The Beav according to Beav

Weather

2011-05-24T17:58:00.001-04:00

So, we just had a bout of Apocalyptic Rain. For a moment I thought, maybe the rapture did come and we just didn't notice 'cause no one qualified.

I Have the Conn

2011-03-11T12:50:00.002-05:00

I know and have known many people who's philosophy on life centers around "giving control up to God." Though I don't begrudge them this philosophy, it has always bothered me somewhere in the back of my mind. I could never figure out why, exactly, until today.

I was driving down the road today, and saw a bumper sticker. It read: "If God is your co-pilot, switch seats!" That sort of solidified for me what had been nagging at the rear of my brain. I was always taught (and have seen for myself, as it were) that "God helps those who help themselves." You work hard; you persevere; you attain that which you strive for. The idea of just saying, "Ok, God. You do it." just baffles and annoys me. To quote the punchline from one of my favorite jokes, "I sent you 3 boats and a helicopter, what more did you want?"

Granted, for many people, that saying means something less than that. Letting God choose the direction, more than letting him do all the work. This still bothers me. But more because the idea (I thought) of being given free will was to see what you do with it. Your life is your own - to make your own choices. If you don't make your own decisions, you've missed the point entirely. You've also missed out on life. Life is the decisions you make. If you do not make any, have you lived? If all you did was follow the decisions made by someone else - even God - you've just given them another life.

That may be acceptable (or even desirable) to some, but I couldn't live with it. For other people, I'm not sure that I can even respect it, but I do accept it.

Thoughts

2010-11-21T19:29:00.002-05:00

Earlier this week, I saw this posted:

"1. what other people think of me is none of my business 2. worry is misplaced imagination and 3. if you don't want to be happy, you'll find reasons not and the other way around."

I thought that they were all such perfect sentiments, I had to spread them around a bit. Number one is counterintuitive. "Of course it's my business," you think. "They're thinking about me." But really, it's not. You are who you are. People's thoughts about you will always be colored by their own experiences, biases, and beliefs. But what it really comes down to is be you. Do what you feel is right, not what you think will make others think well of you.

Number two is just remarkably phrased. One of those sentences I wish I could etch on my wife's brain.

Number three is a truism and a more general statement of the golden rule of military assignments: "Every assignment is what you make it." Everyone who's ever been in the military has heard this. Almost everyone in the military has said it. The general is something I grabbed and ran with when I found out that my follow-on for Korea was not Denver, but right back here at Langley. I decided it was either be miserable for a year, or be happy - assignment be damned. So, I was (and am) the guy who always has a smile on his lips; who answers the casual "how's it goin'?" with "it's a great day!" And it has made all the difference.

This week, I'm thankful for the food that keeps my family nourished. I am all too aware that there are lots of people all around the world who don't get enough to eat. I am grateful that when I'm forced to throw away some food that one of my sons has dropped on the floor or some such, that it's an annoyance, rather than a tragedy.

Yay Vets!

2010-11-14T11:50:00.003-05:00

This was an interesting, short week. Thursday was Veteran's Day, so Ryan's school had a teacher day on Friday. I had to take a day of leave to stay home with him, so a 3-day work week and 4-day weekend. Not bad.

I was pleased to see on my social media lots of acknowledgment of why we were off on Thursday. I have avoided crowing about how much we owe to our veterans since I am one. I'm not really comfortable with the "Go me!" that would amount to, but there are a lot of things that we have that are attributable to the fact that many people have sworn to do whatever needs be done. I would like to thank all former, present, and future servicemembers - and their families for that sacrifice.

Somewhat related to that, my "what I'm thankful for" this week is my job. Though there are many things I don't like about it; though it often makes my life much harder than I'd prefer it to be; it is still mentally fulfilling. It is also one of the more secure jobs in the country right now. That is no small relief.

You Can Call it a Comeback

2010-11-05T17:17:00.002-04:00

So many things have happened since last I posted.

I went to Georgia (and got to see some dear friends).
I went to Germany (and got to see almost none of it).
I broke my toe (the same one I broke last year).
I went trick-or-treating (with no parenthetical comment).

And that’s not really the half of it. I even neglected some things I e-mailed myself to blog about.

Waiting on the World to Change:

This song came out in August of 06. We were still at war (as we still are), and there was a lot of dissatisfaction about where the country was heading. Though it is a lovely song, it has always bothered (and somewhat irritated) me. The main theme is that the youth of today are unhappy, and feel they lack the power to effect the change they wish to see, so they will wait for the world to see things their way. I understand the feeling, honestly, but what kind of message is that? “This kinda sucks. Let’s just hang around; it’s bound to get better.” In the 1960s, blacks did not have the power to effect change. So, they did what they had to do to make things better. It hurt. It wasn’t pleasant. But it changed things – it made them better. No change has ever happened by itself. Nothing gets better without people standing up and making it better. If it sucks, fix it. It’s often not easy, and usually not fun; but if you really want change, you sacrifice for it.

This also touches a bit on something I’ve seen talked about in a few places. The proliferation of events to raise awareness for one thing or another. This isn’t a bad thing in and of itself. Sooner or later, though, I have to ask “doesn’t everyone already know?!” Raising money for research, or to combat a disease/situation seems like a much more reasonable course of action. Reminding me that breast cancer exists doesn’t help anyone with breast cancer. Letting me know that 1 in 110 kids are on the Autism scale doesn’t help figure out what causes it. Doctors and scientists help, when they have the resources to do so. If you want to call attention to a problem, do so in a way that makes a difference.

Finally, though it’s not Thanksgiving yet, I’ve been inspired by an Angel, who’s posting something she’s thankful for every single day this month. I’m not so prolific, so I will do so every week.

I am thankful for the love of my family: the family I was born into, the family that has come to me, and the family that has no legal or blood tie but is family nonetheless. It may be a cop-out, but it’s the honest truth. There are so many people that could have just shut the door, could have let the bond wither and die as years and miles come between us, but didn’t. It warms my soul that I can talk to people who’ve known me almost as long as I have – whom I’ve not seen in longer than my kids have been alive – and still they share my joy and my sorrow (and I theirs). It brings tears to my eyes when I think that my wife’s family, who could have turned their backs on us and decided that I was not who they thought she should be with, greeted me with open arms and made me welcome in their homes and family. It brightens my life every time I pick up my boys and they run to me saying “Daddy!” or I see my wife and she smiles and draws me in for a tender embrace. You are all reasons my life is so wonderful.

Warning - (For My Safety)

2010-07-20T17:54:00.001-04:00

Just so you all know...on Sunday, I'll be flying to Atlanta and driving from there to Augusta. If there's anyone who wants me to block out time, please let me know. (And give me a phone number if you're not certain I have it.)

Done.

2010-06-18T18:10:00.002-04:00

I've tried to avoid adding extra steps for (both) my loyal readers. However, I'm now completely sick of deleting stupid spam posts. I'm done. You will now have to type out an extra word to verify your corporeal existence. I know, it's a minor issue that most of you will barely even notice, but it bothers me to have to do it.

To the real people who will read this, Thanks!

To the bots who will scan past it, Get Bent!

Some stuff happened

2010-05-27T17:38:00.003-04:00

Let's see. I went to Korea for a little over a week. The unit there will be inspected next year, so we took a team to look at their stuff and give them an idea of what they needed to fix in that time frame. I have decided that the best way to visit Korea is for one week. Get to come in, eat at all the good restaurants, visit some folks, buy some stuff, go out to some bars/clubs, and go home. Beautiful.

Then yesterday, I attended Warrior Challenge 2010. Didn't really compete, but I ran the 5K at the beginning. Didn't feel too bad. Unfortunately, the whole day took place outside, and I wore no sunscreen. So, today I am - shall we say - a little warm.

My Superintendent (and good friend) deployed with a 10-day notice. Though it sounds harsh, it was the better of two alternatives. He could have taken a later deployment, but his new wife (they've been together for a long time) has just been diagnosed with pregnancy. This shorter-notice deployment will have him back for the baby (and the holidays, too). On Tuesday, our boss is leaving. She's headed to my old stomping grounds to direct operations with an AFSOC unit (pretty sweet for her).

Saundra got orders...to the unit in Norfolk she was stationed at when we first got here. That delays the departure we've been trying to implement for another three years. Gol durnit.

Our washer died with extreme prejudice a couple days ago, and our new one will be delivered tomorrow. It's been an interesting few weeks. With luck, we can swing a boring few weeks in here soon.

Aaah!!

2010-04-19T18:08:00.002-04:00

Time has slipped, slipped, slipped into the future. Now I'm less than a week away from Walk Day and I haven't gotten a single sponsor to help me Save the Babies! If you can, please help.

The March of Dimes was founded to combat Polio. And they did it. So, instead of resting on their laurels - instead of patting themselves on the back and calling it a day, they decided there were more things to combat. They widened their view and took on all birth defects. Right now (and for the last several years) they are focusing on premature birth. As everyone who reads my blog on a regular probably knows, my first son was born 7 1/2 weeks prematurely. He did great (though it was disconcerting to see him with an IV in his head the first time). The equipment that helped him maintain his body temp, monitored his heartrate, were developed in part because of the March of Dimes and people who cared enough to donate.

The March of Dimes was an effort dear to my heart before Ryan was born. Since then, it is even more so.

Spam, spam, spam, spam, and lobster thermodore...

2010-03-31T18:40:00.005-04:00

I'm torn. I don't know whether to be annoyed or oddly pleased.

I've been getting spam comments. Comments to my blog that are ads for - or at least attempts to drive traffic to - various websites. The last one was for an escort service in NY, no less. You probably haven't realized it, since they seem to favor slightly older posts (mostly "The year is new, not me"), and since I get an email for every comment, I can get in there and delete them fairly quickly.

The annoyance, I'm sure you'll understand right away. The pleasure is a little more oblique. If someone has grabbed my blog for spamming, that means someone other than my friends and family is aware of it. Even if it's just at a web-spider level, it exists out in the world, so to speak. There is a certain joy in reaching a wider audience (even if that audience is likely unaware).

For the moment, I'll do nothing about it (other than delete them as they come). If things get too crazy, I'll likely break down and make people prove they're people with the weird text and stuff.

By the way...there is not much time left to Save the Babies! We're less than a month away now. If you were waiting for later, well...it's later.

Trip Report

2010-03-10T20:04:00.002-05:00

So, last week was...interesting.

The trip out on Sunday: Let me start by saying that when I reserved the plane seats, I requested window seats for all 3 flights (2 out, 1 back). The first flight, I got a middle seat. The window seat was a guy who had apparently bathed in his cologne (but it was cheap, so it wore off quickly). The aisle seat was a guy whose waist was approx. 55-60 inches. I was annoyed, but also felt bad for him. I was inconvenienced, but he is inconvenienced on every trip. And it was obvious he realized the uncomfortable scenario it was for the both of us.

The second flight, I was on the aisle. Not too bad. I did get to watch a cougar slow roll a college kid in the row ahead of me. He was a young country boy (jacket and hat of matching hunting camo); she was a 40-ish woman with good make-up and a skirt slit up to her panties - assuming she was wearing some.

Conference began on Tuesday, so we wanted to meet with some of the participants for dinner Monday night. As we waited for the party to arrive, we found out that our office has been dissolved. During dinner, we discuss what is to happen at this conference and how everyone will function without the office I (used to) work in.

The conference, I will relate as I related it via Facebook and Twitter at the time:

Tuesday: "Well, General didn't physically abuse us *or* tell us we should be wiped from the earth, so that's a plus." That pretty much sums up most of Tuesday.

