LOL - So the majority of Americans trust a news source that provides more than one point of view rather following the scripted propaganda (According to the Democrat partisan polster Public Policy Polling).
Every time a person complains about "FAUX News" and conservative lockstep, just remember:
1. It's not conservatives who try to stifle free speech on college campuses. Who is behind speech codes and political correctness?
2. It's not conservatives who insist that any person that does not unthinkingly agree with published doctrine about "global cooling/global warming/climate change" is an idiot. Who is asking that research, data, and methods be brought into the open and subject to public peer review and the scientific method?
3. It's not the conservatives insisting that only they know the "correct" way for you to raise and educate your child; that the state knows better than you do. Who is questioning the increasingly inept public education machine and pushing for alternatives that have been proven to yield better results, such as independent charter schools?
4. It's not the conservatives that look to the government for help for any problem great and small? Who looks inside themselves, their family, and their community first as the source for the means they need to survive and prosper?
5. It's not the conservatives that believe that the power of the people comes from the government. Conservatives, Libertarians, and Independents know that, in America, all rights belong to the people; that the only power government has is the power that the people choose to allow the government to have in order to conduct the business of government.
Just a few thoughts,
Chris
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Finest Kandaharian Living
Most of us in KAF live in tents. Living in "just" a 40 man tent carries some luxury, at least our "home" is fairly stable (subject to change at any moment). Hard wall two man rooms are coming, but they are already 6 months late and nobody is holding their breath.
Just to give you an idea:
The hallway leading down the center of the tent
My bunk, luckily I've got the bottom bunk!
The beautiful picnic table built by one of the soldiers where I do a lot of my work.
Just a few ideas of the 4 star living conditions here on KAF.
Just to give you an idea:
The hallway leading down the center of the tent
My bunk, luckily I've got the bottom bunk!
The beautiful picnic table built by one of the soldiers where I do a lot of my work.
Just a few ideas of the 4 star living conditions here on KAF.
Kahlua Cinnamon Brownies
An oldy, but a very, very good way to send love in a box, whether overseas or across town. Make sure to thank "The Bitch Girls" with every loving bite, I do.
Kahlua-Cinnamon Brownies
1/4 c. chocolate chips
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. Kahlua
2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. flour
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. bakinng powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine chocolate chips and butter in a small saucepan, cook over medium heat until melted, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in Kahlua and vanilla. Set aside.
Combine flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Stir well and set aside.
Combine brown sugar and egg in large bowl; beat at low speed until well blended. Add chocolate mix and beat well. Add flour mix and beat until well blended.
Pour batter into 8? pan coated in cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Sprinkle powdered sugar on top.
Kahlua-Cinnamon Brownies
1/4 c. chocolate chips
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. Kahlua
2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. flour
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. bakinng powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine chocolate chips and butter in a small saucepan, cook over medium heat until melted, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in Kahlua and vanilla. Set aside.
Combine flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Stir well and set aside.
Combine brown sugar and egg in large bowl; beat at low speed until well blended. Add chocolate mix and beat well. Add flour mix and beat until well blended.
Pour batter into 8? pan coated in cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Sprinkle powdered sugar on top.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Kandahar Stinks
Kandahar stinks. There is just no other way to describe it when the central feature of the base is the sewage aeration pond. Once you get past the smell, Kandahar Air Field (KAF, KAF-poo, Kamp Poo, etc) is a pretty decent base and a real eye-opener to people used to working on and with US run bases. As a NATO base, KAF takes multiculturalism and multi-layered beaurocracy to whole new levels.
I just got back from a week in KAF, next week I head back for another month, I guess I better learn to love the KAF.
More, after sleep.
I just got back from a week in KAF, next week I head back for another month, I guess I better learn to love the KAF.
More, after sleep.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Back in Bagram
I'm back in Bagram, Afghanistan after more than 2 years. Not much has changed, even a frightening number of faces remain the same.
Thursday, August 06, 2009
An update?
And facebook has consumed me (http://www.facebook.com/chris.pugrud?ref=profile), forgive me, for I have sinned.
I have spent the last two months switching jobs and preparing to spend 6-12 months back in Afghanistan. I really like Afghanistan. This does not help prepare for Afghanistan. This does not help wife (who spent 9 (freezing (cold FU shower) months in Afghanistan) and now has a vaguely small child (our son) to deal with while I am (often) gone. Seriously, I do not wonder why she is pissed (while I am home (and she kicks my ass (and I love her (can, I, seriously, digress any further?) until forever) I'm not kidding) and she should be. I love my wife and I love my son,
Given that I am on the abyss of deployment I bought a new "netbook", the Gateway LT31, from Best Buy for $379.99 and I must say I am damned impressed. My standards are short because of what I am wandering in to...
And then, life needs sleep.
