Pinwheels and Orange Peels

Eau de Nike+

Picked up a Nike+ kit for my new (Outside magazine #1-rated) Adidas Supernova Glides after reading Wired's "The Nike Experiment..." article (how's that for product placement?), and went for the calibration run/walk this evening.  It's been so hot here in the corn fields of Illinois that I've had to put off the runs until sunset, but part of the base's path is cushioned and lit, so it shouldn't be too bad, right?

Well...

First, the bugs were bad.  Thousands of them, a great cloud of insecty badness that couldn't help but fly into my eyes, my ears, my mouth, you name it.  Blech.

I didn't see the second issue coming at all.  Here in Illinois it's not uncommon to smell skunk this time of year, since they get hit by cars all the time, leaving that unmistakeable scent to linger for days.  So I thought nothing of it as I started my run and entered a mild cloud of skunk.  Ran a half mile to calibrate the run pace, then switched to walk a half mile for the walk pace.  Set up the iPod for the 1-mile return run to test the calibration (it's a little off, user error).  As I turned the final corner around the end of the flightline, I once again entered the skunky cloud.  This time though, a car was coming up behind me...and I saw a cobra head rising from the grass off to my right.  Only it wasn't a cobra head, it was a skunk's tail, waving ominously and pointed right at me.

I decided I was no longer tired, and evacuated the area quite rapidly.  Thankfully, no tomato soup is needed tonight.  If that car hadn't been behind me though...

Click below to see how Nike+ captured the moment for posterity:

Headlines that make you go "Duh"

That was my first thought when I saw this headline on Fox News:  "Zimbabwe Diamond Mine Violates Human Rights."  No kidding.  You don't say. 

I could have a heart attack and die from NOT SURPRISE!

3.0

Got an original iPhone like me?  Wondering if 3.0 is worth the upgrade?  Worry not - I upgraded mine on day one of 3.0 availability, and it's working just fine, if not better than before.  Battery life is the same, performance is snappy.  How is it that Apple can continue to support, and even improve the user experience of, legacy equipment while nearly all other hardware/software vendors do just the opposite?  It's remarkable.  And Mrs Pinwheel's 3G is also upgraded to rave reviews.

Search, landscape keyboard, Find my iPhone (cool!), and the long-awaited cut/copy/paste are all there, and work with Apple's signature it-just-works awesomeness.

Apple has a handy chart that shows what each generation of iPhone offers what features with 3.0 here (hat tip ars technica).

Sayonara, Illinois

The time has come once again, and the Air Force has issued orders for the Pinwheels family to head across the Pacific to Japan.  It's the first truly foreign country Daisygirl (the lovely and talented Mrs Pinwheels) and the kiddos have lived in.  Should be a fun 3 years, although recent changes in the Logistics Readiness Officer career field mean I'll probably be deployed at least half that time.  Joy.

Still, I've enjoyed my brief visits to Japan, so I'll soak up as much culture as I can when I'm home.

The packers are just about done loading our stuff in crates for the 2-month sea voyage.  We leave soon!

Blood Oranges

We were in the commissary today when I spied one of my favorite fruits.  Mom used to buy blood oranges and mix their juice into a batch of freshly squeezed "regular" oranges to add tartness and color.  I was in luck, because sacks of navel oranges were on sale nearby.  After a quick dinner of tortilla soup I whipped up a batch of Mom's blood orange juice.  Four blood oranges added a nice touch of color and a bit more complexity to the freshly-squeezed juice.  Take a look:

I used our monster Kitchen Aid food processor to do the juicing, so I also got a nice foam on top.  Here's a closeup:

Congratulations

America, you stepped up to the brink and threw yourself off.  Congratulations, you've just elected a man who has never served in the military, never lead a single bill to completion, and never made a decision his handlers did not approve.  A man who believes that making working people poor is good economics.  Who will take money from those who earn it and give it to those that don't.  Why work when I can stay at home, make more babies (how does that happen again?) and "earn" even more?

Texas, you're about to be ceded to Mexico.  Second amendment supporters, your guns are about to be forfeit.  Iraq and Afghanistan?  You're on your own.

America kills 3,000 babies every day.  I assure you, that figure will be far higher in in the years to come.

