great so far. The plane we took from Dallas (the now broken one) had seats that looked and felt like they had a few decades and several million miles on them. I got stuck in the row in front of the exit row where the seats do not recline. While trying to get comfortable in a crooked, worn-out seat, I kept reading aloud the sticker in front of me, "Seat back does not recline. Please do not force." It became my mantra for the 10+ hour flight.
My 15-day leave was great! I spent some good time with the kids, ate fantastic food, drank Guinness, went to a wedding, watched the Indians go 13-1, went to Sea World, sat in a hot tub, and generally enjoyed being out of uniform. But now it is back to work (if I hadn't been stop-lossed, I would be on terminal leave right now), and I am now fully disgruntled.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Comments:
It's Not Iraq, But It Still Sucks
Friday, September 02, 2005
Greetings from Ali Al Saleem airbase in beautiful Kuwait. I am in the middle of the long, drawn-out process of Army travel. It has taken me over 24 hours to get this far, and it's going to take alot longer to finally reach sunny California. If I was Mr MacDonald instead of SGT MacDonald, I would show up at the airport about an hour before my flight, get on the plane, and go. But, alas, I am doing alot of sitting and waiting. Woe is me.
On the war front, it's been pretty quiet lately, which is a good thing. On the weather front, it's been pretty hot lately, which is a bad thing. Hopefully, things will have started to cool off by the time I get back. Boy, is this good stuff, or what.
Note: I apologize for the strong language of the last 'Jim and Jim,' but the message just could not have been watered down by draconian censorship measures. In the future, 'Jim and Jim' will come with a disclaimer warning of graphic language when it addresses important social issues such as how badly 'The Family Circus" sucks.
On the war front, it's been pretty quiet lately, which is a good thing. On the weather front, it's been pretty hot lately, which is a bad thing. Hopefully, things will have started to cool off by the time I get back. Boy, is this good stuff, or what.
Note: I apologize for the strong language of the last 'Jim and Jim,' but the message just could not have been watered down by draconian censorship measures. In the future, 'Jim and Jim' will come with a disclaimer warning of graphic language when it addresses important social issues such as how badly 'The Family Circus" sucks.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Friday, September 02, 2005
Comments:
I'm glad you're on the way to CA, no matter how long it takes. Your kids will be so glad to see you.
posted by : 9/03/2005 09:55:00 AM
Jim and Jim No 6
Saturday, August 20, 2005
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Saturday, August 20, 2005
Comments:
Jim and Jim No 5
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Saturday, August 20, 2005
Comments:
Jim and Jim No 4
Friday, August 19, 2005
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Friday, August 19, 2005
Comments:
Transexual Irish Literature
Thursday, August 18, 2005
R&R Leave! I get out of hell for two weeks on September 2. That puts me back in sunny California (California sun is good, Iraqi sun is bad) 3 to 5 days later. I have a bad feeling that the second half of this month is going to drag. I don't know what my comrades are going to do without my Luck-o-the-Irish for two weeks (the Luck-o-the-Irish might be working too well right now, it has been extremely boring on the checkpoint of late).
My dad must be working his Hibernian brothers. I just got a fine care package from Ben Terril. Thanks! It was a good one.
Quick book review:
James Joyce, The Dubliners A masterful collection of short stories about Dublin life turn-of-the-century. Each story is entertaining, but it is the collection as a whole the opens your eyes. Joyce's language is not as colorful as Roddy Dowell's, but in his poem 'The Holy Office,' he manages to rhyme 'arses' with 'Katharsis.' Genius. My commander is somehow convinced that James Joyce is a woman, which has provided me with too much ammunition for ridicule and irreverence.
I am working on the second book in Dean Koontz's Frankenstein series. I was dismayed to find out that the third book won't be published until next summer. I don't have that kind of patience.
Don't be reserved in writing comments. I am about the most introverted person I know (then again, shy people would have trouble meeting other shy people - like two ships crossing at night. They are more likely to meet outgoing people. So even if you are just a little withdrawn, everyone you probably know is more sociable than you, making you the most introverted person you know - circular logic at its best), and I'm baring my heart and soul for all to read, so step up and leave some comments (it's that little pencil icon at the bottom of this posting).
Respect the laser.
My dad must be working his Hibernian brothers. I just got a fine care package from Ben Terril. Thanks! It was a good one.
Quick book review:
James Joyce, The Dubliners A masterful collection of short stories about Dublin life turn-of-the-century. Each story is entertaining, but it is the collection as a whole the opens your eyes. Joyce's language is not as colorful as Roddy Dowell's, but in his poem 'The Holy Office,' he manages to rhyme 'arses' with 'Katharsis.' Genius. My commander is somehow convinced that James Joyce is a woman, which has provided me with too much ammunition for ridicule and irreverence.
I am working on the second book in Dean Koontz's Frankenstein series. I was dismayed to find out that the third book won't be published until next summer. I don't have that kind of patience.
Don't be reserved in writing comments. I am about the most introverted person I know (then again, shy people would have trouble meeting other shy people - like two ships crossing at night. They are more likely to meet outgoing people. So even if you are just a little withdrawn, everyone you probably know is more sociable than you, making you the most introverted person you know - circular logic at its best), and I'm baring my heart and soul for all to read, so step up and leave some comments (it's that little pencil icon at the bottom of this posting).
Respect the laser.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Thursday, August 18, 2005
Comments:
Sgt. Dan enjoyed the reading material and mouthwash? I kind of figured you have enough soap.. LOL The camera is to take some pictures for your family. Tell me when you need another care package.
posted by : 8/19/2005 07:50:00 AM
Hup, Saage.....
Hope to see you sometime soon back at the St. Brendan Hall (let's hope yer Da pays for the rounds this time!)
When's your ETS anyway?
Hope to see you sometime soon back at the St. Brendan Hall (let's hope yer Da pays for the rounds this time!)
When's your ETS anyway?
posted by JC Sullivan : 8/19/2005 04:28:00 PM
Jim and Jim No 3
Sunday, August 14, 2005
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Sunday, August 14, 2005
Comments:
The Illiterary Critic
There was an article in the Stars and Stripes about soldiers' blogs. I get the feeling that my drivel here is not the standard, the press seems to like the ones with 'The wounded were piling up, and my medical supplies were running low, blah blah blah.' Right now I am looking at the back end of a wind-up plastic chicken that drops gumballs out of its butt.
Oh, how's the war going? We've been working extra shifts alot lately (16 hours on, 8 hours off) for some apparent attack that has yet to materialize. So there hasn't been too much time for anything besides patrol, sleep, patrol, sleep, etc. Knowing that my leave is coming up next month is making August really drag. Oh yeah, it's been hot.
Book Review (Sorry, I've been lagging)
Victor Gischler, Gun Monkeys A mob strong-arm is left to his own devices in central Florida. This is a bad guy you can root for. he basically shoots everybody he meets. Good stuff and some good lines, 'He looked like a kid who just watched his pet bunny get f@#ked in the ass.'
Jan (nee James) Morris, The World I stopped reading this one several weeks ago, and I probably should have left it alone. I'm not too sure about a travel book that makes you want to stay at home. Jan/James has been to every major metroplois in the world and often starts glowing reviews. But then there is the 'but', and each review succumbs into a nitpicking pan (this city is too gloomy, this city has lost its heart, blah blah blah).
Maurice Herzog, Annapurna Accounts the first ascent of a 8,000 meter peak in the Himalayas. I generally don't care much for the French, but you have to respect a guy who can take a smoke break at 20,000 feet. You also have to respect a guy who has all of his frostbitten fingers and toes amputated in the field over the course of a two-week trek through Nepal.
Erik Larson, Devil in the White City I don't ususally enjoy novels about serial killers (ooh, look out, he's gonna get you next, blah blah blah, real scary), but this one is a true story. Combining gross human perversion with the architectural challenge of creating the Chicago World's Fair was pure genious. It might be in the History section of the bookstore, but I highly recommend it.
Albert Ellis, Ph.D., and William J. Knaus, Ed.D., Overcoming Procrastination Haven't read it yet.
Christopher Stasheff, Saint Vidocon to the Rescue A computer nerd who is afraid to take advantage of his girlfriend is enlisted by a fictional saint trapped in the circuits of technology to battle the minions of Finagle. Chew on that one for a while.
John Lescroart, The Vig The ex-cop who likes Guinness and Scotch is at it again trying to solve to apparent murder of an old friend. This one ends up in Mexico with shots of Tequila. Will the torture never end?
Roger Allen McBride, Star Wars: Ambush at Corellia, Star Wars: Assault on Seledonia, Star Wars: Showdown at Centerpoint The Corellian Trilogy was the last of the Star Wars books sent to me by that great American woman in Texas. Standard fare but entertaining.
A note on my writing style: if I use the phrase 'blah blah blah,' it means I think something is a large pile of crap so insignificant that I don't need to go into further details.
Oh, how's the war going? We've been working extra shifts alot lately (16 hours on, 8 hours off) for some apparent attack that has yet to materialize. So there hasn't been too much time for anything besides patrol, sleep, patrol, sleep, etc. Knowing that my leave is coming up next month is making August really drag. Oh yeah, it's been hot.
Book Review (Sorry, I've been lagging)
Victor Gischler, Gun Monkeys A mob strong-arm is left to his own devices in central Florida. This is a bad guy you can root for. he basically shoots everybody he meets. Good stuff and some good lines, 'He looked like a kid who just watched his pet bunny get f@#ked in the ass.'