I have spent the last two months switching jobs and preparing to spend 6-12 months back in Afghanistan. I really like Afghanistan. This does not help prepare for Afghanistan. This does not help wife (who spent 9 (freezing (cold FU shower) months in Afghanistan) and now has a vaguely small child (our son) to deal with while I am (often) gone. Seriously, I do not wonder why she is pissed (while I am home (and she kicks my ass (and I love her (can, I, seriously, digress any further?) until forever) I'm not kidding) and she should be. I love my wife and I love my son,
Given that I am on the abyss of deployment I bought a new "netbook", the Gateway LT31, from Best Buy for $379.99 and I must say I am damned impressed. My standards are short because of what I am wandering in to...
And then, life needs sleep.
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
A good day indeed
You can't call it a bad day when you get to meet and shake hands with an astronaut (William Sheppard) and a medal of honor winner (SFC Davis).
SOFIC 2009
I may have found a secondary gun nut paradise. I'm down at the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC) in Tampa. Out on the show floor is every medium and small arms manufacturer that sells to, or wants to sell to, the operator community. Dillon Aero has 2 of their pop up minigun mounts here. Daniel Defense with their new DDM4. Mark LaRue is here in person, the nicest guy you could want to meet, and he won't let you walk away until you have a "Beverage Entry Tool" and a container of his dry rub (spicing for meat) in hand. Everything is hands on, althe way from FN and glock pistols up through an M2 and the improved LAW rockets.
While the conference is focused on military sales, every manufacturer I talked to supports the civilian market and said they were committed to making civilian legal versions of their products (other than the LAW rockets, obviously).
In FN news, the rep mentioned that they are working on batch of 500 SCAR's for the civilian market and they are almost ready to ship, after the first batch of 200 went so fast.
The downside of the SOFIC conference? Pictures are forbidden, so no pictures of all of the funderful gunnie toys on display, just great memories.
While the conference is focused on military sales, every manufacturer I talked to supports the civilian market and said they were committed to making civilian legal versions of their products (other than the LAW rockets, obviously).
In FN news, the rep mentioned that they are working on batch of 500 SCAR's for the civilian market and they are almost ready to ship, after the first batch of 200 went so fast.
The downside of the SOFIC conference? Pictures are forbidden, so no pictures of all of the funderful gunnie toys on display, just great memories.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Stupid networks
All the shows I actually like tend to get canceled.
Jet setting around the world (Iraq, Afghanistan, Milwaukee, 2 weeks == Tampa!) doesn't leave much time for television. But, when I'm actually at home, it's nice to flip on the Tivo (cook dinner, change diapers, cuddle the baby, feed the dog) and relax on the couch with a good show and better company (wife, child, dog, cats). I'd rather read a good book, but that requires turning on my brain (re: turn off brain, relax, enjoy). I'd stopped watching television entirely for 3-4 years (I had a DVD player, not cable) until Firefly came on the television. I watched every episode of Firefly from premier to cancellation (and a few episodes of OCC, but Dad liked it, it was a family event).
From the time we were in Afghanistan, downloading shows from iTunes, through the current state of Tivoness (and the eventual purchase of shows that get mis-recorded), there are several shows we really enjoy. Two of them are now cancelled (again): Earl and The Unit. I'm a bit confused, both of these shows attract very large audiences, suggesting that the reason they have been canceled is political, not economical.
This will help me stop wasting time watching television and fast forwarding through commercials, so it's a net gain. Right?
Jet setting around the world (Iraq, Afghanistan, Milwaukee, 2 weeks == Tampa!) doesn't leave much time for television. But, when I'm actually at home, it's nice to flip on the Tivo (cook dinner, change diapers, cuddle the baby, feed the dog) and relax on the couch with a good show and better company (wife, child, dog, cats). I'd rather read a good book, but that requires turning on my brain (re: turn off brain, relax, enjoy). I'd stopped watching television entirely for 3-4 years (I had a DVD player, not cable) until Firefly came on the television. I watched every episode of Firefly from premier to cancellation (and a few episodes of OCC, but Dad liked it, it was a family event).
From the time we were in Afghanistan, downloading shows from iTunes, through the current state of Tivoness (and the eventual purchase of shows that get mis-recorded), there are several shows we really enjoy. Two of them are now cancelled (again): Earl and The Unit. I'm a bit confused, both of these shows attract very large audiences, suggesting that the reason they have been canceled is political, not economical.
This will help me stop wasting time watching television and fast forwarding through commercials, so it's a net gain. Right?
Monday, May 18, 2009
General Observations
I may have found a new winner in the category of "Most tedious household chores": Powerwashing the deck. Most annoying task is probably removing old caulk. I'm horrible at removing old caulk, I'm too much of an anal-retentive perfectionist to do it with any efficiency. At least razorblades are cheap.
