WELCOME TO SANDLAND!

THE END OF JIMINIRAQ!!!!

2009-12-31T21:11:00.000-08:00

Well I had high hopes for this year....mainly financial....but that didn't happen. I came back from Iraq in November hoping to go back as scheduled and it isn't happening as of now. Thankfully, Behnkes Nursery is helping me out temporarily during my job search.

2009: A bad year.... a good year in many ways but overall, bad.. FINANCIAL FAILURE!

I met so many great people this year and look forward to continuing many new relationships.

2010: off to a bad start already..... but a means to an end..

Iraq: seems to be over which means http://www.jiminiraq.blogspot.com/ has met it's end.... so I guess I want to thank all my (all my= what few there really are) readers that I appreciate your following. A new blog will follow soon, as soon as the hangover wears off! LOL!

What's next.......... Well I suppose, since I am out of the fire service it will be a little more open, a little more candid and I suppose a little more fun................. for those of you who might not have it figured it out yet, the "real" me has been in beat-down mode for too long, I'm tired and I just want to live life. I'll figure out who will lead it with me along the way.

THANK YOU TO ANYONE WHO READ MY BLOG, I LOVE YOU FOR READING AND APPOLOGIZE FOR OFFENDING! I WILL START A NEW ONE SOON...

"There's no way out, no way out, of this livin' hell. No way out, no way out, unless you walk heaven's trail. No way out, no way out, of this livin' hell..............I guess i'll live in HELL!!

Best in 2010!!

ENGINE 611, RESPOND TO LOST LAKE FOR A KITE STUCK IN A TREE.....A REALLY BIG KITE!

2009-10-23T06:51:00.000-07:00

So last night we get called out to Lost Lake for a service call and it turns out that during a pretty strong downdraft.....VERY strong indeed....the observation blimp or "Eye in the Sky" was blown extremely low to the ground and the tether was caught in some trees. We were called out as a standby for safety and EMS if needed. The tether carries a very strong (220V)electrical current through a kevlar wrapped cord.

They basically had to cut it out of the tree, couldn't see much in these pictures but it was a good night, 4am hanging with the MP's. The new unit is pretty cool so far. Here are a few pictures.

The blimp on the ground.

How they normally look.

One of our new Indiana MP buddies, Hansel, to the rescue.

OK, the bunny goes in the hole and around the tree and then... SHIT!

I don't know, something about some chloroform and a few missing Boznian chicks??

Quite the adventure....join me next time!

UGANDAN, UGANDAN, LET DOWN YOUR HAIR........

2009-10-23T05:47:00.001-07:00

OK, that was BAD!!

We swung by one of the guard towers at the edge of the base today to drop off a smoke detector for the occupants. Tower 65 is about equal to a 6 to 8 story building and is a hike to get up, definitly got my cardio for the day and boy were my legs sore the next morning......... Yeah, I need to work out more! Here are a few pics of wht we saw, how close were are to...urgh...FREE IRAQ....and the guys that help keep us safe day to day.

That looks like an elevator shaft in the middle but it is an emergency evacuation shaft that the guys can quick-repel down if under heavy fire. OIF X-Games kinda stuff.

Long way up, or down, who the fuck knows from this shot!

Nelson throwing up some kind of crazy Wisconsin gang sign.

Boy, Craig has really been doing his Kegal exercises!

Not a whole lot to look at really.....

These Mosque towers were called the "field goal posts" early on in the war because the locals would shoot rockets and mortars through them to "aim" at the base.

The other side of nowhere.......

OK, screw this sigh-seeing shit! Point me out some bad guys and let me go to work!! LOL! Just kidding.

Our gracious hosts...Look, I'm a Ugandan sandwich!!

DO YOU SMELL BACON???????

2009-10-21T03:50:00.001-07:00

OK, so that line has seen better....and funnier days. It is wore out now but it will find new life with the new MP Detachment on the VBC, the 939th, State of Indiana. As for now, our buddies from the 143rd out of Montana are going home. The 143rd proved to be very good friends to the South Victory Fire Department, taking part in a prank war that had some really good moments on both sides. We will truly miss these guys and can only hope their replacements will be as entertaining as they were. Here are pictures of some of the guys and pranks......

Safe travels and best to you all back home!

Ferocious.......like a bunch of kittens!

Tanner before his morning coffee and donuts!

They tried to sell our Engine!

TP the MP!

Even he had to laugh.

Lord knows where these got handed out.

Thats right, be proud and sign it!!

OK, thats combat firefighting!

WHAT YEAR IS THIS???????

2009-10-04T15:05:00.000-07:00

OK, well I have been on night dispatch this week and the natives have been a bit restless. There has been more activity than in the last year. The latest was a tanker explosion just outside the wire, close th the Station. I was still on dispatch so I couldn't go far to get closer. It burned for well over an hour with flames reaching at least 100 feet or more, since it was not on base the Iraqi firemen were there in their flip-flops and tank tops fighting the fire the way they do! LOL!

This was over a half mile away so it was a big-ass fire!

9-11 FLAGS FROM GROUND ZERO FLY ABOVE STATION 2

2009-09-28T13:31:00.001-07:00

We had some visitors from the New York/New Jersey area, new Military unit that had a few flags from Ground Zero. We asked them if we could fly them above the Fire Station, or rather next to it, our flag pole is pretty short. They were kind enough to come by and hang for a while so we could get a bunch of pictures.....gotta love that Northern hospitality!! Anyway here are a few of the shots, thanks guys and you are always welcome at the Station!!

2009 9-11 CEREMONY AT AL FAW PALACE

2009-09-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

OK, so I have decided that there are wwwwaaaayyy too many flowers and rocks on my blog ;) am going back to my roots! I'll need to start taking more pictures but for now we have the 9-11 Ceremony at the Palace. My apologies to Mikeys Dad, and possibly one of my only remaining followers on here, LOL!!

D-Mob in the house.

General Odierno, or Odi as I call him, or SOB when he steals my parking space at the DFAC!

Sam: The official bell ringer and bus-thrower-under of the South Victory Fire Department.

THE XSTRATA TREETOP WALKWAY

2009-09-20T23:41:00.000-07:00

A 200 metre long walkway suspended amongst a canopy of Chestnut, Limes and Deciduous Oaks soaring 18 metres above the ground!

THE DAVIES ALPINE HOUSE & THE ROCK GARDEN...... MY FAVORITE!!

2009-09-13T05:27:00.000-07:00

ON TO THE TEMPERATE HOUSE.........

2009-09-13T03:28:00.000-07:00

The big boy Chilean wine-palm!

The worlds largest surviving Victorian glass structure, the Temperate House is another of Kew's 39 unique listed buildings. At 4,880 square feet it is the largest glasshouse at Kew. It houses the worlds largest indoor plant, the Chilean wine-palm which is 16 metres high and growing!

THE WATERLILY HOUSE

2009-09-10T04:56:00.000-07:00

The Waterlily House is the home of the huge attraction, the giant Amazonian Water Lily Victoria amazonica. This giant can grow to two metres across and have enough buoyancy to support a baby. This houses the warmest and most humid environments at Kew Gardens.

KEW 250th: THE PALM HOUSE CONT....

2009-09-08T01:05:00.000-07:00

The Palm House and Palm House Pond

Two white marble Chinese Lions (Also called Fu, or Foo Lions: Lions of Foo are always created in pairs, with the male playing with a ball and the female with a cub.) can be found "guarding" the Victoria Gate side of the pond.They are thought to date from the Ming Dynasty of AD 1368-1644 and were presented to Kew by Sir John Ramsden in 1958.

The Palm House Pond

KEW 250th ANNIVERSARY: THE PALM HOUSE

2009-09-07T02:55:00.000-07:00

THE PALM HOUSE

The Palm House creates conditions similar to tropical rainforests; about a quarter of the palms planted here are threatenedin the wild. Comprised of three distinct sections housing species from The Americas, Africa and Asia, Australasia and The Pacific.

THE QUEENS BEASTS

Ten stylised heraldic figures stand in front of the Palm House; replicas of those which stood at Westminister Abbey during the1953 coronation of HM Queen Elizabeth II.

The Falcon of the Plantagenets

The Black Bull of Clarence

The Griffin of Edward III

The Unicorn of Scotland

The White Lion of Mortimer

The Lion of England

The White Horse of Hanover

The Red Dragon of Wales

The Yale of Beaufort

The White Greyhound of Richmond

KEW ROYAL BOTANNICAL GARDENS: 250 YEARS

2009-08-21T07:22:00.000-07:00

LONDON CALLING..... AGAIN!

2009-08-21T01:42:00.000-07:00

There will be a few seperate threads to this London trip, there are lots of pictures, educational bits and witty remarks to get to.....so hang on!

THE LONDON EYE

So, much thanks to The Fantastic Four for saving the London Eye from the Silver Surfers rampage through the UK! It truely is a sight you must see in person one day. While many love the fantastic ferris wheel, many of the locals merely see it as an London EYEsore.

It was the largest ferris wheel in the world when it was constructed in 1999, but was surpassed by the Star of Nanchang in 2006 and then the Singapore Flyer in 2008.

ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL

Not surprisingly, St. Paul's Cathedral sits on the highest point of the city of London and holds the seat to the Bishop of London. It remains one of Londons most visited sites despite its occupancy. No pictures allowed inside so here are a few of the exterior which are truely amazing as was the interior. The gardens surrounding the exterior were also amazing. For some reason, I don't know why, my skin burned while I walked around the property???

Heading over there, now you see why my feet hurt like HELL!

Getting ready to cross the Millenium Bridge, still a ways to go!

Finally!!!! Jesus!!! Oops.....sorry!

Was that lightning? They were not calling for rain today?????

OK, more to follow...............

LONDON CALLING!

2009-08-14T07:05:00.000-07:00

So FINALLY after about 2 years of passing through Heathrow on my way home and back to Iraq I got to spend a week in London. The trip was poorly planned but it was a sort of last minute venture. My main goal of the week was to get out to Stonehenge, however, a number of influences put the kaboshes to that.

#1- There is so much to see in London proper, travelling 2.5 hours is a lot of effort when your time can be spent better in the city.

#2- The locals actually say that Stonehenge is the least attractive of the formations in The UK, I will still visit it next time but I want to batch it in with other formations outside the city.

#3- My fuckin feet HURT!!! All week long so I had no motivation, LOL!!

You get the idea, definitly in the future, I very much enjoyed London and I hope you will enjoy it in my eyes! I will post as many pictures as I can, I took about 800 so I may have to break up the posts so they are not too long. So for right now lets start with some of the more popular tourist attractions......CHEERS!!!

THE UNDERGROUND

Also known as "The Tube"

A symbol known worldwide.

Please mind the gap! The Underground trains sit high on the rails, hence the "mind the gap", the trains themselves are very short and narrow, I felt like a giant riding around in them.

......Cause thats where the fun's is!

THE TELEPHONE BOOTHS

Aside from smelling like piss and being littered with empty alcohol bottles and plastered with flyers for local prostitutes, these are very classic symbols of the UK.

THE PUBS!!!

The pubs are many and crowded! Apparently many people leave work and go out to socialize until the pubs close at 11pm during the week. Many are classic looking and have beautiful flower boxes adorning the exterior of the buildings. You are also allowed to drink outside and the sidewalks are lined to show where to stand. At night they have people that act as parking attendants, making sure you drink within the lines! LOL!!

SOME OF THE MORE POPULAR TOURIST SIGHTS...........

