Friday, February 22, 2008

Humilatingly Cheesy

This is actually a pretty old commercial, I remember seeing it almost three years ago.

The first time I saw it I was blown away. My Super Sister works for some ad company in NYC. So I do take a special interest in the ads I see. She can attest to the fact that I will randomly call her up and complain about stupid commercials. It's a way for me to vent.

That commercial is, simply, the best advertisement to which I've ever been exposed. All this time later and I'm still left speechless by it. The look of awe on the children's faces as they "hear" the photographs, and the buildup to where, after the tour guide says "Keep me. Protect me. Share me. And I will live forever." and then it pans to the old man who is just standing there looking at a picture of a woman while the music builds is... perfect.

Shut-up and stop laughing you bastards!

It's like they took the emotions from the scene where Kevin Costner asks if his dad wants to have a catch and boiled it down into a commercial form. Damn you and your emotional manipulation whatever agency made this.

Saturday, February 09, 2008

Sweet release

My first week at my new assignment has drawn to something of a close. The unit has drill battle assembly this weekend though so, I don't actually get a weekend off. And I don't care. I am in bliss right now.

I spent my entire time in recruiting imaging a better life outside of the recruiting station. Honestly, towards the end I had begun to think I'd imagined that life had ever been "good". Spending 10-12 hours a day beating your head against a wall tends to drain something out of you. I had already lost my spirit, motivation, and excitement. Hope was apparently next. I got out just in time it appears.

The change in my outlook on life is amazing to me. I don't "hate" as much. I still cringe when I hear a phone ring, but it's getting better. I'm getting up earlier. I'm sleeping better. I'm not as worn down and fatigued as I was before. I've even lost some weight. My commute is a lot longer than it was when I was in recruiting, but I'm going to a duty location which doesn't make me cringe when I think of it.

One of the things you'll often hear about in recruiting is how lucky we, as recruiters, were to get an additional $450 a month in SDAP. Many times I'd heard a station commander, first sergeant, or some other recruiting leader remark about how receiving that SDAP made us thieves if we underproduced. Well, my orders rescinding my SDAP were official on Monday. So, I'm now making less money, spending more on transportation costs, and I'm happier than I've been in three years. Funny that.

Sunday, February 03, 2008

Crushification

Well. That was horrific. Watching Ellis Hobbs get burned by Plaxico Burress was.... depressing.

Smoked.

Badly.

It hurt. It hurt a lot.

Mrs. SFC B is a bit distraught. Something about spitting in in Eli's face. Being a sports fan is a life fraught with danger and disappointment. I learned that in 2005.