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The new slogan has been a sorce of ridicule out here in Afghanistan. "Army of One" was bad enough. The joke about that one went "Army of No One". Believe me, that's exactly how you feel at times. What a waste of five million dollars (supposedly how much the goverment paid for that piece of crap). I demand a refund on that. It isn't just the bad syntax and semantics, but it just doesn't make any point or sense. I say keep the "Army of One" slogan. As much as a joke that one has become at times, it still held a lot of meaning and symbolism. Quick, get me some C-4. The new Army slogan is need of being fixed.

I was reading today about Call of Duty 3 in Stars & Stripes (the newspaper for U.S. military here in Afghanistan). I was wondering if you are a part of that project. I like some of the new upgrades and features that's going into it.

I was surprised by my list: 1. Olympia, Washington 2. Tacoma, Washington 3. Ogden, Utah 4. Cheyenne, Wyoming 5. Salt Lake City, Utah 6. Great Falls, Montana 7. Kent, Washington 8. Anchorage, Alaska 9. Missoula, Montana 10. Spokane, Washington 11. Idaho Falls, Idaho 12. Fort Collins, Colorado 13. Bellingham, Washington 14. Seattle, Washington 15. Prove-Orem, Utah 16. Loveland, Colorado 17. Colorado Springs, Colorado 18. Boise, Idaho 19. Denver, Colorado 20. Boulder, Colorado 21. St. George, Utah 22. Chattanooga, Tennessee 23. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 24. Roanoke, Virginia NO OREGON??? Well, Washington is bit more conservative than Oregon. As for all the Utah and Idaho cities, I guess I should have been a little more lax on the subject of religon. I may be a little wayward from Mormon standards at the moment, but I still find comfort from their communities. Honestly, I could easily find myself living in most of these cities. Except for St. George, Utah. I've been there and it's hotter than hell.

Don't know what movie that's from, but I've heard similar statements from people I've met in the military. One of my favorite lines: "You might have a terrible headache in the morning, but until then, sleep well and dream of large women."

Only two words come to mind: BEEN THERE.

It's been so long since I've had alcohol, I can't remember. (Unlike the military units from other countries, we're not allowed to drink alcohol. It sucks.)

^ Making me dizzy. < Don't have weekends v Taking a holiday.

No, but I have seen the vidoes. (Looks like a great ride!) Would you sell your soul for a chocolate chip cookie?

If the US Army did not already own my soul, I'd sell it for a spot on the Japan trip. I just have no luck when it comes to lottery. Oh well, I've got my fingers crossed.

With my sister and her family living in one of the suburbs of Salt Lake City, I usually find myself out there once or so a year. True, Lagoon is not the greatest park in the world, but it's not worse either. I find the price is really reasonable, the lines--even on peak days--are not insanely long, and though most of the rides don't stand out, they don't blow either. I do enjoy myself whenever I'm there, and I will say over the years the park as improved on the quality of the rides. Actually the best parks in Utah are not the amusement parks, but the state and national parks like Bryce Canyon, Arches National Monument, and Zion's Canyon.

This came up in the office the other day, and today some were just having a little too much fun with it. I'm so not mentioning the name they gave ME! (This IS a PG-13 forum.)

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Bachman books. Stephen King first wrote under the pen name of Richard Bachman. "The Running Man" was a lot better than that dumb Arnold Schwarzennegger flick and "The Regulators" is ten times better than the "Desperation" verison. "The Dark Tower" series is my favorite, though I'm still debating whether I like the ending or not. Just about every one of his books is directly or indirectly related to The Dark Tower. And cudos to him for writing about when he was hit by a van. It's one thing to go through the whole ordeal, but it's quite another to write about it afterwards. "The Stand", in my opinion, is not one of his better books, though it is still a good read. At first, I really did not like how it ended, expecting more of a huge battle between the good and the bad people. It was watching the mini-series that I finally understood why it ended the way it did. (And it was well put together because Stephen King himself wrote the screenplay. He even had a cameo.) The two books I connected with the most was "The Dark Half" and "Needful Things". I know there's a darker side to myself that comes out in my writings.

^ Would name himself Dali. < Dislikes llamas (bad experiences with them on a 50 Mile Hike when I was in Boy Scouts). v Dines on llama-burgers.

I'm planning on flying out from LAX. My brother and his family live just over the hill from SFMM in Santa Clarita, and I'd promised them I'd visit them when my deployment's over. And then of course, there's Disneyland, SFMM, Knott's . . . And thanks for info about flight prices. It gives me a good idea for what I need to budget for and what makes a good bargain.

No, but if that "rock" is a diamond, I'd just might consider it. Have you ever done something incredulously stupid, just because you were bored?

Approximately three or so years, maybe a little more than that. I'm currently in another drought, though it should not be that long.

Fourth Season was the best. Fifth started out great, but then the show turned weird, even for Smallville standards. The fifth season finale was worse than the horrible ending for second season. They really made a mess of a good series with such a pointless and confusing cliff hanger. I doubt they can pull themselves out of the quagmire they created. Bet you they go for the quick bandaid, cheesy fix. I'm hoping that the new season will be better than how the previous ended. That ending was worthy of firing the damned writers!!!

No, but both Walgreen's and Walmart could make a killing here in Kabul, Afghanistan. Have you ever seen a fireworks display in another country?

"Erroneously Stupid People"? No, I don't believe in them. But then again, I have to deal with them on a daily basis. Do you believe in R.O.U.S.?

^ Been there. < Slow shift today. v Watches Smurfs.

Yes, Airplaine! Classic movie. Do you sleepwalk?

Tribbles are born pregnate. Evacute now, in our moment of triumph?

^ Thinking about non-existant coasters. < Duh, I'm on a deployment here. Of course, there's no light at the end of the tunnel. v Wants to take his/her next vacation in Bagdad, Iraq.

Weather forecast for Kabul, Afghanistan: Roasting all day with high winds in the afternoon. Late afternoon will be a duststorm, immediately followed by an evening thunderstorm. Afterwards, the humidity will get to a muggy 20%. Road Block Cafe would like to remind you that all flights are cancelled and all routes are BLACK -- You are free to go nowhere!

That's good news. Internet here in Afghanistan is inconsistent at best and the postal service is just as bad. I have no problems paying for one of the trips, but getting my money in to reserve a spot might be a little tricky. Can I do a pre-emptive strike and send a check now so I can claim a spot on the trip to Japan?