TRAFALGAR SQUARE

Positioned in the heart of London, this tourist attraction is the most popular square in the United Kingdom and the world. Nelson's column stands in the center and is guarded by four enormous lion statues at it's base. It is a site of political demonstrations which was named after the Battle of Trafalgar, 1805, a British Naval victory of the Napoleonic Wars. Nelson's column is named after Horatio Nelson, a British Admiral who lost his life in the Battle of Trafalgar.

The Fountain

NELSON'S COLUMN

THE LION GUARD

THE FOUNTAIN
ALWAYS PEOPLE THRUMMING AROUND
THAY POOR MERMAN IS THROWING UP!

MY FATHER, BEFORE AND AFTER ME

2009-07-02T12:16:00.000-07:00

John Ewald Herr: 14-Dec-1939 to 02-Jul-2009

Mom & Dad at John and Christines Wedding.

At Nana's house in New Jersey

This post is dedicated to my father. I have been thinking a great deal about my relationship with my him and while it has been loving and respectful, I feel I need to know more about him now, before he was a father and a husband. Of course I know many stories about his growing up, Military career and courtship with my mother but there is much more to learn, and now, document. Ultimately I would have fared better getting his history from him of course but that opportunity has past so I will rely on family and friends' input. Dad was a master story-teller, quick with a joke and a good listener as well (Unless he was watching TV, right Mom?!). In a way I feel I have failed him as a son, not knowing and understanding him as well as I should. I will try to right myself and share all I can about him with anyone who reads this. He is truly an extraordinary, ordinary man. So allow me to share some pictures and tell you a little about him.

I am sitting in the Hospice center at the Concord Regional Hospital with my family as our father passes from this life. He is being kept in a comfortable state and constantly surrounded by loved ones. To know my father is to know that this course of action is what he would have wanted. He understands the issues with quality of life and, like myself, would never have wanted to be kept alive in a vegetative state. So now, here we sit literally, waiting for him to pass and while I feel deep sadness and pain, I know it is what he wanted and we are all here to guide him into his next life. I hope for his sake he isn't a deer when he comes back!!

With all that is unravelling around us now, I will leave this for now and get into full swing as soon as possible.

Dad and Charlie

I'd like to say this was caused by static electricity but...

My High School graduation, 1985

Mom posted this on Facebook, she said it was taken at a Settlers Dance around 1964. What a great picture.

The Wedding of the Century!!

I am always amazed at photos from the past, they always look so classic.

So the big question is..... Did she smush cake in his face after the picture was taken???

Mom's side of the family, look at little Laura with the devious grin on her face!!

The Wedding Party.

The newly weds with Dad's parents.

More to come as soon as possible!

IMPERMANENCE

There is no place on earth where death cannot find us- even if we constantly twist our heads about in all directions as in a dubious and suspect land.... If there were any way of sheltering from death's blows- I am not the man to recoil from it....But it is madness to think you can succeed....
Men come and go and they trot and they dance, and never a word about death. All well and good. Yet when death does come- to them, their wives, their children, their friends- catching them unaware and unprepared, then what storms of passion overwhelm them, what cries, what fury, what despair!
To begin depriving death of its greatest advantage over us, let us adopt a way clean contrary to that common one; let us deprive death of its strangeness, let us frequent it, let us get used to it; let us have nothing more often in mind than death.... We do not know where death awaits us: so let us wait for it everywhere. To practice death is to practice freedom. A man who has learned how to die has unlearned how to be a slave.

SOGYAL RINPOCHE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sogyal_Rinpoche

A few other quotes on death & dying.......

MONTAIGNE

Death is a vast mystery, but there are two things that we can say about it: It is absolutly certain that we will die, and it is uncertain when or how we will die.

The continuous work of our life is to build death.

Kings and philosophers defecate, and so do ladies. (Not a quote about death, but interesting none the less!)

FUTURE ADDITIONS TO MY COLLECTION

2009-04-26T19:53:00.000-07:00

Diplomatic Mission

Han Solo on Tauntaun

Geonosis Arena, Padme vs Nexu

Ambush on Hoth, Luke on Tauntaun vs Wampa

Darth Vader in Meditation Chamber

Jabbas Band

Jabba The Hutt, Oola and a Jawa

Stormtrooper on Dewback, a very hard and expensive bugger

Starkiller and Dark Apprentice from "The Force Unleashed"

Duel of Fates Diorama

Darth Talon Bust

Anakin vs Obi Wan, Mustafar Duel

Darth Maul and Bloodfin Speeder

Chewbacca and a busted-up C3 P0

GENTLE GIANT CONTINUED........ JEDI AND SOME GOOD GUYS

2009-04-25T18:11:00.000-07:00

Shak Ti Bust

Luminara Undilli Bust

Qui Gonn Jinn Bust

Yoda Busts

Obi Wan Kenobi in Clone Armor Statue

Obi Wan Kenobi Bust

A New Hope Obi Wan Kenobi Bust

Mace Windu Bust

Momaw Nadon Animated Statue

Mara Jade and Luke Skywalker Busts

Luke Skywalker on Tauntaun Statue

Plo Koon Bust Padme Amidala Bust

Leia in Bouush Disguise Bust

Admiral Akbar Bust

Chewbacca Bust

and Han Solo Bust

C3-PO Bust

GENTLE GIANT COLLECTIBLES: STAR WARS BAD GUYS

2009-04-25T13:35:00.000-07:00

Here are a few statues and busts from my Star Wars collection....... more to follow!

Stormtroopers, Sandtroopers, Clone Troopers and Biker Scouts........ Oh My!!!

Biker Scout Statue

Clone Trooper Bust

Biker Scout Bust

Sandtrooper Bust

Clone Trooper Bust with interchangeable parts

Storm Trooper Bust with InterChangeable Parts

Sith Lords and Associates, bringing coolness back to the bad guys!!

Darth Sidious Bust

Darth Vader Bust #1, the first ever Star Wars Bust made by Gentle Giant

Darth Vader Statue

Darth Vader Bust

Grand Moff Tarkin Bust

Darth Malak Bust

Darth Tyranus / Count Dooku

General Grievous

The Emperors Royal Guard

Darth Maul Bust

and Statue

Darth Tyranus and Asajj Ventress Statue

Anakin Skywalker VS Asajj Ventress

BOUNTY HUNTERS AND OTHERS FROM THE WRETCHED HIVE OF SCUM AND VILLANY

BobA Fett Animated Maquette

Boba Fett Statue

Jango Fett Busts

Zam Wessell Bust

Boba Fett Bust

Greedo Bust

Gammorrean Guard Bust

IG-88 Bust

Bossk Bust

SOME MORE T-WALL ART

2009-04-21T14:08:00.000-07:00

SIDESHOW COLLECTIBLES: THEY'RE STATUES!!!! NOT FIGURES!!!!!!!

2009-04-19T03:03:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am a self-proclaimed GEEK! I love comic books and years back began collecting high-end stuff from Sideshow since comics alone don't do it for me anymore. Sideshow covers lots of different genres of entertainment including: video games, Disney, Star Wars, Marvel Comics, Movies, etc., Lots to choose from. I mainly collect dioramas, usually incorperating multiple characters but I have since acquired other types also. Here are some of my Marvel collectibles by SIDESHOW...........................

X-MEN

OK, my HOLY GRAIL of Sideshow.... X-Men Vs Sentinel #1, shows Cyclops and Colossus defeating a Sentinel. I don't have this one yet, but it is the last I need in the set. Sold originally for around $350.00, now is hard to get for less than 1.5K. If you can find them, which I will one day!!

2nd in the series, Emma Frost (The White Queen) & Beast

And the third, not sure if it is the last, Wolverine and Shadowcat (Kitty Pryde), with Lockheed included. Sometimes these statues come as exclusive editions and have interchangable options. This one had an alternate Logan seen below.

Amazing, isn't it? I thought you'd think so.

My first Sideshow purchase... WOLVERINE Vs SABERTOOTH, where it all began!

SPIDER-MAN

Well, if you know me in the least, you know Spidey is my main man, you may have been tipped off by the tattoo on my right arm. Anyway, here are a few of the Spderman Vs......

..............THE HULK, this bitch is big! 20 lbs and a great add to my collection!

Speaking of the HULK, this is from the "WORLD WAR HULK" storyline, Green Scar Vs The Silver Savage. I can't wait for this to ship!!

.............VENOM, if you're gonna be bad, be real bad! Venom is just about as cool as a baddie gets, I fuckin LOVE this character..........uh, except how they ruined it in the movie, that sucked-ass!!

......CARNAGE!!!! My 2nd favorite baddie, just cool as hell since that is probably where he is from! I just ordered this one and can't wait to get it.

THE FANTASTIC FOUR

Please don't hold those movies against this super-powered posse. These guys are the best. Fighting off the likes of Dr. Doom and Galactus. All while fighting amongst themselves making dysfunctional fun again!!

It is very possible I elevated myself to super-geek status when this GALACTUS bust first went on-sale. I think I got wood I was so excited, lol!! It is huge and has killer detail AND it isn't a storm cloud!!!!!

Big Ben Grimm, also known as the THING! Another big one, this is about 2 feet tall and about 20 lbs also.

IRON MAN

The Mark III

So I lied, this is an action figure, a 12" very expensive action figure. Highlly detailed and articulate, they come with many interchangeable parts. Very cool!

The Mark II

The Mark I

DAREDEVIL Vs PUNISHER

Nothing like a couple of super-powered vigilantes goin at each other on the rooftops! I should have this one in July!

More to follow, maybe Gentle Giant Collectibles next!

HALL OF SHAME II: BECAUSE ONE ENTRY IS NOT ENOUGH!!

2009-04-17T07:06:00.000-07:00

OK, more fun stuff from your favorite Firestation in Baghdad! FYI, we all agreed today at breakfaast that we are doing a 2010 Station calendar so look for that at a Hallmark store near you, LOL!!! On with the pictures........

Lets start off on a scary note......this was dubbed "Tight Shirt Tuesday", even though it was on a Friday. It didn't fit the rhyme scheme. Hide your eyes!

Smitty...... not so tight

getting worse....

Now that is just WRONG!!

and so is this! Enough of tight shirt Tuesday, now we need intense therapy Thursday!!

Onto Balloon Fellatio Friday, LOL!! Another proud display at Station 2!

Surprisingly there was no alcohol or drugs involved in these pictures, lol, just good ole man-love Monday!! LOL!!!

Cody seems awfully good at that!!??

Come to LT. Bitch!!

Definitly not the pictures for current, future wives, employers or gay rights activists!!

So I know you are asking, "What happens in Iraq when you can't make it to work on-time?"

Well, you get a wake up call............... and it ain't pretty!!

LT. Nelson getting his wake-up call!

Is that??? NO Freaking way!!! LORI late for work????

I had no idea that Cassidy was such a big fan of Mario Lopez..... but not his clothes??

We found this room set-up for some nasty video chat so Richardson showed us how he does it, no sleep for us tonight!!

THE STATION 2 HALL OF SHAME

2009-04-16T01:49:00.000-07:00

Before I left on R&R this past month we had a replacement officer for a few weeks, Jesse. He is from Station 1 on Camp Liberty and he showed us a photo album titled "The Hall Of Shame". I decided to do some picture printing over R&R and create a book of our very own here on South Victory. So wether it be holding down the kid and painting his fingernails or Lori waking up late for the morning meeting, I like to DOCUMENT as much as possible. There are plenty of pictures to share of our shenanigans and screw ups so here are a few..... Keep in mind, for every picture we have, there are a bunch more that never got recored, LOL!

