Curses?

http://www.courant.com/features/lifestyle/hc-dudleytown.artoct25,0,7110611.story?track=mostemailedlink

So happy together...

The best car commercial of all time. It gives the demon, cat-eating car a run for it's money.





GT TVs scariest games of all time, not what I would have picked, so say we all.




Join me, and together the undead shall conquer this world.


Click the link, join, if your account sits there, it will be fine. It will at least help me become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.

Do you take your hands and face off when you go to bed??

Today was an interesting day.

You're always asking me what I see, so here's a run down:

I saw a pair of high powered binoculars that are rumored to be able to see the dumptrucks at Kennecott (these binoculars are on the east bench, across the entire valley).

I saw the sun through the trees and how it greeted the world beyond.

I saw myself complete a task I had long wondered how to approach.

I sort of wish it had been more clear cut than it was. While I feel caring for the economically challenged, or homeless, or however you want to say it, is a noble deed in a fashion or not. And while the gentleman seemed to fit the bill, in large part, I had trouble not saying no while the guy was watching a DVD player.

So, I don't know, I looked passed that eventuality. That oddity. There are reasons that could have been the case, but who knows right now?

The slightly funny thing to me was that I had to play translator for the guy.

He wanted bacon, you know, from Pork? But really, it was very difficult to understand. We were at McDee's and the Manager and I kept looking at each other and shrugging, somewhat ironic because I'm rather sure that the manager's native language is Spanish.

But we sorted it out and the guy got fed.

I feel good about it, it's just kinda odd.

Not like I should be trumpetting it or anything, far more deserving people exist, giving large pieces of their lives to feed and volunteer.

Me and my $5 jump in the cause.

Odd that it could be that simple?

I think for me, though, this is one of the hardest social stigmas to shake off.

The suspicion of such people and the reaction that they're some sort of leper.

It really challenges me socially, but once I got through my paranoia and the like, I felt mostly good about it.

Anyways.

Also, I could kill you with my brain.

Also, I can kill you with my brain...

Ok, ending the night on a good note, I have to say that I am now a Browncoat.

Honest and true.

I'm going to bed with this happy feeling of euphoria and knowing that I've just about got all of the episodes covered.

"What does that make us?"

"Big damn heroes, sir."

"That's right!"

Set fourth and let loose the houds of Hell.

I haven't felt these feelings in a while. It's bothersome and yet refreshing, like a freshly falling rain.

Open arms, the cold doesn't bother me like you think it should.

I was found by someone today. Interesting, but all too easy. I know the bridge she used, I note it, and need do nothing.

As always I am in control.

What I find interesting is all of the poetic things that can be written about others while ignoring where I feel credit should go.

I suppose that will always be one of my selfish tendencies.

When I don't want any sort of credit when it's freely handed to me, it's modest to refuse, right? But if someone is going on and on about how great someone is and showed them how to be a friend, the person who pulled them from a deadly encounter with an amazonian river is whisked away into the night never to be remembered.

Figuritively or not.

I guess I just don't like it when other people are being given cookies and I'm overlooked, even if I'm just going to obstain.

Did I say it made sense? I guess not, but it's one of my issues.







------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Time for a more charming topic.

I was explaining to one of my relatively new friends at work my theory of dying early and how best to achieve it.

For a disclaimer: I will personally shit kick each and everyone of you that even thinks that this is a suicidal tendancy. It's something different then that. I don't fear death and I don't exactly welcome it either.

I don't like the idea of getting old, but more than anything I use this knowledge as a weapon. I use it to combat the fear that someone might die at any point and thus we should live in an armored suit so that we never die.

The fear of death is just about as irrational as you trying to do a slide on your skateboard while 50ft in the air.

The point is that you will die, and you could die now, but a metorite impact, or tomorrow on the way to work.

Spending it in fear is not the way to live.

Thus, I present the ways, and odds of dying for me (and truthfully, just about all of us).

First, btw, www.deathclock.com says I only have 1,676,944,577 seconds to live, which they calculate out to being Sunday, December 14, 2059 meaning that I will be 73 years old. Damnit.

For some factual ways to die and the odds of it happening in a year:

As per the World Health Organization, if I recall right:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_causes_of_death_by_rate

As per the U.S. Disastercenter.com:

15-24:

http://www.disastercenter.com/cdc/111riskd.html

25-44:

http://www.disastercenter.com/cdc/111riske.html

No need to continue, as the goal I'm looking for is by 40.

As per http://www.unitedjustice.com/death-statistics.html:

Killed in car accidents 42,116*
Killed by the common flu 20,000*
Killed by murders 15,517*
Killed in airline crashes
(of 477m passenger trips) 120 (1)
Killed by lightning strikes 90*
Killed by Anthrax 5

(1) Annual average over 19 year period.
*Average annual totals in United States.

http://www.benbest.com/lifeext/causes.html says it rather well with an actual break down of percentages.

Are we noticing a theme yet?

You think there might be a reason of me not wanting to get old and/or drive? I mean, if you're old AND drive, you're screwed.



That being said, that doesn't even get into the fun, end of the world scenarios:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End_of_the_world

I had one that had a science journal's neet end of the world thing, but I can't find it...

The point is, we're screwed, get over it.

You have NO chance to survive, make your time. Make it what you want, but don't expect me to fear it as well.

