Life, The Universe...

An Actual Conversation

2011-09-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

"So, SGT Sharp, I have some good news and I have some bad news."
"OK."
"The bad news is that SGT Stafford and I got into a brawl about your Cokes in the middle of the chow hall. He was yelling and I was yelling back. A First Sergeant tried to step in to break it up. I slapped him across the face and SGT Stafford stomped on his groin. He kept on saying 'To hell with your gonads.' It was crazy."
"What's the good news?"
"I got you some orange juice."

A Brief Afghan Image

2011-09-12T10:45:00.000-07:00

I am facing to the West with the whole of the camp in front of me. Tents, shacks, vehicles and dirt are what make up my temporary home here. I can see the Afghan mountains in the distance, obscured by the dusty haze filling the air. Even though they are only a few miles away they seem much further. The sun is settling lower in the sky, late afternoon light shines into my eyes causing me to avert my gaze. I look up and see the clouds overhead. They are sparse and gray, filled with the little moisture contained in this dry land, tempting rain. Light spears the clouds, rays of warmth casting shadows on the gravel strewn earth. Two helicopters drift by in close formation, one protecting the other, cutting through the beams of light. This was my day. A day to remember.

Talent

2011-08-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

My daughter is talented. And here's some proof of that:

There are two things that go through my mind when I see this.

"She did that with markers?" and "She will make a fortune working for Disney some day."

Life Goes On

2011-07-04T23:41:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a while. I have been seriously neglectful here haven't I? And no, that doesn't require a response. I wish I could say that I haven't written because I've just been too busy to write here. That's partial true, but not all the way. I have had time to jot a few words down-if I was so inclined-but the motivation simply wasn't there.

Every time I call up my browser I see the Blogger link on my bookmarks bar. It's just sitting there, looking accusingly at me, reminding me of how horrible person I'm being for ignoring it. I can't ignore it any more. Well, I could, I just don't want to. OK, so the economy is still hell and my time in the military will end in a few years. I could do one of two things. First, do nothing and hope I'll be able to get a job in an improved economy (because it will be all unbroken in a few years, right?). The second? Improve myself by gaining a skill I can profit from-or at least live off of. I'm good at management, but that's not what interests me. OK, so it does interest me to some degree. Running things is something I'm good at. I've basically done it at every job I've had as an adult. But there is no way in hell I'll be back as a manager in customer service again. Those days were torture (but may make a good blog post sometime).

I'm currently working as a mechanic, but I'm not comfortable doing that job on the outside. I also like writing, but I don't know how I'd make that a career. Hmm, I've got a bit of thinking to do.

Current stuff: The wife had surgery this week. She was in the hospital from Monday until Sunday morning. She was very happy to be leaving for home, unfortunately the 3 hour car ride didn't make her feel too hot. She was in pain most of that day and the morning of the next. She seemed better last night and hopefully will continue to improve. Got to take her to the doctor today. She's having an issue with her medication. She has to crush up all her pills and mix them with water to take them. Of course pills without their coating on them taste worse than death, so we have to find out another way of dealing with her medication.

Good thing: The wife's mother is here to help out. That's great, especially since I go back to work tomorrow and won't be home during the days for the recovery. My daughter is having a pretty good time hanging with her grandmother as well. Benefits all around.

There are big changes coming to the job soon. The thing that kills me is that no one has a clue what's happening to me. Am I staying or am I going? No one can tell me, just rumors so far. I know this part makes no sense, but it's something I can't go into depth about now. I'm really hoping they tell me what's what this week. Either I have a lot of packing to do, or I have a bit of stuff to fix around the house and car. Can't do both unfortunately.

I know this doesn't make a lot of sense and is probably deathly dull, but I had to get these things out of me and down somewhere. Putting a problem on paper (or in a blog post) makes the problem a bit more real and manageable. It makes them not so problematic. Now, time to carry on with my life.

Practice 1, Revised

2011-05-01T13:24:00.000-07:00

So here's my revision of the first practice. I added or altered a lot of the material. I tried to add a bit more to the story, add some feeling in the characters. Overall I tried to make it less dry.

Everything was going well on the flight. I had a window seat with no one beside me. The flight attendant even gave me an extra pillow. How nice of her. But the seats were still uncomfortable and I’ll be in the air a lot longer before we land; 6 more hours to go. We’d only been in the air 3 hours, scheduled to land at 5 AM. Way too damn early.

Looking out an airplane’s window at cruising altitude flying over the Southwest in the dead of night is not a very stimulating experience. I have better things to do than to stare out at the dark. Eyes drooping, I slip into a haze, thinking about the past and if I will have a future. I remember what I’ve left behind and what I hope I can go back to. This trip is important. I need to be rested for it.

“Where’d the guy go that was sitting here?”

I started from my daze and looked toward the voice. Standing in the aisle was a guy, late thirties, bald with a serious weight problem. He was looking in my direction, eyebrows arched, sweat pouring down his unshaven face. He looked like he hadn’t slept for days. I know the feeling. I rubbed my eyes and took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. Why was he bothering me?

“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that. What did you say?”

“I said ‘Where’d the guy go that was sitting here?’ Well, where’d he go?”

This guy looked liked trouble and I sure as hell didn’t want to talk to him. All I wanted was to get a bit of rest before we landed. With the schedule I was keeping today I’d be hitting the ground running. I won’t have the chance to close my eyes again for nineteen or twenty hours. One of the cons of my job-no sleep ever.

“Look guy”, I replied “I don’t know who was sitting there. I thought I saw someone earlier but I’m not sure. Ask the flight attendant.”

“I did ask the flight attendant and he doesn’t know. That’s why I’m asking you.”

This guy was testy with me and all I did was tell him that I didn’t know who was sitting there. I did know that I was very tired and going to be pretty bad off if I didn’t catch at least a bit of a nap. Whatever this guy’s problem was, it has nothing to do with me. And also, I didn’t care.

“Easy there, fella. I’ve been sleeping most of the flight, which is something that I want to get back to doing. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be attempting to do just that again.”

I begin closing my eyes, shutting out the noise and light of the cabin. Trying to sleep at 36,000 feet with a bunch of strangers around you being annoyingly loud is bad enough. Having one of those strangers come up to you and ask a stupid question knowing that you are trying to sleep is something else entirely.

“Hey!” the fat man shouted, “I’m fucking talking to you.”

I slowly opened my eyes and turned toward the aisle. There, still standing by the empty seat, was the stranger. He was visibly upset now. His formerly pale face had turned a shade not far off from the red commonly seen on a beet, visible capillaries added to the darkened shade. His brows were furrowed, eyes blazing. His teeth were clenched through slightly parted lips. I could see the rise and fall of his chest, pumping like an over-worked bellows. This guy was seriously pissed off and was looking like he wanted to take it out on me.

“Don’t you turn away from me! I asked you a simple fucking question, so answer it. Who the fuck was sitting here?”

I put up my hands and try to remain as calm as possible. With the possibility of violence from this guy I did not want to be here. I was stuck in a window seat, barely able to move my legs more than a few inches forward and back. Defending myself if he decided to come over the seats at me would have been a problem. I was completely screwed. Time to try and talk him down.

“Easy man, there’s no need for this.” Isn’t there supposed to be an air marshal on every flight these days to deal with problems like this? Isn’t that way the big hiring push was in the news a few years ago? Where the hell was he and why hadn’t he taken this crazy out yet? “I haven’t seen anyone in that seat all flight. There isn’t anyone sitting there. If you tell me what the problem is I may be able to help.”

“Bullshit!” the wacko said. “I saw someone here. There WAS someone here. You had to have seen him. I recognized him. You have to tell me who he was and where he went.”

“Look, I don’t know who was sitting there. I didn’t see anyone. You sure that you have the right seat. Maybe you’re thinking of the one of the others further down the aisle?”

“No, he was here” he said. There was an immediate change to the stranger. He started looking less angry and more confused. The color left his face and went back to his natural shade of too pale. His brows were still furrowed, but they shifted from anger to concentration. “He has to be here, I saw him. I saw him right here.”

Now this guy had my attention. He was clearly upset about something. He truly believed that someone had been sitting there, someone that he knew. Or someone that he thought he recognized. And that’s when the marshal showed up.

“Is there a problem here, sir?” the marshal asked the stranger.

The stranger looked dumbly at the marshal. “He’s on this plane, I know he is. He has to be, because I saw him here. He was right here” the guy said as he gestured toward the empty seat.

“Who was here, sir? Who are you looking for?” The marshal put his hand around the guy’s shaking right bicep, ready to restrain him if necessary. The flight attendant must have told him about the outburst and he was ready, taking no chances. The guy wasn’t angry with me before, I see that now. He was terrified. The way he was quivering I was amazed he could even stand.

“He was.” The stranger looked pleadingly in the marshal’s eyes. “You have to help me find him, he’s here.” Getting frantic now, “He’s on this plane; you have to find him and arrest him!”

“Arrest who, sir? Who are you talking about? What are you talking about?”

Seeing this exchange sends a chill down my spine. I know what he’s going to say before he says it. It’s my job to know things first, to know fact before anyone else does. I see where this is headed and wish I’d taken the later flight. Or at least a different seat.

The stranger, tears welling in his eyes, looked from the marshal to me, and back again, his shoulders slumped. All I could see in front of me was a broken man, one that had obviously lost everything. I couldn’t be angry at this man, not seeing him that way. Looking at the marshal I could tell he thought the same way.

“Sir, sit here, tell me what this is about.”

The heavy-set man looked at the aisle seat in front of him. Resignedly, the man collapsed into the seat causing it to bump against the legs of the passenger behind.

“Hey! Watch it, that hurt.”

He didn’t hear, I don’t think he was aware of anything happening at that point.

“I’m Marshal Brice, what’s your name sir?”

The man looked at the marshal, eyes empty. “Huh?”

“Sir, what is your name?” the marshal repeated.

“Dylan. Sam Dylan. I’m from Colorado. I’m heading to California to see my sister. To…”

The man’s eyes go vacant again, all the energy drained out of them.

“Mr. Dylan?” The marshal tried getting the guys attention but failed. Placing a hand on his shoulder the marshal gently shakes him. “Mr. Dylan!” more forcefully now. “Mr. Dylan, you mentioned a man, a man that you recognized. Who was this man and why do I need to arrest him?”