Lets start off with grammer, I really injoy this category!!!

Some of the guys here like to pose so much you'd think they were Madonna back in the 80's "Vogueing"

Not a whole lot of privacy to be had, nothing is sacred, I need to stop leaving my camera around

This is called "Swamp-ass"

Ambushed with a roll of scotch tape

This is Mini-Smitty, notice the scar to the right

The real Smitty

The real Smitty as a Sharpei

The Aussies put a For Sale sign on our Firetruck, no offers came in fortunatly

I asked for Gregs sloppy-joe with the meat on the side, I got the sandwiches standing on their sides

The infamous pie eating contest, I had pie-filling snot for 3 days!!!

One of the guys from Station 1 left their boots/pants at our Station, so we took pictures of them walking to us, like they were running away

OK, not the proudest moment, but I was trying to impersonate Greg, those are his shorts and he really does wear them way too high

There is the man, always tweaking the nipples

Pam too, except she tweaks other peoples nipples, LOL

Lori wrote her goodbyes and signed with all her alias'

Then she told us all to "Fuck off!!" LOL, not really

Ryan does not like his picture taken

Cody liked to sleep on dispatch so, of course, people would write on his face with a sharpie

No day is complete without some "beat-up the little brother you never had" time

This was a good color for him, brought out his eyes

Contrary to what you might think, we think he injoys it, LOL!

I am starting a 2nd page for this post, continue on.....

JUST A FEW DOGGIE PICS FROM YEAR 2, R&R 1.....

2009-04-12T01:09:00.000-07:00

Here are the Dogs, everyone is doing well despite a few, brief illnesses with Sophie and Jeremy.

HERMAN

SPIKE

SAMANTHA

RAHEIM

DINO

SOPHIE

JEREMY

ERNIE!

SITTING IN DUBAI.......READING MY........ DIGITAL BOOK!!??

2009-04-10T09:14:00.000-07:00

Well, my new, favorite gadget is the Sony Reader, digital book. I have always been an avid reader, especially in the last 10 years, especially since my time in Iraq started. My first year in Baghdad I read 130 novels, typically reading an average of 3 to 5 at one time. Buying books can be very expensive and cumbersome, especially here in Baghdad. I typically read my books and pass them on to soldiers or the MWR (recreation center), or if I wish to keep the book I will ship it home. Anyway, this little gadget will save me the room, money and need to ship books back and forth to work. It weighs a whopping 9 ouncesand is about 6.9" x 4.8" x 0.3" so it takes up very little room which works well for me.

Right off the bat I downloaded a few Star Wars Novels I have wanted to read, The Dark Tide Novels. I also purchased the Charlaine Harris "Dead" Series, the basis for "True Blood" on HBO. My first chance to use my new reader was on the plane to Heathrow, it was very comfortable in my hand and had two features I enjoyed very much. First, no fumbling with page turning, a convenient little button does that for you, both forward and backward. Second, no bending the corner page to mark your progress, you can continue reading no matter where you stop, it automatically picks up where you left off.

I am interested to see how it reads in different levels and types of light, of course Wikipedia has a pag eon it so here a short blurb and the link....

The Sony Reader is an e-book reader. It uses an electronic paper display developed by E-Ink Corporation that has 166 dpi resolution, four levels of grayscale, is viewable in direct sunlight, requires no power to maintain a static image, and is usable in portrait or landscape orientation. The reader uses an iTunes store-like interface to purchase books from Sony Connect eBook store. It also can display Adobe PDFs, Pub format, personal documents, blogs, RSS newsfeeds, JPEGs, and Sony's proprietary BBeB("BroadBand eBook") format. The Reader can play unencrypted MP3 and AAC audio files

I have the PRS-505 version, here are the specs and a few pictures:

WALL-E showing off the new PRS-505 Reader by Sony

PRS-505 specifications

Size: 175 x 122 x 8 mm (6.9" x 4.8" x 0.3")

Weight: 250 g (9 oz)

Display:
- size: 15.5 cm (6 in) diagonal (approx 1/4 area of letter-sized page)
- resolution: 170 dpi, 8-level gray scale
- portrait: 90.6 x 122.4 mm (3.57" x 4.82"), 600 x 800 pixels effective 88.2 x 115.4 mm (3.47 x 4.54 in), 584 x 754 pixels
- minimum font size: 6 pt legible, 7 pt recommended

Memory: 256 MB standard (200 MB Accessible), Sony Memory Stick Pro Duo 8 GB, SD Card up to 2 GB (some non-SDHC 4GB cards may work), or up to 32 GB with SDHC cards and version 1.1 firmware

Lithium Ion Battery, up to 7500 "page turns" per charge

PC interface: USB Port 2.0

Available case colors:
- PRS505/LC: Dark Blue
- PRS505/SC: Silver
- PRS505SC/JP: Custom Skin (James Patterson Special Edition)
- PRS505/RC: Sangria Red (introduced in August 2008)

Definetly a worthwhile addition to your gadget collection!

I will add a few pictures as soon as I can! For now check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Reader

FACE DOWN IN CABO KISSING THE GROUND!

2009-04-04T06:18:00.000-07:00

The new adventures of old Tim, the short hair was a bad move, LOL!

More Cabo, bad idea!!!!

Naadu was on the local news for a wedding dress stampede sale at Filenes basement.

An artistic moment? I don't think I took this picture.

I had a Heineken bottle stuck in my hand all night.

Miri showing off some of her "Zack & Miri make a porno" moves!

Yeah, smart me thought it would be fun to buy an extra little something for the party. I have always wanted to try Cabo Wabo, the Tequila made by former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar. So while I was shopping for the party I got a bottle ........ big mistake, at least for my head! I am still paying for it!

Kevin, displaying the goods.

If you look close, thats the infamous shoe-bomber, Richard Reid, to my right!!

The trouble begins!!

Miri, Christy & company.

Ann brought my hair thank god.

The Benfield crew and Kate.

The face of wasted!!

At this point I am just fucked-up, LOL!!!

More to come!

HOUSTON..... WE HAVE A PROBLEM...... UH...... WE ARE IN VIRGINIA!!!

2009-03-31T15:58:00.000-07:00

Something I have wanted to do for a long time here at home is visit the new Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Dulles,Virginia: Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Basically, this is a freakin HUGE hanger with a shit-load of aircraft of all kind including the actual Space Shuttle Enterprise and THE Enola Gay! Not to be confused with the gay enola, the only direct to San Francisco airline ever in existence! LOL! So here is a bunch of pictures and I will refrain from any further jokes due to their bad taste!

This is a fantastic tourist attraction in the DC area, a must see. There is an actual observation tower to watch all of Dulles Internationals flight traffic.

It is absolutly mind-blowing how many craft are displayed in this building!

LOOK JIM....NANA....AVI......MOM & DAD.....

2009-03-31T15:43:00.000-07:00

One staple of my trips home is a trip North to see Nana, Mom, Dad, Avi and possibly any other relatives that can make it. This trip was just the above mentioned which is always nice, Nana is doing great at her new home, she really did a complete 180 turnaround since she shacked up at her new place. Lots of friends, a salon to get her hair done and a great staff that seems to be keeping her very happy. Then the riff-raff came into town to visit! LOL!

Nana and the Terror.....Avi!

Avi, myself and Charlie!

Avi sporting a t-shirt Jocelyn designed!

Nana and I...... her favorite!

MY SINCEREST APOLOGIES TO MY ONE OR TWO FOLLOWERS!!!

2009-03-31T15:15:00.001-07:00

Well, I have to apologize to those of you who do follow my blog, I have been a bad blogger, bad! I would spank myself but the thought of that is slightly disturbing and........erotic?? Just kidding... No I'm not...... yes I am!!

So I am back home on my first R&R of year 2, I pushed it back so I was almost at the 5 month mark and DAMN! I needed this break. The trip was long but even the travel was a welcome change. I left Baghdad early and arrived in Dubai around noon so I had about 12 hrs til my flight home. The company has us staying at a new hotel, which was more like apartments so we had 4 people to each apartment. The digs were very, very nice. Somewhat strange as the pictures show.....

Here is a 1/2 bath. Well I think it was, there was a shower fixture here next to the toilet but no way to isolate the water from the rest of the room, lol!

SWEET kitchen but.........

Hope you don't need the freezer!!

Overall a nice place to sleep for 10 hours!

The rest of the trip was long but uneventful, I flew through Heathrow and had a 6 hour layover. One of these days I will stay in London and hit Stonehenge where my alien buddies will pick me up and get me the fuck outta dodge!!

A FEW THOUGHTS TO CLOSE 2008 AND LOOK AHEAD TO 2009....

2008-12-31T12:07:00.000-08:00

Well, it is 23:14 in Baghdad, thats 11:14 pm to all you non-military people out there. I got this last minute urge to say a few things before the New Year rings in. I have been absent from the blog lately due to a lack of "positive" events to write about. I apologize for this to any loyal followers of the blog...........yeah, you......over there in the corner! I see you! LOL!

Seriously, lately things have been stressed around these parts and for a lack of better verbage...people have been "bitchy". It appears with the new administration getting ready to step in and make waves of change throughout the world, many people over in this part of the globe are fearing change, because change will bring about a loss of jobs in this region. Since the economic downfall in the US began, this place has been a haven of sorts, staying largly unaffected by the financial woes back in the states. The security has been stripped from our jobs with all the talk of change and withdrawl. There is one saving grace on the horizon for those choosing to work in the Middle East......and ...its...................Afghanistan!!! So go West young man! Or East, North?? Hell, i'm American...I have no fucking clue where Afghanistan is compared to Baghdad. I just get on the planes thy tell me to. Long and short of it is most of these jobs will be moving there. BTW Afghanistan is East of Iraq, thank god for google!

So, 2008, what did it mean to me?

Overall I would have to say 2008 was a bad year for me. This year saw a drastic change in my way of life. my pilgrammage to the Middle East was my choice so I will not complain, however, it is a mind-numbing expererience that will change a person. For better or for worse is yet to be seen, I have not been around the people I love enough yet to display any changes. I do feel different, during my short trips home I felt very out of place, almost uncomfortable. It was an odd feeling, mostly because things are so regimented here and while I was home I was not on the "schedule" I follow here. There is very little to occupy your time other than work. Mostly when I get free time I sleep, thats never a problem.

2008 is definitly not a year I would want to forget, I made a lot of friends here in Baghdad and I will always remember that. Overall, it will be remembered in a positive way, but at the same time, I would love to be home.

Looking forward. 2009.

Much of the same seems to be in my future, definitly finish this contract. There is a possibility I will change companies this year while I am here. That could also lead to a position in Afghanistan or Kuwait. The money is better so I really don't care where I am sent, as cocky as it sounds, I've been shot at with rockets and wether it is here or there I have a feeling the experience is the same. So life has taken on a long-term outlook, don't expect any major changes in the next year. If there are you can always visit "Sandland" to find out about them.

I'm now on Facebook, it has really impressed me with how easy it is to catch-up with people you may have lost touch with. I have re-connected with many friends and family. On a sad note I searched for a good friend of mine from whenI first moved to DC, Daria Markowski. She passed away 2+ years ago, after she left the DC area and moved back north, she was from NY state. I was, and still am, astonished and saddened. She was a major factor in my life for a few years, we had so much fun it should have been illegal....matter of fact...well, anyway. I'll never forgive myself for losing touch and in essence, losing her. She was a gem, full of life and vitality. In retrospect i have not REALLY had fun in life since, it has all been pretty humdrum since her. She was that full of life.

