tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86661208658827365592024-03-13T13:49:25.857-07:00Iraqi BootlegIraqi Bootleghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823787701551909463noreply@blogger.comBlogger225125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666120865882736559.post-59837527873141269982022-04-17T17:32:00.005-07:002022-04-17T17:32:45.428-07:00For 24 Hours I had CovidAnd then I didn't.
Maybe.
On Saturday I started getting a sore throat and ear ache. Saw the doctor on Monday, gave me a test, came back negative. Thursday go in for pre-surgery testing, which includes Covid testing. Positive. Rescheduled surgery, pulled the kids out of school, scheduled a set of rapid tests for them, all negative.
Friday morning, do a rapid test and get a PCR test because, honestly, it doesn't feel like I have <i>anything</i> going on with the exception of the aforementioned ear ache and sore throat (which, by the way, still hurt). Both are negative.
Saturday my son has some minor sniffles, we give him a home test, we give me a home test. All negative.
So, from Thursday at 11 when the hospital called to tell me I had a positive test until Friday at 4 when I got the negative PCR test (the gold standard!) I had Covid, and honestly my perspective on a lot of things changed. Regardless of whatever symptoms I may or may not have displayed, it was, at least, finally done with. My family has spent two years being incredibly cautious, being overly cautious maybe. But we avoided Alpha, and Delta, and the first Omicron wave. And now, weirdly, I became less concerned not only for myself, but for others. As in, it made me think about masking and eating in restaurants.
Eating in a restaurant was something I would never have considered before last week, but that first change of perspective was purely selfish: look at what <b>I<i></i></b> can do now, what <b><i>my family</i></b> can do now. Travel, eat out, go to the mall, toy stores, wherever. And in that imaginary world, we weren't wearing masks, because it was, at least, finally done with.
And then it wasn't. Negative test after negative test made me wonder if it was a false positive at the hospital. A very rare occurrence, yes, but possible. A bad batch of tests, a poorly executed procedure, who knows. Shoot, there may be someone else wandering around my town with Covid who got a negative result because our test results got mislabeled. So I am now in an even <b>worse</b> spot than I was before, because I have all the annoying parts of a positive test (kids home for 5 days, multiple swabs in my nose, can't even go to the grocery store) and none of the advantages (when this is done, I will still have to be cautious, still worry about getting Covid).
But it also makes me think about the progressives who are starting to push for removing restrictions, and I wonder if they havegone through Covid, and that shift in perspective, that really subtle shift from "we have to protect ourselves" to "we have to protect those other people" has changed the way they think about public health measures, and public policy.
All I know is that for those 24 hours when I had Covid, it made me think about things a little differently, and now that I didn't have it again, it has given me a slightly different view. We still have remarkably poor systems in place for handling Covid. And not just the actual infection, but the societal and structural implications. The hospital where I got tested essentially called me, told me I had Covid, and then told me to suck it up, hope the cancer doesn't get worse, and see me in a few weeks. No follow-up, no requirements for a second test, just a smile and a wave. I mean, what the fuck?Iraqi Bootleghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823787701551909463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666120865882736559.post-51429940245611026122011-05-02T13:22:00.000-07:002011-05-02T13:23:20.474-07:00Go 419 scamsFBI headquarters in Washington, D.C.<br />Federal bureau of investigation<br />J. Edgar Hoover building<br />935 Pennsylvania Avenue,<br />Nw Washington, D.C. 20535-0001<br />Attention: Fund Beneficiary,<br />Through our intelligence-monitoring network, wehave discovered that the transaction that the bank contacted you previously was legal.<br />Recently the fund has been legally approved to be paid viaIntercontinental Bank of Nigeria.<br />So, we, the federal bureau of investigation (FBI) Washington Dc, in conjunction with the United Nations (UN) financial department have investigated through our monitoring network noting that your transaction with the Intercontinental Bank of Nigeria islegal. You have the legitimate right to complete your transaction to claim your fund US$15, 000, 000.00 (Fifteen million United States dollars)<br />We just got information from theIntercontinental Bank of Nigeriaand they have loaded your US$15, 000, and 000.00 in ATM CARD and submit to the express courier service company for immediate delivery to your doorstep.