"You shouldn't take life so seriously, you won't make it out alive."

http://humormatters.com/bump.html

Only place I could find it quoted, but it's a quaint bumpersticker website.

North Korea: Big Mistake.

Well, as far as busted bluffs go, this one will keep us going for a while.

The DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) has decided to force the hands of even allies and supporters.

I can spend all day telling you what my spin is on the issue, but I decided to preserve that for your judgement.

I have a week and a half's worth of Articles on the DPRK (North Korea's official title, btw) nuclear weapons test, and I promise, as many as I have, this is not nearly half of them:

Note: In the beginning it was going to be a shorter list so that I could read them again at home, or later, but I ended up providing short descriptions. I left them on there for reference, but I take notes in the shortest hand to where it is only a trigger to my memory usually, anyways:

http://www.comcast.net/news/index.jsp?cat=GENERAL&fn=/2006/10/12/497219.html



http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061012/OPINION01/610120366/1035/OPINION



http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/PEK89925.htm



http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/12/world/asia/13koreacnd.html?hp&ex=1160712000&en=0920b65f4a0cc702&ei=5094&partner=homepage





Bastards:

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200610/kt2006101217510111990.htm



http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15236787/





Part 1:

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/world/20061012TDY02007.htm

Part 2:

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/world/20061013TDY02006.htm





http://news.yahoo.com/s/realclearpolitics/20061012/cm_rcp/no_partial_credit





Sanctions:

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200610/200610130033.html



Nuclear Blackmail:



http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/opinion/200610/kt2006101318475754040.htm



Delay of game:

http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level_English.php?cat=Politics&loid=8.0.349463672&par=



No radiation?

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/10/13/nkorea.test.sample/index.html?section=cnn_topstories



Opinion:

http://www.upi.com/InternationalIntelligence/view.php?StoryID=20061013-114851-5232r



Lame cause?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldbriefing/story/0,,1922182,00.html



Arms Race?

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/10/13/cnna.kristensen/



Effective sanctions?

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/16/world/asia/16korea.html?hp&ex=1160971200&en=14bae32d5f71c3be&ei=5094&partner=homepage



Less than a Kiloton:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6056370.stm



Second test and sanction response:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/tension-rises-amid-talk-of-second-nuclear-test/2006/10/17/1160850933291.html



NK defiant:

http://today.reuters.com/news/articleinvesting.aspx?view=CN&symbol=&storyID=2006-10-17T141636Z_01_N14268552_RTRUKOC_0_US-KOREA-NORTH.xml&WTmodLoc=InvArt-C2-NextArticle-1



Japan’s response:

http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_4509319



Opinion – bias ?

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=KIM20061017&articleId=3520



http://www.sundayherald.com/58397

http://www.dispatch.co.za/2006/10/12/Foreign/abnuke.html


sanction support:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,220439,00.html

New testing?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-6152139,00.html

China compliance?

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/16/world/main2095464.shtml

Chinese thingy-ma-jiger

Chinese Horoscope (Freakishly correct)





Whatever you do, don't cheat!


CHINESE HOROSCOPE:
THE YEAR OF THE IRON DRAGON,
WISHING YOU PROSPERITY AND GOOD FORTUNE IN THE
CHINESE NEW YEAR



FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS - DO NOT CHEAT OR IT WON'T WORK AND YOU WILL WISH YOU HADN`T.

TAKE 3 MINUTES
TRY THIS - IT WILL FREAK YOU OUT.





















THIS GAME HAS A FUNNY / CREEPY OUTCOME.








DO NOT READ AHEAD, JUST DO IT.






IT TAKES ABOUT 3 MINUTES - WORTH A TRY


1st. Get PEN and PAPER

2nd. WHEN CHOOSING NAMES, MAKE SURE THEY ARE REAL PEOPLE THAT YOU ACTUALLY KNOW

3rd. GO WITH YOUR FIRST INSTINCTS !!!!! Very important for good results.

4th SCROLL DOWN

ONE LINE AT THE TIME DON`T READ AHEAD otherwise YOU WILL RUIN THE FUN.











1. On a blank sheet of paper, WRITE NUMBERS 1 through 11 in a COLUMN on the LEFT.













2. Next to the NUMBERS 1 & 2,

WRITE DOWN ANY 2 NUMBERS YOU WANT.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE NUMBER?













3. Next to the NUMBERS 3 & 7,

WRITE DOWN THE NAMES OF TWO MEMBERS OF THE OPPOSITE SEX.













CAUTION: DO NOT LOOK AHEAD or IT WILL NOT TURN OUT RIGHT














4. WRITE ANYONES NAME (like FRIENDS or FAMILY...) next to 4, 5, & 6.















DON`T CHEAT OR YOU`LL BE UPSET THAT YOU DID













5. WRITE down FOUR SONG TITLES in 8, 9, 10, & 11
















6. Finally, MAKE A WISH



















ARE YOU READY? HERE IS THE KEY TO THE GAME
















1. THE NUMBER of PEOPLE YOU MUST TELL ABOUT THIS GAME is found in SPACE 2







2. THE PERSON IN SPACE 3 IS THE ONE YOU LOVE







3. THE PERSON YOU LIKE but your relationship CANNOT WORK is in SPACE 7







4. YOU CARE MOST about the PERSON you put in SPACE 4








5. THE PERSON YOU NAME IN NUMBER 5 IS THE ONE WHO KNOWS YOU VERY WELL.








6. THE PERSON YOU NAMED IN 6 IS THE YOUR LUCKY STAR








7. THE SONG IN 8 IS THE SONG THAT MATCHES WITH THE PERSON IN NUMBER 3







8. THE TITLE IN 9 IS THE SONG FOR THE PERSON IN 7








9. THE 10TH SPACE IS THE SONG THAT TELLS YOU MOST ABOUT YOUR MIND








10. AND 11 IS THE SONG TELLING HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT LIFE








11. NUMBER 1 IS YOUR LUCKY NUMBER



REPOST THIS IN 30 SECONDS















So here's mine, rofl:

1 13
2 37
3 Whitney
4 Jeremy
5 Rascal
6 Mom
7 Lisa
8 Sanitarium
9 It's the end of the world as we know it
10 Big Shot, Put your hands in the sky.
11 The wheels on the bus go round and round


Draw your own conclusions, I laugh at mine.

I'm The Juggernaut, Bitch!

Obviously don't know who I am.

I'm fighting Best Buy over my laptop. Something akin to the fact that the manager is going to bring into question the fact that I've ever even been in the store.

Naturally, there's no information on me.

Naturally, their employee's didn't follow process on my concern and when taking the laptop from me.

HP at least recognizes me, knows that I called them for the issue, but don't have my laptop yet.

That being said, I'm getting ready to take it to BB's teeth.

Anyone have suggestions or should I just go nuclear with Gephardt?

I'll do it, I'm crazy!

For Vermillion.

At the age of eleven or thereabouts women acquire a poise and an ability to handle difficult situations which a man, if he is lucky, manages to achieve somewhere in the later seventies.
- PG Wodehouse

His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork.
- Mae West

Always and never are two words you should always remember never to use.
- Wendell Johnson

A historic reaction.

I've been meaning to gather the info for a post of this type for about a week now.

I have about 20-30 links on information regarding the hugely historic, and frankly frightening 'test' that went on in North Korea Sunday night (our time, Monday morning, theirs).

Here's an article of their reaction. Unfortunately the idiotic news page had a looping ad that when stopped, would soon refresh and start again, so I merely have the text to read.

Tomorrow when I remember to forward most of my links from work, you will have a large resource to draw from for what's been going on this week.

I urge you all to watch for North Korea's reaction to these sanctions as they have threatened to not only use it as an act of war, but to raze Tokyo and New York over sanctions on their "peaceful" and "defensive" test. Without further adieu, here is the article:



Tough sanctions stun North Korea
David Nason, New York correspondent
October 16, 2006
THE UN Security Council has shocked North Korea with a series of harsh economic and arms sanctions that punish the Stalinist dictatorship for its provocative nuclear test last week.

The council's historic Resolution 1718 will deprive North Korea of military hardware such as tanks, missiles, artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters and warships; freeze the financial assets of entities and individuals involved in weapons programs; impose travel and financial bans on key figures in the Pyongyang regime; and ban all trade in luxury goods, including the lobster and fine French wine cherished by supreme leader Kim Jong-il.

The US-drafted resolution also authorises UN member states to interdict and search cargo ships going to and from North Korean ports for weapons and weapons material.

And it demands that North Korea return to the table for talks on its military agenda and immediately abandon all its nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction programs in a "complete, verifiable and irreversible manner".

But the resolution carries no mention of follow-up military action if North Korea refuses to comply, although the US has warned that it will seek further measures in the council if Pyongyang continues its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

The resolution, the toughest passed by the Security Council for many years, was branded "gangster-like" by Pyongyang's UN ambassador Pak Gil-yon before he angrily stormed from the council chamber, the second time he has done so this year.

Mr Pak accused the council of double standards and said Pyongyang would regard any further US pressure as a "declaration of war".

"It is gangster-like of the Security Council to have adopted today a coercive resolution while neglecting the nuclear threat and moves for sanctions and pressure of the US against the DPRK," Mr Pak said.

"This clearly testifies that the Security Council has completely lost its impartiality."

But US ambassador John Bolton said North Korea's nuclear agenda represented a grave threat to international peace and security.

"We are sending a strong and clear message to North Korea and other would-be proliferators that there will be serious repercussions in continuing to pursue weapons of mass destruction," Mr Bolton said.

Resolution 1718 was a personal triumph for Mr Bolton, who managed to persuade a hesitant China not to veto the inclusion of the clause authorising the interdiction and inspection of cargo going to and from North Korea.

The provision effectively extends the controversial Proliferation Security Initiative, an informal alliance of some 60 nations including Australia that was set up by the US in 2002 to guard against the trade in weapons of mass destruction and related materials.

Initially China, which is North Korea's largest trading partner, wanted the provision left out, saying it was unnecessarily provocative and could escalate tensions on the Korean peninsula.

But after tense negotiations at UN headquarters in New York, China let it go through while expressing its own deep reservations about the measure.

"China strongly urges the countries concerned to adopt a prudent and responsible attitude in this regard and refrain from taking any provocative steps that may intensify the tensions," China's UN ambassador Wang Guangya said.

Unlike previous sanctions imposed on North Korea after it conducted missile tests earlier this year, Resolution 1718 includes a sanctions committee comprising representatives of all 15 council members to monitor and report on any violations every 90 days.