Jan (nee James) Morris, The World I stopped reading this one several weeks ago, and I probably should have left it alone. I'm not too sure about a travel book that makes you want to stay at home. Jan/James has been to every major metroplois in the world and often starts glowing reviews. But then there is the 'but', and each review succumbs into a nitpicking pan (this city is too gloomy, this city has lost its heart, blah blah blah).
Maurice Herzog, Annapurna Accounts the first ascent of a 8,000 meter peak in the Himalayas. I generally don't care much for the French, but you have to respect a guy who can take a smoke break at 20,000 feet. You also have to respect a guy who has all of his frostbitten fingers and toes amputated in the field over the course of a two-week trek through Nepal.
Erik Larson, Devil in the White City I don't ususally enjoy novels about serial killers (ooh, look out, he's gonna get you next, blah blah blah, real scary), but this one is a true story. Combining gross human perversion with the architectural challenge of creating the Chicago World's Fair was pure genious. It might be in the History section of the bookstore, but I highly recommend it.
Albert Ellis, Ph.D., and William J. Knaus, Ed.D., Overcoming Procrastination Haven't read it yet.
Christopher Stasheff, Saint Vidocon to the Rescue A computer nerd who is afraid to take advantage of his girlfriend is enlisted by a fictional saint trapped in the circuits of technology to battle the minions of Finagle. Chew on that one for a while.
John Lescroart, The Vig The ex-cop who likes Guinness and Scotch is at it again trying to solve to apparent murder of an old friend. This one ends up in Mexico with shots of Tequila. Will the torture never end?
Roger Allen McBride, Star Wars: Ambush at Corellia, Star Wars: Assault on Seledonia, Star Wars: Showdown at Centerpoint The Corellian Trilogy was the last of the Star Wars books sent to me by that great American woman in Texas. Standard fare but entertaining.
A note on my writing style: if I use the phrase 'blah blah blah,' it means I think something is a large pile of crap so insignificant that I don't need to go into further details.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Sunday, August 14, 2005
Comments:
Sgt,
Russell Smith here -- I'm Scott and Linda Harper's pastor in Cincinnati, and I've been following your blog for a couple of months now.
I love Christopher Stasheff's books -- read the Wizard in Rhyme series if you haven't had the chance -- the first (Her Majesty's Wizard) was a lot of fun, and most of the rest held true to form.
also, just finished Neal Gaiman's Neverwhere -- a real pageturner of dark fantasy -- finished it within 24 hours.
Thanks for the book reviews.
Russell
Russell Smith here -- I'm Scott and Linda Harper's pastor in Cincinnati, and I've been following your blog for a couple of months now.
I love Christopher Stasheff's books -- read the Wizard in Rhyme series if you haven't had the chance -- the first (Her Majesty's Wizard) was a lot of fun, and most of the rest held true to form.
also, just finished Neal Gaiman's Neverwhere -- a real pageturner of dark fantasy -- finished it within 24 hours.
Thanks for the book reviews.
Russell
posted by Russell Smith : 8/18/2005 11:37:00 AM
Jim and Jim No 2
Saturday, August 13, 2005
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Saturday, August 13, 2005
Comments:
Jim and Jim No 1
Thursday, August 11, 2005
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Thursday, August 11, 2005
Comments:
Forty Winks
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
We just got off a surge in patrols. Too many hours on, not enough hours off. Happy Belated Birthday Dad. I won't mention how many that is. I just woke up from 4 hours sleep, and my typing sycks. I will have more to say later when I am more lucid.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Comments:
Dan, An "Ohio" care package was sent on Wednesday. I hope you enjoy all.
posted by : 8/12/2005 12:34:00 PM
Love Hate Relationship
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
I am back in the groove of going on patrol. The R&R was fun while it lasted, but it didn't last long enough. I received a package from my sister, the last of the Hawaiian care packages. Thanks. By the way, happy belated birthday, Beth. I have to comment on the sweet onion and garlic flavored macadamia nuts. I really like macadamia nut, but I really dislike the onion and garlic flavor that is generally found on potato chips. For the past few days I have been beside myself, I eat a few because I really like macadamias but I stop because I really hate onion and garlic flavor. My very soul is being torn aart by this. Macadamia, garlic onion. Good, evil. Day, night. Love, hate. I'm going freakin nuts (not macadamia nuts, crazy nuts)
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Comments:
Four Days in 72 Hours
Thursday, July 28, 2005
My 4-day pass ends tomorrow morning. It was fun. It was good to get out of the routine. What have I done in the last 2 1/2 days? Swimming, diving (there was a 10-meter board here), playing pool, jerking around on the internet, working out, playing darts, watching movies, playing video games, eating 3 meals a day, smoking, drinking coffee, playing pinball, reading, chilling out, shopping a crappy Iraqi bazaars (I bought a swimsuit and a T-shirt), wearing civilian clothes, napping, you know, the usual stuff. Tomorrow, it's back to desert boots and uniform playing with people who want to kill me. Oh joy!
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Thursday, July 28, 2005
Comments:
wow
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) : 7/30/2005 06:18:00 AM
Hey Dan,
just think... I live with that every day.
just think... I live with that every day.
posted by : 7/30/2005 06:57:00 AM
It's Still Prison But the Food is Better
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
I have begun my R&R pass to Freedom Rest in downtown Baghdad. I am wearing civilian clothes. No patrols for me. I just got here so I will probably be posting a bit more than usual.
I learned that my friend Scott Harper's daughter Regan has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. I am not much of a spiritual man, but I pray to the Force for her recovery.
My commander discovered that I have a blog and read the post where I describe how he nearly destroyed my bomb-seeking robot. Well, now he's doing things out on patrol just to try to get mentioned in Wild on OIF 3. OK here it is, sir. The other day, we stopped and searched an ambulance (it wasn't carrying anybody). Why, you ask. The CO heard their loudspeaker system, and he wanted to play with it. After the "Good morning, Abu Ghraib!" and some other nonsense, he let the ambulance go on its way. I figured we inspired a good half-dozen people to join the insurgency that day.
Nothing follows. Gun Seven Mike, out.
I learned that my friend Scott Harper's daughter Regan has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. I am not much of a spiritual man, but I pray to the Force for her recovery.
My commander discovered that I have a blog and read the post where I describe how he nearly destroyed my bomb-seeking robot. Well, now he's doing things out on patrol just to try to get mentioned in Wild on OIF 3. OK here it is, sir. The other day, we stopped and searched an ambulance (it wasn't carrying anybody). Why, you ask. The CO heard their loudspeaker system, and he wanted to play with it. After the "Good morning, Abu Ghraib!" and some other nonsense, he let the ambulance go on its way. I figured we inspired a good half-dozen people to join the insurgency that day.
Nothing follows. Gun Seven Mike, out.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Comments:
Thank you Dan
Harp
Harp
posted by : 7/27/2005 06:18:00 PM
Bikini Bottom
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Tragedy. For the past four days, I have had the song from the Spongebob Squarepants Christmas special running through my head. It won't go away.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Saturday, July 23, 2005
Comments:
Summertime Sunshine
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
It's officially summer in Iraq. Squadron has a nasty habit of announcing the temperature on the radio net while we are out on patrol. When we're sweating our bollix off, we really don't need to hear that it's 130 degrees. At least the temperature dips to a brisk 95 at night. Well, the hot temperatures will only last for another month. The scary part is that, after my 3rd summer here, I think I'm actually getting used to this heat. What the hell is wrong with me?
I have to give a shout out to my brother for the birthday care package. It actually arrived on my birthday, Thanks! The Sumatra blend is kicking my arse.
As far as the war effort goes, it's the usual stuff, car bombs, IEDs and shootings. Luckily, we're staying safe, if not out of harm's way.
I don't really have a stupid topic to babble on about this week. I guess you all will have to wait until the next post to be amused by the inane.
I have to give a shout out to my brother for the birthday care package. It actually arrived on my birthday, Thanks! The Sumatra blend is kicking my arse.
As far as the war effort goes, it's the usual stuff, car bombs, IEDs and shootings. Luckily, we're staying safe, if not out of harm's way.
I don't really have a stupid topic to babble on about this week. I guess you all will have to wait until the next post to be amused by the inane.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Comments:
Choc-full-o-nuts
Friday, July 08, 2005
I received a care package from my parents a couple of days ago. Thanks! I am again writing from the infamous Abu Ghraib prison. I still can't find the pyramids of naked detainees. I guess they're harder to find than the pyramids in Egypt.
Later this month, I get a 4-day pass. Where do I get to go on this pass, you ask. Downtown Baghdad! It's not much, but it's a few days not on patrol. We're about to start a 16-hours on, 8-hours off schedule for a while. Our faithful military intelligence (oxymoron) is going on about eminent attack blah blah blah. The intel folks are real great at predicting attacks by insurgents, they don't, however, have to double their workload based on those predictions. I think the intelligence community is afraid of getting caught with their pants down, so if they are always predicting attack, they can't be blamed if one does actually occur.
The other night on patrol, we were talking about the X-Men, you know the mutants with super powers to fight evil. It occurred to me that for every mutant with a cool mutation like controlling fire, being psychic, or having super strength, there must be several people with mutations that aren't very cool or useful. For example, how does the guy with extremely hairy armpits fight crime? What about the boy with powerful B.O.? The woman combined with a French Poodle may not strike fear into the heart of the enemy, but at least she's house-trained. They could call this group of mutants the Y-Us-Men.
Have to go not, it might be a few days before I post again.
