Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Randomosity II

I like the phrase "You can't even make a sanity check versus boredom". I've been in that position many times, failing the sanity check.

Whiz Quiz class continues on. Today we learned that drugs are bad. I'm still haunted by images of the Wizzinator.

The keyboards used by the Ft. Bliss library are jacked up. I keep hitting "delete" when I'm trying to "backspace". The two are so very similar, but they're not the same thing. This design is nearly enough to get me to join Jeff Jarvis in his unholy crusade against Dell. Wonder what ever happened to the "Dude, you're getting a Dell," kid.

Tilting windmills at MEPS from two states over is annoying.

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Another done

Day Two of Whiz Quiz training is done. Although the training is exactly what I thought it was, it is still some good information to have. And the discussion the class had about how a female version of "The Wizzinator" a) worked and b) was hidden from the observers sight, is a discussion that has scarred me.

My fantasy baseball team is doing well. I'm in second with a 3 point lead on third. First place remains far, far from my reach, but it's still a long season. Steals have been my weakness all season. I just have none. Dave Roberts is the only player on my roster with over 20 steals on the year, and Orlando Cabrera is the only player to have actually stolen double digits for me this year. I re-added Julio Lugo recently, but with him and Cabrera playing the same position it wasn't a brilliant move on my part. I've been saved by my pitching, Scott Kazmir, Aaron Harang, and Francisco Liriano have all contributed 10 wins, over 100 K's, and a WHIP under 1.35.

My time on the post library computer is drawing to a close. So off to finish my homework for the class. Ironically, if I was as good about doing my homework back when I was in college as I am nowadays, I probably wouldn't have gone AGR and thus became a recruiter. Remember kids, SFC B says do your homework or else the Army will make you a recruiter.

Sunday, July 23, 2006

On the road again

Bags are packed, cat's been overfed, litter box is scooped, I've got my UPL study guide (cause if I didn't they would boot me from the course [why are the students required to provide their own study guides?]) and my directions to Ft. Bliss. I don't know why I printed them since the directions consist of: Get in car. Drive on I-10. Seven hours later Bliss is on your left. If you take a right instead of a left you are in Mexico. That's it.

I've thought about saying something "funny" during the first day of class about me and using drugs. Because there's usually some humor to be had during a unit urinalysis from how much someone doesn't want to do the test. 'Cause drug abuse is funny. However I'm not going to since it's never as funny when I say it out loud as it is in my head, and the instructor has, no doubtk heard every smart-ass remark before. Although I'm going to be away from recruiting for a whole week, I just want it to end. Looking over the study guide this is going to be a week of mind-numbing classroom discussion. This is a week long class to learn how to fill out a sign-in roster, put stickers on a bottle, and complete a FedEx label.

And yes, I'm writing my class AAR comments now. That way I can write them down, sign my name to the AAR sheet, and be done with it. Oh, and yes, I do put my name on AARs. I figure that anonymous critisim has no chance to change course work, but maybe someone actually putting their name to "this class is too damned long, we don't need 2 whole days dedicated to memorandums," will. I know, I know, I'm overestimating my own importance. That comment was on my BNCOC AAR.

Anyways, time is of the essence and I need to begin the drive. I'm hoping there aren't any DEA or Immigration stops along the way, those take forever to get through. Have a good week y'all.

Saturday, July 22, 2006

Prep

Finishing up the last of the laundry. Did a bit of housework as well. Mrs. SFC B went to New England for a friend's wedding, I wasn't able to go because of the training next week, that and taking leave the first week of the month never works out well. One of the tasks I undertook which will cause Mrs. SFC B no end of frustration was organizing the CDs. Rather than trying to break them down into arbitrary categories I did it by the simplest way: ABC. It's amazing how much less cluttered a floor is when 550 CDs are in their racks rather than strewn about creation.

Serenity debuted on Cinemax this weekend. I feel like one of those pathetic fanboys who just can't let something go. It's a movie (and TV show) that just never got the fair shake it deserved. Firefly got the same jerking around treatment from FOX that NBC gave to News Radio. However, where News Radio was able to survive for five seasons Firefly's high production values, and the... bizarre... genre it filled (dramedic space western?) doomed it to a half-season run. Since a sequel to the movie is unlikely to occur, and the straight-to-DVD of season two is nothing more than fan wish-casting, Cinemax's broadcast is the best I'll have to do with.

