Just to reiterate how great it is to get some of the little things from the real world…
The two happiest moments I have had the last couple days are when we opened care packages from some church to find, among the other goodies, chocolate pop-tarts and salad toppings (you know, bacon bits, sunflower seeds, seasoning, etc.). I was so happy to finally be able to add some toppings to my salad at lunch today.
MMMMMMMMM
And chocolate pop-tarts are my favorite. I had actually been thinking about them earlier in the day when I was eating a blueberry pop-tart; the blueberry just isn’t nearly as good.
Tomorrow I am going to have French toast with breakfast, and a root beer float with lunch.
If only I could get a double French steakburger with cheese from Nationwide Meats in Sacramento. Then I would be in heaven.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Monday, June 19, 2006
The World Cup and Whatnot...
The World Cup is a pretty big deal over here. It is really fun to not tell the scores to the detainees who have been caught. We talk about it enough to get them to ask us who is winning and who is losing, but then we don’t tell them. Hahahahahaha
It is great.
Anyways, they do things the right way over here. This Arab sports network is airing the games over pay-per-view to most of the countries in the Middle East. That doesn’t fly to well over here. Most of the citizens are not going to be able to afford pay-per-view. So a couple of the networks are broadcasting them for free. That is right, the network is paying the $100 bucks or whatever to buy the telecast, then airing it over their free airwaves for everybody to watch.
This is so freaking awesome.
And what is the Arab sports network gonna do about it?
Absolutely nothing is what.
The Iraqi government is too busy trying to set itself up and convince the people not to blow up buildings to worry about this kind of crap. I think that the FCC will be one of the last branches of the government they create. And besides, when the men are watching soccer, they are not out blowing shit up. Everyone wins, except for the Arab sports network trying to get over on the common folks.
Wouldn’t it be great if someone could get away with this in the states?
But this is how I have been watching the games, in Arabic. I go down to the interpreters’ quarters to watch on their little TV. It is fun because they are so into it. I would love to have been watching the games on Armed Forces Network, but they couldn’t secure the broadcast rights.
That is such bullshit.
AFN doesn’t have the money to pay for broadcast rights. Pretty much every American sports league lets us have the games for free; you know, it is part of that whole “thank-you for defending our freedom to turn a profit” thing. The World Cup, however, sold their international broadcast rights to some stupid Swiss company that is charging every country’s military network for the broadcast rights.
What assholes.
Though there is a shining light…
Good Ole Rupert Murdoch took some of the change out of his couch cushions and arranged for we servicemen and women to watch the matches involving team USA, the semifinals, and the final.
What a guy; you can read more on the Aussie's generosity by clicking here
So at least for the USA’s last match against Ghana, I will be able to understand what the broadcaster is saying. Though it really wasn’t that big a deal before, I mean, there is only one way to say Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooal!!
It is great.
Anyways, they do things the right way over here. This Arab sports network is airing the games over pay-per-view to most of the countries in the Middle East. That doesn’t fly to well over here. Most of the citizens are not going to be able to afford pay-per-view. So a couple of the networks are broadcasting them for free. That is right, the network is paying the $100 bucks or whatever to buy the telecast, then airing it over their free airwaves for everybody to watch.
This is so freaking awesome.
And what is the Arab sports network gonna do about it?
Absolutely nothing is what.
The Iraqi government is too busy trying to set itself up and convince the people not to blow up buildings to worry about this kind of crap. I think that the FCC will be one of the last branches of the government they create. And besides, when the men are watching soccer, they are not out blowing shit up. Everyone wins, except for the Arab sports network trying to get over on the common folks.
Wouldn’t it be great if someone could get away with this in the states?
But this is how I have been watching the games, in Arabic. I go down to the interpreters’ quarters to watch on their little TV. It is fun because they are so into it. I would love to have been watching the games on Armed Forces Network, but they couldn’t secure the broadcast rights.
That is such bullshit.
AFN doesn’t have the money to pay for broadcast rights. Pretty much every American sports league lets us have the games for free; you know, it is part of that whole “thank-you for defending our freedom to turn a profit” thing. The World Cup, however, sold their international broadcast rights to some stupid Swiss company that is charging every country’s military network for the broadcast rights.
What assholes.
Though there is a shining light…
Good Ole Rupert Murdoch took some of the change out of his couch cushions and arranged for we servicemen and women to watch the matches involving team USA, the semifinals, and the final.
What a guy; you can read more on the Aussie's generosity by clicking here
So at least for the USA’s last match against Ghana, I will be able to understand what the broadcaster is saying. Though it really wasn’t that big a deal before, I mean, there is only one way to say Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooal!!