So now it is 23:59, or for you non-military people out there reading, its midnight. 2009. Happy New Year to you all. Best wishes to you and your loved ones.

My resolution for 2009..............try to be more optimistic.

TITANIC WATERWORLD II: THE GREAT FLOOD OF THE TIGRIS AND EUPHRATES!

2008-12-13T07:40:00.001-08:00

Kevin Costner was in rehab for this sequel and Leonardo DiCaprio got a restraining order filed against us when we finally decided to make this "Big-budget Boat movie combo-sequel" in Iraq. Lucky for us Saddam kept a small fleet here on the Victory Base Camp and he is dead so we can do what we want with them. Unless someone with a machine gun tells us not to.....then we can't. Nobody stopped us so here are a few production stills from our new feature film.....enjoy!

This is our soundstage in Baghdad, structural engineers tell us we have 2 to 4 weeks to use it before it collapses into the canal.

OK, I want this to be the big finale, the money shot location!!! Oops, it's not that kind of movie.

Yeah, if those piles on top of the boats look familiar to some of you it is because it is pigeon shit...I think they imported the birds from Manhattan, because the native birds here don't crap enough all over stuff.

TRUE VALUE HARDWARE......FOR ALL YOUR TORTURE CHAMBER IMPROVEMENT NEEDS??

2008-12-13T07:18:00.000-08:00

Ah Iraq, a pure and soverign nation, unscathed by the grips of commercialism..........until now! It was only a matter of time we rubbed off on this place.....ok, mind out of the gutter! Although I didn't expect it already, the time is ripe for commerce to rear its greedy head in Baghdad. It started a few months back with the construction of a gas station, complete with lighted signs to entice anyone driving through the desert needing fuel. Now, True Value Hardware is in the neighborhood and I can only assume others will follow..........I'm waiting on COSTCO......if that comes I may never leave!!!!

Mikey and I had an overwhelming need to document this event!

Powerlines are going up everywhere.

SKEE-SKEE!!! THATS FOR JOSH!!

2008-12-13T06:17:00.000-08:00

Some of you may remember Josh, way back when he was a FNG, Mikey and I took him along on our excellent adventure to Camp Slayer when he first arrived here in Baghdad. Josh has become a treasured part of our extended family.........I'm forced to say that because he collects guns, knives, bow and arrows, large blunt objects and other weapons of moderate destruction he could hurt me with. I'm kidding of course ( No.....I swear...save me!), Josh is a great kid and a hard worker and he is a valued part of our Station 2 family.

Anyway, Josh had a way of alerting other members of the Firehouse if a respectable looking girl was in the vicinity, he would say "skee-skee!". I'm not really sure what it meant but when Mikey and I visited Saddams former skeet shooting facility, we both said "skee-skee!". It made more sense at the time and it seemed like a good segue into this post...........I swear I'll do better next time! On to the pictures, pictures, pictures!

Go figure, Saddam spent a lot of time in holes in the ground, sound familiar??

No, I'm not really throwing it at the camera. Are you fuckin crazy, thats expensive!

Mikey demonstrating the skeet shooter

Could I have possibly found one of Saddams sandles? Through the wonders and advancement of DNA research, I could create an exact duplicate of him, however, I would manipulate his overwhelming desire for death and repression to an immense passion for fluffy bunnies and puppies!!

WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION. PT. 1

2008-11-26T05:26:00.000-08:00

THE NATIONAL ARBORETUM

One of my favorite places to visit in the DC area when there is a little free time available to me or visitors are in town is the National Arboretum in NE DC. If there was ever a place that can make you forget about where you are.......and NE DC is definitly a place you want to escape from.....it is the Arboretum. It is the Central Park of the Nations Capital. Once inside the gates, just as you walk out of the parking lot is the Koi pond. These beautiful fish follow you up and down the length of the waterline waiting for handouts. There are gumball machines that dispense food to feed them, perhaps that is how they get so big.

www.usna.usda.gov/

Here they come....looking for handouts.....it's like a stampede....without feet

"You talkin to me?"

This one was actually trying to sell me a knock-off rolex!? Not begging for food.

Next up, the Perennial gardens, this place amazes me and at the same time pisses me off! I am trying to turn our little 2 acre parcel of land into a mini-arboretum and it is just never nearly as beautiful as the real thing. Perennials, for those who do not garden, are plants that, in their ideal zone, will re-grow on a yearly basis. They sometimes spread and can be dug-up and relocated to other areas of the yard easily. I love perennials for that very reason.

And finally over to the Capitol colums. These 22 Corinthian sandstone columns were among 24 that were part of the east central portico if the United States Capitol. Architect Charles Bulfinch oversaw construction of the portico using a design handed down by his predecessors, William Thornton and Benjamin Henry Latrobe. Completed in 1826, these columns provided the backdrop for presidential inaugurations from 1829 (Andrew Jackson) to 1957 (Dwight Eisenhower), and were the site of many speeches, protests and rallies.

In 1958 the columns were dismantled to make way for the east front extension of the Capitol, which is adorned with marble reproductions.

Restorations of the columns was made possible through the efforts of Ethyl Shields Garrett and support from the Friends of the National Arboretum. Garden designer Russell Page selected and designed the new site which was completed and dedicated in 1990.

This is getting a bit lenghty so I am going to break here and continue in a new thread..........

NO, YOU CAN"T GET GEOCACHE FROM AN ATM!

2008-11-23T02:49:00.000-08:00

This week has been full of fun and adventure in Iraq, I have been on the Tanker with Mikey so we set off in search of new things whenever possible. While we were out on inspections the other day we headed to Tower 4 which is located next to our companys drill building, building X. This is where we use to come to set fake fires and put them out, some say for practice, most firefighters say to play. Well, the kaboshes were put to that so now the building sits empty and we don't get much fun anymore.

There is a 2nd tower next door and I wanted to take a picture from the top tht showed the layout of the area. When we got upstairs we noticed an ammunition box stuck up on a ledge. At first we thought it might be a IED or bomb of some sort, we were both saying "Not me! You open it up!". Finally after making out some writing on the side we opened it and foound a very cool, yet somewhat sad surprise inside.

Geocache (www.geocaching.com/ ) , is a global scavenger hunt if you will, member set out to find geocache locations and when they do they leave a memento and sign a diary that is in the kit to record their visit. They sometimes are located at specific sights in honor of an event such as a death. The particular sight we found was in honor of Sergeant 1st Class Paul R. Smith, a true American Patriot who made the ultimate sacrifice in the war on terror. Sadly he passed in battle, on the very site we stumbled upon. http://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/smith/

The Cache holds a memorial to Sergeant Paul R. Smith, detailing the battle that took his life, keeping a diary of all that visit and holding small gifts in honor of his sacrifice. This place held a great significance, it makes you stop and think of all that have perished here. What they gave for our way of life, on a national level and on a personal level. The MWR/Gym on our base is dedicated to him, I had seen his picture on the walls but never knew the story behind his heroic life. We should all be in awe of him and those like him.

Here are some visuals.

Building X site, where our training happens, NOT!!

Why is that ammo box up there??????

The Geocache info

A detailed account of Sgt. Smiths battle.

Gifts left in the Geocache.

More info on Sgt. Smith, May he rest in peace

HOG HEAVEN!!

2008-11-23T02:18:00.000-08:00

One of the things I am enjoying about my return to Iraq is the weather, it is Fall here, the trees are turning and earthen-toned leaves litter the ground we walk on......er? Wait a minute.........That was back home! Ah shit! Same old lack of color here. Oh well, it is still nice and chilly at night and even tolerable during the day. The temperatures only reach the mid 80's now. Perfect weather to go cruising on Sation 2's new motorcycle! Well, it isn't really ours, the MP's confiscated it from a Lesbian Iraqi Dykes-on-Bikes club.......and you thought they were an urban myth!!

Mikey, myself, Lori and Captain Dewey started a motorcycle club, we are feared, yet respected by the locals, considered equals by the Military and PSD's and we reign havoc across the FOB, all the while, smiles on our faces. We are an unrivaled force-of-nature in the middle-east with one goal in our sights................find a good compressor to put some damn air in our front tire!! Had you goin, LOL!!!

Seriously though, this bike is an antique and we had some fun taking some pictures, enjoy!

The Hip-hopopatomus and his crew

Ladies love the Rhyme-nocerous!

Last time we were playing around like this, we both ended up with a day off!

Damn, Mrs. Robinson strikes again!!!!

I always seem to be driving this guy around

WOULD YOU LIKE SOME CHEESE WITH THAT WINE?? SERIOUSLY!

2008-11-08T06:04:00.000-08:00

While I was home I got to go to a wine festival up in Bel Air, Md with my friends Tim and Emily and their family/friends. It was a great day, I had never been been to one and I enjoyed myself thouroughly. While I tend to be more of a beer-man, I do enjoy red wines from time-to-time. On this particular occassion I enjoyed a lot of wine, red and white, and not too much cheese! LOL! I was f-ed up! It was an absolutly beautiful fall day, a slight chill in the air, barely a cloud in the sky. Here are a few pictures...............

YEAH.....YOU HEARD RIGHT, I'M GOING BACK.

2008-11-08T03:17:00.000-08:00

Well, my EOC (end of contract) break was really fun and relaxing. I will post a few more details about that later, for now I just want to cover the trip back to Iraq. I have to admit, over the break I did miss some things about Baghdad, mostly the people I work directly with. I have been fortunate to have a great bunch of people with me up until now. Only a few bad apples....Foley.....maybe asshole is a better description. Either way it has been fun working with them and I am looking forward to a great second year as well.

I was ticketed to return to Houston for in-processing on the 28th of October. It was a very early flight so I got up around 04:00 and Ben drove me to the airport, which is nice and close to the house. I made the flight , no problems, and got to my seat to find I was in the very last one, up against a wall. The seat did not even recline. I also noticed when I sat down that I was completely surrounded by teens, all wearing t-shirts that said something like "Jacksonville Christian Academy".......yes I had been booked to sit with the cast of "High School Musical: Christian Academy".......fuck me runnin! Anyway I mainly kept to myself, a few of the kids said hello to me and I introduced myself as Louie Cypher, hehe! They were cool, on their way to Costa Rica or somewhere like that to build a church. A noble cause I am sure, best of luck to them all.

Houston was uneventful, being a returnee there was not a whole lot for me to do. It is possible that in the next year tyhe company is going to do away with passing through Houston all together. I am sure it is expensive and it would be nice to go directly back to Baghdad if at all possible.

The Trip this year was a little different than last. Last year we flew to Atlanta and boarded a Delta 7 direct to Dubai. This year We went straight to London, Heathrow from Houston. While waiting for our flight, the boarding crew called a few of our names. I was sure, mostly sure, I had not done anything wrong and was pleasently surprised to find that Continental had over-sold coach class and upgraded us to first class! Not a bad deal, I figured it was payback for my trip to Houston on "Christian Airlines". We boarded the plane and immediatly the stewardesses were schlepping drinks to us, food, etc. It was a really great experience, too bad I will never be able to afford it again in my life, lol! I shit you not, we were served an eight course meal for dinner and I must have drank two or three bottles of Merlot. I was fat, happy and comfortably numb at 35 thousand feet!! Here are a few pics. The guy sitting next to me was laughing at me for taking pictures of my meals, he obviously flies 1st class all the time.