Later this month, I get a 4-day pass. Where do I get to go on this pass, you ask. Downtown Baghdad! It's not much, but it's a few days not on patrol. We're about to start a 16-hours on, 8-hours off schedule for a while. Our faithful military intelligence (oxymoron) is going on about eminent attack blah blah blah. The intel folks are real great at predicting attacks by insurgents, they don't, however, have to double their workload based on those predictions. I think the intelligence community is afraid of getting caught with their pants down, so if they are always predicting attack, they can't be blamed if one does actually occur.
The other night on patrol, we were talking about the X-Men, you know the mutants with super powers to fight evil. It occurred to me that for every mutant with a cool mutation like controlling fire, being psychic, or having super strength, there must be several people with mutations that aren't very cool or useful. For example, how does the guy with extremely hairy armpits fight crime? What about the boy with powerful B.O.? The woman combined with a French Poodle may not strike fear into the heart of the enemy, but at least she's house-trained. They could call this group of mutants the Y-Us-Men.
Have to go not, it might be a few days before I post again.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Friday, July 08, 2005
Comments:
Happy Birthday Dan!!!
Seems like only 20 years ago I was picking you up for driver's training with that teacher who was always hung-over!!!!
Harps
Seems like only 20 years ago I was picking you up for driver's training with that teacher who was always hung-over!!!!
Harps
posted by : 7/11/2005 10:35:00 AM
I'm glad you had a good birthday. I'm writing to let you know that I've put July 4th pictures on my website. The one's of your kids are cute...AND, Gwennie had me take special pictures of her "swimming" in the spa so that you could see how well she's doing.
posted by : 7/16/2005 09:21:00 PM
Happy Independence Daze
Monday, July 04, 2005
4th of July. A day to remember our struggle for freedom from the Brits. Also a day to char slabs of meat and get slaggered. I think I know want is wrong with this whole Iraq thing. We gave the Iraqis their independence, they didn't fight for it. Perhaps people that are not willing to fight for their freedom are not ready for independence. They can all kiss my arse.
My 29th birthday(#8) is in a week. I know that everyone has already sent care packages brimming with goodies for a timely delivery. See Shawshank Redemption post earlier.
Book reviews:
Roddy Doyle, The Barrytown Trilogy (The Commitments, The Snapper, The Van) My sister sent this one to me. I loved it - very funny. I already mentioned the wonderful language. My new thing is to shout Irish obscenities at the local gobshites as we are patrolling through the towns. The Iraqi brassers don't know what I am talking about, neither do my comrades.
Michael Stackpole, Star Wars: X-Wing: Rougue Squadron. Yes another SW novel, there are tons of them. This one was pretty good. I watched Episode III again the other day - grand.
Our patrol schedule is a real grind to the bollix, but the days seem to be passing by right quick. Looks like I'm actually going to get R&R leave this time around. September should be a very good month.
My 29th birthday(#8) is in a week. I know that everyone has already sent care packages brimming with goodies for a timely delivery. See Shawshank Redemption post earlier.
Book reviews:
Roddy Doyle, The Barrytown Trilogy (The Commitments, The Snapper, The Van) My sister sent this one to me. I loved it - very funny. I already mentioned the wonderful language. My new thing is to shout Irish obscenities at the local gobshites as we are patrolling through the towns. The Iraqi brassers don't know what I am talking about, neither do my comrades.
Michael Stackpole, Star Wars: X-Wing: Rougue Squadron. Yes another SW novel, there are tons of them. This one was pretty good. I watched Episode III again the other day - grand.
Our patrol schedule is a real grind to the bollix, but the days seem to be passing by right quick. Looks like I'm actually going to get R&R leave this time around. September should be a very good month.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Monday, July 04, 2005
Comments:
Dan, Will that particular brand of Listerine, along with some reading material get through to you? It would and did in my time, but in 15 years a lot can change.
posted by : 7/05/2005 02:01:00 PM
Will Work for Guinness
Monday, June 27, 2005
I got a day off today, the first one in about a month.It feels good to sleep in. Our battle rythym has settled into a 36-hour routine which gives me enough time off but I'm beginning to realize that the human body was built for a 24-hour day, not a 36-hour one. I'm working on teaching myself to sleep longer, because 6-7 hours doesn't cut it every day-and-a-half.
I am enjoying the comments on the blog, although one may begin to suspect that I have a wierd family. I know there are people out there reading this who are too shy to comment up, well, get over it let's hear it.
I've been reading the Barrytown trilogy that my sister sent me. It really depicts the colorfulness of the English language as used by the Irish. I have fallen into the habbit of saying 'arse' and 'eejit' alot. --"I must have been an eejit to join the army at my age, it's a real pain in the arse." I will omit some of the more flavorful terms for the sake of decency.
I am enjoying the comments on the blog, although one may begin to suspect that I have a wierd family. I know there are people out there reading this who are too shy to comment up, well, get over it let's hear it.
I've been reading the Barrytown trilogy that my sister sent me. It really depicts the colorfulness of the English language as used by the Irish. I have fallen into the habbit of saying 'arse' and 'eejit' alot. --"I must have been an eejit to join the army at my age, it's a real pain in the arse." I will omit some of the more flavorful terms for the sake of decency.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Monday, June 27, 2005
Comments:
I took some pictures at Charlie's Birthday party and put them on my website. Since your kids were there, I figured you'd be interested. Gwen & Devin both had a great time.
posted by : 6/28/2005 02:30:00 PM
On the bright side, all of these deployments have kept you from PCSing so often. That's a real pain in the arse.
posted by : 7/01/2005 09:33:00 PM
Shawshank Redemption
Friday, June 24, 2005
I am writing from the infamous Abu Ghraib prison, home of the naked Iraqi pyramid and other novelties. For my mother, nothing dangerous has happened to me since I came to Iraq. For everyone else, the checkpoint operations, patrols amd raids continue with few incidents. I only had to fire my weapon once today (we use warning shots liberally because the Iraqis suck at driving).
My dad is asking for suggestions for a care package, so I will let everyone know what I like. I have become a big fan of these coffee flavored hard candies, and my supply is going to run out today. Any coffee would be welcome, Maxwell House just doesn't cut it anymore. I don't read a whole lot anymore, but I still like books and magazines. Bushmills flavored Listerine if you catch my meaning. Werther's Butterscotch. I don't really eat too much snack food. I have more than enough sunscreen, toothpaste, baby wipes, and all the other standard toiletries.
My dad is asking for suggestions for a care package, so I will let everyone know what I like. I have become a big fan of these coffee flavored hard candies, and my supply is going to run out today. Any coffee would be welcome, Maxwell House just doesn't cut it anymore. I don't read a whole lot anymore, but I still like books and magazines. Bushmills flavored Listerine if you catch my meaning. Werther's Butterscotch. I don't really eat too much snack food. I have more than enough sunscreen, toothpaste, baby wipes, and all the other standard toiletries.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Friday, June 24, 2005
Comments:
Dan, Would that "Listerine" you refer to manage to get to you along with some reading material?
A St. Brendons Brother missing 3 fingers
A St. Brendons Brother missing 3 fingers
posted by : 6/29/2005 08:02:00 AM
Long Days Night
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Sorry the posts have been infrequent, the schedule has been a little time consuming lately. I start work at 10pm and stay out on patrol until 2pm the next days. After eating one meal, showering, doing maintenance, and sleeping that doesn't leave too much time for lounging on the internet.
My First Sergeant and I are convinced that we have the Luck o' the Irish, even though he is Thai. The other day, we had been sitting out on a checkpoint all night (the same checkpoint we occupy most of the time we are on patrol), when we left to show a new unit around the sector. Not 20 minutes later, a car bomb exploded 50 feet from where we had been all night. Pretty freakin' lucky, eh? Nobody was hurt in the bombing (except, of course, the driver who was scattered over a pretty wide area).
My sister sent a well stocked care package (hint, hint) that finally found my new camp. Thanks! If anyone else would care to support the troops (or at least me) the address is
SGT MacDonald
G Troop, 1-11 ACR
Camp Liberty
APO AE 09372
My First Sergeant and I are convinced that we have the Luck o' the Irish, even though he is Thai. The other day, we had been sitting out on a checkpoint all night (the same checkpoint we occupy most of the time we are on patrol), when we left to show a new unit around the sector. Not 20 minutes later, a car bomb exploded 50 feet from where we had been all night. Pretty freakin' lucky, eh? Nobody was hurt in the bombing (except, of course, the driver who was scattered over a pretty wide area).
My sister sent a well stocked care package (hint, hint) that finally found my new camp. Thanks! If anyone else would care to support the troops (or at least me) the address is
SGT MacDonald
G Troop, 1-11 ACR
Camp Liberty
APO AE 09372
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Saturday, June 18, 2005
Comments:
Your Mom's going to love your entry this time. Very happy you got the package. Your next one will come from Texas as we'll be moving in a couple of weeks.
Stay safe. If you have specific requests for the next package just let us know.
Your sis "is very happy you weren't blown up." I guess you can't say you're bored now.
Stay safe. If you have specific requests for the next package just let us know.
