Merry Christmas

Ahh, Merry Christmas and thank you Pittsburgh! As a lonely minority rooter for the Steelers here in a company of Browns fans, I had to endure a lot of trash talk yesterday, but all I can say today is talk is cheap! A 41-0 pasting of the Brownies is great, I called for a 43-0 score off the top of my head and wow!
Now for the playoffs!

Overhere, Santa came in a Blackhawk with Apachees flying escort. No reindeer came as they might have been for dinner that night (yuk yuk). What is Santa's present? A plane ticket outta here! Yes!

In case you didn't have a white Christmas, I didn't have one either.
Here is a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow for you to enjoy:
http://www.everypoet.com/archive/poetry/Henry_Wadsworth_Longfellow/longfellow_birds_of_passage_the_three_kings.htm

Well, for the Christmas wars are over now, at least for this year, and people can get back to whatever they do when they aren't protecting us from religious songs like Peace On Earth or Silent Night or Joy to the World. Such horror! We must not allow religion into the hallowed school yard. Unless it is something non-Christian than that is ok.
Oh well....

Did you get what you wanted for Christmas? Did you get what you needed? Did you get:
a warm meal?
a house?
a family sitting around that table in that house?
a hug?
the freedom to go shopping without being blown up?
to watch football/basketball/parade on t.v.?
to enjoy the company of friends?
to overeat and then feel guilty about overeating?
to forget to thank God for all these and all the other blessings you have?
Did you forget what Christmas is really about?

Merry Christmas

USO!

I think I have finally arrive in a war zone. I got to see an USO show the other night. What a show it was. Three country singers, a movie actress, couple of Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, Al Franken and the Army Band.
Good music, corny jokes and lots of cheers from us the troops.
For more on USO tours read
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2005-12-22-uso-cover_x.htm?csp=27
What is sad is that the USO is having a hard time getting acts to come entertain the troops. I was impressed to find out that Franken is on his third tour, inspite of our very different political views. He makes a good Sadaam! The usual jokes about MRE's, the Army rules, etc. Only soldiers would get 'em.
One of the country singers was in Somali (think BlackHawk Down) and sang a song about that. A nice evening.
I am not easily impressed with celebreties, but I am with people who don't have to come here, but do, just to give us a good time for a while.
And they come for 50 bucks a day.

A Budding Nation

Here is a photo of Iraqis lined up to go vote on election day. Who says we are in a quagmire? Who says we are failing in Iraq?
A year ago, when we first arrived in country, we were hunkered down in our rooms, wore our body armor everywhere during the first election. This year, we carried on like normal.
(Photo by Lance Cpl. Shelia Brooks of Husaybah)
In fact it was very quiet in our neighborhood. In spite of what the MSM writes or babbles about, progress is being made.

Trying to plug in.

As part of our going home process, we moved from one location to another. A consequence of moving is that we changed the style of the electrical outlet. Over here everything is 220 volts, not the 120 volts back home. And there is no standard plug. You have round pin type plugs, flat bladed plugs and then another type that is different from the first two. So, in order to plug in my c0mputer, I have to have an adapter for my U.S. plug. Then since we moved, I had to run around and find another adapter for the new style! An, woe to the soldier who forgets about the electric or doesn't quite get it (like newbees) and plugs 120 into 220. Before you can say, "don't do that!" there stereo or whatever is zap and gone to electronics heaven. So, off to the PX you go to buy an expensive power converter. Since everyone buys power converters, the army is constantly warning us about electrical fires from putting too many plugs into these outlets!
Such is life in the sand.

Yessss!

The Buckeyes finished fourth in the final BCS standings, earning an automatic spot in the four big-money bowl games.
That is what I read on ESPN.com's web site about the GAME between OSU and Notre Dame. All week long, us Ohioians were wondering if it would be OSU or Oregon. But, OSU ends up 4th in the BCS and off we go again!
Also on Friday, in the sports world is the draw for the World Cup this summer in Germany. You can follow all that madness at
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/index?cc=5901
Along with March Madness, and the Super Bowl, I doubt I will cancel my satellite t.v. connection!
Well, enough sports today.
Go bucks!

Thank you for your support!

President George W. Bush delivers remarks to U.S. soldiers and families at Fort Carson, Colorado Nov. 24, 2003.

There is one guy who does support us. A photo is worth a thousand words. I haven't had time to read the National Strategy for Iraq, but here is the address to read it yourself:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/iraq_strategy_nov2005.html

I have read the excerpts and it reads well. Stay the course, finish the job.

The critics of this war remind me of a past president's assailants. Pres. Lincoln during the civil war faced the same thing then. I can't help but wonder what would have happened then if he had not "stayed the course" and "finished the fight". Those lamenting now would have a huge fit if they were living back then. It is interesting political history well worth reading.

Other news is that we are following the BCS very closely here. Will OSU make the bowl game or not? Will they play Notre Dame? In our platoon we have two very,very fantastic fans of N.D. and it would be a very interesting to watch the watchers of the game as well as the game. We also have one Mich fan. Poor soul! Go Bucks!