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Bipolar motivation...
When I went through basic training over six years ago, our battalion commander came in and spoke to us on our first day. He gave a speech that motivated me through all of the rough times in my 10 months of training into the Army. He started out with all the normal crap about what a great thing we were doing for our country, how this would change our lives, and all the people back home who were rooting for us. Then it took an unexpected turn, he asked about the people back home who were not rooting for us, the people who were waiting for us to fail and return home with our tails between our legs, the negative motivators.
Immediately I thought of this prick from the Army ROTC back at USC. It was the first day of class in my second year. We were all introducing ourselves and when he mentioned he was in ROTC, I told him I thought of joining the Army. Before really talking to me and before getting to know me, he looked at me and told me to stop thinking about it because I wouldn’t make it.
What mother fucker?
Come again?
Anyways, I never really thought about him all that much after that. He wasn’t why I joined the Army or anything. Not until the commander gave that speech had I thought of that arrogant piece of trash. But it was simply the first of many times.
When I was struggling through the obstacle course, I thought of him.
When my hands were freezing as I tried to keep up in a road march, I thought of him.
When I was aiming my m-16, I thought of him.
I thought of him laughing at the thought of me quitting. It became important to me that I improved because I was not going to let him win.
The other day I was talking with one of the sergeant’s from the California National Guard unit who is here with us. He was talking about his brother the Colonel and I happened to mention that my battalion commander in basic training shared his name. Turned out to be his brother! He asked me what I remembered and all I remembered was the negative motivator speech and how it was one of the major influences on my military career. He then went right into it word for word. I was sitting there listening to it all over again and, amazingly enough, all the old emotions came rushing back. I thought of that prick back at USC and if he could only see me now. And what I would do or say if I ever saw him.
Then it occurred to me that the asshole is probably a captain by now and all I would do is salute him and call him sir.
Immediately I thought of this prick from the Army ROTC back at USC. It was the first day of class in my second year. We were all introducing ourselves and when he mentioned he was in ROTC, I told him I thought of joining the Army. Before really talking to me and before getting to know me, he looked at me and told me to stop thinking about it because I wouldn’t make it.
What mother fucker?
Come again?
Anyways, I never really thought about him all that much after that. He wasn’t why I joined the Army or anything. Not until the commander gave that speech had I thought of that arrogant piece of trash. But it was simply the first of many times.
When I was struggling through the obstacle course, I thought of him.
When my hands were freezing as I tried to keep up in a road march, I thought of him.
When I was aiming my m-16, I thought of him.
I thought of him laughing at the thought of me quitting. It became important to me that I improved because I was not going to let him win.
The other day I was talking with one of the sergeant’s from the California National Guard unit who is here with us. He was talking about his brother the Colonel and I happened to mention that my battalion commander in basic training shared his name. Turned out to be his brother! He asked me what I remembered and all I remembered was the negative motivator speech and how it was one of the major influences on my military career. He then went right into it word for word. I was sitting there listening to it all over again and, amazingly enough, all the old emotions came rushing back. I thought of that prick back at USC and if he could only see me now. And what I would do or say if I ever saw him.
Then it occurred to me that the asshole is probably a captain by now and all I would do is salute him and call him sir.
I helped 11 out of 15 people
A little context: A 32 year old teacher was arrested for allegedly sleeping with a 17 (now 18) year old student.
I would just like to defend myself and say that the moderator edited out about 4 paragraphs of brilliant rhetoric. I wasn’t defending her, I was just saying that all the people who felt she manipulated that guy were a little out of touch with reality. What was left, while the general theme of my comments, makes me look like a pervert. But hell, that is the media for you I guess.
Oh, and she looks way better in this picture.
Friday, June 09, 2006
Charlie's Updated Reading List...
I know it has been a while since I have posted this, but my book reading has dropped considerably. This is due to many things which include watching DVD's, reading magazines, chatting on the internet, sleeping, and less free time in general.
I did read a couple of really good books though, The Virgin Suicides and March.
March was interesting. It tells the story of a Union chaplain during the civil war; the catch being that the Union chaplain is the absent father of Little Women.
Anyways, as before, an asterisk is a new entry and Summerland really sucked.