<br />Because of so much scam going on in Nigeria. We the federal bureau of investigation decided to contact the Express Courier Service Company inNigeria for them to give us their procedures on how to sent thisParcel to you without any further complain or delay, which they did as it was stated below.<br />You are required to choose one from the options, which you will be able to pay and also convenient for you, for quick delivery of your parcel containing your ATM CARD and other two original back up documents.Iraqi Bootleghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823787701551909463noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666120865882736559.post-85526155701234184352010-07-07T10:20:00.000-07:002010-07-07T10:47:51.775-07:00Emotional ReticenceSo, I've had a number of questions from friends and family about when exactly I will be finished with this particular time in Iraq. <br /><br />I usually respond to these queries by, well, not responding at all, or at the most obfuscating any empirical answer. Although in some part this is a standard OPSEC issue, it also gets at the inherent superstition involved with being in a war zone. In addition, this inherent superstition also explains my other elements of what I call emotional reticence - my personal lack of much emotional affect, not only when I am here in Iraq, but in general over the last eight years (and, to be honest, some time before that, but that was due to a different sort of PTSD).<br /><br />Although I can't say with any empirical certainty, I suspect that many soldiers experience a similar response to their own deployments. We grew up on war movies, most soldiers can quote Full Metal Jacket from memory (and most drill sergeants and privates at Basic do so at length), have seen Saving Private Ryan more times than 40 year olds have seen Star Wars, and are inherently aware of the tropes involved in these movies. As such, we know a number of things:<br /><br />1) Most people who survive combat do so because of luck<br />2) You can cut your odds a bit through training and preparation, but at the end of the day you didn't get hit by the incoming because you just happened to choose that moment to get out of your chair.<br /><br />Now, a lot of "luck" is also the <a href="http://youarenotsosmart.com/2010/06/23/confirmation-bias/">Confirmation Bias</a>, but that doesn't change the fact that soldiers believe it. And the things we believe define our universe.<br /><br />Which is why you will find many soldiers following the rules on <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HowToSurviveAWarMovie">How To Survive a War Movie</a>Iraqi Bootleghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823787701551909463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666120865882736559.post-44472543826408847952010-07-03T23:22:00.000-07:002010-07-03T23:29:39.965-07:00The comments are always betterthan the original story. I think that one of the reasons I haven't blogged much in the past couple months is that I've just been commenting in the comments sections of articles I read instead of posting my thoughts here. There are other reasons, as well, such as a distinct lack of time and, frankly, internet access. But, I think that when news sites and opinion sites started allowing for readers to "join the conversation" they have essentially coopted a lot of the blogging which average people like me would usually do on an issue (Facebook too - it's a lot easier to just paste a link to facebook and make a snarky one-sentence comment about it).<br /><br />In this instance, however, I would like to point anyone to a recent <a href="http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2010/07/are-there-jobs-no-workers">Mother Jones article about the lack of workers applying for an unskilled labor position</a>. The comments on this story are much more amusing and interesting than the story itself, primarily because of a wonderful sidetracking series of comments in which the commenters argue over the relative merits of the words "assorted" versus "miscellaneous" as it pertains to shopping for donuts. The most interesting thing about it is that with the exception of a few choice insults, the argument is pretty well grounded in definitions, both of the words themselves, and the appopriate use of each.Iraqi Bootleghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823787701551909463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666120865882736559.post-42574404897216874942010-07-03T08:59:00.000-07:002010-07-03T09:01:26.840-07:00This thing is freaking my out<a href="http://www.betonworldcup2010.com/news/argentina-vs-germany-octopus-prediction/2808">Seriously.