100 Out of 300,000,000

i've seen a few people walking around the airport wearing masks. silly people, flu is for swine.

40 Years to Change

as we walked thru the arrival gate at the atlanta airport there were a few dozen people waiting to pick up their own friends and family who applauded as soldiers came up the escalator. see, i told you it's not vietnam.

Crazy New York Drivers

they're so slow

Paintball

4 months in iraq, and i had to wait till i got back to America to shoot someone. hmmm, i wonder what this does for my ranking on the new extremist watch list?

What's going on?

i leave America for 4 months and somehow this lady gaga creature appears. i'll deal with our enemies overseas, but someone needs to pick up the slack here at home.

Why do you read this?

http://www.despair.com/blogging.html

Defenseless

i've already had about a dozen mini-freak outs as i suddenly realize i don't have my weapon and think i've lost it.

AMERICA

back in the states for a little r&r. good to be home.

Fobbit

yesterday i arrived at the FOB so i can go on leave in a few days. i got a massage, went to the PX, ate a pizza and took a long hot shower. i could get used to the fobbit lifestyle.

American Advisors

after we officially pull out of iraq, we're still going to have some of those famous American advisors in country. they'll be here to help train the iraqi security forces and help the government, but we should consider leaving a few cultural and culinary advisors as well. there are many stores called haj shops, run mostly by iraqis and turks, that cater to the American military. the operators are well versed in American lingo and know how to talk to American males in their early 20's. it's a useful skill to have for their job.

recently, however, one of the more successful haj shops decided to expand and opened a restaurant as well. it offers a small variety of American and iraqi food. unfortunetly, they didn't do all their research very well when it came to the American dishes. i looked at the menu and quickly decided on the cheese steak. i love 'em. but i was a little suprised when my lunch arrived and it was actually a steak covered in cheese. i guess they heard of a cheese steak without ever seeing what it was and just went with the simplest explination. occam isn't always right.

Stupid is as the Army does

i remember before i left ft hood to come to iraq i was talking with one of my friends about our upcoming deployment. we agreed that going to iraq had its ups and downs. we'd be getting shot at and blown up, but at least we wouldn't have to deal with all the stupidity of garrison life. wrong. wrong. we haven't been shot at and the same stupdity we dealt with back in ft hood is all the worse for occuring in a combat zone.