Wednesday: "Is there a pool on what ridiculous requirements we find out about today? 'All questions will be written in Sanskrit, all answers in Morse Code, and all verbal discussions will be in Swahili.'"

Later Wednesday: "Here it is: 'I don't like it, but we're constrained by the instruction I just got done writing.'"

Thursday: "Got yelled at for our efforts to keep the weapon system from failing."

That's probably the best summary of how it all went down.

So, Friday came and it was back for home. Another middle seat. My layover in Atlanta was spent on the plane, and when they had gotten the new passengers on, we taxied out, waited, then taxied back for the ground crew to set a valve they had left in the wrong position. That whole process set us back about an hour and a half. But luckily, my family was not waiting for me at the airport - just my car, so I just got out and went back to the house. Yay!

On the Road Again...

2010-02-26T13:42:00.001-05:00

For those that may be interested (or in the area), I will be in San Antonio Texas for the 1st week of March. Let me know if you're near and want to grab dinner or something.

I < 3 U

2010-02-15T16:36:00.002-05:00

Valentine's Day came and went. I surprised Saundra by ordering something (though it hasn't arrived yet), so she went and one-upped me yet again, ordering for me the 5 cookbooks that Alton Brown says you must own. Even though she ordered days after I did, 3 of the 5 have arrived already, while her present wallows somewhere in the USPS.

Anyway, the boys had a good time on Friday - giving and receiving cards. When Saundra came home from work on Sunday, she brought them little heart-shaped tins with candy. She also brought me yet another gift - a stuffed frog holding a heart that reads "Love You."

All my love to all of you.

More stuff of newness

2010-02-05T22:41:00.004-05:00

So, it's been an interesting couple of weeks. We here in Southern Virginia got snow of the type that only hits here once every few years. And we're likely to get more tonight/tomorrow. That's almost unheard of here.

There was some concern about my Master Sergeant stripe. After breaking my foot, I had a PT test. The waiver I got from the doctor (because of my foot and for the recovery) said I couldn't do any PT, but that means I get tested on my waist measurement alone - a guarantee of failure. After the failure, I am informed that 1) I can't sew on my stripe with a failed PT test, 2) my upcoming EPR will be a 4 (of 5) at best with a failed PT test, and 3) I can write a note saying that I want to ignore parts of my waiver if I don't do myself bodily harm.

So, I write my little memo, work hard to ensure that my push-ups and sit-ups are up and good. My promotion is supposed to be at 9 AM on Monday, Feb 1st. The very first day I am allowed to test is Friday, Jan 29th. My EPR is due Monday, Feb 15th. With a lot riding on it, I test on Friday morning and crush it. Not only did I easily max out my push-ups and sit-ups, but with the PT I was doing (screw the waiver), I lost an entire inch on my waist. So, I'm good to promote on time. (Whew!)

The very next day commences the freak snowfall I mentioned all the way back in paragraph 1. Though you may scoff in Denver, this snowfall shuts down everything for the entire weekend. Ryan's school didn't open until Thursday. So, Sunday night, I get a call from my boss saying to show up at 10 on Monday and in ABUs (cammies) instead of Blues (service uniform). Now, the week prior, knowing that Monday is blues day, I realized that I wouldn't need stripes on my ABUs until Tuesday, so I picked up my new blues on Friday and wasn't scheduled to pick up the ABUs until Monday evening. This new iteration from the snow is a double whammy for me. Not only does it mean that I'm showing for work an hour after my ceremony, but in a uniform without proper stripes!

We decide to play it by ear on the time (which then turned out to be "delay until tomorrow"), and I'd stop by alterations and beg them to do them a few hours early..."like right now?"

Everything worked all right, and I spent a lot of time at home with the kids (due to the aforementioned school closure), but it was a really wierd week.

Oh, and Tristan made me sad and proud the other night. I was cooking some chicken stroganov for dinner, and he wanted to help. I let him stand on a chair nearby and was gonna have him do some pouring and whatnot when the time came. Unfortunately, shortly after I moved the wok with oil on the bottom (for searing the chicken pieces), he decided to check the oil temp...with his finger. Too fast for me to react, he burned his finger nicely. We got it under running water, got a cup of ice water for him to rest it in, and Saundra tried to get him settled on the couch. He got very upset and insisted that he still wanted to help me cook. I had to fight off the proud-papa "he's gonna be a chef" syndrome, but continued to be proud of my brave boy.

I think that's it for this installment of Musty Piece Theater. Tune in next time for more...uh...frenzied recitation of a bizarrely normal life? (And don't forget to Save the Babies!)

The year is new, not me

2010-01-12T19:41:00.005-05:00

Ah...the breath of a new year is upon us. There is an excitement for what the new year will bring - and a little cynical part of me admits that it will bring much what it has brought for the last few years. But just as every day brings something new, so does every year - times 365. I start this year in an office I wasn't in a year ago, at a level I wasn't in a year ago, looking towards a rank I didn't hold a year ago.

My boys will continue to grow; to find new ways to surprise and amuse me. As they get older, I see more and more of their personalities as distinct individuals. It's a lot of fun to get to know them a little more each day.

This year, I will again try to post more often. Again, I will do well sometimes and fail miserably other times. I will again make a promise to myself to be a better parent. Again, I will do better than most and feel like I'm failing miserably. I will again find activities to suck my time away. Again I will spend more time than I should doing them.

I will also again be leading a March for Babies team. I missed it last year (since I was in Korea), and this will be my triumphant return. I hope to raise a whole lot of money to help prevent birth defects like premature birth.

Cast Call

2009-11-27T08:25:00.002-05:00

The last six weeks have been frustrating. There have been some upsides: everyone is very helpful, I've had Colonels and Chief Master Sergeants hold doors for me, I didn't have to drive to Baltimore. But, overall, it's just aggravating to wear a cast. The most mundane tasks become trials. Just walking upstairs is almost exhausting. Grabbing a Pepsi and taking it to the couch or my desk was a testimony to my ingenuity.

It's not over, but I'm in a new phase of recovery. No more cast (yay!), but still using crutches because my ankle is too weak (boo!). My foot has more freedom, but it has more pain (because of the ankle, not the break).

I learned a few things over the past week. If anyone gets a foot cast in the future, heed these warnings!

1. Always wear a sock or other protective garment on your other foot - at least with the fiberglass-bandage style cast. You will continually bump your good ankle with the cast. If you don't protect it, it will break the skin eventually.

2. Even though they'll suggest putting a bag over it when you shower, just take a bath with it propped up on the edge. The cast is abrasive enough to put little bitty holes in the bag while resting on the bottom of the shower. Then, you get a little water in the cast and it adheres to your foot for the next 4 weeks.

3. Wear clothes with big pockets whenever possible. You'd be surprised how much stuff you carry around without thinking about it...until you don't have the hands free to carry it (like the aforementioned Pepsi).

4. Wear a sock over the tip of your cast. It not only hides the toes (that may not be at their most photogenic) and mutes the funk, it also provides a little traction for that foot when you're standing on a non-carpeted surface.

5. Watch out for wet surfaces - like the kitchen and bathroom floors with a little bit of water. Crutches lose ALL traction on a wet kitchen floor. That leads to smacking your foot down to catch your balance. That tends to hurt a little.

I hope you never have need of these tips, but if you do, I hope you find them useful.

What a Day!

2009-10-15T12:03:00.002-04:00

Today started with me staying up last night, as I am (was) supposed to eval on my position over mids tonight. So, at 3:30, I’m closing up the vents after mangling the filters I was trying to change. I step down from the ladder (not a rolling or folding chair, but an honest-to-goodness ladder) and manage to step wrongly. I feel pain and hear a familiar “pop.”

Dammit, I managed to roll my ankle…wait, that pain is from further down. How do you roll your foot? After sending my wife and son back to sleep, I retire downstairs for ice and elevation.

Later this morning, I throw on jeans and a t-shirt so I can go in with Saundra and visit the Urgent Care Center. After telling my story a few times and being x-rayed, I’m laying on a table listening to the doc say “Well, it’s broken.” I am told that I’ll be getting a cast and an appointment to see Ortho for a cast. Don’t put any weight on it, don’t get it wet, and don’t feed it after midnight. (I’m pretty sure that’s what he said.) So, I can’t drive to work for my eval tonight. (Not to mention it screwed up her sitting for currency today.)

So, we’re heading back home for me to get a “shower” and changed to go into work, since I won’t be working tonight. And there, on the side of the interstate, facing the wrong way, is a car in the guardrail – occupied, lights on, and alone. So we stop for Saundra to help out while we wait for the fire trucks to arrive.

And all of this by 9:30 AM the day after my birthday.

Welcome back...

2009-09-12T12:05:00.003-04:00

Guess I should mention that I made it back from Beale. It's an interesting base, but the trip reinforced my decision to return to Langley after going to Korea so I could leave Langley. There are some beautiful vistas and gorgeous views, but you have to drive a long way to get anywhere and many of the roads out are narrow, winding things through hills and blind curves.

And I couldn't find a German restaurant.

Travel

2009-08-29T09:39:00.001-04:00

Next week, I'm going to Beale AFB, CA. I fly in on Monday the 31st and fly back out on Friday the 4th. It ought to be interesting. If anyone is going to be nearby, let me know and we'll try to meet up.

It's all brand new

2009-08-26T19:59:00.002-04:00

I've neglected my blog. It's been an eventful few weeks. I started my new job at the Wing (2 levels above the normal "Squadron level").

I am in an office that supervises other offices on 3 continents. And none of them seem to like to do what they're told. It's a very different office than I've ever worked in before. We have 3-5 impromptu meetings a day. Just "did you get that e-mail?" and we all spin around to discuss what the instruction says, what the ramifications are, what waivers are reasonable. It's really quite eye-opening to see things from this level.

Add to that the need to visit each of these subordinate units at least once a year, and it looks like I'll be racking up some frequent flyer miles this assignment.

Hmm?

2009-08-06T10:33:00.003-04:00

My wife brought up an excellent question the other day:

Given the proliferation of mobile phones, wi-fi access, bluetooth, and the like, shouldn't the editors of this magazine change its name?

I'm back!

2009-07-04T23:02:00.003-04:00

It's good to be back in the States.

There are many things and people to miss in Osan AB, South Korea, and I do miss them. However, getting to see and touch and kiss and hug my family kinda takes priority. It is comforting, though not as adventurous, to go for dinner or shopping and find that everyone understands me.

Life is good.

"Lieutenant Dan, what are you doing here?"

2009-06-29T04:27:00.004-04:00

Last night, I waited in a line at the theatre. After waiting for a time, we were let in, and despite being somewhere around 50th in line, I got an excellent seat. Some time later, the lights dimmed and someone's commander came to the stage to introduce the Lt. Dan Band. Gary Sinise plays bass in a 12-person ensemble that does shows for the USO. They play an eclectic selection of Soul, Country, Rock, Jazz, whatever. It was a great show.

So my seat was, in fact, front row. I was close enough to see the sweat on their brows. To cap it off, I was able to coin Kimo Williams (a Vietnam Vet who plays guitar) and I got a set list from the stage.

Yeah. It's pretty cool.

Semi-ABEND

2009-06-24T01:54:00.001-04:00

Ok...I have to turn in my modem and landline in order to get the bossman to sign off my checklist so I can get out of the building. It will be a couple days until I can move into the hotel where I'll have reliable service again.

So, my connection will be ...sketchy... for a bit.

Thoughts on the oneness of Mankind

2009-06-17T08:52:00.000-04:00

Human beings are members of a whole,
In creation of one essence and soul.
If one member is afflicted with pain,
Other members uneasy will remain.
If you have no sympathy for human pain,
The name of human you cannot retain.

