Several of you have made queries regarding stuff that I may need (or want) for my excursion downrange. I'm posting this with a bit of reluctance since most of you who have known me for more than a couple days know that I don't like to advertise and I don't like to ask for anything. But since there is no way for me to deter you I might as well try and mitigate the damage and prevent people from sending me gallons of sunblock. Please be advised that USPS takes approximately 2-3 weeks to get mail/packages from CONUS to APO (longer during holidays) so nothing that will spoil, rot, take root, possess, or detonate. And because I am a control freak please leave a comment with contents if you send something just so no one double taps and I end up with eight copies of Rome Season 1 and 96 lbs of gummy bears.
letters - real snail mail letters. Seriously. music - mp3 format on CDs. punk, metal, goth, industrial, alternative, folk-ish, classical movies & tv - avi format on CDs. Please don't send me real DVDs because I don't want to have to throw them away. Rome The Shield Dexter se2 NCIS this season need need last couple episodes House Journeyman Life Bionic Woman Doctor Who upcoming seasons (need eps 9-13? of new season) Torchwood upcoming seasons Heroes Bones The L Word Battlestar Galactica still need new season
Batman: Dark Knight
gummies - worms, bears, cola, raspberries batteries - AA, AAA, 123A. I'm gonna post a link for Surefire batteries. Best 123As I've used and you can buy them in bulk. http://www.lapolicegear.com/subasp.html
reading material - socks - OD/sand or white athletic socks http://lapolicegear.com/unar51boso.html http://www.thorlo.com/mags/socks/army-combat-boot-xstatic-socks/50.php?content_id=news http://www.quanticotactical.com/asp/items.asp?type=M&CMN=Thorlo&CMNum=43&CMSNum=203&CMSN=Military%20Boot%20Socks
My Economics teacher says I need a proofreader (and with the consistent 80s I agree). I could argue that he needs to work on his teaching. If a significant portion of your class misreads your assignments it might be you.
Shit Witt's dead. Talked to my old gunner and one of the guys on my track is gone. Not killed in combat or in a post deployment car crash but electrocuted while trimming trees. Fuck. Witt was one of those easy going guys, liked to party. On the clock, he was eager to please, to show what he could do. And he was a scrounger, a good attribute for a trooper. For awhile we called him Handjob, you can figure out why.
The scenario is interesting to say the least. We have, according to the media a situation that is more than reminiscent of the Iranian Revolution of the 1970s. However, with the majority of footage coming from the street via social networking and video sites I think we are getting a skewed perception of the situation.
People are claiming fraud in the case of this last week's elections. And that Ahmadinejad did not win by a landslide in accordance to official results. But at this time they are "recounting" the votes. Mousavi is crying foul and fighting this decision.
My observation is that all the footage of unrest is coming primarily from the capital of Tehran. I haven't been able to find anything that clearly identifies any other cities or towns that disturbances are taking place. My concern is that because of the level of press coverage we are seeing a skewed perception of events, and that is violence is not particularly wide spread. I remember in 1989 when Tienanmen Square happened that people were predicting a revolution would sweep across China. Obviously not so.
According to some reports Ahmadinejad is very popular among the poor and the rural communities. All the protesters seem to be young, westernized, educated students and city dwellers. This does not make a revolution of any kind. What we could be seeing is something that is class or economically related.
Regardless of the eventual outcome of this, we are going to see Iranian spokespeople lay the blame for this on the Jews and the West and that this was a plot to destabilize Iran. Actually, I've already seen it on the news. By saying this, it deflects blame from the Iranian government itself and reassures the populace that everything is ok and that it's the evil Americans with their MTV, Coca Cola, porn and Facebook coming to turn them into Christians.
Myprediction is that this will go badly, and be a serious setback for reforms in Iran. The Council of Mullahs and the President are gong to take advantage of this to strengthen their grip on power and steer the country towards something mroe conservative. I hope I'm wrong.
I still marvel at the balls it took to step off that landing craft and out of those C-47s into that goat fuck. It makes anything I've done look like amateur hour.
Arrived safely in Galway, Ireland. Off to do some sightseeing. Couple of thoughts: -Pudding tastes good. Not the Jell-O kind. -Things ARE better after a hot mug of tea. -21% sales tax? WTFO?
pensive
accomplished