Had to go to the Embassy yesterday. No, not for the normal "get liquored up" trip. The JAG had to go up to do some work for an embassy employee that the embassy JAG couldn't do because of conflict rules.
There's a 2 man/car rule here when driving in town, so he had to have someone go with him. He asked, I said yes.
We got up there, got signed in, and he went to his meeting. I went to the courtyard and read my book. It's a nice little courtyard with real grass and a fountain. It was warm out, but since it's so dry here, the sweat evaporated nicely so I was pretty comfy. I could've gone into the library and the air conditioning, but I was enjoying the fountain and the people watching.
The JAG's 45 minute meeting turned into almost 3 hours, so I got lots of reading done.
Had lunch in the embassy cafeteria. Nothing fancy, just a cheeseburger and fries. Fries that were crispy! What a concept! I'd forgotten such a thing existed.
Not a bad way to spend a Sunday.
Remember the baby on the cover of Nirvana's Nevermind? The one swimming after the dollar bill on the fishhook?
Kid must be 13-15 years old now. I wonder what he's up to.
Ken. (on the left) or here (on the right)
Qusay .
I report, you decide.
650+km in 2 days. Pretty impressive (or sad) when you consider how small UMEC™ is, and that I'm just going in circles.
Pontifex knows who Major Tom is.
Whether he knows him well enough to give a character reference, I don't know, but it just proves it's a small world (after all).
There. That cursed song is now stuck in *your* head the rest of the day. Begone Satan!
Yup, just another day of terrible food.
Update: No, it's not base food. I was *forced* to go out and eat raw fish. I think I was auditioning for Fear Factor. Or else I was just taking my boss to the airport and he wanted a nice dinner before his flight. Take your pick.
The person who *honestly* filled out this customs form?
Or the entire USPS for letting this package make it to UMEC™?
Apparently the alternative spelling threw them off the scent
Names blurred to protect the stupid, the lucky and the incompetent.
No, it wasn't sent to me - just as well, I'm not a scotch fan.
First they sue Napster, now this.
It's one thing to sue if it's a sample, but over using chords? I'm skeptical.
Update: OK, I'm a jackass. It's a hoax, but a very well done one. I'll pay more attention to the URL's in the future.
MONTREAL —Metallica are taking legal action against independant Canadian rock band Unfaith over what they feel is unsanctioned usage of two chords the band has been using since 1982: E and F. "People are going to get on our case again for this, but try to see it from our point of view just once," stated Metallica's Lars Ulrich . "We're not saying we own those two chords, individually - that would be ridiculous. We're just saying that in that specific order, people have grown to associate E, F with our music." Metallica filed a trademark infringement suit against the indie group at the US district court for central California on Monday. According to the drummer, the continued use of the two chords causes "confusion, deception and mistake in the minds of the public". Metallica's lawyer, Jill Pietrini , told us that the band decided to take legal action only after first sending a letter of complaint to the Canadian band's singer/songwriter, Erik Ashley ."We sent a demand letter and haven't reached a resolution, so we had to sue," she said. "They continue to shamelessly feature the two chords on their website song samples and we just can't have that." Ashley, in the meantime, is still shocked by the entire story, and hasn't yet decided how the band will respond. "I thought it was a prank at first," he told us. "Now I'm not sure what to think." Ulrich states that he's not trying to prevent Unfaith from using the two chords, only that he feels Metallica should be credited for them whenever used, and is calling for 50% of all revenue generated from any song using them. "It's nothing personal against them," he added. "We intend to enforce our rights with any band intending to use Metallica-branded chords in the future." This marks the first time anything of this kind has ever been tried in court, and it will be interesting to see how things develop. Metallica's website has issued an official statement on the suit here .Unfaith's official website hasn't officially responded at print time. —Joe D'Angelo
Now that Spoons is back, I decided it's time to reinstate the Domer section of my blogroll.
New to the list:
Advanced Combo Tricks
Daily Contentions - with colors to make your eyes bleed!
An Englishman, a Dutchman and a Frenchman are all in Saudi Arabia, sharing a smuggled crate of booze when, all of a sudden, Saudi police rush in and arrest them. The mere possession of alcohol is a severe offense in Saudi Arabia, so for the terrible crime of actually being caught consuming the booze, they are all sentenced to death!