Tomorrow I travel so blogging will be even lighter than normal, unless SSG Rage ever decides to take advantage of the fact he's an authorized contributor. Of course, then again, I probably don't need someone from the battalion reading Rage's profanity-laced rantings against the latest perceived slight to his sexual orientation.

If I spontaneously combust everyone should know that it was because SSG Rage focused his immense anger enough to make me combust from 1,500 miles away.

Friday, July 21, 2006

Enjoyable

Had a productive trip to Prescott and now have a contract in the pipeline. With a bit of fortune he'll be in next week. Of course I'm counting my chickens before they're hatched so something will go wrong, but it makes me feel less sucky about having to go to Ft. Bliss for a week. Oh yeah, I'm going to Bliss for a week to take the UPL course. When I'm done I'llbe certified to send human waste through FedEx. Yay....

After closing out for the day most of the station went to the local watering hole for a good time. Some nachos, pizza, wings, and wobbly pops later I was back at home watching Advent Children. The Final Fantasy major release movie franchise would have went so much better if that had been the movie released instead of the one that was. Oh well. A movie based on a Final Fantasy game is doomed to the same fate that Serenity was. The background is just too rich to be condensed into a 90 minute feature that is still entertaining to the general public. Oh well.

Head to the Mountains

Another week is almost in the books. I'm talking calendar week because the recruiting week ends on Monday. I can just imagine some MAJ at USAREC getting all excited because he thought up the current calendar used by USAREC. Maybe one of these days I'll post it so you non-recruiting folks can get a glimpse into what it's like. Pope Gregory's calendar has worked pretty good for a while now, I don't know why that's not good enough.

Oh well, it's a topic for another time.

This morning I'm rolling to Luke AFB for the morning workout, and when that's done I'll be headed to the mountains of Prescott. Got a call yesterday from the folks up north with a young man who's interested in the Army Reserve. I should get a big spotlight that shows an image of the Minuteman on the sky. They can turn that on when they need to call me. The Reserveman Signal.

Uhhhhhhh... no.

The first week of the month is not usually kind to my station. Despite my best efforts to have something lined up for W1 it doesn't happen. I'd have something for Week 2 set, but having an OPI scheduled seems to be a task that's a skill level too high for someone. I could go ahead and do it myself, I've done it before, but each time it creates a bigger headache. Some folks and some agencies do not like having their toes stepped on by some uppity recruiter trying to put people into the Army.

If there was ever an AAR done on the processing for a 09L my first suggestion is to stop making it a process where you can't schedule the next step until the current one is completed. I don't think the world will end if we schedule someone for an OPI before we have the ECLT results back. Instead the current SOP seems to be "wait until the results get back, then wait until someone gets around to it." I'm sure that scheduling this OPI is an important task for the counselors, but it's no where near as important to them as it is to me.

I spoke w/ the testing folks at Monterrey and Lackland, they don't care where the telephonic OPI interviews take place, all they care about is that there is a test control officer present. I'm located between a big freaking AF base and two Reserve training divisions. I'm willing to bet I could find a TCO somewhere besides at the testing center at MEPS. I wonder how much trouble I'd cause if I were to just have my current guy take his OPI with a TCO from the 104th?

Anyways, off to get my PT on.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Whoops

Becky over at Rambling Thoughts of a Future Soldier is someone who should tickle a cockle in IRR Soldiers' heart. She's a soon-to-be Future Soldier applying for OCS. I'm kind of eager to see IRR Soldier go over her latest post on OCS packets for accuracy. Seems to be some stuff in there that a recruiter could use. I would have had her linked earlier, but I jacked up the HTML on the link and just caught the mistake.

*UPDATE* I did the same thing to Army Lawyer.

Darth Commando, IRR Soldier, and Observer5 combined to make the single most commented on post I've ever had. I have no idea how my remark about Aubrey Huff's first day as an Astro evolved into what the comments became, but it was a fun read.

Lastly, speaking of IRR Soldier, ever think of starting your own blog/website? Or maybe becoming a contributor to one? The one you link to in your comments hasn't been updated in several months, and in a previous post where I talked about Soldiers in the IRR it was making my head spin trying to keep the difference between IRR Soldier and IRR Soldier.

Friday, July 14, 2006

Firday!!!!

The week is nearly over. Although it is a processing Saturday so today doesn't represent the joy it does when there isn't a mandatory work day. Oh well. It's still Friday and you gotta love that.