The above poem is an exact translation of Prophet Mohammad's Hadith from Arabic into Farsi by the Persian poet Saadi. It graces the entrance to the Hall of Nations in the UN building.

Very apropos today, I think.

Sherpa, Part 2

2009-05-29T13:27:00.006-04:00

When we left our hero, he had failed on Tuesday...

The very next Monday, we set out again. Amanda was too tired to join us, but JoAnnie grabbed her spot on the roster. Again, I asked lots of people, but we hit the by now obligatory 3-person set: Dana, JoAnnie, and me. We hit the subway and ride it up to Seoul and to the Namsan Traditional Village. We wander around looking at all the traditional stuff, try out traditional outfits, cut-out-head style. We see some lucky posts and a princess's palanquin (really small...imagine "the box" in a rural prison on sticks so two people can carry you around in it). We marvel at the swing - not because it swings, but because it was used so that girls could see outside the village every now and then. JoAnnie manages to make the Traditional Korean top (or dredel) spin with its little launcher thing.

We make our way over to the National Palace. Not surprisingly, it is several times bigger than the village. But it is laid out in a similar fashion. Sprawled out over the countryside - building in courtyard which abuts another courtyard that holds another building. Each building holds one to three rooms, usually. That construction style intrigues me. Why so spread out? I mean, yeah, it's grand and impressive, but you can't go from room to room without going outside. If it's cold and rainy, do you just stay in your bedroom? I loved this pagoda (or whatever they call it here) out in the middle of the pond. It looks so peaceful, I just want to go out there and meditate for a while. Unfortunately, we are not allowed out there. I also enjoyed the juxtaposition of this shot of the ancient gate (from inside) placed next to the modern city outside. Ancient, colorful wood and new, grey cement and steel.

After our visit to the palace, we are getting hungry, so we head out the gate, turn left, and wander. This takes us into a neighborhood I can only describe as Korean Soho. All the storefronts are arty, trendy, kitschy, and expensive. We eventually decide on a place (mostly on the basis of "I'm not walking anymore.") We get a very traditional-style dinner, and JoAnnie enjoys much more of it than Dana does. After dinner, we go two doors down to a coffee/dessert shop, they get some of the most scrumptious desserts I've ever seen, and I get a 5500 Won can of Coke (yeah, that's like $4.50 - like I said: Soho). After we finish there, we find our way back to the subway and back to Songtan. We get out of the station about 25-30 minutes before curfew and there are NO cabs. Uh-oh. Dana lives right around the corner, so she meanders in that direction. JoAnnie and I strap the backpacks on properly and proceed to run about 1/2 the way, where we find a cab to take us to the gate.

All in all, a fine day.

Where's my Sherpa?

2009-05-23T11:09:00.009-04:00

This is the story of two Seoul trips. One of them on a Tuesday, filled with disbelief and mocking laughter; the other on a Monday with redemption and still a little mocking laughter. Both of them full of fun.

A few weeks ago, in the middle of a conversation, one of my friends remarked that she had not yet been to Namsan Tower (or Seoul Tower to the tourists). I decreed that this would not stand, and thus was born Seoul Expedition. In the ensuing days until break, I invited half my flight and some people from elsewhere to join us. Tuesday rolled around; I arrived at the prescribed time at the prescribed place. There were two entire people there to meet me. Ok...we roll on to the train station. Our plan is to check out the Namsan Traditional Village and then cruise on over to Namsan Tower to catch it at or after sunset (they light it up and it looks gorgeous). We arrive at the appropriate stop and spin around a couple times to find the traditional village...closed. Closed on Tuesdays. What? [take picture of sign]

Ok...it's not late enough to run to the tower...[consult subway map for info]...hey, a National Palace is a few stops up and a few stops over. Cool. Let's roll. We arrive, walk out of the subway right at the gate...which is closed. Every Tuesday. Dude. You've got to be kidding! [take another picture of sign] Well, this National Palace Museum right next to us appears to be open. We can run a trip through there. Rock.We enjoy the museum and laugh uproariously at me for picking "Fail Tuesday" for our excursion. The sun begins to sink; we've seen what there is to see at the museum. We stroll out of the museum, down into the subway, and a few stops up and over. We climb to the surface and find a cab to Namsan Tower. There, we ride the cable car to the top of the hill. After climbing even more stairs, we arrive at the base of the tower, where there is a Teddy Bear Museum, a few little shops, a restaurant, an outlook, and thousands of padlocks on the chain link fence.

There is a tradition of sorts there at Namsan Tower. You bring a padlock with your names/initials/whatever inscribed thereon, then you lock it to the fence and throw away the key. The lock represents your relationship, and by throwing the key away, you've rendered it immutable. The Korean are a very romantic people. I dig that. I prepared my locks the night before, so I lock my Sweetie-n-Me lock with its flanking/connected young'un locks on the fence. [take a few pics] We head to the observation deck. From up at the top, you can see the entire city. It's beautiful. Printed on the windows around the tower are some major world cities and their distance from that point. It's somewhat sobering to note that Pyongyang, N Korea is closer than Busan, S Korea.

We enjoyed our time, beat feet for Osan, and laughed about the fun time we had in spite of our misplanning. Thank goodness I didn't get 15-20 people...there might have been a riot. Thank you, Dana and Amanda. I salute your Buddha nature, which is everything good and permanent.

I believe Seoul Expedition, Mark 2 will wait for another post.

TSgt = (M)Sgt

2009-05-15T16:53:00.002-04:00

In case you couldn't tell from my status on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Yahoo, and Skype (not to mention the title of this post), I was recently informed that I've been selected for promotion to Master Sergeant. (That's CPO for my poor, poor Navy friends. Hee hee.)

As can be expected, I was (and am) excited, to say the least. I was at a going-away dinner for my flight commander. After all the food had been eaten, all the gifts had been given, all the words had been spoken, the squadron commander handed her a small slip of paper and asked her to read the two numbers inscribed thereupon. "2713 and 3710." I thought, "lovely numbers...what do they have to do with anything?" Just as those words formulated in my brain, the commander informs the assembled gathering that those numbers were the promotion line numbers for me and one of my coworkers who was also there. I almost lost it right then and there. I swear, for some reason I felt like I was going up there to get the bouquet, sash, and tiara. "You love me! You really love me!" I'm pretty sure that part didn't happen, but I'm too embarassed to ask.

I got many congratulations on Facebook following my subtle (or not-so) announcement. Wayne gets an extra 250 XP for commenting that I had levelled up. When I got into work last night and checked my e-mail, I had a dozen or so congratulatory e-mails waiting for me from people who had scanned the list, saw my name, and felt compelled to find my address in the global and let me know they were proud of me -- some of them I would never have thought would even give it a second glance. I think the outpouring of good thoughts and feelings are more awesome than the upcoming promotion. (But I'm keeping the pay raise.)

Thanks, everyone. I love you all.

Serendipity

2009-05-09T16:37:00.003-04:00

According to Webster's Online Dictionary, serendipity is finding something unexpected and useful while searching for something else entirely.

Let me tell you a story of my serendipitous meal a couple weeks ago.

My buddy, Chance, and I (yes, that's his real name) went to Seoul. We caught one of the National Palaces and the National Folk Museum. Very nice places. Very cool. Spending most of the day walking around Seoul, we got a little hungry and started looking around for a place to eat. I love hanging out in Korea with Chance. Apart from being a good kid, firmly planted in his twenties with that natural exuberance, he is a pretty good Korean linguist. He has learned to slur and "aaaa" the way the locals actually speak rather than in the more crisp, enunciated way he was taught. So, when we grab a place to eat, it's usually a local joint, rather than some "Americanized" establishment. This time was no different.

We grabbed a small table and received a menu for English speakers. This menu had their foods listed down the page in Korean, and some of them had translations in a right-hand column. I really like to try out new foods, so I scrolled quickly down the menu and found "rice dish in pot." This was like a perfect entry for me: vague enough that I would be surprised by it, but specific enough that I was pretty sure I'd like it.

A few minutes later, the waiter brings my food, and Chance says "Bi bim bap? I didn't order that. Did you?" Of course, I have no idea what I ordered, but I've been meaning to try bi bim bap for pretty much the entire time I've been here. (My Sweetie's a huge fan.) Regardless, I'm willing to eat it. Chance, of course, wants to make sure we're getting the right stuff, so the guy brings the menu back around, and sure enough "rice dish in pot" is bi bim bap. That's the actual translation.

Serendipity: Accidentally ordering a dish you've been meaning to order for the past 10 months...

And it's yummy.

Touch Someone

2009-04-06T04:23:00.003-04:00

An extremely dear friend of mine - sister of my soul and brother by water - wrote recently about struggling to find an audience. Writing is what she does, and as with any artist, there is a sadness attached to shouting into the void. Playing upon the stage in an empty auditorium is merely rehearsal. I often joke about my dearth of readers (and many thanks to both of you), and truthfully the fact doesn't particularly bother me. But I am not a writer.

It caused me to reflect on how hard I sometimes try to get someone to go to karaoke with me. To find someone I can amuse with silly one-liners. To scrape up someone I can educate on some facet of knowledge I've gleaned over the years. Whatever your art, there is a joy in sharing that with someone. In having your efforts acknowledged by somebody other than yourself and the howling nothingness.

Please, any of you who read this: share with someone you care about something that they love to do. We can make each other a little less lonely today.

Numero dos, dos, dos; numero dos

2009-03-30T05:07:00.002-04:00

Two names you go by:
1. Ward
2. Beav

Two things you are wearing right now:
1. Left sock
2. Right sock

TWO OF your favorite things to do
1. Compute
2. Sing

Two things you want very badly at the moment:
1. A massage
2. Company

Two Pets that you have or have had
1. Dinky - Best dog I've ever met.
2. Lucy - The girl cat that turned out to be a boy cat.

Two people who will fill this out:
1. Possibly Soo
2. Maybe Kris

Two things you did last night:
1. Worked
2. Watched US in a World Cup Qualifying round against El Salvador

Last thing you ate:
1. Ramen (Korean)
2. Pizza

Two people you last talked to:
1. Dana
2. Jay

Two things you’re doing tomorrow:
1. Shop?
2. Get some outprocessing paperwork done

Longest trips taken:
1. Plane/Distance: US - Korea
2. Car/Time: Monterey, CA - FWB, FL (48 hours almost non-stop)

Your favorite holidays:
1. Halloween
2. Thanksgiving

Two favorite beverages:
1. Pepsi
2. Pepsi

TAG, YOU’RE IT!

The Devyl made me do it!