A few of the sixteen freaking courses on the flight to London

NANA AT 95!!

2008-10-12T17:50:00.001-07:00

Well, this is one Sassy German Matriarch, she is in a new atmosphere and making the most out of life, I sure could take a few hints from her. Her new home is a long-term care facility in the Whiting/Toms River area. It is more of an assisted living home where the tennants have a great deal of freedom. The facilities are top notch, the place is only a couple of years old. She is very fortunate to be there, not five minutes from here old house. Here are a few pics of the visit. I cannot wait to see here again in a couple of weeks!

Me and my Nana!

Avi and Nana

John and.....well, you know by now.

Oh look! Ted Kazinsky stopped by, how nice of the DEA and FBI to let him out of jail!

His Uni-bomber days are behind him!

The New Hampshire Posse!

Well, I look a little ,ean in this picture, but it one one of a few that were clear, LOL!

Avi is my little Star Wars/Spider-man buddy!

Avi loves potato chips.....he really loves them!

Overall, she loves her new home, she quickly became comfortable and made a lot of friends. She also gained a little weight, LOL! Three squares a day will do that to you, I know first hand!

SORRY FOR THE HIATUS......

2008-10-12T16:21:00.004-07:00

So, year one in Baghdad has come to an end and I have been home for a few weeks now spending so well deserved time with the family and pack as it is around here, LOL! Aside from a trip to the big apple......which I will write about, I swear!!...I have really just been putzing around the house, working around the yard and not much more.

I headed up to New Jersey to John and Christines condo in Ocean Grove, a small, private community right next to Asbury Park. It is really beautiful , great beach and boardwalk to spend the day on. I got there before Mom, Dad and Avi so John, Christine and I strolled the boardwalk over to Asbury. Checked out the Stone Pony and a few other sights, the whole area was bustling with beachcombers, joggers, shoppers, eaters, bums and anyone else you could imagine.

We headed back to the condo to meet Mom and Dad, they only stopped on their way to nanas. I gave Avi his birthday presents and some other gifts Ben had picked up for him, Jocelyn and Brennan. He loved it all, they packed up and went to Toms River.

We went out for dinner, a few drinks and a late-night stroll on the boardwalk, it was beautiful! Back at the condo, a little "Saturday Night live' rounded out the evening. i don't care if it was a repeat, Tina Fey as Sarah Palin is comedic history, I cannot get enough!!!!!

The next morning I got up early and went on a photo tour of the whole area, I hope you enjoy!

The old Casino building that sits on the boardwalk between ocean Grove and Asbury Park

A new building farther down with restaurants and shops

Avi on the boardwalk

A little Jack named Bruno walking his owner at the beach

John and Avi looking for shells....or hyperdermic needles, LOL!

Avi and I

I love this building

I swear I heard this seagull say "mine."

The pier John and Christine tied the knot on

John got the camera

A beautiful garden outside the "Starving Artist", a beautiful restaurant near John and Christines condo

The area is beautiful, it really makes you want to live in a beach town. The people are friendly and the atmosphere is amazing. I am hoping to head up in two weeks to catch Tesla at the Stone Pony with John and maybe stay a couple of days.

MIKEY SWITCHED TO GEICO!!!!

2008-09-08T01:02:00.000-07:00

Oops, that's Gecko, he woke up with a little baby bugger climbing up his wall. Several attempts to liberate this young reptilian only resulted in him jumping higher up on Mikeys arm. So now he is going to stay in Mikes room, probably lots of bugs for him to eat in there as well. Who knows, he may have a few brothers and sisters in there too.

IN THE EVENT WE ARE ALL SWALLOWED BY A BLACK HOLE ON WEDNESDAY.........NICE KNOWING YA!!!!

2008-09-07T23:42:00.000-07:00

This coming Wednesday, September 10th 2008 marks the activation of CERNs Large Hadron Collider. This multibillion dollar atom-smasher will finally come online after two decades of planning and production. It will attempt to re-create the big bang, on a considerably smaller scale, to give scientists a better understanding of the make-up of matter, filling in gaps in knowledge or possibly reshaping theories.

The first beams of protons will be fired around the 17-mile tunnel to test the controlling strength of the world's largest superconducting magnets. It will still be about a month before beams traveling in opposite directions are brought together in collisions that some skeptics fear could create micro "black holes" and endanger the planet.

The project has attracted researchers of 80 nationalities, some 1,200 of them from the United States, which contributed $531 million of the project's price tag of nearly $4 billion.

Once the beam is successfully fired counterclockwise, a clockwise test will follow. Then the scientists will aim the beams at each other so that protons collide, shattering into fragments and releasing energy under the gaze of detectors filling cathedral-sized caverns at points along the tunnel.

CERN dismisses the risk of micro black holes, subatomic versions of collapsed stars whose gravity is so strong they can suck in planets and other stars. So, in the event we are not consumed by black holes there will very likely be some amazing discoveries in our future thanks to this incredible machine!

For further information check out these links:

CERN: http://www.cern.ch/

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory: http://www.fnal.gov/

Large Hadron Rap: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_on_re_eu/storytext/big_bang_machine/28998361/SIG=11b8oen0l/*http://www.youtube.com/watch?vf6aU-wFSqt0 , check this out, it is excellent!

Here are some pictures, serious and funny.............

JUST IN TIME FOR MY ARRIVAL HOME.......FANBOYS!!!!!!

2008-09-06T08:17:00.000-07:00

September 19, 2008 is a day I have been waiting on for a long, long time. The movie "Fanboys" is finally hitting the bigscreen AND it will be released as originally intended. For those who are not familiar, the plot is basically centered around a group of friends, one who is dying of cancer. They plan to steal a copy of "The Phantom Menace" before it is release to fullfill their friends wish to see the movie before his imminent demise. There was a push by the film company to drop the cancer element of the movie which was aborted due to furious fans and the threat of a boycott if the film did not make it to celluloid as planned. Finally it's time has come and I am sure it will be a fun movie and I cannot wait to see it! Here is the movie poster and a cast picture.

Lots of info on the movie here, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanboys_(2008_film), check it out!

PEOPLE ALWAYS ASK ME....."WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN IN IRAQ?????"

2008-09-06T07:06:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures of a particularly boring day. We got a bunch of free T-shirts from some guys at the motorpool and decided to try on the kids-sized shirts.........yet another proud moment in South Victory history!!

Actually I think Greg is wearing an x-large!!??

ENGINE 611 RESPOND TO....ER....THE QUARTERS OF ENGINE 611!?!?!?!?

2008-08-29T08:57:00.000-07:00

It is every Firefighters fear that they will be called to respond to their own home, place of work or a friends home. Thank fully none of those situations happened to us but we did lose a generator on the 28th of August. We get our power from two large generators out behind the Firehouse. They alternate so one is working at all times while the other is being cleaned or maintained. I was sitting in my room at the computer with a fan running in the background when I heard the fan motor slow down....then speed up....then slow down again. This has happened in the past, generally it has meant the generator that is running has run low on fuel. I went to the sitting area and told the dispatcher what was happening. When I got back to my room my radio went off, for a generator fire behind the station.

By the time we got there it was put out by some KBR employees with a couple of extinguishers and there was a huge cloud of dry-chem obscuring the view of the generator itself. The incident was over before it started so I grabbed a few snapshots to share.

Extinguisher powder, not smoke

Captain taking control of the scene

KBR Fire dudes checking out our mess

Is life really that boring that we are taking pictures of this shit????

Greg, preceeded by his belly wherever he goes

Something tells me that hole is not suppose to be there

What a F-ing mess!!

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN..........

2008-08-24T02:57:00.000-07:00

OK, today is 23-AUG-08

Aside from a song title from a Swedish Rock band, Europe, from the 80's/90's Glam metal scene (which btw is scheduled for a 2009 new album release! Yippee!!) it is also my final countdown to the end of my contract with WSLLC. I am now within the 30 day mark of completion and I can't wait to get home. At the moment I am hoping to be back for a second year, however, until I am actually re-contracted and scheduled to be in Houston nothing is written in stone. Of course I would prefer to be home but this is a good financial opportunity and it really is not that dangerous as some might think.

I am still waiting on my itinerary for my return trip, since it is the end-of-contract, the companys only obligation is to return me to my city of origin. So i know where I am going, just not exactly when and via where. I should be home on or about the 18th of September.

Today is 27-AUG-08, still psyched about getting the fuck outta dodge, just need to at least get into September before I get too excited. It may be a bit premature right now but I have started packing my things, some to be sent home and some to remain here for year two.

I must take a minute to mention one of our fine members here at Victory Fire, Cody Peterson, who will hereafter be known as Cody Provolone. The main reason for this alias is his uncanny, yet natural ability to sound so freaking cheesy. He was just in the background teaching the Fire Warden class and made one such dairy-based comment that forced me to tell you about it. Here is a picture of Cody when he fell asleep in dispatch and Mikey wrote on his forhead.

The writing said, "I Love Wolff", one of our Officers here at South Victory. Its proud moments such as these that make life in Baghdad tolerable.

THAT DIDN"T SOUND GOOD!!!

2008-08-24T00:09:00.000-07:00

Well, Thursday the 21st of August will long be remembered as the day the VBC lost a dedicated emergency response vehicle........Engine 611 fell. Thankfully this will only be a temporary setback for her, however, she may not be back in service for the remainder of my stay here during year one. I was her Han Solo, she was my Millenium Falcon, my YT-1300, my modified Corellian Light Freighter! That was an over-the-top geek moment in case you didn't figure it out for yourself. Either way she is gone for a while waiting for some parts which, apparently are hard to come by on this side of the world. We'll see what happens. In the meantime we have a loaner from Camp Stryker, same Engine basically but not quite the same.....

I had to accompany the tow truck driver to the TMP, spent a good 6 hrs there. Thankfully the gentleman working under the cab, John, was kind enough to let me hang and watch him do his thing. He also explained a few things about the problem, the cause and the process of getting it fixed. Long and short of it is, these vehicles are not made to withstand this climate and since 611 is in her 5th year of service without any major incidents it was just her time.

I decided this was a blog-worthy event, however I didn't get any pictures of the tow or at the scene of the breakdown, I was upset about the whole thing. So here are some pics of the TMC, Mikey to the rescue and the trip back home.

John the KBR Mechanic diligently at work

Me killing time with the camera, I needed some good nosehair pictures

Mikey to the rescue

Fine, upstanding young Mike Mason

Low-riding, ghetto hardened, thug-life G-Mason

Covered in equipment from E-611

THIS BETTER NOT BE GRILLED KANGAROO!!!!

2008-08-23T03:48:00.000-07:00

The Australian Military has a new unit over at the FLLA-B (Force Level Logistics Asset-B). We were invited to come to a cookout last Wednesday. Since we have a fun relationship with these guys and gals, we headed over for some grub and to scope out the compound. They have added a few temporary buildings in the last few months but no other major changes. Our only obstacle with them is the compound access. Since most of the shenanigans happens after dark it is hard for us to gain access since they lock the gate at night. Then there is the fact that they have guards patrolling the compound at night. Keep in mind also said guards are armed, LOL!!

The evening was very nice, laid back, AC/DC playing in the background, tons of food and the near-beer flowed like a river of biblical proportions.............with no buzz to be had! Every time I mention near-beer I have to voice my disgust and utter annoyance with the stuff. I don't think it tastes good at all and it does nothing for my self-medicating needs. It should be banned!

That was a joke, but I do hate it.