Aubrey Huff did right in his first game as an Astro. A three run homerun is a good thing. Winning 5-1 is even better. Morgan Ensberg heads to the DL though with an injured shoulder. The injury is recent so it doesn't explain his nearly month-long swoon.

A visit to a school and a COI event is on the agenda for today. And a prior service for SGT W^3 enlisting will close the box on the Reserves, and with the two people on the floor for the RA today enlisting we'll actually... get this... box.

Sweet.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Policy

A search for "USAREC web log policy" leads to 559 web pages that don't answer the question. A search for "Army web log policy" leads to 10,600,000 web pages, but buried in there is a memo from the Multi-National Corps- Iraq policy #9 dated 6APR2005 (PDF). Their policy applies to all people under MNC-I, but it requires an operator to register w/ the command, and not post classified info, FOUO info, incidents under investigation, information covered under the Privacy Act, and casuality information prior to notification of the next-of-kin. Email conversations with someone in the CENTCOM's PAO provides the guidance in that policy memo as well as in AR 25-2 and AR 360-1. It makes sense to me that the Army would have the most interest in getting a handle on web logs since, according to Milblogging.com the Army has the most blogs of any branch. The most by a large amount. A quick search down the blogrolls of other bloggers shows a huge number of "Army" blogs. I suppose that between the size of the Army, and since the Army is the service most involved in post 9-11 actions, that our Soldiers would take to the newest way to write home.

Although Soldiers deployed to hostile areas are allowed to maintain a web log, they do have to register, and that registration of course will cause some restraint on those under the command to not say everything they may want. And that's the way it is in the military. We do sign away some of our liberties by joining. It's the price we pay. But as near as I could find the Army's policy is to allow its members to maintain a personal web page, as long as it does nothing to
degrade good order and discipline. I stand ready to be proven wrong by a more knowledgable authority.

I find myself looking over my shoulder as I write this here at my home. Recent events, that started innocently enough, have put me in a situation with more attention than I'd ever wanted. And yes, I realize that writing about it will only increase that attention.

Well, we'll see what happens.

In business news a young man is shipping out for me today. Despite the frustrations he's caused me in my year and a half of working with him he's an eager person who wants to serve badly. And those don't grow on trees. I've had a decent run of putting useful Soldiers into my units. I'm confident that he'll ocntinue that trend. The Recruiting Gods will surely be warming up their bolts of pain. The station is close to boxing. And with a bit of luck and work it will actually happen. That will mean wicked points.

The Astros traded for Aubrey Huff from the Evil Fishies. Huff is a 30 year old slugger who can stand around 3rd base, as well as play 1st and the corner outfield slots. The Fishes allowed him to pass his prime waiting for over paid free agents to move on, but he's still got a decent stick and is currently career leader in most D-Ray hitting categories. That's not to damn with faint priase though. His performance year to date has been much better than the man he's replacing, Jason Lane. The Astros are below .500 and only trailing the Cards by 6 games for the division lead, although with three teams between them. Hopefully Huff, who's been a decent hitter all his career while maintaining an OBP around .350, will provide a jolt for one of the worst hitting teams in baseball. His sinister nature will allow the Astros to get away from their righty-heavy ways. Sandwiching Morgan Ensberg between Lance Berkman and Huff might be a good start, and with Mike Lamb playing above his head all year there's a good deal of flexibility at the corner positions.

Hum... The Detailed Adventures of an Astros Fan... just tossing new blog title ideas around.

Monday, July 10, 2006

Mind reader

Curse you Darth Commando. Your post touched on something I'd be gnawing on for a while now. I have occasionally gotten myself involved in spirited discussions on websites that don't serve as an echo chamber for my own opinions. I know, I know, that'll lurn me for trying to get smarted.

I've realized that when I get into these things I'm going to not "win". I don't even know what the definition of "win" is in this situation, but much like obscenity, I know it when I see it, and I know that the "winner" will not be me. My knowledge about, and passion for, many hot-button issues is a puddle: not very wide and not very deep. Even issues like the Army and recruiting, things I should know a lot about, I really don't. All of my knowledge is based on my own personal experiences, and the occasional Google search. I don't have the dedication or motivation required to make an effective "appeal to authority" argument.