</a>Iraqi Bootleghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823787701551909463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666120865882736559.post-9923585732351496702010-06-23T14:43:00.000-07:002010-06-23T14:45:10.270-07:00Freaky freaky freakyOctopi scare the crap out of me. They can perform complex tasks, solve problems, and draw connections (like squirting out a lightbulb in its tank at night because its lonely and wants the company when the handyman comes to fix it).<br /><br />And <a href="http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,702349,00.html">now they can gamble</a>...Iraqi Bootleghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823787701551909463noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666120865882736559.post-43785228678454575652010-05-22T11:31:00.000-07:002010-05-22T12:02:12.318-07:00Why are vampires getting younger?the original Dracula was 400 something when he seduced Mina Harker, quite an age difference. (published 1897)<br /><br />Anne Rice's Louis was just shy of 200 when he <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interview_with_the_Vampire">first appeared</a> in print. (1976) (Lestat broke the cycle, being almost 250 when <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vampire_Lestat">his book</a> was published in 1983)<br /><br />Stefan, the hero of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vampire_Diaries_%28novel_series%29">Vampire Diaries novels</a>, was 500, (1991) but in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire_Diaries">TV remake</a> he has become just over 150. (2009)<br /><br />The Civil War motif continued in True Blood/Southern Vampire Mysteries with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Compton_%28vampire%29">Bill Compton</a>. (published 2001)<br /><br />Angel was turned in 1891, putting him just a tad over 100. (series premiere 1997)<br /><br />Edward Cullen is 104 when he first seduces Bella Swan. (published 2005)<br /><br />I know that statutory rape is a big deal these days, but does the difference between 100 and 500 really matter all that much? I haven't read, well, any of the books mentioned above, except for Anne Rice's, but is there some significant to the fact that the "younger" vampires were also turned into vampires when they themselves were young? Is there a verisimilitude in this "youth" (Dracula was a fully grown man when he became a vampire, and is thus allowed to be 500) when the issue of seduction of teenage girls raises its head?<br /><br />The pedophilia angle was well developed in one of the best vampire books I've read in a long time, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Let-Right-John-Ajvide-Lindqvist/dp/0312355297/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274554458&sr=8-3">Let the Right One In</a>, about a child vampire (sort of like a vampire version of Lolita, but in which Lolita has the power in the relationship). I won't spoil the ending of the book, but the vampire, Eli, turns out to be at least 200, and probably older, breaking the "younger vampire" cycle.<br /><br />In other news, police in Michigan recently arrested a 100 year old "vampire" trying to rob a <a href="http://www.dreamindemon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33558">liquor store</a>...Iraqi Bootleghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823787701551909463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666120865882736559.post-31284230315931801722010-05-18T11:46:00.000-07:002010-05-18T12:07:14.162-07:00I knew it might happenhedging enough with that title?<br /><br />Apparently the original Codey Wilson video has been removed. I assume it has something to do with the investigation the<a href="http://www.metroweekly.com/news/?ak=5205"> Army has launched</a>. What gets me about that, is that the investigation began with a complaint from LGBT activists. <br /><br />As I mentioned previously, yes, there are an abundance of gay stereotypes in the video, but these are hardly uncommon stereotypes. See <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0157246/">Will & Grace</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113464/">Jeffrey</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0262985/">Queer as Folk</a>, or even the new <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1442437/">Modern Family</a> show. And the video is so over-the-top with this imagery, it would appear obvious to any observer that the soldiers are satirizing the stereotypes, and not indulging in them.<br /><br />Whatever, the video has since been <a href="http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=codey+wilson&aq=f">reposted to a number of different accounts</a> on youtube, so it's still out there.<br /><br />Hopefully this one will last a little longer:<br /><br /><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ya9iFYmdYp4&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ya9iFYmdYp4&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>Iraqi Bootleghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823787701551909463noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666120865882736559.post-61740733165091083982010-05-13T10:43:00.000-07:002010-05-13T10:47:45.939-07:00Satire or Homophobia?Personally, I think that this video is evidence that whatever the higher ranking (read: Cold War Era) officers and NCOs might be saying about the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, the majority of soldiers on the ground (in this case, literally on the ground in Iraq) really just don't care.