As you know by now (or should know), I'm deploying to Cuba in about two weeks - therefore effectively forfeiting my ski season as it begins. I'll probably get in a total of ten days for the 2010-11 season.
That being said, I couldn't have asked for better conditions than what I got during my five-day trip last week with Lance Rottger, Eric Yates, Rory Clements and Blake Henderson. There are a lot of people I wish I'd seen or seen more of, but I'm in no position to complain.
For the last four seasons, Lance and I have traveled to Lake Tahoe together and never struck less than five feet of fresh snow during our time in there. Last week was no different as we scored about 10 feet of wet, then dry, then rain and finally that perfect snow I've come to love in California. It was so good I bought an extra day in town and got this footage on my new GoPro camera. What an awesome Christmas gift.
If you hadn't already heard or guessed, Lindsay is pregnant. Seven weeks to be exact and this is what our little "bean" looks like - a mix between an alien and a tadpole but much cuter in that fetal sort of way.
Much like our first time at this, I'll be away for the better portion of Lindsay's pregnancy. Luckily we've both experienced some form of this process while being apart. It's terrifyingly exciting - just as the last few years leading up to this have been. This may be our third trip along this highway, but things are very different. This time they're different in a very good way.
The baby is due what appears to be a couple weeks before I get home from deployment in Cuba.
If you don't know already, I'm preparing for a six-month deployment to Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. I report for duty January 15, 2011.
I've known about this for about six months now and have been making preparations accordingly. There are a lot of reasons to volunteer for this particular deployment and I could cover them for hours. If you really wanna know why I'm doing it - just give me a ring in the next two weeks. Better yet, hit me up while I'm down there. I'll be restricted to the base the entire time doing public affairs work so I oughtta have some time to write an email or two.
Despite being away from my family for six months (which sucks more than you know), I'm excited to do my job again. I'm a college graduate w/ plenty of experience doing more traditional public relations and public affairs. I think GITMO (as we call it) brings a lot of opportunity to both try something new and reintegrate into the Navy - which has been my plan for nearly a year now.
So let's meet up in the next two weeks if you live west of the Washington Cascades - preferably in the mountains.
I forgot to follow up about what happened after I blew the first game of what was my first round of playoffs.
I decided to practice - twice as hard.
The end result was a complete series sweep, having batted a thousand and put up numbers that far exceeded the requirements to win. I essentially did two entire semesters worth of college credit in a week. That's why you couldn't reach me.
And you probably won't be able to reach me any time soon either. This most recent playoff series was just the first. Now it's on to the quarter finals. With each series I complete, I have to up the ante and work that much harder to win. I'm not only out to win this, I'm out to destroy this!
I guess that works for Allen Iverson. I wonder if he ditched practice time to catch up w/ friends and family. Probably not. He prolly just didn't feel like going.
"Hey Iverson, you've got one of the best jobs in the world and make an ass-ton of money. The least you can do is make practice dumb ass. Tell your mom you can't talk - and that goes for everyone else too. You have a job to do."
On that note, I skipped practice and blew the game today. Luckily this was the first game of the series. People don't know this, but they could be yelling the my Iverson rant right back at me. Actually they probably should but they likely won't have the chance. That's because I'll be at practice and games for the next two weeks.
So don't feel bad if I don't answer your call, email, voicemail, snailmail or the front door. Adios Facebook. I don't even have time to tell everyone not to take it personal. Just know that it's not.
About two weeks into my most recent trip to Asia, flakes started flying around ski areas across the Northern Hemisphere. I, however, was too engulfed in shooting photos and doing Navy public affairs in Southeast Asia to notice.
I caught the occasional Facebook or Twitter update, but it never hit me really - until now.
Now that I'm home there's nothing here that even signifies the start of a ski season the way it has for me over the past seven or eight years. No company or person has sent me anything. There's no waiting for my skis to get here or haggling for my assignments for the year from a magazine.
No "free" skis. No "free" magazines, movies, outerwear, goggles, helmet, under layer, tuning, bindings, mountings, ski passes - no nothing. Matter of fact I'm still hassling to get paid for a story I did last January. Now what?
Conversely, I've checked the weather once so far and only at Government Camp on Mt. Hood, Camp Muir on Mt. Rainier and Steven's Pass. I know it's snowing in the mountains right now but I'm not remotely interested in risking my ankle, nor am I packing up my family and broken car to head for the snow. Hell, I don't even have a pair of fitting ski boots. What happened?
No matter how much I love about Cambodia, most Cambodian people people will never feel the same about me or the majority of people from my culture. We are human and do very human things. The local Khmers here in Phnom Penh and the foreigner visitors who frequent this place are not exempt. Their (including me now) relationship of tourist vs. local is really just a Khmer and Western version of any resort town across the globe.
My wallet is the only welcome guest here. My skin color makes me an outcast, thanks to the millions of people who've come here and exchanged money w/ the locals - who have in turn come to expect the equivalent of $100/day from any person who appears to be a foreigner. We're all dressed like Sana Claus to them and have simply come to expect we have a sack filled w/ those $100 bills.
This is a stereotype from both myself and the local merchants here in Phnom Penh. Crude and disrespectful Westerners are only matched in numbers by another set of Westerners who stubbornly insist they're "helping" when in fact they haven't the slightest understanding of what their actions will cause. Hence the anti-Western mentality here.