Sure, our men and women in uniform will come home.  Where they will be forced out of their jobs (thanks for serving!) due to drastic force reductions.  The USAF will not get a new tanker, and the Army will not field next generation vehicles.  Those of us that are left will still care deeply about the security and safety of our country, we just won't have the tools to stop the next devastating terror attack by an enemy once again emboldened by limp-wristed appeasement efforts of a weak Democratic "leadership."

Tomorrow, I'm heading to the Rod and Gun club to apply for my Firearms Owner ID card, where I'll exercise my right to bear arms as a private citizen now, before Obama can take it away.

To those of you who despair as I do now, I urge you to pray for this great country.  We'll need many men and women of faith in the years to come.

Medals

What do you do if you have a gigantic, warehouse-wall-spanning video wall?  Flip to NBC and watch Michael Phelps win his eighth gold medal, of course!  That's right, the CAOC took 30 seconds out of our day to watch history being made, to great cheers.  Then we went back to the serious work again.  It was neat to watch on the BIG screen.

Housekeeping

Doing a little summer cleaning on the blog.  The iTunes list was getting old, so I added a few new treats I've discovered in the past year.  Check them out.

Hot

Hmm, what has Pinwheels been up to?  Offline for months, no replies to comments...must be that favorite of LRO pastimes.  That's right folks, another deployment.  This time to an undisclosed location somewhere with lots of rubble.  And natural gas.  Can't forget that.  Especially on Sunday nights, which is Chinese night at the DFAC.  Whew.

Last time I was deployed, I could have paid some obscene amount to get wireless internet access in my tent.  This time, I'm in a hard billet with a real gym, lap pool, and air conditioning.  And zero commercial internet opportunities for months.  Finally, as I'm within weeks of going home, we get free access at the BX. I'm blogging with about 60 of my closest friends.  Whenever a power outlet opens up there is physical violence.  Approximately 95% of the people here are playing WoW, and the rest are on MySpaceBookTube.

And I get to see the family again.  Have you ever had a videoconference with a 6-year old?  In public?  He loves it when I make faces, or turn on the iChat effects to make my face turn into a jelly bean.  Good times.  Not sure if the rest of the folks think the heat is starting to get to me.

Today was 110 or so.  We thought it was cold at lunch.

So, what am I doing this time?  Warning!  Acronyms!  Working in the Combined Air and Space Operations Center (CAOC), in the Air Mobility Division (AMD).  My Aerial Port Control Team (APCT) of 16 coordinate airlift with the 27 or so aerial ports spread across Iraq and Afghanistan.  You need something or someone moved, and we'll help get it where it needs to go.  We also run a commercial airlift program that augments the military assets in theater.  We've moved tens of thousands of tons of stuff, from helicopters to MREs.  And thousands of MRAPs.  One of the coolest moves was 100 up-armored HMMWVs, which we pulled off in just 13 days.

This was a 6-month tour, and I'm looking forward to returning home.  The new tempo bands dictate I'll get a year home and then be back out here.  Or Georgia, although I hope not.  Can someone say "too big a bite right now?"

Let's see.  In other news, I sold my 1997 328i convertible before I left, and bought a bright blue Honda Fit Sport 5sp.  It's fantastic, and gets mid-30 MPG no matter how you drive it.  The kids fit in the back seat now (which also flips all around) and the dealership doesn't steal $500 from me every time I drive by.  Weirdest part is that after the test drive, my BMW's airbag light came on and stayed on, as if it knew I was getting rid of it.  Is the Fit as cool?  No, but I feel like I bought a hybrid without the hybrid premium.  And, it's appreciating, just like a Prius! And it's nearly as fun to toss into a corner.

Finally, to all the family and friends who have sent letters, care packages, and mowed my lawn, THANK YOU!  We can't do our jobs out here without the incredible support and care your provide to us and our loved ones.

Apple Liberals

It's sad but true: I've been using Apple products for about 5 years now, and I always get an icky feeling when I hang out on sites like MacDailyNews reading the comments.  Sure enough, someone always manages to turn the latest Apple news into a wacky liberal Bush-hating rant.  Now some researchers have gone and released a study claiming to show that "Mac People" are more open-minded and liberal than the unwashed, Windows-using masses.  To that I say "meh."

