OK, about 30 minutes after my last post the Internet in the living areas went down again...
Yesterdey it came up again, so HOPEFULLY it's up for good now.
Well, the Packers won. That's good. Connor asked me last week "So.umm..Dad, who are you rooting for." Really cute. I told him the Packers and he seemed relieved. Uncle Jeremy told him at one point I was going to be a Vikings fan now that Favre left. While we adults know enough to not believe a word out of Jer's mouth, Connor is still about a year away from realizing that. I think Samantha already knows. Favre looked as good as I thought he could have and Brady's injury makes things interesting. I think the Jets are only going to get better as Favre and his recievers get to know each other better. We'll see.
Kelli sent me a couple of boxes recently with some amazing pictures. Really made my day.
I have submitted all the paperwork needed by the Army to get promoted in a couple weeks and to leave Iraq this year to start School in January. Very Excited. Kelli and I are looking forward to the next year and a half. Lots of family time, lots of "us" time, and lots of golf! After that it's 7 months in Fort Benning (likely without the family) and then hopefully back to Colorado Springs for another 3 or 4 years. That'll leave me with about 4 years left, maybe working with a ROTC program or teaching at West Point or the Air Force Academy.
OK, gonna go grab chow and back to work.
Adam
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Why Bob Dylan is the greatest lyricist ever
I'd say my two favorite musicians to listen to are the Who and Bob Dylan.
The Who has the ability to sound like a full orchrestra. There is so much going on and it's all brilliant. Keith Moon somehow is the driving force behind it all, despite his subtelty. You don't even realize how brilliant he is until you tune every other sound out and focus only on the drums. He could have recorded albums with just his drumming. Obviously, the guitar playing of Pete Townsend is amazing, but I think it's Moon's drums that put them over the top. There's just so much energy and so much emotion in all of their songs.
Dylan on the other hand is not a great singer. He carries emotion to be sure, in his voice, but it's the lyrics that make him brilliant. He is more a poet than anything else, and put to simple guitar and harmonica the lyrics convey whatever emootion he wants them to. Examples:
Romantic
Your cracked country lips,
I still wish to kiss,
As to be under the strength of your skin.
Your magnetic movements
Still capture the minutes I'm in.
(To Ramona)
or
I've heard newborn babies wailin' like a mournin' dove
And old men with broken teeth stranded without love.
Do I understand your question, man, is it hopeless and forlorn?
"Come in," she said,
"I'll give you shelter from the storm."
(Shelter from the Storm)
Spiteful
It ain't no use in turnin' on your light, babe
That light I never knowed
An' it ain't no use in turnin' on your light, babe
I'm on the dark side of the road
Still I wish there was somethin' you would do or say
To try and make me change my mind and stay
We never did too much talkin' anyway
So don't think twice, it's all right
It ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
Like you never did before
It ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
I can't hear you any more
I'm a-thinkin' and a-wond'rin' all the way down the road
I once loved a woman, a child I'm told
I give her my heart but she wanted my soul
But don't think twice, it's all right
(Don't think twice, it's all right)
Loving
May you grow up to be righteous,
May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you.
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.
(Forever Young, written for his son)
or just plain goofy (or deep??)
Well, John the Baptist after torturing a thief
Looks up at his hero the Commander-in-Chief
Saying, "Tell me great hero, but please make it brief
Is there a hole for me to get sick in?"
The Commander-in-Chief answers him while chasing a fly
Saying, "Death to all those who would whimper and cry"
And dropping a bar bell he points to the sky
Saving, "The sun's not yellow it's chicken"
(Tombstone Blues)
Angry
Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul
(Masters of War)
and of course political
A South politician preaches to the poor white man,
"You got more than the blacks, don't complain.
You're better than them, you been born with white skin," they explain.
And the Negro's name
Is used it is plain
For the politician's gain
As he rises to fame
And the poor white remains
On the caboose of the train
But it ain't him to blame
He's only a pawn in their game.