The vast majority of Khmer people here stubbornly insist I am both rich and obligated to pay more than double what they do for just about anything in this city. Part of me takes sympathy on their lifestyle and I want to donate money to help make their lives different. That's not what happens though. Once you donate, you are expected to give - it becomes your obligation.
I often relate to their situation having lived in a resort town as well. The people who visit and feel they bring something to your hometown are the same people who bring their indifference and attitudes and self-inflated views. The only difference is that we lived there by choice and our choice was so we could participate in recreation. Basically - we were voluntarily poor and living in substandard accommodations for the mountains. Yes. That's a very idealistic lifestyle.
Here the people can work their asses off and make the average wage for their area, kind of like me or Lindsay. We certainly don't make what most of our equally educated/experienced peers makes. We don't have the car or house we really want. All I have to do is press rewind and I'm living in a small apartment w/ no kitchen - just a room w/ a bedroom for my family and I w/ cars we cannot afford to keep running to the jobs we can hardly afford to keep and school we can only dream of attending. At that point I definitely looked at people who had good jobs and suitable living conditions and their shitty attitudes w/ resentment toward their sense of entitlement. I never lost that resentment and hope I never do. No one is promised anything - even Americans. I see those same people here at the Raffles. They are disgustingly content w/ what they consider to be suitable accommodations. In fact, this is the best hotel in Cambodia and essentially the Ritz-Carlton in NYC. No one I know will ever afford to stay there. And I have almost nothing in common w/ people who would stay there or here. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for the U.S. Government.
The minimum wage here doesn't buy what it buys in our country. Even though I feel the ratios between living costs and income are very similar, the acceptable standard quality of life here is just far below our own. This is because of a vast social difference between our society and theirs. Smelling sewage here is acceptable. Living multiple people to a room is acceptable here. Riding two adults and two infants on a scooter bike (by the thousands) is acceptable. Pissing in the road is widely accepted. Corruption and bribery are accepted here. Hundreds dying on the roads everyday because traffic rules are both few and not enforced is accepted. As Americans and Westerners, we have a very difficult time accepting these and many other common norms here. Then we also accept being overpaid for our substandard work, being mass consumers, feeling entitled to healthcare, comforts and our ridiculous "hobbies" that cost enough to educate two generations of one Khmer family. Talk about inequality.
This is where my urge to give money to level the playing field comes back in. It doesn't level the playing field. It breeds more entitlement by people either begging or price gouging. This is the micro example and the U.S. is a perfect macro example.
I feel I understand a lot about the dynamic between locals and visitors here and am very empathetic to the Khmers. However, no matter how empathetic I am, I will never truly understand their perspective and they will never understand mine. That's because we're all human. All the things that make us great are what make us terrible and vice versa. It all depends where you're standing.
We're sharing a hotel and foreign country today. Pleasant surprise.
I'm very interested to learn about her experience at Angkor Wat yesterday vs. my visit last week. What did she think and what kind of affect has Cambodia truly had on her? How much does she know, or actually care, about Cambodia's history and culture. I'm definitely not making assumptions in any direction, but I'm just very curious what her thoughts and feelings are.
What a trip - I have breakfast w/ my boss and discuss a few intellectual topics, politics and my Naval career while the Secretary of State's staff and security detail choke down their breakfast for the next stop on Mrs. Clinton's schedule. This has been a very interesting morning at the Raffles in Phnom Penh.
One thing I can't seem to shake from my mind is wondering what both my (official) and Mrs. Clinton's true roles and affects are here? Why did our mutual boss send us to Cambodia?
This is my last night in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. It's also likely my last assignment with the most incredible group of people I've ever worked with - in or out of the Navy. This is the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) group assigned to Commander Logistics Group Western Pacific in Singapore.
My first trip with this group was in Pattaya, Thailand last July. That essentially served as my reintegration to the Navy after both a disappointing departure from active duty and subsequent four-year hiatus. I resumed my Navy career simply to bring some much-needed stability and security to myself and my family. Being paid to travel around the world on someone else's dollar and shoot photos of people and culture was just the once-in-a-lifetime bonus. By the end of my first assignment with these folks (two-weeks in Pattaya) I'd done the most exciting and rewarding public affairs work I've ever done in my life and forged some of what would become my most cherished personal and professional relationships. I'd also come to the realization that the Navy and I were even. Then they sent me again this past June - this time to where I am now in Cambodia and then on to Singapore. The changes I've made as a result of my experiences, both personal and professional, have changed my life forever. That's no exaggeration. I fell in love with Southeast Asia (specifically Thailand and now Cambodia).
This most recent trip brought me back to the CARAT group again - this time in the Philippines. I'd never been there and experiencing both the work, the Navy and America's long and fascinating relationship w/ the people there and "living the life" just put things over the top. Then there's this trip.
Things have finally come full circle. When my boss here urged me to consider applying for a direct commission to public affairs officer last year I balked and thought he wasn't serious. Tonight we just finished a very good interview that will serve as the anchor of my application package. Wow. I never saw this coming in 1,000 years, but I'm so glad it happened.
This last night in Sihanoukville will end with a beer and a massage - the same way all of this unbelievably good change began 18 months ago in nearby Thailand.
Of all the photos I took on all the trips out here with these folks, I never stopped to take a group photo. So far, that's my only regret.
Today was off to a borderline catastrophic start. Then I got photo of the day on www.navy.mil.
I've had this happen a few times - both photo of the day and having a shitty day. Until now, however, I never realized that as of right now and for the next 24 hours, my photo IS what's happening in the Navy right NOW. Everyone who hits that site (which is millions) are seeing my work.
