Belated…I’m such an ass – wrapped up in the nothingness that has become the majority of what I do out here, I didn’t even realize that it’s been a year since the passing of the late great Hunter S. Thompson…oddly enough, I’m reading the collection of his columns that he wrote for ESPN.com’s Page2 (check the right column) which is exactly where I ran in to the good Doctor when I got back to my place after work…they had a little picture of Dr. Gonzo and his wife, Anita, had written a short letter about spending the Super Bowl without Hunter…check it: Anita’s Column …it’s weird cause the book they grabbed to read and reminisce about him is what I’m reading now…and the court case she’s talking about is one thing that has constantly intrigued me since reading it in I think “Songs of the Doomed” and now in “Hey Rube” - felony murder folks - look it up - it's very Bush-esque…anyway gotta respect the man (the Doc that is)…and he always stood for SOMETHING and refused to idly stand by… he lived HIS life the way HE wanted…and, as Anita writes, “as he always said, ‘It’s wrong when it stops being fun.’” Well said Doc…

Follow up...

Thank you ALL for your prayers and good thoughts...Angela is doing as good as can be expected and is recuperating out in Kuwait...again - thank you all...

You tell ME...

"Finally, tonight, the Winter Games. Count me among those who don’t like them and won’t watch them ... Because they’re so trying, maybe over the next three weeks we should all try too. Like, try not to be incredulous when someone attempts to link these games to those of the ancient Greeks who never heard of skating or skiing. So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world’s greatest athletes, despite a paucity of blacks that makes the Winter Games look like a GOP convention. ...for God’s sake, let the games begin."

This from Bryant Gumbel…one of the whitest black dudes you’ll surely EVER see. He’s made no efforts with regards to race relations that I’m aware of and suddenly he’s spouting off about how the Winter Olympic Games are racist due to the lack of black athletes…suddenly he’s “taking a stand.” – Good for him...

Meanwhile a guy from the city of Chicago was busy fulfilling his dream…winning Gold in the 1,000 meters…just a regular guy who worked hard, practiced daily, dreamed nightly and merely smiled and gave a quick wave when he accomplished it all…Shani Davis, after no doubt suffering through years of mental torment and “teasing” because of his choice to try and skate faster than anyone else in the world despite his blackness…Hell, he’s supposed to be playing basketball right? Catching a football or something – right Bryant?...don’t be confused here folks – while he no doubt took a lot of crap from young white kids he most certainly heard the loudest criticisms from what should have been some of his loudest supporters - and friends for that matter - young African Americans…

This racial nonsense just boggles me…a respected young black television personality like Gumbel sits on his rather popular sports show on HBO lamenting the lack of black athletes in the Games rather than taking an opportunity to highlight the Gold Medal potential an athlete of said race…Rather than show the difficulties and struggles Davis went through just to stick to his chosen sport, and rather than highlight the fact that Davis was shooting to become the FIRST African American gold-medalist EVER – he chose to try and steal a couple headlines (which he did) and in my opinion try and label everyone participating in or endorsing the Games as a bunch of racists…I just don’t get it…

About a month or so ago I happened to catch Morgan Freeman sitting down with Ed Bradley on an installment of 60 Minutes…two prominent, well respected Black males…I watched as they touched on many topics and was intrigued by how REAL both of these men were…just regular people while they sat and talked…then, just like sports, or acting or the presidency – race came up…I remember being struck by how poignant and straightforwardly the subject was approached…a line that I’ll most likely remember for a long while came from Freeman… “the best way to deal with race, and racism, is just to stop talking about it.” In essence – the more we talk about it, or throw it around like a weapon of sorts – the more we perpetuate the overriding issue at hand…the more we sit here and use it a reasons or excuses for everything, the more and longer this cloud is going to rest over ALL of our heads…

I guess that’s why all this race stuff just makes me frustrated, confused and PISSED off…frustrated that this crap is still going on - confused that people STILL can't just get passed something so trivial - and pissed that it's just accepted as apart of our daily lives...

