The Blanket

I have a blanket that is nylon/polyester/cotton mix with a pattern on one side. I think I may have bought it at a dollar general or family dollar or a big lots or some type of store like those. The pattern is of Winnie the Pooh, Donald Duck, Mickey and Minnie Mouse and is repeated 3 times on the blanket. There is a purple border or it may have been the field. The blanket is for a twin or double sized bed. I do know I bought it before my first deployment aboard the USS Nassau in 1996.

The pattern is no longer vibrant with color and can hardly be called a blanket anymore. I still use it everyday. There are holes in various locations throughout and there is a hydraulic stain in the lower left hand corner from my second deployment on the USS Saipan in 1998 from when I was sleeping on the hangar deck waiting for my stick to leave the ship.

My blanket has been to Main Land Japan, Okinawa, Mexico, Canada, Greece, France, Malta, Zaire, America, Kuwait, Italy, Iraq, Congo, and a few others. My blanket has been in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. It has seen a Shellback or two and has been to Operation Iraqi Freedom.

I am thinking I may have to retire this blanket soon or it may be lost forever.

Orions's Pals

I had asked earlier about the sky out here or some help on what I see.

This is what I do not see:
The Dippers, aliens, the concord, bald eagles, robins, ducks, kites, balloons, asteroids, et cetra.

What I do see:
is the red ball of light, a large white ball of light, Orion and military aircraft. (I don't actually see the aircraft, I work at night, so maybe a wing light and that's it.)

I have been told the balls of light are planets. I have neither confirmed or denied the rumor.

What I Want to Be When I Grow Up

President of the Federation of Planets
At least that is what I wanted to be earlier in life.
I know at age 35 I am eligible to be President of the United States.

With all seriousness, what I have been doing is trying to build my resume` as much as possible while I have been in. My trade is Aviation Electrician and have acquired a journeyman status for Electronics Technician, Electric Mechanic, and Maintenance Electrician for any industry. Basically that means I spent 8000 hours per skill as an apprentice completed by on the job training and work and am now a journeyman by the regulations from the Deportment of Labor.
I have been certifeid in the federal safety and instructor courses, which means I can teach or instruct OSHA level classes. I have a several other certifications but those are the big ones.

I just don't know if I want to do any of that after the Corps.

I was looking into Troops to Teachers, but I think I would need to mellow out more for that. Your next question would be: what would I teach? Probably history, always my favorite.

The thing is I have been trying to keep my certifications open or more broad as possible to keep my options open.

Money

I am always curious how much other jobs make. My job is paid by tax payers so my pay chart is public knowledge.(The cool part is I pay taxes, when not in a combat zone, so in effect I pay my own wage.)

I am a salary worker so figuring out my pat is easy. You take my pay grade and the number of years I have been in active duty and walla. If you look at a paychart, find E6 then cross it with 13 years, oh wait, there is no 13. So you find 12 years and run your finger to cross meet and find I make 2928.30 a month before taxes.

In a combat zone we get few extra pays depending on what our function(job skill) is and where we are located. I receive an extra 225.00 for Imminent Danger Pay, 100.00 for Hardship Duty(which is figured by location), and I receive a deployed per diem of 3.50 a day. Even though we are in a combat zone and I am not taxed by my state and not taxed by the federal government I still pay (for me) 186.00 for Social Security, 43.50 for Medicare, and of course 50 cents for the United States Navy and Marine Corps Retirement Home. I have other stuff going on on my pay stub, but you all need not know that information.

So in a combat zone I should make about 37572.00 give or take a couple of hundred dollars for the year. This will be my best year since being in the Marine Corps. Last year I made about 27000.00, huge difference. Basically, my pay last was derived from not being in combat zone to rate extra pay and I still paid taxes to my "resident" state and the Federal government. I think it comes out that I pay myself every three months or so.

All right I am way off subject here, what I want to know is about how much do you make for your profession?

You don't have to give me exactly but I am looking for a ball park figure here. Just a rough estimate.

You may ask why, well, sometimes when life is hard and I wonder why the fuck I do this job. I think about what else I could be doing and I am curious what kind of increase of pay there is. My job is not about the money, it never has been, but it always nice to have a little. So you can buy a Willy Wonka bar or a feather pillow.

So, please, let me know. I am curious.

16830720 Minutes

Happy Birthday to me. Happy Birthday to me. Happy Birthday to me. Happy Birthday to me.
Just doesn't have the same ring to it, the way I remember it.

I am about 1,009,843,199 seconds old, give or take a few hundred. I work nights so was able to watch my body grow older as it happened. It was remarkable, one more gray hair sprung out and is free from the clutter of my normal hair.

I did receive a card from my brother and his family, which has the sort of humor my family strives on. It is a good one. My nephew wants ot know what I am going to dress up for Halloween. That is a good question. That will require a little more thought.

I also received a box from the Lauri, in which, has some great pictures and some other always needed items here in Iraq.

Thank you all for remembering.

Public Thank You

I would like to publicly thank my Mom!