2009-03-14T06:57:00.003-04:00

Yes, it's another Devyl-inspired theme. I really dig these games, and they help me to occasionally get a blog post written for the ages. Anyway, she wrote this blog post about the letter Q. She asked for participants; I volunteered; she assigned me the letter S; and here we are. So, my favorite S-words:

Sweetie - Sweetie always comes first.
Sabre (or Saber) - I cannot write "S-words" without saying "Sabre" because it begins with the bloody letter S.
Something - Something is for Soo (who should get a spot of her own, but that might be a little creepy). A couple years ago, when I made an offer of a recorded song for a March for Babies donation, she requested "Something." I almost recorded "Something," by the Beatles, but she's not much of a fan so I did Harry Connick instead.
Science - Both cool (though not cool) and super. Science changes the world. And it will not go down without a fight.
Supercooled Semiconductors - Not only a double, but an extension of #4. How can you make computers even more powerful? Supercooled Semiconductors.
Superfluous - As in, most of these explanations are superfluous (but fun).
Sexy - Always a good word. I love it. Allegedly the reason I got the letter S. Sexy is sexy!
Spine-tingling - I'm not much for horror stuff anymore, but I have had some wonderful spine-tingling episodes (most of which have nothing to do with horror or fear).
Samosa - Samosas are awesome. I get them everytime I go to Nawab back home. So tasty (like just about everything else they serve)!
Silly - One of my key traits, and one I'm teaching to my children. I think that everyone should have a little silly in their lives. It keeps me happy. It keeps my family happy.
Sweatpants - Probably the most comfortable piece of clothing ever devised. I'm wearing them right now.
Squeeze - A good synonym for hug. I love hugs. They are the perfect way to express caring for people. My hugs have become known throughout the small circle of my close friends. I've been told they are something treasured.
Squeeze-Hug - The squeeze-hug is something I do with my children. It's combination caring and play; love and fun. I hope it continues past the "Daddy, you're embarassing me" phase.
Suggestive - I love all things suggestive. Granted, I like things that go beyond that even more. But suggestive is wonderful. It is sexy and sexual and smart. It makes the sexy happen in your mind.
Smart - The one thing I want to be. The one attribute that I fell back on and kept my sanity with when all the world (or playground, anyway) said I was worthless. I knew then, as I still know now, that I was not worthless - I was smart.

Those are just 15 of my favorite super, special, spectacular S-words. Suppose you'd like to spend time sussing out your own selections? Slip me a short sign stating such, and soon you'll see.

Sayonara!

Bad boys! Whatcha gonna do?

2009-02-27T23:13:00.003-05:00

Last night, I volunteered for Town Patrol.

Basically, what happens every weekend (and random other days) is the Security Forces from base just wander around the Songtan area, ducking into bars all night. Their presence helps to keep things from going awry and, in the event that things do, they are around to handle the situation. Several of the NCOs in my unit went with them last night. It was actually a highly interesting evening.

First order of business for me and the guys I was with was to jump in the car and check out the Glass House. Glass House is an area of several streets where prostitutes hang out in these rooms that are essentially window boxes and if you want one, you just park, head in, and she'll take you back into another room behind that one. Prostitution being illegal, the Town Patrol does a quick drive by looking for Americans. I think the funniest thing about that part of the night was watching the girls lean out to wave us in and realizing it was a police car.

After our brush with the land of the sex trade, it was back to the local Songtan area and the bars that earn their living off the military. We wandered up and down the main drag, through alleys I had never noticed before, and in and out of bars for the rest of the night ('til roughly 2:30 A.M.). It was a lot of fun. It was mostly quiet. Stopped a few various folks doing stuff they weren't supposed to: taking a glass from a bar, taking an open bottle of something down the street, flipping an empty table belonging to one of the street-food vendors. Then came the final countdown. 3 o'clock is when curfew begins. You must either be on base, or in a residence/hotel room. Around 2:45, the exodus (inodus?) is getting into full swing. We just stood around the main drag watching everyone sweep by, making sure that everyone made it - even the guy who stood there puking for a minute.

As we stood there, just about curfew time, the NCO who had organized our involvement was chatting up (yet another) bar girl, as she made her way home after a long night of serving drunk Americans. One of the other guys in our group (who had been with a different patrol as we had) teased him for being recognized. He explained that he shot pool with her all the time. My reply: "He apparently shoots pool in every bar we've been in tonight."

One final story for you kiddies. Perhaps 10-15 minutes after curfew, we are slowly making our way back to the gate, keeping an eye out for stragglers. A call comes from the alley to our right. "SP! SP!" We all turn to see several Koreans exiting a bar, looking back toward their entryway and urgently flagging us down. We jog the 30 meters to where they're standing and find that there is an American passed out in his own vomit in their little alcove. The Security Forces get him to his feet and into consciousness. They ask for his ID, he replies mostly in Korean, obviously pretending that he does not speak English. Unfortunately for him, he's 1) obviously not Korean, 2) slipping in and out of both languages, 3) only carrying dogtags for identification. After some cajoling and badgering and several different tacks from both the security guys and the Senior NCOs in our party, he finally fesses up to his name and the fact that he's an Army PFC (Private, First Class). He still cannot produce an military ID (which is punishable by the Uniform Code of Military Justice), so the group leads him unsteadily to the gate. As we outsiders say our goodbyes and thanks, we can see them preparing to search him in the laundromat behind the gatehouse.

If there's one thing I learned (and I learned a lot), it's that cooperating with the security guys will help you much more than trying to pull the wool over their eyes.

Anti-VD...

2009-02-15T03:53:00.003-05:00

But all for Valentine's Day.

Yesterday was Valentine's Day, which makes me a little sad, 'cause my Valentine is roughly 14,000 miles away. At work, the day before, there was much singing-candy-gram-delivering. That was fun...listening to the songs (in beautiful harmony, no less) and the embarrassed shrieks of red-faced recipients. They even sold (and I bought) some anti-Valentine's baked goods which were pretty funny (and tasty).

I got, for my Sweetie and me, a matching set of T-shirts from Think Geek. They each have 6 hearts across the chest, Zelda style. When the shirts are within about a meter of each other, all six hearts will be illuminated (with the help of some batteries). When they are not, only 2.5 of them will be. I had her open hers early, so I could watch and tell her (as she realized what it was) "I'm never at full health without you." (I'm a dork, whatever.)

I'd like to post a picture, but at the moment, I have no AAA batteries, so no lightie-uppie. Meh...I'll get there.

Hope you all enjoyed the day, whether it was special for you or not.

That's right; I did it!

2009-02-11T04:45:00.003-05:00

The people have spoken! (Both of them.) On the advice of counsel, I have changed the links on my page to clicky-pop. Unfortunately, this does not go for the links to past time-frames or the links in my previous posts. (Not savvy enough for one; too lazy for the other.)

Hope you like it!

A question

2009-02-04T15:26:00.002-05:00

A question of style for you true believers...wait, that's been used...loyal readers?...I think I've heard that before...uh, you!

Would you prefer that the links on my page (both in-post and on the sidebar) pop to a new page or just redirect the page your currently on? I've been thinking of changing it, but I'm not sure if I want to. Just to be clear this is Strongbad's E-mail redirected on this page, and clicky-popped on a new page.

I will now pre-emptively thank you for your input.

Thank you for your input.

QTF IMI

2009-01-30T07:02:00.002-05:00

I was on the TV Guide-style channel moments ago. The audio is essentially talk radio from USFK. I wasn't really paying attention, so when I clicked away in the middle of a story, it didn't hit me until a moment later.

"The Commerce Department will testify before Congress tomorrow. They are expected to show shrinkage...(click)."

I believe someone's about to have to register on some sort of list. May have to keep his/her distance from schools and playgrounds.

Picture Tag!

2009-01-24T06:00:00.001-05:00

I got tagged by some little Devyl:

She had some rules:

Go to your picture files
Go to your 6th folder.
Go to your 6th picture.
Tell us about it.
Tag 6 friends to do the same.

Ok...well, I only have 4 folders at the moment (and one of those is nested), so I went into the 2nd one (as in 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2). Grabbing the 6th picture, I find:

Not a particularly heart-warming or awe-inspiring. Rather boring, if you ask me. But, when you randomize, you take what you get. This is taken from Seoul Tower. Not the top - if you take the elevator up, you get to an enclosed observation deck, and the prettiest, artiest bathrooms you've ever seen. You can see a little of Seoul stretching out beyond me. What you see just behind my back is a small enclosure (there are three on the platform I'm on) in which to build a fire. The smoke from that fire billows out the top and serves as a warning signal. Or, well, it did a long time ago. Now, I think they have radars and computers and stuff that serve roughly the same functions.

It says to tag 6 people...but my friends list is not so long as all that...so I'm going with 4:

Wabbit,
Kebo,
Drac, &
Soo.

Have fun!

Is this like the 5th degree?

2009-01-23T10:30:00.000-05:00

Once upon a time (Well, December 15th), an Immortal Matriarch was interviewed and passed her interview on. Sometime later (ok...it was January 6th), my friend Devyl posted her own interview and I asked to be included in the questioning tree. These are the questions she asked me, and the answers I have come up with.

1. Other than losing someone you love (or seeing someone you love get hurt) or dying before you have completed your life's missions ... what is your biggest fear?
Poverty. Now, I don't mean being poor. I've been there; I know how to get through that and learn good lessons along the way. There was a time that I was sharing a trailer with 2 of my best friends and we had a grand total of 1 can of corn in the house for sustenance. I don't fear being in that situation again. I dread not having the corn - not having the trailer. Even now, I know I'd be ok, but I will not let my family go through that.

2. Scenario: You can rewind up to 20 years and have up to six weeks to spend with one person without it affecting your present life. Do you take the opportunity, who do you choose, and what do you spend the time doing?
I'm severely tempted to say something about getting laid a lot more, but...I think I would go back and have some long conversations with one of my dear friends (either M or J). M is not in a very good place right now, and a lot of it stems from what turned out to be a bad decision some time ago. I would like to go back and help him to find a better path forward. J has, I think, been lost for some time. I'd love to go back and help her find who she really is and where she's really going before some of the pain she has experienced.

3. Compose a song using lyrics from other songs ... you must have (at least) 16 lines.
I'm sorry. I have to cop out on this one. I tried...I tried for the better part of 3 weeks to come up with something coherent. I won't quit trying, but I really feel like I need to get this post up. But I promise, when you least expect it: BAM! Song II - Electric Bugaloo.

4. Choose a moment in your life that you feel set you on your current course, and describe the moment and what it meant to you.
This is where we see the "It's a Wonderful Life" sort of lesson. If I can choose only one moment that put me where I am today, it'd have to be the moment when J broke up with me. At the time, it was a horrible, devastating moment. I'd have shot people to make it not happen. I was hurting enough several months later that when my friend M asked if I could come out to California to live with him and his wife, I jumped at the chance. It was there - faced with no job prospects, a home that was soon to go away, and a drifting soul - that I decided to join the Air Force. That, of course, led to meeting and marrying S, having two beautiful boys, and living joyously today. Therein lies the duality of every event - tragic, painful, wondrous, joyful. "Each man touches so many other lives..."

5. You are one of the most brilliant people I know, and I have always been in awe of your intelligence ... and your down-to-earth, easy-going manner. You also have a beautiful and fabulous wife that I adored as soon as I met her. I have not met your sons yet, but hope to one day. This is a two-parter: How does my vision of your life compare to YOUR vision of your life? If you had to describe your life in one word, what would that word be?
I'd say you hit it dead-on. Just kidding - you're gonna go to my head. My life is. I am intelligent, but often I am unable to put that intelligence to good use. I am down-to-earth and easy-going, but often have trouble dealing with people who are less intelligent. I do have a beautiful, fabulous wife - the deluxe model (with some features I can't even talk about), but she is as human as the rest of us. My children are awesome; every day, they remind me how lucky I am to be allowed near them, but sometimes I don't want to be. As always, I am ever the contradiction. Describing my life in one word is easy: Alive.

Now...if you would like me to ask you some questions, leave me a comment saying "Interview me" (or some such). I will e-mail you five questions (questions of my choosing). You post them and your answers to your blog much as I have done with mine - and include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same way. Thus the cycle continues.

I'm Home!

2008-12-18T07:03:00.002-05:00

I finally made it home. It was an interesting trip. My 1 hour layover in Tokyo turned into a 5 hour layover in Tokyo which would have been fine except that it took my 5 hour layover in Dallas and turned it into a 1 hour layover. That's 60 minutes to get off the plane, get my luggage, go through Customs, recheck my luggage, get back through security, find my gate and get on the next plane. I managed, but I did a lot of running (anyone remember OJ Simpson commercials?). Not an experience I recommend to anyone.