And even more so when I watch a young successful black athlete reach his goal while another successful black man is on the other side of the world sitting in his posh home with his white wife trying to suddenly act like he is a voice for the “plight” of the black man when he had an opportunity to highlight the skater’s merits and triumphs…

No doubt though, that as soon as the Games are over Gumbel will bring Shani Davis on his program to wax poetically about what a shining light he is for all the hopeful young black athletes who wish to take part in the Winter Olympics one day…

In other news – a 7-foot-tall white-dude from Germany just won the NBA three-point contest…

Angela…
I found out this afternoon that someone very near and dear to my heart will have to undergo surgery Tuesday…Angela, my beautiful former fiancé, is currently deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (no she wasn't hit by an IED or anything like that)…after a series of doctor visits it has been determined that she will need to undergo surgery to avoid a worse scenario in the future…while it hurt to hear - and know that I’m stuck so far away and can do nothing – I didn’t know what to say…getting off the phone though I realized that I needed to leave the office and go “home”…I became aware as I was leaving that my soul hurts…

It’s a very deep – almost hidden – kinda pain that you know is there, but it slides upon you when you least expect to grab hold…it was all I could do to walk all the way back to my place without crying uncontrollably…kinda like pain that comes along with a bruise…you know it’s there…and when something hits it, it starts throbbing and hurting like crazy…and you try to remember to try harder not to hit it on anything ‘til it’s completely healed…I’m very worried for her, I know this is very hard for her…and it kills me that I am way out here…I owe her much and can do nothing but sit here…but I’m getting away from the point…

Angela is most likely scared, and most certainly going through some pain that my wounded soul cannot compare to right now...you are though, the strongest person I've ever known and I know you'll get through this…I just wish that I could do something for you…I hurt very much right now for not being able to do SOMETHING to make it better Beautiful…

So, for what it’s worth, I ask that all of you (whoever reads this stuff that I write) say an extra prayer for her today, tomorrow – the week for that matter…pray for a successful surgery and a speedy and painless recovery…pray that she overcomes this as admirably as she has with so many other things that she has been forced to cope with throughout her life…

Thank you…

Words…

Well – it’s been nearly a week, and while I wish I had something compelling to say or talk about – I don't…so here goes yet another post about random topics that slip in to my head...enjoy...

The winter games’ are apparently taking hold with such wonderful participants as Bodie Miller, who would be the poster-boy for his sport – that is if his sport actually warranted a poster…and Michelle Kwan who couldn’t even legitimately qualify for her “sport’s” event…whatever…

Yippie…here’s hoping the Olympics are employing the same tactics as the Super Bowl in order to keep people talkin' – that is – hiring worthless officials who will undoubtedly make insane judgments to infuriate everyone but the victors…that’ll keep it interesting I guess…

As for me…it’s freggin’ cold…I posted a while back something about how cold it was and I went on and on about freezing and life suckage – and yada yada yada…well – it is now officially COLDER…damn…it suddenly snowed Tuesday morning and didn’t stop for quite a while…the fun part is, that after it snows here we all know that the next couple days will undoubtedly bring well-below-freezing temperatures, thus turning all snow in to treacherous ice…the fun part is that this ice is EVERYWHERE…

You will walk to nearly everywhere you go here in Korea…driving is a bit of a “luxury” especially as a Soldier…so you’re guaranteed to walk at least a mile through the course of any given day...this fact – coupled with the fact that I live FAR from my office and have to walk up steep steps and down a big hill (or vice-versa to get back) just to get to work – I busted my ass – yes, I made it nearly all the way to the office and while walking across what appeared to be clear pavement I found a lone patch of unseen black-ice and busted my ass…quality…

You all know that feeling…

It happens and you get up as quick as possible…quickly glance around to see if anyone saw you…and whether they did or they didn’t - you move out quick – nothing to see here folks…