Not only is she the best Mom ever! but she sent out to me lots of Grape koolaid and Twizzlers!

Her timing is perfect for my birthday. It doesn't get much better than this.

Thank you, Mom!

RevGals Friday Five: Top Chef

With Top Chef on the Bravo channel in mind, here is this week’s Friday Five.

If you were a food, what would you be?
Normally I would say a strawberry, sweet and fruity, but lately I would say a coconut, so hard on the outside you need a rock to crack and I need sugar to be sweet.

What is one of the most memorable meals you ever had? And where?
Preteen years on my uncle's farm, during the summer under that big tree between the house and barn.

What is your favorite comfort food from childhood?
I really don't understand this question.
(Thanks to revhrod for the explanation.) I guess my comfort food strawberry twizzlers.

When going to a church potluck, what one recipe from your kitchen is sure to be a hit?
I have no idea. Peanut squares. It is a SWAG.

What’s the strangest thing you ever willingly ate?
Is this strange in my eyes? Cow tongue was pretty funny.

Bonus question: What’s your favorite drink to order when looking forward to a great meal?
Captian and Coke in a tub (I can still hear the song, Big Time, from Big & Rich)

Something Different

By trying to stay on the lighter side of blogging, I am going to do something different this morning.

Here is the top locations of my frequent visitors to my site:

Number 1 - Honolulu, Hawaii

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# 2 - San Diego, California

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Tied for Third - Binghamton, New York and Corpus Christi, Texas

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A Five way tie for No. 4 - Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin and Jacksonville, North Carolina and Janesville, Wisconsin and Phoenix, Arizona and Portland, Maine

And these are top non US of A locations:

Bordeaux, Aquitaine
Bucharest, Bucuresti
Sydney, New South Wales
Thunder Bay, Ontario
San Juan
Paderborn, Nordrhein-Westfalen
Buenos Aires, Distrito Federal
London, London, City of London
Melbourne, Victoria

Beer

Thanks to LadyBurg I have beer on the brain, so I have some of my favorties listed. There are SO many.

Leinenkugel

Special Export

Old Style

Arrogant Bastard Ale
EKU28

Point

Fun Stuff for Tuesday

I saw this on someone's blog and I thought to myself "Why not?" Plus it has pretty colors associated with it.

My personalDNA Report

Lot's of Pink, for some darn reason. You should be able to hover over the colors for meaning.

Advocating Builder

From Fox News...Ben Stein

I hope this video works.

I am sure you all have seen it, but in case you didn't.

Boom

Apparently last night during my shift there was a load audible 'boom' and it shook several buildings. I missed it.

I mean I didn't hear it or feel it. I have friends who said they were awoken in their deep sleep to this 'boom' and some said they could feel it when this 'boom' happened. I was outside at the time and I do not remember anything in particular. Nothing at all.

What does that mean?

That must mean something, right? It seems, I was the only one who missed it. So strange.

A Comment about Commenting

It appears as of late that I am not communicating properly to my audience. Some of the points made my "commenters" are quite valid but not what I was trying to convey. For example the Too Long to Comment post, the main idea was about what other "bloggers" had to say or adorn on the perspective sites. The commenting I received went into a whole other direction, a direction that I didn't want to go in.

Then there are times I post things like "That Ragged Old Flag" and I feel it doesn't need any comments at all.

Then there is the fun stuff like Iraqi Lizard and no one comments. I practically have to beg on my hands and knees in chipped glass soaked in Texas Pete in fire and brimstone parched with no water to get someone to comment.

I don't get "it."

What I Read?

I believe I have told everyone at least once I read. (Unfortunately, I have reading glasses now.)


"People" keep asking me what I have read. I can not tell you what I have read this year but I know from the pile next to my bed what I have read the last three weeks. Every month, or so, I redistribute the books amongst other Marines.


This is in no particular order:

Pop Goes the Weasel - James Patterson
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Little Boy Blue - Ed Dee
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Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
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Midnight- Dean Koontz
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The Watchman - Robert Crais
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Broken Prey - John Sanderford
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The Overlook - Micheal Connelly
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Bleachers - John Grisham
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Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die - John Piper
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Demolition Angel - Robert Crais
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The Bible Promise Book - NIV
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The Rainmaker - John Grisham
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Fear Nothing - Dean Koontz
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Four Past Midnight - Stephen King
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Without Fail - Lee Child
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The Green Mile - Stephen King

Iraqi Lizard

I have been meaning to post the Iraqi lizard for some time now.

This Iraqi is about 4 inches long and clinging to a wall.

Always out and about but hard to capture on film.

Too long to Comment

This is a post I expect either no one to read or a lot people will read in protest. I, being a blogaholic, view and read about a dozen or so blogs regularly with about five or six new ones for spice of life type feeling. Fridays, stateside time, I read a lot of church leader blogs. You could say it is my Saturday class before church. I write a comment on about 95 percent of the blogs I read. I am sorry for those I do not, but sometimes there nothing to say or I have something to say and it is not a "pretty" answer. So I abstain on occasion.

