This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Category: Pointless blather

  • The Boys of Abu Ghraib

    I found out about this film project from a message that I got on YouTube asking permission to use one of my videos that I took in Iraq. I was considering doing it until I looked up what the plot was suppose to be.

    All American Jack Farmer leaves behind a fulfilling life to serve his country in Iraq at the peak of the war on terrorism. Stationed at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison, he is pushed to his limit as a daily bombardment of insurgent mortar attacks continually threaten his life. When an opportunity arises to work for the Military Police, Farmer jumps at it and finds himself behind the walls of the infamous Hard Site, a compound for the highest priority terrorists. He’s introduced to the world of military intelligence by Sergeant Tanner, whose harsh, and sometimes inhumane treatment of detainees raises doubts within Farmer about the Army’s procedure. Guided by a formidable moral conscience, Farmer treats the detainees well, even at the ridicule of his comrades, and befriends a wrongfully accused detainee named Ghazi, who becomes an unexpected confidant. When Ghazi is brought into military intelligence for interrogations, Farmer is forced to choose between his loyalty to his friend and his allegiance to his country. When his choice is proven wrong, the year’s worth of stress and trauma finally break him, driving him to commit an act he will forever regret.

    What makes it worse is that it sounds like something I read before.

    Even if you ignore all of this, there were things that did not make sense. Like Abu Ghraib happened in 2003 and I was there in 2008. Not to mention that I was no were near the prison during my tour and I have no idea what it looks like inside much less how it runs. It seems that they wanted this video because it had HUMVVs in them, but lets forget the fact that they are Iraqi with it’s national flag on the side. There is no way that you could play it off as US vehicles. Not to mention that there were no factory up armored vehicles like the ones in the video in 2003. After talking over with TAH resident film maker I decided not to agree to it.

    So now it is in production and I cannot help but wonder what will become of this this film. Will this be another redundant Iraq view that we have seen so far or have something out of left field.

    In short, we see how the dehumanizing effects of war are just as harmful to the soldiers involved as well as the prisoners of war. The film does not point fingers in this oft-discussed prison scandal, but instead is a psychological survey of how war wears away at the human in all of us.

    We shall see if they keep that promise.

  • Alcohol and Pit Bulls… What Could Go Wrong?

    Via Don Surber:

    Man Bites Dog!

    Two pit bulls were fighting, two men had been drinking.

    That turned out to be a bad combination, leaving one man with a crushed finger, one man with an injured arm and one dog without an ear.

    The images in my head are weirder than usual? How about the iconic painting of dogs playing poker?

    Two pit bulls and two guys playing poker, someone is caught cheating… a fight ensues.

     

  • TAH 5th Anniversary

    Yup, today marks the fifth anniversary of the day I was banned at Right Nation. I’d been banned before at The History Channel forums about nine thousand times, but being banned at a conservative forum just didn’t sit right with me, so I finally started a place where I couldn’t get banned.

    Well, I’ve been banned sort of, thousands of people avoid the blog everyday. And every time I put a bad word in a headline of a post, we lose fans on Facebook and Twitter.

    So in our five years, we’ve been nominated for the Milblog Awards three times…TSO says we’re the Susan Lucci of the Milbloggies; Three nominations and no wins. But, we’ve been beat by the best blogs on the internet in our category, so I’m not complaining…I’m just glad that some people think we’re in the same class.

    The name of the blog came from a book I read by the same name written by journalist of what he saw while he covered the Gulf War. While he and a staff sergeant from the 1st Cav Division watched a B52 strike on the horizon from Saudi Arabia, the staff sergeant turned to the reporter and said “This ain’t Hell , but you can see it from here” – now it’s the title of a book and the name of this blog.

    Our buddy, Matt Burden, also known as Blackfive once wrote about us; “Sometimes hilarious, sometimes deadly serious, This Ain’t Hell writes tough about tough issues.” That’s kind of been my focus in the last few years – to say the things that no one else will say, to write about the stuff no one else will write about, to criticize the people and ideas that no one else will criticize.

    But what makes this blog successful is the commenters – you guys send me so many tips, I can’t keep up with them all, and new folks come here to read your comments – and most of you are tougher on our subject characters than I am. You’re the reason thousands of people from across the globe come here every day, and I thank you for your participation.

    In our five year history, we’ve written 8,000 posts and you’ve written 80,000 comments. Thanks to everyone for being here to feed my ego, and assuage the pain of getting banned at Right Nation…even if you don’t click my ads.

  • Gingers need not apply

    Old Trooper sends us a link with the news that will surely disappoint TSO who had hoped he could influence the re-population of the world with red headed step children. the link from the New York Daily News reports that Cyros, the largest sperm bank is no longer accepting that essence from rust-colored men.

    “There are too many redheads in relation to demand,” Ole Schou, the director of Cryos, told the Danish newspaper, Ekstrabladet, according to London’s Telegraph.

    Men with scarlett manes sell “like hot cakes” in Ireland, Schou said, but that’s about it.

    So it’s a matter of supply and demand, and who wants to be the father of, say Julianne Moore, in her teenage years?

  • In case Ya Missed It?

    There was a massive rally in Charlotte, NC this week.