Quality…

Korea in February ladies and gents…don’t bust your ass…

Meanwhile – after putting in some late hours (and three or four days) coming up with an innovative cover for the next magazine – I’m casually told yesterday that it’s probably gonna have to change…that – along with the fact that I’ve set a nice deadline, and schedule for the next edition to keep my writers focused – I’m told it’s probably gonna get pushed back…no decent reason – just, “we may need to do this.” I love it…

So – I stopped caring and left at three Thursday and Friday…piss off…

What else, what else….oh – I’m standing outside of my Lt. Colonel’s office this afternoon after compiling some (what I think) were high-speed questions for the Army Lt. General in charge of personnel (he decides who goes where and who does what)…my Captain walks in and smiles/laughs weirdly at me and points…to wit I say – “what I do?” – and he smartly responds “it’s not what you DID, it’s what you’re gonna DO.” And then proceeds to go in to the Colonel’s office, hand him something and shut the door…CLASSIFIED – I’m told…

Slowly I watch as the leadership in my office learns from each other what is going on – and I keep casually asking – “HA! Hey, what’s up sir – throw me a freggin’ bone!”...nothin’…CLASSIFIED...even my Staff Sergeant who is my direct supervisor (only one rank up) knows now, but “can’t tell me too much”…

Anyway – from what I gather, the department of the Army needs someone of my rank, in my career field, located where I’m at, to go somewhere, at some point in the relativley near future, to do something that is currently a classified…

It’s not like I’m going in to snipe Osama – I’m just a "journalist"…but I’ve done MY share of SHIT already - it's sombody else's turn…the three trips to Kuwait, one to Saudi, and my time in Iraq should count for somethin’ right? Damn…anyway…

Even went and had a beer with my Staff Sgt. and he REALLY can’t tell me…which REALLY freaks me out…there’s nothing I’ve NEVER been able to hear or at least get outta somebody…hell a year before we even left for Iraq I heard about where our unit was “scheduled” to be once things kicked off…and I never had to even go inside the tent…So THIS is kinda freakin’ me out a bit – I have the shitty feeling that I’m headed to Baghdad(or something equally not enjoyable), because I think that if it was anywhere or anything BUT Iraq, my Staff Sgt. would have told me…the thing is – he KNOWS that I’m scared as fuck to go back there…

Whatever it is, it’s apparently not for long from what I gather – but it’s certainly for somethin’ and he know’s what - and for how long - and where - and he apparently knows HE's not goin' – and he's apparently not going to tell my ass…

So – I just text messaged my NCO because I’m now driving myself insane…no response - he usually always responds...and I got nuthin’…stay tuned folks...should be interesting...

One for the Thumb...
(finch's note: i posted a brief thing Saturday with my pick where i not only had the Steelers winning 24-17 - explaining that the four point pre-game spread was nonsense and that earlier in the week i had told my buddy Ian that i would take the Seahawks WITH 17 points...however - that post has been inexplicably deleted by blogger...anyway - i ALSO mentioned in the post that i would be taking Kobe to outscore both teams combined this weekend...he had 35 against the Hornets Saturday evening...well - the Seahawks not only failed to cover the spread they also failed to beat Kobe...please make all checks payable to CASH!...so without further ado)

So the Super Bowl started out here at around 8 in the morning…Me? I started about quarter to 10…oh yeah!…by the way – here in Korea we are given a “training holiday” (day off) for Super Monday as it is…anyway…I woke up to see the score at a paltry 3-0 with Seattle on top…at least I didn’t miss anything…

About this time the Steelers were backed up to a third and 28 or something like that and Ben scrambled away, stood at the line of scrimmage and fired the ball to Hines Ward on the three…a couple plays later Ben “fakes” the hand off and heads for the touchdown – only he looks to have suffered from a sudden occurrence of Caucasian-itis (the inability to jump, brought on by the fact of being a white dude)…there’s NO WAY that that was a touchdown – hell the line judge didn’t call it ‘til after he pulled the ball out and pushed it in to the endzone…whatever – touchdown Steelers…