I keep reading items from church leaders that are male bashing. Sad. It really bothers me. You know why? I am classified as a Alpha male. I am a dying breed.

I believe in such things like, opening doors for ladies; buying flowers for ladies; reaching for or picking up some item. I do not do these things to demean anyone or think "she" cannot do these things. I do them because of "common courtesy." Traditions sometimes are a good thing.

I could easily split into a section talking about women ruling the world, but why? Why can't we rule the world together. I will never understand why not. I will meet you all halfway, but you need to come this way at least fifty percent or it is all not.

Earlier today I wanted to post something to this effect on many blogs. I hope I made my point.

RevGals Friday Five: The B-I-B-L-E

(Keep in mind, if the below answers seem to make no sense, it is because they don't.)
So, in the spirit of dealing with ways to help as many people in a community as possible engage with a scriptural text in preparation for Sunday worship, Mother Laura offers her first Friday Five.

1. What is your earliest memory of encountering a biblical text?

I was slightly higher than the knees of a grasshopper, but shorter than a grizzly bear.

2. What is your favorite biblical translation, and why? (You might have a few for different purposes).

I really don't know the answer to this question. If it has a glossary for some of those hard to use Hebrew words, that would help. I grew up with the King James version, I believe.

3. What is your favorite book of the Bible? Your favorite verse/passage?

Revelations is always a fun read.

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path.

4. Which book of the Bible do you consider, in Luther's famous words about James, to be "an epistle of straw?" Which verse(s) make you want to scream?

I am not sure why James was not worthy of a gospel and not familiar enough with the Bible. As far as screaming, I scream at all books that scream at me first.

5. Inclusive language in biblical translation and liturgical proclamation: for, against, or neutral?

Does this really matter? Let there be light! It didn't work. Let there be sun! That didn't work either. I think I will just flip the switch...and behold there was light!

Bonus: Back to the Psalms--which one best speaks the prayer of your heart?

I think I covered this already. So does that mean I win a prize? Oh wait, Psalm 23 or Psalm 91. Not really sure which one I like better.

I Was Just Reading...

I was just reading the Stars and Stripes and noticed on page 18 of the October ninth edition a picture a young boy and his rabbit, Mr. Thumper. The caption is of the boy and his rabbit sharing the moment before they take part in the Blessing of the Animals at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York.

This reason I post this, I think I read something similar in a blog somewhere about blessing animals very recent. To me the world just got smaller.

"That Ragged Old Flag"

I walked through a county courthouse square
On a park bench, an old man was sittin there.
I said, "Your court house is kinda run down,
He said, "No, it will do for our little town".
I said "your old flag pole kinda leaned a little bit,
And that’s a ragged old flag you got hanging on it".
He said "have a seat", so I sat down,
He said, "is this your first time you been to our little town"
I said, "I think it is"
He said "I don’t like to brag, but we’re kinda proud of
"That Ragged Old Flag"

"You see, we got a little hole in that flag there,
When Washington took it across the Delaware.
It got powder burned the night Francis Scott Key sat watching it, writing
"Oh Say Can You See"
It got a bad rip in New Orleans, with Packingham & Jackson tugging at its seams.
It almost fell at the Alamo beside the Texas flag,
But she waved on tho.
It got cut with a sword in Chancellorsville,
Got cut again at Shiloh Hill.
There was Robert E. Lee and Beauregard and Bragg,
And the south wind blew hard on
"That Ragged Old Flag"

On Flanders Field in World War I,
She took a big hole from a Bertha Gun,
She turned blood red in World War II
She hung limp and low a time or two.
She was in Korea, Vietnam, She went where she was sent by her Uncle Sam.
She waved from our ships upon the briny foam, And now they've about quit waving her back here at home.
And here in her own good land,
She’s been abused, burned, dishonored, denied and refused,
And the very government for which she stands
Has been scandalized throughout out the land.

And she’s getting thread bare, and she’s wearing thin,
But she’s in pretty good shape, for the shape she’s in.
Cause she’s been through the fire before
and I know, she can take a whole lot more.
So we raise her up every morning
And we bring her down every night,
We don’t let her touch the ground,
And we fold her up right.
On second thoughtI do like to brag
Cause I’m mighty proud of
"That Ragged Old Flag"

Words to Ragged Old Flag By John R. Cash, © 1974 House of Cash, Inc.

History and Stories, Part II

Being me, and for those of you who now me, these statements should be self evident.

I believe that America as a whole has forgotten where they have come from and why they are here today(USA). I believe that Americans are not learning from the past. I believe that Americans are turning into a mob. I believe, if we the leaders of Americans do not teach and hold a higher standard to which we believe America is; then we will lose. That dream of America that we strive for will be lost and we will be America no more. We are beating ourselves and we are doing it to the youngest generation.

I do not want to lose. I want to Dream. I want the Dream of America to prevail.I want America to win. I am doing my part to ensure the future of that Dream.

Are you?