I'm not an academic. I've got my time in college, but a signifigant part of it was spent at keg parties (unless you're my mom reading this, in that case I was studying allllllll the time). And I'm not so invested in my position that it becomes something I want to study and research. IRR Soldier's response here is more involved and thought out than I could manage with a week. As an aside if you're reading this, IRR Soldier, I think your position about "retire or transfer to the IRR where I am not bound by the UCMJ except for my 2 weeks a year ADT status or during mobilization," is a bit flawed. Being in the IRR doesn't exempt one from the UCMJ. It's not like an IRR Soldier (in general, not you) can be openly, actively gay.

Unlike Darth Commando I can't even go to read Kos. If someone I read links there, sure, I'll go, but it's not something I'll do to myself willingly. Life's too short to give validation to people who are so... invested. Same goes for whatever the right's equivalent of Kos is. The people I link to are those I read.

Politically I don't know where I am. My panties don't get into a bunch over the thought of gay people marrying. I think flag-burning is a very useful form of speech; it lets me know the speaker is a moron. I wouldn't trust congress as a whole with the proceeds from a church bake sale. Sure, there are a lot of people in there who are dedicated, honest civil servants who want nothing but the best for their constituants, but I think us constituants would actually be served better if there was less money available with which to serve us. I think of congress as a drunken frat party. Sure, all the attendees are fine students, but you get them all together, throw in a keg of MGD, and all those Dean's List guys are streaking the library during Dead Week. I don't see any problem with being pro-life and pro-death penalty. You murder four people in cold blood and start a nationwide gang responsible for the death of thousands, you deserve to die, I don't care how nice your kid's book is. Killing someone who hasn't been born yet, yeah, that just doesn't work for me. I'd like to think that people would be able to have a rational discussion about the subject, and maybe come to a conclusion that respects the right of a person to choose what happens to themselves, while respecting the right of a soon-to-be-person to be born. I'm not Solomon and have no idea where to split that child, but there's gotta be a better choice than what we have now. I think Kevin Costner should be forever banned from making a post-apocalyptic movie again, and should be required to make baseball movies every couple years. I think we should have a more open immigration policy, and that we should forcefully and vigorously patrol our borders. I don't think the two goals are mutually exclusive. I'm willing to bet we could not build that bridge in Alaska, and instead maybe hire a couple guys to watch the border. If we can't find the guys go to Home Depot at about 4am, plenty of people looking for work there.If I were appointed Czar of Schools for a day I'd remove sex ed from the schools and add an additional math and science class. If a kid's smart enough to know what a^2 + b^2 = c^2 means they can figure out "hold tip of condom and roll down". I think the degredation in performance for American schools, combined with the resulting culture MTV displays is enough proof that something is broke. Speaking of, I think if thoughts ever become punishable crimes I'll be happy those laws weren't in effect while Britney Spears was under 18, and Lindsey Lohan didn't have the body of a crack whore.

It's late and I have someone taking the ECLT in the morning. This means I'll probably be blogging about how MEPS makes me want to burn things.

Exercising of Rights

Darth Commando directed me to a story where people refer to me. Yay! I like being referred to. It makes my ego feel loved.

Some protestors in Grand Rapids, MI (First town to flouridate their water) took station outside their local recruiting station, and claimed victory since the recruiters followed procedure, secured the station, and left the matter to local authorities. Stories like this make me feel good. It always makes me feel warm and fuzzy to see Americans being allowed to exercise their rights to assemble and speak. With all of the talk about how the government is collecting phone data on terrorists calling Americans from abroad, tracking the financial data from people suspected of ties to terrorist organizations, and holding journalists who reveal secret programs, and those who leaks them, ijn secret government prisons where they're subjected to the most brutal of interrogation tactics.

Oops, sorry, only two of those things were actually happening.

Anyway, I do like stories like this because they show that America isn't really descending into a horrific, 1984-esque, totaltarian state. At worst, according to this story, the protestors were advised by the police that neighboring businesses were complaining about the noise. And I'd do the same if 15 people were outside my McD's beating drums and chanting stats about rape. The cops didn't arrest anyone, didn't make any threats, and didn't do anything other than enforce the peace while repsecting the protesters rights. I do hope that maybe one of those 15 came away with the realization that their rights only extend as far as someone else's.

