Teacher Arrested - member of new terrorist group

Some say I'm in danger being here in Iraq. Maybe so but for "Joe Public" back in the motherland of the good ole U.S.A. I say, you are the ones in danger. You, my people are the brave ones.

Anyone can be a terrorist back home. It could be the average person at the A & P store wearing a scarf around his face carrying a AK-47 (with a banana clip) squeezing the tomotes to hard in the produce section or your hometown flying school advertizing flying lessons for "one way" trips at the low cost of $1,000,000 (Arab money not accepted). Or it could even be a school teacher! Like this story I just read.

A Teacher at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport today, an individual later discovered to be a public school teacher was arrested trying to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a setsquare, a slide rule, and a calculator. At a morning press conference, an FBI spokesperson said he believes the man is a member of the notorious al-gebra movement. He is being charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction. "Al-gebra is a fearsome cult," the spokesman said. "They desire average solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in a search of absolute value. They use secret code names like 'x' and 'y' and refer to themselves as 'unknowns', but we have determined they belong to a common denominator of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country. As the Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, 'There are 3 sides to every triangle'." When asked to comment on the arrest, one of the arresting officers said, "If God had wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, He would have given us more fingers and toes."

Hope you enjoyed. (:

Photo op in front of the sign

At the office... Camp Cedar II


This photo was taken on one of my off days. I can tell because I am wearing shorts. When on watch in the trailer I always wear pants. Not because it is against the rules to wear shorts but because the AC temp is set so low. I freeze in there. Brrrrrrr Have to have the temp low to protect the electronic gear. I also wear a sweeter as well. Yeah so, that is me and to my right is US Army Sgt Hodges. I can't remember how many times people has asked me what's wrong with him. He does look a little odd doesn't he. The truth is.... when we removed our sunglasses for the photo, the sun was so bright that it was difficult to keep from squinting. I guess he had a more difficult time then me.

Something to be proud of!

Tonight, a Tuesaday one of my off days, it is 3:25am and I am a wake. I go outside my tent for some fresh air and to warm up a bit. It's a wee bit too cold in the tent for my liking but, the other guys like it that way. Liening against one of the concret barricades by the tent I see a female soldier walk by. The lighting was not full but it reviled a young black woman in her BDUs (Battle Dress Uniform) with a backpack heading off to work. She walked with confidence and a sense of being. Even though it is in the wee hours of the night I could see she was alert and ready to comment herself to whatever comes before her. Seeing her makes me proud of the young people we have today. "The Greatest Generation" is given to the men and women of WWII. That period was a time of great sacrifce and achievement. That was my father's generation. I guess my generation was Vietnam (I serviced 20 1/2 years in the Navy starting in 1972) and the generation of today is Iraq. Every generation faces it's own goliath. Being here in Iraq as a civlilain, although I don't see the combat that is shown on TV, I do see the young people who are here and if told to go into harms way for our country.... they would willing. (Just being in Iraq is being in harms way by it's self.) Is this generation not also a "Great Generation" ? I think so. No... I know so! My daughter, Natalite has seven years of service to this great country. She is of this new generation, the generation of the willing. I want every American to know... be proud of our young people. They are the greatest!

Three months gone on this twelve month contract

Wow, three month gone already. Seems like just....... Who am I kidding! These three months have dragged. Slower then a snail scoot'n backwards. But not to panic. I'm fine and hanging in there, taking one day at a time. The plus's are that I haven't found a camel spider or scorpion or even a snake in my bed yet. Still checking. And yes that has happend. Not too sure about the snake but YES on the others. Our guys have seen them at the entrance of the tent and under the port-0-johns at work. We were told to stop wearing our flip-flops but instead boots at night when leaving the tent to go to the john or shower tent. The word is.... these snakes are poisonous vipers and deadly! I still wear my flip-flops. (: Got to put some chance and excitement into my life a round here. Janet, my good friend who is unfortunetly in prison, just wrote me saying I had a death wish for coming to Iraq. I don't think I do. It's more of trying to put some excitement into my life. Heck, I love living.

Life is good. Death is.... not so good. (You can quote me on that. ) One of the reasons I've been like a rolling stone since retiring from the Navy in 1997 is because I'm experiencing life. Because.... life is good! In my civilian life since 04/97, I've had 8 jobs and have lived in 4 countries (Germany, England, Greece & Iraq). Another reason ...... at 51, I still don't know what I want to be when I growup. At this rate it looks like what I'll be is just...... OLD! So, I'm still wandering and searching for that Holy Grail.