I would just like to state, for the record, that the Universe is beautiful. As we flew from Korea to get to Tokyo, I looked out and saw the mountainous countryside of Korea. Just gorgeous. Then, after Tokyo, as we crossed the North Pacific in the dark, I look out the window to see the clouds spread as a giant carpet beneath us and the stars twinkling above. I almost didn't recognize the big dipper because there were so many other stars in and around it.

I had a real good samaritan moment while checking in at Tokyo. I had to go to a desk to trade my JAL boarding passes for American Airlines boarding passes. As I waited for the necessary 137 keystrokes, a young Korean man came up to do the same at the counter next to me. It was a difficult process. A Japanese woman speaking English to a Korean man who obviously understood perhaps one word in ten. At one point, she was trying to get his baggage claim stickers, but he had no idea what she was talking about. I quietly asked the woman helping me for my baggage stickers and showed them to him. He quickly grasped the situation and they concluded. It gave me that familiar warm feeling of goodness. Makes me happy to be able to do things like that.

Ages passed, and I finally arrived in Norfolk. My sons had not been told that I was coming home, so they were bored and impatient waiting in the airport. And then down the hallway I come. We all see each other; they run to me; I pick them both up and finish my journey to my loving wife. Life is good. The universe is beautiful.

So close...I can taste it (Yummy!)

2008-12-15T06:29:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow morning, I get on a bus to Incheon. From there, I'll board a plane that will take me to Tokyo, then to Dallas, and finally to Norfolk. Waiting for me will be my lovely wife and my two beautiful boys (though they don't know it yet).

I can't wait.

I get to spend almost a month with them, including Christmas and New Years (and our anniversary). I must be doing something right for Karma to smile on me so brightly.

See you soon, Sweetie.

What, again?

2008-12-12T08:48:00.002-05:00

I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker!

All bloggers can play in this exclusive online poker tournament.

Registration code: 044900

Yup. Again. I have once again registered to compete against my fellow bloggers in the World Blogger Championship of Online Poker. My hope is to do a bit more like my first year than the years that followed it. I know there are a few of you out there who know how to play. To you I say, log in and join the fun. There is no cost, and the possibilities are huge! Or, if not, log in and watch me play.

Gotta keep one step...

2008-12-09T03:46:00.002-05:00

Busy night tonight. After working my 12-hour shift, I'm going over to a friend's house for dinner (he's making home-made gumbo!). I also have to write an Airman of the Quarter package for one of my guys, and mark up (improve) an EPR for one of my other guys. And hopefully get enough sleep to be awake when I start training my new boss tomorrow at 5 AM.

The joys of being an NCO. :-|

Tagged!

2008-11-14T02:39:00.003-05:00

Devyl passed on the fun, and I'm a sucker for these things, so you get whatever I can squeeze from my poor brain.

Step #1 - Link to the person who tagged you. My dear friend Devyl

Step #2 - Write Five Fun/Interesting Facts about yourself. This gives fellow bloggers (and your readership) a chance to actually get to know you better.

I find anything unusual to be funny/awesome. This can cause awkward situations when I express how hilarious it is that some horrible thing happened.
I want to understand just about everything. If something is true, I want to know why.
I almost always see both (all) sides to any given issue. Even the side(s) I disagree with vehemently.
Though I love playing poker, and play semi-regularly online, I have yet to play with actual cards and chips.
I love analyzing media: movies, TV, music, whatever. I enjoy seeing shots put together well; realizing the hidden satire in a scene; hearing subtle harmonies. It makes me happy.

Step #3 - Tag Six Other People and link to their blogs. Then let them know you’ve tagged them by twittering them or leaving a comment on their blog.

Tag! You're it!

Not just awesome...Hawesome.

2008-11-10T09:56:00.001-05:00

I just had to share this comic with you. While I read it, I moved from dread to horror to triumphant laughter. Just hawesome.

Johari..hari hari...

2008-11-08T09:33:00.002-05:00

Devyl posted her Johari window...a clever device that graphically separates personality traits into four quadrants. It divides up in two ways: things that you know or don't know, and things that others know and don't know. Interesting, particularly when you have friends and family that can contribute, thereby teaching you something you may not have known about yourself. She also included a Nohari window, but I haven't gone there yet.

Here is mine. And, for those of you who know her, but don't visit her blog on a daily (like some stalkers out there), here is hers.

For Shame

2008-11-05T15:39:00.002-05:00

Never before have I been so ashamed to be from Florida. Not during the 2000 election debacle; not when confronted by the fact that FARK has given it its own tag; not ever.

Today, I hang my head and consider disavowing my home State. On the ballot this year, along with President, along with Congressmen, along with countless State and local officials, there was an amendment to the State Constitution to define marriage as being only between a man and a woman. To deny marriage rights to an entire section of people. I am ashamed because it passed. It more than passed. It won by a sizable margin. It won in every single precinct. Overwhelmingly, my fellow Floridians decided that if you love someone of the same gender, you don’t deserve the same rights as the rest of us. You are worth less as a citizen. You don’t get the same protection under the law, even if we have to change the highest law in the State to make it so.

There is a video on YouTube of a commercial for Proposition 8 (the CA version of the same amendment), where someone has replaced the words “same-sex” with “interracial” in the arguments for Prop 8. There is no rational way to listen to it and maintain that it is not base discrimination. Most of the arguments are even the same ones used in 1958 when Loving v. Virginia was being heard and talked about. In that judgment, the court wrote:

“Marriage is one of the "basic civil rights of man," fundamental to our very existence and survival.... To deny this fundamental freedom on so unsupportable a basis as the racial classifications embodied in these statutes, classifications so directly subversive of the principle of equality at the heart of the Fourteenth Amendment, is surely to deprive all the State's citizens of liberty without due process of law. The Fourteenth Amendment requires that the freedom of choice to marry not be restricted by invidious racial discrimination. Under our Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual and cannot be infringed by the State.”

How can we say that this could not have been written about homosexuals? How can we say that sexual orientation is not protectable? How can we as a people have come far enough to elect a president who is a product of just such a marriage, and yet deny marriage rights so analogous? It makes me weep. I weep for the present, but I hope for the future, for I have learned from the past.

Holy. Farking. Shist.

2008-11-02T03:35:00.002-05:00

I should be posting pictures from Halloween night. There were some cool costumes to be had in Songtan.

However, Halloween just got bumped. It's just not cool enough to compare (and those of you who know me, know how much that means).

Read This!

I repeat (w/out the edit): Holy. Fucking. Shit.

How to see Seoul on 50K Won a day.

2008-10-21T02:10:00.009-04:00

Sunday, there was a picture-style scavenger hunt in Seoul. It was a fantastically fun time. The rules of the game said each team of five had to have 4 teammates in each picture and we were restricted to public transportation. Needless to say, I have some cool pics from all around Seoul.
Here we are at the temple near the Coex Mall. I'm pointing at the Buddha statue that we were looking for.

We walked quite a bit, though not always in such a silly manner.

We walked over to Olympic Stadium from that temple.

Then we caught a cab ride (yes 5 of us in a cab...a little less than comfortable) to the National Palace, where we helped guard.

Next, it was a trip to Seoul Tower. That was one of the cooler parts of the trip. First, the fences covered with locks (our objective), and the view was spectacular. I really dug the wiry flying man and the "layers" display (my pic doesn't do it justice).

Lastly, we went to the Fish Market. As you can see from "Row 1," it was huge! There were many things to be had, but I took pictures only of the live squid and live shark. (Yum!)

Finally, we headed to the Hard Rock in Itaewon to meet up with the other teams. On points, we lost. (Apparently one team just handed a cabbie 100K Won and said take us to these spots.) However, I feel that we won on experience. If we have another like this, I'll throw it on purpose. No other team has a shot like this, though it was just across the river from the Olympic Stadium.

After that day, I have many places on my list to visit with time to kill. Wow. I love being in a foreign country.

I didn't know you were called Dennis

2008-10-13T11:50:00.002-04:00

Today is my birthday. Well, today here. It's not quite 1 AM here on Osan, though it's still noonish Monday back home. Anyway, it has begun fairly well. Just got done with some pretty cool gaming. Lots of jokes flying back and forth. Good problem solving, good bash and grab. It's not my home group, but we had fun just the same.

I think tonight (in another 19 hours or so), I'll go sing karaoke on the other side of base. That'll be fun. But who knows what the day has in store for me. Sleep first.

Oh, if you want to know how old I am, you should have gotten it from the title. "I'm not old."

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2008-10-06T20:53:00.002-04:00

I made a couple changes to the sidebar. (Over there --->)

I removed the links to "My other touches on the web" that I never go to anymore, and I added a couple links where you can buy me stuff if you like. All I could think of off the top of my head first thing in the morning here was Amazon and ThinkGeek, but if there are other places you think I could come up with a decent list, let me know. I'll be glad to troll around and find neat stuff.

What's goin' on with me lately? Not too much, really. I've switched from a 4 on, 3 off, 8 hours a day schedule to a 3 on, 3 off, 12 hours a day schedule. Sounds like a total downer, but I like it. It's the same schedule I started my career on. 12s take a minute to get used to, but once you do, it's really not much different than 8s.

My XBox360 is dead. This is a tragedy of epic proportions. However, I only got it this past Christmas, so it's under warranty, and I'm e-mailing back and forth w/ tech support so I can see about getting it fixed or replaced.

Along with Twitter, I've started on Blip.fm. Pretty neat. I listed a few of my favorite musical artists and they gave me a few "favorite DJs." The concept is, each user (or DJ) finds songs on the server (or uploads them) and "blips" them. All people who have that DJ as a favorite hears it (assuming they're listening). You can also select any song to be part of your playlist. It's a pretty cool way to catch songs you haven't heard before but are likely to be something you enjoy.

What started as an odd phenomenon for me here has now turned into some sort of weird quest. I have still not had Korean food in Songtan (the area just outside the gate). I have had some on-base, and several areas outside Songtan, but none there yet. I have, however had Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indian, German (?!), Sort-of-New-Englandish, and Ice-Cream. I've still got Italian and Vietnamese to go, and likely a few others. But then, I'm just odd.

Intro to Korea

2008-09-26T04:50:00.003-04:00

I thought I should probably post a little of Korea. I still haven't seen much of it, but out the gate is an almost overwhelming display in pursuit of the (not so) almighty Won. There are 300 bars in a 3-block radius from the gate. This is not an exaggeration. The storefronts (including restaurants and bars) stack right on top of each other. Many signs include the legend "2F" or "3F" indicating the floor you should stop at for their wares.

I included these two pictures simply because they appeal to the hippie idealist in me. The mural of the two flags painted on a wall out in town touches me. What touches me even more is that there is almost no graffiti painted on it, though there is some nearby. And the Peace Shop? How can you top it? "How much to get some for the planet?" They actually sell art in there. Most of it looks good, if not particularly inspiring. I have a few pics from Lotte World (an indoor/outdoor amusement park attached to a mall with an icerink), but those will wait for another day.

Much love!

Chaps My @$$

2008-09-07T04:58:00.002-04:00

I was just watching the end of a show on steroid use. (Yeah, there's not much on here.) They talked to a guy in a gym who was saying that athletes dope because we, as consumers, demand that records be broken. We demand performance beyond natural capability. We demand that they dope.

Now I'm pretty pissed off. Bullshit! I recognize that I'm not a typical "consumer," particularly when it comes to sports. However, I don't agree with his premise. I want to see the fastest human, not the best steroid cocktail. I want to see a competition of man against man (or woman, whatever), not man's drug regimen against man's drug regimen.