Lastly, I almost didn't get that shot. The Cambodian officers were all attending opening ceremonies on USS Crommelin's flight deck. W/out any warning, they all bolted for the quarterdeck. I had to push like a running back through them to get ahead and across the brow where I didn't even stop to salute or ask for permission to go ashore. I think the officer of the deck was kind of unhappy about that. Needless to say, I got my shot and now my boss is happy - which means I'm happy.
Today was off to a borderline catastrophic start. Then I got photo of the day on www.navy.mil.
I've had this happen a few times - both photo of the day and having a shitty day. Until now, however, I never realized that as of right now and for the next 24 hours, my photo IS what's happening in the Navy right NOW. Everyone who hits that site (which is millions) are seeing my work.
Lastly, I almost didn't get that shot. The Cambodian officers were all attending opening ceremonies on USS Crommelin's flight deck. W/out any warning, they all bolted for the quarterdeck. I had to push like a running back through them to get ahead and across the brow where I didn't even stop to salute or ask for permission to go ashore. I think the officer of the deck was kind of unhappy about that. Needless to say, I got my shot and now my boss is happy - which means I'm happy.
Stop and think about how fortunate you are and how good your life is and all the things you're working toward. Then think about how fast all of it can and will change. You and I both are more than well-equipped to fuck all of it up. As a matter of fact, we are all but exclusively responsible for all the "getting screwed" that happens to us. I'll admit it.
All the analogies to great athletes and overachievers won't work for this entry. That's because I can't think of a case where the Champ deliberately either hurt himself or risked a match by willingly giving up control of the match or forfeiting strategy and pragmatism. Did Jeter ever deliberately swing strikes on the first two pitches just to make the World Series that much more exciting? Did Jordan ever just hand the ball over to the other team - or better yet score a basket for them?
I did.
The video below is the only one I could find of a fantastic Lil' Wayne song about exactly what I'm thinking about right now. It's not much of a hip hop song so don't be scared by the artist. In fact, I think you'll probably hear what he's saying and relate yourself.
These photos are as about as raw as they can be. I just didn't have time to edit - just wanted to get them out ASAP. The temple is currently undergoing a massive restoration after a couple Chinese and Korean companies attempted to restore it w/ sub-par materials. The result was almost immediate destruction as their cement alternatives turned acidic when it saw its first rain and there after. It's both a frustrating and disgusting situation. Luckily, there are some groups currently restoring what they can. Their work is going to be a very long and arduous process, but this marvel deserves nothing less.
I'll try to take some time over the next couple weeks to rework these into what they can be. In the meantime, enjoy them on my gallery site. Facebook just took too long.
I'm going through the 350 photos I shot in about four hours at the fabled Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia yesterday. The whole experience was intense - the travel was nearly as intense as the temple itself. Despite a healthy lack of sleep, a five-hour bus ride from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, short-fused recall and an all-night ride back - I did the entire trip on just over one day.
As I'm editing the photos, this one stands out to me. Check out the dragon flies, they're everywhere. I'm actually surprised they came out on the photo. Anyhow - no more teasing. I'll keep plugging away and hope to have these up before we leave for Sihanoukville.
I spent last evening drinking it blue - even though I knew it was only gonna get worse by the morning. That didn't lessen my motivation. By the time I turned in last night (around 1 a.m.) the storm was barely breaking ashore. We also expected it to keep moving at about 15 kmh.
Apparently our gender-neutral storm likes it here and has come to all but a complete hault while having tracked about 50 kilometers south of where we thought - putting Manila right under the eye and us catching some pretty serious wind/rain bands. The winds are still very strong. The gusts hitting right now as I type this are at least 50 mph if not more.
At this point we can pretty much count on having the storm around for another 8 hours or so. Until then, the Navy CARAT team is hunkering down (aka chillin' at the hotel beach bar).
My boss while I'm out here on any of these trips, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Mike Morley, is incredibly fit. He's far beyond the average 40-something, military member and/or exercise fanatic. He's a distance runner and overall fitness machine.
I'm definitely not - even though I not only want to be, but should be. I always think of how much better I felt when I was skiing 80+ days every year and hiking my ass off around the Sierras. I took my first step toward being there again this morning when the boss brought me out for my first CrossFit exercise.
Three quarters through it I was hanging over the side of the track we used - puking my brains out. Good times!! Let's see what happens tomorrow.
Here she comes! Typhoon Megi, as she is to the rest of the world, is Typhoon Juan here in the Philippines. According to the international weather stations, the Philippine weather services rename every storm that comes into their Area of Responsibility (AOR). After two weeks here, I'm not surprised at all.
Have no fear here in Olongapo. Even though this beach resort is literally on the water, we're not really expecting much as it's hitting about 150 miles north of us. Just based on my experience here so far of really shotty internet when it's at its best and a power grid based off designs more than a century old. I wish I had a photo to insert here. Even though this resort will weather the storm just fine, I'm still planning on losing power and my precious interweb. Boo hoo right? I could live on the north end of this island, most likely in poverty with an agricultural job (which most likely won't exist tomorrow) and a bamboo hut of a house that probably won't be there tomorrow either.
To be completely honest, sometimes my job just doesn't seem as important as the other people I'm taking photos of or writing about.
Here are these people (like Cmdr. Smith above) who are changing the lives of others. I'm here just taking photos of what it is they do. Imagine being the in the heat of battle w/out a weapon, but with a camera around your neck. It's not a pretty sight. The ones working and doing the fighting don't quite look at you the same - neither do most people for that matter.
