1001

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Ten weeks of instruction left until my BS is officially official. Prior to this, I’ve been an amateur at BS, clearly. And Sunday nights are my “stuff is due” night for class. Mea maxima culpa!

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Our condolences to the families, friends, and units of these fallen warriors:

  • Gunners Mate 2nd Class Dion R. Roberts, 25, of North Chicago, Illinois, died Sept. 22, as a result of a single vehicle accident in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.
  • Staff Sgt. Orion N. Sparks, 29, of Tucson, Arizona, died Sept. 26, in Pul-E Alam, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when an insurgent wearing a suicide vest detonated the device near his patrol.
  • Sgt. Jonathan A. Gollnitz, 28, of Lakehurst, New Jersey, died Sept. 26, in Pul-E Alam, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when an insurgent wearing a suicide vest detonated the device near his patrol.
  • Sgt. 1st Class Riley G. Stephens, 39, of Tolar, Texas, died Sept. 28, in Wardak, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from enemy small arms fire.

Fall snuck in the back door

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While yesterday was the astronomically first day of Fall, it was warmer than most of the prior week. But that was the peak, and temps are dropping again. I harvested a bunch of pain from the garden today:

A sink-full of pain - mostly serrano and habañero peppers.

A sink-full of pain – mostly serrano and habañero peppers.

I’m just preparing to rinse the harvest in the sink – it’s mostly serrano and habañero peppers, plus a few jalapeño, a couple of tomatoes, and a tiny bell pepper. I ground up perhaps a quarter of that harvest to preserve here. The rest is going to the office tomorrow. Pain is best shared! I also roasted a pound of Sumatra Lake Toba 19+ Ulos, did the weekly shopping, finished up the in-class work for the week (after turning in a 1350 word essay yesterday), and cooked meals for both of us for the week to come. A good day.

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Our condolences to the families, friends, and units of these fallen warriors:

  • Sgt. Sapuro B. Nena, 25, of Honolulu, Hawaii, died Sept. 16 in Zabul province, Afghanistan of injuries suffered when his position was attacked with small arms fire.
  • Spc. Joshua N. Nelson, 22, Greenville, North Carolina, died Sept. 16 in Zabul province, Afghanistan of injuries suffered when his position was attacked with small arms fire.
  • Pfc. Genaro Bedoy, 20, of Amarillo, Texas, died Sept. 16 in Zabul province, Afghanistan of injuries suffered when his position was attacked with small arms fire.
  • Pfc. Jon R. Townsend, 19, Claremore, Oklahoma, died Sept. 16 in Zabul province, Afghanistan of injuries suffered when his position was attacked with small arms fire.
  • Sgt. Jason M. Swindle, 24, of Cabot, Arkansas, died Sept. 20, in Panjwa’l, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when he was attacked by a rocket propelled grenade while on mounted patrol.

Counting down…

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Twelve weeks of instruction left to my collegiate days. Sunday evening was full of final composition and review for a couple of things due … and I flat forgot my duty. But here I am!

Before I proceed, however, I’d like to point you in the direction of Marcia’s new (old) site: Marcia’s Makings. She’s been making lots of wonderful things, and just knows that you need to buy them for holiday gifts, or to keep yourself warm as Fall arrives… So visit

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Our condolences to the families, friends, and units of these fallen warriors:

  • Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jose L. Montenegro Jr., 31, of Houston, Texas, died Sept. 5, in Logar Province, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when his aircraft crashed.
  • Chief Warrant Officer 2 Thalia S. Ramirez, 28, of San Antonio, Texas, died Sept. 5, in Logar Province, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when his aircraft crashed.
  • Sgt. Kyle B. Osborn, 26, of Lafayette, Indiana, died Sept. 13 in Muqer, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms and rocket propelled grenade fire.
  • Lt. Col. Christopher K. Raible, 40, of Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, died Sept. 15, while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
  • Sgt. Bradley W. Atwell, 27, of Kokomo, Indiana, died Sept. 15, while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

Hugo Rerun on a Sunday

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Progress made in class, I think, I hope … And tonight, we’re blessed with the re-run on uStream of the Hugos, which got whacked during their live presentation by a out-of-control copyright bot.