The Seahawks then demonstrated their inability to manage the clock and run an effective 2-minute drill…halftime score 7-3 Pittsburgh…

I quickly jumped in the shower and then ran down the hill to grab some provisions from the shoppette and some Taco Bell and got back just in time to miss Willie Parker break one for 75 yards to put them up 14-3…and now – a running diary thingy...(all times are from Seoul)

10:38a.m. – 10 minutes after the Parker TD Madden is STILL attempting to explain to us “How he did it…”

10:40 – 3rd and long and the Seahawks give the ball to a back up full back who actually gets the first down…hold on…isn’t Shawn Alexander supposed to be the League MVP? Wouldn’t THIS be a prime situation to use the “best player in the league”…isn’t THIS just another example that Alexander isn’t even the most valuable player on his own team let alone the whole league – just a thought…

10:43 – yet another missed field goal…Seahawks’ kicker Brown apparently went to the Jay Feely school of kicking…awesome…

10:46 – Bus rumbles for 13 yards to just outside the 10…if HE scores you can just chalk up the “W”…the Seahawks already appear to be hanging their heads a bit…isn’t it a little earlier to quit?...it is the freggin’ Super Bowl after all…

Which brings me to this…Does this even FEEL like a Super Bowl? You’ve got Madden and Michaels (how does this happen) jabbering on and on about random things that have nothing to do with anything…and Seattle is playing with all the intensity of a week 5 regular season game…

10:50 – TADA! Happy Valentine’s Day from Ben, who short-arms a pass to Seattle’s Herndon…the receiver was open…oh well – my only question is – how do you not run that interception all the way back for a TD?...no excuse…

10:54 – Doesn’t matter – now we’ve got a ballgame – Stephens in the endzone for 6…

10:57 – Somebody please either take the Liquor or the Pen from Madden…he’s drawin’ a map of something all over the TV and just circled a dude sitttin’ on the bench…jeeze…

Quick question – why are Michaels and Madden standing? – For that matter, why do ANY announcers have to stand? The NFL folks couldn’t spring for two decent chairs for the game – hell, even a stool or something…this has always bothered me…

11:05 – 3rd and 15 – the team with the MVP gives the ball to WHO? Strong again…I confused…

11:08 – Ben just knocked the hell out of a Seahawk linebacker…awesome…then on a similar play to the one that was intercepted earlier on Ben’s short arm throw – he OVER THROWS it…deeeeep breath Ben – you got this man…

11:14 – At the end of the 3rd quarter Kobe is still easily ahead by 11 points with just 15 minutes left to play…easy money…

11:17 – Pitt needed a stop on 3rd and 5 and they leave Bobby Engram wide open…? Suddenly Hasselback looks very much in control of this game…

(cue the jinx)

11:20 – A B.S. holding call against Seattle…dude – they’re already covering the spread – let ‘em play…now a sack – just another case of the refs sucking the momentum from a team…two plays later an interception and then a B.S. 15-yard penalty…when have you NOT been allowed to tackle someone at the feet?...anyone?...answer this please…

11:25 – after seeing a third replay I have to ask – has ANY call this game gone against Pittsburgh? ANY? – you’ve got the Ben “touchdown” in the first half…the phantom holding call just a bit ago…and this below the knee call which just kills you…whatever…

11:28 – TRICKERATION ALERT…these are the things that you can do when half of the players on your team are QBs…just awesome…

11:39 – a little more than six minutes left on the clock and Seattle kicks the ball in to the endzone giving it back to Pitt on their 20…HOW can you just settle and give them the ball back? You’re down by 11…everyone’s fired…and so it was written…HA!

11:44 – 3…2…1…0…0…0…timeout…no delay of game?...yet ANOTHER call for Pitt…this is just boggling me… I guess it’s a bunch of make up for the Indy game…fair enough eh!?