I think it gives Apple the wrong stink, and it's a shame because the products are fantastic, be you conservative, liberal, or somewhere in between.  I figure the only thing to do is continue to praise and use the products around my not-so-liberal friends, and someday we might change the culture of freakiness that still clings to the company.

Commitment

I'm a car nut (just ask this lovely gal).  That fact doesn't usually collide with my staunchly conservative, pro-family values, but when I saw this commercial I was shocked to see such a strong pro-family statement within:

Wow.  "Whatever happened to commitment?  To standing by our decisions?"  Contrast that with the Ford Motor Co's ardent support of gay activism.  Ford's support of the gay agenda eliminates any Ford, Volvo, Jaguar, Mazda, Lincoln, Mercury, or Land Rover from my consideration.  My sis-in-law is considering Hyundai's new Veracruz SUV.  And I like the look of the forthcoming Genesis.  What do you think?  Does (or should) a pro-family commercial affect your potential likelihood of choosing a particular brand?

Steve Jobs Killed the HD-DVD/Blue Ray Star

Steve Jobs/Apple just ended the high-def format war by killing both opponents with a single blow.  HD rentals right through the Apple TV with no computer needed to sync.  HD movies with 5.1 surround sound right to your TV.  For $3.99/$4.99.  I'm sure they'll eventually let you buy them.  If you were thinking about getting a high-def DVD player this year, don't.  It'll be OBE in 6 months.

UPDATE: And the new price is only $229!!!  I might drop cable and just go internet-only...

Consumer Stuff

I love what the intertubes have done for the plugged in consumer.  Sure, Google gives you 1.5B search results, but the first few are usually all you need.  And online shopping has reduced the need to hunt the elusive parking spot at the mall before Christmas.  I've recently started using two sites in particular that are there to serve the modern consumer.

The first one is called The Consumerist, and they post all kinds of tips and stories from ticked off consumers, then follow up with CEO/upper mgmt contact info and escalation tips and techniques.  It's the internet version of your local news media lambasting a business for poor treatment of a consumer.  Unfortunately, I'd also rate it "R" for strong language at times, so use at your own risk.  Still some good info there.

The second one, and the one I find myself sucked into for hours on end, is Consumer Search, and while they've been around since 2000, I never stumbled across them until recently.  I was looking for reviews on pressure washers, and of course was stonewalled by the subscription-only Consumer Reports when I found Consumer Search (CS).  CS does the research for you, and presents it in a well-thought and well laid out format for easy decision-making.  They hit Consumer Reports among others, and also take the user-supplied feedback on sites like Amazon.com and epinions.com into account.  They are kind of hit-and-miss for some of the items I wanted to see research on, but they had a lot of good stuff, too.  And most of it is pretty up to date.  For example, I looked at their "best used sports cars" page and found this:

The following   report was originally published on ConsumerSearch to cover new cars manufactured   and sold in the 2005 model year, and so can offer a good guide as   to which cars from past model years are good bets as used vehicles. We are keeping   this report on our site as a convenience to our readers who may be shopping   for a used car.

Although they didn't take reliability into account for the used cars, the above statement tells me they don't let their older reviews languish as new content is added.  Highly recommended.

Dereliction of Duty

Listen up, fellow convertible owners.  It's spring.  The weather is perfect for a little top-down cruising, even if it's only 10 minutes to get home.  Put your top down.  Leave it down.

I think convertible owners should be required to drive with their top down if the weather demands it.  It should be a ticket-able offense to buy a pretty little top-down auto and then drive with it up on perfect days.  It's just wrong.  Give it to someone who will actually use it for it's intended purpose if you're just going to leave it up.

During this time of year weather underground is my home page.  I check it throughout the day to make sure no rain is on the way.  I find excuses to run errands just to hop in and let the breeze blow through my...well, caress my shaved head.  My rule:  top down between 65 and 95 degrees F, unless there is rain in the forecast.  I went 5 or 6 days last year without putting the top up at all.  And I keep a hat and fleece in the car for sun/cool nights.

I'm a nut.  But I'm a happy nut when the top is down.  I love this time of year.

Stoney Creek Inns (or, How I Found my Purpose in Iraq)

I was originally going to title this post "Long Story Long," so that should give you some idea here.  Go get a cup of coffee and a sandwich, because this one is worth reading through to the end.  I promise.