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Our condolences to the families, friends, and units of these fallen warriors:

  • Spc. Kyle R. Rookey, 23, of Oswego, New York, died Sept. 2, in Jalalabad, Afghanistan from a non-combat related incident.
  • Staff Sgt. Jeremie S. Border, 28, of Mesquite, Texas, died Sept. 1, in Batur Village, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with small arms fire.
  • Staff Sgt. Jonathan P. Schmidt, 28, of Petersburg, Virginia, died Sept. 1, in Batur Village, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with small arms fire.
  • Lance Cpl. Alec R. Terwiske, 21, of Dubois, Indiana, died Sept. 3 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
  • Pfc. Shane W. Cantu, 20, of Corunna, Michigan, died Aug. 28, in Charkh, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when he was hit by shrapnel.

Myth

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My first class this Fall session is a last GER class, this one about myths and (mostly) Mythology. Frankly, it’s an agony for me, because my interpretation is that Myth is fiction that has outstayed its welcome. Sure, they’re compelling stories and all that, and as such useful for modern novelists and filmmakers to retread such stories and distribute them as “content” (a word I despise) to the cattle of our consumer society. They’re especially good for that because people aren’t educated nearly as well anymore. But analysis of myth, and and the making up of whole cultures, a whole WORLD full of cultures around some artifacts from pre-literate peoples seems a byzantine exercise in group flagellation, one that’s been going on for neigh unto 150 years.

It’s true for me that Mythology (the study of myth: that is, making up stuff about made-up stuff) is something I can regard as a victimless crime. It doesn’t generally do anyone else any harm. If your field is Mythology, then you’re not doing something really detrimental to society, like running an HOA, or making pointless laws at any level. But you’re not doing any good, either. What does your work bring to the table, at the end of the day?

“Ooooh, yah. Today we decided that Joseph Cambell’s work is a bunch of crap, because he wrote about heroes instead of heroines, and well, he’s a man.”

Nobody’s said that in my class, but I get the sense from my readings that that sort of person who might say such a thing is lurking in every corner, in this field of study. In the meantime I’m trying to accomplish the assigned tasks without understanding the language the questions are asked in.

For example, #WTF is a “cultural process of transforming myths”?

Those are all English words, yet I don’t know what that means. I could answer a question with those words in it, but I have no idea whether I’ve address the issue in the sense the query was meant. I look for that phrase in my book. It isn’t there. I looked for the phrase in my online course resources – not there, either. But this gem is: “The study of myth was transformed into the systematic production of knowledge—the science of mythology”. </snort> Science?

Finally, I’m not getting enough feedback from the right places to help me be successful in this class. Yeah, that’s a whinge, so be it. I’m having to work my ass off to get answers partly right, and get NO useful data back to make my next foray more successful. This isn’t learning, that isn’t teaching (or even instructing), it’s just an institution parting students from their money, which is a darn shame.

I may tank in this class (which is Brian-code for anything less than an `A`), and that frustrates me, too. I’d dump this class, if it weren’t for the fact that it’s my second-to-last class in my last session. I’m going to survive this and move on, but I’m angry that I have to endure a class where nothing is taught.

Tired of School Brian is Tired…

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There goes the weekend. I spent much of it trying to stub out the next 6 weeks of work for the Myth in the World class that I had to take. Why so much? Because the bibliography is due first! #WTF ??? Sigh. While this class is interesting, frankly it’s a waste of my time. And now they want me to do my own plagiarism submissions? Can I give myself my own grades, too? I pay more, I get less, and I have to do their work for them. I *almost* wish I’d done more classes at a time, earlier, so that I’d have been done before some of this lunacy started.

Tomorrow, work at the office in the morning, then more schoolwork and chores back here for the rest of the day.

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Our condolences to the families, friends, and units of these fallen warriors:

  • Sgt. Christopher J. Birdwell, 25, of Windsor, Colorado, died Aug. 27, in Kalagush, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered from enemy small arms fire.
  • Spc. Mabry J. Anders, 21, of Baker City, Oregon, died Aug. 27, in Kalagush, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered from enemy small arms fire.
  • Staff Sgt. Jessica M. Wing, 42, of Glenburn, Maine, died Aug. 27, in Kuwait City, Kuwait in a non-combat related incident.

Rainy Day

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A rainy day here in Bowie, Maryland. Not continuous, but some impressive downpours in the course of dropping half an inch of rain. Still, better than what’s facing the Korean Peninsula this week. I read elsewhere that they’re likely to get well upwards of 20 inches of rain from this storm that’s 1,200 miles across… Wow!