“Hmm?” replied Dylan, coming back to the land of the present. “What?”

“Who was the man and why do I have to arrest him?” asked the marshal again.

“He is…” Mr. Dylan began. Then he looks deeply in the marshal’s eyes, his sight filled with nothing but pain and anguish. “The guy I’m looking for-the guy I saw sitting here…He killed my wife. Two days ago. And he’s somewhere on this plane.”

Well, so much for me getting any sleep on this flight.

I added about 400 words to this story going from 1060 words to 1500. Just adding words to try and make the story better won't work. You have to add the right words to accomplish that.

Practice 2

2011-05-01T03:27:00.000-07:00

I’m walking down the hallway. It’s dark, smelling of rotting trash and mildew. Further along the hallway are doors, several on each side and all are closed. Most of the doors are dark; a few have a pale, sickly light escaping from beneath them. I come upon a pair of doors, one on the left, one on the right. I try the knob on the door to the left, it turns freely but the door remains closed. I try pushing harder thinking that the moisture in this dank place has caused the wood frame to swell. No luck, the door is still wedged firmly shut. Frustrated, I throw my shoulder into the door. The only thing I accomplish is to cause my already aching shoulder to scream in pain. The right door is the same, it won’t budge. The doors aren’t locked but something is causing them to remain closed.

I hear a muffled crash behind me and turn toward the sound. That is the way I came and I know there are no windows there. A crash again, more distinct this time. I walk slowly down the hall, cautious of every step and straining to hear every noise. But there are no further sounds to hear. There is a door on the right, one that I don’t remember seeing before. This is where the sounds originated. Behind this door could be the answer that I’m looking for.

I lean toward the door, turning my head to the left as I listen for any more sounds. There are none. Straightening back up I again look at the door. It is made of wood and painted the deep red shade of fresh blood. On the door is a symbol made of a shining silver metal, meticulously made and perfectly finished. I can see myself reflected off of it. The symbol is a horizontally oriented dagger with a rose vertically behind it. I don’t know what it means but seeing the symbol fills my heart with dread and anxiety. As I reach for the door I feel a chill reach my spine causing me to shake violently for a couple of seconds. The shakes stop as I withdraw my hand.

There’s nothing there, stop being a baby. Suck it up and just open the damn thing. Hell, this one probably won’t open either.

Encouraging words, but I don’t believe myself. I am afraid; something evil is behind this portal. I don’t want to open this door but I must know. I hesitatingly reach my right hand toward the knob, pausing halfway. There are no shakes this time. I reach the knob. Taking a deep breath I attempt to turn it. But the knob won’t move. Placing my left hand on the knob with my right I try again. Straining, I feel a slight give, the knob emitting a screech that sets my teeth on edge. It’s as if a build-up of rust has started breaking free. I alternate the direction the knob is turned, gaining a little more motion and with each attempt. Finally, the screech stops and a loud click from the knob. There is a pop as the door is freed from it’s frame.

I look at the door. I can see that sickly light around the whole of the door now, through the gap that releasing the door from the frame has created. Breathing deeply I close my eyes.

All this way. All the loss and here it is. Do it for them.

I reach my right hand out to the door. Placing my hand upon it I pause. It has to be done. I breathe deeply one more time and shove the door all the way open.

And that's it for practice 2. I know what I have to work on and I will come back to this one after a bit more experimenting. And more practice, of course.

Portable Convenience

2011-04-24T23:33:00.000-07:00

I haven't mentioned my Kindle here yet, ignoring my blogging duties again. I've had it since right after Christmas and have had plenty of time to play with it, so now I think it's time to write about it.

Boring stuff first:

The Kindle I got is the current generation 3G/WiFi graphite colored model with a 6" pearl e ink display. Basically what that means is that with 3G and WiFi connections I can get on the internet from anywhere I wish. I'm currently in Germany and have no problems connecting to the Kindle store and purchasing books.

What do I think? I think the Kindle is a great idea that's in the process of becoming the best idea, but it's not there yet.

What I like about it:

The display is amazing. Pulling the Kindle out of the box for the first time there is a message on the screen. Usually, when you buy an electronic product with a display there is a sticker over top the display. But that wasn't the case. The E Ink pearl display is crystal clear and mimics the look of a page from a book extremely well. The type is very clear and easy to read (it is also adjustable to be able to see easier, something that those dead tree books can't do for you). The message itself just stated that the device needed to be plugged in and charged for a couple of minutes, then it could be used.

The cord used to charge the Kindle is a no-frills type cable. One end is a standard USB connection. The other end is a micro-USB. There is also an adapter that connects to the USB end that allows charging from a standard 120 volt wall outlet. The adapter can be used with 240 volt outlets as well-with the correct adapter plug, of course. Now that I was charging I was ready to go. I slide the on switch to the right, as per the on-screen instructions, and I was ready to read.

Turning on the display causes the screen to go black then white. The words or pictures show up after less than a second. Again, the screen is amazingly crisp, clear and very easy to read. I hate using my cellphone in bright sunlight. The colors on screen wash out and the display becomes hard to read, not so with the Kindle. In bright, direct sunlight the display is perfectly clear-even more so the brighter the light. Unlike LCD displays, there is little to no glare, so there in nothing preventing you from taking the Kindle outside to read.

One thing I wasn't sure about with the Kindle-and why I was looking at a competitors model of ereader-is the keyboard on the device. I wasn't sure I'd want or need the dedicated keyboard. I will say that it's not as obtrusive as I thought. I don't use it a lot, but I like it for when I do use it. There are a few buttons on the keyboard that are essential though. You have menu, home and back buttons that are required for navigating the Kindles menus. You also have the 5-way controller (basically a button with a 4-way button bordering it) for making menu selections. All the buttons are clearly marked and easy to use.

Getting books to read is simple and with the 3G/WiFi model there are a couple of ways to do it. First, you can connect the Kindle to a computer and manually transfer books to the device, just like you'd do with any external hard drive. Second, you can connect wirelessly to the Kindle store and download books directly from there. Navigating the store from the Kindle is easy as well. Book downloads from 3G/Wifi connections take a matter of seconds and happen automatically. The amount of on-board memory, at 3 gigabyte capacity, is sufficient to store a few thousand books on. Plenty of room even for the most serious book collector.

Selecting books on your Kindle to read and reading them are simple processes. Selections are made from the home screen using the 5-way controller. Opening a book will take you directly to the beginning, unless you have already started the book, in which case it will take you to the last page you were on. Turning the pages is accomplished by buttons on either side of the device. There are two on each side-the larger bottom button is page forward with the smaller upper button being page back. As I mentioned, paging through an ebook is quick, less than a second per page.

As no device is perfect, there will always be room for improvement. Attempting to navigate the menus quickly often leaves artifacts and can be slow at times. I also found the 5-way click button awkward to use under certain circumstances. Normally all you'll use are the up and down and select aspects of the controller, but when you want to say, search for a word in the built-in dictionary, navigating there can be a bit of a chore. Neither one of these concerns break the device and it works very well for what it was designed for. The quality of the device itself is also top notch, no complaints there.

There are more features and functions available on the Kindle, but since I'm not trying to write a book here, I'm going to cut this short. Final word? The Kindle is definitely a worthwhile light weight and easy to use portable ereader. I have no compunctions recommending this device to any book reader. All they have to do now is add a touchscreen and color and the Kindle will be perfect.

So Far So Good

2011-04-24T23:26:00.000-07:00

OK, so, first practice is up and I don't think it's that cringe-worthy. I know that it's short, it doesn't introduce the characters at all-other than a couple of base descriptions-and there is no conclusion. But, it's just practice after all. As I get further along in this process (if I stick with it like I should) I'm going to need feedback. As I mentioned two posts ago, I know I'll be bad at this, that is why practice is important. And practice I shall.

Now, what did you think?

Practice Begins

2011-04-24T14:57:00.000-07:00

I mentioned practicing in my last post. Well, going through this book on writing that I'm reading are some practice exercises. Here's the first one. Don't be too harsh, I'm new at this.

Everything was going well on the flight. I had a window seat with no one beside me. The flight attendant even gave me an extra pillow. How nice of her.

“Where’d the guy go that was sitting here?”

I started from my daze and looked toward the voice. Standing in the aisle was a guy, mid-forties, bald with a serious weight problem. He was looking in my direction, eyebrows arched. I rubbed my eyes and took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“I said ‘Where’d the guy go that was sitting here?’. Well, where’d he go?”

I could tell this guy was a winner and I sure as hell didn’t want to talk to him. All I wanted was to catch a bit of a nap before we landed in an hour. With the schedule I was keeping today I’d be hitting the ground running. I won’t have the chance to close my eyes again for another 15 hours, one of the great perks of my job-no sleep ever.

“Look guy”, I replied “I don’t know who’s sitting there. I thought I saw someone earlier but I’m not sure. Ask the flight attendant.”

“I did ask the flight attendant and he doesn’t know. That’s why I’m asking you.”

This guy was testy with my and all I did was tell him that I didn’t know who was sitting there. I did know that I was very tired and going to be pretty bad off if I didn’t catch at least a bit of a nap.

“Easy there fella. I’ve been sleeping most of the flight, which is something that I want to get back to doing. If you’ll excuse me I’ll be attempting to do just that again.”

I begin closing my eyes, shutting out the noise and light of the cabin. Trying to sleep at 50,000 ft with a bunch of strangers around you being annoyingly loud is bad enough. Having one of those strangers come up to you and ask a stupid question knowing that you are trying to sleep is something else.

“Hey asshole!” fat man shouted, “I’m fucking talking to you.”

I slowly opened my eyes and turned toward the aisle. There, still standing by the empty seat, was the stranger. I can tell that he was upset now, and not just by the tone of voice that he used. His formerly pale face had turned a shade not far off from the red commonly seen on a beet, visible capillaries added to the darkening shade. His brows were furrowed, eyes blazing. His teeth were clenched through slightly parted lips. I could see the rise and fall of his chest, pumping like an over-worked bellows. This guy was seriously pissed off and was looking like he wanted to take it out on me.

“Don’t you EVER turn away from me again! I asked you a simple fucking question, so answer it. Who the fuck was sitting here?”