All awkwardness aside, I went w/ some of the people I met here to the Bataan war memorial. If you aren't up on history, basically one of the biggest battles in the Pacific happened here - three times within about a three-year span! Many thousands of both Filipino and American Soldiers, Sailors and Marines died fighting here. The Japanese unsuccessfully invaded the first time, but shortly returned to finish the job - resulting in thousands of American and Filipino troops being tortured as POWs by the Japanese. The POWs were marched and tortured/murdered as they marched nearly 30 miles in six days w/ no food and water. They weren't even allowed to stop and relieve themselves - the literally had to piss and shit as they walked. Like I said - it was torture.
The US Navy w/ Admiral Nimitz and Army General McArthur led a MASSIVE attack some years later and took the country back at the Gulf of Leyette. How do we know? Here's how.
The combat photographers of WWII and every battle since made history their legacy. There's a museum inside this memorial - essentially downstairs. I wasn't allowed to take photos - ironically there were almost nothing but photos all around. At that point I realized if you took the military photographer and public affairs professional out of the room (i.e. remove all the photos and writing) you would have a bunch of old guns and uniforms w/ no information.
History is the legacy of the military photographer. Next time you see one - let them know you appreciate their work. As military members we do a lot of really good (and even bad) things for the world. Photography undeniably and exponentially amplifies the effect of our service members' work.
I truly hope I get to see the Araneta Coliseum some time next week. Of the many things to take place there over the past 40-or-so years, it's the greatest fight of the 20th century that draws me in - enough to wanna stand right where it happened.
Fascinating isn't it - how we take something so ugly, violent and brutal and romanticize it till it becomes something of beauty? That's because on some level we can relate. None of us will ever be what either of the two men in this movie were and that's what makes it so romantic. If neither one of these guys spent years training far beyond what any of us is willing to do, there would have been a one-round knockout in Manila, not a Thrilla. Hell, maybe neither would have shown up. Not to mention, any one of us could have fought instead.
Think about how dramatic of a show it would have been had Ali or Frazier walked out and knocked out or even worse, killed, the other one in just a few rounds. It would be even more romantic. This one was ugly and Ali had to do whatever it took to win. In this case it was to lean on the ropes and score points while holding on to go nearly the distance. I hardly think Ali intended for this fight to end the way it did when he was training. He took what he got and he was damn happy w/ what he got.
You can prepare all you want for the fight you're expecting to have, and in some cases your opponent isn't much of a challenge and the surprises are at a minimum - if any at all. You can call the round or point to the outfield. Then there's the Fraziers of the world and even though they lose, they don't lose enough to be predictable. It's the Fraziers that make you happy you win - no matter if it was how you wanted it. It's the winner who did whatever it took and did it better.
There is no Frazier and no Ali in our day-to-day lives. There is no glorious match where one is victorious forever. It's a series of incredible matches and you won't be around for the winning announcement. There is a life-long battle between you and your greatest opponent - yourself. The fight isn't pretty and it's hardly entertaining enough watch, but it's brutal all the same. Not just wanting to, but actually getting in the ring and fighting w/ everything is the process of success. If you aren't willing to get pounded on, don't get in the ring.
My classes are registered and I am now officially beginning the ending of my undergraduate degree. I can't help but begin to reflect on my experience. Simply put, I didn't get what I wanted out of it. A lot of that is because I didn't have what I wanted to give. That's an old formula. However, I didn't expect to get what I did.
I had an interesting thought about and idea I came up w/ a few months ago.
As you probably know - I had the incredible experience of actively visiting Cambodia this summer. My primary job was to shoot photos at various assignments, many of which were at orphanages.
One of two women who ran one of these particular orphanage explained her frustration at how they put all this effort and energy into each one of these kids, only to have their parents come back and bring them to the horrible conditions they came from just a few months before.
I told her what she'd done wasn't in vain. Simply introducing the kids to a better life and allowing them to experience it could be just enough to give them the idea of wanting to achieve more. The same could be said for my education.
I will be thirsty for knowledge the rest of my life, thanks to the quality of what little I got. It was actually a ton now that I look back - using that education of course. My college experience was not what I expected, but couldn't have been more useful for the rest of my life.
It was time to move on from my beloved G10 for a myriad of reasons. The biggest was being able to fit this camera into my pocket. It also retains all the manual functions of the G10 and an SLR. Needless to say I'm a happy camper - but I said it anyway.
This recent upgrade definitely marks the re-invigoration of my interest/passion in photography. Thanks in no small part to Bill Stevenson. I can't even begin to describe how fortunate I feel to be studying under his guidance for this last semester of my undergraduate degree.
I should have stuck this landing and there's one simple reason I didn't. I'm not strong enough. And that doesn't necessarily mean muscle strength, although that is a major part of the equation.
"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights." - Muhammad Ali
Today was was exceptionally interesting on many fronts. First was being able to time a day w/ Lance, who I don't get to see much when the snow isn't flying. He recently completed rehab after surgery on his torn left rotator cuff in time to have his right rotator cuff operated on Tuesday. These surgeries are about four or five years in the making. It's about time. No less, it was great to sit around and geek out on camera stuff all day w/ a good buddy and someone at the same relative skill level as me.
Aside from spending time w/ a good friend, it was the people I met today and their stories that astounded me.