They had a raffle for an ipod Nano, a statue of a camel and five dollars worth of near-beers (they were $1 a piece to raise money for a charity. Everybody wanted the camel, especially Smitty. The Captain said he was going to win it and sell it to Smitty and guess what........He won it!

As of right now I think he is still dangling it in front of Smit but he has not given it up.

So now to the pictures:

A great time was had by all, a big thanks to the Aussie Contingent for a great time and some outstanding food and drink!!

NEHI SATURDAY NIGHT PARTY

2008-08-16T23:07:00.000-07:00

Last night we had the pleasure of attending an event with som friends of the South Victory Fire Department. I am now in my 11th month here in Baghdad and I have met many extrordinary people here. Early on two gentlemen, General McHale and Colonel Tobin, would frequently stop by the firehouse, sit and eat with us in the DFAC and just stop and chat in passing. They are both kind, courteous and extremely grounded.

Recently they invited us to come for a Saturday night gathering of mostly Military personnel dubbed Nehi night. For those unfamiliar with the Nehi brand:

Nehi (pronounced ['nihaɪ], like "knee high") is a flavored soda originated in America. It was introduced in 1924 by the Chero-Cola/Union Bottle Works. The "Nehi Corporation" name was adopted in 1928 after the Nehi fruit-flavored sodas became popular. In 1955, the company changed its name to Royal Crown Company, after its RC Cola brand. It was founded by Claude Hatcher, a Georgia grocer, who began bottling ginger ale and root beer in 1905. As of the middle of April of 2008, Nehi had ecome a brand of Dr Pepper Snapple Group.

While there was more near-beer
to befound than Nehi (not sure I

even saw any at all), a good time was
had by all. We have met so many

quality people over here and it is

nice to call them our friends!

Our thanks for all of their

hospitality!

Here are a few pictures of the night.

THE NUMBER 8

2008-08-10T00:15:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone......all four of you, lol! I hope you all enjoyed your day on 08-08-08! This was a special day and holds much relevance in certain cultures so I decided to delve into the number a little more. Here are some fun facts about the number 8:

In Chinese culture the Cantonese word for the number 8 is "ba" (it has one of those line-thingys over the a but I don't know how to type it). This is very similar to the word for "prosper" or "wealth" which is "fa" (also with the thingy). In regiaonal dialects, the words for "eight" and "fortune" are also similar, example baat and faat.

The telephone number, 8888-8888 in Chengdu, China as sold for $270, 273.00!!

The opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics occured on 08-08-08 at 8:08 PM.

In mathmatics the # 8 is a composite number, its proper divisors being 1, 2 & 4.

8 is a power of two or 2 cubed (not sure how to type 2 to the 3rd) LOL!

8 is a Fibonacci number, being 3 plus 5, followed by 13.....all you DaVinci Code fans should know this!!!

A fallen 8 or 8 on its side is the symbol for "Infinity" in mathematics. This made 08-08-08 one of the most sought after dates for weddings.

In Chemistry, 8 is the atomic number for oxygen.

Biology: There are 8 known B-Vitamins that play an important role in cell metabolism.

Timothy Leary identified a hierarchy of eight levels of consiousness.

1. The Bio-Survival Circuit

2. The Emotional Circuit

3. The Symbolic Circuit

4. The Domestic Circuit

5. The Neurosomatic Circuit

6. The Neuroelectric Circuit

7. The Neurogenetic Circuit

8. The Psycho-Atomic Circuit

Very interesting stuff by the way if you have some free reading time and a few hits of acid available!!!

In the human adult dentition there are 8 teeth in each quadrant. The 8th tooth is the so-called "Wisdom" tooth.

The Dharmachakra, a Buddhist symbol, has eight spoke. The spokes are said to have sharp edges to cut through ignorance.

In Christianity it is allegoric to what is beyond time (Because the number 7 refers to the days of the week which repeat themselves).

In Neopaganism there are 8 Sabbats (festivals) in a year.

In technology a Byte is compromised of 8 Bits.

A V-8 engine is an internal combustion engine with eight cylinders configured in two rows of four, forming a "V" when seen from the end.

There are 8 vegetables in V8 juice

1. Tomatos

2. Beets

3. Celery

4. Carrots

5. Lettuce

6. Parsley

7. Watercress

8. Spinach

In cooking recipes, there are approximately 8 pinches to a teaspoon.

In liquid measurement (US Customary Units), there are 8 fluid ounces in a cup, 8 pints in a gallon and 8 tablespoons in a gill.

An Eighth is a common measurement of marijuana, meaning an eighth ofan ounce. Yeah Baby!!

Eight is symbolic for lesbian sexual relations.

and finally..........

It appears we may have our anti-christ ladies and gentlemen...... and its a GIRL!!!

Minn. baby born 8/8/08 at 8:08; 8 pounds, 8 ounces
1 day ago
FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (AP) — Hailey Jo Hauer was born on the eighth day of the eighth month in 2008 at 8:08 a.m. So it wouldn't make sense for her to weigh anything other than 8 pounds, 8 ounces.
Lindsey Hauer thought staff at Lake Region Hospital in Minnesota were joking when they told her the time of her daughter's birth. Then she got a call from the birthing suite noting Hailey's weight.
Nurse Jenny Harstad joked that she tried to shrink the baby to 18 inches from her actual 19.5 inches.
Several hospital staff members pledged to buy lottery tickets.
Information from: The Daily Journal.

OK, wake up and stay tuned for 09-09-09!!!!

DID YOU KNOW? I'M HUGE IN..............BARNEVELD, WISCONSIN!?!?

2008-08-07T09:28:00.000-07:00

It's official..... I have a following! My friend JD, here in Iraq, with the 101st Airbourne Division has a weekly article about his experiences in the Iraq war in his hometown of Barneveld, Wisconsin. The article is featured weekly in "The Dodgeville Chronicle". My finger incident made such an impact he decided to include it in his column. Now the world, or a small part, can read about my shenanigans! So first a little Geography lesson, where in the world is Barneveld??? Lets check the map!

JD was kind enough to give me a copy of the weekly article and I had planned on posting it here for all to see. I tried to scan it and was successful but the format was not recognized by "Blogger". Unfortunatly there is no on-line version of the Dodgeville Chronicle but I swear I am in it!! I also hear there is a fan-club forming in the area!!

WHO WATCHES THE WATCHMEN?

2008-08-01T09:51:00.000-07:00

With all the success in the movie industry centered around comic book adaptations it is no wonder that the "Watchmen" will finally be making their big screen appearance March 6th 2009. This 12 part series/graphic novel written by Alan Moore and released in 1986 through DC Comics, has been hailed the "Citizen Kane" of the industry and the only comic book title in history to win the Hugo Award and be recognized by Time Magazines 2005 list "The 100 best English language novels"

Here is the official movie website:

http://watchmenmovie.warnerbros.com/

and Wikipedia for everything you need to know about WATCHMEN:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watchmen_(film)

EMPIRE MAGAZINE has a few covers for their upcoming issue on the movie, they look fantastic!

So, look for it in 2009, it's gonna be incredible! Directed by Zack Snyder who brought us "300".

"..the world will look up and shout "Save us", and I'll whisper "No".

Rorschach

NEVER LOOKING FOR TROUBLE, ALWAYS FINDING IT!

2008-07-27T05:20:00.000-07:00

Just over a week ago we were all standing around the bay waiting to go to dinner......thats supper for those reading this from up North. My young buddy Mikey was doing his usual "poking" me in the mid-section, he knows i am sensitive there and I jump when he does it. long story short, I decided to grab him around the waist and as I picked him up he swung his legs around me.....which I didn't expect and lost my balance. We fell into a T-wall that had some sharp, broken areas and my thumb got ground-up pretty good. Thankfully Mikey escaped my clumsiness without serious injury.

Still not quite sure why I am posting these pictures, they are kinda gross......as a matter of fact the Medic who sent them to meeven labled the email "gross finger". There you have it, a professional opinion.

Initially I went to the KBR Medic, Andrea. She is very cool and was going to do my stitches but the cut was not clean and very jagged so she decided to let the TMC do the honors. TMC, another Military abbrevition stands for "Troop(OK JD DAMMIT!! LOL!!) Medical Clinic". Basically someone in my position and with my injury becomes a practice dummy for young, aspiring, ER hopefuls. Dummy being an excellent choice of words under the circumstances I was seen by a young comic/cartoon happy guy (We talked about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the whole time while Andrea and the Doctor rolled their eyes) and his seasoned superior. She would show him how to administer the numbing agent, he would take a turn, she would do a stitch, he would take a turn...mess up....take it out...try again....mess up...take it out...seeing the pattern yet? Anyway, 6 stitches and 4 hours later I had been the proud new recipient of my first-ever stitches! Surprisingly not too bad, I expected much worse.

So now the pictures! Those with weak stomachs may want to look away........now!!!

YECH!

GROSS!!!

LOOK OUT!!!

HERE THEY COME!!!

There you go folks! I know what you're thinking......"It takes talent to fuck up a finger like that!!"....and i'm full of it! So, lesson learned, no shenanigans. I'll be staying under the radar the remaining time I have here in Baghdad, HQ has sent people home for far less. Just call me Thumbs, it caught on quick! Thanks for reading and go back to your dinner/supper, depending on where you are reading this!

RANDOM PHOTOS

2008-07-20T02:27:00.000-07:00

I have hundreds and hundreds of pictures on my computer that I need to get posted. There is a lot of beauty here in the architecture and stone carvings despite the poor quality of work. So here are some points of interest around the base. Enjoy!

The main entrance of the JVB (Joint Visitors Bureau) Hotel

Two stone murals on a building the Australian Military occupies.

Some detailed work at the MWR (Morale, Welfare and Recreation) Building.

Al Faw Palace

There is some nice foliage and flowers around here after all!

This is a carving Saddam had made depicting the USA sending humanitarian aide to Iraq.

K911!!! STOP OR MY DOG WILL LIFT HIS LEG!!!

2008-07-16T05:10:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago we inspected the K9 unit on South Victory. The kennels are located about 1/4 mile down the road from our station. Of course, being an animal lover I thought it to be a great photo op. A big thank you to all the trainers for bringing out the pups. K9 "working dogs" are not merely a pet, but usually a specific breed of dog with the ability to learn and perform a set of tasks. These gifted animals train on a daily basis, wether it be to detect explosives or cadavers, they are utilized as a valuable tool in the war on terror.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_dog

Military working dogs first officially entered the service in 1942, although they were utilized in the first World War (1914-1918) in what became the Armys first K9 Corp. Today the dogs, who have an actual military service record book, are commonly described as, "More than a dog, a soldier, a partner." In World War II, 436 scout dogs walked scout patrols overseas, often detecting enemies at 1000 yards, long before men could be aware of them. During the Vietnam War nearly 4000 dogs were employed and officially 281 were killed in action. As of 2004 there were 2300 dogs employed by the Department of Defense, a majority of them being German and Dutch Shepards. Enjoy these pics of my new best friends!!

We had a great time hanging out with the dogs and their handlers, although you must understand their purpose and what they are capable of doing, in a social atmosphere these pups just want their belly rubbed just like you and me.....er, I meant like our dogs....woof!

I can never say no to kisses!

Sportin the "Doggles", these are actual eye-wear designed for Canines and utilized by the Military for the harsh iraqi climate

Please can I keep him, he followed me home from the Mosque!!!

This is where the phrase, "Dog-faced Soldier" must have come from!

The team.

Pam and the Pup.

Another Team.

Playtime is over..............