I'm curious. This story says that I use my blog to recruit people. If that's the case I have conclusivly demonstrated my least effecient and effective lead source. Dear God my blog is the worst recruiting tool ever. Jack Army, Darth Commando, Military Recruiter, what am I doing wrong where your blogs were so much better at recruiting people for y'all? I've answered plenty of questions from parents, prospects, and soon-to-be recruiters who emailed me, but none of them even became an Appointment Made. My blog sucks for recruiting. If my blog was a recruiter it would be working at the CLT, wearing its service uniform, running police checks because it was such a sucky recruiter.

The whole thing was a decent enough read until it came to Ex-Marine Chris White. White's an ex-Marine (his words, not mine) who served his four years, went to school, and now writes essays about how the military sucks. His contribution to the article in question is misrepresented in the first place. He is not, as Media Mouse alludes, a former recruiter. He spent some time on the Marines' equivalent of HRAP. He's as qualified to talk about what it is to be a recruiter as I am to talk about being an Infantryman because I went through Basic. I don't mind having my current assignment lambasted by people. It comes with the turf, but at least use someone who has some experience in recruiting (IRR Soldier, looking your way), not someone who was a PVNothing at the time.

All in all though, it's nice to be noticed. If I was a recruiter in that Grand Rapids station I'd probably ask them to come back. They got to lock their doors, leave the office, and go hang out at the local wing joint. If your protest leads to me eating wings come on by and exercise those rights I help protect. It's your right, and you're welcome. Pass the ranch.

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Newb

SGT Lori is a Nasty National Guard recruiter from the Peach State. I'd been lucky enough to be graced by her in the comments before. Now that she's completed recruiting school she's out on the streets. Damn you National Guard recruiters and your blissful, USAREC-Free life. I curse you all.

Some advice for you young Padawan, just keep plugging. Always try and talk to people. Don't let it run your life though. If you're at the store after work, try and go through the line with the kid who looks qualified at the register or bagging. Carry cards always. You don't need a wad of them, but if you're at McD's with your kiddos, or you're out to dinner leave a card. Ordering pizza is a good way to have an appointment made walk up to your door. It's not worth it to lie. And no matter how badly your month, quarter, year is going when you tell the kid to "shut-up" about something it's going to come back to bite you on the ass. Good luck out there.

Friday, July 07, 2006

Time Wasters

I'm something of a video game fan. I'm not die-hard, at least not like I was in my youth, but I enjoy a good game as much as anyone else. I'm more of an RPG/strategy guy. FPS is just not my thing, and puzzle games piss me off. Although I've bought the Madden games every year since 2000 this last offering soured me on them. Besides, baseball is my sport of choice. Baseball games leave me cold though. I like all the aspects of the game, the game on the field, as well as the analysis provided through the stats, and even the aspects of roster management. When EA combines with Baseball Prospectus to release EA Sports: General Manager 2007 I'll be the first in line. Until then though I have to settle for having my 3 hitter rack up 70 homeruns by the ASB.

Here is my Top 10 Video/Computer games I've ever played.

10. Final Fantasy. 8-bit sprites, no personalization of the characters, and it required more dedication than my Nintendo Power reading self could manage. Still, it planted the RPG seed in me.

9. Vampire: The Masquerade: I liked the story. It spanned centuries and featured a main character I really felt for. The combat system was interesting to me as well with an emphasis on hack and slash, as well as stealth and planning.

8. Halo: One of the two shooter games I like. I get raped in multi-player though. Raped hard. Oz-raped.

7. Command and Conquer: I bought it at a discount when I worked at Electronics Boutique. The first RTS I'd played was Dune, and C&C did Dune better than Dune did. Crushing people with my Harvesters gave me a naughty feeling.

6. Final Fantasy 3 (in the US): Best Final Fantasy game. FFVII gets more positive press because of its graphics and the Sephiroth-cult, but as I was playing it I couldn't stop thinking how much more I liked the story in FF3. My friend David might think that using a Phoenix Down on the undead train boss is "cheap", but he's wrong.

5. Grand Theft Auto 3: For all the whining and hand wringing about the corruption of America's Youth people see to overlook the fact it's a pretty sweet game. Taking a baseball bat to a hooker, waiting for the ambulance, capping the medics, and running over their corpses in the ambulance is probably the most vicious, realistic act one could perform.

4. Civilization and Civilization 2: Two games, I know. But they're the same game, just one is better looking, and they're both awesome. I loved being able to unleash tanks at 1AD.

3. Baldur's Gate I & II: It's really one, very large and long game. Awesome, involved, detailed storyline. Thought and planning involved in the combat system. A wicked variety of characters, each of them with a well-thought out back story. And it has Minsc and Boo.

2. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: I'd thought about cheating and lumping I and II together here too, but although the mechanics of the games are alike, the original had a better story to me. Revan, Bastilia, Carth, and T3 works for me. The truth about the main character (which is telegraphed, but still something of a twist), the fall of the noble warrior, the family man's revenge, and plucky robots.

1. Star Control II: This is the game I'd choose if I could have only one game to ever play again. Story-based space adventure games reached their pinnacle back in 1992 when this game was released. The owners could repackage it and rerelease it today and it would be the best game on the market. It's available for a free download here. Get it, play it. Between the story, the resource gathering, and the combat engine it's still super-awesome. It's almost 15 years old and it remains one of the best games ever. I have the game downloaded and I'd still pay them money to buy it again.

I guess looking back at my list a story is what drives me. I can tolerate a good bit of glitching and stupid action if you can make me care about what I'm doing. So, I guess I'm now curious what games take up the attentions of my seven readers (Hi mom!).

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Round Fired

The young man who'd DEP lossed, then passed his GED enlisted today. He's a happy commo guy now who'll be $4,000 richer upon completion of his training. As an added benefit he's a quick ship, leaving in a week. He's already been cleared for law and drugs so I don't have the ugly spectre of the Positive Match or DAT coming. Hence why he ships in a week rather than the usual two.

The enlistment comes at the right time since I finally, officially, took my positive match loss. This keeps the AR at 2 for 4 with a week left. It's going to come down to the wire, but SGT W^3 looks to have those two lined up. If the RA can get its butt back in gear actually doing our job and making mission is within sight. SFC SC2, I apologize for calling the attention of the Recruiting Gods down upon us with my bravado. I'll flaggelate myself tomorrow.

With T2 almost in the books and T1 coming up I'm looking over my possible list with a bit of hope. My first 09L graduated BCT and was home for the week prior to the start of his AIT. I put him to work finding people and he might have come through for me. He'll be in the office tomorrow with two people, one who said he was ready, and the other, an older married guy, who's just looking for information. If the former is really ready he'd be a Godsend and I'd owe a PFC lunch.

Anyways, it's getting late and PT is coming early. Have to get it done before the big ball of fire in the sky gets up to strength. Valley of the Sun for sure.

*UPDATE*

AUGH!!!!! SFC B SMASH!!!!

For a change I was writing a very long, and actually well-thought out post when FireFox came to a screeching halt. There were no survivors. My muse hase taken a bottle of tequila and my id to a back room of my brain. She's not happy at me for not saving. No wonder she leaves me often.

Providing help for those who Provide Order

Blackfive got a call from someone looking to help the 402nd CA provide support to the Iraqi people. CPT Amira from B Co 402nd is looking for donated school supplies, snacks, toys, etc to pass out to the Iraqi people.

One of the units I support as an Army Reserve recruiter is a Civil Affairs battalion. They do some wicked good stuff. The sort of stuff that should be daily reading in newspapers, but never is because tales of Soldiers helping civilians doesn't fit with the "story". Oh well.

If you have the time, inclination, or motivation to do so these are some folks who deserve help in accomplishing their mission. CPT Amira's addy is:

CPT Greg Amira
B CO / 402 CA BN
FOB Warhorse
APO AE 09336

And useful hints for sending mail overseas (something that deployed Soldiers love to receive by the way) can be found at the invaluable Soldiers' Angels.

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Back

Connection problems at the house kept me from doing any writing this weekend. It's very frustrating to be paying for a 50kbs and getting 3.4. Unfortunatly, because of the exclusive provider dealer that my apartment has with Qwest I'm unable to change the provider. I will base housing choices on the availability and options for high speed service.

While I was on a bandwidth-inspired hiatus though a minor tempest erupted on the blog role-model's site. Between the comments on TOC's site and JA's there is some pretty interesting reading. And Darth Commando gets in on the act too with occasional commenter IRR Soldier. Something I've realized is that, regardless of the problem with the Army, IRR's response is going to be to draft people.

I take issue with some of the comments that PFC Green's actions represent a failing in the system. That somehow, someway his behavior should have been predicted. That it's the failing of a recruiter or guidance counselor that allowed an alleged murder/rapist to slip through the cracks.

Anyways, my muse is hungover so not much to say. Pluh.