CMOC

The Civil Military Operations Center (CMOC) is a little facility located along one wall of the Victory Base Complex (VBC).  The VBC, you may recall, is where I spent a few month last year.  While my primary job was supporting logistics operations at one of the busiest military airports in the world, anyone on the VBC can volunteer to help out at the CMOC during their few precious hours of downtime.  The CMOC handles a lot of business with the local community, but a while back they decided to put an old town hall to good use as a free clinic for any local who comes in.  Military doctors provide free medical care nearly every day of the week there.  The non-medics that volunteer (myself included) play with the kids on the swingset or soccer field, hand out candy and toys, and help organize the donations tables.

The donations come in from all around the world, and each family that asks for one receives a bag filled with age-appropriate clothing, school supplies, and toys.  You can tell which kids have been to the CMOC before by what type of clothes they have on.

OK, decent story so far.  Nothing you haven't heard from a thousand other blogging troops.  Military folks roll in, give out candy and free medical care, win hearts and minds, etc.  But there's more...

Stoney Creek Inn

You may recall a brief dust-up in the MSM about a group of hotels in the midwestern US that dropped CNN from the cable TV offerings after CNN aired the terrorist propaganda sniper videos.  I supported their decision and took a few minutes to dash off a quick thank you on the Stoney Creek Inns feedback page.  I didn't expect any response back, so you can imagine my surprise when I got a personal email from the owner of the company thanking me for my service and letting me know they "had my back" while I was over there.  The last line offered to send me something and asked for my shirt size.

After mulling over how to respond to that for a few days (we need precious little over there), I responded that while the offer was kind, I didn't need anything, but if he still wanted to send something, how about sending a few soccer balls for the CMOC kids?  I also sent him a photo I'd taken, and a little bit about the CMOC.  One of the most-requested items from the kids was a "futball," but we usually only had a couple to give out each week, with 30 or 40 kids asking for them.

I didn't get a response, so I figured he was busy with the press and probably had more important things going on.

Boy, was I wrong.  I returned to the office one afternoon a couple of weeks later to find three huge boxes sitting in front of my desk:

They were marked "SCI," and my First Sergeant, Commander and I couldn't believe what they'd sent.  Inside the first box we found a dozen new soccer balls, an electric pump, and some hand pumps.  The second box contained brand new running shoes in all sizes from kids to adult, and the final box had 40 new soccer balls.  We just stared at the bounty in amazement, shocked at the kindness and beauty of the gift.  I get teary typing it up now, several months after the fact.

The next time we visted the CMOC I took over 60 soccer balls in several bags.  We left them on the bus to avoid being mobbed, and when the kids had settled down from our initial arrival I took them out and handed a soccer ball to every single child.  They'd never had that happen before.  It was incredible.  To be able to say "yes" to every kid was a gift better than any sweatshirt.  We even gave some to the Iraqi Army troops hanging out in the parking lot, and the adult-size shoes went to the 1st Iraqi Air Force located just down the flightline from Sather AB.

All this from a couple of emails sent around the world.  The power of the Internet sparked an outpouring of kindness from strangers, and brightened the lives of some of the world's most downtrodden children.  I wish I could post the photos I took during the handout, because the smiles on those kids faces would melt the hardest heart.

So if you're traveling through any of these cities and need a place to stay for the night, give the Stoney Creek Inn a try, and think about the lives they touched halfway around the world.

I did a lot of things over in Iraq, but I never expected a couple of emails to so affect the lives of everyday Iraqis.  We moved thousands of tons of cargo, millions of gallons of jet fuel, and hundreds of thousands of troops, but I think what the Stoney Creek Inns and I did may have mattered more than all of that combined.  And I'm humbled to have been a part of it.

Two Nights Wasted

I consider myself somewhat tech-savvy, having grown up with a C-64, 486, Pentiums of all kinds, and every Windows version since 3.1.  But I can't get Windows XP or Vista to install in Boot Camp, and I can't get my educational version of WinXP to install under VMware, although I do have Vista running virtualized.  It's pretty snappy, too, even with my paltry 1GB RAM.  But 3D doesn't work, so no Aero for me.