-Madden just pointed out that Charlie Batch was looking through his playchart for a good play to give Ben during the timeout…doubtful John – highly freggin’ doubtful…

11:49 – Ben “fakes” the hand-off and runs for the first down – that looked like the second play that Ben just said “screw the play called, I’m taking this myself”…just good to see…he’s the MVP right now…

11:52 – Now is when the horrible clock management at the end of the 1st half just kills you…instead of working the clock and getting into good field goal range, they screwed themselves and ended up missing a 50-plus yard kick…now they’re down by 11 and that just doesn’t seem very likely at this point…

11:58 – MVP!!...MVP!...MVP?...MVP?????– was Alexander even on the field…?

12:01p.m. – So it’s 3rd and long and so of course you throw short to your tight end who has dropped five passes today – of course NOW he not only catches it short of the first down – he manages to stay in bounds to keep the clock goin’ – good stuff…Seattle has apparently NEVER RAN a 2-Minute drill…simply amazing…the fact that one facet of the game (not being able to execute a hurry-up offense and manage the clock) can just crap on your entire season…

12:03 – Hooray for Bill Cowher – Hooray for Jerome – Hooray for Pittsburgh…good to see…it’s been a long time comin’…Hooray for Ian too...screw you to Tom - you're not really a Steelers fan...

- At this point the MVP of the game either has to be Ben, Randle El or the Seattle offense’s 2-minute drill…

- Shot of the day goes to: Pitt owner Mr. Rooney congratulates Joey Porter who, rather than shake the man’s outstretched hand, attempts to give the 80 something year old what can only be described as bumping fists or “dap” if you will…AND THEY PULL IT OFF!...simply outstanding – in the words of Manny Ramirez – “it’s just destination!”

- The only thing that would have made the presentation better would have been if Cowher (aka Sgt. Slaughter) pulled a Stone Cold Steve Austin and standing on the edge of the podium began screaming for people to start tossing him cans of beer – followed by him catching them, slamming them together and taking them to the dome…THAT – would have been GREAT!...

- Now I have to go make sure that my Soldier – a Seattle native – isn’t laying in a ditch somewhere out here in Seoul…mahalo!...

Battle hardened...

This cartoon apparently ruffled many a feather over the last couple of days...it was sent to me by my sergeant with the note “what do you think of this?”…fair enough…

A “Soldier” with his/her legs and arms completely gone, while a “doctor Rumsfeld” casually (and obliviously, callously, un-caringly) charts the damage up to nothing more than being “battle hardened”…

Funny? – not so much – but poignant – yeah, I’ll give it that…

Attached with the email was the letter “from” an outraged Joint Chiefs of Staff signed by all the services’ respective representatives…they’re all apparently pissed…

“Using the likeness of a service member who has lost his arms and legs in war as the central theme of a cartoon is beyond tasteless,” they wrote. “We believe you owe the men and women and their families who so selflessly serve our country the decency to not make light of their tremendous physical sacrifices.”

Outstanding…yet another fine example of MISSING THE POINT…

The cartoon was depicting the helpless VOLUNTEER SOLDIER of today having been maimed by the horrible hazards of our country’s war on terror while the leadership (ie: Doc Rumsfeld) stands by dispassionately…that was the POINT…

Meanwhile – the very leadership that the cartoon was jesting over ignored Doc Rumsfeld and merely saw a ruined Soldier and took offense…

To ME this letter to the Post merely helped reinforce what the cartoon – in essence – was saying…that not only has the leadership not shown that they care – but that they are completely oblivious (or at least refuse to acknowledge) what/how the troops actually feel…

I’m most likely not allowed to say ANY of this, but I was asked by my leadership what my opinion is – so HERE you go…it’s just very frustrating…

In my honest opinion – when a Soldier, Marine, Airman or Navy personnel becomes crippled after proudly serving their country, the leadership (including Doc) are more worried about how they’re going to recruit the next person to replace said cripple rather than what type of life this volunteer combatant will now be forced to live after serving his/her country honorably… but hey –that’s just ME…