<br /><br /><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Upi2DNRKdyU&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Upi2DNRKdyU&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Although there may be some stereotyping here, I don't see it as homophobic so much as the stereotypes being displayed are <br /><br />1) the most common cultural references for what "gay" means<br />2) a post-modern pastiche of the silliness entailed in maintaining the DADT policy (does anyone REALLY think that this will happen?)Iraqi Bootleghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823787701551909463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666120865882736559.post-46074861499337368032010-04-17T07:25:00.000-07:002010-04-17T08:07:59.799-07:00Dear LordApparently Dyncorp has been training the Afghan police, but forgot the simple basic step of teaching them how to <a href="http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/04/15/92287/us-contractors-failed-to-train.html">adjust their sights</a>...<br /><br />Now I don't know about other training, but in Basic Training we spent a week just learning how to zero in a weapon. When a unit goes to the range, everyone has to zero in their weapon, <span style="font-style:italic;">EVERY TIME<span style="font-weight:bold;"></span></span>, before they can move on to the qualification range. Zeroing a weapon, by firing at a target, adjusting your sights, firing, adjusting... until you get it perfectly centered, is one of the absolute fundamentals of any marksmanship training. It makes me wonder if this was incompetence, laziness, or racism that was leading to this little... oversight*.<br /><br />Now, there are <a href="http://www.propublica.org/feature/six-billion-dollars-later-the-afghan-national-police-cant-begin-to-do">many other issues</a> related to the Afghan police, not just how well they can shoot. But shooting, as one of the basic and fundamental skills of the job, as well as a main symbolic identifier of the job, is essential to creating the identity of a policeman, soldier, Marine, what have you. Shoot**, in the American military, one of the things that Marines hold over soldiers (among many others), is that their basic qualification tests are harder than the Army's, this is one of the things which drives both the elitism and the <span style="font-style:italic;">esprit de corps</span>*** of the Marines. <br /><br />So will teaching the Afghan police how to shoot properly improve their overall proficiency as police? Probably not. But although <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necessary_and_sufficient_condition">it might not be sufficient, it is most definitely necessary</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br />*Ha! a pun, get it? (lack of) oversight... I kill myself sometimes.<br /><br />** Another one!<br /><br />*** I'm on a roll today...Iraqi Bootleghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823787701551909463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666120865882736559.post-68781717227045536082010-04-15T09:33:00.000-07:002010-04-15T09:39:00.099-07:00AFI's "top" science fiction filmsSo I just came across this list of AFI's "Ten Best" films from a bunch of different categories. Some of them I agree with, and some are film genre's I just don't follow (like Gangster Films).<br /><br />But their top ten list of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFI%27s_10_Top_10#Science_Fiction">Science Fiction Films</a> is just ridiculous. Sure, 2001 was a classic, I don't dispute that, but in terms of best science fiction movie ever, I really don't think it makes the grade. And Terminator 2 over the first Terminator? Really, the second movie was fun, but that was about it. The first was a true classic. And although I'm not a big fan, the Matrix should be on that list.Iraqi Bootleghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823787701551909463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666120865882736559.post-56725245126017539072010-04-13T22:47:00.001-07:002010-04-13T22:50:27.374-07:00MMASo I went to my first <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixed_martial_arts">MMA</a> class last night. (The one good thing about VBC is that they have a lot of free classes available, not just gym classes, but Arabic classes and UMUC courses, too).<br /><br />Ouch. I actually have to work to find a position I can carry my backpack in so it doesn't hurt my shoulder where it's rubbed raw. And now I know why all MMA fighters have those thick bull necks - everything is sore, but I can barely move my head today, my neck is so sore.