“Bullshit!” the wacko said. “I saw someone here. There WAS someone here. You had to have seen him. I recognized him. You have to tell me who he was and where he went.”

“Look, I don’t know who was sitting there. I didn’t see anyone. You sure that you have the right seat. Maybe you’re thinking of the one of the others further down the aisle?”

“No, he was here” he said. There was an immediate change to the stranger. He started looking less angry and more confused. The color left his face and went back to the natural shade of too pale. His brows were still furrowed, but they shifted from anger to concentration. “He has to be here, I saw him. I saw him right here.”

“Is there a problem here sir?” the marshal asked the stranger.

The stranger looked dumbly at the marshal, his face beyond pale. “He’s on this plane, I know he is. He has to be, because I saw him here. He was right here” the guy said as he gestured toward the empty seat.

“Who was here sir? Who are you looking for?” The marshal put his hand around the guy’s right bicep, ready to restrain him if necessary. The flight attendant must have told him about the outburst and he was ready, taking no chances.

“He was.” The stranger looked pleadingly in the marshal’s eyes. “You have to help me find him, he’s here.” Getting more frantic now, “He’s on this plane; you have to find him and arrest him!”

“Arrest who, sir? Who are you talking about?”

The stranger, tears welling in his eyes, looked from the marshal to me, and back again, his shoulders slumped. All I could see in front of me was a broken man, one that had obviously lost everything.

“He is…” began the stranger. “The guy I’m looking for-the guy I saw sitting here…He killed my wife, two days ago. And he’s somewhere on this plane. Right now.”

Thoughts And Words

2011-04-21T12:57:00.000-07:00

No, I didn't drop off the face of you-at least not intentionally. I know it's been a very long time since I've written here, and I feel ashamed for it. Err, not really, but that's beside the point. I have been neglecting my blogging duties. I should had have my Blogger Badge™ revoked by now, the Publishing Police must be napping. OK, what have I done lately?

So there I was, in the field (and by "in the field" I mean in a heated building in the Hoenfels Training Area in Hoenfels, Germany, not an actual field) working from 9 PM to 9 AM for three weeks straight, no days off. That kinda sucked, but I had time to think. And what did I think about? I know it's going to be hard to believe, but I thought about writing. Writing? But I haven't written anything here for ages. If I'd been thinking about writing why didn't I just write here? I have an answer for that. I was not thinking about blogging writing, I was thinking about writing writing, as in fiction writing. I heard that, I do not write fiction here. This blog is the honest to Spaghetti Monster truth.

Was that too obscure or obtuse a reference? Don't know what obscure or obtuse means? Never mind.

I have tried to write fiction before, but it never seemed to work out. I mean, it's daunting just to think about doing it. I actually want to create something original and have other people read it. I know the stuff here is original, but it's all me. I want to challenge myself a bit and write about something I don't necessarily know. And that lead me to the idea of writing fiction. Good thing for me I had a story idea or two, or so I thought at the time. I wrote a beginning to...something. I don't know what yet, could be a short story, could be longer. I also threw together a short outline for a story. Unfortunately, the outline has one problem-lack of a complete plot. After a week of fleshing out characters and an outline, I shelved my idea.

After I returned home I was still thinking about writing, about the characters that I had outlined, and I realized I needed a bit of help if I was going to get this right. First step: Get books on writing. OK, did that and have read the first one. After I read the rest comes step two: Read more books. Huh? I've read hundreds-if not thousands-of books already in my life, why would I need to read more? Because now that I know what to look for (6 layers of plot, theme, 3 act structure, style, etc...) I can analyze the books in the category that I'm shooting for and see how the professionals do it. Third: Practice writing a little bit each day. I was thinking that this would probably be the hardest step for me. It's not a problem for me to find the time to write, it's just the idea that when I do start to write I will be bad at it. Then I realized: Of course I'll be bad, that's the point of practicing every day, to be less bad as time goes on.

And that's my plan, for now at least. It's not much, but it's a start. Do I expect to become a world famous author out of this? No, but I might be able to self-publish something. If I don't get that far I'll still be happy creating something, even if I'm the only one to see it.

I can take one consolation from my blog. I have written here a long time now, and I have gotten better. I just need to refocus that experience in a new way. Well, here goes nothing.

Marking Time

2010-11-28T01:39:00.000-08:00

I had refractive surgery about a week and a half ago, and so far are pleased with the results. Every day my vision gets a little bit better. Partially, that is why I haven't written in such a long time. Well, that and nothing really interesting happening in my life. That's not quite true. One big change has happened recently, but the story is not quite ready to commit to the internets yet. Anyway, got a bit of healing to do yet before I really write about my vision correction experiment. Stay tuned for more details. Or something.

The Family That Creates Together...

2010-11-07T12:32:00.000-08:00

Stays Together.

Now it's time for arts and crafts. Arts and crafts, sounds a little mundane doesn't it? I know when I hear that I don't think, "Wow, this is going to be cool!" And that's because it usually ain't (yes I know ain't isn't a word, but it fits the tone of the opening, so deal with it). When I think of arts and crafts I think doilies, quilts, bird houses and colored paper. Fortunately, you won't find much of that around this house.

A couple of nights ago the wife and kid took out the clay and paints. In normal hands you might get a cute animal, a colorful flower or even a decorative rock. But not this family. Here's what they came up with:

This cute little feller is a road-kill possum. How do you know that it's road-kill? First, the x's for

eyes are a dead giveaway (that was horrible and I'm sorry, I'm horrified I wrote that myself). Second, the tire tracks on his midsection is another subtle clue.

Look. You can even see his heart.

Now these certainly look edible don't they? Wait a sec...Are those...? Brains! Who would do such a dastardly thing? I'm sorry, but I am contractually obligated to protect the identity of the person that committed this offense due to the fact that they are a member of this household. And the fact that if I gave them up, the next brains you may

be seeing could be mine.

We've all hear the saying, "I hate your guts." Many of us have even used it at one point or another. Here's another take on it. How about a pair of guts that love each other. See, there's a heart. Heart = Love, right? These guts are practically inseparable. Really, there's a screw holding them together just below the heart.

And the prize winner for completely random? I present:

A disembodied tentacle.

My family, indeed the people that I live with and have to see every day, scare me.

The Accidental Upside-Down Cake

2010-11-04T13:24:00.000-07:00

My daughter's 15th birthday was a couple of days ago, and it was pretty fun. We didn't do a whole lot, mostly stayed home and let her open presents. I also picked up a Yufka Vegitarisch from the local Döner place. Döners are awesome. A Yufka Vegitarisch is essentially vegetables in a wrap with white and red sauces. Very good stuff. Anyway, back to the point. We also had cake.

This is the cake. Pretty isn't it? Not really, I know. I chose a pretty obnoxious cake for an

obnoxious girl. The candles in the upper right are arranged in the shape of a 1 and a 5. Together that's 15. Creative right? I thought so too.

Another, more creative shot. Nice, huh?

All was going well, until it came time to light the candles. What I didn't realize at the time was that the candles arranged as the 1 would create a giant wall of flame when lit. OK, so it wasn't giant, but it ended up fairly substantial. I lit the candles in the kitchen and had to carry the cake to the living room. For some reason I slipped, and the cake took a header.

See, here's the cake. I don't know how the cake slid off, I suspect suicide. I mean look at that ugly thing. The colors alone would cause me to have low self-esteem.

I think it's kinda strange that the frosting just fell off of the cake. I mean really, what was that stuff made out of anyway?

And here's cake number two. I don't know what that yellow thing is supposed to be, but this is much more obnoxious than the first cake and that makes it awesome.

Look at the frosting on this cake. It had to be at least half an inch thick in places. Tasted pretty good though.

Over all I think things went well. The presents were great, the food was tasty and much humor was in the air over the manically depressed baked goods. And the kid had a good time, and that was the point of the party.

Outdoor Adventures

2010-11-03T12:53:00.000-07:00

Last Friday a few members of my team and I took a break from work and had our own little adventure outdoors. Of course, being a soldier, I usually get plenty of opportunities to enjoy nature. We have physical training every day, field exercises, rifle range training and ruck marches- all activities that we do outside. All those are well and good, but we wanted to do something a little different.

What we did was try a little bit of canyoneering, which is also known as a high ropes course. It is actually exactly what it sounds like- ropes high above the ground, up to 40-45 feet high. I'll be honest right now- heights (more specifically, the thought of falling) scare the hell out of me. Thankfully, we had some very good equipment, which kept me from falling- twice, and prevented me from becoming a greasy spot on the rocks. The course is laid out simply. There is a cable strung between anchor points on a rock wall. There may or may not be footholds in the wall, so there were several places with small pieces of rebar imbedded into it. Even without the artificial footholds this course was a challenge. To further illustrate: pictures.

The course was located near the beautiful countryside near Hirschbach, Germany. In this shot the rocks can be seen near t

he center at the top of the trees. From this point it was a short walk to the beginning of the course. But, before we began was the prerequisite safety brief. We also learned how to put o

n, adjust and use the equipment. We had harnesses, two safety lines that attached to the harness and a climbing helmet. We also had to wear gloves, which were available if we forgot to bring our own. One item that a couple of our guys mentioned that may be good for the next go through would be knee pads. One of the team banged his knee pretty hard on the wall. Thankfully, he didn't get hurt too bad and was able to continue after resting up for a couple of minutes.

Here are a couple of guys at the beginning of the course. You can see the equipment and the wall in this shot. This section was pretty easy with plenty of footing. It was also near the ground so the height in this section was not a factor. He

re you can make out the cable and how it is attached to the wall. every few feet (or as short as a foot) was a cable anchor point. Part of the safety equipment included two safety lines, and the anchors are the reason they are necessary. Navigating an anchor point is easy, just detach one safety line and reconnect it on the other side of the

anchor. One thing to remember is this: Only take off one line at a time. If you detach both, you could fall. The first challenge of this course is the first corner. It can be intimidating, especially since the height of the cable is much higher. But...

This is the reward for taking that step.

This is one of my favorite shots of the day. This picture is a bit deceptive though. In it, it looks like Garcia is on a substantial ledge. That is inaccurate. The ledge in the foreground is much closer to where

I am then to where Garcia was. The cable actually went below this ledge and back up again on the other side. There was plenty of footing in this section, but it was never that substantial.

