posted @ 09:21...

Sure doesn't feel like Thanksgiving, especially when I hear scattered small arms fire out there somewhere. Sounds like it could be hammers on two-by-fours just outside the tent, but I know better. I suppose the insurgents aren't celebrating the Puritans' exile from England. Do they even comprehend the concept of “religious freedom?” I've heard theories, though, that the Pilgrims had plenty of religious freedom while they were in the Netherlands. But for some reason they still wanted to risk everything by moving to the New World. So, if you know the real reason the pilgrims boarded the Mayflower and sailed to Plymouth Rock, please post in the comments thingy. Historical accuracy and comedy are both encouraged; extra points for a mix of both.

I pulled another guard shift today. This time, one of the painters offered me a cigarette, which I automatically turned down without thinking. A second later, I remembered my cultural awareness training: it is considered rude to turn down anything an Iraqi offers you, including cigarettes. I hope they didn't think I was rude. Next time, I'll take one, but I won't inhale...

Otherwise, I only had to work a half day today, so that was nice. The dining facility is all decked out in holiday decor, including what appears to be a four-foot-high papier maché turkey. There's also a huge open book made of cake frosting, with something about Thanksgiving written on its pages. Still doesn't feel like Thanksgiving to me, since we never had giant turkeys or big books made of frosting at my house when I was growing up. Besides the turkey, parades, and football games, we simply had family and the security of being home. It's hard to feel like it's a holiday at all without those two crucial ingredients. If you take them for granted, I'll personally come back over there and kick your butt.

posted @ 08:28...

Man Who Copyrights Name Faces Jail Time

So, a guy copyrighted his name and filed liens against attorneys, government officials, and anyone else who used it. Now he's facing charges for filing the liens.

The idea behind copyrighting a name is to prevent others from making profits from your name, especially profits that you otherwise would have earned from the name. I know, I'm not a copyright lawyer (in fact, I'm not even a lawyer)... but if I started up a coffeeshop and called it Starbucks or Seattle's Best, I would be sued. No question about it.

The man's name is Ghislain Breton. If his claims were valid, I would now owe him $500,000. If he started up a steakhouse and called it "Ghislain Breton's Fabulous Steaks," and then I opened one up across town and called it "G. Breton's Restaurant," he might then have a leg to stand on. Otherwise, I now owe the guy $1.5 million.

Similar lawsuits have been launched, however, against folks who register domains with the word "sucks" tacked onto the end of the name of famous retailer. These sites are not trying to divert the retailer's business to its own etsblishment. They have no establishment, just an electronic collection of opinions.

On the other hand, I don't want anyone going out and registering "brianmcgovernsucks.com." I know people who would agree with me n this too... including the guy who guest-starred as Greg (Valerie's one-time love interest) on the WB's "What I Like About You" (among other roles on other shows), as well as a deceased "visionary artist" and a dog trainer.

posted @ 08:14...

Just saw some disturbing pictures. They were digital photographs (evidence) of detained Iraqi nationals with horrible bruises, welts, and other wounds on their backs & buttocks. They had obviously been beaten. Yes, we learned our lesson from Abu Ghraib. But the Iraqi National Guard apparently didn't. This new Iraqi army is not above beating it's own countrymen.

posted @ 04:49...

Today I pulled a one-hour guard duty shift at our new Tactical Operations Center to watch eleven Iraqi nationals paint the interior. I didn't mind doing it, since a lot of guys who pull guard shifts sometimes do so for 8 to 12 hours a stretch. So 60 minutes of not doing actual work was certainly nothing to complain about. And lest you worry about my safety... I had a rifle, they didn't.

Around here, lumber/plywood is treated with formaldehyde as a preservative. So I stood around for an hour breathing paint fumes, formaldehyde, and cigarrette smoke (who in the middle east doesn't smoke? I don't). One of the 1st Cav commo guys came through, and I found myself wishing I had learned the following sentence in Arabic: "Do any of you happen to know if there is an access panel in the ceiling somewhere in this building, so that this gentleman may run various cables through the attic?" I gotta admit, watching the guy repeat himself and try to use made-up sign language was a little amusing.

posted @ 08:11...

Bush Pulls Top Bodyguard From Scuffle

Apparently the Chilean security guys didn't realize that the U.S. Secret Service goes everywhere the President goes. In true 007 style, "the President, looking irritated, straightened his shirt cuffs as he went into the dinner."

posted @ 10:27...

Interesting things. It's not often that I get to just sit and surf the web for 3 hours straight. It's even more rare that I accomplish anything useful while doing it. Anyway, I'm addicted to googling myself, and so here's an article I thought was interesting.