Waiting in line for the ferry from Edmonds to Kingston, I was hoping to use my 90-minute wait time to screw around w/ time lapses on the G10 - which I finally got back from Canon and fully refurbished. Instead, a man wearing a "US Navy Retired" hat stepped out of the van parked in line ahead of me and walked toward me - clearly looking at the base stickers on my windshield. I unintentionally made eye contact w/ him and he came over to talk. First thing I noticed, aside from his hat, was the revolver on his hip.
My first thought was a question about why he felt he wanted it to be so obviously visible. Afterall, he was clearly on some kind of vacation camping trip. I was thrown for a loop by his British Columbia license plates - even more so after he boldly identified himself as a good "Rush-loving" conservative. Why the gun in the holster? Why be so outward w/ constant references to Ronald Reagan and wear your active duty US Navy rank (lieutenant commander gold leaf) on your hat if you're not even living in the US anymore?
It got only more odd as I conversed.
"I've got my 16-year-old daughter with me and we're on a camping trip to Port Angeles," he casually said - although it was clear that was just a segway to something else. I figured he just wanted to talk about his kids and that's just what he did.
"It's been a hell of a week. My 14-year-old-son just took his own life last week," he said.
Imagine sitting in your hippied-out 1980 VW Westfalia van, hoping it won't catch on fire in the hot weather and completely consumed w/ something so benign as making time lapses and then you have this guy standing at your window. As different as we were, we had that one thing in common. His hat said it all.
He went on to tell me how he adopted his son from Russia. The boy was a multiple amputee who seemed to have trouble fitting in. Internet bullying came into play and from what Mike says, it came from the girls his age. Yep, it was via Facebook.
He never mentioned the kid's name, but talked about how the kids who may have harassed his son rallied around him after death - to the tune of more than 400. It was really something to see how social media contributed to this kid's death and than helped make his death easier to deal w/ for his friends and family.
The kid had a recent surgery and was prescribed Oxycodone (Oxycotton) during the recovery. He says the boy stashed the pills and didn't take them as prescribed, but took many of them at the same time, causing an overdose. He also shot himself.
Mike bought him a 22-caliber gun and took him to the range some weeks before the suicide. He talked about how he tried to count the brass (shells) on the range, but never found them all. It's tough to account for them all as they're bouncing all over the place. But according to Mike, his son stashed one round for his new gun they used at the range that day. It was the same bullet he used to take his own life later.
Mike wanted to talk about two things today - being a conservative and his son's death. I don't know why he wanted to talk to me about either of them. In both cases, and any other instance, sometimes people just want to talk to someone. And those base stickers on my van told Mike I was someone who could listen and help him out.
I don't know what to think of it really. It's just something to think about I guess. The military really is a fraternity. For the better or worse, it will always be there for us.
The next person I met was Bill. I was setting up my time lapse off the fantail of the ferry when he became obviously curious what I was doing w/ a laptop and a small camera on a tripod. We started chatting.
He too was on his way to Port Angeles. He and his wife recently moved there from Key West after selling his fly fishing guide service. I don't know why, but he wanted to talk to me. He wanted me to listen. He told me about life in Key West using a fly rod for game fish. It was remarkable. As we talked he told me he too used to work in the ski industry - as the head of marketing for the Aspen Ski Company. What a small world.
Bill was very pleased w/ his professional accomplishments. In addition to his accomplishments in the ski world, he owned a fly fishing shop near Aspen that seemingly did well. He sold his company to Aspen for a lot of money and used that to pursue his dream in Key West. After he and his wife got sick of it there, they found their way to Port Angeles - from a direction sign in Key West no less.
Just as they settled into life in Port Angeles over this past year things got complicated. Bill and his wife were returning from a trip this week to Harborview. She's got cancer. I don't know why but Bill wanted to tell me about it. All I wanted to do was shoot time lapses. We just had something in common - skiing and fly fishing. Maybe it was being men. I don't know.
Bill and Mike are two VERY different people. They likely wouldn't get along. I can't even pin down why except they are much too different. They saw some kind of commonality in me. Why?
I'm in the gray of a very black-and-white world. I don't identify with any group. The people who know me in the action sports world think I'm great at being in the military and the military folks think I'm Mr. Action Sports. Truth is that I'm neither. Let's not forget about the people who don't know anything about either of those two very endemic worlds - they seem to think I'm the best at both or more. For as painful as that really is for me it's a good place to be.
I don't suppose there's any great point to get out of a day like today. Today was just another day and Bill and Mike are just everyday people - and so are all of you.
Aaaah yes - thanks again Biggie Smalls. You gave us the Ten Crack Commandments. If you're not a hip-hop fan or just too damn young to know about it, this song is how the late Notorious BIG explained how to be a master at crack sales - right here in our own white suburban neighborhoods. Oh wait, he was talking about the ghetto. I digress.
Well I took a class by Darby Cavin at Grays Harbor Community College a few summers ago. In it, he laid out at least ten (if not more) fallacies. These are the rules to make you a master at seeing truth and presenting sound information. And in the tradition of Biggies Smalls and his Ten Crack Commandments, I give you the fallacies. You can click on each of them and be redirected to a site that goes into great detail.
"Master these and you'll have mad bread to break," is what Biggie says. But I say you'll see through a lot of the bullshit that's being fed to you on a daily basis. Your vote and your dollar are wanted by someone who is most likely using these fallacies to get them. Sadly it works and we give up so easily.
It was for Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Jarod Newlove.
I'm not gonna go into too much detail, but suffice to say today is by and large the most intense event I've covered to date.