Douglas Adams
-The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
-The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
-Life, the Universe and Everything
-So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
-Mostly Harmless
Mitch Albom
-Tuesdays With Morrie
L. Frank Baum
-The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Erma Bombeck
-The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank
-Aunt Erma's Cope Book
T. Coraghessan Boyle
-The Road to Wellville
Geraldine Brooks
-Year of Wonders
*March
Dan Brown
*The Da Vinci Code
John Buchan
-The Thirty-Nine Steps
Caleb Carr
-The Alienist
-The Angel of Darkness
Willa Cather
-My Antonia
Michael Chabon
-Summerland
Agatha Christie
-After The Funeral
Joseph Conrad
-Heart of Darkness
-The Secret Sharer
William Pene du Bois
-The Twenty-One Balloons
Jeffrey Eugenides
*The Virgin Suicides
John Feinstein
-Season On The Brink
Ian Fleming
-The Spy Who Loved Me
Sue Grafton
*"A" is for Alibi
John Grisham
-Skipping Christmas
-The Brethren
Nathaniel Hawthorne
-The House of the Seven Gables
Robert A. Heinlein
-Starship Troopers
Stephen King
-Different Seasons
Elmore Leonard
-The Big Bounce
Alice McDermott
-Charming Billy
James Patterson
-The Thomas Berryman Number
-Along Came A Spider (Alex Cross #1)
-Kiss The Girls (Alex Cross #2)
-Jack and Jill (Alex Cross #3)
-Cat & Mouse (Alex Cross #4)
-Pop Goes The Weasel (Alex Cross #5)
-Roses Are Red (Alex Cross #6)
-Violets Are Blue (Alex Cross #7)
*Four Blind Mice (Alex Cross #8)
*The Big Bad Wolf (Alex Cross #9)
*London Bridges (Alex Cross #10)
Joe Queenan
-Confessions of a Cineplex Heckler: Celluloid Tirades and Escapades
J.K. Rowling
-Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter #6)
H.G. Wells
-The Time Machine
Carlos Ruiz Zafon
-The Shadow of the Wind
I did read a couple of really good books though, The Virgin Suicides and March.
March was interesting. It tells the story of a Union chaplain during the civil war; the catch being that the Union chaplain is the absent father of Little Women.
Anyways, as before, an asterisk is a new entry and Summerland really sucked.
Douglas Adams
-The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
-The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
-Life, the Universe and Everything
-So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
-Mostly Harmless
Mitch Albom
-Tuesdays With Morrie
L. Frank Baum
-The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Erma Bombeck
-The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank
-Aunt Erma's Cope Book
T. Coraghessan Boyle
-The Road to Wellville
Geraldine Brooks
-Year of Wonders
*March
Dan Brown
*The Da Vinci Code
John Buchan
-The Thirty-Nine Steps
Caleb Carr
-The Alienist
-The Angel of Darkness
Willa Cather
-My Antonia
Michael Chabon
-Summerland
Agatha Christie
-After The Funeral
Joseph Conrad
-Heart of Darkness
-The Secret Sharer
William Pene du Bois
-The Twenty-One Balloons
Jeffrey Eugenides
*The Virgin Suicides
John Feinstein
-Season On The Brink
Ian Fleming
-The Spy Who Loved Me
Sue Grafton
*"A" is for Alibi
John Grisham
-Skipping Christmas
-The Brethren
Nathaniel Hawthorne
-The House of the Seven Gables
Robert A. Heinlein
-Starship Troopers
Stephen King
-Different Seasons
Elmore Leonard
-The Big Bounce
Alice McDermott
-Charming Billy
James Patterson
-The Thomas Berryman Number
-Along Came A Spider (Alex Cross #1)
-Kiss The Girls (Alex Cross #2)
-Jack and Jill (Alex Cross #3)
-Cat & Mouse (Alex Cross #4)
-Pop Goes The Weasel (Alex Cross #5)
-Roses Are Red (Alex Cross #6)
-Violets Are Blue (Alex Cross #7)
*Four Blind Mice (Alex Cross #8)
*The Big Bad Wolf (Alex Cross #9)
*London Bridges (Alex Cross #10)
Joe Queenan
-Confessions of a Cineplex Heckler: Celluloid Tirades and Escapades
J.K. Rowling
-Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter #6)
H.G. Wells
-The Time Machine
Carlos Ruiz Zafon
-The Shadow of the Wind
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Tit deserves tat
In their infinite wisdom, management has decided that 12 hour work days just aren’t long enough and we need to have a 13th hour added to the daily schedule. This 13th hour is spent in the classroom covering incredibly important topics like drinking lots of water and not having sex while in combat. I guess there are also more combat oriented ones like how to use certain crowd control weapons that just don’t apply to where I work. As you can probably tell I am very excited about this wonderful addition to my schedule.
Apparently they have added this 13th hour to our workday because everyone who is in contact with detainees needs this important training.
Hmmmmmm
Are we sure that EVERYONE who is in contact with detainees needs this important training?