(Only a Pawn in Their Game)
I actually just found out he wrote my favorite Zepplin song "In my Time of Dying."
It's all still powerful with no music.
I also have maybe a new favorite Dylan Song, which I just read the lyrics to. I think it fits pretty well into my situation right now, though it'd have to be titled "3 Months"
Seven Days
Seven days, seven more days she'll be comin'
I'll be waiting at the station for her to arrive
Seven more days, all I gotta do is survive.
She been gone ever since I been a child
Ever since I seen her smile, I ain't forgotten her eyes.
She had a face that could outshine the sun in the skies.
I been good, I been good while I been waitin'
Maybe guilty of hesitatin', I just been holdin' on
Seven more days, all that'll be gone.
There's kissing in the valley,
Thieving in the alley,
Fighting every inch of the way.
Trying to be tender
With somebody I remember
In a night that's always brighter'n the day.
Seven days, seven more days that are connected
Just like I expected, she'll be comin' on forth,
My beautiful comrade from the north.
There's kissing in the valley,
Thieving in the alley,
Fighting every inch of the way.
Trying to be tender
With somebody I remember
In a night that's always brighter'n the day.
OK, NO MORE DYLAN!!!!
Got it.
Thanks for reading my Ode to Dylan.
Adam
The Who has the ability to sound like a full orchrestra. There is so much going on and it's all brilliant. Keith Moon somehow is the driving force behind it all, despite his subtelty. You don't even realize how brilliant he is until you tune every other sound out and focus only on the drums. He could have recorded albums with just his drumming. Obviously, the guitar playing of Pete Townsend is amazing, but I think it's Moon's drums that put them over the top. There's just so much energy and so much emotion in all of their songs.
Dylan on the other hand is not a great singer. He carries emotion to be sure, in his voice, but it's the lyrics that make him brilliant. He is more a poet than anything else, and put to simple guitar and harmonica the lyrics convey whatever emootion he wants them to. Examples:
Romantic
Your cracked country lips,
I still wish to kiss,
As to be under the strength of your skin.
Your magnetic movements
Still capture the minutes I'm in.
(To Ramona)
or
I've heard newborn babies wailin' like a mournin' dove
And old men with broken teeth stranded without love.
Do I understand your question, man, is it hopeless and forlorn?
"Come in," she said,
"I'll give you shelter from the storm."
(Shelter from the Storm)
Spiteful
It ain't no use in turnin' on your light, babe
That light I never knowed
An' it ain't no use in turnin' on your light, babe
I'm on the dark side of the road
Still I wish there was somethin' you would do or say
To try and make me change my mind and stay
We never did too much talkin' anyway
So don't think twice, it's all right
It ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
Like you never did before
It ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
I can't hear you any more
I'm a-thinkin' and a-wond'rin' all the way down the road
I once loved a woman, a child I'm told
I give her my heart but she wanted my soul
But don't think twice, it's all right
(Don't think twice, it's all right)
Loving
May you grow up to be righteous,
May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you.
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.
(Forever Young, written for his son)
or just plain goofy (or deep??)
Well, John the Baptist after torturing a thief
Looks up at his hero the Commander-in-Chief
Saying, "Tell me great hero, but please make it brief
Is there a hole for me to get sick in?"
The Commander-in-Chief answers him while chasing a fly
Saying, "Death to all those who would whimper and cry"
And dropping a bar bell he points to the sky
Saving, "The sun's not yellow it's chicken"
(Tombstone Blues)
Angry
Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul
(Masters of War)
and of course political
A South politician preaches to the poor white man,
"You got more than the blacks, don't complain.
You're better than them, you been born with white skin," they explain.
And the Negro's name
Is used it is plain
For the politician's gain
As he rises to fame
And the poor white remains
On the caboose of the train
But it ain't him to blame
He's only a pawn in their game.
(Only a Pawn in Their Game)
I actually just found out he wrote my favorite Zepplin song "In my Time of Dying."
