I turned 32 today. One of the outstanding young Airmen on the shift brought in some homemade carrot cake last night. Delicious.

Geez I haven't posted in a while. I better get off my butt this week.

Still alive, but on vacation. I didn't actually go anywhere. In fact, I didn't do anything. Just a week of total relaxation. No work, no blogging... nothing. Life will get back to normal after the Charlie Flight Christmas Holiday Party, which kicks off in a few hours.

Continue reading "I'm still alive"

I'll have some results concerning the target tour photo contest in a day or so.

A few months ago I put together the El-Cheapo Photo Studio. Basically, some floodlights from the hardware store, some fabric thumbtacked to the wall, and a reflector made of cardboard and tin foil. Together with the 20+ year old Minolta X-700, I set out to learn how to do portraits.

This is Brittany, with guitar-man Emmott in the background.

Now that winter is here, I'm fighting off the urge to sit on my butt and do nothing. Perhaps I should fire up El-Cheapo again and do some more portraits.

Now that I have a digital SLR, I can take test shots to see what works, which should make a nice supplement to my traditional style of "winging it" and hoping for the best.

The biggest obstacle right now is desire to hibernate. It's after 0930 right now, and the sun hasn't made it's daily appearance yet. To add insult to injury, the sun doesn't even put in an honest effort this month, failing to rise more than 6° above the horizon at it's highest point. In contrast, New York will see almost five hours more daylight, and the sun will climb around 26° into the sky.

During the summer I find myself running on three or four hours sleep. Now I understand why Ursus arctos horribilis just gives in and takes that long winter nap.

This photo was taken at 0900 this morning. As you can see, the sun doesn't have a nine to five job here in Alaska during the winter.

Continue reading "Not a 9 to 5 job"

Via Nav Source Online, check out this photo of the USS Arizona. It was taken some time in 1916 as the ship moved along the East River.

When I was stationed in Hawai'i years ago, I bought a post card with this photo on it. I keep it with my ticket stubs from the observation deck of the World Trade Center.

Winds of Change has a collection of Pearl Harbor related posts.

Continue reading "Infamy"

Click on the icon to the right to head over to the 2005 Weblog Awards category where this blog was named a finalist. You can vote for me once per day.

I haven't had a chance to post much in the last day or so. I had a huge certification test at work this afternoon, and had to adjust my sleep schedule from the midnight shifts I've been working. Needless to say, it's been a hectic week.

Continue reading "Vote early, vote often!"

Resurgemus has been nominated for a Weblog Award. The polls will open tomorrow, December 5th.

You'll be able to vote once a day, and you'll need Macromedia Flash installed [necessary to prevent cheaters swarm-botting the system].

Look my my site under Best of the Top 6751 - 8750 Blogs...

Continue reading "Resurgemus makes the cut!"

It's hard to believe the media's reaction to the idea of US propaganda during wartime. How on earth could Operation: BODYGUARD have succeeded if the press in 1944 acted as they do today? Someone in Washington should grab a couple of dozen journalists and ship them off to the Army War College for two week course in the history of the media's willing role in military Information Operations. Perhaps when those journalists see how their predecessors acted -- faking wedding announcements of non-existant soldiers; printing phony letters to the editor complaining of rowdy service members who didn't exist; even broadcasting secret messages to the French Resistance, signaling to them to begin their acts of sabotage on the eve of the D-day invasion -- perhaps it would be a wake up call.

Continue reading "Deception"

Celebrated the new rank by having some sushi at Dami's in Anchorage. I'm not very knowledgable about sushi; what I lack in experience I make up for with fearlessness and a huge appetite. I don't care what type of fish it is, or how it's served. Just keep it coming, lady.

I think we scarfed down some octopi, shrimp, tuna, scallops, and a host of some other stuff.

My companion was kind enough to inform me that you don't eat the whole soybean. I thought they were peas, and I was devouring them husks and all.

Continue reading "Sushi"

I sewed on a new stripe today. It's now Technical Sergeant JP. That's E-6 for those unfamiliar with Air Force rank.

This photo was taken by my buddy Brandon yesterday at the Commander's Call.

As I was getting my uniform ready yesterday, I found my ribbons from my first assignment. I also flipped through some old photos of Airman 1st Class JP, with a full head of hair. Now it's Technical Sergeant JP, sans hair.

I take a look around me at work; at the Airmen, and at the tasks they're given each night. I listen to grumbles about taking out the trash, or having to schedule an appointment during their day off. I watch them study for their Career Development Course tests, and the various position certifications.

Then I think back to Airman 1st Class JP's first assignment, around 10 years ago.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.