<br /><br />It was fun though, hopefully I'll keep getting my ass in gear and go a few times a week. I probably burned a thousand calories last night.Iraqi Bootleghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823787701551909463noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666120865882736559.post-69073657187676820762010-04-13T22:39:00.000-07:002010-04-13T22:47:00.913-07:00The book that haunts meBack in High School, I had to read the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rebecca-Daphne-Du-Maurier/dp/B000VEQISS/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271223894&sr=8-5">Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier</a>. And yes, I highlighted the whole thing in the link because it always seems to be stated that way, title+author. Never "Rebecca", it's always "Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier." I hated this book. I hated <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rebecca-Laurence-Olivier/dp/B00000K0EG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1271223894&sr=8-2">the movie</a>, even if it was Hitchcock. I think I actually hate this book more than anything else I've ever read. And for some reason, this book seems to follow me around like an annoying puppy.<br /><br />And somehow, I'm in Iraq, and the stupid book pops up in the donated books sitting at the Green Bean. Staring at me. Thankfully, some officer just grabbed it and recommended it to another officer as something he would like to read. This is why I never wanted to be an officer.Iraqi Bootleghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823787701551909463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666120865882736559.post-24100002025814550622010-03-29T05:36:00.001-07:002010-03-29T05:40:12.482-07:00More disgustingDoesn't investment carry in itself some inherent risk? (does "in itself" and "inherent" make that sentence redundant?)<br /><br />Apparently real estate investors in Virginia are pissed off and <span style="font-style:italic;">suing</span> because Fort Lee is <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20100326/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_fort_lee_hotel_virginia;_ylt=Aq.EC41Vu_lswcDlmnuKrG6s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFkOXBsMXYwBHBvcwMxNzUEc2VjA2FjY29yZGlvbl90cmF2ZWwEc2xrA2NvYWxpdGlvbnVzaA--">going to build its own hotel</a> for transitioning soldiers, and they had gone to all the trouble to toss the dice on hotel investment in the area, so now their "sure thing" investment is being put into jeopardy...<br /><br />God forbid we should actually try and provide soldiers and their families decent accommodations close to the base, without worrying about crime and other problems (read comment #9 on the story).Iraqi Bootleghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823787701551909463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666120865882736559.post-86645198779040211112010-03-29T05:34:00.001-07:002010-03-29T05:35:57.018-07:00Things to never say on an airplaneWe all know not to make jokes about bombs or guns or whatever.<br /><br />But here's one that I knew of, but actually had the chance to encounter in person this flight: don't ever say "Fuck you, BITCH!" to a flight attendant... This statement caused us to be an hour on the tarmac waiting for said passenger to be ejected from the plane and remove his luggage.<br /><br />It was pretty funny, though.Iraqi Bootleghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823787701551909463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666120865882736559.post-53770915839928850082010-03-29T05:26:00.000-07:002010-03-29T05:33:42.709-07:00LeaveIt's always unfortunate when your leave becomes more busy than your work week. So, to everyone I didn't get a chance to get in touch with, or talked to only briefly, I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to meet up.<br /><br />I am back to the wonderful world which is "the sandbox" and our internet has been down for the last week straight, so I don't know how often I'll get to post. Despite <a href="http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/03/02/pentagon-allows-social-networking-on-military-computers/">recent guidance</a>, the NIPR computers here still block access to all social networking and blog sites... so I am forced to use the pay-per-minute style ISPs to do much of my research, limiting my time to actually address simple issues like a blog.Iraqi Bootleghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823787701551909463noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666120865882736559.post-13967351026411402922010-03-07T19:12:00.000-08:002010-03-10T05:25:52.601-08:00TV ConnectionsSo, much like David Mamet has a pack of actors he likes to draw from, apparently so does Carlton Cuse. I picked up a box set of Brisco County, Jr. at the DVD shop a couple weeks ago, completely unaware that the show was by Carlton Cuse (now famous as one of the producers of Lost). I just remember a friend raving about it back when I was a freshman in college (yeah, that long ago). And since I'm a big Bruce Campbell fan, I figured I'd check it out.