The sanctions committee will have the power to lift the freeze on financial assets in selected cases where funds are needed for foodstuffs, rent or mortgage payments, medicines and medical treatment, taxes, insurance premiums and public utility charges.

On a case-by-case basis, the sanctions committee can also approve exceptions to the travel ban for religious obligations and the like.

The resolution gives the UN's 192 member nations 30 days to report to the council on the measures they have taken to comply with the resolution.

The resolution said Pyongyang must immediately retract its announced withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and accept safeguards through the International Atomic Energy Agency. It must also revive the stalled six-party talks of the two Koreas, Japan, China, Russia and the US without precondition.

Are you normal?

Do you feel lucky, punk? Well, do yah?

BTW, I'm not very normal:


Your Normalcy Quotient is: 37 out of 100.


Your quiz results make you a Marvelous Maverick

Giddy-up partner. You're a maverick and don't know what the definition of normal is. That's a-okay because you're now part of a fascinating group of desperadoes. Wherever you ride, it's sure to be off the beaten path because it's way more fun to find the path least traveled.


Raise your hand if you saw that coming...







*Glares at you* Put your hand down.

Here's the story... of a lovely lady...

I know, it hurt me too, just typing the thing.

So I found out, today, that Shadae is a girls name. For coolness, eh? www.Shadae.com looks like it's owned by an arabic computer programmer who uses it for his own web portal to his server stuff.

Hurray.

Now I'm thinking about changing the name, rofl.

I was looking for something different than shadow for the blog, but that's just wierd.

I'll keep you posted, but that may happen.

Also, it looks like I'll be putting up a website again, soon, but one that's professionally hosted.

It'll be very cool, I'll let you know about it.

A letter from Iraq.

I decided to leave this one quote-less for a title. I could probably fnd some quote or another, but this one needs no introduction.

It's a should-be authentic letter from a Marine in Iraq. I'm all about consistency and purity of sources, so I took it from http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1543658-1,00.html

On top of that for the lazy and what-not, I wanted to remove any excuses and post it here as well, it is a great insight from a grunt's perspective, enjoy:


All: I haven't written very much from Iraq. There's really not much to write about. More exactly, there's not much I can write about because practically everything I do, read or hear is classified military information or is depressing to the point that I'd rather just forget about it, never mind write about it. The gaps in between all of that are filled with the pure tedium of daily life in an armed camp. So it's a bit of a struggle to think of anything to put into a letter that's worth reading. Worse, this place just consumes you. I work 18-20-hour days, every day. The quest to draw a clear picture of what the insurgents are up to never ends. Problems and frictions crop up faster than solutions. Every challenge demands a response. It's like this every day. Before I know it, I can't see straight, because it's 0400 and I've been at work for 20 hours straight, somehow missing dinner again in the process. And once again I haven't written to anyone. It starts all over again four hours later. It's not really like Ground Hog Day, it's more like a level from Dante's Inferno.

Rather than attempting to sum up the last seven months, I figured I'd just hit the record-setting highlights of 2006 in Iraq. These are among the events and experiences I'll remember best.

Worst Case of Déjà Vu — I thought I was familiar with the feeling of déjà vu until I arrived back here in Fallujah in February. The moment I stepped off of the helicopter, just as dawn broke, and saw the camp just as I had left it ten months before — that was déjà vu. Kind of unnerving. It was as if I had never left. Same work area, same busted desk, same chair, same computer, same room, same creaky rack, same... everything. Same everything for the next year. It was like entering a parallel universe. Home wasn't 10,000 miles away, it was a different lifetime.

Most Surreal Moment — Watching Marines arrive at my detention facility and unload a truck load of flex-cuffed midgets. 26 to be exact. We had put the word out earlier in the day to the Marines in Fallujah that we were looking for Bad Guy X, who was described as a midget. Little did I know that Fallujah was home to a small community of midgets, who banded together for support since they were considered as social outcasts. The Marines were anxious to get back to the midget colony to bring in the rest of the midget suspects, but I called off the search, figuring Bad Guy X was long gone on his short legs after seeing his companions rounded up by the giant infidels.

Most Profound Man in Iraq — an unidentified farmer in a fairly remote area who, after being asked by Reconnaissance Marines if he had seen any foreign fighters in the area replied "Yes, you."

Worst City in al-Anbar Province — Ramadi, hands down. The provincial capital of 400,000 people. Lots and lots of insurgents killed in there since we arrived in February. Every day is a nasty gun battle. They blast us with giant bombs in the road, snipers, mortars and small arms. We blast them with tanks, attack helicopters, artillery, our snipers (much better than theirs), and every weapon that an infantryman can carry. Every day. Incredibly, I rarely see Ramadi in the news. We have as many attacks out here in the west as Baghdad. Yet, Baghdad has 7 million people, we have just 1.2 million. Per capita, al-Anbar province is the most violent place in Iraq by several orders of magnitude. I suppose it was no accident that the Marines were assigned this area in 2003.

Bravest Guy in al-Anbar Province — Any Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician (EOD Tech). How'd you like a job that required you to defuse bombs in a hole in the middle of the road that very likely are booby-trapped or connected by wire to a bad guy who's just waiting for you to get close to the bomb before he clicks the detonator? Every day. Sanitation workers in New York City get paid more than these guys. Talk about courage and commitment.