    At Tuesday’s rally, nearly 200 participants gathered at Central Piedmont Community College’s central campus to protest policies that they say discriminate against undocumented immigrants. The protesters blocked traffic, at the intersection of Kings Drive and Fourth Street, while chanting “education not deportation” and “undocumented and unafraid.”

    Law Enforcement was on the job… The local LEOs anyway.

    Mecklenburg jail officials said Wednesday they determined that 10 of 15 protesters arrested at an immigration rally Tuesday are in the country illegally.

    (…)

    In a statement released Wednesday, the Sheriff’s Office said that in keeping with the jail’s policy to screen all arrestees, the 15 people arrested at Tuesday’s rally were fingerprinted, photographed and screened to determine whether they are in the country legally.

    Jail authorities also did criminal background checks on the protesters, Rush said, and found that none of them had criminal records.

    “Per Immigration Customs Enforcement, any arrestee charged by CMPD during the protest was not to be given detainers, but released on their own recognizance,” the Sheriff’s Office said.

    I must admit a certain grudging respect for the protestors. They are merely pointing up the feckless, and reckless, nature of our immigration policies. Drawing easy parallels with the lunch-counter protests of decades ago has some merit.

    IS  illegal immigration simply a civil rights issue?  Where do we, as a nation, draw those lines? Is ANY lawbreaker just an oppressed minority yearning for freedom?

  • When The Musics Over…

    The Gun Grabbing Fascists are now killing the music as well.

    Via Michelle Malkin et al

    US Fish and Wildlife officials have raided the famous Gibson Guitars. And the instrument-maker isn’t alone. Antique piano dealers are also in the crosshairs. Why? Because rare, beautiful instruments made of ecologically incorrect materials must be sacrificed at the green altar. Talk about hitting a sour note.

    I’m a semi-retired recording engineer with a certain reverence for Gibson guitars, hence this post. Akin to ‘the guv’mint’ deciding what firearms we can handle and how they are configured, etc; they have determined that foreign laws take precedence in manufacturing guitars. I’m just paranoid enough to wonder if the UN is behind this?

    From further down in the article:

    “The government’s position is, that is the law of the land in Madagascar and they are saying that is the law of the land in India. That is not the case. The fact is, we have affidavits from numerous government officials – and this court case, specifically now, is forMadagascar wood. We have affidavits from virtually every govt official saying that it is legal, that their definition of what is legal is a fingerboard blank and its been exported within every certification that is necessary. So they have the arrogance to interpret Madagascar law differently than the people of Madagascar.”

    Our firearms, our food, our livelihoods, and now our music? Picture a country music station being told that they must include Arabic music for the sake of diversity.

    A mental/logical leap into conspiracy land? Maybe, but I wish the hurdles were a bit higher than they seem to be on that particular track to bizzarro world.

    ETA: Seems there are some who see the simple acknowledgement of a visible pattern as hyperbole? I thought my closing sentence was clear, but perhaps not?

    While it has been said that ignorance of a law is no excuse for breaking it, we must also accept that trying to navigate a constantly shifting landscape is excruciatingly difficult.

    In the Gibson case it appears that they felt they were in compliance because THIS IS NOT THEIR FIRST EXPERIENCE in the matter cited. There are any number of similar cases in Second Amendment land as well.

    I lay no blame at the feet of those with boots on the ground. Been There, Done That!

  • Oh Heck… This Is Your Tax Dollars at Work.

    If I had only seen this earlier: U.S. military to help launch interstellar space travel it may just be sillier than the Fart story?

    Darpa, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, is looking to award a $500,000 grant to an ambitious organization to figure out just what it would take to transport humans to stars orbiting beyond our galaxy, according to a report in the New York Times.

    You folks will have to live with a different retirement program, etc. But some brainiac is aiming for the stars using DOD funds?

    To be absolutely clear. The idea is way more than just intriguing from this seat.  Still, who decides when to rob Peter to pay Paul?

     

  • The Cats Away, So To Set The Tone… A Fart Story.

    Been sitting on this story (no pun intended) for a day or so.

    So here’s the news:  audible farting has been banned for some Marines downrange because it offends the Afghans.

    I know there are many things in the Afghan culture that don’t seem normal to Americans and it’s hard to spend seven months working in someone else’s back yard.  Still, the Marines I saw downrange are doing a pretty good job at trying to do the right thing around the Afghans.

    They’re not supposed to cuss because it could be misunderstood (that one goes out the window a lot). And they stay away from talking about politics, religion or girls because those topics could escalate into major disagreements (they can’t communicate anyway because of the language barrier).

    But farting?  That’s practically a sport.  Ok, it’s not soccer, but a good contest could open the door for cross-cultural exchanges, jokes and other gallows humor.

    So, for all Marines getting ready to go downwind, I mean downrange, be forewarned — you may have to hold it in… at least until you get back to your hooch where you can loudly crop dust your friends.

    Dunno just what the Jarheads in A’Stan eat, but I’m trying to relate? Should those fine groups that organize care packages for those deployed send Beano?

    It’s a cultural thing I reckon? So let us help those folks downrange deal with this before it causes an international incident.