Your sis "is very happy you weren't blown up." I guess you can't say you're bored now.
posted by : 6/18/2005 09:55:00 PM
I agree with your mother. STAY SAFE. Your kids are doing fine. Devin is so good with X-Box games that it's scary...there is no doubt whose son he is. Gwennie is as beautiful as ever. I'm looking forward to when you will be parenting them both again.
posted by : 6/23/2005 10:56:00 AM
Out of the Frying Pan
Friday, June 10, 2005
My Estonian mission did not go quite as expected. I spent a couple of days running around trying to properly equip these guys to go on patrol. They only showed up with their uniforms and personal weapons. I managed to secure an armored HUMVEE and a couple of APCs (Armored Personnel Carriers) and some machine guns. We went on patrol for a couple of days, my job was mainly to translate Army radio-speak into plain English (most of the Estonians spoke pretty good English). After only being attached to us for 5 days, the Estonians were attached to another Troop for the rest of their stay in Iraq (which was about a week). All of my work prepping these guys for battle was all for 2 patrols. Oh well, the Army.
I no longer work in the TOC (hence, the lack of activity on the blog). I go on patrols with the First Sergeant and track the battle in the field. Patrols can last anywhere from 12-20 hours, and down-time can be 4-20 hours. Sometimes I have to choose between eating or sleeping. In the past week, I had a 50 hour stretch without food and a 56 hour stretch with 2 hours of sleep. I am much busier now, but time is moving quickly.
A note of good news, the Squadron Sergeant Major says we will all be out of Kuwait and on our way home no later than 2 February 2006. This should be my last summer in Iraq!
I no longer work in the TOC (hence, the lack of activity on the blog). I go on patrols with the First Sergeant and track the battle in the field. Patrols can last anywhere from 12-20 hours, and down-time can be 4-20 hours. Sometimes I have to choose between eating or sleeping. In the past week, I had a 50 hour stretch without food and a 56 hour stretch with 2 hours of sleep. I am much busier now, but time is moving quickly.
A note of good news, the Squadron Sergeant Major says we will all be out of Kuwait and on our way home no later than 2 February 2006. This should be my last summer in Iraq!
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Friday, June 10, 2005
Comments:
Dan! Drew Baur here from HHS '87. I e-mailed Scott Harper and he sent your blog along. Thought I'd say hello and send my support to you guys....how the hell did you end up in the army anyway? You can reach me at drew.baur@yahoo.com. Take care --
posted by : 6/13/2005 04:18:00 AM
Eastern Bloc Party
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
I have a new job for the next 3 weeks. I am the liason to the Estonian Army stationed here at Camp Liberty. I don't speak Estonian, so I must have been selected because of my outstanding people skills and charming personality. The Estonians don't have any vehicles so I'm not sure what their mission is, but it must be very important for Estonia to bolster our forces with 31 of their finest soldiers.
Book reviews may be fewer and farrer between, now, because I have internet access at the Command Post (that's where I did most of my reading). Currently I am reading The World by Jan Morris. The title of the book got me. Jan Morris is, I guess, the world's most famous travel correspondent (I didn't know they had a world's most famous travel correspondent), and also used to be James Morris, but the switch doesn't happen until page 209. Who whould have thought that the world's most famous travel correspondent was also a transsexual?
I saw Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith last night. Darth Vader kicks ass, but Obi-Wan is still the greatest. International media piracy is alive and well.
Book reviews may be fewer and farrer between, now, because I have internet access at the Command Post (that's where I did most of my reading). Currently I am reading The World by Jan Morris. The title of the book got me. Jan Morris is, I guess, the world's most famous travel correspondent (I didn't know they had a world's most famous travel correspondent), and also used to be James Morris, but the switch doesn't happen until page 209. Who whould have thought that the world's most famous travel correspondent was also a transsexual?
I saw Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith last night. Darth Vader kicks ass, but Obi-Wan is still the greatest. International media piracy is alive and well.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Comments:
New World Order
Sunday, May 22, 2005
I am writing from a new location in the wonderful nation of Iraq, Camp Liberty, located just north of my old stomping grounds Baghdad International Airport (BIAP).
Let's start with our convoy from Camp Taji to Camp Liberty. We begin moving just after midnight, three turns in the entire trip of 20 miles and we miss two of them.
First missed turn, as we are following the Bradley Fighting Vehicle in front of us, I recall passing an exit that says 'Airport' and saying to my driver, "that's probably the turn we should have taken." The lead Bradley realizes this as well, a couple of kilometers down the road, turn around time. Good this lanes and directions of travel mean nothing on Iraqi freeways, we just turn around in the southbound lane and head back north. Almost reaching our intended exit, the lead Bradley cut through the dirt and up onto the ramp. Bradleys are tracked vehicles similar to tanks and can cross most terrain, as can Humvees which I was in. Alas, 5-ton trucks pulling trailers are not quite so maneuverable, the trailer flips over getting onto the ramp. Half of our convoy is now on the ramp (a very non-tactical position), a 5-ton is stuck with a flipped trailer, another 5-ton has gotten confused and joined a convoy heading back to Taji, with one of our Bradleys trying to chase them down. Twenty minutes into our convoy.
If I could type faster, I would explain things more fully, but an hour later all vehicles in the convoy are heading south again. The call comes over the radio that one of the truck's load has shifted, and it is dropping blocks of reactive armor on the freeway. Reactive armor is this high-tech armor added to our Bradleys for added protection. It is comprised of very heavy blocks of explosives that are designed to redirect a blast away from the vehicle. As these blocks are crashing to the asphalt some are exploding, some are not, but they all have to be recovered. The damn Iraqis already have too many explosives. I am lucky enough to be one of the recoverers, and we haven't even missed our second turn yet.
Second missed turn, all the reactive armor has been recovered, so now I'm riding around in a hillbilly-armored Humvee (one plate of rusty, pig iron attached to each door, and your Congressman is telling you that no soldiers are riding around in unarmored vehicles) with a bunch of explosives in the back. Funny, there goes another exit sign that says 'Airport,' but we aren't turning. We save the turning for a U-turn half a mile down the road. Of course, the truck spills some more reactive armor on the road, and that has to be picked up. Blah blah blah, all personnel and equipment reach Camp Liberty in just under 3 hours (an average of almost 7 mph) to find that our Troop has already unloaded the shipping containers and all that is left to do is "grab yer gear an' hit the sack."
Camp Liberty is very similar to the other bases I have been to here in Iraq; hot, dusty and bad smelling. Home for the next 3 months or so. Wahoo! I ran into my old First Sergeant from Germany (he's a Sergeant Major now) and we have been reliving the good old days of being thirsty and burning shit. He is going home in a couple of weeks, I am not.
Let's start with our convoy from Camp Taji to Camp Liberty. We begin moving just after midnight, three turns in the entire trip of 20 miles and we miss two of them.
First missed turn, as we are following the Bradley Fighting Vehicle in front of us, I recall passing an exit that says 'Airport' and saying to my driver, "that's probably the turn we should have taken." The lead Bradley realizes this as well, a couple of kilometers down the road, turn around time. Good this lanes and directions of travel mean nothing on Iraqi freeways, we just turn around in the southbound lane and head back north. Almost reaching our intended exit, the lead Bradley cut through the dirt and up onto the ramp. Bradleys are tracked vehicles similar to tanks and can cross most terrain, as can Humvees which I was in. Alas, 5-ton trucks pulling trailers are not quite so maneuverable, the trailer flips over getting onto the ramp. Half of our convoy is now on the ramp (a very non-tactical position), a 5-ton is stuck with a flipped trailer, another 5-ton has gotten confused and joined a convoy heading back to Taji, with one of our Bradleys trying to chase them down. Twenty minutes into our convoy.
If I could type faster, I would explain things more fully, but an hour later all vehicles in the convoy are heading south again. The call comes over the radio that one of the truck's load has shifted, and it is dropping blocks of reactive armor on the freeway. Reactive armor is this high-tech armor added to our Bradleys for added protection. It is comprised of very heavy blocks of explosives that are designed to redirect a blast away from the vehicle. As these blocks are crashing to the asphalt some are exploding, some are not, but they all have to be recovered. The damn Iraqis already have too many explosives. I am lucky enough to be one of the recoverers, and we haven't even missed our second turn yet.
Second missed turn, all the reactive armor has been recovered, so now I'm riding around in a hillbilly-armored Humvee (one plate of rusty, pig iron attached to each door, and your Congressman is telling you that no soldiers are riding around in unarmored vehicles) with a bunch of explosives in the back. Funny, there goes another exit sign that says 'Airport,' but we aren't turning. We save the turning for a U-turn half a mile down the road. Of course, the truck spills some more reactive armor on the road, and that has to be picked up. Blah blah blah, all personnel and equipment reach Camp Liberty in just under 3 hours (an average of almost 7 mph) to find that our Troop has already unloaded the shipping containers and all that is left to do is "grab yer gear an' hit the sack."
Camp Liberty is very similar to the other bases I have been to here in Iraq; hot, dusty and bad smelling. Home for the next 3 months or so. Wahoo! I ran into my old First Sergeant from Germany (he's a Sergeant Major now) and we have been reliving the good old days of being thirsty and burning shit. He is going home in a couple of weeks, I am not.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Sunday, May 22, 2005
Comments:
Thank God you guys fight better than you convoy! Right?!
KP for the convoy leader and all members of the lead vehicle.
KP for the convoy leader and all members of the lead vehicle.
posted by : 5/23/2005 09:59:00 PM
Manson Family Circus Tent
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Recently read books:
Philip K. Dick, The Man Who Japed, A short novel of a future world where morality is controlled and monitered by the government until one guy cuts the head off a plastic statue and ends up running the agency responsible for programming the morals of society. Rebellious stuff, I like it, especially while in the Army.
Dave Wolverton, Star Wars: The Courtship of Princess Leia, Standard SW novel. I read because some kind stranger from Texas sent me a ton of SW books, and they're entertaining.