This person was killed in Afghanistan while serving in Afghanistan - he was a member of my unit in Everett. This is the closest the death of war has ever come to me. I hope it never happens again.
I took a lot more photos, but I'm sharing them w/ the unit and family first.
The military photographer is so underrated and really only gets due credit from within our community.
My good friend Chris Mobley is easily the most talented Navy photographer I know. And on the eve of yet another photo shoot for me, I aspire to shoot more like him and some of the other incredible photographers I have the honor of working with.
Here are some of my favorite photos ever!
Chris is currently deployed to Afghanistan and had the opportunity to shoot a group of young Afghan women being trained as police officers. I could go on about the story and its relevance, but you can read all about it by clicking here in one of the rare instances our photos gets its due usage.
No, the military photographer is not an infantryman or fighter pilot. Their job is to shoot guns in combat while the photographer is armed with a camera. Telling the story of war, and telling it well, is so much important than it seems. Without these stories - no history can be told. Next time you come across one of these incredibly talented artists, thank them for bringing their talent and service to the country.
Please pass these on Facebook by checking out the photos (and photographer) here.
Where did you go to college? I'm approaching the end of my undergraduate education at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington.
No traditional grading policy, no traditional classes, no traditional foods, few traditional social practices (aside from attending a college), no football team, a geoduck for a mascot, lots of people in bare feet, so many people eating vegetarian garlic-heavy foods the school implemented a no-odor policy, independent learning contracts (where we study what we want), few class prerequisites and even fewer right-wing conservatives - Evergreen is packed w/ the unique for lack of a better term. Instead - these people are called Greeners.
I wanna find out exactly what that means - although I have a few pretty good ideas on what it is. I guess being a Greener is what you are while you're in the process of learning at The Evergreen State College and/or how you think afterward. I often feel it just means wanting to be different and that you either attend, attended or are perceived that you would fit in here. Rather than discuss the effects of Buddhism on Western psychological therapy and its common practices (which is the subject of this class) we got sidetracked. There's a lot to analyze and discuss about the effects of Buddhist belief and its practice relative to Western psychology.
But somehow we're talking about being a Greener and doing all things greener - protesting, questioning social norms, being what they call liberal or progressive and of course fighting for peace. It's been a great opportunity for me to challenge a large group of Greeners on why they do what it is they do when so much of it, especially diffusing their energy, drives me freakin' nuts. We also ended up discussing ways to make a difference in what we believe in.
That seemed to be the concurrent theme - change. I think for some reason most people here either want to change themselves or the world around them. Well there - I may have just driven the first stake through all Greeners - including me.
We've all heard, and likely experienced, writer's block - but what about when you just can't stand to read? The flame went about 25 years ago for me and books.
I used to love reading at least large portions of novels and various non-fiction books if I didn't read the whole thing. However, by the time I reached high school, I just didn't have the attention span or interest in sitting down to read. I could spend four hours writing, but not four minutes reading anything beyond periodicals and prescribed readings I couldn't skim my way through.
That finally changed when I finished Confessions of an Economic Hitman by John Perkins today. My boss recommended it just before I left for Cambodia last month. That should tell you how long I've been reading it. Despite the amount of editing I've done over the past ten years, I'm still not a very fast reader. It's the writing that seems to come fast.
This really is a big deal for me. Unlike the last book I finished nearly two years ago, I'm ready to hit another one. I might even start tonight. For anyone who knows me, that's indeed a pretty big deal.
Yes. Completing this book is a direct result of having the e-reader app on my iPhone and computer. I've had that (e)book everywhere I go and I can pull it out of my pocket w/out having to carry around a paperback. Now, I'll concede there's something very nice about reading things in print (mostly being able to tell how far along I am), but the convenience factor w/ my phone and computer was key.
Thanks Kindle and Amazon. Now I need start e-checking out books from the new Timberland Library. I wonder what Confessions of an Economic Hit Man author John Perkins would think about what Amazon and Apple, two massive international corporations, have done for me?
It's about time I take the whiteness test. The list keeps growing and further identifying a lot of the population most people I know would love to avoid - even though we apparently share a lot of similarities. So here's the list as it stands and my determination of just how white I truly am.
Let's be honest kids. Ed Hardy is about as ridiculous as it gets. The art is isn't cool and neither is paying hundreds for any shirt. Dumb, dumb, dumb... Oh yeah, I've only met one person wearing Ed Hardy who wasn't a douche - and that's because he didn't know what Ed Hardy was. Lucky son of a bitch.
I think this one ought to be taken off the list - it's soo Election 2008. Honestly, yuppie white people actually don't like America. That's why they threaten to move to Canadia. I, on the otherhand, do have a profound appreciation for America.
Yes I do - and in massive quantities. It's like ranch dip that tastes better and doesn't make you quite as fat. Oh yeah, did you know it has GARLIC? Eat enough of the stuff w/out deodorant and you'll smell like one of the kids at Evergreen. Hell yeah!
The Onion is the closest thing to the now web-based only Weekly World News Magazine. I don't think it's even the real staff running the website. But I loved those magazines!! Funniest shit you could read. I even used some of it as dummy text and headline examples in my military editors course a few years ago. I think all the would-be Weekly World News contributors are now working for the Onion - which is now about as good as it gets.
Apparently I am infatuated with these things. I've literally done 1.5 total years of PAID internship - that is of course ME paying to work. It's a great deal because in most cases it's really just a resume bullet so a magazine can get free talent while I pay about $2500/semester to work for them. I actually loathe unpaid internships, but they're a must if you ever want a real job.