If you're gonna try to cheat the system, don't try to pass the blame on to the people you're cheating. That's just bullshit. If I copy off the guy next to me in a test, I can't blame my parents for expecting me to pass. The blame falls entirely on me for cheating. If there is any dishonesty I find more distasteful than any other, it's intellectual dishonesty.

Do I amuse you?

2008-09-03T03:52:00.003-04:00

I've seen it many times in many places. And now, I've finally gone and done it: the 3-variable funny test. And since I know none of you will rest until you know my scores...

My result for The 3 Variable Funny Test...

the Provacateur

your humor style:
VULGAR | COMPLEX | DARK

You'll crack on anything, and you're often witty, even caustic, about it.

Therefore, your sense of humor is polarizing. You're transgressive, and you've got a seriously sharp 'edge'--maybe too much for some folks. If they get you, people think you're one of the funniest (and smartest) people in the world. If they don't, they think you're an ass. Whatever, right? While some might question your judgement, your comic intellect is unquestionably respected.

PEOPLE LIKE YOU: Chris Rock - Lenny Bruce - George Carlin

The 3-Variable Funny Test!

- it rules -

Take The 3 Variable Funny Test at HelloQuizzy

I think I can take being compared to Chris, George, and Lenny. (Heady stuff)

I <3 the Olympics

2008-08-08T23:18:00.003-04:00

The Olympics have begun, and we do get some of the coverage here in Korea. I'm watching the Parade of Nations (after watching that amazing Opening Ceremony).

I love the Olympics. It is inspiring to watch the best athletes in the world do the things that they are best at. The competition is supremely engaging. But watching the Parade of Nations strikes me with two other thoughts that inspire me even more.

As the countries' delegations come in and do their walk, they end in the center of the stadium, divided in their little spaces. But if you look closely (and NBC's coverage moves in a few times to show), there is quite a bit of mingling going on. The athletes from one country go to visit, take pictures with, and shake hands with, the athletes from other (sometimes "opposing") countries. The Olympic ideal never seems so true and clear as it does when you see that.

The other thing that strikes me is looking at the delegations from countries around the world, I can't help but notice the beautiful women. I don't understand how you can have racists in this world. I mean, look at the women from Namibia, and Senegal, and India, and Liechtenstein, and Australia, and Bermuda, and Iraq, and Argentina, and everywhere! How can anyone look on these people and even comprehend the word "inferior" without applying it to himself/herself. I can't.

My Pedigree

2008-07-24T03:31:00.004-04:00

Before leaving the States, I started researching my family tree (at Ancestry.com). It's really kind of fun, following the chain of names into the past. You notice all sorts of interesting data in your searches. Looking at census data, I find that my great-grandfather had 19 year-old Danish women as servants twice. My grandfather's grandmother was a widowed mother of 8 children by the year 1910.

The search can be frustrating, too. When you're looking for someone with a fairly common name, there can be hundreds of records and no way to tell which one(s) apply.

All in all, I've found it fascinating. Mapping out the major relationship events of a family member that died a hundred years ago intrigues me. How might I have lived in their shoes? How did their experiences shape who I am today? How will my experiences change, knowing what I've learned?

I need to bust some mad rhymes, yo

2008-07-20T08:48:00.003-04:00

We get a few "back home" channels here in Korea. One of them (naturally) is ESPN. I don't think it's the flagship ESPN; maybe it's ESPN 8 (the Ocho). I am currently watching a show on this channel called Hip Hop Hold'em. Wow.

I used to watch Celebrity Poker Showdown very regularly, until they replaced Phil Gordon with Phil Hellmuth. (Who'd have thought Hellmuth could be so bland?) This show is roughly the same concept, only all the people associated with it are associated with the Hip Hop scene. Even down to the "tournament director" who calls all the action: Ed Lover. The biggest complaint (and one I heard often) about CPS was that the celebrities really played badly; the quality of poker just wasn't there. I'm here to tell you, they were all WPT finalists compared to the poker on this show. the betting strategy seems to be based on ego rather than any logical or sane ... well, betting strategy.

I've got to find a way into hip hop so I can get on this show.

I'm Here

2008-07-10T02:46:00.003-04:00

I made it. And I finally got back up on the web (Thank Goodness). I've been incommunicado since posting last. My mobile phone doesn't work over here; my phone didn't get connected until today (when my internet was also connected).

Fun.

This Is It...Here We Go

2008-07-07T05:27:00.002-04:00

It's 5:30 in the morning on Monday 7 July, and I'm getting ready to go. In a few hours, I'll be on a plane to Atlanta. In a few more hours, I'll be on a plane to Incheon, South Korea. A year of separation awaits. A year of pitfalls to avoid. A year of vid-chats, e-mails, playing Hellgate with someone half a world away.

Bye.

%&$(^&$*!!!

2008-06-06T19:23:00.002-04:00

I've been at the same base for over 10 years now. As the son of a military member, this is just wrong. As an active duty member of the military, it's wrong. But it seemed that it wasn't going to change, so I decided to give the situation a little nudge. I volunteered for a 1-year remote assignment to South Korea (that means without my wife and sons). The way this works is that by volunteering, I get to choose where I get to go. Obviously, there are limitations; they've got to be able to find a job for me and whatnot, but I get some good consideration.

I get the assignment to Korea, I get a follow-on assignment to Denver, just like I asked. Sweet! Three days ago, I get the news: they can't send me to Denver anymore. They won't find a place for my wife to work nearby. I'm told that there are two places they can send me/us in that timeframe. Langley (where we are now), or Beale (a similar but worse assignment in the middle of nowhere, CA).

I'm livid and depressed at the same time. We've complained to a couple of our higher-ups, but chances are, there's nothing they can do. My dream assignment evaporated into the ether. I was going to have great mission, most of my family very close, and a beautiful new area; now I'll have the same thing I've had for TEN YEARS.

What did I volunteer for?

Good Times

2008-06-02T19:38:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, I got to spend time with my dad, my brother, and their wives. I think it was the best time I've had in a long time. Even telling my brother to stop trying to get my son arrested was fun. We didn't have time to do much. Waited a couple hours for food; toured the USS Constellation in Baltimore Harbor; then it was time to run home. But still, when you only see family once every few years, those visits - however fleeting - are precious. I think perhaps the neatest moments for me were when the 3 of us sat in our own little bubble of existence geeking out with each other about cameras and the trouble that YouTube and Firefox seem to have with each other. (Can you believe Kevin didn't know that this video existed?)

What the Shizzle?!

2008-05-09T18:06:00.002-04:00

I'm outprocessing these days. Outprocessing is when you get all the offices on base to agree to let you go where the Air Force has told you to go. It usually involves going to an office, signing in, and waiting for the person behind the desk to finish their Sudoku or the end of the duty day, whichever comes first.

So, today, I stop in at Force Health. They need to review my medical records to determine whether I'm healthy enough to go to Korea. Fine and dandy. I sign in, casually note the soap opera playing on the TV in the room, and then dip my head into some paperwork. A few minutes pass, and suddenly I realize that something is wrong with the TV sound. Rather than over-emoted dialog, I'm hearing mellow rap. I look up, and Snoop Doggy Dogg is performing on stage. But no one has changed the channel. I continue to watch, and sure enough, after Snoop finishes his rhyme, it fades right into the opening credits for One Life to Live (Or OLTL, according to the snazzy opening montage). As the show progresses, it's obvious that Snoop is actually acting in this daytime drama (as himself, but still). My mind is blown.

Don't get me wrong, despite the horrific writing and hideous, convoluted storylines, I have to give major props to those who act in soaps. It takes some serious chops to get a new set of lines every single day, and often have your characterization change overnight when the writers decide to go in a different direction with this new twist. But Snoop Doggy Dogg? On a Soap Opera? Is he running into money troubles? Are they trying to open up the "stoned truant" demographic? ("I gotta skip Algebra today, Dawg. D O Double G is on One Life to Lizzle today.")

Playing Catch-Up

2008-04-19T16:19:00.002-04:00

I have been seriously falling down on my blogging duties. So much has happened.

Son the Elder is 6 now; Son the Younger is 2. (Yes, their birthdays are that close together.) My mom got a year older (Happy B-day Wabbitt!) I passed my 14th year in the USAF, and my 4th year at this blog (really that long?). My office moved. I did an Adopt-a-Spot and got sunburned. I have gotten Saundra to 3 karaoke nights (in a row, no less). I realized that Wil Wheaton Twitters, so I'm following him. I've played tons of Bully. Our gaming group has died, but I'm resurrecting it one player at a time in Hellgate: London.

And I'm less than 2 weeks from Marching for Babies and I haven't gotten a single sponsor. D'oh!

See you in another month! (No really, I'll try to be more punctual.)

They Sent Us Playboy...

2008-03-20T19:55:00.002-04:00

So, my loyal readers, what's the one concert I'd like to see come to my area? Yup. Billy Joel. Guess who's coming to my area? Yup. Billy Joel. Guess where I'm going to be? Yup. Korea. He'll be playing the VA Beach amphitheater 21 June. Just 2-3 weeks after I fly out of the country.

D'OH! I knew there had to be a downside.

Well, the upside is still that I'm pretty sure I'll get to go to Denver afterwards. That adds up to a gorgeous (new) area, a pretty cool mission, and family nearby (emergency babysitting FTW!).

(Topic jump!) I have to say that there's one thing that never ceases to give me a pleasant surprise: when someone makes a point to come and thank me for my service when I'm in uniform. I've had older gentlemen insist on holding doors for me (and I'm a dude!), one lady bought dessert for my office and me when we were out having lunch. It's enough to make me blush.

Just sayin'.

-30 News of Sadness

2008-03-04T22:58:00.002-05:00

Gary Gygax has died. There it is. Depressing news.

For the uninitiated, Gary created Dungeons and Dragons, without which it is likely we would not have Role Playing Games at all. World of Warcraft wouldn't exist. Magic: the Gathering? Nope. Not to mention that many of us geeks would never have met each other. Many relationships that last for years would never have begun. Many would never have left their mothers' basements.

I still remember walking around Jr. High, playing diceless between classes. It was a great challenge because you had to keep the map in your head, remembering which way that treasure room was and the best escape route from the ogres you'd just stumbled across. I also remember having twice the books at my disposal because my best friend's mom was convinced D&D was satanic, so he kept his books at my house.

A lifetime of my memories can trace their roots to the creations of Gary Gygax.

Roll well on your new character, Gary. You can join the party again.

Left, Right, Left

2008-01-30T21:43:00.000-05:00

WalkAmerica is no longer WalkAmerica. It is now March for Babies, and I will once again Walk...er, March for Babies. Though the name has changed, not much else has. We're still raising money to research and defeat birth defects (specifically premature birth); still walking on the Virginia Beach boardwalk; and I am still heading up Team Langley.

It's a great time, but it won't do much good without your help. Please visit my March for Babies page and do what you can.

So I'm a geek now, am I?

2007-12-21T20:48:00.000-05:00

	I received 70 credits on The Sci Fi Sounds Quiz How much of a Sci-Fi geek are you?
Guess the Sci-Fi Movie Sounds here Canon powershot

WWJFKD?

2007-12-15T19:30:00.000-05:00

Who'd have thought that TV Land would have sent me into sociological ponderings. They ran a set of shows called the 100 Greatest TV Quotes & Catchphrases, and due to an extreme dearth of other things being aired, I watched the last (best) 20 of them. Among the loftiest, lay Kennedy's iconic "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country."