John Lescroart, Dead Irish, This book was a little difficult to read because the protagonist, an ex-Irish-cop-turned-bartender drank Scotch and Guinness. Too many reminders of things unreachable right now. At least with a Star Wars novel, I don't get cravings for Mandalorian Synth-Ale, although I imagine it must be pretty good.
Barbara Hembly, Star Wars: Children of the Jedi, By far, the worst SW novel I have read. Metaphors and similes taken to intergalactic extremes. Not a direct quote, but goes something like this "the cascading merac vines reflected the nebulonic light like the dazzling luminescence of krayt dragon pearl reflecting the twin early-morning suns of the arid and parched Great Dune Sea on Tatooine..." blah blah blah for pages and pages.
George Lucas, Star Wars: A New Hope, The original.
Douglas Coupland, Microserfs, Written like a fictional blog before there were blogs. Computer geeks escape the Evil Microsoft and begin a start-up in tech-crazy 90's. Mentions the Family Circus is not funny. How long has that damn comic been so unentertaining? Every time I'm stupid enough to read this crap, I feel like ripping my own arm off and beating myself with it to remind me never to glance at it. It's gigantic compared to other strips, and it's right above The Far Side. Why do people read that crap. We try to make a game of getting others to read the Family Circus by accident, inserting them into notebooks and other subversive tricks. Never trust a person who spells Bil with one L.
Dennis Lehane, Darkness, Take My Hand, Parents sent this one to me. Wish it had more Irish Mob stuff, less serial killer, but good. Time's up, bye.
Philip K. Dick, The Man Who Japed, A short novel of a future world where morality is controlled and monitered by the government until one guy cuts the head off a plastic statue and ends up running the agency responsible for programming the morals of society. Rebellious stuff, I like it, especially while in the Army.
Dave Wolverton, Star Wars: The Courtship of Princess Leia, Standard SW novel. I read because some kind stranger from Texas sent me a ton of SW books, and they're entertaining.
John Lescroart, Dead Irish, This book was a little difficult to read because the protagonist, an ex-Irish-cop-turned-bartender drank Scotch and Guinness. Too many reminders of things unreachable right now. At least with a Star Wars novel, I don't get cravings for Mandalorian Synth-Ale, although I imagine it must be pretty good.
Barbara Hembly, Star Wars: Children of the Jedi, By far, the worst SW novel I have read. Metaphors and similes taken to intergalactic extremes. Not a direct quote, but goes something like this "the cascading merac vines reflected the nebulonic light like the dazzling luminescence of krayt dragon pearl reflecting the twin early-morning suns of the arid and parched Great Dune Sea on Tatooine..." blah blah blah for pages and pages.
George Lucas, Star Wars: A New Hope, The original.
Douglas Coupland, Microserfs, Written like a fictional blog before there were blogs. Computer geeks escape the Evil Microsoft and begin a start-up in tech-crazy 90's. Mentions the Family Circus is not funny. How long has that damn comic been so unentertaining? Every time I'm stupid enough to read this crap, I feel like ripping my own arm off and beating myself with it to remind me never to glance at it. It's gigantic compared to other strips, and it's right above The Far Side. Why do people read that crap. We try to make a game of getting others to read the Family Circus by accident, inserting them into notebooks and other subversive tricks. Never trust a person who spells Bil with one L.
Dennis Lehane, Darkness, Take My Hand, Parents sent this one to me. Wish it had more Irish Mob stuff, less serial killer, but good. Time's up, bye.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Comments:
Natural Deselection
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
I just read an article from Hamburg, Germany. In a local pond, over 1000 toads have exploded in recent weeks. The pond is being called 'the death pool.' I can't even think of anything to add.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Comments:
Exploding toad make a facinating story. Is it true? My over-active imagination is running away with this one! The visuals are kind of disgusting, but entertaining...
By the way, your daughter, Gwenyth, doesn't sleep at night much either. Janet has gotten up in the middle of the night to find Gwen sitting in the livingroom, drawing pictures...using the moonlight to see. DNA at work....
By the way, your daughter, Gwenyth, doesn't sleep at night much either. Janet has gotten up in the middle of the night to find Gwen sitting in the livingroom, drawing pictures...using the moonlight to see. DNA at work....
posted by : 5/03/2005 03:09:00 PM
don't FROGS live in ponds?
posted by : 5/07/2005 11:56:00 PM
Children of the Night
I don't sleep at night anymore. Why? I don't know. I have no worries, my job isn't stressful, I just don't sleep when the sun is down. The past several nights, I lie down around 3am and wait for it to get light out at 6am. I eat breakfast, even have coffee, and then go back to my room and sleep until noon. It is strange, but workable.
We are moving to a new camp this month. It's only about 30 minutes away, but that is where we are needed. I guess a change of scenery will be good, although it is not too much of a change because Iraq looks pretty crappy no matter the perspective.
I finally broke down and bought a DVD this week. Season Three of Futurama (it's actually 4 DVDs, but who's counting), so far, my favorite episode has been "The Tale of Two Santas." After one viewing, it has reached the top of my all-time favorite Christmas specials. 1000 years in the future (futurama, get it), X-Mas has replaced Christmas, and Santa Claus has been replaced by an evil robot that celebrates the holiday with a hail of bullets and mass destruction. An instant classic.
I read 3 more books this week but forgot the authors' names, so the book review will have to wait for another time. It is 1:30am, only 4 1/2 hours until sunrise.
We are moving to a new camp this month. It's only about 30 minutes away, but that is where we are needed. I guess a change of scenery will be good, although it is not too much of a change because Iraq looks pretty crappy no matter the perspective.
I finally broke down and bought a DVD this week. Season Three of Futurama (it's actually 4 DVDs, but who's counting), so far, my favorite episode has been "The Tale of Two Santas." After one viewing, it has reached the top of my all-time favorite Christmas specials. 1000 years in the future (futurama, get it), X-Mas has replaced Christmas, and Santa Claus has been replaced by an evil robot that celebrates the holiday with a hail of bullets and mass destruction. An instant classic.
I read 3 more books this week but forgot the authors' names, so the book review will have to wait for another time. It is 1:30am, only 4 1/2 hours until sunrise.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Comments:
Evil, But Entertaining
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
There was no mail delivery today. It happens every once in a while for various reasons. Since my job doesn't provide enough stimulation in my life, I have to create my own diversions. I thought it would sound good if the reason the mail didn't get delivered was because the truck carrying the mail was destoyed by an IED. Now, in order for a false rumor to fly, you have to provide details. The mail convoy was travelling north on MSR Tampa when a truck driven by a local national was hit by an IED about 15 miles south of Baghdad. There were not injuries, but the 30-foot shipping container full of mail destined for Camp Taji was totally destroyed, and its contents were unrecoverable after the ensuing fire. After coming up with a plausible story, you have to seed the rumor correctly for it to grow. You can't just go around and tell everyone you see, you have to find your stool pidgeon. Our troop XO has let it be known far and wide that his X-Box is due in the mail any day now. We have our mark. All it takes is a quick comment, a corroborating witness, and a reliable source - 'the mail clerk at squadron told us.' The beauty is in the simplicity. This rumor was released shortly after I arrived for my shift in the TOC. By the time my shift had ended, it had blossomed into a healthy piece of misinformation. The XO was up in arms, the CO was suspicious at first, but bought it because the story came from his trusted XO. Sometimes I love my job.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Comments:
Back to sports movies...
best all time baseball flick....
Faith Rewarded (documenting the Red Sox WS Victory)
best all time baseball flick....
Faith Rewarded (documenting the Red Sox WS Victory)
posted by : 4/28/2005 09:26:00 AM
Okay, did the guy get his X-Box or not? Does anyone in the army over there READ the stuff you send out?? I hope not.
posted by : 5/03/2005 03:11:00 PM
A Different Brand of Nothing
Friday, April 22, 2005
A few new things happened since the last post.
For a few days this week I was filling in for a team leader in one of our platoons. That platoon is assigned to the Divsion Reserve Force, which means they are on 15 minute recall most of the time, but they don't get out much. So, after 2 days of being on recall (can't really go anywhere and always have to have a radio) I am mere hours away from being relieved and sent back to my regular job in the TOC. Well, wouldn't you know, we get alerted at half-past midnight. After a scramble to get dressed, get my, and make sure my soldiers are ready to go, we head out to the airfield and board the Blackhawk helicopters. This platoon has spent alot of time here in Iraq doing air assault training (fighting out of helicopters), I haven't, but luckily I find myself in the number 1 seat and am set to be the first man off the bird. As it turns out, I am the last one off the Blackhawk because the mission has been scrubbed. The Army can't immediately cancel a mission, so we wait on the airfield until the wee hours when we get the word that the mission is off. The guy I replaced is waiting for us when we return to our trailers.
A couple of days after that fun, I am selected to go to a class to learn how to use a new IED robot. Robots, high technology, cutting edge. This thing was a radio-controlled toy moster truck with a video camera! Definitely not R2-D2. The technician who taught the course called it a prototype (serial number 32), which really hadn't been soldier-proofed so it might be a little fragile. Well, several hours later I am qualified to operate the 'robot' and we take it back to the unit. The commander thinks it's Christmas and immediately wants to play with it. As he is driving our new $6000 toy into walls, I am thinking this thing is never going to last out in the field. One day later, Battalion informs us that the 'robot' is not for us, and we have to give it to another company. Another day, another dollar.
The book review marches on (being on recall for 2 days gave me more time read than usual).