It's all still powerful with no music.
I also have maybe a new favorite Dylan Song, which I just read the lyrics to. I think it fits pretty well into my situation right now, though it'd have to be titled "3 Months"
Seven Days
Seven days, seven more days she'll be comin'
I'll be waiting at the station for her to arrive
Seven more days, all I gotta do is survive.
She been gone ever since I been a child
Ever since I seen her smile, I ain't forgotten her eyes.
She had a face that could outshine the sun in the skies.
I been good, I been good while I been waitin'
Maybe guilty of hesitatin', I just been holdin' on
Seven more days, all that'll be gone.
There's kissing in the valley,
Thieving in the alley,
Fighting every inch of the way.
Trying to be tender
With somebody I remember
In a night that's always brighter'n the day.
Seven days, seven more days that are connected
Just like I expected, she'll be comin' on forth,
My beautiful comrade from the north.
There's kissing in the valley,
Thieving in the alley,
Fighting every inch of the way.
Trying to be tender
With somebody I remember
In a night that's always brighter'n the day.
OK, NO MORE DYLAN!!!!
Got it.
Thanks for reading my Ode to Dylan.
Adam
Helicopters, Internet, Kit, and more
SO we have been without Internet for a couple weeks now.
There are three sources available for Internet. The NIPR (Non-Secure Internet Protocol) which is the official government one at work doesn't allow certain pages like ESPN or the site. SPAWAR, which is what we have in the MWR, allows most sites, but is the slowest and there is normally a line for it. Sniper Hill is the commercial provider for this FOB, so I pay for it, but no line and no restrictions on websites.
When we lose a Soldier all Internet is shut offf until the family is notified, this is called "Blackout." We lost one 2 weeks ago, then about 5 minutes after Blackout was lifted we lost another. It took longer to notify the family this time. When Blackout was lifted again the SPAWAR didn't come up, something had broken when they shut it down the second time. Then very shortly after that (a few hours) the sattelite reciever Sniper Hill uses broke. So about 30 minutes ago all of them came up. Happy, Happy. Joy, Joy.
I realized there are a few things I do that most of you have never experienced, so I'll try and tell you a little about them. The first is ride on a helicopter. I do this so often I forget it's not a normal thing to do. The first few seconds of takeoff is unlike anything you could imagine. You just slowly rise up to about 15 feet and then slowly dip forward and WHOOSH! You're away. The helicopters here (Blackhawks) have all had their windows ripped out to avoid overheating. Consequently the wind whips through rather quickly. It's normally a nice breeze, but if you are foolish enough you might be sitting in the "Hell Seat." The "Hell Seat" on a Blackhawk is the rightmost and rearmost seat. It faces forward and due to the rotation direction of the main rotor and the engine exhaust on that side, whoever sits there is blasted with 120mph superheated air. It's like opening an oven door, but having it come out at 120mph constantly for the duration of your flight. It takes exactly one time to learn never to sit there. I have physically grabbed people and threw them into another open seat, lest they experience that. If you don't sit there, flying is cool. Sometimes we'll fly really low and be below the apartment buildings in the Green Zone. The only other thing you learn is about the flares. The Blackhawks have flares that shoot out to trick anti-aircraft missiles. Well at night you can be looking out the window at the lights of the city, especcially the Mosques, and POW! Flare goes right in front of your face and you're blinded for about a minute.
Yesterday out of curiousity I went to the Aid Station directly after mission. I steppen on the scalle with my full "Kit" on and weighed in at 227. I dropped my gear and weighed 166. So 61 lbs of "kit" is what I wear at ALL TIMES when outside the wire in 120 degree temperature. Unless I also throw on our dismounted IED defeating backpacks. They weigh another 40 lbs. So I LOVE dismounted patrols....
When I was back on leave people were always commenting about how cold I must be in only 90 degree weather. True, BUT when I'm here I am also covered head to toe. The only skin that is exposed to the sun are my cheeks. That's it. So while it was cooler, the sun really bothered me, since I hadn't had the sun on my skin for over 6 months.