I've been traveling pretty much continuously for the last two months (this is week five in Milwaukee). Despite all of the hype about recession and economic impacts, I can say for certain that all of the flights I have been on have been full, with at most one or two open seats. Talking to the hotel staff, business is down substantially, but there has been a marked increase the last few weeks.
You know you have healthy experience in major household maintenance if you can parse "at least razorblades are cheap" without calling a suicide hotline.
The worst part about heavy travel is the expectation from corporate that you can work lots of overtime because you are just at a hotel with nothing to do. They should try paying overtime as an incentive, it might be more effective.
I've been traveling pretty much continuously for the last two months (this is week five in Milwaukee). Despite all of the hype about recession and economic impacts, I can say for certain that all of the flights I have been on have been full, with at most one or two open seats. Talking to the hotel staff, business is down substantially, but there has been a marked increase the last few weeks.
You know you have healthy experience in major household maintenance if you can parse "at least razorblades are cheap" without calling a suicide hotline.
The worst part about heavy travel is the expectation from corporate that you can work lots of overtime because you are just at a hotel with nothing to do. They should try paying overtime as an incentive, it might be more effective.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Friday, April 03, 2009
Rough Life in Iraq
Life gets rough in Iraq. Sometimes you just need to relax with a cigar, fake beer, and some BBQ.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Jefferson Quotes
A nice collection of quotes from Thomas Jefferson:
1. "The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. "
2. "It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world."
3. "I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."
4. "My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government."
5. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."
6. "The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."
7. "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
8. "To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which He disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical."
9. "I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."
1. "The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. "
2. "It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world."
3. "I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."
4. "My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government."
5. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."
6. "The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."
7. "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
8. "To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which He disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical."
9. "I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."
Afghanistan Shrugged
If you'd like an up close and personal view to what the troops are doing way out on the pointy end of the stick in Afghanistan, spend some quality time at Afghanistan Shrugged. Highly recommended.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
ZOMG! Technology is my friend
BLUF: They finally make contacts for people with whacky astigmatisms like me, I got fitted on Friday, and I feel like I have a whole new lease on life! I probably haven't been able to see this well since I was a teenager, certainly not at a distance.
The background information is important. Since the time I was knee high to a grasshopper my eyes have been glued to a computer screen. By the time I was a teenager in the mid-late eighties I was spending 8 hours a day staring at a computer screen. My professional life meant I was staring at a screen for 8-20 hours a day, with the worse peak in the mid nineties where I had no less than 8 21" CRT monitors focused on my eyeballs.
By 2001 the non-stop screen staring had really taken it's toll on my eyes and I finally gave in in 2002 and had an eye exam. The optometrist didn't even blink, he just looked at me and asked "how do you drive at night?". I bluffed and ordered glasses. I grew up watching my mom's headaches with contacts, which probably didn't help with my aversion to putting things in my eye. My sight is a big part of my livelyhood, and the thought of doing anything that might endanger my eyes just terrifies me.
During our Yuma trip I tried to get new prescription glasses made, a project that ended in epic fail, yet another recent project of epic fail. The one good thing that came out of the visit was me noticing that they now have disposable soft contacts for astigmatism. Being that I have this whacked out horizontal astigmatism, this was very good news. After the trip I decided I would explore the contacts option.
ZOMG! If only I would have known how much better my vision could be with contacts instead of glasses, I never would have hesitated. I now have distance vision I never could have imagined. I'm still figuring out the whole "stick your finger in your eye", but I'm getting better every day and loving every minute.
Technology, it's a magical thing!
The background information is important. Since the time I was knee high to a grasshopper my eyes have been glued to a computer screen. By the time I was a teenager in the mid-late eighties I was spending 8 hours a day staring at a computer screen. My professional life meant I was staring at a screen for 8-20 hours a day, with the worse peak in the mid nineties where I had no less than 8 21" CRT monitors focused on my eyeballs.
By 2001 the non-stop screen staring had really taken it's toll on my eyes and I finally gave in in 2002 and had an eye exam. The optometrist didn't even blink, he just looked at me and asked "how do you drive at night?". I bluffed and ordered glasses. I grew up watching my mom's headaches with contacts, which probably didn't help with my aversion to putting things in my eye. My sight is a big part of my livelyhood, and the thought of doing anything that might endanger my eyes just terrifies me.
During our Yuma trip I tried to get new prescription glasses made, a project that ended in epic fail, yet another recent project of epic fail. The one good thing that came out of the visit was me noticing that they now have disposable soft contacts for astigmatism. Being that I have this whacked out horizontal astigmatism, this was very good news. After the trip I decided I would explore the contacts option.
ZOMG! If only I would have known how much better my vision could be with contacts instead of glasses, I never would have hesitated. I now have distance vision I never could have imagined. I'm still figuring out the whole "stick your finger in your eye", but I'm getting better every day and loving every minute.
Technology, it's a magical thing!
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