Second Bravest Guy in al-Anbar Province — It's a 20,000-way tie among all these Marines and Soldiers who venture out on the highways and through the towns of al-Anbar every day, not knowing if it will be their last — and for a couple of them, it will be.

Worst E-Mail Message — "The Walking Blood Bank is Activated. We need blood type A+ stat." I always head down to the surgical unit as soon as I get these messages, but I never give blood — there's always about 80 Marines in line, night or day.

Biggest Surprise — Iraqi Police. All local guys. I never figured that we'd get a police force established in the cities in al-Anbar. I estimated that insurgents would kill the first few, scaring off the rest. Well, insurgents did kill the first few, but the cops kept on coming. The insurgents continue to target the police, killing them in their homes and on the streets, but the cops won't give up. Absolutely incredible tenacity. The insurgents know that the police are far better at finding them than we are — and they are finding them. Now, if we could just get them out of the habit of beating prisoners to a pulp...

Greatest Vindication — Stocking up on outrageous quantities of Diet Coke from the chow hall in spite of the derision from my men on such hoarding, then having a 122mm rocket blast apart the giant shipping container that held all of the soda for the chow hall. Yep, you can't buy experience.

Biggest Mystery — How some people can gain weight out here. I'm down to 165 lbs. Who has time to eat?

Second Biggest Mystery — if there's no atheists in foxholes, then why aren't there more people at Mass every Sunday?

Favorite Iraqi TV Show — Oprah. I have no idea. They all have satellite TV.

Coolest Insurgent Act — Stealing almost $7 million from the main bank in Ramadi in broad daylight, then, upon exiting, waving to the Marines in the combat outpost right next to the bank, who had no clue of what was going on. The Marines waved back. Too cool.

Most Memorable Scene — In the middle of the night, on a dusty airfield, watching the better part of a battalion of Marines packed up and ready to go home after over six months in al-Anbar, the relief etched in their young faces even in the moonlight. Then watching these same Marines exchange glances with a similar number of grunts loaded down with gear file past — their replacements. Nothing was said. Nothing needed to be said.

Highest Unit Re-enlistment Rate — Any outfit that has been in Iraq recently. All the danger, all the hardship, all the time away from home, all the horror, all the frustrations with the fight here — all are outweighed by the desire for young men to be part of a band of brothers who will die for one another. They found what they were looking for when they enlisted out of high school. Man for man, they now have more combat experience than any Marines in the history of our Corps.

Most Surprising Thing I Don't Miss — Beer. Perhaps being half-stunned by lack of sleep makes up for it.

Worst Smell — Porta-johns in 120-degree heat — and that's 120 degrees outside of the porta-john.

Highest Temperature — I don't know exactly, but it was in the porta-johns. Needed to re-hydrate after each trip to the loo.

Biggest Hassle — High-ranking visitors. More disruptive to work than a rocket attack. VIPs demand briefs and "battlefield" tours (we take them to quiet sections of Fallujah, which is plenty scary for them). Our briefs and commentary seem to have no effect on their preconceived notions of what's going on in Iraq. Their trips allow them to say that they've been to Fallujah, which gives them an unfortunate degree of credibility in perpetuating their fantasies about the insurgency here.

Biggest Outrage — Practically anything said by talking heads on TV about the war in Iraq, not that I get to watch much TV. Their thoughts are consistently both grossly simplistic and politically slanted. Biggest Offender: Bill O'Reilly.

Best Intel Work — Finding Jill Carroll's kidnappers — all of them. I was mighty proud of my guys that day. I figured we'd all get the Christian Science Monitor for free after this, but none have showed up yet.

Saddest Moment — Having an infantry battalion commander hand me the dog tags of one of my Marines who had just been killed while on a mission with his unit. Hit by a 60mm mortar. He was a great Marine. I felt crushed for a long time afterward. His picture now hangs at the entrance to our section area. We'll carry it home with us when we leave in February.

Best Chuck Norris Moment — 13 May. Bad Guys arrived at the government center in a small town to kidnap the mayor, since they have a problem with any form of government that does not include regular beheadings and women wearing burqahs. There were seven of them. As they brought the mayor out to put him in a pick-up truck to take him off to be beheaded (on video, as usual), one of the Bad Guys put down his machine gun so that he could tie the mayor's hands. The mayor took the opportunity to pick up the machine gun and drill five of the Bad Guys. The other two ran away. One of the dead Bad Guys was on our top twenty wanted list. Like they say, you can't fight City Hall.

Worst Sound — That crack-boom off in the distance that means an IED or mine just went off. You just wonder who got it, hoping that it was a near miss rather than a direct hit. Hear it practically every day.

Second Worst Sound — Our artillery firing without warning. The howitzers are pretty close to where I work. Believe me, outgoing sounds a lot like incoming when our guns are firing right over our heads. They'd about knock the fillings out of your teeth.

Only Thing Better in Iraq Than in the U.S. — Sunsets. Spectacular. It's from all the dust in the air.

Proudest Moment — It's a tie every day, watching our Marines produce phenomenal intelligence products that go pretty far in teasing apart Bad Guy operations in al-Anbar. Every night Marines and Soldiers are kicking in doors and grabbing Bad Guys based on intelligence developed by our guys. We rarely lose a Marine during these raids, they are so well-informed of the objective. A bunch of kids right out of high school shouldn't be able to work so well, but they do.

