Iraq Updates by Cake

Well, the blog I updated while deployed on Operation Iraqi Freedom II is now here in it's final resting place. I have a new and awesome domain name now that I plan to keep into the future, so everything should stay functional. I restored all the pictures which were previously broken when I cancelled my last web hosting service.
Adios

So, it's been a really looooooong time since I've posted on here. Since then, my domain hosting service with aplus.net expired; so I have a lot of broken links. If you want to view any of the pictures which appear broken, go to www.flickr.com/photos/cake or just click on something you want to see on the Zeitgeist, which is located on the lefthand column.
It's good to be back. I've already finished up a semester of classes over the summer. I'm not PTSDing (or at least not too much). Life is seemingly fine and dandy across the board.
The year and a half I spent deployed was very hard and very painful. However, the more civilian friends I talk to, the more I realize that the experience I had over there doesn't have a parallel to common life. I guess that's what esprit de corps is about. I'm glad, in a way, that I don't like the military lifestyle so that I'm not tempted like some in my unit are to volunteer for another tour. From what I've heard, five have already recommitted to go this fall.
Anyways, I might find a hosting solution where I can store the broken pictures soon for the fun of keeping this (rather curt, actually) digital journal alive.
Ta-ta for now

I'm in Kuwait now. The tent that we're living in is actually nicer than the one we were in the first time we were here. I've just spent the morning checking out all the facilities that Camp Victory, Kuwait has. There's a Baskin Robbins, Hardee's, Green Bean, Pizza Inn, Subway, and all the other normal shops like Sewing/Alterations, Internet Cafe, and Photo Developing center.
My whole getting in shape thing is progressing nicely. It shouldn't be hard to be consistent about working out seeing that there isn't much else to do here.

So we have a mandatory range to burn up our ammo tomorrow. I'm sure you can all assume what that means.

Here's a puppy one of the soldiers in the next pad over has:

He's giving him to someone who works with AAFES though since some CSM got on his ass about having it.

Things are winding down for my company here in Iraq. We just had the redeployment medical screening today. I naturally have started thinking more about my plans when I get home. Now that we've been 1st Cav, we're allowed to wear a Stetson/Boots/Spurs for our formal on April 30th.
Here's my getup:
The Cavalry III style Stetson
The smooth black leather cowboy boots
The spurs

I think it'll end up looking better that just wearing the stupid class-A's with dinky shoes.

Everyone besides us 1st Cav guys are getting 2 free beers at our chow hall right now. It's a special Mardi Gras event put on for the 256 guys from Louisiana. 1st Cav guys would be eligible for it but they don't have a representative there to tally people. Yeah, sucks.

Anyway, for your pleasure, here is a quote from FDR himself about Social Security:

In a written statement to Congress in 1935, Roosevelt said that any Social Security plans should include, "Voluntary contributory annuities, by which individual initiative can increase the annual amounts received in old age," adding that government funding, "ought to ultimately be supplanted by self-supporting annuity plans."

I don't see why this is being made into a partisan issue. This last year I've read "The Coming Generational Storm" by Kotlikoff and Burns; and "Running on Empty" by Peterson. The first set of authors seemed to be Democratic while Peterson was a lifetime Republican. Each book showed how Social Security would become unsupportable (with different estimates), and each was against the Bush tax cuts because of the present-value liabilities Social Security entailed. The proposed reform seems extremely reasonable to all parties from my end - even with the one-time expense of setting it up.

Here's another quote, although unrelated to SS reform, which I really enjoyed from Orson Scott Card's webcolumn:

Great achievements aren't made by feeling good about yourself. They're made by boldness, originality, hard work, painstaking attention to detail, long practice, self-effacing cooperation, reliability, and a host of other attributes and actions.

He's ranting about self-esteem boosting without truthfulness is extremely atrocious.

This post wasn't so much related to Iraq but it was fun anyways. Adios.

For all you midwesterners - starting March 1st, you are entitled to a free yearly credit report from each of the three credit reporting agencies. Full info at this link:
http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/creditreportfacts.pdf#search='free%20credit%20report%20fcra'