However, after many months and with the help of very good lawyers, they are able to successfully appeal their sentences down to life imprisonment. By a stroke of luck, it was a Saudi national holiday the day their trial finished, and the extremely benevolent Sheik decided they could be released after receiving just 20 lashes each of the whip.
As they were preparing for their punishment, the Sheik announced:
"It's my first wife's birthday today, and she has asked me to allow each of you one wish before your whipping."
The Dutchman was first in line, he thought for a while and then said:
"Please tie a pillow to my back."
This was done, but the pillow only lasted 10 lashes before the whip went through. When the punishment was done he had to be carried away bleeding and crying with pain.
The Frenchman was next up. After watching the Dutchman in horror he said smugly:
"Please fix two pillows to my back." But even two pillows could only take 15 lashes before the whip went through again and the Frenchman was soon led away whimpering loudly (as they do).
The Englishman was the last one up, but before he could say anything, the Sheik turned to him and said: "You are from a most beautiful part of the world and your culture is one of the finest in the world. For this, you may have two wishes!"
"Thank you, your Most Royal and Merciful highness", The Englishman replied. "In recognition of your kindness, my first wish is that you give me not 20, but 100 lashes."
"Not only are you an honorable, handsome and powerful man, you are also very brave". The Sheik said with an admiring look on his face.
"If 100 lashes is what you desire, then so be it. And your second wish, what is it to be?" the Sheik asked.
"Tie the Frenchman to my back"
Isn't this an unauthorized wearing of a uniform item with civilian clothes?
Click on the thumbnails to get a better view.
Yes, it's a gratuitous boobie shot.
I don't know what it's made of, but if you order a bacon cheeseburger at a restaurant here in UMEC™, it comes with "Beef Bacon".
It taste ok, but the whole point of a bacon cheeseburger is to mix and match different meats and get that extra blast of cholesterol. (isn't it?)
It's a fleeting thing, but it did hook me up with an old ND/ROTC classmate I haven't spoken to in at least 15 years.
Here's the email I got.:
Saw your website listed in an old Time magazine article about Gulf War II. I went to Notre Dame with a Kevin who was in Navy ROTC. Same guy?BTW, Camp Patriot? Where was that in Kuwait? I started out at Camp Commando, then moved out to Jalibah, An Numaniyah, and ended up at Babylon in Al Hillah.
Maj Tom USMC
I replied and got this (slightly edited):
Was down at KNB for D-day planning with the SEALS. Would've stopped and said howdy if I'd known you were there. Nice place. Always brought my dirty laundry down there because your washers worked so well.Got back from GW II in May. Sitting in Camp Pendleton awaiting PCS to Corpus Christi to be a flight instructor.
I see Pete often. He's out of the Corps and the Ethics Advisor to (a) County School district. He lives just north of me in Orange County. Talk to Ted (D.C. lawyer) and Jay every now and then. Jim is doing well with Merrill Lynch in South Carolina. Capt (now Col) X is here with me at Camp Pen. He was actually one of my instructors for a PME course. He's waiting to hit 30 and retire. Other than that I've been out of the loop. Past three years have been one deployment after another. I have more time in Korea than I do in San Diego!!
Had a ball during the latest shindig. Was attached to a mobile HQ for LtGen Conway (I MEF CG). I was the air officer / FAC. Rode around at the front with a Forward Observer giving the General rides when he needed them. Got to see a lot of cool stuff all the way to Baghdad. Glad I'm home now. They're actually shooting back now. I've attached my "war face" picture for comment.
Here's a closeup for the ladies . As far as I know, he's still single, so if the price is right, I'll sell you his email address.
Update: He is officially "unattached".
Yesterday some people at LT Smash's base were caught smuggling items out of UMEC™.
Priceless Iraqi antiquities?
War trophies?
No. They were exporting alcohol and porn*. Two things you supposedly can't get here.
At our morning staff meeting, a certain senior officer said "They should be thrown in jail for that."**
The dumbasses need to learn to share it with those they're leaving behind, or to drink it all before they leave.
*Porn = Anything naughtier than a Maxim.
** Update: He was being facetious, he thought it was a big waste of precious commodities that should have been disposed of somewhere other than at a customs check.
No, get your mind out of the gutter. It doesn't track your local neighborhood sex offender.
It's a parody of version tracker, and tracks really really bad Mac software.
Bad as in buggy. Or horrible user interface. Or "has no reason to exist".
I don't get hate mail like LT Smash.
