my life, my thoughts, my world.

Day 105

Originally uploaded by macktruckturner

After work, I tried to play guitar, but passed out instead. I woke up several hours later, took a shower, and spent 35 minutes looking for my glasses. They were quite far from my cot. Oops. That is all.

Day 104

Originally uploaded by macktruckturner

Watched PoTC:AWE today, it was a screener – screeners have been proven to kill baby seals, which is sad. Eventually I will see an awesome copy, of a non-screener variety. In other news, I did absolutely nothing else – other than pay off my credit card completely, and prepare to change a few automatic payments to more quickly pay down my loan. Should things work as planned, I should end up saving nearly $500, which is more than enough for new tires and brakes for the SV.

Day 103

Originally uploaded by macktruckturner

103 days gone by, less than 60 remaining until my contract expires, and God only knows how many more remain before I can actually ETS. There really is not a lot I can, or want to say about what exactly it is I do out here. Just rest assured in the grand scheme of things, it isn’t important. Perception, and a lack of technical proficiency on the part of the many that have kept me doing what it is I do, are the only reasons I’m still doing it. Here, a task that takes me 20 seconds to accomplish takes that long because I know exactly what I am doing. However, if someone I trained to do the same task does it in 20 seconds, it is assumed to be because they don’t know what they are doing.

Somewhere during the last several years I did something to cause people to use me as a benchmark. The one serious oversight being an exclusion of the possibility that most of the trivial and repetitive tasks I have spent my entire enlistment carrying out, could be equally well accomplished by a sufficiently motivated primate of another species. Such a fact being the case, it is well within reason that anyone, provided appropriate instruction (10 minutes, OJT), could carry out these tasks just as well. Something that takes me 20 seconds, probably takes me 20 seconds because that’s how long it takes. There is nothing special that makes things take 20 seconds for me, but would cause anyone else longer provided they knew what they were doing.

The programs, and systems deployed by the Army are built around the lowest rung on the ladder. None of them are even moderately complicated to setup, or use. That is a strict design requirement; you need not be a rocket scientist to hold any MOS the Army has to offer. A dab of common sense here, and the ability to right-click there, and you should be more than able to be an “expert” on any of the computer-related systems in the Army arsenal. Just looking at the ridiculous system calls, and atrocious memory leaks found in any one of these systems, you need not be capable of much else to make a few million dollars off the Army either. Garbage in, garbage out. Just remember to spray paint it OD Green, or a nice sandy tan, and you’ve got yourself a cash cow. A long name that translates into an impressive acronym will only help your cause.

While we’re on the general topic of ridiculousness, a small and irritating bird recently landed on my shoulder and chirped a little message into my ear. Quite a variety of people have contacted me, regarding the very site you are reading and the images that can be found with a few more clicks. The vast majority (ie: all but one) are glad I do what I do, and hope I continue to do so (I will). Apparently, back at the installation I love to hate, there are others that somehow feel an image or two I’ve taken uncover something scandalous. To those, I say simply this – get a life. Hell, maybe even seek mental help. If you interpret people goofing off, or the appearance of skin as decidedly sexual in nature – something is seriously NotRightUpstairs™.

While I may not be particularly happy with a number of things, I’m a soldier, not a pornographer. What, from this sandy waste of earth, could I possibly add to the already existing expanses of porn we know as the internet? Go hit up Google, search for something completely off the wall – I can almost promise there is at least a gig or three of related porn. Something tells me the world of smut does not need my help.

That said, should my words or photos offend you, exercise some finger restraint, and do not click the link. No sleep will be lost on my end of the deal. Furthermore, if you really are that offended I have a most novel idea – raise your issue with me, not the local rumor mill. Unlike the village idiots that so enjoy spreading nonsensical assumptions, I actually know what is going on. As lying takes far more effort than just telling the truth (another concept that many seem to have trouble with), I have no reason to answer with anything but the truth. Enough of my time has been wasted with bullshit, I will not shovel it on to anyone else.

Day 102

Originally uploaded by macktruckturner

There really isn’t much to say today, as I did a lot of nothing. I was incredibly tired after work, so I pretty much just crashed after I ate a can of ravioli (cold). Over R&R I’m definitely going to buy a game or two that I can play on my Mac, just to give me something else to do. Watching a few more WSBK races has convinced me that I will at some point blow several thousand dollars on another motorcycle, which will then be stripped of street gear, and made ready for the racetrack. Watching those same races also made me much more anxious to throw my leg over my own motorcyle again, and go for a nice long, spirited ride, with no particular destination.

Day 101

Originally uploaded by macktruckturner

Today was totally awesome. It was ridiculously hot in my tent, and I got to move my crap all back to the microsized area it was in before – just as I was falling asleep. So much for “I will not use my grade or position for…” If I didn’t have my guitar out here, I would probably be seeing the psychologist for drugs. Good thing I only need 6 strings and a few frets to forget the idiocy that surrounds me.

Day 100

Originally uploaded by macktruckturner

100 down, who knows how many more to go. Am I deployed for 12 months, or am I deployed for 15 months? I haven’t the slightest idea. What I do know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, is that were all fair and just in this world, I would have less than 60 days left in the Army. Unfortunately, things are often unfair, and justice is but a word in the dictionary with little meaning in the real world.