Alan Dean Foster, Splinter in the Mind's Eye. This was the first Star Wars book ever published, back before there was The Empire Strikes Back. It was sent to me by a woman in Texas who went to a books for soldiers website and saw that I enjoyed sci-fi novels. She sent nine Star Wars books! Anyway, as the first Star Wars novel, this kind of sucked, it was pretty flat and the writing lacked intelligence, but I continued to read it for the historical value.
Carl Sagan, Broca's Brain. Sagan might have been a very popular scientist and made science approachable to the masses, but the guy was a kook. I enjoyed reading his views on local planetary exploration, but he goes off the deep end when he starts going into communicating with intelligent civilizations by radio (see previous post: Humans From the Future). I stopped reading mid-way through the last chapter when he stated that all theological arguments could be traced back to the retained memory of our own birth.
Various Authors, Star Wars: Tales From the Empire. This was a collection of short stories based in the Star Wars universe but not dealing with any of the main characters. A quick read, but I can't say there was anything special here.
Steve Perry, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire. The was the best SW novel I have read. It takes place between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. It wonderfully filled in some of the holes between the two movies. Leia tracking down the frozen Han Solo, Luke beginning to master the Force and building his new light saber. Throw in an evil organized crime figure going up against Darth Vader and you have one helluva fun read.
That is all.
For a few days this week I was filling in for a team leader in one of our platoons. That platoon is assigned to the Divsion Reserve Force, which means they are on 15 minute recall most of the time, but they don't get out much. So, after 2 days of being on recall (can't really go anywhere and always have to have a radio) I am mere hours away from being relieved and sent back to my regular job in the TOC. Well, wouldn't you know, we get alerted at half-past midnight. After a scramble to get dressed, get my, and make sure my soldiers are ready to go, we head out to the airfield and board the Blackhawk helicopters. This platoon has spent alot of time here in Iraq doing air assault training (fighting out of helicopters), I haven't, but luckily I find myself in the number 1 seat and am set to be the first man off the bird. As it turns out, I am the last one off the Blackhawk because the mission has been scrubbed. The Army can't immediately cancel a mission, so we wait on the airfield until the wee hours when we get the word that the mission is off. The guy I replaced is waiting for us when we return to our trailers.
A couple of days after that fun, I am selected to go to a class to learn how to use a new IED robot. Robots, high technology, cutting edge. This thing was a radio-controlled toy moster truck with a video camera! Definitely not R2-D2. The technician who taught the course called it a prototype (serial number 32), which really hadn't been soldier-proofed so it might be a little fragile. Well, several hours later I am qualified to operate the 'robot' and we take it back to the unit. The commander thinks it's Christmas and immediately wants to play with it. As he is driving our new $6000 toy into walls, I am thinking this thing is never going to last out in the field. One day later, Battalion informs us that the 'robot' is not for us, and we have to give it to another company. Another day, another dollar.
The book review marches on (being on recall for 2 days gave me more time read than usual).
Alan Dean Foster, Splinter in the Mind's Eye. This was the first Star Wars book ever published, back before there was The Empire Strikes Back. It was sent to me by a woman in Texas who went to a books for soldiers website and saw that I enjoyed sci-fi novels. She sent nine Star Wars books! Anyway, as the first Star Wars novel, this kind of sucked, it was pretty flat and the writing lacked intelligence, but I continued to read it for the historical value.
Carl Sagan, Broca's Brain. Sagan might have been a very popular scientist and made science approachable to the masses, but the guy was a kook. I enjoyed reading his views on local planetary exploration, but he goes off the deep end when he starts going into communicating with intelligent civilizations by radio (see previous post: Humans From the Future). I stopped reading mid-way through the last chapter when he stated that all theological arguments could be traced back to the retained memory of our own birth.
Various Authors, Star Wars: Tales From the Empire. This was a collection of short stories based in the Star Wars universe but not dealing with any of the main characters. A quick read, but I can't say there was anything special here.
Steve Perry, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire. The was the best SW novel I have read. It takes place between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. It wonderfully filled in some of the holes between the two movies. Leia tracking down the frozen Han Solo, Luke beginning to master the Force and building his new light saber. Throw in an evil organized crime figure going up against Darth Vader and you have one helluva fun read.
That is all.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Friday, April 22, 2005
Comments:
Hey Danny, Only 2 weeks till Glaisnost '05. Did you get my gift yet?
posted by : 4/27/2005 01:46:00 PM
Greatest Sports Movies
Saturday, April 16, 2005
Baseball: Major League; Tom Berrenger, Charlie Sheen, Rene Rousso, Wesley Snipes. First, it's about the Cleveland Indians back in the dark ages. Second, it's about as close to a romantic comedy as you will ever catch me. A classic misfit, underdog rising to the top story. Bull Duhram was pretty good, but hell, it wasn't the Indians.
Football: The Longest Yard; Burt Reynolds. First and ten, forward pass to the groin. Second and ten, same play. Convicts vs the Screws. Burt Reynolds at his tough-guy best. Classic misfit, underdog rising to the top story. Honorable mention: North Dallas Forty
Basketball: Hoosiers; Gene Hackman. I'm not a big basketball fan, in fact, this is the only basketball movie I can recall, so it wins by default. Except I forgot about Teen Wolf, honorable mention.
Golf: Caddy Shack; Chevy Chase, Bill Murry, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted. Ty: 'You take drugs, Denny?' Danny: 'Every day.' Ty: 'Good.' Classic misfit, underdog rising to the top story. What, did you think I was going to choose Tin Cup?
Hockey: Slap Shot; Paul Newman. Three words: The Hanson Brothers. This genre is pretty light, but there was no way in hell I was going to pick a Mighty Duck movie. Classic misfit, underdog not rising to the top story.
Skiing: Hotdog, The Movie; Nobody famous. This movie sucked except for the hot tub scenes and the massive snowball fight, but there isn't much competition in the genre. The Chinese Downhill was the clincher. Classic misfit, underdog rising to the top story.
Snowboarding: None. They haven't made a snowboarding movie that doesn't completely suck.
Mountaineering: The Eiger Sanction; Clint Eastwood. Let's combine an alpine adventure with an assassination plot, brilliant. No unbelievable leaps off of cliffs or exploding helicopters.
Auto Racing: The Cannonball Run; Burt Reynolds, Dom Delouis, Farrah Fawcet, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Jackie Chan, Terry Bradshaw. Take one part illegal cross-country race, add all-star cast, and mix with inane hijinx.
Surfing: The Endless Summer 2; Wingnut. One longboarder, one shortboarder, a cool surfer soundtrack, and the finest locations around the world. Some of the best in-water cinematography ever.
Boxing: Raging Bull; Robert DeNiro, Joe Pecci. Black and white, gritty, a Scorcese masterpiece.
Feel free to comment.
Football: The Longest Yard; Burt Reynolds. First and ten, forward pass to the groin. Second and ten, same play. Convicts vs the Screws. Burt Reynolds at his tough-guy best. Classic misfit, underdog rising to the top story. Honorable mention: North Dallas Forty
Basketball: Hoosiers; Gene Hackman. I'm not a big basketball fan, in fact, this is the only basketball movie I can recall, so it wins by default. Except I forgot about Teen Wolf, honorable mention.
Golf: Caddy Shack; Chevy Chase, Bill Murry, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted. Ty: 'You take drugs, Denny?' Danny: 'Every day.' Ty: 'Good.' Classic misfit, underdog rising to the top story. What, did you think I was going to choose Tin Cup?
Hockey: Slap Shot; Paul Newman. Three words: The Hanson Brothers. This genre is pretty light, but there was no way in hell I was going to pick a Mighty Duck movie. Classic misfit, underdog not rising to the top story.
Skiing: Hotdog, The Movie; Nobody famous. This movie sucked except for the hot tub scenes and the massive snowball fight, but there isn't much competition in the genre. The Chinese Downhill was the clincher. Classic misfit, underdog rising to the top story.
Snowboarding: None. They haven't made a snowboarding movie that doesn't completely suck.
Mountaineering: The Eiger Sanction; Clint Eastwood. Let's combine an alpine adventure with an assassination plot, brilliant. No unbelievable leaps off of cliffs or exploding helicopters.
Auto Racing: The Cannonball Run; Burt Reynolds, Dom Delouis, Farrah Fawcet, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Jackie Chan, Terry Bradshaw. Take one part illegal cross-country race, add all-star cast, and mix with inane hijinx.
Surfing: The Endless Summer 2; Wingnut. One longboarder, one shortboarder, a cool surfer soundtrack, and the finest locations around the world. Some of the best in-water cinematography ever.
Boxing: Raging Bull; Robert DeNiro, Joe Pecci. Black and white, gritty, a Scorcese masterpiece.