Busted. I'm that guy who is riding your ass to read your bumper stickers. I like reading them. I saw one on a Ford Explorer the other day that read, "Thank God Ford doesn't make airplanes." See, you like bumper stickers too.
This is actually my favorite West Coast City. It's a real city with a real identity. I just can't take their sports teams very seriously - there or Oakland. How can they have such a high concentration of sports teams w/ no legit fans? This makes no sense to me.
Even if they're gonna put your recyclables in the dump, it's not really that big of a deal to separate your trash is it? I mean - just in case that whole trashing the earth is a legitimate theory.
I wholeheartedly agree. That body of water must be either the ocean or some inlet from a major body of water from an ocean - preferably not the Gulf of Mexico.
These are are also pretty good ideas. I'm not the biggest fan of co-ops being you have to pay into them and you don't really get things that much cheaper. Whole foods is freakin' awesome, but way overpriced. Why didn't they add Trader Joe's to this list? I'd be a liker of that too.
I come and go on this one. It's still really subjective and mostly comes in waves of really damn good or terrible in an effort to not sound like anything else, including anything good.
Don't have this battle w/ me. You can bring up the iPhone 4, but I don't own one and I'd be sure to have one of the functioning ones if I did. Every time I open up my MacBook Pro, it works. I don't get spyware or adware. I don't get viruses. Did I mention all my Apple products work?
Even Lindsay's iBook G3 circa 2001 is still plugging away for one of our good friends. Macs are essentially the Hondas of computers. And just like Honda, they look cool now too. And just like Honda, they had a couple shitty models. But I wouldn't expect Apple to leave things that way for long. They like their profits too much.
Always better than cable - no advertisements. I love the idea of people paying for cable to watch advertisements, bad shows and movies you could have Netflixed w/out having it hacked and sanitized to fit between a two-hour commercial slot. Not to mention, how else would Hannah know to make her daddy act as The French Chef Julia Child if her parents hadn't had Netflix and ordered every single episode of the show?
"HAY! What if the moon were made of barbecue spare ribs, would you eat it then?"
Anytime anyone mentions Wrigley Field I think about WGN-9, Harry Caray and the Cubs. I don't actually remember routing for either the Cubs or the Braves, but teams were always on. And all that ivy on the outfield wall - who doesn't like that? Yankee Stadium is gone, Fenway's on the chopping block and then it's Wrigley. Wrigley is a huge part of baseball w/ a tremendous amount of history.
Sans Brooklyn. I don't wanna live in Brooklyn. Why would you wanna live there? Manhattan has always been cool - only now it's just that much whiter. All of NYC was less white in the 80s. I can seriously remember my mom not letting us sit down on the subways because of the wet spray paint. Don't get me wrong, I loved it then too. Isn't it better now that a lot of white people like it though? Thanks Rudy, Hannah got to ride all the way to the Bronx at 9 p.m. this past February on the nice subways. And get this - our family was the only white people on that nice subway. The Bronx are next on this list and we'll be able to claim FIRST!
Yep. The beer in Asia just didn't cut it. It's like all the domestics in this country. It tastes the same - bad. Although, Angkor Brewery in Cambodia has a killer Stout. Does that count as a microbrewery?
The only reason us white folks like to travel so much is because we're rich and full of opportunity. Plus, there's nothing like experiencing the ineptitude of other lesser people.
Not to be confused w/ flea markets - which are still kinda cool in their own right. I like farmer's markets that have shit I want, not soap that doesn't work, candles I can make at home or beef jerkey that tastes just like beef jerkey and homemade salsa that tastes just like salsa only cost more.
Aftermath is a term generally used to describe the events following one exceptionally bad event - like a natural disaster or terrorist attack.
Basically aftermath really means something happened that was prolific enough to change day-to-day life - and the time period shortly after that event. This is where people deal struggle to adapt to the new lifestyle. It probably means they lost someone they love or their home. It's always overcoming something bad.
What would you call the aftermath of something so great in your life you experience that same shock? Is that an aftermath? It certainly feel like it.
There's obviously an adjustment aspect to the change, but what about the adaptation? In this case you have to adapt to the opportunity or it will go away. Then you can deal w/ the aftermath of having blown it.
What's more intimidating - knowing the worst is over or not knowing how to be the best? I suppose it's the latter, but it's stressful nonetheless. It's the the same pressure of that surprise call up to the majors - right in the middle of the World Series. Sure this is a lifetime goal and achievement all wrapped in one. Now what if you don't finish the job?
If nothing else, it's exciting. That's the only guarantee.
I left the US on July 4th last year and didn’t even bat an eyelash about missing the fireworks, barbecues, or cold beers that make every annual Independence Day another great all-American holiday. Actually, I was pretty excited to leave this "wash-rinse-repeat" society for something richer like Thailand.
I found more than I was looking for. There’s something ancient and beautiful about a lot of Thai culture – something I felt lacked here at home. The music, dance, lifestyle, religion, art and food are far from anything you'll find today's American pop culture.
In fact, I came to love Thailand by having both visited it right after high school and studying more about it here in the States. Just before leaving for Bangkok last year, I hit up a couple stores in Seattle that specialize in SE Asian art. The shopkeeper told me about more than just Bangkok and Thailand, but the wonders of Cambodia, Indonesia and other fascinating countries around the region. Then he showed me around the different artifacts he had in the store - educating me about the culture before I even got there.