I promise to try to be more offensive in the future.
Article about Italians hating Germans. I love this paragraph:
But, in the long run, when the tourist industry picks up again and more Americans - grateful for all that Italy has given us - return to bella Italia, perhaps more Italian hotel and restaurant owners can subtly let Fabulous Fritz know that there's no room at the inn for anybody who shows up wearing Jesus boots (that combination of sandals and dark wool socks so beloved by northern Europeans).
New to me anyways. And he really is a warblogger. Makes me a serious REMF in comparison.
Check him out if you get the chance.
Should I auction it off to the highest bidder or be a nice guy and lend it out?
Someone somewhere said it had libertarian themes, I thought it had more stalinist themes - MoM telling people what to think, character assassination, kangaroo courts, and of course grand inquisitors.
More on this later if I get bored.
Watching someone who's just had 2 ingrown toenails removed - and therefore on excellent painkillers - turn into a giggling idiot when they hear the full name of the South Park movie is quite funny.
I guess he wasn't completely out of it.
"uncut" *giggle giggle*
I don't know why he was laughing... it just means they didn't cut out the swear words, right?
I recently received some beef jerky from a reader.
It's fabulous. Real meat, not chopped and formed. Good flavor and texture. Not a single piece of gristle yet.
Call the good folks at MB Meat Packaging Co in Tremonton Utah and order some for yourself. For some silly reason they don't have a website. The number is (435) 257 3967.
These people really need a website. Sounds like they're a full service butcher shop for hunters as well as regular butchering. I think an enterprising webmaster out there needs to design a site for them. Even if they only pay you in jerky, it will be worth it.
Update: I forgot to mention it took 2+ months for the package to get here because of our fabulous postal system. The jerky is still delicous despite having been to Iraq (missent to I MEF) and sitting in (presumably) oven-like warehouses.
I've seen several artists where only a "partial album" is available. Is it because some of the songs suck so completely badly that they don't want them available, because they're too filthy (doubtful), or is there some other reason.
If anyone's got insight to this I'd love to know.
Just a reminder that Part 2 of Live From the Gulf should be on tonite on The History Channel.
Check your local listings for times and channels.
AOL instant messenger has 2 cool new features
1) Send an IM to WSJOnline with any text in the message field. A robot at the other end will send you instructions. An example of what you can do with it is type in a stock ticker and it will return the stock info as well as any current links to that stock. Here's what you get when you enter msft:
wsjonline: THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ONLINE. As of 05:52 EDT Saturday, July 12, 2003Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ NM: MSFT) -- delayed 20 min.
Last: 27.31
Change: +0.40
% Change: +1.48%Most Recent Headlines:
Jul 11 4:56 p.m.
Charter Up 25%; $1.7B Junk Deal Seen Improving Liquidity
Jul 11 4:27 p.m.
UPDATE: Charter Plans $1.7 Billion Junk Bond Offering
Jul 11 12:49 p.m.
Charter Plans $1.7B Junk Deal To Push Back MaturitiesMore news available in the Online Journal's Quotes & Research section
The headlines are all links, but I'm too lazy to copy and paste them correctly. I think you have to subscribe to the Wall Street Journal online edition to read them (I do so it hasn't been an issue for me)
2) You can send SMS's to phones in the US for free. I blogged this a few days ago, but deleted it by accident.
Open a new IM window and enter +14445551212 as the IM address, where 4445551212 is the number of the cell phone you want to SMS. Then type your SMS message in the text field and send it.
I can't speak for everyone, but on my plan, ATT charges me when I send an SMS but not when I receive, so this is a nice way to get around that fee if you're at the computer. Also, it's much easier to type it at a full size keyboard than on a phone keypad.
Old School made me laugh so hard I almost peed in my pants, but The Matrix Reloaded bored me to tears and I left after 15 minutes.
When I come home I will be saying "Earmuffs" to everyone. Maybe Cpl Blondie needs to learn that trick.
Conservatives hate him, gays love him. Why? Scroll to the last letter on this page and you'll find out.
Ooooh... I'm guessing he's a conservative. Damn, chances are he's been disowned by his former social circle.
Boo Hoo.
LP: I'm gonna quit blogging
MM: Me too.
LP: I feel so inadequate ever since the Wash Times scooped us on the pregnant Marine giving birth on the Boxer.
MM: Me too. That journalist who got the assignment is a lazy jackass.