Happiest Moment — Well, it wasn't in Iraq. There are no truly happy moments here. It was back in California when I was able to hold my family again while home on leave during July.

Most Common Thought — Home. Always thinking of home, of my great wife and the kids. Wondering how everyone else is getting along. Regretting that I don't write more. Yep, always thinking of home.

I hope you all are doing well. If you want to do something for me, kiss a cop, flush a toilet, and drink a beer. I'll try to write again before too long — I promise.






That's how it ends. Very interesting read, chalk full of tidbits of life and actual information on what's going on.

Guess you'll have to wait untill tomorrow for my fear-mongering edict. If there is a tomorrow at this rate.

It's all about the Pentiums.

Don't make me cry.

My laptop just crashed, and not just a happy "I'll just reboot."

He's dead Jim, the brain is scrambled, he's a vegetable.

Blue screen on reboot.

I became one of my callers...

I called HP support and we found that I'm going to have to take it in.

Lucky me, it happened within 18 days BEFORE the warranty was up.

But I may yet be able to save him with a little help from Jef.

Good part about being a tech with tech friends.

And it kinda forced me to find time for something I put off for a month.

But it didn't need to be like that... Sheesh...

Bigshot screaming, "Put your hands in the sky!"

First a joke that would make someone hit me or better:

The 6th grade science teacher, Mrs. Parks, asked her
class, "Which human body part increases to ten times
its size when stimulated?" No one answered until
little Susie stood up, angry, and said, "You should
not be asking sixth-graders a question like that! I'm
going to tell my parents, and they will go and tell
the principal, who will then fire you!" With a sneer
on her face, she then sat back down. Mrs. Parks
ignored her and asked the question again, "Which body
part increases to ten times its size when stimulated?"
Little Susie's mouth fell open, then she said to those
around her, "Boy, is she going to get in big trouble!"
The teacher continued to ignore her and said to the
class, "Anybody?" Finally, Billy stood up, looked
around nervously, and said, "The body part that
increases ten times its size when stimulated is the
pupil of the eye." Mrs. Parks said, "Very good,
Billy," then turned to Susie and continued, "As for
you, young lady, I have three things to say:



One, you have a dirty mind,

Two, you didn't read your homework,

And three, one day you are going to be very, very
disappointed!"





And now, the most important phrases you could ever learn in English, French, and Spanish:

“I am a jelly donut.”



French: Je suis une butée torique de gelée.



Spanish : Soy un anillo de espuma de la jalea.



“Look! The soup is levitating!”

French: Regard ! Le potage fait de la lévitation !

Spanish: ¡Mirada! ¡La sopa levitating!




“I surrender!”

French: Je me rends





Now something philosophically challenging:

I finally found something that Mormons and I can agree on. Is it perfect? No, like many of my favorite songs and philosophies, it can be nearly perfect, and yet fall short of the mark. However, when adding my interpretation, I find it fits better to my ideas and ideals when certain parts are 'modified'.

What is this odd miracle?

http://scriptures.lds.org/en/a_of_f/1/13

Ironically, it actually links to the Mormon "Articles of Faith".

Notably, I would like to invoke Article 11 of this document (which I fondly refer to as the 'Nuclear Option' in appropriate contexts):

"11 We claim the aprivilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may."

Here by, invoking article 11 of the Articles of Faith, I reserve the right to worship how, where and when I see fit.

Therefore, I am reserving this argument for those of you that wish to force the issue, and I will be informing others of similar mind, weapons of knowledge need be shared with the willing, for the common defense against oppression in its various forms.

Next time you've tried having a tollerant or tollerable discussion and they bring up anything about how your faith isn't strong unless you're at church, or part of the priesthood, or any other bullshit, I hope you remember this.

Also, just in case you feel the need to read more, you can find an internet version of most of their documents (I have no idea how accurately represented they are, but it seems to be one of the church's sites) here:

http://scriptures.lds.org/en/contents

So there we go, one of the best things that I've learned all day.




That being said, some good news:

I am one of the six people that will be interviewed for the CRC Dell TL position tomorrow.

I can't hardly keep my excitement. It's truly something else. I'm sure I was the youngest to petition for the position and out of something close to 20, there are only to be 6 interviewed (as per the e-mails, anyways).

I will keep you posted on what happens. I'm trying to stay reserved, but my excitement is quite powerful.

"It's time to start..."

And here we are, I migrated to the Blogger BETA, hence the extra post.

I was expecting the process to take all week or something, that was convenient and only took like 10-15 mins tops.

Sweet.

"It's a blind fold kick back type of a game called the Kansas City Shuffle"

Indeed, a second post within hours and not days.

Time to pass the humor, but first some good quotes of the day, as per Google's personal home page quote module:

If people never did silly things, nothing intelligent would ever get done.
- Ludwig Wittgenstein

Education is a state-controlled manufactory of echoes.
- Norman Douglas

Where facts are few, experts are many.
- Donald R. Gannon

^
Note the last name / |

The first one may be one of my new favorite quotes, if I didn't feel one of my readers would steal it right from under me.



Chuck:

Chuck Norris' tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried.

Chuck Norris counted to infinity - twice.

Chuck Norris once visited the Virgin Islands. They are now The Islands.

Chuck Norris' calendar goes straight from March 31st to April 2nd; no one fools Chuck Norris.

Chuck Norris can speak braille.