The medics who treat the detainees don’t need it.
The food service team that delivers the detainees’ meals doesn’t require it.
The soldiers working at the visitation center do not find it necessary.
The soldiers who work at the detainee education center don’t have use for it.
The intelligence agents who interrogate the detainees seem to get by without.
Most importantly, the in-processing personnel from the last 3 freaking years found a way to accomplish the mission without it.
So I need a 13th hour added to my workday and all of them don’t?
I just wish that if they are going to say it’s mandatory for everyone working with detainees, then they actually MAKE it mandatory for everyone working with detainees. I mean seriously, if it is THAT important…
Oh and here is the kicker… I even have to go on my day off. So there won’t be any sleeping in because I will still have to be there on time.
Oh Wait!!
Now that I think about it, starting tomorrow, those of us who are Sergeants and above will not be allowed to have days off anymore anyways. So I guess I won’t have to worry about it after all. Well that is a relief.
What sucks about all of this is that I really want to just toss in the towel and skate by half-ass the rest of the way. I really want to do only what is asked of me and no more. It would be great if I could just be a shitbag-good-for-nothing for the next 4 months. But I can’t. That just isn’t who I am. And it sucks, the treatment we get deserves much less than I will end up giving.
Apparently they have added this 13th hour to our workday because everyone who is in contact with detainees needs this important training.
Hmmmmmm
Are we sure that EVERYONE who is in contact with detainees needs this important training?
The medics who treat the detainees don’t need it.
The food service team that delivers the detainees’ meals doesn’t require it.
The soldiers working at the visitation center do not find it necessary.
The soldiers who work at the detainee education center don’t have use for it.
The intelligence agents who interrogate the detainees seem to get by without.
Most importantly, the in-processing personnel from the last 3 freaking years found a way to accomplish the mission without it.
So I need a 13th hour added to my workday and all of them don’t?
I just wish that if they are going to say it’s mandatory for everyone working with detainees, then they actually MAKE it mandatory for everyone working with detainees. I mean seriously, if it is THAT important…
Oh and here is the kicker… I even have to go on my day off. So there won’t be any sleeping in because I will still have to be there on time.
Oh Wait!!
Now that I think about it, starting tomorrow, those of us who are Sergeants and above will not be allowed to have days off anymore anyways. So I guess I won’t have to worry about it after all. Well that is a relief.
What sucks about all of this is that I really want to just toss in the towel and skate by half-ass the rest of the way. I really want to do only what is asked of me and no more. It would be great if I could just be a shitbag-good-for-nothing for the next 4 months. But I can’t. That just isn’t who I am. And it sucks, the treatment we get deserves much less than I will end up giving.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
It's Been A Long TIme
I got back to Abu a little over a week ago. Leave was amazing; it was too short in fact. I will put up a travel log later this week. I am sorry for the lack of communication. I'll try to shoot out some stuff now...
-I finally read/listened to the Da Vinci Code while on leave. It was an OK book. I didn't think it was really all that great. I can think of at least 25 books off the top of my head that are better. I think that its subject matter is more the reason for its sales than its writing. The book presents a lot of unprovable arguments as facts. I don't know how I feel about all of it. Hell, I could write 50 blogs on that. But in regards to the main themes and historical conflicts in the book, think about this:
History books and bibles are written by the winners.
-It hit 120 freaking degrees today!!!!!
You know what?
It actually wasn't that bad. Granted I wasn't pacing around in it all day like the poor guys out at the camps. But I know I could go running or play basketball in this weather. Now, come July when it is 140 degrees outside? THat is most likely a completely different story.
-The Sharks choked against the Oilers. They were up 2-0 and had a clear path to the freaking Stanley Cup and they choked. That loss hurt man. Hopefully next year, after a full season of Thornton and Carle and maybe a free agent or two, they will finally get that freaking cup in California.
-As a Giants fan there are two things that I crave in my baseball. I want to see the GIants win and Barry Bonds hit home runs. Both don't even have to happen at th esame time. I'll settle for one or the other. Now when neither happens, like last year, CHarlie is an unhappy Giants fan. This year Bonds isn't hitting a lot of home runs, but the team is competitive. So I am alright with that. I can't wait for Alou to come back too. No one really talks about them outside of Barry, but they could win this division. Quick side note... The National League West is the only division in sports where every team has a winning record. Just thought I would let you all know.