In other news, everyone here at the Hovel is happy that Marcia’s back home, after she spent a week in Michigan visiting with relatives and attending the AQS show in Grand Rapids. I picked her up at BWI last night, and Lexi was dancing with joy when Marcia went in the house. You’d think I tortured her instead of coming home early each day to walk her and give her some of the company that she missed. Marcia works from home, so the dog is quite spoiled.

One week down, 15 weeks of classes left before I’m done. Just sayin’ …

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Our condolences to the families, friends, and units of these fallen warriors:

  • Staff Sgt. Gregory T. Copes, 36, of Lynch Station, Virginia, died Aug. 17 while supporting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan.
  • Hospital Corpsman Petty Officer 1st Class Darrel L. Enos, 36, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, died Aug. 17 while supporting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan.
  • Chief Warrant Officer Brian D. Hornsby, 37, of Melbourne, Florida, died Aug. 16 in a helicopter crash northeast of Kandahar, Afghanistan.
  • Chief Warrant Officer Suresh N. A. Krause, 29, of Cathedral City, California, died Aug. 16 in a helicopter crash northeast of Kandahar, Afghanistan.
  • Explosive Ordnance Disposal Petty Officer Technician 1st Class Sean P. Carson, 32, of Des Moines, Washingtion, died Aug. 16 in a helicopter crash northeast of Kandahar, Afghanistan.
  • Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class Patrick D. Feeks, 28, of Edgewater, Maryland, died Aug. 16 in a helicopter crash northeast of Kandahar, Afghanistan.
  • Sgt. Richard A. Essex, 23, of Kelseyville, California, died Aug. 16 in a helicopter crash northeast of Kandahar, Afghanistan.
  • Sgt. Luis A. Oliver Galbreath, 41, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, died Aug. 16 in a helicopter crash northeast of Kandahar, Afghanistan.
  • Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 2nd Class David J. Warsen, 27, of Kentwood, Michigan, died Aug. 16 in a helicopter crash northeast of Kandahar, Afghanistan.
  • Sgt. 1st Class Coater B. Debose, 55, of State Line, Mississippi, died Aug. 19 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan.
  • Sgt. David V. Williams, 24, of Frederick, Maryland, died Aug. 18, in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
  • Sgt. Louis R. Torres, 23, of Oberlin, Ohio, died Aug. 22, in San Antonio, Texas, of wounds suffered when he encountered an enemy improvised explosive device, Aug. 6, in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
  • Pfc. Patricia L. Horne, 20, of Greenwood, Mississippi, died Aug. 24 in Bagram, Afghanistan.

Winding Down Summer

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Today I pulled another batch of tomatoes out of the garden. How many? A gallon of salsa, and another lobster pot of red sauce, that’s how many. I also dug up all the rest of the potatoes, about 30# worth. Today started with the shopping, then I was mowing from 1030 to 1200, and then gardening and cooking until 1930 – a full day’s work. The garden is pretty sad, in truth. Between school and spending two weeks partially under the weather, the garden truly hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves. The worst sin: Tomatoes have gone bad on the vine, sigh. I hold out hope for next summer, ’cause this one’s almost gone.

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Our condolences to the families, friends, and units of these fallen warriors:

  • Capt. Matthew P. Manoukian, 29, of Los Altos Hills, California, died Aug. 10 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
  • Gunnery Sgt. Ryan Jeschke, 31, of Herndon, Virginia, died Aug. 10 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
  • Staff Sgt. Sky R. Mote, 27, of El Dorado, California, died Aug. 10 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
  • Staff Sgt. Scott E. Dickinson, 29, of San Diego, California, died Aug. 10 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
  • Cpl. Richard A. Rivera Jr., 20 of Ventura, California, died Aug. 10 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
  • Lance Cpl. Gregory T. Buckley, 21, of Oceanside, New York, died Aug. 10 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
  • Pfc. Andrew J. Keller, 22, of Tigard, Oregon, died Aug. 15, in Charkh, Afghanistan when enemy forces attacked his unit with small arms fire.
  • Staff Sgt. Eric S. Holman, 39, of Evans City, Pennsylvania, died Aug. 15, in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when he encountered an enemy improvised explosive device.
  • Pfc. Michael R. Demarsico II, of North Adams, Massachusetts, died Aug. 16 in Panjwa’l, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when he encountered an enemy improvised device.
  • Spc.  James A. Justice, 21, of Grover, North Carolina, died Aug. 17 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany from injuries suffered on Aug. 14 from enemy small-arms fire in Wardak province, Afghanistan.