It may have been the first time I really considered what he was saying along with the current public ethos. Wow...how far have we fallen? Can you imagine the President of the United States coming out and brashly, boldly telling the people: "Stop thinking of yourselves! Stop looking for what you can be given! Start thinking of the entire nation. Start looking for a way you can make things better." I think it may have been revolutionary in 1961; I think it could be even more extraordinary today.

When going wrong goes horribly, horribly right

2007-12-11T15:36:00.001-05:00

I got my wife an electric guitar for Christmas. It comes with an amp, picks, plugs, strap, case, and a DVD that supposedly teaches you to play. After getting the e-mail alert about it shipping, I looked up to see that it was to be delivered on Monday (yesterday) while my wife was at home, but I was not. No worries...I just let her know that her big present was coming and not to do any inordinate peeking.

It comes, and for some reason, is NOT conveyed in a nice Christmas-present-friendly plain-brown box; but instead is in a box proudly displaying what the contents are with pretty pictures and big bright words.

Thanks.

So, we discuss the ramifications of the spoiled surprise, and we decide that I get to open my big present from her, to sort of even the score. It's an XBox 360! I had been just about certain that I would not be getting a next-gen console, so the excitement was, shall we say, evident. (I then proceeded to stay up way too late playing one of the little games they give away free with the system.)

Yay!

TSA, DIAF

2007-12-01T08:33:00.001-05:00

Ok, now I'm pissed. This article made me lose my cool. Quick run-down is this: Several uniformed soldiers are escorting a fallen comrade home for burial. After putting their friend on the plane (with an honor guard of locals), they are escorted to security by a uniformed policeman. Once there, the TSA screener checks IDs for the soldiers and cop, then has them go through the metal detector. Well, it's a medal detector, too, cause duh! So, in front of everyone waiting to get to their own flights, these soldiers (who are escorting the corpse of a friend, don't forget) are forced to strip down to socks, pants, and undershirts. While there's a local policeman there who knows they're legit. While there's a flag-draped coffin waiting for them in a plane on the tarmac.

What else is there to say: DIAF, TSA.

I want to Rock!

2007-11-23T20:27:00.000-05:00

Start with Guitar Hero (with a bassist)...add a singer, and a drummer. You know what you have? You have what may be the coolest music game ever created - Rock Band. Our gaming group all showed for Thanksgiving together and Wayne brought it. We spent most of the evening rocking city after city. Holy crap, that was one of the best times I've had with more than 2 people. Unfortunately for me, it's on the 360, but not the original XBox. It is (or rather, will be) available for PS2, but that means that there will be no downloading new songs and stuff. In theory, I could angle for a 360, but if I can get a new console, it'll only be one, and I think the Wii has to be it. (Although this game makes me wonder...)

Anyway, thought I'd pass that on. If you, like Twisted Sister, wanna rock, Rock Band is the game for you.

--Beav (we didn't break one million, though)

Holy Car-p!

2007-11-05T19:17:00.000-05:00

I found (read: saw on Clicked) this article that really intrigues me.

This guy takes cars (well, usually SUVs and big trucks and stuff) and converts them to (bio)diesel/electric hybrids. Just like the auto companies say can't be done. With 90% off-the-shelf parts made by said auto companies. Oh yeah, not only does it slash emissions drastically, it also (roughly) quadruples the gas mileage and usually something like doubles the horsepower.

Detroit! Are you listening?! Make this guy your new chief of engineering!

The rest of you read the article. It is beyond well-worth your perusal.

Where does he get those Wonderful Toys?

2007-10-30T19:20:00.000-04:00

I know, it's been a bit since I posted last. Last post was my birthday. Shortly after that, I got presents. Overlord for the PC - a fantastic game ("Are you evil, or truly evil?") and Bard's Tale for the XBox - an update on the original. Then, we had to replace our TV (the old one would no longer accept outside inputs...like the satellite or DVD player), and since I refuse to lug a tower and gargantu-CRT to Korea and Saundra's died, we got replacement laptops. (More debt, but will be dealt with shortly. Yay SRB!) So, I've had toys to play with and retain my wandering attention. I also have to update this new computer to do all the stuff my old one did...e-mail, games, mozilla add-ons, and what-not.

Off I go, to install and download.

814 is the loneliest number...

2007-10-14T16:28:00.000-04:00

That was kind of a big barrel of suck. I just busted out of this year's blogger tourney in 814 (out of 1337). I did better than Wil, but still not even halfway through the field. There were several hands I should have played better. I spent almost the entire time below my starting stack and usually around 100 places off the bottom.

But, it cost me nothing, and I had some fun playing (and sweating Wil's table), so I guess I came out ahead in the end, no?

Cease Fire! Cease Fire!

2007-10-06T18:26:00.000-04:00

Last night was fun. In the military, there is a ceremony called a "Dining In." It is distinguished from a "Dining Out" in that no one from outside the unit (spouses, friends, whatnot) may attend. It is a fairly regimented, formal sort of event. A "Combat" Dining In retains the exclusionary quality and a hint of formal regimentation (regimentation??), while introducing some of the finer parts of Animal House.

Everyone is armed with waterguns, water balloons, and pre-placed mashed potatoes. Most of the "eating" time is off-limits for attacking, but that is loosely enforced, if at all. And, throughout the evening, the "President of the Mess" can sound the "Code Red" which signifies that all bets are off and you better get to shootin'. To cap off this riotous fun...or maybe to just add to it and ensure it continues, is the Grog.

The Grog is a punishment of sorts. If you violate one of the rules of the Mess (clapping your hands instead of pounding the table with your right hand while waving your left, for instance), you may be sent to the Grog. This involves negotiating some sort of obstacle(s) and then...well...drinking. But you can't just drink. There are rules on how to address the issue. They are made to become exceptionally difficult to recall and execute after you've had a few. To be fair, there is also a non-alcoholic version of the Grog, but most opt for the "leaded" variety.

Saundra and I came home drenched. And we got off light. One of the guys I work with looked like he had walked 10 miles through a hurricane. All-in-all, an enjoyable evening.

Poker in the Office

2007-10-03T21:00:00.000-04:00

It appears to be that time again. PokerStars is having another blogger freeroll tourney. Yay! For free, because I have a blog, I have a chance (ok, not much of one, but still) at some pretty big prizes. And hey, if you've had a blog for 2 months and keep it "regularly updated," you can enter, too.

And how's this for cool: it's being held on my birthday! Doesn't that automatically put me in the money or something? (No? Awww...)

I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker!

This Online Poker Tournament is a No Limit Texas Holdem event exclusive to Bloggers.

Registration code: 6733312

I'm movin' on

2007-09-19T19:03:00.001-04:00

Interesting news:

I've been told I'm going to move. To Korea. For a year. Alone. (But not 'til June)

This does not upset me as much as some of you might think.

When I was growing up, my dad was in the Air Force. For a while, we moved every few years, as was normal for the military. When my parents separated, we took one last move, to Florida, where we settled. But, the setting was done by then. I feel cooped up - caged - when I stay in one place too long. I've been in this area for almost 10 years. Attached to the same unit for the whole time. I've seen people come and go. I've seen mission dwindle and die away. I know more about the history of our system than its capabilities. I've been itching to leave for at least 3 or 4 years.

The real good thing about going to Korea is that after that year is over, I get my choice of assignments. As long as they have billets at a base, they'll do what they can to put me in one of 'em. So, I take a one year hit - a separation from my wife and two boys - and I get to pick my spot. Clearly a win in the long-range column. It also takes me off the list to go involuntarily. (Though it no longer moves me to the end of the deployment list.)

I'm thinking about Peterson AFB, Schriever AFB, or perhaps Buckley AFB. They are in Colorado Springs and Denver, which means further away from my dad, stepmom, and many friends; but in the same town as (or close to) my mom, brother, sister, their families, and several friends that moved there from Florida. Again, some minus, some plus.

So, I've got 9 months to get myself and my family ready for the separation; get Saundra into a day job so she can more easily handle the boys; get my laptop fixed or replaced; get webcams; and get my replacement fully spun up. No sweat.

--Beav (Besides, I dig kimchi.)

What, already?

2007-09-05T19:43:00.000-04:00

My son went to kindergarten for the first time yesterday. It was a little scary; a little emotional; a little traumatic. Of course, he didn't notice any of that. As always, he was a little ball of confidence: as sure of himself as he is of the sun.

He has a homework folder that stays in his backpack. Thus far, he's had a certificate proclaiming a great 1st day and a Scholastic book order form. I remember the Scholastic form from my days in the low-numbered grades. Nothing brought such craving and lust for "things" like the Scholastic form. I always wanted at least 75% of the stuff they were selling, but had to settle for the few we could manage. Always disappointed, but always satisfied, too. I always got some great story, some new world to escape into.

Now, as a parent, I see the order form. I look at the prices almost before I look at the titles. I remember growing up and vow that he will grow up the same way. Disappointment, but satisfaction, too.

Alannis, come check this out!

2007-08-30T18:10:00.000-04:00

Last weekend at karaoke (at the magnificent Extreme Lounge attached to the lush York Lanes in sunny Yorktown), I had the most wonderful moment. I've been waiting for it for weeks, really. Ever since I first heard the song "Before He Cheats."

See, there's a line in there that goes like this: "Right now, she's probably up singing some white-trash version of Shania karaoke." Now, if you've heard this song, you know it's going to be sung at karaoke.

So, it's a Saturday night, I'm out at my regular karaoke stomping ground, and I hear the start of the song, so I look up with a little joy twinklin' in my eye. 'Cause up there is...well, another man's White Treasure...and then she gets there and I lose myself in ironic ecstasy. Sheer beauty, really.

Always Use the Flash

2007-08-25T10:31:00.000-04:00

A fine example of why you should always use the Flash when taking pictures.

Fun from the Desert

2007-08-17T17:22:00.001-04:00

This is a little video that's been passed around at work. For those of you who are deployed, know someone who is, or just want to feel the love...enjoy.

The election's when?

2007-08-11T17:36:00.000-04:00

I know this is way early. I do tend to get annoyed with political posturing and what-not, particularly when there is so much time to go.

But all that aside, I found something that I wish for every election cycle: a handy-dandy chart.

Who stands where on what?

I don't know yet whether they plan to update this as things progress, but it's certainly a great place to start when there are so many people and issues that concern us.

Go ahead, ask me anything.

2007-07-24T21:32:00.001-04:00

I've been caught in another seductive web of the...web.

I found Yahoo! Answers. There is something undeniably attractive about hundreds, nay thousands, of questions begging for your input. People with conundrums seemingly custom-designed for your knowledge. Not only that, but if you answer well, and the asker likes it, they can tell you that yours was the "Best Answer!" Man! That kind of validation can't be found just anywhere.

Granted, like any place on the web, there are trolls and idiots to suffer through. But there are also very real people with very real dilemmas, stumpers, and philosophical thought-journeys. If you're not careful, you can lose a day or 13 in there.

I love these moments!

2007-07-15T20:16:00.000-04:00

I just had a wonderful idea.

I was watching a show called Nova ScienceNOW that dealt with (among other things) the theory of emergence. Basically, emergence is the way complex systems and patterns arise out of a bunch of relatively simple interactions; essentially self-organization.

Now those of you with a science bent are probably thinking: "Wait, doesn't entropy say that can't happen?" It does seem to be contrary to what we know of organization. Order marches toward Chaos. That's entropy. What's up?

It occurs to me that just as we have conservation of energy and conservation of matter, we may have conservation of organization. When you see examples of entropy: as things decay, energy slowly transfers to create equilibrium; when you see examples of emergence: as computers teach themselves, molecules rebond in different configurations; what you see is not two different, opposite phenomena, but conversion of organization. Like the rock converts potential energy to kinetic when it rolls down the hill. Like the acid and base convert to water and salt when combined.