<br /><br />Now, it's a fun show, and the comparisons with Lost are kind of interesting, and have already been made on a number of Lost forums. However, what's interesting to me is to see the awkwardness of Cuse's first attempt at this, compared to the smoothness with which Lost is (usually) written. (We'll ignore Season 3). The biggest funny thing to me, though, is the number of actors that have appeared on both shows:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0370035/">John Hawkes</a><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0301370/">M.C. Gainey</a><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0279209/">Patrick Fischler</a><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0279209/">Francois Chau</a><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0027402/">Sam Anderson</a><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0228678/">Andrew Divoff</a><br />Although he wasn't in both shows, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0040015/bio">Mackenzie Astin</a> was in Lost, and is also the son of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0040014/">John Astin</a>, who was a regular on Brisco County (and Addams Family, of course)Iraqi Bootleghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823787701551909463noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666120865882736559.post-87252319625096337642010-03-03T07:27:00.000-08:002010-03-03T07:32:50.117-08:00Actors who look like each other, plus!So, I was watching the most recent episode of Lost last night, and one of the characters reminded me of someone, and I couldn't quite place it. Then I realized that he reminded me of another character on Lost. So much that I actually thought it was the same actor for a moment. Of course, it ended up being a different actor, but the similarity is a bit uncanny. I have commented on the similarities between particular actors previously on this blog, but this one has a little bonus.<br /><br />The bonus to this particular discovery, is that one of the actors is Arab, and it once again demonstrates a point I make frequently, no matter what you look like, there is someone in the Arab world who looks just like you, only Arab:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnud12Dvoei6JDJg6kMBVEJgeNyThDsbVXQqBw1ShZ_OiICq7xS5W0aMvjntUJauiBbdtXH6v76rVnplIc6whe6R4o0geaY7ZQlXY_GNCCorylbbqwaLLHxzKW-zEaWHDq5KFC9wgnHk/s1600-h/AnthonyAzizi.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 198px; height: 306px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnud12Dvoei6JDJg6kMBVEJgeNyThDsbVXQqBw1ShZ_OiICq7xS5W0aMvjntUJauiBbdtXH6v76rVnplIc6whe6R4o0geaY7ZQlXY_GNCCorylbbqwaLLHxzKW-zEaWHDq5KFC9wgnHk/s320/AnthonyAzizi.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444430011303242738" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7wk0MyUVYA9uTMFtThi_gnVdY__0iG0YUN7AE2JKIsLoFv-rcIaJ4uDE6KayXE9nUh8y8tQS_dbszuI52cdUmNLTjGu2mgoTl51V0PmvPizyzlPE4jAJwiOBn5QX6D2w9bkU1iDjANbY/s1600-h/titus-welliver-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 203px; height: 295px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7wk0MyUVYA9uTMFtThi_gnVdY__0iG0YUN7AE2JKIsLoFv-rcIaJ4uDE6KayXE9nUh8y8tQS_dbszuI52cdUmNLTjGu2mgoTl51V0PmvPizyzlPE4jAJwiOBn5QX6D2w9bkU1iDjANbY/s320/titus-welliver-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444430005423599698" /></a>Iraqi Bootleghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823787701551909463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666120865882736559.post-61034977497278939922010-02-27T07:15:00.000-08:002010-02-27T07:30:18.452-08:00A tale of two earthquakesSo, Chile got hit by a <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/lt_chile_earthquake;_ylt=AuxKZKbIiIE4SwvVk5fU8jes0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNqdG5hdXVqBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwMjI3L2x0X2NoaWxlX2VhcnRocXVha2UEY2NvZGUDbW9zdHBvcHVsYXIEY3BvcwMxBHBvcwMyBHB0A2hvbWVfY29rZQRzZWMDeW5fdG9wX3N0b3J5BHNsawNodWdlcXVha2VoaXQ-">big earthquake</a> today, an 8.8 strength one.<br /><br />Not exactly news, the largest earthquake ever recorded happened in Chile <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_Valdivia_earthquake">in 1960</a>.