russian hippies and american foreign policy November 30, 2007

In our little area here it is pretty quiet. We are mostly concerned with renovation projects and other civic improvements. You really want to help these people out, but a lot of them are nothing but whiners and deadbeats with an ever present outstretched hand. The sheiks and other various civil authorities (read mob bosses, no joke) are such short sighted fools with their only thoughts of their little empire and the constant power struggles. I don’t know what’s gonna happen to this place in a couple years. There’s so many variables at play here it that it will take that long to sort out this mess and I don’t know if there is anything we can really do to speed up the political evolution here.

 

Actually it is very similar to Tolstoy’s “Family Happiness”. (easy, easy, stay with me) In that story you have an older man marrying a younger woman. He tells her that the simple life is the best and man needs nothing more. Of course she won’t listen and they go to St. Petersburg where she is entered into high society life. Well poor Marya Alexandrovna must learn the hard way that the big city is all fun at first but hides many a secret. Their love fades and she resents her older husband for not teaching her and guiding her through life’s lessons. His answer is simply that if he had tried she wouldn’t have believed him and had to do it herself. Or to put it another way, it’s like letting your kid stick a penny in an outlet, knowing it will hurt him, to make sure that he remembers not to do that again.

 

It feels like the largest part of the American adventure here is winding to a close. When we are not here to keep the insurgents from getting too frisky what is going to happen? I hate to get political, but I get pretty wound up when I think of all the anti-war schmucks from the last couple of years. I mean there is a lot of b.s. surrounding this war, and yes it was started, how shall we say, clumsily; but how can one see the complete destruction and pathetic living conditions here and turn his back? So juxtapose this desire to help these people that live in this sad excuse for a country and a desire to go home and stop wasting time, money, energy, and valuable American lives for ungrateful fools and you have my present mindset.

 

new photos November 24, 2007

there are some new photos on the pictures page,

so what do you do exactly? November 20, 2007

my boss made this and posted it. it is way too accurate for words.

i just wrote a bunch of stuff that was eaten by the internet trolls. i refuse to rewrite it right now. i will take a stand against inanimate objects and their constant struggle to destroy man!

the others November 11, 2007

well it has been a week of firsts here at baghdad resort and spa. a couple of days ago we received seven rockets at about 8 in the morning. they were those little worthless ones you set on a ramp and shoot off. they are like bottle rockets really. either way no one was hurt. although i must say it was a heck of an experience to hear these screaming across the sky. amazingly no one does anything. imagine sitting in your office and saying “sounds like rockets. hey did you see american idol last night?”

we found out that this guy hadn’t taken a shower in four days and his rifle looked like he shoveled sand in to it. so since he was temporarily in a leadership vacuum guess who got the job of squaring this guy away? and of course when he was supposed to have taken a shower and cleaned his rifle it was a travesty. i ended up smoking the guy for about 45 minutes. it was my first smoking. but it was okay he was gentle and caring. i would also just like to mention that yes i am a 25 year old man with a bachelor’s degree and i am spending my time making sure a grown man (well 19) takes a shower.

also anyone with my phone number who wants to call, i’ve heard that the cheapest way to call is to look up the “hello iraq” phone card online.

small world November 4, 2007

 

so fun fact. did you know everywhere in the world the army chow is the same? not just same menu, but same exact food. i checked with my researchers and found this to be true. example: all garlic bread must be cut hot dog buns that are burned and kept sealed away from any spices or flavors.

well we are almost ready to head up north. i don’t know if i am. i try to imagine that this is a big deal, but there simply isn’t time. and honestly it doesn’t feel dangerous or exciting. it feels like it will be the same ol same ol. people are still freaking out, power struggles continue, and duplicitous sharks swim through the cracks to steal the purse. i am always amazed at the lying and hypocrisy that is conducted by the same people who scream honor and integrity. the single worst part of the army is holding your tongue.

actually i woke up the other day and found myself in my very first little petty power struggle. it’s like watching your child go to school for the first time. i was so proud of myself! basically a guy who was an e-4 with me got his e-5 and wants to strut his stuff even though he really doesn’t know what is going on. so now he wants to go from joking around and working together fine to him tossing his pathetic little amount of power around. throw into the mix the fact that i do a lot of the behind the scenes work for the company and am basically putting out all the info and orders to most of my platoon and we have a problem. so its pretty exciting.  i am trying to pretend like i am not really in this. i am going to do things just to gauge his reaction. i like to consider myself an army anthropologist. the jane goodall of the infantry if you will.

but all in all we are set. sorry i haven’t got any phone calls off yet. the phones are in a constant state of flux. hopefully in the near future i’ll get that done. oh and the mailing address i gave you is apparently wrong. a couple of the numbers are wrong so i will give you an update when i figure out the story on that one.