FRIENDS ON THE F.O.B.

2008-07-09T22:59:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has been keeping up with the blog has read in the past that the Military loves to abbreviate! It's almost comical at times and I usually have no idea what they are talking about. I just nod my head in acknowledgment. F.O.B., I learned about two months ago, it stands for Forward Operating Base. Basically, F.O.B. Victory is where I live.

I have had the pleasure of meeting a passel (thats for you Mikey!) of great people here on the VBC, Victory Base Camp so i'd like to share some pictures with you. Last names and rank will be left out, some people, like Lori, don't like their picture taken so I, on occasion, have to be sneaky! Enjoy!

Brian, Weed and Joel

Soldiers at a Firehouse BBQ

The former Victory Mayors Cell, out of Ft Meade Md!!

Pam, Top (Howard County Fire Chief) and Lori

The Lord Darth Vader, an actual Sith lord....I believe he is in interrogations, water-boarding don't look so bad now! He's been eating too much DFAC food like me!

Some Very Lovely Aussie Ladies (Slummin it) with Greg!

Cody fell asleep on dispatch and Smitty wrote"I Love Wolffie" on his forehead! LOL!!

Fellow Contractor Blogger Chris from Balad

http://www.chrisiniraq.blogspot.com/

My own private security detail!!

Smitty, repairing my DVD player for me

"MY TRUCK SMITTY!!!"

JD, one of the real heros over here in Iraq!

MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU!

2008-07-06T00:42:00.000-07:00

hinHappy 4th of July everyone! Things here on the VBC are decorated Red, White and Blue and the BBQ grills are full steam ahead ( I have a sneaking suspicion the fireworks won't be going off around here). I hope you all have a wonderful day celebrating with family and friends. I may be here for work but there are thousands and thousands of people making holidays what they are. Through their selfless dedication and bravery they mold a better future for we as Americans and countless other nations around the world. please think about their sacrifices, past and present and show them thanks when you can.

Now being the STAR WARS Uber-geek I am, I found this picture and had to post it. Enjoy!

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN!!!!!

2008-07-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

True story: A funny thing happened to me on line at the DFAC. For those of you just joining me the Military LOVES abbreviations and DFAC is short for Dining FACility. Anyway, I am in line getting my buddy Greg his lunch while he is stuck in the Firehouse on dispatch. He asked me to get him a pulled pork sandwich, no problem. I get to the server who is a Local National, foreigner typically speaking little to no English. Great people. So I figure I will be getting Gregs sandwich and still staying to eat my own lunch, better put the pork on the side so the bread does not get soggy.....I HATE that. I ask the man serving for the pork on the side with a wierd hand gesture I can't even explain. I wait and wait and wait whle he is putting the food in the to-go box, wondering why it is taking so long. Finally he hands me the box and I look at the sandwiches. He propped them up on their SIDE instead of putting the pork on the side. It actually took me a few minutes to figure out what he had done and then I lost it. I tried to keep them in the same position til we got back to the Firehouse so I could get a picture, unfortunatly they did collapse pretty much, but here you go!

....It was funnier at the time.

WELL, WE DO RUN SOME CALLS HERE. HOW ABOUT A FEW PICTURES!

2008-06-28T01:15:00.000-07:00

GENERATOR VS. SLAYER TUNNEL

Back in April we ran a call for a flatbed that tried to go through Slayer Tunnel with a huge, $75,000.00 portable generator on the back bed. Needless to say the driver (KBR) didn't take notice to heights posted and the height of his cargo and BAM!!!!! Generator loses, guy probably loses his job and the tax payers definitly lose.

................Tunnel 1, Generator 0!

JIMS 41ST BIRTHDAY PARTY: 07JUNE08

2008-06-24T04:12:00.000-07:00

OK, I took a bunch of pictures at the party but I should have got more, damn margaritas! I will try to get more from others in attendance. The party was a blast, it is so nice to see everyone and in less than 3 months we will do it again, hopefully in more mild weather. Thank you so much to Ben for the great party, to Mom, Dad, Charlie, Carlene, Saul, Paul, Benita, Josh, Robin, Lori, Kristy, Clint, Norman, Nick, Jess, the Kids, the Benfield entourage and everyone who came so far to be here. Also a bigh thank you to all the local friends as well, it is always a pleasure!! This was the highlight of the trip and I am looking forward to 42 (this time the theme is 80's hair-metal music!!!! Hehe!!)

This was Kates Birthday present to me, a signed cast photo from "The Family Guy". Her Uncle is a co-creator of the show. Thanks to both of them, it was the highlight of the party!!

Christine, Me, Daniella and Ken

Tyler and Madison in the Moonbounce

Tyler performing for M & D, Nick and Jess

Pap Ben with Nick and the kids

Definitly a good pool day!!

Kristy ans Lori keeping an eye on my nephew Avi

Bada-Bing gave Kristy and Lori the day off to come down!

I just told Lori about the corn in my poop, I think she mistook kernal for someone at the party with rank....oops!

Charlie came with Mom and Dad, what a cutie

Elvis with his scores of new, younger generation fans

Lori is big in the Middle East, she is constantly fending off Paparazzi

My Behnkes buddies, Miri and Andrew (I see the shirt Andrew!)

He grew his hair out just for the party

This kid is like Damien/Omen cute....but no Nannies hung themselves during the party

THE KING LIVES.........in polyester!!

In Bae, Kim, Me and Ben. When you die and go to heaven, Kims springrolls are there waiting!

A few more of these drinks and the suits come off!!! LOL!!!

The pool stayed full all day

Ben, Christine and Ken

A beautiful sunset to end the day

R&R #2: GET ME A FRIGGIN BEER!!!!!!

2008-06-24T01:16:00.001-07:00

Well, R&R is always a good thing. Your second R&R is all the more sweet, it means you are within four months of your EOC (End Of Contract). There is a window of time you can take your R&Rs in, I pushed mine back as far as I could so now I only have about three months to go.

I have figured out, since beginning this venture, I am not a great world traveller. By that I mean physically. It takes roughly 30 hours to travel to and from Baghdad, including layovers, none of it falliing under the category of "Fun". Airports are no fun, while not terribly intrusive, they are large, crowded and at times intimidating. Some of the Middle East security people will walk up behind you, breathing in your ear, seemingly to try to make you feel uncomfortable (which actually works quite well because they are holding automatic weapons with fingers on triggers). It is actually childish and pathetic, but that is to be expected with ignorance.

Once you get past all that it gets easier, I have very much enjoyed my trips on British Airways, there have been no major delays, the staff have been great and I am a big fan of the British accent! Heathrow is enormous! I had a seven hour layover this trip and I was hoping to actually run out and see something "touristy", Stonehenge and/or Avebury in particular, but as it turned out it was too far away to make it in the alloted time. Hopefully during my second year I will be able to take a day or two and go on a photo tour of these incredibly mystical places.

STONEHENGE

AVEBURY

Back to getting home.........I finally made it. Ben picked me up at the airport which is, thankfully, only a short distance from the house. We basically did the same thing as my last trip home, stopped in at the house to see the pups for a while, had a few beers and then headed out to MEIWAH/Larrys for some of the best sushi in the DC area...........and more beer! You do see the re-occuring theme here, right? So when we returned home I tried to relax a bit by opening some of my new comic collectibles that came while I was away. Anyoe who knows me well also knows I collect Sci-Fi, Comic and Fantasy figures/statue. Star Wars and Marvel/DC Comics comprising the majority of the collection seen, in part, below.....

Prior to my arriving home the weather had been pretty nice apparently, wet, but nice. Things were about to change when I hit the ground, apparently in possession of the Middle Easts' heat.......and humidityfrom somewhere else! right off the bat it got hot, humid and rainy. It would have been really nice to have some mild weather but it didn't turn out that way. This weather, combined with some jet-lag made my first few days home pretty uneventful.

Ben had been telling me about the yard, with all the rain it had gone gang-busters! That and a lack of pruning the prior fall made it all look so huge and lush. Like it was on steroids!! There were not too many things in bloom, but man do I wish I were there to see them all pop. Here are a few pics of the Garden/Pool/Patio/Pups.

One of the highlights of this trip home was a party held on my 41st birthday. I have a lot of pictures so I will start a new post to minimize the crowding on here.

THE EVER-CHANGING CREW PHOTOS

2008-04-21T15:19:00.000-07:00

One thing I learned early in Iraq is that you can be moved in an instant to anywhere in the country. I have been fortunate enough to have been on Victory for seven months so far and I hope to be here throughout the rest of my first contract. People are moved, "for the good of the mission". So here is a little tribute to people that I started out with here at SVFD and the new people with us now.

TOTO.....WE'RE NOT IN BAGHDAD ANYMORE!

2008-04-21T14:41:00.000-07:00

Well, seems overnight we transitioned to the Red Planet.....Mars! We have been in a bad dust storm for over a week that gives a cool orange hue to everything outside. Of course everything inside is covered with a film of dirt and you actually know what an asthmatic feels like, it is difficult to breath by the end of the day. And with the dust comes the rockets and mortars, the dickheads launching them know it is harder to detect. Here are some cool pics, normal to Red Planet.

A normal day out the back of the Firehouse

Getting worse!

The Freaky Orange Glow!

INTERNATIONAL LAMPOONS: CAMP SLAYER VACATION!

2008-04-21T10:54:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks my buddy Mikey and I have been trying to plan a day to head over to Camp Slayer and check out the sights. Like Victory, there are Palaces and "Touristy" things to see and do......well, about as "Touristy" as you're gonna get here on the VBC. One thing is for sure, this place must have been quite a spectacle in its prime. So Camp Slayer here we come....also with a new addition to our Fire Crew, Josh. With my 41st birthday just around the corner I felt like a chaperone for these two at 21 and 23 years old. I felt like Chevy Chase in the "European Vacation" Movie......."Look kids Big Ben...Parliment!".

Through some pre-jaunt investigating, Mikey found out there is an organized tour of the "Victory Over America" Palace every Sunday that meets at the Slayer PX at 12:30 hrs.

We headed out to the bus-stop at 11:00 hrs and found out the next bus over to Slayer was at 12:34 hrs and we wouldn't make it for the tour. We decided to head on over anyway, there would still be a lot to see.

A couple of Pre-Trip pictures

Finally we were on a bus and headed over to the camp, it was a 20 min ride, nothing really seems very far away around here it just takes a long time because the roads are so bad you can't go very fast. We got off at the Slayer PX and started walking around the lake tword Flintstone Village. This was a very elaborate little playground Saddam had built for his grandkids, it was a series of apartments, tunnels, waterfalls and patios built to look prehistoric and very "Flintstone-like". I can't imagine what this place looked like before the war, it must have been amazing. Then we got to it and it is now a bombed out, delapitated, graffitti-ridden pile of crap. I will never understand why some things happen, eventually we will be gone and this place could have been for local kids to use but it has been neglected and destroyed. It is a total shame.

Very cool stuff, unfortunatly very run down as well. So we headed across the street to a little bombed out area to a popular photo op backdrop of the man Saddam himself. There was another building that could have beena school or daycare judging by the paintings we found on the walls, besides it was across fromm Flintstone Village.

Here we have a picture of the notorious "Perfume Palace" where Saddam kept his scores of beautiful virgins for his.........pleasure? Maybe even a few dudes too, who knows? The man was a bonifide freak so why not get a little freaky in the bedroom too?