Then I found the site/blog of a self-described "Christian hacker." That may seem like a contradiction, but it turns out he uses his powers for good. Pretty nifty.

posted @ 10:43...

Marlboro Man

By now, you’ve probably all seen the famous picture of the battle-weary 20-year-old Marine with the cigarette hanging from his mouth. The photo was taken by an embedded LA Times photographer, and reprinted in over 100 different newspapers. Some say it’s captured the spirit of the troops who have recently taken Fallujah… or some such nonsense.

Stars & Stripes reports that the Marine in the photo can’t understand what all the fuss is about. He just wants someone to send him more cigarettes, since his buddies can’t help bumming a smoke from the notorious “Marlboro Man.” The LA Times says that they’ve received emails from all over, wondering who this guy is. Most of these are women, who, I guess, are enthralled with the ruggedness… the man-in-uniform attraction at its best. I’d agree that the photo is powerful, and reminds me that these guys are dealing with crazy things that, thankfully, I’ll never see. But this is one Marine. There are thousands of Marines (and Soldiers) who will never get this kind of recognition. Perhaps these well-meaning folks should visit anysoldier.com, or even booksforsoldiers.com, and try to find a Soldier or Marine who needs and wants a pen pal. There are lots of guys who don’t get care packages or even letters/emails very often, but then they don’t have their picture in the national media either.

Update: I typed this post in the morning. Around noon, I received a box from booksforsoldiers.com, stuffed full of letters and Christmas cards for Soldiers, that all kinds of people have written, from all over the United States. Turns out, they are entrusting me to distribute these cards & letters to folks. That's an honor. How cool! I hope I can get 'em all handed out in a timely manner...

posted @ 22:47...

How about a music trivia question? I don’t really have a prize to award or anything, so the winner just gets the pride and satisfaction of knowing that they know a little-known fact. Name the song and the artist from whence came the following lyric:

“…friends around the campfire, and everybody’s high…”

(Leave your answer in the "comments" thingy)

posted @ 05:48...

Two signs that this is a different world now than when I was a kid:

1. Blurb on CNN about space tourism.
2. Unrelated advertisement for Vietnam Airlines.

posted @ 06:10...

Many of us think that our enemy cannot afford its own intelligence service, and don’t have their own version of the CIA. It’s true. Nobody has a budget like we do. And therefore, we have huge bureaucratic agencies designed to relay up-to-the-minute intel to our leaders. But though the enemy can’t afford it, they essentially have the same thing. This enemy intelligence agency goes by names like CNN, SkyNews, MSNBC, BBC, etc. How could they not know we were coming to Fallujah? Sure, we didn’t have Geraldo out there drawing grid coordinates in the dirt this time… but we sure gave every Iraqi insurgent ample opportunity to prepare for the battle – or more likely, to run and hide for a while.

You never would have seen this in any other war. (Can you imagine there being no need for Paul Revere in the Revolutionary War? Picture red-coats running through the street, yelling, “We’re coming! “We’re coming!”)

posted @ 14:08...

So, the election is over. It was weird to sit here at the Brigade the other day, and hear bits and pieces of conversations from people huddled around web-connected laptops: “Did he get Ohio? Good.” “Did he win Florida? Awesome.” "Wow, look at the spread on Idaho!"

Now… on to more important things: My wife and son made it to God’s Country the other day. What is “God’s Country?” you ask… Let’s just say that when you pray, you should first dial area code 406. All went well w/ their journey. My wife was concerned about flying, since the trip was on Election Day. Some folks believed that terrorists might try an attack in order to disrupt such a politically important day. However, I can’t imagine that flights from Texas to God’s Country (w/ layover in Minneapolis) would be a likely Jihad target. I was more concerned about how the air pressure would affect my son. I know my ears used to get plugged and hurt pretty bad in the airplane when I was a kid.

The rainy season has begun here in Iraq. Sure, it’s cool outside, which is nice… but walking through what was formerly dry sand causes sort of a rocky-road mixture of gravel and mud to cake itself to the bottoms of our boots. Each soldier has thereby added approximately one inch to his or her height.

There are tall concrete barriers that surround each tent and building. Their purpose is to protect against, or minimize the damage from, any incoming rockets or mortars that might find their way to our area. None have, and none probably will. But I realized a more useful purpose for these barriers: ya kick ‘em. Slamming the boot against the concrete just before entering a tent/building shakes loose a few of the pebbles. The mud is very annoying, and to be honest, I think I preferred the 100-degree weather. (Can you believe that?) At least I was getting used to the heat, and drinking plenty of water. Still drinking a lot of water, but now visits to the latrine are more frequent.