I've wasted two nights trying to slipstream SP2, virtualize XP, or Boot Camp XP, to no avail.  I thought I could try installing XP in VMware, but when I attempt it the version of XP I have asks me to insert a previous version, which I have (the original Win95 disk that came with our first "real" computer), but VMware doesn't allow the XP installer to eject the disk.  I tried everything I could think of to make it work, but in the end I'm out of luck.  The sad thing is, all I want to do is run Guild Wars so I can play online with my brother.  Is that too much to ask, Apple?  Is it?

*pout*

OK, so VMware virtualization of Vista is pretty nifty.  I had some problems with some programs not recognizing my DVD drive, but that was easily remedied by simply dragging the files into OS X and burning them there.  It's neat to seamlessly transition between two operating systems.  But still no Guild Wars.

Well, I'm ticked now

No, I'm not blogging this from Vista-on-Mac.  I got Boot Camp installed, the driver DVD made, and the Vista partition all set, but when I try to boot the Vista DVD to install it I get no video out of my ATI 1900XT.  I tried swapping outputs, running to VGA instead of DVI, and restarting many different ways.  No dice.

I'm ticked.  I know it's beta software, but don't advertise to the world that "Macs run Windows" if I can't get the top-shelf Mac to do so.  So my hard-earned cash resulted in a fancy coaster until Leopard is released, assuming Leopard has fixed the issues by then.

Next up, Windows XP on VMware's Fusion.  It's not as good, but I might be able to play Guild Wars then.  Why didn't I install XP instead of Vista?  I don't have an SP2 disc.  VMware will let you install just about anything.

Boot Camp

I finally got my copy of Windows Vista Home Premium today (no thanks to UPS - more on that later), so I'm going to do the Boot Camp thing and install Windows on my Intel-based Mac Pro.  My next post (if all goes well) will be from Firefox-on-Vista-on-Mac.

Here goes.

I'm baaaack

OK, I'm back from Baghdad, settled in to work/home/church life again, and I've got lots of things saved up to blog about.  Should keep me busy for a week or so, at least.

Lots of things happening on the tech side of things.  I've gone all-Mac (finally!), so I'll be sharing some of that experience.  Surprisingly, it hasn't been all good (gasp!), but I still love it.

Lots of things going on at work--when I left for Iraq my Division had solid civilian and senior NCO leadership, but when I returned I'd lost several key civilians and most of my senior NCOs are retiring or already gone.  It's been interesting.  Top that off with an interview with my one-star senior rater General yesterday and things have been "interesting," to say the least.  Oh, and I pinned on Major four days after I returned.

OK, this is bad.  It's been so long since I've even looked at PaOP that I've forgotten if I've already told you that.  Stand by.

Nope, hadn't told you that yet.  My parents and brother came up for the promotion.  My folks have been to every promotion (and my commissioning, where my Dad did the honors), and this time it was even cooler because I'm now the same rank my Dad was when he retired.

Eww, realized that the theme I'd chosen made the site look pretty ugly when photos are introduced.  I like big photos.  Bye-bye nice predefined theme, hello not-so-nice but easier-to-manage custom theme.  I'm thinking of giving up typepad and moving to .mac, but I'm not sure how painful that move will be, or if I"ll be able to take this content with me.  More research needed, I think.

Departed Oscar?

OK, you heard the movie "The Departed" won for best motion picture at the Oscars, and the director and script won awards, too.  So you added it to your Netflix queue or figure you'll rent it at some point.

Don't.

If you have a shred of decency this movie will cut it out of you and stomp up and down on it.  If you have more than a shred of decency you'll be sickened by it.

I watched "The Departed" after a "friend" gave it too me to watch while I was deployed, saying "check this one out, it's really good."  How wrong he was.

Wall-to-wall, sickening violence.  Over 200 uses of the f-bomb.  The dialog is so overloaded with profanity, and the "Boston" accents so overwrought, that it might almost be comical if not for the way it bludgeons you from the opening scene to the final credits.  Drug and alchohol use/abuse.  Prostitution and illicit sex.  Torture.  And no one wins in the end.  You can't watch this movie without feeling like you need a shower afterwards.

I mentioned this to a Christian friend afterwards and he had a one-word review for me:  "Depraved."  Yeah, that sums it up nicely.