Feel free to comment.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Saturday, April 16, 2005
Comments:
Raging Bull was the greatest fight movie EVER. I just watched the new DVD. Stunning violence. Can't wait to show it to my students.
posted by : 4/27/2005 01:43:00 PM
Seven Days or a Week
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
I had a chance to do something different yesterday. First, just as I was going to take my mid-morning nap, I was told that I would be escorting a convoy to Baghdad to drop off some soldiers for a 4-day pass. The convoy went without incident, and the soldiers get 4 days of fun in the Iraqi sun. We I got back to Taji, I was informed that I would be participating in a mission in a nearby town that is known to be 'bad.' I had to put in my 8-hour shift in the TOC and then it was straight to the mission which basically was to 'kick over the hornet's nest' and see what flew out. We spent most of the night preparing for the mission and set out in the morning. We rolled into town in our Bradley Fighting Vehicles, generally making alot of noise, and set up a TCP (Traffic Control Point) in the center of town. Spent a couple of hours searching vehicles and people and finding nothing. We rolled out of town, conducted our AAR (After Action Review), and went back to Taji. I got a couple of hours of rest, and it was back to the TOC for some invigorating radio watch. I am sleepy now.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Comments:
Same Bat-Time, Same Bat-Channel
Saturday, April 09, 2005
There could be a reason I haven't posted in a while -- nothing new has happened. I do have a few new books that I have read:
Sincalir Lewis, It Can't Happen Here This wasn't the easiest read, but I managed to work through it. I hope fascism never comes to America, because Lewis paints a scary piucture. If it did, I would probably find myself with the jackboot crowd.
John Garner, James Bond: Never Dream of Dying I always picture Sean Connery in my head when I read a Bond novel. Who is the new Bond going to be? I might be out of this hellhole when the next 007 picture comes out.
Forgot His Name (not Ian Flemming or John Garner), James Bond: Cold Fall Bond kills bad guys, Bond gets laid. This book is interesting because it explains when the old M went when he was replaced by Judy Dench. Pierce Brosnan was a wussy as James Bond he had no style and he ran like a girl.
Elmore Leonard, Be Cool I zipped through this one pretty quick, the sequel to Get Shorty. I like Leonard's dialog - very snappy. I remember reading Get Shorty on a whim, because it had a cool cover, or somethinhg like that, never heard of Elmore Leonard. I enjoyed that book, then a week later, I see that it was a movie with John Travolta, go figure.
Dean Koontz, Frankenstein, The Podigal Son This was a fantastic novel. I read the whole thing in a day. I like the Frankenstein in a modern world theme, both the monster (now a good guy) and the scientist (now a monster) survive from Mary Shelly's classic. I have never read a serial (this is Book 1 of how many, I don't know) that is new enough that I have to wait for the next installment (won't be out till this summer). I couldn't put the damn book down, and now I have to wait a few months for the story to continue. I'm about ready to storm Mr Koontz's place with a torch and a pitchfork.
I also started the Bard of Avon's Hamlet, but I only read a bit at a time, then I read the footnotes, then I read it again. I'm going to try and not pull a Hamlet out here. Someone asked if I read books about the local history/culture, well, I read what is available. I wouldn't mind reading about how the Cradle of Civilization degenerated into the shithole that it is today.
It is beginning to get a little warmer here, summer is just around the corner.
Sincalir Lewis, It Can't Happen Here This wasn't the easiest read, but I managed to work through it. I hope fascism never comes to America, because Lewis paints a scary piucture. If it did, I would probably find myself with the jackboot crowd.
John Garner, James Bond: Never Dream of Dying I always picture Sean Connery in my head when I read a Bond novel. Who is the new Bond going to be? I might be out of this hellhole when the next 007 picture comes out.
Forgot His Name (not Ian Flemming or John Garner), James Bond: Cold Fall Bond kills bad guys, Bond gets laid. This book is interesting because it explains when the old M went when he was replaced by Judy Dench. Pierce Brosnan was a wussy as James Bond he had no style and he ran like a girl.
Elmore Leonard, Be Cool I zipped through this one pretty quick, the sequel to Get Shorty. I like Leonard's dialog - very snappy. I remember reading Get Shorty on a whim, because it had a cool cover, or somethinhg like that, never heard of Elmore Leonard. I enjoyed that book, then a week later, I see that it was a movie with John Travolta, go figure.
Dean Koontz, Frankenstein, The Podigal Son This was a fantastic novel. I read the whole thing in a day. I like the Frankenstein in a modern world theme, both the monster (now a good guy) and the scientist (now a monster) survive from Mary Shelly's classic. I have never read a serial (this is Book 1 of how many, I don't know) that is new enough that I have to wait for the next installment (won't be out till this summer). I couldn't put the damn book down, and now I have to wait a few months for the story to continue. I'm about ready to storm Mr Koontz's place with a torch and a pitchfork.
I also started the Bard of Avon's Hamlet, but I only read a bit at a time, then I read the footnotes, then I read it again. I'm going to try and not pull a Hamlet out here. Someone asked if I read books about the local history/culture, well, I read what is available. I wouldn't mind reading about how the Cradle of Civilization degenerated into the shithole that it is today.
It is beginning to get a little warmer here, summer is just around the corner.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Saturday, April 09, 2005
Comments:
Erosion of the Mind
Thursday, March 31, 2005
I am being pummelled by boredom. The days seem to drag on and on and on and on and on and on. What did I do today? The same thing I did yesterday and the day before yesterday and the day before the day before yesterday and the day before the day before the day before yesterday.
Here's a typical day: I wake up around 0800 or 0900 and go to breakfast, if I haven't slept in too late - I haven't used my alarm clock since arriving in Iraq. After breakfast, I sit around and do nothing, sometimes I read, but I usually get a nap in sometime in the morning. Wake up again around noon and go eat lunch - the food has taken on a dreary, repetitive sameness, like everything else. After lunch, I sit around and do nothing, sometimes I read, but I usually get a nap in sometime in the afternoon. Wake up again before 1600 to go to work in the TOC (Tactical Operations Center). At the TOC, I listen to the radio and record any significant events: shootings, bombings, etc. Mostly I sit around and read or play on the computer (no internet in the TOC). Instead of going to eat chow, my runner goes and brings it back for us (can't leave the TOC unattended). I drink alot of coffee and usually toss most of the meal. I work the TOC until 2400 (midnight) and then change and go to the gym for an hour. After working out, I head over to the MWR (Morale, Wellfare & Recreation) building and sign on the waiting list for the computer. Here I am. After surfing the net, I am working on this blog and trying to complete some correspondence course, I might stop in the PX (Post Exchange), look around and not buy anything, but usually hit the shower and go to sleep for the night at aroung 0300 to 0400. Rinse and repeat.
Here's a typical day: I wake up around 0800 or 0900 and go to breakfast, if I haven't slept in too late - I haven't used my alarm clock since arriving in Iraq. After breakfast, I sit around and do nothing, sometimes I read, but I usually get a nap in sometime in the morning. Wake up again around noon and go eat lunch - the food has taken on a dreary, repetitive sameness, like everything else. After lunch, I sit around and do nothing, sometimes I read, but I usually get a nap in sometime in the afternoon. Wake up again before 1600 to go to work in the TOC (Tactical Operations Center). At the TOC, I listen to the radio and record any significant events: shootings, bombings, etc. Mostly I sit around and read or play on the computer (no internet in the TOC). Instead of going to eat chow, my runner goes and brings it back for us (can't leave the TOC unattended). I drink alot of coffee and usually toss most of the meal. I work the TOC until 2400 (midnight) and then change and go to the gym for an hour. After working out, I head over to the MWR (Morale, Wellfare & Recreation) building and sign on the waiting list for the computer. Here I am. After surfing the net, I am working on this blog and trying to complete some correspondence course, I might stop in the PX (Post Exchange), look around and not buy anything, but usually hit the shower and go to sleep for the night at aroung 0300 to 0400. Rinse and repeat.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Thursday, March 31, 2005
Comments:
Humans from the Future
Monday, March 28, 2005
I've had a theory on 'alien' visitors to our little blue planet. Perhaps these creatures are not some otherworldly race, but rather human visitors from the future.
To date, the nearest planet outside of our solar system discovered by astronomer is hundred of lightyears away. Radio on Earth has only been around for less than a hundred years. If you believe that a radio signal transmitted at the turn of the century had the strength to cross trillions of miles and still be picked up by aliens, then that would put the nearest planet to receive such signals about 40 light years away (remember the little green men have been visiting since the middle of the 20th Century). There are only a handful of stars that close to the solar system, and none of them have shown signs of having habitable planets orbiting around them.
Einstein's theory of relativity states that time and distance across the expanse of the universe are relative to each other. If an 'alien' race had developed a technology to cross vast distances in space, couldn't that technology also be used to cover vast stretched of time. Wouldn't it make more sense that 'alien' visitors with the technology to travel time and space would come from right here on Earth. Future humans wouldn't have to pick out a tiny speck in the cosmos to decide to visit. Perhaps these 'aliens' are not explorers, but historians or anthropologists.
Let's assume some of the trends of the modern age continue far into the future; exploration, medicine, pollution, war. Maybe, in the future, overpollution or nuclear war will make the surface of our planet inhospitable to life. For us humans, there would only be a few options; go underground or go in orbit. If we were forced to permanently live in either of these environments, modern medicine (which would be much more modern in the future) would look for ways to better adapt our bodies for survival in these new surroundings. Through genetic engineering, we could be adapted to be perfectly at home either underground or in zero-g.
The creatures described by people who have encountered 'alien' visitors often fall into 2 general types: the little grey alien and the tall spindly alien. The little grey guy has been specifically engineered to survive underground; big eyes to see in the dark, big cranium to hold our fabulously grand intellect, short (less excavation if the ceilings only have to be 6 feet tall), and thin because let's face it the obesity trend in America will die someday as will the exercise thing (who cares if they're buff when you have the head of an alien). People bred in orbit are just going to keep growing tall in zero-g no matter how much tampering is done with their DNA.
