I got your Blog -- right here!
We heard from the step-son this morning. He was shot at for the first time yesterday. One person crawled up behind a berm outside the fence surrounding the base where he is stationed, held an AK-47 above the top of the berm and fired eight or ten shots into the camp. All the step-son could see from his tower were two hands and the rifle. Dude wasn't aiming at anything, he was just shooting random shots at the camp. He missed everything. AND the step-son and his partner in the tower could not shoot back. Orders are, "Don't shoot unless you can identify your target." Two hands over the top of a hill is not an identifiable target. The only other time he can shoot is if someone actually touches the fence surrounding the camp OR throws something over the fence OR can positively identify the person as an attacker. In other words, you can't defend yourself unless the other guy shoots first! That truly SUCKS!
It's been hot here in the US -- a terrible heat wave sweeping across the nation. But if you think YOU have it bad, here's the weather conditions for Iraq yesterday -- high 140 degrees F. No rain, and IF there is a breeze, it fills the air with powered dust that sticks to everything! If you are outside in the heat, and you're a US soldier, you are wearing your long sleeved and long pants BDU's. That is so your body armor and your Kevlar helmet won't rub your skin raw as you move. And you wear that for your two shifts a day, 6 hours on, 6 off, 6 on, 6 off, repeat.
Some general says that by the middle on next year, we can start drawing down our numbers of forces in Iraq as the Iraqis take over their own protection. That would be a good thing.
On other topics, Summer School is in full swing here at the little university where I teach. I have 29 students in one class, mostly made up of Freshmen and High School students taking college level courses before high school graduation. In my class, I have several young women with children. Remember, we're talking unmarried young women just out of high school that have babies. One, in particular has TWO CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF THREE AND SHE GRADUATED LAST MAY! Okay, I can see one as an unplanned pregnancy or a mistake. But TWO? Didn't you learn the first time to keep your legs together? Or at least try BIRTH CONTROL? Any men in the picture? Hell, no! Why? Because "I's don't wants them around." Okay -- so if these guys are so bad, why did you fuck them in the first place? One 19 year old in the class (unmarried) just discovered she's pregnant. When she announced it to the class (another thing these girls do) the other students said "That's great! That's so wonderful!" "Is the baby's Daddy involved?" "No", she replied -- "I broke up with him last week." (sigh)
When the first bombs went off in the London tubes, we talked about them in class. Two international students, who had been in London either living there or visiting asked me what stations were involved. At the time, one of the stations believed to be involved was Paddington station. Of course the international students were concerned as they remembered the sights and sounds of the London Underground around Paddington station. But one American student added this little gem to the discussion "Awwww, Paddington -- like the bear." We're truly living in Hell.
Other than these little bits of fluff, not much happening that's worth talking about -- other than the summer movie season SUCKS this year. Note to Hollywood -- how about some CREATIVITY?! It's scary when one of the top movies in the nation is a documentary about Penguins made for about 1/4th the cost of another summer blockbuster.
More to come later -- thanks for reading and stay tuned. BLOG OUT!
posted by Eric at 11:24 AM