So from there we continued around the lake, although you can't help but see it from everywhere i'll post a few pics of the "Victory over America" Palace. After the Gulf War, Saddam began construction on it to celebrate his.....victory....over....America?? Makes perfect sense. This puppy is HUGE and unfortunatly we didn't make the tour, but next time. As with many things here it is pretty F-ed up. There are still construction cranes up but I don't think there is anymore building going on.

Next we continued around the lake...and I don't care what Mikey says, its a big fuckin lake and we should have gone back the way we came, my thighs were all chaffed!! We came upon a small Mosque, great design, just a lot of really beautiful buildings here.

Here are a few pictures of a couple of bunkers on the shore of the lake, a houseboat that had seen better days and a draw-bridge.

Then we headed down home stretch back to where we started, found a few BBQ patios along the water that had big meat hooks on them. We figured they were for cleaning fish or hanging Saddams enemies from so we tried to see if we could get a pic of one of us hanging from them. Yeah, it's kinda morbid, but we are in Iraq!

I had to get this picture of Mikey for Lori (Surrogate Mom) back at the station. She always says he is her "special" boy!

Well, a good time was had by all. We ended our trip with a stop at the Slayer PX, I bought a Spider-man 3 game for my Wii so I can suck at that game too. Then we headed over to Slayers Greenbeans International Cafe and enjoyed some frozen coffee drinks while we waited for the bus home. I still need to get some pictures from Mikey and Josh, possibly some video footage too so there could be a sequal to this adventure coming soon!

WHERE WE LIVE

2008-04-08T22:38:00.000-07:00

I've never really posted many pictures of our Firehouse. It's actually a very nice place to call home while here in Iraq, we have most all ammenities that will typically not be found at other sites. They don't call this place "Camp Cupcake" for nothing. We have our own internet service in our rooms (when it is working), a 42" Plasma TV (only about 12 channels though), private rooms and we have recently started a gym area in the back. Many of the sites do not have luxeries like theses so you have to appreciate them while you have them. So, sit back and enjoy these pics from around Station 2!

Station 2: South Victory Fire Department

The Truck Bays

Hose Racks

TV Room

Kitchen Area

Fake Snake in the hall

Dorm Days Revisited

Seating area

Coffee Station

Decorations

911 Memorial & Alarm Bell

Dispatch Dungeon...er, I mean Office

"Yens Den of Zen" Fitness Center

Company Computer area and mailing supplies

The Training/Phone room

THE LONG ARDUOUS ROAD TO A HEALTHIER ME

2008-04-07T22:13:00.000-07:00

When I first began my preparations for coming to Iraq I had a few goals in mind that I wanted to accomplish throughout this endeavor. One of those goals was to lead a more healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise. It isn't hard to figure out that years of not eating so great, drinking beer and not exercising have taken their toll on my body. While I was researching this job I noted that the company required members to be on a physical fitness plan while in country. I also assumed, from movies and TV, that meals would be a ladel-full of unappetizing slop dumped on my tray by a nasty old cafeteria worker as he muttered and laughed, "Prime rib or lobster". That turned out to be quite the opposite. While four-star dining is not to be found here, there is a pretty impressive, albeit, not-so-healthy spread of food offered here at each meal. It is easy to go overboard. I left BWI airport at around 220# and within my first month I had reached 245#, my eating was out of control.

So we started working out, cardio only at first for me, I wanted to lose some weight before I started lifting again. Our Captain at the time, Todd, was a very health conscious runner so we did the gym almost everyday. He also understood the need to escape the daily firehouse grind to keep a clear head as well. Living on top of each other 24/7 can get to anyone, you need some kind of physical release to ease tensions. I decided to stick with only cardio until after my first R&R, then I would start lifting weights again. I had hoped to drop back down to around 210-220# before I went home for my first visit, but it wasn't happening. I did start weights when I got back, but eased slowly into it. I didn't want to be severely sore all the time, I needed to keep in mind i had spent the last 10 years as a couch potato and start a program accordingly. I have been back for just about 2 months now and I am feeling much better. I wish I had taken before photos prior to this point, I flaked. I will take some before pictures this week. I feel better, not necessarily lighter, but fitter. My pants feel more comfortable , my stomach does not get in the way when I tie my shoes and I can actually feel my chest muscles again. I still have a long way to go, but the good news is I am enjoying it again. I want to be fit and feel good rather than let myself go to shit again. I turn 41 this June and it isn't going to get any easier from this point on.

So now, Myself, Lori, Pam and Mikey are doing a diet competition of sorts. We are trying to see who can last the longest on a healthy diet and exercise program. I don't expect to win but I am giving it a good shot, I'd feel much better if I dropped 20#. I'd be exstatic if I could get under 200#, I have not seen that weight since after College. I will post pictures of my progress....or lack thereof. I think I will do ok, my next R&R is slowly making it's way here and I want to look better this time. My speedo awaits!!!

15-APR-08: Had a great day at the gym today, benched 250# 4x without help, might have been able to do 2 or 3 more, didn't have a spotter. Either way I am feeling stronger and happier about it! My boobs don't sag much now, LOL!

21-APR-08: Starting night dispatch tonight so I was free most of the day and spent 2 hours at the gym. Feeling very good, I have to say. I did 30 minutes on the elliptical and kept my heart-rate up to 130-140 bpm, much higher than when I do the bike or treadmill. Then I moved onto Chest and Triceps and again I was able to up my bench press up to 265# 3x. I am very psyched with how good I am feeling. We are still on our diet competition program and I do feel better still. i have become a little more laxed but keeping up with the guidelines for the most part.

THE C-RAM, MRAP AND OTHER HELLA-COOL STUFF!!

2008-04-06T00:21:00.000-07:00

I wasn't going to post anything about this ultra-cool, futuristic defensive weapon, however, after some googling I found there is plenty of information on the net so it can't be but so secret. We had incoming the other day and the C-Ram fired once, we walked outside to see the tracers and "BA!!BA!!BA!!BA!!BA!!BA!!BA!!BA!!BA!!BABA!!BA!!!" , it went off again, then there was a loud bang and debis started falling from the sky, red hot pieces of the incoming. Now, aside from this being one of the coolest things I have seen here to date, it scared the living shit out of me! Inside it does not sound so bad but when we stepped out that door and it went off it caught me by surprised and I nearly jumped out of my skin. I moved 15 feet, twords the door, without even knowing it. When it goes off, firing up to 75 armor piercing rounds/sec. (thats 4500 rounds/minute!!) and you are nearby, you are gonna jump. I've heard them from inside the Firehouse many times and I don't even flinch, it sounds like a chainsaw. This thing is bad-ass so how about a little info and a website.......

C-RAM, stands for Counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar system and you can check out the website here:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/cram.htm

VEHICLES

WHERE MY DOGS AT???

2008-04-05T02:04:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post some images of the dogs, they are so cute! Most of them are from rescue, but we got Ernie and Samantha from breeders. There is a total of 7 now, in order of appearance (and they do seem to appear out of thin air sometimes!!) the list goes........

JEREMY

The first of the Canine family members, this is definitly a person trapped in a dogs body! He is the eldest of the males and has the market on being"spoiled" cornered! When he wants something he mumbles what sounds like sentences to get your attention. Jeremy turns 13 years old this year, he has been with us since 1999.

SOPHIE

Quite possibly the best dog in the world, Sophie came after Jeremy to be his buddy. Little did the two of them know things would eventually become very crowded. We are not exactly sure of her age since she was a stray but we think she is somewhere around 12 years old at this time. She holds the title of "ALPHA", she gives the orders and everyone listens!

ERNIE

Ernie and I have shared a wonderful bond ever since I found him. He is my little shadow, following me everywhere I go and I am always happy to know he is close behind. He is my cuddle-bear and I always know he is ready for bed when he curls up next to my right side, takes a deep breath and looks at me to turn off the light. I miss him so much.

SAMANTHA

Don't let her size and adorable face fool you! This little bitch (and she can be in every sense of the word) is Sophies #2 Alpha. She bosses around the boys, Ben and myself included! Sammie is almost 7 years old now and as bossy as ever. We call her the little "Hellion" because she is always looking for trouble. I'd be lost with out her, she's really a little Angel!

SPIKE

I drove to Pennsylvania to adopt Spike after I saw him on http://www.petfinder.org/ . I ccouldn't have known what a good boy I was getting until later after he came home with me. Spike was badly abused/neglected and at first tried running away constantly. Once he got comfortable and knew we loved him, he just wants to play all the time.

DINO

Someone passing close to our house found Dino loose on the Street. He brought him to our neighbor, who assumed he was one of ours (logical assumption if you know us), which at the time he wasn't. We tried all the agencies in the area and no one claimed him so we kept him since he fit in so nicely anyway. He's always looking to play and he is the happiest little dog i've met.

HERMAN

Herman, or "Little Monkey Head" as he is called, is the latest addition to the family. He came shortly after I left for Baghdad. I finally got to meet him when I was on my first R&R and it was as if I had always known him. What a little cutie, a tiny guy that likes to play as big as the rest of the pack.

JIM & LORIS EXCELLENT AUSSIE POOL ADVENTURE!!!

2008-04-03T23:21:00.000-07:00

Days off from the rigors of the SVFD are rare and valuable! Despite the fact that we were working a 12 hour day, we finished early and decided to take a trip to the pool at the Aussie compound. A well deserved break! The temperature here has been on the high side for this time
of year, probably around 90 this particular day. There is a constant cooling breeze coming off Victory Lake which is always nice when you are laying in the sun. Here are a few pictures of the trip.

Here are a couple of pics of the pool and the compound. It is a really nice set-up and once the weather gets nice it will be swarming with people looking for an escape! Like us!

It is situated right across from a Heli-Pad, very cool to watch the Blackhawks come and go.

Finally, a refreshing moment in the Middle East.

Lori tends to be a little camera shy so I have to trick her into getting pictures.

She has a few alias' around the Firehouse, she's known as Mom, Linda Blair (of "The Exorcist"), Pussy Galore and plain old Ms. Jackson if you're NASTY!

I don't remember putting this picture of Bo Derek from the movie "10" in my blog??????

Here are my feet...........wait a minute.......those are Loris feet! Wow, we have the same shade of red toe nail polish and hairy hobbit feet! I never noticed that before!

Thats it for Jim & Loris excellent Aussie pool adventure, I hope you enjoyed it, I know we did! Next up in the near future................... Mikey Jones and Jim invade Camp Slayer, T-Wiggles and his sexploits at the Perfume Palace and Ace Ventura matches wits with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Rat! Don't miss it!

AROUND THE FOB

2008-04-03T08:01:00.000-07:00

I really need to post a lot of pictures on here to give everyone an idea of what everyday life is about. Where we go. What we do. People I work with and meet. Where I live and other interesting tidbits. In case you don't know FOB stands for Forward Operating Base, this means there is always some secret squirrel stuff going on somewhere. A couple of warnings, no last names will be used if I post peoples pictures and there are some places and things we are forbidden to photograph. Mostly it will be a group of photographs under a caption like "A day at Al Faw Palace" or "Around the Firehouse". One section I do want to start with is.......

T-WALL ARTWORK

Since there are so many drab looking T-Walls around some of the units spruce them up with their shield or some other interesting stuff.

More to come....................

WHAT YOU WON'T SEE ON HGTV:

SCENES FROM A PSYCHOTIC DICTATORS HOME

As beautiful as many of the sights are at Al Faw Palace and the surrounding areas, one has to understand that many people were used, and suffered to make this place what it once was.....and what it still may be in the future. Here are some scenes from this magnificent building