So let's put it all together. Aliens living on another planet a zillion miles away, first would have to find Earth, then would have to decide that Earth is important enough to visit - remeber, no radio waves have reached them yet, and then they would have to make the extremely long trip and come and go for the better part of a century without ever revealing who they were. Humans, on the other hand, already know where Earth is, know when a good time and place to stop by would be, and are probably here on a historical field trip. They can't make direct contact with us because that would probably cause some time-space paradox and destroy the universe.
I have too much idle time.
To date, the nearest planet outside of our solar system discovered by astronomer is hundred of lightyears away. Radio on Earth has only been around for less than a hundred years. If you believe that a radio signal transmitted at the turn of the century had the strength to cross trillions of miles and still be picked up by aliens, then that would put the nearest planet to receive such signals about 40 light years away (remember the little green men have been visiting since the middle of the 20th Century). There are only a handful of stars that close to the solar system, and none of them have shown signs of having habitable planets orbiting around them.
Einstein's theory of relativity states that time and distance across the expanse of the universe are relative to each other. If an 'alien' race had developed a technology to cross vast distances in space, couldn't that technology also be used to cover vast stretched of time. Wouldn't it make more sense that 'alien' visitors with the technology to travel time and space would come from right here on Earth. Future humans wouldn't have to pick out a tiny speck in the cosmos to decide to visit. Perhaps these 'aliens' are not explorers, but historians or anthropologists.
Let's assume some of the trends of the modern age continue far into the future; exploration, medicine, pollution, war. Maybe, in the future, overpollution or nuclear war will make the surface of our planet inhospitable to life. For us humans, there would only be a few options; go underground or go in orbit. If we were forced to permanently live in either of these environments, modern medicine (which would be much more modern in the future) would look for ways to better adapt our bodies for survival in these new surroundings. Through genetic engineering, we could be adapted to be perfectly at home either underground or in zero-g.
The creatures described by people who have encountered 'alien' visitors often fall into 2 general types: the little grey alien and the tall spindly alien. The little grey guy has been specifically engineered to survive underground; big eyes to see in the dark, big cranium to hold our fabulously grand intellect, short (less excavation if the ceilings only have to be 6 feet tall), and thin because let's face it the obesity trend in America will die someday as will the exercise thing (who cares if they're buff when you have the head of an alien). People bred in orbit are just going to keep growing tall in zero-g no matter how much tampering is done with their DNA.
So let's put it all together. Aliens living on another planet a zillion miles away, first would have to find Earth, then would have to decide that Earth is important enough to visit - remeber, no radio waves have reached them yet, and then they would have to make the extremely long trip and come and go for the better part of a century without ever revealing who they were. Humans, on the other hand, already know where Earth is, know when a good time and place to stop by would be, and are probably here on a historical field trip. They can't make direct contact with us because that would probably cause some time-space paradox and destroy the universe.
I have too much idle time.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Monday, March 28, 2005
Comments:
Advertising in the 21st Century
Saturday, March 26, 2005
Well, it seems that blogging works -- nobody emails me, but they'll put a comment on my blog. By the way, this is all public so choose your comments wisely. Want to make your own blog? Go to http://www.blogger.com. Uh, nothing of importance happened today. My blog is going to be a failure due to the extremely routine nature of my current situation. So I'm just going to make up some shit.
I was reading an article today about a group that wants to put a bunch of giant mylar balloons tied together in orbit to create some work of art symbolizing the unity of man and peace on Earth, blah blah blah. It would be big enough for all humans to look at in awe and wonder, yah right. 'They' don't seem to realize that putting things into orbit costs alot of freakin' money. It might be better to find someone that might pay to have something floating in space. Welcome to the billboard of the 21st century. Imagine seeing
00 00000 00000
0 0 0 0
000000 0 0
0 0 0 0
in twinkling lights in the sky. Burt Rutan proved you can get a vehicle in space cheaply. A company like AT&T spends millions for 30 seconds of Super Bowl commercial time, why not spend it on a permanent billboard in orbit that the competition can stare at in awe and wonder.
The computer center here is located right next to the phone center. Someone is currently having an emotional arguement with a significant other. Ha Ha Ha. The darkside in me laughs at that. This whole blog thing could be evil for someone like myself that doesn't generally share his emotions and thoughts with others. I'm sorry, I laugh when people I don't know get upset.
I was reading an article today about a group that wants to put a bunch of giant mylar balloons tied together in orbit to create some work of art symbolizing the unity of man and peace on Earth, blah blah blah. It would be big enough for all humans to look at in awe and wonder, yah right. 'They' don't seem to realize that putting things into orbit costs alot of freakin' money. It might be better to find someone that might pay to have something floating in space. Welcome to the billboard of the 21st century. Imagine seeing
00 00000 00000
0 0 0 0
000000 0 0
0 0 0 0
in twinkling lights in the sky. Burt Rutan proved you can get a vehicle in space cheaply. A company like AT&T spends millions for 30 seconds of Super Bowl commercial time, why not spend it on a permanent billboard in orbit that the competition can stare at in awe and wonder.
The computer center here is located right next to the phone center. Someone is currently having an emotional arguement with a significant other. Ha Ha Ha. The darkside in me laughs at that. This whole blog thing could be evil for someone like myself that doesn't generally share his emotions and thoughts with others. I'm sorry, I laugh when people I don't know get upset.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Saturday, March 26, 2005
Comments:
Happy Easter. I'll try to get pictures on my website as soon as possible, of Gwen & Devin with their Easter baskets. There was a small snafu with the Easter Bunny, but, luckily, he left a note explaining everything.... :-)
posted by : 3/27/2005 07:23:00 PM
What the hell do I do with my time
Thursday, March 24, 2005
I've been playing this damn computer game Knights of the Old Republic, it's like crack -- I can't get away from it. You choose your path, good or evil. I have found that being evil is much more fun. Welcome to the Darkside.
When I can manage to pull myself away from the damn computer, I have been reading. Here's what I've read so far:
Dean Koontz, Odd Thomas - an entertaining read about a guy in touch with the deceased 'I see dead people' and his struggle to stop a massacre aided by Evil Presley himself
Elmore Leonard, Bandits - Nicaraguan contras, ex-cons, ex-cops, and ex-nuns what else do you need in a heist novel
Tom Wolfe, The Bonfire of the Vanities - dripping with sarcasm
Andrew Chaikin, A Man on the Moon - the real story behind the Apollo moon missions where else can you read about farts in space
Elmore Leonard, Swag - a generic heist book
Steven Barnes, Star Wars: The Cestus Deception - nothing special, but I'll probably miss the final Star Wars movie this year, so it was worth it
Right now I am reading Sinclair Lewis' It Can't Happen Here - a story about the rise of facism in America in the 1930's. It has possibilities, but it hasn't really grabbed me yet.
I think my career as a literary critic is off to fabulous start. I could be the guy whose quotes 'they' put on the jackets of book. I must remember to use the word rollercoaster more often.
When I can manage to pull myself away from the damn computer, I have been reading. Here's what I've read so far:
Dean Koontz, Odd Thomas - an entertaining read about a guy in touch with the deceased 'I see dead people' and his struggle to stop a massacre aided by Evil Presley himself
Elmore Leonard, Bandits - Nicaraguan contras, ex-cons, ex-cops, and ex-nuns what else do you need in a heist novel
Tom Wolfe, The Bonfire of the Vanities - dripping with sarcasm
Andrew Chaikin, A Man on the Moon - the real story behind the Apollo moon missions where else can you read about farts in space
Elmore Leonard, Swag - a generic heist book
Steven Barnes, Star Wars: The Cestus Deception - nothing special, but I'll probably miss the final Star Wars movie this year, so it was worth it
Right now I am reading Sinclair Lewis' It Can't Happen Here - a story about the rise of facism in America in the 1930's. It has possibilities, but it hasn't really grabbed me yet.
I think my career as a literary critic is off to fabulous start. I could be the guy whose quotes 'they' put on the jackets of book. I must remember to use the word rollercoaster more often.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Thursday, March 24, 2005
Comments:
Hey Dan...very interesting stuff. Sounds a lot like my life, except the Iraq part, oh and the guns. Actually just the no sleep and the not exercising. Any way, I just finished an excellent book called the Kite Runner by Kalehd Hoseinni(probably spelled that wrong). We are just getting ready for Easter, the girls are growing every time I blink. Linda and I should be putting together a pkg for you and should have it out by beginning of April, maybe with that book. Hope you are staying healthy and safe. Your pal, Scott
posted by : 3/24/2005 04:04:00 PM
Does anyone read books about the history of the area while there? Maybe it's just too much to be reading about the area while having to be there day in and day out...just curious.
posted by : 4/04/2005 09:29:00 PM
No news is goods news
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
I've started a blog to share my observations on Operation Iraqi Freedom III. Considering that I don't get out too often, I probably won't have too many things to observe, but what the hell. How are things in Camp Taji? I smoke too much, I don't sleep much, I don't eat much, I am doing poorly trying to exercise regularly, it's beginning to get warm out there.
One of my favorite activities in a war zone is to watch with amusement the rampant spread of rumors. The best one going so far is that we will be home by Christmas, and I didn't even start that one.
I have to go, my time is up. The internet 30 minutes at a time.
One of my favorite activities in a war zone is to watch with amusement the rampant spread of rumors. The best one going so far is that we will be home by Christmas, and I didn't even start that one.
I have to go, my time is up. The internet 30 minutes at a time.
posted by sgt mac (gun 7 mike) at Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Comments:
I think it's interesting that you've started blogging. Now I just have to remember to save the URL... Did you have a chance to check out the pictures of Gwenyth's birthday party?
posted by : 3/24/2005 08:18:00 AM
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