Chuck Norris was originally cast as the main character in 24, but was replaced by the producers when he managed to kill every terrorist and save the day in 12 minutes and 37 seconds.

Once, while having sex in a tractor-trailer, part of Chuck Norris' sperm escaped and got into the engine. We now know this truck as Optimus Prime.

Chuck Norris does not hunt because the word hunting implies the possibility of failure. Chuck Norris goes killing.

Chuck Norris died ten years ago, but the Grim Reaper can't get up the courage to tell him.

Leading hand sanitizers claim they can kill 99.9 percent of germs. Chuck Norris can kill 100 percent of whatever the fuck he wants.

Chuck Norris owns the greatest Poker Face of all-time. It helped him win the 1983 World Series of Poker despite him holding just a Joker, a Get out of Jail Free Monopoly card, a 2 of clubs, 7 of spades and a green #4 card from the game Uno.

Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.

Superman owns a pair of Chuck Norris pajamas.

Once a cobra bit Chuck Norris' leg. After five days of excruciating pain, the cobra died.

Chuck Norris puts the "laughter" in "manslaughter".

Chuck Norris can slam revolving doors.

Chuck Norris is not hung like a horse... horses are hung like Chuck Norris

Chuck Norris doesn't pop his collar, his shirts just get erections when they touch his body.

Chuck Norris was once on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune and was the first to spin. The next 29 minutes of the show consisted of everyone standing around awkwardly, waiting for the wheel to stop.

Chuck Norris divides by zero.

Chuck Norris is the only person on the planet that can kick you in the back of the face.

When Chuck Norris looks in a mirror the mirror shatters, because not even glass is stupid enough to get in between Chuck Norris and Chuck Norris.

Chuck Norris sleeps with a night light. Not because Chuck Norris is afraid of the dark, but the dark is afraid of Chuck Norris

Ghosts are actually caused by Chuck Norris killing people faster than Death can process them.

Chuck Norris is always on top during sex because Chuck Norris never fucks up.

If you can see Chuck Norris, he can see you. If you can't see Chuck Norris you may be only seconds away from death.

Chuck Norris doesn't have hair on his testicles, because hair does not grow on steel.

Chuck Norris is 1/8th Cherokee. This has nothing to do with ancestry, the man ate a fucking Indian.

Chuck Norris doesn't read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.

Chuck Norris can build a snowman out of rain.

When Chuck Norris gives you the finger, he's telling you how many seconds you have left to live.

Chuck Norris once had a heart attack; his heart lost.

Pinatas were made in an attempt to get Chuck Norris to stop kicking the people of Mexico. Sadly this backfired, as all it has resulted in is Chuck Norris now looking for candy after he kicks his victims.

Bill Gates lives in constant fear that Chuck Norris' PC will crash.

M.C. Hammer learned the hard way that Chuck Norris can touch this.

When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.

If it looks like chicken, tastes like chicken, and feels like chicken but Chuck Norris says its beef, then it's fucking beef.

Chuck Norris' dog is trained to pick up his own poop because Chuck Norris will not take shit from anyone.

Chuck Norris doesn't use pickup lines, he simply says, "Now."

Chuck Norris plays russian roulette with a fully loded revolver... and wins.

When Chuck Norris exercises, the machine gets stronger.

Chuck Norris once killed a bird by throwing it off a cliff.

Chuck Norris' wristwatch has no numbers on it. It just says, "Time to kick ass."

Chuck Norris sold his soul to the devil for his rugged good looks and unparalleled martial arts ability. Shortly after the transaction was finalized, Chuck roundhouse kicked the devil in the face and took his soul back. The devil, who appreciates irony, couldn't stay mad and admitted he should have seen it coming. They now play poker every second Wednesday of the month.

Chuck Norris has to maintain a concealed weapon license in all 50 states in order to legally wear pants.

Chuck Norris was originally offered the role as Frodo in Lord of the Rings. He declined because, "Only a pussy would need three movies to destroy a piece of jewelery."

Chuck Norris secretly sleeps with every woman in the world once a month. They bleed for a week as a result.

Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs.

The only thing Mr. T, Vin Diesel and Chuck Norris can agree on is that Tom Cruise is a faggot.

The last digit of pi is Chuck Norris. He is the end of all things.

Giraffes were created when Chuck Norris uppercutted a horse.

The chief export of Chuck Norris is pain.

When an episode of Walker Texas Ranger was aired in France, the French surrendered to Chuck Norris just to be on the safe side.

The phrase, "You are what you eat" cannot be true based on the amount of pussy Chuck Norris eats.

Chuck Norris once punched a man in the soul.

It is considered a great accomplishment to go down Niagara Falls in a wooden barrel. Chuck Norris can go up Niagara Falls in a cardboard box.

The only reason Chuck Norris didn't win an Oscar for his performance in "Sidekicks" is because nobody in their right mind would willingly give Chuck Norris a blunt metal object. That's just suicide.

The saddest moment for a child is not when he learns Santa Claus isn't real, it's when he learns Chuck Norris is.

Chuck Norris does not know where you live, but he knows where you will die.

Chuck Norris likes to knit sweaters in his free time. And by "knit", I mean "kick", and by "sweaters", I mean "babies".

The grass is always greener on the other side, unless Chuck Norris has been there. In that case the grass is most likely soaked in blood and tears.

We all know the magic word is please. As in the sentence, "Please don't kill me." Too bad Chuck Norris doesn't believe in magic.