There's a line in "Pulp Fiction" "My Girlfriend is a vegetarian....which pretty much makes me a vegetarian." I think the only think that I am forced to abandon in my time with Kelli is some of my music. Dylan, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Rolling Stones, Led Zepplin, and The Who. I suppose we don't listen to music much at home anyways, but one silver lining is rediscovering how much I love some of the music I haven't heard in a long time.
OK, I am needed right now, so I'll write more (assuming the internet doesn't crash again) about Dylan and the Who next time.
Adam
There are three sources available for Internet. The NIPR (Non-Secure Internet Protocol) which is the official government one at work doesn't allow certain pages like ESPN or the site. SPAWAR, which is what we have in the MWR, allows most sites, but is the slowest and there is normally a line for it. Sniper Hill is the commercial provider for this FOB, so I pay for it, but no line and no restrictions on websites.
When we lose a Soldier all Internet is shut offf until the family is notified, this is called "Blackout." We lost one 2 weeks ago, then about 5 minutes after Blackout was lifted we lost another. It took longer to notify the family this time. When Blackout was lifted again the SPAWAR didn't come up, something had broken when they shut it down the second time. Then very shortly after that (a few hours) the sattelite reciever Sniper Hill uses broke. So about 30 minutes ago all of them came up. Happy, Happy. Joy, Joy.
I realized there are a few things I do that most of you have never experienced, so I'll try and tell you a little about them. The first is ride on a helicopter. I do this so often I forget it's not a normal thing to do. The first few seconds of takeoff is unlike anything you could imagine. You just slowly rise up to about 15 feet and then slowly dip forward and WHOOSH! You're away. The helicopters here (Blackhawks) have all had their windows ripped out to avoid overheating. Consequently the wind whips through rather quickly. It's normally a nice breeze, but if you are foolish enough you might be sitting in the "Hell Seat." The "Hell Seat" on a Blackhawk is the rightmost and rearmost seat. It faces forward and due to the rotation direction of the main rotor and the engine exhaust on that side, whoever sits there is blasted with 120mph superheated air. It's like opening an oven door, but having it come out at 120mph constantly for the duration of your flight. It takes exactly one time to learn never to sit there. I have physically grabbed people and threw them into another open seat, lest they experience that. If you don't sit there, flying is cool. Sometimes we'll fly really low and be below the apartment buildings in the Green Zone. The only other thing you learn is about the flares. The Blackhawks have flares that shoot out to trick anti-aircraft missiles. Well at night you can be looking out the window at the lights of the city, especcially the Mosques, and POW! Flare goes right in front of your face and you're blinded for about a minute.
Yesterday out of curiousity I went to the Aid Station directly after mission. I steppen on the scalle with my full "Kit" on and weighed in at 227. I dropped my gear and weighed 166. So 61 lbs of "kit" is what I wear at ALL TIMES when outside the wire in 120 degree temperature. Unless I also throw on our dismounted IED defeating backpacks. They weigh another 40 lbs. So I LOVE dismounted patrols....
When I was back on leave people were always commenting about how cold I must be in only 90 degree weather. True, BUT when I'm here I am also covered head to toe. The only skin that is exposed to the sun are my cheeks. That's it. So while it was cooler, the sun really bothered me, since I hadn't had the sun on my skin for over 6 months.
There's a line in "Pulp Fiction" "My Girlfriend is a vegetarian....which pretty much makes me a vegetarian." I think the only think that I am forced to abandon in my time with Kelli is some of my music. Dylan, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Rolling Stones, Led Zepplin, and The Who. I suppose we don't listen to music much at home anyways, but one silver lining is rediscovering how much I love some of the music I haven't heard in a long time.
OK, I am needed right now, so I'll write more (assuming the internet doesn't crash again) about Dylan and the Who next time.
Adam
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