Here you can see SGT Cuevas waiting for Gilson to clear another corner. The top of this section was where Garcia was in the previous shot. As you can see, the cable rises sharply and requires a bit of climbing to reach.

This is the second leg of the first section, and without a doubt, the hardest. It is short, only about 100 feet from beginning to end, but was a very challenging climb. See SGT Kroamer's right foot? That's the last decent foothold on the wall. Let me put it this way: Three of us tried it, two of us made it, one of us had to be helped off the wall. I won't tell you wh

at happened to whom, but I will tell you I needed a bit of help on this one myself. I also smashed my fingers a bit here, nothing serious of course.

My second favorite picture of the day. This is the last leg of the first section

And this is the end of the course for us. Not the course itself, there was one more section. But this second section was more than enough for us. Only three attempted it, and that was because it was a bit easier than the others, just really high up. I

did try this one, but I got a good shot out of it. See that tiny blue spot near the trees on the left side of the rocks? That's SGT Kroamer. Yes, it was that high.

One aspect that I really like about Germany is the ability to try things that I would never be able to otherwise. We all had a great time doing this, even the ones with a fear of heights. Plans are already being made to come back and do it again, maybe in January.

More pics on Flickr.

Scavenger Hunt-Completed

2010-10-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

Update-The final list of all participants is below, mostly with links to the actual posts.

First off, thanks to Antonia Blanca at http://LiftingMeUp.com for organizing this little challenge. It was an entertaining and thought provoking exercise.

This wasn't quite as easy as I thought it would be. Although, part of the reason for that is that I tried to think of other meanings for the themes. Without further ado-here are my pics:

Concrete

Nothing is more concrete than the love a parent has for their child.

Energy

What's more energetic than a child at play?

Lost

Dance

Dancing is simply rhythmic motion. Here, the light is dancing across the image.

Autumn

Smile

This is Bridgett. This day was Bridgett's 4th birthday. Bridgett is the cutest thing I've ever seen. Ever.

Confusion

After a couple of these the whole world starts to look like this.

It's Funny That...

People that have never met can claim to hate a person. It's doubtful that the person that hates the U.S. has ever had a meaningful conversation with an American. It's a near impossibility that they have ever spoken to an Israeli. But they still hate people based on superficial notions.

Anyway, enough preaching. Most of these images were taken within the last few weeks, with the exception of Smile. That one was taken in 2007, but was too good not to include here. So, how did I do?

One more time. Here are the other participants of this digital scavenger hunt. Check out their stuff too. I know I will.

Lifting Me Up -- http://liftingmeup.com/2010/10/digital-scavenger-hunt-october-2010/

Jay.Me -- http://jayme2.wordpress.com/2010/10/10/digital-scavenger-hunt/

Joocy Bits & Wotnots -- http://funkkeejooce.com/blog/?p=169

Photography by Hank Plumley -- http://www.blog.hankplumley.com/2010/10/digital-scavenger-hunt/

Pink Dandy Chatter -- http://pinkdandychatter.blogspot.com/2010/10/digital-scavenger-hunt-october-2010.html

Soul Energy -- http://soulenergyjewelry.blogspot.com/2010/10/digital-scavenger-hunt-october-2010.html

Click 'N Light -- http://weeklyframe.blogspot.com/2010/10/digital-scavenger-hunt.html

Be Your Own Detective -- http://blog.beyourowndetective.net/2010/10/digital-scavenger-hunt-just-for-fun.html

Jerome Aoustin Photography -- http://www.jeromeaoustin.com/2010/10/10/a-digital-scavenger-hunt/

Water Cooler, The -- http://watercoolerthe.blogspot.com/2010/10/digital-scavenger-hunt.html

FreakSmack -- http://www.freaksmack.com/2010/10/weekend-fix-digital-scavenger-hunt.html

The Sci-Fi Gene -- http://sci-fi-gene.blogspot.com/2010/10/digital-scavengers.html

Kent Today & Yesterday -- http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.com/2010/10/digital-scavenger-hunt.html

I've Been A Lazy Bum This Weekend...

2010-10-09T16:00:00.000-07:00

And to be honest, for the last couple of weeks as well.

See, a little while ago I signed up to participate in a digital scavenger hunt. For those of you that don't know (it is pretty self-explanatory, but I will explain it anyway). A digital scavenger hunt is one that is conducted by making pictures by photography, drawing or what-have-you and putting it online by uploading or scanning it. This hunt is being conducted by a group of bloggers, so naturally, we are posting the results on our respective blogs. And since I've been lazy these last few weeks I have not completed the assignment. I didn't say I haven't started, I just havn't finished it yet. The good news is that I have another day to do it. But only one more.

A few of the others have already posted their results. I really don't need to do this until I post my pics, but here is the list of people and their blogs that are participating. Enjoy the results, I know I will.

Lifting Me Up -- http://liftingmeup.com

The Maxwell's Madness -- http://opheliaclairemaxwell.blogspot.com/

Jay.Me -- http://jayme2.wordpress.com/

Joocy Bits & Wotnots -- http://funkkeejooce.com/blog/

Photography by Hank Plumley -- http://www.blog.hankplumley.com/

Pink Dandy Chatter -- http://pinkdandychatter.blogspot.com/

Soul Energy -- http://soulenergyjewelry.blogspot.com/

Click 'N Light -- http://weeklyframe.blogspot.com/

Be Your Own Detective -- http://blog.beyourowndetective.net/

Jerome Aoustin Photography -- http://www.jeromeaoustin.com/blog/

Water Cooler, The -- http://watercoolerthe.blogspot.com/

FreakSmack -- http://www.freaksmack.com/

CookieVision -- http://cookievision.tumblr.com/

The Sci-Fi Gene -- http://sci-fi-gene.blogspot.com/

Kent Today & Yesterday -- http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.com/

And yes, one way or another, I will post my pics by tomorrow evening.

Lesson Learned

2010-10-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

So what lessen did I learn today? It's a pretty simple one that I plan to follow, at least for now. In way of explanation, let me give you a brief rundown of my day.

To start out I decided to get up early today so I could go to a site I scouted and take some shots. How early? 4 AM early, or in military parlance- zero dark thirty. I did have a good reason for getting up early, the site I wanted to shoot was two hours away and I needed to be there around sunrise for the best light. OK, so that's a bit early, but it would be worth the trouble if I got some good pics right? Except that I didn't get any pics. The area of and around the site had road construction. I could have parked and walked to get a few shots, but I would have had to do so through a few miles of rugged woodland. So that ended up being a wash.

After I made it back home I took a nap, I did get up at a time that most people have never seen after all. After I got up I had to do a few errands, to include dropping the kid off at her friend's house to have a sleep over. On the way home I got to thinking: "The light is pretty good (late afternoon) and it should be good for a while longer, why not go find a place to shoot nearby." I checked out a couple of local areas that I'd been meaning to get to, but couldn't find anything there worth getting out of the car for. Then I remembered a place I had been to, but hadn't seen fully yet. The bonus was that it's only about 10 minutes from home.

I get there and end up staying for a few hours, well into dark. I got some pretty good shots out of it to ensure the day wasn't a total waste. Check them out here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharp_imaging/sets/72157625122418454/

So what was the lesson that took me most of today to learn? The lesson was that I don't need to go far to get a great shot. There's usually something closer and better that is worth the effort. That and gas isn't cheap.

Back Home Again

2010-09-25T14:22:00.000-07:00

So I just got out of the field again. And because of that, this is my first weekend off in two weeks. So far the time off has been pleasant, except for this persistent cold that I've had for about a week now. Anyway, the family and I have been doing some bonding type activities. The wife and daughter have even been civil to each other. A teenager being civil with a parent? Who could have guessed? They have even spent time together in the kitchen cooking, and not attempting to throw boiling water at each other. They even made a spur of the moment decision to make cookies. I did not help make them, but I did help each them. They were yummy.

This weekend is all rain so I don't know if I'll be able to take my camera out and shoot some pics. I signed up for a digital scavenger hunt a couple of weeks ago and I only have two weeks to post my shots, so I was hoping for good weather. But with bad weather like this I'm just going to have to get creative in the house. Hmm, I just remembered that I'm taking my camera in for a cleaning on Monday, so the hunt will have to wait until after that.

And that just about covers what was on my mind for today. Boring, I know. But not all posts can be riveting journalism. Ya gotta have some filler in there too. Maybe next time I'll post some pics here and explain how I shot them instead of just posting them on Flickr. That actually sounds like an interesting idea- to me at least.

Tchuss.

A Lifetime Of Change.

2010-08-15T05:05:00.001-07:00

The world today is a heck of a lot different from the world that I entered 36 years ago, not that I understood how things were at that time. The mid 70's was a time of massive upheaval, both social and technology wise. This era saw the end of the Vietnam War, the rise of feminism, expansion of environmentalism and many advances in science. I was too young at the time to understand what all this meant, but now I am old enough (and wise enough) to appreciate how those important steps affected my future.

Just looking around my living room right now I see changes from that time that I would never have guessed about. Within my reach right now I have my cellphone (an HTC G1 smartphone), two portable game systems (DS and PSP), a 320 gig portable hard drive powered solely by USB and the laptop I'm writing this on. Think about these devices for a second. How would someone from 1975, 1980 or even 1995 perceive these small shiny things? In the 1970's, these devices would have been impossible to imagine. State of the art in that age was the 8-track player, type writers (non-electric), and the rotary phone. In the 80's personal computers gained in popularity and ability, as were laptop computers. Cellphones also were gaining popularity during this time. How many fans of Save By The Bell are out there? Surely you remember the Zack Morris phone?

Time continues to advance and changes are happening every day. I am awed by the world today, and a little apprehensive about where we are going. How will the world look in another 36 years? We can guess, but no one can know for sure.

Vacation!!!!!

2010-07-20T02:48:00.000-07:00

So here it is: Vacation time again. I have two whole weeks off, the first significant break I've had in over 6 months. I am ready to relax. Wait, no I'm not. I'm ready to take a few trips around Europe and take a few pics. I'm thinking Prague. And maybe Austria, haven't been there yet. The Black Forest is a place I want to go in Germany, as well as Neuschwanstein- the real life castle that inspired the fake one at Disneyland. So many places to go, so little time.

