FLYING SOLO

Well, after two weeks of training and working three weeks without a day off, this week I was trusted with my first group of linguist.
This group was larger than usual, so I ended with about 100. I must control all the "conversion" from civilians to military support. I have to make sure they receive training so they are not useless once they get to theater.
This last weekend we were doing just paperwork, the week is used to get them the physical and all their equipment. About $5K worth of military gear. The day they get their military gear is the day they realize NOBODY is there to carry their stuff, everybody has to pull their own and if they don't, somebody has to stop what he/she is doing and help the civilian and then that soldier falls behind.... etc.
Some old Arabs still use the old method to wash their ass after doing their business. So they leave a big mess for others to clean. When I say "wash their ass" I mean that after squatting on top of the toilet and releasing the load, NOT INSIDE the toilet but on the lid that covers the toilet, of course that they place a plastic bag or a lot of toilet paper on the lid. Before they flush they wash their ass with the water inside the toilet ...... do I have to continue? I think you get the picture of the cultural differences that we see her in the land of the Catfish. That is the old way for them and also the level of education is very low for those who use the old ways. The young Arabs DO NOT DO THAT, they are a lot more westernized than that.
Yesterday one of my young linguist had an encounter with a black woman that was not pretty. About 15 of my linguists and 40 other civilians going to theater were waiting to get their ID cards, this black, fat and with too much makeup was next to him, they both had to move, my linguist was reading the Q'ran and because he didn't move fast enough she said "Why don't you go back to what country you came from?" He was insulted and with his tail between his legs he came to tell me, I went off. BECAUSE I AM NOT MILITARY ANYMORE I could only inform the military what this stupid, fat ugly bitch had said. The African-American NCO in charge was very pissed and he let one of his junior NCOs take care of it. The junior NCO is a big country boy from the deep south. He went straight to the group and started to tell them in very clear terms that "If that shit happens again" he was calling the MPs to escort that person to the commander and explain. If there was a witness that person would be escorted out of the post by the MPs and fired, on the spot, from that position. While that fine young man was explaining, in a very clear and loud manner, what EVERYBODY SHOULD KNOW I was staring at the fat bitch and she wouldn't even look back, just buried her face and kept it there for a long time.
Later that day I was at the mess hall looking for one of my guys and I saw her walking towards me. She saw me and she did like she forgot something and went the other way. If I see this fat ugly bitch I will make sure she thinks, if she is capable of that, twice before vocalizing a racist comment.
Did you know that most of the civilian linguist we send to theater have earned their Master Degrees? We have had some doctors that want to take a year off and go to Iraq as linguist for the US military. Some of them make more in a week in their profession to what they would earn in a year in Iraq. At the same time we have a few that don't. They want and need the money, about $175K for the year in theater.

This happened to my unit in 2005

Stories from the front

I have a new job, it pays three times what the other paid. I was willing to stay with the Computer company but I did not get a raise the whole year I worked with them. So now I am being paid to send contractors to Iraq and Afghanistan.
The contractors are Arab-Americans willing to go to Iraq and participate on rebuilding their country.
What kind of people are these? Well, they are Americans and proud of it. Some are just residents that feel the need to thank the USA for everything this country have done for them.
There are many of them that have been over there two and three times, some of them stay for 3-4 years helping the US forces with their mission.
One of them was a Syrian born American woman that had been married twice, now single, and was going to Iraq to be with her son that is in the US Marines. Another was a Medical Doctor that wanted to take a year off and go to Iraq and help the people there. I have retired grandparents that are going because they are Americans and their country needs them there right now.
WITHOUT THE CONTRACTORS that speak fluent Arabic we couldn't accomplish the mission.

That has been my life for the last 2 weeks and I worked for 14 days straight without a day off, today was a short day and only worked 10 hours. I have another week to go before I have a day off.

Well I say good night because my day starts at 0430, that is at 4:30 in the morning.

Bye bye.

Another path......

A few weeks ago I got a call from a contractor that had seen my resume and wanted to talk to me about a new job. I went, a week later got the job, a week after that I am starting a new job.
I will be a baby sitter and driver for civilians going to Iraq. Those selected to go to Iraq have a couple weeks time before they board the plane so I have to take them everywhere they need to go. It pays three times as much as the computer job. I will also be a consultant for the computer job on the weekends.

This last week was a very busy one; we went to Las Vegas for my brother's wedding, it was great and had a great time with he family. I lost $40.00 on the penny slots and I said the hell with that, I am going to hang out and just eat and catch shows and eat and eat some more.
The picture is from the Mandalay Bay Hotel and that is my father with me, we both share the same interest in the female anatomy.

Religion and more Bull poopoo

All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit... Toleration is not the opposite of intolerance but the counterfeit of it. Both are despotisms: the one assumes to itself the right of withholding liberty of conscience, the other of granting it... The most detestable wickedness, the most horrid cruelties, and the greatest miseries that have afflicted the human race have had their origin in this thing called revelation, or revealed religion... Whenever we read the obscene stories, the voluptuous debaucheries, the cruel and tortuous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness with which more than half the Bible is filled, it would be more consistent that we call it the word of a demon than the word of God. It is a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalize humankind; and, for my part, I sincerely detest it, as I detest everything that is cruel... I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my church. [Thomas Paine, statesman]




Shrines! Shrines! Surely you don't believe in the gods. What's your argument? Where's your proof?... Open your mouth and shut your eyes and see what Zeus will send you. [Aristophanes, philosopher]


Dear God, hope you got the letter, and I pray you can make it better down here. I don't mean a big reduction in the price of beer. But all the people that you made in your image, see them starving on their feet 'cause they don't get enough to eat from God. I can't believe in you. Dear God, sorry to disturb you, but I feel that I should be heard loud and clear. We all need a big reduction in amount of tears. And all the people that you made in your image, see them fighting in the street 'cause they can't make opinions meet about God. I can't believe in you. Did you make disease, and the diamond blue? Did you make mankind after we made you? And the devil. too? Dear God, don't know if you noticed, but your name is on a lot of quotes in this book. And us crazy humans wrote it – you should take a look. And all the people that you made in your image still believing that junk is true. Well I know it ain't, and so do you, dear God. I can't believe in I don't believe in…I won't believe in heaven and hell. No saints, no sinners, no Devil, as well. No pearly gates, no thorny crown. You're always letting us humans down. The wars you bring, the babes you drown. Those lost at sea and never found, and it's the same the whole world 'round. The hurt I see helps to compound that Father, Son and Holy Ghost is just somebody's unholy hoax. And if you're up there you'd perceive that my heart's here upon my sleeve. If there's one thing I don't believe in - it's you, dear god. [“Dear God” by XTC, musicians]

Another 4th of July

This by far is my favorite holiday, I love fireworks and I love blowing shit up!!!!
So please don't be like us and blow shit up in this heat while drunk.!!!!
HAPPY 4th OF JULY.

Stories from that historic era:

John Hancock, President of Congress, was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence, writing his name in large, plain letters, and saying:
"There! John Bull can read my name without spectacles. Now let him double the price on my head, for this is my defiance."

Then he turned to the other members, and solemnly declared:

"We must be unanimous. There must be no pulling different ways. We must all hang together."

"Yes," said Franklin, quaintly, "we must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately."

We are told that Charles Carroll, thinking that his writing looked shaky, added the words, "of Carrollton," so that the king should not be able to make any mistake as to whose name stood there.


On this great celebration I ask you;

WHERE ARE THE DESCENDANTS OF THESE BRAVE MEN?
Where are the brave men of today?