It may not be true. But it's certainly elegant.

What do you mean, Stevie?

2007-07-04T15:41:00.000-04:00

I work with a woman named Rhiannon. Her parents were die-hard Fleetwood Mac fans (and who isn't, really), and well, there you go: Rhiannon.

Now, everytime I see her, my mind says that "Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night," and it has occurred to me that I don't know what that means. How does a person ring like a bell through the night? What quality is she (or he for that matter) expressing? Or is there no meaning at all? Is it just a beautiful lyric that suggests without ever quite defining?

The things I think about.

Is it really MY Space?

2007-06-30T18:53:00.000-04:00

Yes, I have a MySpace account. I know...hang my head in shame and all that. I originally created it after seeing 3 reports in the same week about pedophiles getting access to kids via MySpace. And while Ryan is only 5, there will come a day when he will "have to have" an account. I want to be more informed than many parents are. I want to know what is possible and what isn't. What information is shared or not on a "private account."

Anyway. I have (I think) 14 "friends." Although I quotated that, all but Tom are actually friends of mine. I don't add lightly, and that is what brings me here to type. I get anywhere between 2 and 7 friend requests per week that all turn out to be porn-spam. They lead to an account with the same stupid profile, the same stupid claims, and the same stupid link to "my pics that MySpace won't let me post here."

Sometimes, it amuses me; usually it annoys me; occasionally it really chaps my buns. I mean, really. If someone is looking for porn, they'll find it (I know, I do). There's really no need to solicit random folks by the thousands. Particularly in a venue that specifically prohibits it. What's the freaking point?!

I do occasionally get a request from a stranger that doesn't appear to lead to porn. It's almost refreshing. I usually respond with a polite message saying that I don't normally add strangers ("but if you're a friend of a friend, join the party"). I don't think I've ever gotten a response.

[shrug]

There's always tomorrow.

Welcome to my brain

2007-06-20T19:13:00.000-04:00

Two items today:

First is The Gazebo Story. If you've ever played D & D, this will be hillarious. If you've never played, but understand the basic concepts, it will be hillarious. If you've no idea, well, you may still find it hillarious (but probably to a lesser extent). The Gazebo Story is the first on the page, but the others are quite good, too.

Second is a stray thought I had today. I never hear about biker gangs anymore. When I was growing up, one of the most fearful things in the real world was a "Hell's Angel." Now it occurs to me that I haven't even heard the term in 20 years. Could it be they've all just "grown out of it?" It's fun to imagine a pack of 70 year-old dudes in leather on Harleys cruising down the interstate at 35 miles an hour. Every single one with their left blinker on.

I'm not leading THAT witness!

2007-06-14T18:52:00.000-04:00

Today, I got to see a Court Martial. It took pretty much the whole morning. No more than that because the accused pled guilty. So, they spent 90 minutes essentially going over the incidents in detail so the judge could satisfy himself that the accused knew what he was admitting to and that he was indeed guilty according to his story.

Then, the judge says "we'll take a 15-minute recess and return for sentence." I figure this has just gotten really short - he'll take 15 minutes, come back in, sentence the guy to this, this, and that, and we're outta here. Nope. Turns out, sentence is where the "trial" really happens in a case like this. Essentially, here are the character witnesses, the extenuating circumstances, the "I was neglected as a child" stuff. Now the lawyers get to do their lawyer things.

They introduce many sheets of paper as evidence. Defense objects to some of them. Prosecution objects to some others. Prosecution calls someone to the stand; defense objects to virtually every sentence he utters. (Counsel literally hovered over his seat because he knew he'd be standing to object very shortly.) Then, after another 15-minute recess, closing arguments.

Having been a forensics nerd in school (no, not Quincy...look it up), I had much appreciation for the process. I actually wanted to applaud when Defense finished his closing, though it didn't do him much good: kid got much closer to what Prosecution was calling for than what Defense was (rightfully so, to this not-completely-unbiased observer).

No Color for Stupid

2007-06-06T18:04:00.000-04:00

I realized this just today on the drive home from work. There is no color for stupid. Colors represent all sorts of other things. You can be green with envy, yellow-bellied, red with anger, yell until you're blue in the face, be in a black mood, have the blues, or even be so full of sh*t your eyes are brown (guilty). But there's no color for stupid.

I'd like to think that it's because stupid skips past all boundaries. It cannot be contained in a single color. It will not stay with a single race, or creed, or religion, or sex, or nationality; not even income levels, or careers can claim immunity. There are stupid people in the intelligence community for crying out loud!

Even within a given person, there is no refuge. Everyone has stupid moments. I'm sure Stephen Hawking has had an incident or two. Albert Einstein had problems with basic math, or so they say. I've often said that Homer Simpson is the modern-day Everyman: everyone has been Homer at one time or another. And if there's a more compelling example of stupid, I'd like to see it (on second thought, I probably wouldn't).

So I guess I'm glad there's no color for stupid. That way I can have any color I want.

2 Days a Week

2007-06-02T09:22:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday, I toured the USS Montpelier, a Los Angeles class fast attack submarine. That was entirely too cool. I actually enjoyed it on a level completely different than most of my compatriots because I've played 688i Attack Sub, in which you can use that very sub. It was really sweet to compare the instrumentation and controls from the game to the real thing. I only wish I could have taken Ryan with me. He would have gotten such a kick out of it. So, now I've toured an aircraft carrier and a submarine. I guess if I can tour a battleship and a destroyer, that'd make the set, right?

Yesterday, we had what is called a "fun run." I'm not sure who first thought to pair those two words, but if there is any justice, he will spend eternity having tender body parts removed hourly. It wasn't far (thank goodness), and even my recovered crippleness was able to keep up and finish with my coworkers. And what do you do after such a healthy morale event? Serve burgers, hotdogs, and pulled pork barbecue, complete w/ baked beans, potato salad, and macaroni & cheese! At least I stayed with water for a drink. (For those of you who are now concerned that I've been mindwiped by some alien species, it had something to do with the fact that the only sodas they had were Shasta.) But the real upside is that I had the whole afternoon off. On payday. On Friday. Dude.

In-decent

2007-05-26T07:31:00.000-04:00

There I am. Yesterday was Towel Day (in honor of Douglas Adams) and I kept my towel on...hand.

Needed my towel that day

2007-05-24T19:52:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is Towel Day. Carry a towel with you all day tomorrow (or today, as it's more likely that you're reading this tomorrow) in honor of Douglas Adams.

By the way, I've been meaning to post about this, but last Thursday, I was involved in a "Team Building Exercise" that mostly consisted of my coworkers and I going into a wooded lot and shooting at each other for a few hours. Yes, paintball. And what's more, duty hour paintball. Took the whole day off (from the Colonel to the peons) and had a little fun. The reason "I've been meaning to post" rather than "did post a week ago" is that I've been trying to get the pics from the office back home, but something in the e-mail path is being persnickety. Won't even let me know it's failing...they just don't show up. Durnit.

Sass you later, you hoopy froods!

2 Stuff

2007-05-02T19:58:00.000-04:00

So I went out walking on Sunday. I raised $335 for the babies, which is not bad. But the team raised $1880 altogether, which is great! Of course, I had a good time with Ryan and some of the other teammates, and he got to run on the sand. And now I have a couple songs to record.

I saw this article online the other day. Doctors have discovered a fascinating new fact about how cells die (i.e. how you die) when they're cut off from oxygen (say, when you've had a heart attack). Which leads them to a whole new way of reviving you long after they thought they could. I dare you to read this paragraph and then not read the article.

Say goodbye to your day

2007-04-22T17:06:00.000-04:00

...and visit here.

It's called the "Impossible Quiz," and they may be right. None of the questions is quite what it seems. The answers are not always obvious. Heck, they're not always one of the four given choices. You must learn as you go. And remember, here is the box: [];

here is where you must think.

No, really.

Have fun!

Happy Birthday!

2007-04-17T18:22:00.000-04:00

I'm 1!

1, 2, 5!

2007-04-15T09:40:00.000-04:00

Wow...3 years later (as of yesterday) and my blog is still rolling along. Who'd have thought I could keep doing something for so long? And I think I now have enough readers to count on two hands. (Sweet!)

And now, as then, I'll be walking for the babies in two weeks. 14 days from today, I'll meander down the boardwalk with my wife and kids, one of which has directly benefitted from the work that the March of Dimes does. So, if you can, please add to our collection here.

So many changes over the years: format, my links section, the comments, labels. Perhaps I'll play with the look again over the next few days.

--Beav ("Still crazy after all these years")

That's not a tear, it's sweat dripping out of my eye!

2007-04-12T05:28:00.000-04:00

Dorm Chief: "A 3-2-2 Graduate is:"
Flight: "Hard-working, motivated, trustworthy, dedicated. Never, ever be outdone. That's because we're second to none! A-oof!"
DC: "A-what?"
F: "A-oof!"
DC: "A-what?"
F: "A-oof! A-oof! A-oof!"

It is bizarre what memories surface from nowhere. 13 years ago, I learned that chant - and lived it - in Basic training.

I'm not easily susceptible to brainwashing, but it was nice to believe, for a time at least, that everything was as simple as having all your shoes aligned perfectly under your bed. To fear nothing more than your TI finding a T-shirt not properly grounded in your wall locker. When I accepted the label "Protestant" because it meant getting out of the barracks for a couple hours every week, and the service was dominated with singing and joyfulness. (The irony, of course, is that my date of enlistment is one day before my pacifistic mother's birthday. Happy Birthday, Wabbitt!)

When today's hard decisions creep up and sit in your belly, it's a little comforting to look back, feel the pride of belonging to "Mother Russia - the 322nd Training Squadron," and tell myself that it's all so simple.

--Beav ("Permission to adjust!")

Truth is...

2007-04-10T21:23:00.000-04:00

Last night, I finally watched Stranger Than Fiction. Its surface provides an interesting, original storyline and great acting: a highly entertaining movie. But underneath (you know me, how can I just let it go at surface?), it's even more compelling.

In case you missed it, Harold Crick begins to hear his life narrated, and one of the first things the narrator reveals is his imminent demise. He goes first to a therapist, and then to a literature professor (Dustin Hoffman). As they explore to determine what type of story Harold's life is (in order to determine his oncoming fate), they come to realize that he's not really living (I know, big surprise). A small point that I found interesting: as Harold goes through his day ticking off Comedy or Tragedy to categorize things that happen in his day, and every time he makes a declaration of which he thinks it's going to be, I would have said the other.

More in the comments, but don't go, if you haven't seen it, 'cause "Here there be spoilers!"

5? No way!

2007-03-30T20:01:00.000-04:00

Today, Ryan turned 5. That's way more than it was supposed to be; I'd swear it. Cool when your birthday falls on Friday. He got a new soccer ball (which he did look at for a minute), a Spiderman watch (that he got to pick out himself), and a Cars game for his V-Smile game system (which has consumed him since he got it). It was a pretty exciting day, and he's even staying up late.

Wow, we forgot to get out the ice-cream cake. Oh well, tomorrow's another day.

I hate 'The Crud.'

2007-03-21T20:54:00.000-04:00

You know what's worse than vomiting for 5 days? Watching your infant son vomit for 5 days. I mean, even with the (almost) 5 year old, he gets it. He can understand, "I'm sick; I'm throwing up; this too shall pass." With the baby (well, almost toddler, whatever), there is no understanding. He just throws up and cries. Not to mention, he can't run for the bathroom. Just heave on the carpet, bedding, towel, or parent, depending on what's available.

But now it's over, until another of us gets it. But if we get it, at least we'll get it.

--Beav