I haven't posted any pics as of late. The reason for that is that the trial of the photo editing program I was using has expired. I have ordered the full one, but it's taking it's time getting here, should be any day now. Then I will be able to inundate everyone with hundreds of pictures of Germany and all my very interesting vacation photos. Well...maybe not hundreds, but a few. That's about all I've got for now. 'Til later all.

Maybe Google Is Right

2010-07-06T07:45:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking lately. Scary, I know, but bear with me. Anyone who has read my sporadically updated blog knows that I have taken up photography as a hobby. This, of course, has taken up a large chunk of free time during the weekend and as a result I have not been doing much else, such as write as often as I used to. Anyway, to the point. In taking pictures, even digital ones, a bit of developing must be done (more so with me due to my inexperience) and I have been making due with a trials of certain Adobe programs to get by. Looking at the cost of the full programs I've been using has been a bit of a letdown. Realistically, the purchase of a $500 program is just not in my budget and won't be for a very long time-if ever. Then I remembered the cloud.

The cloud? Now what could I be talking about here? So, what do clouds have to do with computer programs? A lot. See, the cloud I'm talking about is the internet version, not the one you see above your head in the sky. Basically, what I'm getting at is that programs don't have to follow the old tried and true method of use. Typically what we do is purchase a program and install it on a hard drive for use. The difference between programs accessible online and the traditional model is that you don't have to download a program to use it. Both Microsoft and Google are investing heavily in this business model, and they may be on to something. I didn't see the potential a few months ago, but I can see the possibilities now.

Take Photoshop for example: The program itself costs anywhere from $700 to $1000 to buy, depending on the version. Unfortunately, that is way out of budget for me and many others. Using the cloud model, what if Adobe instead decided to make a version of Photoshop that is usable in a browser window? Of course it wouldn't be free, but it could cost a lot less. Bottom line what this means is that Adobe can expand its user base by charging for access by means of a monthly fee for a version of the program that may not be as full featured as what is available in a store. For those that can't afford the full program, this model will allow some access and is an affordable option for many enthusiasts that would have no access to Photoshop's tools ordinarily.

I get it now. I see why companies are interested in cloud computing. This could be good for everyone, as long as the fees for online access are affordable. The point to remember is that if the fees are too high customers won't pay and that defeats the purpose of this model. If the fees are not affordable what would be the point?

Unhealthy? Nah.

2010-06-07T13:17:00.000-07:00

My current obsession is with photography. Well, maybe current is not exactly accurate. I've been interested in photography for a long time now, and have been taking my own pictures since I got my first camera in 2006. I recieved a decent Sony point-and-shoot for my birthday that year, and I loved it. I took that camera with me wherever I went, and still do. I've taken pictures of everything around me, and even went far and abroad to get a good shot. One lesson I learned quickly is that getting a good shot does not require hours of scouting locations or extensive prep time to get. It was mostly just about getting out and seeing things for how they truly are.

The first few months I had my camera I took hundreds of pictures. I took pictures of buildings, plants, people and crowds, lakes, activity and anything else that caught my eye. And that is really the secret to photography, using your eyes. I would just walk-or ride my bike-somewhere (anywhere) and just see what there was to see. I would experiment and test my equipment. I would frequently stop and look at the most seemingly uninteresting scenes and find something worth noting about it, if not something worth photographing.

Recently I purchased a new camera, a very decent DLSR. This camera is a huge step up from the little Sony I had been using up until this point, and is a bit intimidating. Using a point-and-shoot camera is easy. Point, zoom, focus, shoot-and that's it. My new Canon EOS Rebel T1i is a bit more advanced and required a bit of studying up to get a decent shot. I've written about it here before and I don't think I'll go into it any farther this time. I will say that with all the practice I've been getting I am getting better at using it and taking better pictures. At least I think I am.

I don't claim to be great at photography, but the reason I keep going and trying is due to what photography has taught me. I have learned to look, really look, at everything around me. I see the color, the splendor, the majesty of life around me. I have to really see, because if I don't I may miss a once-in-a-lifetime vision. Another thing: Every once in a while, turn around, look at the path you have taken, and look at everything from a different angle. I guarantee you will see things in a whole new manner.

Editing Life

2010-05-29T05:55:00.001-07:00

One advantage that digital cameras have over traditional film cameras is the ability to take the original image file and alter it on a computer with a program like Photoshop. We've all seen the results of creative people (and those that just think they are) with edited pictures. The problem I've been dealing with since I bought my new camera isn't whether to touch up photos or not, but rather, when to stop.

I've been trying out a couple of programs to develop digital images, notably Adobe Lightroom 2 and the editing software that came with the camera called Digital Photo Professional. I know what you are going to say: Digital pictures don't need developing, but most can use a tweak or two before they are ready to be shown. When I started using my camera I would have a very large number of pictures that would require a lot of work to be good enough. I have been getting better at using my camera so I don't need to do that much to get a photo to where I want it. Take these pictures below. The first one is the original image exported directly from the camera's raw file, that's the format that I have my camera set to as default. Raw images can be manipulated much easier and with better results than with a .jpg or other format. It's not really a bad picture, but it definitely looks underexposed resulting in an image that's a bit too dark.

This next image was my first attempt

at correcting the original shot. Unfortunately, I had no idea what I was doing. I started by adjusting the exposure and used the graduated filter tool to darken the sky. I then adjusted the vibrance and saturation. Changing the vibrance and saturation settings warmed up the image considerably and made it brighter, but it also made it look unnatural. Another advantage of the raw format, changes made to the image are not permanent. That means that any and all changes made to the image are reversible (thankfully!).

And this last one is my latest attempt to make the image look as natural as possible. I used a bit more restraint in changing the image this time around. I did brighten up the image a bit, as well as adjust the saturation and vibrance, but hopefully not enough to make the image seem fake. What is obvious is that the the picture itself was not taken in the best possible circumstances. The day was very overcast and that detracted from the overall shot. I'll have to go back soon and see if I can do better with more natural light and less cloud cover.

Any image can be manipulated in a variety of ways. Digital images can be recolored, aged, made into a black and white picture or any combination of those options. The key is to know what you want the image to be and convey and when to stop making adjustments. Practice with whatever program you use is nearly as important as shooting the image in the first place. I still need a lot of practice with both.

Hobby Fun

2010-05-25T09:35:00.000-07:00

I've always had an interest in photography, but have never had good enough equipment to really enjoy it as a hobby. I recently corrected my hardware issue by upgrading from my little Sony Cyber-shot point-and-shoot to a very decent DSLR camera with a couple of essential accessories. I chose a Canon EOS Rebel T1i which came with an 18-55mm lens, a bag to protect and carry the camera in and a basic tripod. I have also picked up every book and magazine from the PX about photography that looked useful. And yes, I have also done extensive web research. I'm not all that good at it yet and I still have a lot to learn regarding the myriad of features that my camera has. I've been reading up on using ISO settings, aperture priority, shutter speeds, depth of field, lenses, filters, histograms, white balances, lighting and a few other options. It can be a bit intimidating, but it is very fun at the same time. Here's a shot I took while on a picnic a couple of weekends ago. I like that the dock is in the foreground, but not exactly the center of the picture. The focus of the image starts there, but continues to the rest of the lake and trees in the background. Having the light reflecting off of the water helps to bring out the detail both in the foreground and background. If the light refecting off the water had been darker or had the water been still, I don't think that the picture would have been nearly as interesting.

Experimenting has been vital in my learning process. If I take 30 shots I may only keep 2 or 3 good ones. I try to experiment with the settings each time I take a shot. This means that I may end up with 8-10 pictures of the same subject, but it increase the chance that I will get one that I like. This shot was one of about 35 that I took of this field of Raps plants. I tried different exposures and played around with the depth of focus a bit. I ended up keeping about 1/3 of the pictures I took of this field. What caught my eye about these plants was their bright yellow color. These fields are all over the countryside this time of year and is an interesting change from the predominate green that is everywhere, not that I mind seeing green, but a splash of color here and there is a good thing.

Taking a good picture involves several factors-some that I can control, some that I can't-and that is what makes the challenge worthwhile. The end result is a picture that I'm proud to show. I only have one or two really good ones now, but I'm learning and working on taking more. It'll take time and a lot of practice, but I think I'm getting better.

The Missing Blogger

2010-05-08T05:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have been away for a very long time. I know it hasn't really been that long, just a very long time for someone that writes a blog. Possibly I'll get back to my old schedule of writing a couple of times a week, or maybe not. I can find the time, it's the inspiration to write that I'm lacking right now. I know I always have something on my mind, but what I have on my mind is not always of interest to write about or read.

Something interesting did happen today. I woke up about 9 AM planning to go to the gym. When I got up I heard what sounded like a lot of steadily running water. I thought that either my wife or daughter could be up and taking a shower, but that couldn't be. First, my daughter is a teenager and what teen is ever up before noon? Second, the wife is not exactly a morning person. So I decided to investigate. The noise sounded like it was coming from the basement, so I went to the basement to take a look. I checked the laundry room first only to find nothing amiss. I then took a look in the room that we put the cat to bed at night in (he tends to rampage around the house breaking things if not secured in the evenings). Upon opening the door I see the poor creature huddled against the wall staring at me. I then look up to see a torrent of rushing water in the opposite corner falling from the ceiling directly into his litter box. The cat was so thankful to see me he rushed right into my arms. He was nearly out of dry land and to a cat that must be the worst thing in the world. If the water had risen any higher, say to mid paw level, he might have drowned! Any amount of water (not to include his water bowl, a necessary evil) is frightening to a cat after all. Not to mention that his litter box is now a small pond in it's own right.

Since I was at the lowest level and am smart enough to realize that water flows down I proceeded upstairs to see where the water was coming from. I went to the room directly above the cat's room, which is our rarely used (read: never) dining room, to see water coming out of the light fixture in the ceiling. This fixture usually has a glass cover over the bulb that snaps in place with a series of spring loaded mechanisms. I did notice that the cover was not there, and that was because it was in a bunch of little pieces all over the room along with a copious amount of water. So, up to the next floor it is and to have a talk with the wife.