LP: Just think, we had a heads up and blew it.
MM: Yeah, we need to concentrate on our jobs so the Moonies at Times don't embarrass us again.
LP: Plus we can work out more!
MM: And have more time for Hot Monkey Sex™
LP: Frank wouldn't like that, but screw him!
Neener neener neener.
Yeah, big deal to you guys back in the US, but this is probably one of fewer than one hundred copies in UMEC™. According to the radio, there were only 22 copies for sale out in town on opening weekend.
Now... read it quickly and pass it on, or read it slowly and make people jealous.
Hmmm....
Thanks Mom!
Well, my mom couldn't find me, so I guess I wasn't in that episode. Or she needs new glasses.
But wait! It sounds like there might be a Part II! Same bat channel, same bat time.
I have a T68i phone and a Palm Tungsten.
Has anyone with a similar setup run into a situation where after doing an iSync the names in the T68 are reversed? Most of mine are Last name, First name, but a few are First Last.
I *think* they are the ones I entered on the phone itself, not from the laptop or PDA.
Deleting them, syncing, reentering the names won't fix it. Any suggestions?
Update: OK, I'm a jackass, I accidentally turned off comments. D'oh!
If anyone coming from LT Smash cares, I got to go to the American Embassy of UMEC™ and get liquored up. No I didn't drive.
In case you don't know, embassy's are considered sovereign territory of the country they represent, and local laws don't apply within their grounds, hence the free flow of alcohol.
Of course, that doesn't explain why the Saudi embassy in DC serves alcohol at parties, but that's not my problem.
They didn't have fireworks but they did have icy cold beer and just about any mixed drink you wanted.
If LT Smash had stayed later, he would've seen the real fireworks show, not just the SEAL fireworks. We had commecial quality stuff - the big star shells etc.
Here's why my base is the best in country:
- We have a beach.
- We have a pool.
- We never salute. Ever. Even to admirals. Wait, I lied. I saluted the flag when the honor guard did their thing at a Memorial day ceremony. Ok, we never salute people.
- The air conditioning in our tents can make them cold enough to hang meat in instead of only cooling them down to 85 or 90 degrees.
- We have the coolest base CO ever. LT Smash has the dragon lady and others of her ilk, our CO has been known to personally deliver ice cream to the gate guards in the afternoon.
- We don't have to wear our blouses (uniform shirts) anywhere within fenced areas of the camp.
- We can roll up our sleeves.
- We can wear PT gear to chow.
- I can make policy without running it through the base CO. If it's something extreme, I give him a courtesy heads-up, but 99% of the time I just do what needs to be done. He's a firm believer in control by negation.
- We have a mosque, and first call to prayer is at 3:15am. Oops, that's not so cool. But I've learned to sleep through it, so not a big deal.
You may think... damn, that's a fucked up way to run a base. But you know what? By not focusing on mickey mouse stuff we allow people do their jobs and as a result we're shit hot. When we were offloading ships just before and during the war we had to stop operations about 2x a week because we were offloading them faster than the Army could move the ammo out of here and it became a safety issue. At one point we had enough ammo on base that it would've made the Hiroshima bomb look small in comparison had a Scud somehow magically hit us.
Discipline problems have been next to non-existent. The most common offense is canoodling, and there's no way to stop that when you have all these 20 year olds running around. Our people rarely cause the kind of problems that forced us to close the gates to visitors. My theory is the visitors are treated like children at their home base, and when they get here away from the strict supervision they're used to they act the way their bosses expect them to. We treat our people like adults and they act that way 99% of the time.
Mail Call a show on The History Channel (a subsidiary of A & E and my former employer) starring R. Lee Ermey will be broadcasting a "Live from the Gulf" episode on Sunday. Technically, it's not live, because they filmed it here about a month ago. I guess it's live in the sense that he was actually here when they taped the footage.
If you want to see what UMEC™ looks like, here's your chance. If they air a segment on the SEAL delivery boat, you may see my ugly mug flash by. I'm in the back row.
Tomorrow is election day in UMEC™. The streets are full of signs for the different candidates. I have no idea what they say since I can't read arabic, but apparently it's important to have your picture on a sign.
When I say the streets are full of signs, I'm not kidding. In some neighborhoods they're spaced about every six feet. It seems to be bad form to insert your sign between a competitor's sign if they're close together - so it's apparently important to sew up the main boulevards with your signs.