Home Sweet Home..?

(3 days to go) This is probably going to sound crazy. I have no idea what the reason is behind this, but I am feeling like nervous about coming home. I can’t explain why and it doesn’t make sense to me. Don’t get me wrong here, I am totally pumped about coming home. I mean, I really really really want to come home and never look back on this shitty fucked up place, but I feel nervous about it. This feeling is pissing me off because... Read More

Tracers in the Sky

(7 days to go) The locals are going crazy right now. Its Eid-al-Fitr – the holiday that celebrates the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Gunshots are everywhere, you can see the red tracer rounds float pendulously over the city before they go dark. We have like 15 giant boxes of special Eid dates to give out as gifts and almost as much special “middle east pastries”. I think I’m gonna go sprinkle rat poison over the stuff for... Read More

The Big Disconnect – by Brad I.

I’ve been doing a fair amount of post-collegiate soul searching lately. Looking at my place in the world and wondering where my efforts would be most effectively applied. Seems pretty straight forward, but unforuntately, it isn’t. Things are pulling from all directions now. We don’t have a youth movement, our wars are manufactured (and thus, pretty tough to get behind on a personal level) and our counterculture is bought and sold for $9.95 with... Read More

Late Night Snack

(9 days to go) I know, I know, I know.. I am a complete asshole. But god, why can’t I stop laughing? AKPC_IDS += "1277,";Popularity: 1% [?] Read More

Insomnia

(10 days to go) Its 3 oclock in the fucking morning and I can’t sleep. Again. God DAMN it. I don’t think its stress, maybe excitement about coming home… I dunno about a million thoughts are all swimming around in my head about work and relationships and money and life and I can’t turn off the sound of my own gears turning. Its crunch time here. Thats what I call it anyway. Whenever I get short over here I really focus on getting... Read More

The White Plank

The seasons change like a punch in the mouth.  One minute you are hunched over, eyes squinting in the light, shamal blowing dust in your eyes, bowed before the sun.  The next minute you are shaken by thunder, wind, and mud that falls from the sky.  Not sure what is really happening, you are half dressed, exhausted fingers desperately groping for your rifle at 4 am when a massive thunderclap explodes overhead, only moments later to stumble outside... Read More

“Luxuriating”

Thought i had the day off today, but you know how that goes. My boss came into my room at around 12:30 and was like “dude!? what the hell are you doing still in bed!?” I was laying in bed reading my Howard Hughes biography with incense burning, the AC pumping out full power, and a fresh cup of coffee sitting next to me. My one word response ” luxuriating ” Apparently there was some last minute shit that got spun up so I had... Read More

Churning Gears

I haven’t been able to get to sleep until like 4 or 5 in the morning the past few days. Gears turning in my head keeps me up. Seems like nobody can sleep. The good news is that its Ramadan right now so there are like 28 good movies on all night long. First couple nights I tried to sleep, wrestled my sheets for hours, gave it my best effort, but when you hear the speakers in the minarets crackle to life for prayer time at 315am you know you’re... Read More

Why We Fight

Rocky — This fight you’re having against the Russian – Do you think maybe it ain’t against him? Apollo Creed — If it’s not him, then who is it against? Rocky — Do you think maybe it’s you against you? Apollo Creed — I think you really are getting brain damaged. That’s what I think, Stallion. Rocky — Yeah, maybe, but… I’m speaking the truth, Apollo. Apollo Creed —... Read More

K-2 Killed

Friend “K-2″ Rod Richardson killed today north of Baghdad by EFP. Driven, intelligent, didn’t take any bullshit, one of the finest soldiers I’ve ever worked with. There are probably a million things I could say about him and his amazing life, my regret and sympathy goes out to his family. AKPC_IDS += "1246,";Popularity: 1% [?] Read More