On the top floor the carpeting outside of the bathroom in our bedroom was a bit damp. The wife, having just exited the shower, was confused as to why there was water all over the bathroom floor. What I think happened is that either a pipe started leaking between the first and second floor. The first floor was soaked by water falling down from the fixture in the ceiling. The second was wet by water being absorbed upwards. I'd like to get an expert here to confirm this, but it's Saturday, and getting a German civilian at the Directorate of Public Works to open a work order on Saturday (even on an emergency basis) is next to impossible.

The leak seems to have slowed down a bit for now. My only concern is that after cleaning up all the water from the cat room in the basement I smell horrendous, which means that I really need to take a shower. I'm hoping that the problem lies only in the master bedroom shower and not the shower in the upstairs hallway bathroom. I'll be testing out that theory shortly.

I have come to realize that if I'm not having any luck getting help on Saturday I won't be holding my breath for getting anyone on Sunday. So it looks like I'll be doing the bucket brigade thing until at least Monday morning.

Retroactive Stop Loss Pay

2010-01-22T12:19:00.000-08:00

Now here is an announcement that is getting entirely too little press these days. Stop loss is a policy that was enacted recently for the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Stop loss is a method for the military to retain experienced personnel in times of need. What this means is that any service member whose contract just prior to, during, or immediately after a deployment was refused release. This policy did not originally include any additional payments for those members involuntarily extended. Fortunately about a year and a half ago that changed.

The change in policy, when enacted, entitled anyone currently stop lossed was given an entitlement of $500 a month in addition to all standard and deployment pays. This policy did not include any members that were stop lossed prior to 1 October 2008. The reason for the omission? Political infighting and budget constraints. Well, fortunately that error was corrected. Now, service member that fell under the stop loss program from 11 September 2001 until 30 September 2008 are now qualified to receive a payment equal to $500 for each month served under the stop loss program. Additionally, any of that time served while deployed will also qualify for tax free status.

The reason I'm writing about this is due to the fact that too little mention of this new policy has been made to date. Thousands of service members qualify for this additional, and well earned, money, but may lose out due to a failing of the government to publicize it. Whether this failing is intentional to save money or just an oversight I don't know, but it needs to be corrected. Applying is easy, provided you have corresponding documentation. Information on where to apply can be found here: http://www.defense.gov/Releases/Release.aspx?ReleaseID=13063. Good luck to all that apply.

Salutations And Apologies

2010-01-07T11:50:00.001-08:00

It's been a while since I've written, and that is wholly my fault. The holidays and my vacation took a bit more out of me than I expected. What I need is a regular schedule to get my mind focused on the pursuits that I enjoy. Gotta have a bit of work mixed in with play or the play is meaningless. Anyway, about a week and a half to go until I start the Monday through Friday grind again. I'll try to get a bit more creative then. Until then, see ya.

Germans Are Strange

2009-12-14T15:18:00.001-08:00

Here I am watching German MTV, it's well after midnight, and I'm being inundated by ads for some pretty unusual things. Cellphones are the primary means of communication here in Germany. Most people don't bother with a home phone, they just rely on their cell for a primary means of contact. Due to that, cellphone commercials are frequent during the breaks. There are of course the usual commercials for ringtones, screen savers, backgrounds and the like. But this late at night, the products in the commercials get a little more...risqué.

German advertising is a bit different than what you will see in America. Typically, there are long stretches of programming followed by a sizable chunk of advertising. Instead of having two minutes or so of ads, you can typically see three or four minutes worth. This leads to some interesting advertising choices. What is frequently seen is two or three individual ads alternated for that three minute block. It's kinda like beating a dead horse. I swear I've seen the same ads for Lady Gaga ringtones about 20 times in a couple of hours. It used to drive me nuts, but I don't mind it as much now. Although I currently, and seemingly permanently, have Lady Gaga's songs Bad Romance and Paparazzi running through my head on an endless loop. But that's what the advertiser wants right?

OK, now on to the late night ads, and yes, there is a difference. In addition to the usual ringtone ads there are some ads for a more mature audience. Late night ads tend to focus on the adult crowd with offers for cell games featuring scantily (or non) clothed anime characters appropriately called Bad Manga Sexy College Girls. I won't describe the content of the games (see the video link at the end of this post), but I have seen some interest apps that are worth talking about.

Of course, there are all sorts of dating apps for lonely Germans. And judging by the advertising, everyone that uses these apps are half naked and all are of the good looking model variety. That's believable right? Good looking people have problems finding dates too, being home on a Friday or Saturday is not exclusively for the homely crowd. And speaking of the stay at home crowd, I saw an ad for an app that I just couldn't believe, but it was so obvious I do wonder why I'd never seen it before.

For the lonely lady there is an app out there called Handyvibrator. A handy is what a cellphone is called here. You can guess the function of this app (at least I hope I don't have to explain it). Makes sense right? Nearly every cellphone these days has a vibration feature and it would be a simple matter to write an app to turn the vibration on. But I do think the picture of the pink vibrator to go along with the app is a bit much.

There is even a special app for the creepy stalker guys among us. I saw an ad for an app that allows you to take a picture of a fully clothed woman. I know what you are saying: "But Gloss, my phone has a camera that already does that. Why would I need this app"? Well I'll tell ya. What this app does, according to the in ad demonstration, is to scan the picture that you took and remove the victims...er, subjects clothes. So basically, if you take a picture of a fully clothed woman the app will (somehow) remove the clothes from the picture and render a top-less bare breasted woman. Personally, I don't believe for a second that this app would be effective or accurate and I have no plans to find out.

Here is a very NSFW video that shows what I am talking about. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FuEdkqw2jY Germans are strange.

No Win Situation

2009-11-18T13:31:00.000-08:00

What's funny about politics is the fact that politicians often have very short memories and absolutely cannot understand the consequences of their actions. Let's use President Obama's campaign promise of closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, which was overwhelmingly supported by a majority of the members of the Democratic Party, as an example. Don't get me wrong, I think Obama has done a pretty good job so far and expect him to get even more accomplished in the remaining 3 years in office. What I take offense with is politics in general. During his election campaign in 2008, then Senator Obama promised (read here, page 5) that, "As President, Barack Obama will close the detention facility at Guantanamo". I have no problem with the President closing down the facility, it is probably the right thing to do, but there are always consequences to every action. Only now are we seeing what those campaign promises are leading to.

Just watch any news channel today and you will see the story being played out on all of them. Closing the detention facility has one very large consequence which no one seemed to have realized when it was marked. If we close Guantanamo, where will the detainees go? There are several options for this problem, but only two that are remotely feasible. Unfortunately, neither option is all that good or politically acceptable for most politicians. First, we could send the detainees to another country, hopefully friendly to the U.S., to prosecute or to be released. Secondly, we could bring the detainees into the U.S. and try them here, with the consequence that if convicted they will be imprisoned here too. Although it seems that the latter is the more likely option, it seems we are far from a consensus or action on it.

Granted, the current fighting is very much along party lines, but there are few Democrats that are willing to bring these suspected terrorists into the country that they have sworn to destroy. Now, let me ask one question: When the proposal for closing Guantanamo was aired what did they expect to happen to the detainees? Did they just expect the problem to go away if Guantanamo was closed. This is a fine example of what could go wrong when a promise is made based purely on a political agenda. The Democratic Party pushed this promise throughout the campaign and it ended by painting them into a corner. Now several Democrats are trying to distance themselves on this very touchy subject. A few are even putting more pressure on the President to solve the problem without providing an adequate solution themselves. I don't know what they are thinking right now, but none of this indecision is making anyone look good. Now is the time to bite the bullet and do the right thing. Do I expect the posturing to stop? No, unfortunately I expect to see more politicking.

Many have publicly stated their concerns about bringing the detainees here, and honestly, I think that these people give way too much credit to the people we have in custody. Why do I think this way? First, they are not superhuman. They cannot just break their bonds at will. They are constantly under armed guard, military armed guard. Next, most detainees do not speak our language, and if they miraculously escape, will not be able to effectively blend into to the local population, no matter where they are held. Also, most of the detainees we have are not dangerous by themselves. There are few masterminds in the group capable of planning an escape of any kind. I don't think that the majority of these people are physically danger. They may have dangerous ideas, but they do not carry the plague. They cannot infect anyone just by being near them. They are only as dangerous as the average violent offender in the U.S. prison system right now. So what's the real reason for not wanting them here? Are they afraid that if we give them a jury trial that we will have to give them rights? That these dangerous individuals will use and abuse our justice system? Then make sure that the laws do not allow them to press an unfair and unearned advantage.

In the end it comes down to one thing: The partisan bickering needs to end and the work of correcting what's wrong with this country needs to start. I, for one, am tired of Republicans and Democrats arguing just for the sake of it. I know that both parties have differences in ideology, but the American people need more than high minded ideals to get us out of this current recession. I realize that certain segments of the problem has gotten better, but not everything is. Now is the time to work together, not argue, and make America the power that it once was. Stop the butting of heads on health care. Stop with the unproductive Socialist commentary. Stop the inaction on unemployment. It's time to get people jobs, good pay, a place to live and keep them healthy. I don't care how it's done, but it does need to get done.

Shiny New Things

2009-11-14T15:30:00.000-08:00

One thing I've know for a very long time is that I am a huge fan of new technology. As a kid I was always interested in the latest news on computers, games and all the new hardware that was out there in the stores of the day. Radio Shack was one of my favorite mall destinations, along with the only decent arcade in town. Unfortunately, I had to wait many years to get the opportunity to get my own computer, a little less than 4 years ago to be exact. Since that time I have embraced the technologies that I was never able to have as a child and young man. Now I can appreciate it more.

Like I said, I got my my first computer not too long ago, and being 31 at the time, a little later in life than most. I shopped around a bit and decided on a Gateway computer. My Gateway was good for its time, not great, but good. It did all I needed it to -work, games and (of course) surfing the internet. A couple of months ago my aged and worn Gateway's DVD drive stopped working. And then the next week its power adapter died. Well, that was all the prodding I needed toward getting a new laptop.

I, again, shopped around for a new computer. Luckily it didn't take me long to find one I liked. I just had to get a flat black, dual core Sony Vaio. I've had some time to play around with this new toy, and I have to say, I'm very impressed by it. I love the look of the case, the great display, the feel of the keyboard and the fact that it had Windows 7 already installed on it. Coming from an XP system to the newest Windows OS I have to say, I like it. The new features and improvements make using my computer a bit better than I've experienced before. But, I won't go into detail on that. I will talk about the other computer that I bought this month.