There are no weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq. Chuck Norris lives in Oklahoma.

Chuck Norris was once the F.B.I's chief negotiator. His job involved calling up criminals and saying, "This is Chuck Norris."

The reason newborn babies cry is because they know they have just entered a world with Chuck Norris.

Jack was nimble, Jack was quick, but Jack still couldn't dodge Chuck Norris' roundhouse kick.

Chuck Norris did that to Michael Jackson's face.

Chuck Norris can create a rock so heavy that even he can't lift it. And then he lifts it anyways, just to show you who the fuck Chuck Norris is.

Chuck Norris never loses a game of Clue despite the fact everyone knows he's the murderer and used his foot to do it

Chuck Norris used to beat the shit out of his shadow because it was following to close. It now stands a safe 30 feet behind him.

When Chuck Norris breaks the law, the law doesn't heal.

Chuck Norris once had an erection while lying face down. He struck oil.

It is impossible to be raped by Chuck Norris because that would mean you did not want it to happen.

The most honorable way of dying is taking a bullet for Chuck Norris. This amuses Chuck Norris because he is bulletproof.

The Jihadists are pissed because they can no longer tell their recruits to expect 73 virgins in heaven. The best they can do now is 73 women who have already had sex with Chuck Norris.

Chuck Norris can kill two stones with one bird.

When Chuck Norris enters a room, he doesn't turn the lights on, he turns the dark off.

Chuck Norris' action figure has slept with more women then most men.

A Handicap parking sign does not signify that this spot is for handicapped people. It is actually in fact a warning, that the spot belongs to Chuck Norris and that you will be handicapped if you park there.

The quickest way to a man's heart is with Chuck Norris's fist.

When Chuck Norris answers the phone, he just says "Go". This is not permission for you to begin speaking, it is your cue to start running for your life.

Chuck Norris has only one hand: the upper hand.

Chuck Norris doesn't play "hide-and-seek." He plays "hide-and-pray-I-don't-find-you."

The best part of waking up is not Folgers in your cup, but knowing that Chuck Norris didn't kill you in your sleep.

Most men are okay with their wives fantasizing about Chuck Norris during sex, because they are doing the same thing.

On Neil Armstrong's second step on the moon, he found a note that said, "Chuck Norris was here."

When Superman squeezes a lump of coal, he creates a diamond. When Chuck Norris squeezes a lump of coal, he creates an African child to work in his diamond mines.

Chuck Norris can get breakfast at McDonald's after 10:30.

Chuck Norris once partook in a pissing contest outside of a bar. His opponent drowned.

Chuck Norris crossed the road. Nobody has ever dared question his motives.

Rosa Parks refused to get out of her seat because she was saving it for Chuck Norris.

Chuck Norris once gave Vin Diesel and friendly noogie. Vin's hair never grew back.

ADD is not a disease. It's just impossible to focus when you know that Chuck Norris could strike at any moment.

When God said, "Let there be light", Chuck Norris said, "say please."

Chuck Norris once broke a mirror on a black cat under a ladder on Friday the thirteenth. That was the day he won the lottery.

The only time Chuck Norris was wrong was when he thought he had made a mistake.

Upon hearing that his good friend, Lance Armstrong, lost his testicles to cancer, Chuck Norris donated one of his to Lance. With just one of Chuck's nuts, Lance was able to win the Tour De France seven times. By the way, Chuck still has two testicles; either he was able to produce a new one simply by flexing, or he had three to begin with. No one knows for sure.

Little kids enjoy lighting ants on fire with magnifying glasses. Chuck Norris enjoys lighting little kids on fire with ants. Scientists have yet to find out how this feat is achieved.

Before Chuck Norris was born, the martial arts weapons with two pieces of wood connected by a chain were called NunBarrys. No one ever did find out what happened to Barry.

Chuck Norris sleeps with a gun under the pillow. But he could kill you with the pillow too.




And now for something completely different:

I feel like I have things to share and say, but I can't get my words to come.

A side affect of a month (or two) without posting?

I am very much hoping to be interviewed for TL, but I find it disconcerting to be going against a friend or two and co-workers that I know personally.

It'd be interesting for innumerous reasons to get the job, but I can't help feeling that there will be an age bias invoked, written, stated, or otherwise.

I'm only 20, I can't have the 8 years of professional experience some of these jobs are looking for. So the challenge is not getting that experience, it's proving that I could do the job better than someone who has 16 years or more (note it's a doubling of 8, not a reference to the fact that easily half of these people are twice my age, not to mention that I am by far the youngest candadite - to my knowledge).

I believe I could, but my beliefs are irrelevant.

What I do find a comfort is that for the last two weeks Mike has made at least two attempts to have me apply for SSR1 positions - that's a Team Lead in simpler terms and the equivalent of a shift lead or minor manager/supervisor in lamen's terms.

I find it re-assuring when the 'boss-man' holds that level of confidence.

Just to make someone without that experience understand and appreciate what I can offer.

It shall be an interesting experience anyways.

The Sun Goes Down...

I feel the light betray me...




It's been a month or more, eh? I suppose it's time to post something now that all of the fun stuff is over.

Mtn Con 2 was a humongous success, with providing us a great many things that demand improvement for next year.

It's been an interesting bout, but I'm to kill Zombies now.

Have fun.