So This Happened…

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So this happened:

My new ride

My new ride

Frankly, I’ve been tempted by BMW ever since I spent a few days driving a 325 while visiting with my folks a couple of years back. But it took this long to execute on the temptation. The Prius was such a sane, safe choice: great gas mileage, some fun bits of technology built in, and … great gas mileage. But while it is only three years old, it was starting to get rattly and junky – primarily plastic things on the interior failing. The driver’s seat starting to come apart. Stuff like that. And frankly, it’s not a fun car to drive.

The ’12 BMW 328i seems to be pretty good on the mileage front (nowhere near the Prius, but I’m gunning for high 20’s/low 30’s), it’s a solidly Munich-built F30 sedan with the Premium package. Marcia thinks it’s boring because it’s white, but I like white because it’s understated, it doesn’t look dirty 10 minutes after washing the way a dark color does, and better visibility – other drivers can see me better.

I got the model with the premium package for but one reason: The way the seat cushions sat in the shell of the manual seats was immediately uncomfortable and painful for me to sit in, digging into my left thigh. Probably just an interaction between me, my height and weight, and that particular seat design. The same model year car with the power seats was comfortable. And to the eye, they looked identical in the areas that bothered me. Weird. Still, didn’t pay for navigation. There’s bluetooth integration for the phone (but to use the iPod features of the phone, I have to plug in).

The car is seriously fun to drive, even sedately. Marcia drove it home from the restaurant the other night, and she enjoys the car, too. She thinks it’s a very grown-up car for us to have. Oh, yeah … and I have a sunroof again. What will I miss from the Prius? The gas consumption, surely, and the backup camera.

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In other news, I get to keep my job. Yeah, also understated. I just had my annual review, and the company seems pleased with my continued dedication to and quality of work. It’s nice that I got a little bump in the paycheck, but as I told Russ, it’s really all about the facts that I enjoy my work and the people that I work with immensely. And that’s what it’s really all about, folks.

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In other, other news, class starts tomorrow. All things being equal, unless I screw something up or the school’s computer systems go insane and decide I need more classes: I’ll be finished on 16 December, and graduating with a 4.0 (at least as far as all the classes I’ve taken since I started at UMUC in 2008 are concerned). Hooraw! Wish me luck.

Day Six

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According to the historical records, this is in fact the 7th day. But in this much more specific and present-tense circumstance, this is the sixth day of my summer cold. It was never really a sinus thing, it seems to have skipped from throat straight to ears with only a by-your-leave to the nasal passages. My left ear was pretty plugged for a couple of days, and while that seems to have slightly abated, some of the pressure and all of the ringing is still in the hizzouse. The quality of my focus is suffering, too. I actually took a couple of days off work, but this thing is whacking my ability to sleep soundly, go me!

Number 2 … you’ll have noted the new theme. I was tired of the old one, most especially the part where the body wasn’t wide enough for some pre-formatted text. I’ll probably end up writing my own theme one of these days, after I’m done with school … a scant four months from this upcoming Thursday, I’m just sayin’.

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Our condolences to the families, friends, and units of these fallen warriors:

  • Cpl. Daniel L. Linnabary II, 23, of Hubert, North Carolina, died Aug. 6 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
  • Petty Officer 3rd Class Clayton R. Beauchamp, of Weatherford, Texas, died Aug. 7 when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device while conducting a dismounted patrol in the Shaban District, Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
  • Maj. Walter D. Gray, 38, of Conyers, Georgia, died Aug. 8 from injuries suffered during a suicide bomb attack in Kunar province, Afghanistan.
  • Spc. Ethan J. Martin, 22, of Lewiston, Idaho, died Aug. 7 in Koragay, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when he encountered enemy small-arms fire.
  • Maj. Thomas E. Kennedy, 35, of West Point, New York, died Aug. 8 in Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when he encountered an insurgent who detonated a suicide vest.
  • Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin J. Griffin, 45, of Laramie, Wyoming, died Aug. 8 in Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when he encountered an insurgent who detonated a suicide vest.
  • Master Sgt. Gregory R. Trent, 38, of Norton, Mass., died Aug. 8 in Bethesda, Maryland, from wounds suffered July 31 in Baktabad, Afghanistan, when enemy forces attacked his unit with small-arms fire.