Now let's reverse the roles. Let's say I'm a young Cambodian man like Makara, my Cambodian translator buddy. Imagine he wants to come to the US and learn more about our culture (which is a dream for him)- what then?
Well Mak couldn't join their Navy and travel the world because their Navy can hardly secure his own country, let alone travel to others. And I wouldn't count on finding many US shopkeepers in Phnom Penh or any of the rural Cambodian cities either. Looking to the east and west of Cambodia in Thailand, Laos and Vietnam - you won't find even a remotely accurate depiction of American life and culture. Lastly, if you're from any of those nations, you can pretty much count on never having the opportunity to travel to the US, let alone out of country should you be educated enough to know they even exist.
And that's truly what makes our American culture the greatest on the Earth. As Americans, we have so much more access and opportunity to do whatever we feel like as individual human beings, much less a part of a greater species of people. In other words, we abuse the rights and opportunities we have. But it's our right to abuse them until we find appreciation for them and appreciation for the entire human race.
Today, when I think about my forefathers who fought to free themselves from what they felt was unfair rule, I think about what they showed the entire human race - that we can free ourselves. In honor of their sacrifices, I think it's time to build upon their achievements and show the human species once again how great we can be.
As an exercise in this idea, remove all the country lines of the world and see which cultures are the most unique. I think you'd find a lot of countries are like a lot of other ones - till you came across the Atlantic. You'd see a large group of people doing something VERY different, and now for 234 years.
Can't say I didn't see this coming, but I'm outta here a bit earlier than planned. Flight leaves tomorrow at 5:30 a.m. Bummer right?
A 5:30 departure means I need to be there by 3:30 and prolly leave for the airport at about 3 or earlier. I've decided to stay up all night - which is really only about another four hours. No big deal.
In the meantime I've decided to search for great beer in Singapore. Now let me put this into perspective. Finding even a good beer in most of Asia means turning toward the European and more known beers. The only exception I've found thus far in terms of Asian beers is Angkor in Cambodia.
Not shown in the ad above, but give that stout a try if you get a chance. It was surprisingly good till I met the head brewer. He left Cambodia to work for Guiness about 20 years ago. He returned in 1997 to start his own gig. Let's just say the stuff is pretty freakin' awesome. Careful - that stout I refer to is a whopping 8-percent alcohol. It'll getcha!
As for Singapore, I haven't found a local beer I really like yet. Tiger is the mainstay, but it's basically the Miller Lite of Asia. It's drinkable, but that's about it. And w/ what they charge for it, anywhere from $10-15 Sing, it's definitely not worth it.
Last but not least, I finally found great beer. Lucky for me it's in Little India - practically the only place in Singapore w/ authentic culture and any semblance of reality within this society based on pure and disgusting consumption. Here you'll find the Prince of Wales backpacker bar.
Even luckier for me, they don't really serve Asian beer. Bring on the Aussie stuff. The POW, as they call it, is the only bar outside Australia to serve this boutique microbrew beer. I feel doubly fortunate now being able to drink it fresh from the tap among the international backpacker crowd of the Swede beside me and the Aussies behind the bar. Good stuff w/ good times. Rather than cruise all the pubs I found on the websites, I luckily stumbled upon this place w/ clearly the best beer int the country - which is really a city on an island.
This hoppy pale ale is made by Grand Ridge Brewery, based out of Gippsland, Australia and somehow the owner of this place is friends of the owner of that place. Nonetheless, I highly recommend coming in here to this backpacker bar w/ attached hostel before paying the astronomical prices at the "breweries" along the waterfront. Keep in mind it's all about the adventure.
It's time for me to mosey on back to the hotel, grab my bags and head toward the airport. Sleeping in would be really nice, but so will waking up in Olympia, Washington. It's about time.
There's this whole thing about leaving something and coming back.
Think about the Champ being forced to leave the boxing world while his license was revoked till 1970. There was no welcome mat for him from his peers and that couldn't have been clearer when he was floored by his arch rival Joe Frazier just months after his reintroduction to the sport.
Touted as the Fight of the Century, you'd think this match was it. This would determine whether Ali would ever make it back again or not.
Truth be told, Ali hadn't lost a step at all. He was every bit as fierce and brilliant of a fighter as he ever was. But things had changed since his brand of ferocity and brilliance put him on the world stage as the best fighter on Earth. Matter of fact, the Ali Brand became the model for any successful fighter. That being said, not only had his opponents reverse engineered Ali's style, but they adopted and evolved it to a level he himself wouldn't recognize till it literally hit him in his own face.
The only welcome mat he found was the one he got knocked to and handed the first official boxing loss of his career.
"Welcome back Champ - we still don't fucking like you. And furthermore we see you've become soft and now you're a joke. Stand by to get eaten alive - you'll be outta here faster than it took you to book your first fight."
I can only imagine what was going through Ali's head as he watched the masses and fans turn their support and awe into doubt and disappointment. It would be fascinating to know how he truly felt, rather than studying what came out of his mouth.
I have a distinct feeling he felt the awakening of a spirit deep inside him - the spirit that truly made him the best fighter in history. It was the developing of the Ali Brand and style that made him great, it was the insight and intuition he had to self create that ability. That's how Ali became the Greatest.
And in the end, Ali wiped his feet w/out a welcome mat and adapted to be the best boxer in history.
Don't forget, if he'd have never come back, he'd have just been another great fighter - not The Greatest.
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