-There is someone here who we are all pretty sure doesn't have a job. Seriously. I have no idea what his title is. He doesn't have an office. I am not sure if he has work hours. All he does is walk around from here to there and play solitaire on our computers. You guys probably think I am exagerating, but I promise you I am not. We have spent many a morning trying to figure out just what the hell this sergeant does. I told him he could hide out in his room for a month and no one would know. Everyone would assume he is just walking around to a different part of the camp "working." I wish I had his life. Don't get me wrong, 12 hours indoors in front of a computer ain't bad. However, I could be essentially collecting unemployment benefits like the other guy.
-The day I got back from leave my air conditioner broke. Well it didn't actually break, but it would only run for less than an hour before I would have to flip the breaker. No big deal though right, because there is a breaker in my room.
Jokes on you Charlie!!!
That breaker doesn't do shit. You have to downstairs, outside, and around the building. Oh, and it's over a 100 every day now.
Lovely.
But sure enough, they came and fixed it. Now I can crank my AC and shiver in my room. It is wonderful. But I had quite a few sweaty nights while wiating for it to get fixed though. And all they did was clean it a bit and change the breaker.
-We leave in roughly a month whether our barracks are ready or not. Some general or civilian in an air conditioned office with a fishtank and a mini bar has decided that even if the soldiers have to sleep in tents on the side of the road, we will be out of Abu Ghraib on schedule.
Thanks Sir.
Really appreciate you looking out for us and all.
What Sir?
You say that back in Nam you would have been happy for the sleep, let alone the tent to do it in?
Well I don't know about you Sir, but I don't trust any sort of Vietnam era recollections from Americans. True historical accounts are written by the winners.
-I finally read/listened to the Da Vinci Code while on leave. It was an OK book. I didn't think it was really all that great. I can think of at least 25 books off the top of my head that are better. I think that its subject matter is more the reason for its sales than its writing. The book presents a lot of unprovable arguments as facts. I don't know how I feel about all of it. Hell, I could write 50 blogs on that. But in regards to the main themes and historical conflicts in the book, think about this:
History books and bibles are written by the winners.
-It hit 120 freaking degrees today!!!!!
You know what?
It actually wasn't that bad. Granted I wasn't pacing around in it all day like the poor guys out at the camps. But I know I could go running or play basketball in this weather. Now, come July when it is 140 degrees outside? THat is most likely a completely different story.
-The Sharks choked against the Oilers. They were up 2-0 and had a clear path to the freaking Stanley Cup and they choked. That loss hurt man. Hopefully next year, after a full season of Thornton and Carle and maybe a free agent or two, they will finally get that freaking cup in California.
-As a Giants fan there are two things that I crave in my baseball. I want to see the GIants win and Barry Bonds hit home runs. Both don't even have to happen at th esame time. I'll settle for one or the other. Now when neither happens, like last year, CHarlie is an unhappy Giants fan. This year Bonds isn't hitting a lot of home runs, but the team is competitive. So I am alright with that. I can't wait for Alou to come back too. No one really talks about them outside of Barry, but they could win this division. Quick side note... The National League West is the only division in sports where every team has a winning record. Just thought I would let you all know.
-There is someone here who we are all pretty sure doesn't have a job. Seriously. I have no idea what his title is. He doesn't have an office. I am not sure if he has work hours. All he does is walk around from here to there and play solitaire on our computers. You guys probably think I am exagerating, but I promise you I am not. We have spent many a morning trying to figure out just what the hell this sergeant does. I told him he could hide out in his room for a month and no one would know. Everyone would assume he is just walking around to a different part of the camp "working." I wish I had his life. Don't get me wrong, 12 hours indoors in front of a computer ain't bad. However, I could be essentially collecting unemployment benefits like the other guy.
-The day I got back from leave my air conditioner broke. Well it didn't actually break, but it would only run for less than an hour before I would have to flip the breaker. No big deal though right, because there is a breaker in my room.
Jokes on you Charlie!!!
That breaker doesn't do shit. You have to downstairs, outside, and around the building. Oh, and it's over a 100 every day now.
Lovely.
But sure enough, they came and fixed it. Now I can crank my AC and shiver in my room. It is wonderful. But I had quite a few sweaty nights while wiating for it to get fixed though. And all they did was clean it a bit and change the breaker.
-We leave in roughly a month whether our barracks are ready or not. Some general or civilian in an air conditioned office with a fishtank and a mini bar has decided that even if the soldiers have to sleep in tents on the side of the road, we will be out of Abu Ghraib on schedule.
Thanks Sir.
Really appreciate you looking out for us and all.
What Sir?
You say that back in Nam you would have been happy for the sleep, let alone the tent to do it in?
Well I don't know about you Sir, but I don't trust any sort of Vietnam era recollections from Americans. True historical accounts are written by the winners.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)