Maximum PC's Editor in Chief Will Smith asked an important question in it's December issue, "What exactly is a personal computer"? I've had some time to think about this one a bit for myself lately. I do have a classic version of the PC, a desktop that belongs to the wife, and the more modern version that I discussed above. Mr Smith does bring up several other devices that are closely related and commonly found in a lot of homes in this day and age. My PS3 and 360 are very similar to a PC if not exactly meeting the standard definition. Now, about my other PC. I recently picked up a smartphone -specifically the HTC G1, the Google phone. It (like the other devices in my home) doesn't exactly qualify as a PC, but what is a PC these days?

The G1 can do a lot of the basic stuff that my laptop can do. It can connect to the internet, take notes, check the weather, view my e-mail, wake me up in the morning and a few thousand other tasks that I may want it to do. At risk of sounding old, I remember the days when phones could only make calls. Their displays could only show numbers in a single line monochrome LCD display. Seeing what smartphones can do these days is making me a believer in the possibilities of these smaller, more portable devices. Calling them smartphones is selling these devices short. Just call them smart period.

Unforgivable

2009-05-14T09:27:00.000-07:00

This is the hardest post I've had to write, I don't even know where to begin. I guess I'll start by saying that I am angry and incredibly saddened. I know this doesn't make any sense yet, but it will. Some of you know that I am a soldier currently deployed to Iraq. What none of you know is that I am with Task Force 3-66. Task Force 3-66 has been in the news lately, our unit lost...That's not accurate. Our unit had two of our soldiers taken from us by an individual that I am ashamed to call a soldier. SGT Christian Bueno and PFC Michael Yates were from my unit, from my company.

I've read a lot in the paper, and have been briefed on a lot more than has been released, but I still can't make sense of what happened. I know how it all went down, which I will not go into detail about, but I still am in shock. It still hasn't fully hit me that I will never see those two soldiers ever again. I knew SGT Bueno, I'd see him every day. We were both platoon sergeants when our unit was in transition. I'd never been a platoon sergeant before or even in the unit long, but SGT Bueno was there to welcome me to the family. He was always eager to lend a hand or offer advice. When asked to do something I never heard him say no. There was a couple of empty lines in Stars and Stripes about him this morning, but nothing that could attest to just how extraordinary of an individual he was. I hate talking about him in the past tense, for the simple reason that he always seemed to be there when you needed him, when you needed a hand. And I'm sad that he is gone, sad for his family, sad for his friends, sad because no one else will know just how great of a person he truly was.

I am also angry. I have read some of the comments made by the father of (I'm trying to think of what to call him here that isn't too vulgar) the person that murdered our friends and I am disgusted. This man, this Wilburn Russell, is ignorant. He is speaking about things he has never, nor ever will, know.

The purpose of the stress clinic is to find out what will break your spirit, what will break your will and one way to do it is to tell them, 'That's it. You don't belong in the military. Get out of here'

I don't know what this "stress clinic" is he is refering to, but if he is trying to describe the facilities of the Combat Stress Center he is very wrong. The combat stress teams are here to help soldiers, there is no testing to see what will break the spirit and to even suggest such a thing is ridiculous. I have met a lot of mental health professionals in my nearly 12 years of service. Yes, there are not enough of them, but on a whole, they are very hard working and caring people that only want to make things better for their patients. This man's words are a slap in the face to those that are trying to help soldiers that have problems.

I understand this father's pain, but I can't agree with him. I know it's easier to blame someone else for a problem instead of looking at someone you love for the truth. I know why he blames the military mental health institution. He blames the military because the alternative is just so horrific. His son murdered 5 soldiers. There are other details that will come out as the this story unfolds, and when those details come out you will see that this guy is not to be pitied. He knew what he was doing and he should be fully accountable for what he has done. He robbed the lives of 5 people. He deliberately shot each one of them. What he did was unforgivable and he needs to pay for it.

Each of us deals with loss in their own way, and this is mine. Goodbye Christian, you will be missed.

SGT Benjamin Sharp,
Task Force 3-66
Iraq

Rich And Clueless

2009-04-11T10:17:00.000-07:00

Watching the news has been a bit of a joke lately. No, not the news itself, just the people that are on the news. I constantly see TV "personalities" that happen to make a hell of a lot of money commenting on the economy like they are really in danger of being poor. Come on people, give me a break here. You're telling me that someone that gets paid $10,000 every time they are on TV is really concerned about whether or not they will have to live paycheck to paycheck? I don't buy it, and frankly, it's starting to irritate the hell out of me.

Today I watched the Flipside segment on CNN. What got to me was the fact that one of the talking heads was trying to convince people that a loss of benefits, ie...health insurance, was a good thing for you. She tried to say that because you don't have benefits with a job anymore that you could change from one job to another with less of a hassle. Well, that is true, except for one important detail. There are no jobs out there. I think it's irresponsible to try to tell people to not worry about insurance or other job benefits in an economy where there is no better thing. If someone loses health insurance from their job in this economic climate they most certainly will not be able to afford it themselves. I would love to know if that commentator has lost any benefits in the last year, if she had to struggle to find a new job, if she had to live paycheck to paycheck like so many do today, but I already know the answer to that one.

These people commenting on the state of affairs today are not like you and I. Take Rush Limbaugh for example. He's been leading the charge for a tax revolt in New York recently. He states that he refuses to work and live in New York today, not for your benefit or mine, but because he refuses to be charged more in taxes. I'm sorry Rush, but I can't sympathize. First, most people living in New York today cannot afford to just up and move out. They can't afford to just leave their jobs. They can't just refuse to be a part of the economic system that holds them. They are the ones suffering Rush, not you and to announce that you refuse to be a part of that same system just shows how out of touch with people you are. I still seeth when he said that he could afford it, but just didn't want to.

I'm sick of watching the news. I don't want to hear about the horrible economy. I don't want to hear about falling stock prices. And I definitely don't want to hear any rich, privilaged individuals trying to tell me that they what they are doing is for my benefit. It that's the case, I'm more than willing to accept a check from you, cash is preferable though.

The Art Of Twitter

2009-04-08T13:12:00.000-07:00

Anyone that's used Twitter before knows all about how it works. For those of you that haven't, and that's probably only one or two of you, you have 140 letters, characters, punctuation marks, spaces or whatever to communicate with other Twitter users. 140. Why 140? I have no idea, but sometimes it's a challenge to compress a large idea into such a small space. Take last night for example. I had just finished watching The Spirit and wanted to share my thoughts on the movie. What I wanted to say was this:

I just finished watching The Spirit and I can honestly say that I was really impressed. I love the look of the movie, very reminiscent of Sin City (another favorite of mine) but unique unto itself. The characterizations are 40's pulp perfect and highly engaging and its sense of humor is very colorful. Seeing The Octopus in the garb of another hero of the 40s, after a sense, was funny as hell. My only wish is that they make more Spirit adventures for the big screen.

But instead, this is what I was able to write:

Just finished watching The Spirit. Very cool movie. I like that it's a throwback to the 40s and 50s style of storytelling. Awesome stuff.

All characters, punctuation and spaces total 140. It's very short, but I think I'm able to get my main idea across, and I definitely think you get the message about me liking it. Half the fun of using Twitter is trying to be creative in getting your message across. It's a bit harder to do with only 140 characters, but far from impossible. Well, time to go practice, see you on Twitter.

L, TU's Word Of The Day

2009-04-05T00:27:00.000-07:00

Today's word of the day* is technophobia. Let us begin with the formal definition provided by Dictionary.com.

Technophobia [tek-nuh-FOH-bee-uh]

-Noun
Abnormal fear of or anxiety about the effects of advanced technology.

Related forms:
Technophobe.

Think about it for a second and take a look around you. How many electronic devices do you have sitting around you right now? Think you don't have many, look again. Right now I have more than just a couple, not that I'm a technophile (the antithesis of technophobe), I just like gadgets. Looking around me I have (obviously) the laptop that I'm writing this blog post with, an HDTV, DVD player, Xbox 360, PSP, DS, digital camera, digital watch, LED flashlight and various accessories to go with those devices. Now, think about this, how many of those would have been possible 20 years ago? Maybe one or two of those, if you had the money for them. 15? Maybe a couple more, again if you had deep pockets. 10? Almost all of these devices could have been available, and nearly affordable then. How about even 5 years ago? All but one or two, but that's really not the point I'm trying to make.

Technology by it's very nature changes rapidly. In the last 20 years we've gone from VHS being the dominant video format, with DVD and Blu-ray following. Now, the paradigm is starting to shift away from physical media altogether. Who out there has not downloaded a computer program or a movie or TV show? I know I have and I'd bet money you have too. But some people are not like you and me. Some people hate when new technologies are released. Why? Some people just hate to see their old favorites replaced. Just look at the backlash that happened when CDs supplanted records as the dominate music format. Then again, some people just hate technology.

Which leads me to technophobes, people that hate technology for no logical reason. I just read an interesting article on Time.com about a group of technophobes, well, probably just one technophobe and a bunch of his clueless neighbors. The article had the quaint title of "English villagers send Google snapper packing", quite catchy I think. Anyway, to quote the esteemed gentleman that was so horribly defiled by the evil Google syndicate:

"I was upstairs when I spotted the camera car driving down the lane," villager Paul Jacobs told The Times of London newspaper. "My immediate reaction was anger: How dare anyone take a photograph of my home without my consent?"

Upon seeing this car drive down his lane Mr. Jacobs coordinated with his neighbors to block the route of the vehicle. Let me get this straight. This guy sees a car driving down his road. He doesn't like that the car is going to take a picture of his house from a public access road and decides to form a mob with his neighbors. He then blocked the road to prevent a person that was not committing an illegal act from doing what he was hired to do by a reputable company. And this guy thinks he was the hero here. I can just hear him now.

"I saved the lives of all my neighbors...No, wait. That's not right. I saved the reputation of my villiage by...Hang on. I'll get it in a second. I know. I impeded an evil technology from...Never mind. I've got nothing."