<br /><br />However, I think it interesting the disparity between the toll in Chile (first reports of 82 dead), and the damage in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Haiti_earthquake">Haiti</a> (230000 dead). Now, maybe the different between an 8.8 and a 7.0 doesn't seem all that big, but one has to bear in mind that the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moment_magnitude_scale">MMS Scale</a> is a logarithmic scale, so a magnitude 9 earthquake is 31 times stronger than a magnitude 8, and almost ONE THOUSAND times stronger than a magnitude 7. <br /><br />So, the damage caused by the two earthquakes are the inverse of the power of the earthquake (assuming the death count in Chile tops at around 200). What does this say about the disparate infrastructures, the money invested in earthquake proof architecture and other technology, and the oversight of government in large disasters?Iraqi Bootleghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823787701551909463noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666120865882736559.post-64032123968112819042010-02-18T20:00:00.000-08:002010-02-18T20:27:56.616-08:00Just waiting for the crazies to ramp up on this oneSo, Fox News recently <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,586721,00.html">reported a rumor</a>: "The U.S. Army is investigating allegations that soldiers were attempting to poison the food supply at Fort Jackson in South Carolina."<br /><br />First, the lack of any length or details in this report bothers me. The Army is investigating "allegations," it's not even investigating people at this point, almost two months after the "allegations" were made. Second, the timing of the allegations fits smoothly into the post-Fort Hood timeframe of "We need to start investigating Muslims!" Finally, the fact that it has been picked up only by <a href="http://www.thefoxnation.com/fort-jackson-poison-plot/2010/02/18/five-army-translators-arrested-alleged-fort-jackson-poison-plot">crazy blogs</a> (read the comments...) and <a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/five_muslim_soldiers_arrested_over_zYTtFXIBnCecWcbGNobUEJ">right wing media</a> at this point suggests to me that there isn't much substance to the story.<br /><br />Thankfully, I also encountered <a href="http://senseofevents.blogspot.com/2010/02/fort-jackson-poison-plot-nothing-there.html">this blog</a> when doing some more research on the story, who helpfully explains the coded language used by the CID representative at Fort Jackson: "If there were substantive leads for an ongoing investigation, he would have said simply that the investigation continues and then said nothing more about it."<br /><br />But, the story fits so well with the right's attempt to create a narrative that the Obama administration is soft on terror, and the Army is being crippled by its attempts to maintain political correctness. I don't think either is true. Frankly, I even think the Nidal Hasan issues were not related to his religion, except only peripherally (the Army does not have enough Muslim individuals in counseling roles, so even as a subpar performer, he was kept on so that Muslim soldiers would have someone to turn to - they do this with officers from <a href="http://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org/press-releases/the_beat.html">other faiths</a> as well...).Iraqi Bootleghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823787701551909463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666120865882736559.post-63902288254762343132010-02-17T02:07:00.000-08:002010-02-17T02:16:09.116-08:00MusicAs I have previously mentioned, there are only three english channels currently available in my area: AFN, BBC, and a third station which seems to change formats about every three months or so<br /><br />Even when that third station was decent, that meant only two stations playing music for the english speakers at any given time. The interesting (and strangely pleasant) side effect of this was that when driving down the road, if you saw someone singing, the chances were pretty good that they would be singing the same song you were listening to. I maintain that this is one of the main reasons why radio still exists in the United States, despite over a hundred years of personally owned musical listening devices. I still feel better hearing a song I like on the radio than when I play it on a CD, somehow knowing that there are other people out there listening to the same song at the same time gives me a feeeling (real or fake, who cares) of being connected with them - that somehow these people are members of my own little <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Imagined-Communities-Reflections-Origin-Nationalism/dp/1844670864/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266401700&sr=8-1">Imagined Community</a>. Knowing this for a fact, by seeing someone singing the song you are listening to, is even better - and so rarely happens in the media heavy world of the United States that it's a pleasant and unexpected perk.<br /><br />However, given the fact that AFN plays 80% crap, 19% decent, and only 1% good and innovative music means that my own tastes are a bit underrepresented. Luckily, I just discovered that my truck does, indeed, play the mp3 CDs it claims it does, so I can make my own mix CD of my 80 favorite songs to listen to while driving around.