My single joy for the day was in a little green can. So many things can go from nearly inedble, to delightfully seasoned in just a few shakes. My close friends, and family know quite well that there should be such a can on hand anytime I’m around to eat. Short of cereal, I pretty much put Tony’s on everything. Hopefully the can lasts me the rest of my deployment. As much of the stuff as I’ve eaten, I should probably just buy stock in the company.

Day 99

Originally uploaded by macktruckturner

So 99 days ago, I shaved my head and got ready to board a flight that would ultimately be cancelled due to a tornado. At that point there were many songs on my iPod that hadn’t even been listened to yet. Such is no longer the case. On that long, uncomfortable flight, I rated a bunch of songs. Since, I have rated many more. Today, I worked out in my tent, pushups/situps/crunches, and a few other things with some exercise bands (yay for rubber tubing). When I decided I’d had enough, I ate lunch (tuna, apple sauce, some crackers, and an oatmeal cream pie if you must know), and then laid down on my most awesome cot and put the iPod’s shuffle to work on the whole song list.

After about an hour, I got bored with rating songs I hadn’t rated yet, and pushing next through songs I’m not sure will be allowed to remain on my iPod. So I pulled out a chair, and started reading Light, Science and Magic – 3rd ed. Definitely interesting stuff, and I can’t wait to try some of it out when I get home. Heck, I’ll probably come up with some in-the-field method to try some of it here. We all know patience is my most impressive strength….

Day 98

Originally uploaded by macktruckturner

Apparently I missed an explosion today, either I had my headphones up too loud, or I really just can’t hear anymore. After my shift, I took today’s photo, though I failed to get the result I was going for – I’ll make another attempt with a different approach some other day. When that mission was accomplished, I broke out the BR864, my Macbook Pro, mic stand, microphone, and of course my trusty Alvarez RD-20S. Never before has a song so quickly popped into my head as a tune, and found it’s way to a recording. Vocals probably won’t happen out here, unless I get really bored – but the music is recorded and ready for a touchup here or there when I get the chance. There are definitely some things I HATE about GarageBand, but overall it works, and being on my laptop it’s always with me.

In other news, I got a bunch of boxes today. The majority of which were from the Scheiner’s, good people that have been our friends for a log time – and shown a lot of support for me throughout my enlistment. Also worth noting were the boxes I got from both The Jaska’s and my sister. An awesome book on creative lighting, from The Jaska’s, along with a very nice card. The older of my two sister’s is on a mission to fatten me up, though I doubt it will be of any success until I’m at least 40 – she sent a lot of food, and some most interesting photos from her trip to Cancún. Sorry Natalie, crocs are still way cooler than labradoodles. I very nearly forgot to mention I got the my DVD with the final episodes of Lost, and all I can say is OMG. That is all.

Day 97

Originally uploaded by macktruckturner

The only thing I did that even remotely counts as productive was to run the line out from my Boss BR864 into the line in on my Macbook Pro so I could use my microphone to record stuff. In the process I decided to go ahead and export the songs on the Boss to GarageBand just to give it a shot. There are few things in this world more horrible than a drum machine, especially the one on the Boss (which is known to the State of California to cause ear cancer in certain species of rats). GarageBand does a better job, allowing me to change many aspects of each drum kit sound – but it’s no drummer.

This revelation of course brings me back again, to a land far away (from home anyway), at a time roughly a decade ago. There was a group of WayCoolDudes™, I played guitar with this most awesome group, well after I taught a few of the a chord or four (how many were really needed in the mid-90′s anyway?). Even then there was a real drum set in the room, and that drum set made big sound from a little dude (hell none of us were huge at 12). Long before I even had a clue who Jack Black was, or knew of his crusade to spread that which is ROCK – I knew of the Rock and/or Roll. I’m pretty sure that for the better part of 3 years, I never once came home from school on time – you could find me and the rest of the keepers of Rock (and the word of Hendrix) making entirely too much noise in a practice room on campus. Hopefully, when I trade my SGT in for a Mr, I can have a high wattage reunion with those guys as we all still keep in touch. A number of explosions, and ridiculously loud vehicles have pretty much destroyed my hearing, so I think I’ll turn it to 11 this time.

That’s all for now, I’m going to go play with GarageBand some more, and hope Iraq stays quiet for the rest of the night.

Day 96

Originally uploaded by macktruckturner

Changed uniforms today, thus the photo of me putting my patches on prior to heading to work. Right now I’m occupied with the brilliant work of genius known as my resumé, which is badly in need of an update to include all the wonderful things I’ve done since OIF3. This of course also prompted me to take a look at financial matters, and decide transform my savings accout into a ICBM aimed at the balance on my 11.15% MasterCard. The launch code was entered, and I’m one small step closer to being completely debt free. It didn’t make much sense to me to continue saving at my current rate, while slowly paying off the card (and loan) when interest costs more each month than my savings account makes in a year. So, I’ve decided to nuke the debt from orbit so I can redirect the monthly payments for my loan and MasterCard back to the savings account sooner. Why I am only now thinking of this is beyond me, fortunately I only really pissed away about $200…..