There have been several arguments brought up against Google implementing its Street View technology in Google Earth. Some have even said that photographing homes will lead to an increase in burglaries. Now I have to say that that idea sounds completely ludicrous to me. How would photographing the front of a building, something that ANYONE with a camera can do, lead to an increase in home invasions? Maybe today's criminals are tech savvy, or maybe just lazy.

"Why, back in the old days criminals used to scope out prospective victims in person. Now they can plan a strategy from the comfort from their own home."

Except for one minor detail. Google Street View only shows views of buildings from a street perspective. That's not the idea entry direction for a would-be crook to go. I don't know, I've never robbed anyone before, but wouldn't going in the back (where no one including Google can see) be preferable?

It isn't that the technology or Google itself is bad, in fact, this technology has been around for decades. It's just the fact that this guy is just afraid. He is afraid of change and of new things he does not understand. But, instead of researching the subject and understanding what it's all about he chooses instead to be ignorant. Choosing to be ignorant, and displaying it in public is his right, but he does not have the right to interfere with a company that has broken no laws.

*Disclaimer: In using the phrase "Word Of The Day" I am not stating that I will, in fact, write about a word every day. It just sounded better than "Word Of The Week" or "Word Of The Whenever The Hell I Feel Like Writing About A Word".

Interesting History

2009-03-31T14:44:00.000-07:00

I don't know why but I've in in kind of an archaic mood as of late, at least as far as my reading habits go. I recently picked up Michael Crichton's Timeline. Not a bad book, some of the science is hard to follow, but an interesting look at the Middle Ages. When I think of the 1300-1400's I think the Dark Ages, not an age of invention and creativity. We all tend to focus on the negatives of that time, such as the Black Death and events like the Spanish Inquisition. Mr. Crichton's book gives an interesting and alternative look at what may have been.

I also picked up a copy of The Name Of The Rose. I've never read this book before, although I have seen the movie adaption with Sean Connery and Christian Slater. It's a very interesting story involving a murder mystery at a 14th century monestary. I really haven't been able to read a lot due to a heavy work load lately, but I was very excited to see this book and couldn't resist picking it up.

The Middle Ages isn't the only period in history that intrigues me. I am also fasinated with World War II and the events leading and following that world changing even. Being in the line of work that I am, having a healthy knowledge of military history can only help. Now, it's time for me to return to the present and, shortly, go to sleep. I have work in about 6 1/2 hours.

The Perfect Day

2009-03-27T10:02:00.000-07:00

Not all of us have one. Some of us are lucky enough to have more than one. But one thing is certain, we are all striving to achieve the mythical ideal of a "perfect day". I have had many great days, a handful of phenomenal days, even a few days achieving "take to the grave memorable" status, but I've only had two perfect days. One of those days was the first time I saw my daughter with the aid of a sonogram. My wife swears to this day that I had tears in my eyes at the doctor's office (I won't deny it, but I still say it was because of a bit of dirt). Of course, every day since then my daughter has tried her hardest to get me to forget that first glimpse of her, namely by being a normal teen-aged girl, but I digress. Truly, that was a perfect day, but it was not the first.

My first perfect day was one that I experienced by myself and an experience that I find incredibly hard to convey in words. I don't think I've told more than three people about this, but I do think it's time for me to try and explain it one last time. Forgive me if I stumble around a bit. I'm not used to writing on subjects like this in general, even less about myself in specific.

I am originally from Montana; I grew up living in several small towns all along the western side of the state. My family and I moved on a pretty frequent basis, the longest stretch being 6 1/2 years in a place by the name of Evaro starting when I was 5 years old. During the early to mid 80's we lived in this very rural community, which was about an hour drive from anything resembling an actual town. We were very poor at the time and could not afford much in the way of toys, but I still managed to have some really good times there. During this time I really learned to love the forest. I would frequently go out and explore the woods behind my house, being in an extremely rural area with few neighbors, there was just not much else for a child to do. I would venture out to watch the local wildlife (including a brown bear that never knew I was there), catch frogs and salamanders and climb trees. I would spend hours by myself and I would love every minute of it. This love of the forest has stayed with me through my childhood to my adulthood, and will continue until I am no longer around to enjoy it. But, my perfect day did not occur in this place or time, it's just the foundation for it.

Several years and three moves later I ended up in Missoula, Montana. Missoula is one of the larger towns in the region of the Bitterroot Valley and the place where all the people in outlying communities go to work, shop for groceries or just to hang out in the mall. I arrived in Missoula (pronounced mizoola) when I was in the 8th grade and 14 years old. I took to city life (such as it was in Missoula at the time) like a fish to water. That afore mentioned mall was a favorite location for me to go, especially to a place called Aladdin's Castle, my first and favorite arcade. Aladdin's Castle would be an incredible influence in my life in the following years, but it was not the center of my life, that would still be the forests.

When I was 15 or 16, it's impossible to remember my exact age now, I went for a walk in a small wooded area near my house. This was a normal occurrence for me, I found walking amongst the trees to be relaxing and stimulating at the same time. I enjoyed hearing the sounds of nature and it gave me a sense of calm that allowed me to concentrate on whatever problem or thought that had persisted in occupying my mind throughout the day. Oftentimes, this was the only chance I had to escape real world concerns and allow me to just be myself. Some people escape their problems through drugs or alcohol, with me, just being alone in the forest was enough to clear my mind, not that I had any grave issues to work through then. All I had to worry about at the time was the standard fare of a normal teen-aged boy. I started my trek that day by walking through the woods. I had no goal or destination in mind, I just wanted to be out. A little while later I came upon a tree near the edge of the wooded area. I wasn't tired, but for whatever reason, I decided to sit under this tree and just sit for a few minutes. And that was the start of my perfect day.

I don't remember falling asleep, or even if I actually did sleep (for the life of me, to this day I cannot tell which it was). What I do remember though is a feeling that everything was...perfect. I had no cares, nor worries. I had no idea of self or even where I was. The first thing I was aware of was...now this is hard to describe. It was like I was waking up from a dream, although like I said, I don't think I was actually asleep. I had no thoughts, nor was I able to visually focus on anything. Even though it felt like the moment lasted forever, I don't think I was "out" long. The sun was in the same position, the temperature was still the same, but during that time it felt like the world just ceased to exist. Nothing mattered, I was just in the moment. The first thing I was truly aware of was a feeling of perfect happiness and of being completely at peace. At that point a nuclear bomb could have gone off and I don't think I would have cared. Hell, I doubt I would have even noticed it. As I regained my...I don't know, consciousness maybe, I remember being refreshed and able to think very clearly. I then remember getting up from under that tree and walking home, back through the woods that took me to that wonderful spot. After that my day was a blur, that feeling of peace and that everything was perfect was the last thing I remember of it.

Progress in the form of a housing development has removed that wooded area and the tree that allowed me one perfect moment in time. Now I can never go back and relive that part of my childhood, but as is the case with everything in this world, nothing ever remains the same. Time may have removed certain objects and details from my life, but the one thing it can never remove in the memory of that one Perfect Day.

One Of A Kind. Damn It.

2009-03-22T09:50:00.000-07:00

For those of you that don't know, I'm in the military and currently deployed, and that's all I'm going to say about that, not a topic for this blog. What I will write about is the fact that I seem to be a tad bit different from the other people on my team, the same people that I see and talk to every single day. These are the only people I'm able to converse with, mess around with, and hang out with. And that is annoying as hell.

Don't get me wrong, I like all (well, maybe not all, but most) of the people I work with. I've been with most of them for the past year and have gotten to know them pretty well, and they know me pretty well also. I have a pretty good understanding of what makes each of them tick, and what ticks them off. At work, I have a fine time. I'm able to talk shop and I do accomplish my primary function, which is to train and supervise the junior members of my team. I'm good at what I do and my team respects me for it. The problem comes in after working hours. I may not look it, I'm 5' 10", 220 pounds of (mostly) muscle after all, but I am a geek at heart. I love comic books, video games, and blogging. I'm a huge fan of Twitter, Penny-Arcade, and CAD. I love Red vs Blue, RPGs, and G4 TV (AOTS is the best). I know for a fact, I'm the only one that reads Wil Wheaton's blog. Hell, I don't think anyone else even knows who he is here. And I'm the only one on my team that is seriously into electronics and really understands computers. Sure, a couple of the guys know a thing or two about operating their laptops, but most get lost trying to create an Excel spreadsheet. If I was to actually explain how a computer works to one of my guys I swear, his head would literally explode. As in boom. No, really.

Off hours are a little bit of torture for me. I really can't relate to the people outside of work. It's not that they aren't as smart as me, because that's not true. I work with a very talented group, it's just that they think a bit differently than I do. Take this for example: I just got back from vacation and decided, in commemoration of the release of the Watchmen movie, brought my copy of the graphic novel with me. A couple of days later I was finally able to watch the movie (and loved it). OK, side note, pirated movies are bad and you should not support this illegal activity, unless there are no movie theaters that you can go to in the ENTIRE COUNTRY, then it's OK. After watching it and finding out that most of the guys had already seen it the week before, I decided to bring out and introduce them to the afore mentioned graphic novel. I mean, if they liked the movie then the source material should be interesting, right? Wrong. My roommate took a look at it, flipped through a couple of pages, then promptly became bored with the book. Here I am thinking "WTF?!?!", how is he bored with it already? The book in itself is a classic, and I found that comparing the similarities and differences between it and the movie was very interesting. How can someone lose interest in the first couple of pages? At that point I came to a realization, I am alone here.

No, I'm not actually alone in the physical sense, but I don't have anyone here that I can truly be myself with. I can't talk gaming or books. I can't discuss science or sci fi. But, it's not all bad. I really do like the people I work with, they are interesting and intelligent. They just aren't like me, and I'm OK with that. I still have the internet to escape to.

And Everything Else In Between

2009-03-16T16:23:00.000-07:00

I've decided to do something a little different now. A couple of you may be aware of the fact that I actually write a blog about videogames. Well, there's more to life then just videogames, so this is the result. Life, The Universe... I cannot wait to try a couple of different ideas for this, but it'll take me a couple of days to get it off the ground. Anyway, that's enough for a blog intro. Damn. I forgot to actually mention what I'm going to write about. Here it is in a nutshell, everything except for videogames. And no, religion, politics and money are not off limits.