<br /><br />And there's something strangely appropriate to driving around a military base while listening to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCYcOViOhwE">Honour</a>.Iraqi Bootleghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823787701551909463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666120865882736559.post-45231757012788312152010-02-16T06:38:00.000-08:002010-02-16T06:55:49.270-08:00Dick Cheney and homosexual rightsSo, a lot has been made of Dick Cheney's recent statement of support for the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell.<br /><br />Do a google search, and you get dozens of hits on liberal blogs, gay blogs, and just one hit on the first three pages from a conservative blog (this may change in the next couple days as the impact of the statement spreads).<br /><br />However, I found one part of <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20100215/cm_huffpost/461853;_ylt=AnsEnarAzLlBQc4rh9T9az.s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFlbXJsc2VyBHBvcwMyMjAEc2VjA2FjY29yZGlvbl9vcGluaW9uBHNsawNkaWNrY2hlbmV5c3U-">Cheney's statement</a> very interesting, and it's not one that has anything to do with the policy itself: "Twenty years ago, the military were strong advocates of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' when I was Secretary of Defense," Cheney said.<br /><br />Ummm... when you were Secretary of Defense, it was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_ask,_don%27t_tell">still illegal to be homosexual</a> in the Army, Dick...<br /><br />Maybe it was just a brain fart on Cheney's part, or maybe he was misremembering discussions about the homosexuality policy at the time (they were ongoing for quite some time before 1994). Or maybe the man's being disingenuous and trying to maintain his "what the generals want" position in general.Iraqi Bootleghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823787701551909463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666120865882736559.post-57518129286319282142010-02-14T19:59:00.000-08:002010-02-14T20:02:44.327-08:00This<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100214/ap_on_re_us/us_abortion_race_card">is disgusting</a>Iraqi Bootleghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823787701551909463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666120865882736559.post-71497635782044120812010-02-14T04:07:00.000-08:002010-02-14T04:12:00.848-08:00Oh, get over itTea baggers need to learn that their protests, name, and general demeanor are just silly.<br /><br />And it's an <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100211/ts_ynews/ynews_ts1129;_ylt=AnZ5u6VpwrjGpfqLN10Ieoes0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFpNjRzdGl0BHBvcwMzOARzZWMDYWNjb3JkaW9uX21vc3RfcG9wdWxhcgRzbGsDbWFydmVsY29taWNz">effing comic book!<br /></a><br />My favorite quote: "Tea Party Nation founder Judson Phillips told Yahoo! News that it "sounds less like a genuine 'we're sorry' than it does a 'we're sorry we got caught' statement."<br /><br />Honestly, what does he expect them to do? I worry about the future of America (truly, I am not being hyperbolic) when this kind of crap goes on.Iraqi Bootleghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823787701551909463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8666120865882736559.post-18548680806868530442010-02-10T05:29:00.000-08:002010-02-10T05:59:58.195-08:00Fashion Report: BaghdadSo, the style this year is digital grey patterns. <br /><br />Just kidding. Contractor fashion is a realm in and of itself, but civilian, so there are some personal touches which the soldiers here (obviously) can't reflect.<br /><br />First - men's fashion hasn't really changed. Cargo pants or khakis and a polo shirt is the outfit of choice. Usually with brown combat boots or sometimes hiking boots (most seem to prefer the combat boot style to reflect their "authenticity"). Button up shirts are also acceptable, but much less common than the polo.<br /><br />Women: although the khaki/polo combo can be seen, I have recently encountered a surge in khakis with a flannel button-up over a t-shirt of some sort. Originally I noticed this style predominantly on KBR employees, who form their own little subculture here on Victory Base, but recently the style has spread to the DOD contractors as well, so I have to assume it reflects some ethereal trend in the female subconscious here.<br /><br />It is not surprising, of course, as we've had a few years of 80s fashion, so the resurgence of 90's fashion (read: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grunge">grunge</a>) is the next logical step. And everyone's already wearing the boots...<br /><br />In looking up grunge, I found this <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_alternative_rock">awesome timeline</a> for people who fell in the cracks between major music movements.Iraqi Bootleghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16823787701551909463noreply@blogger.com0