Buy Bonds

Remember Flags of Our Fathers? Do you remember the scene where the General is talking to Ryan Philipe's character about how close America was to losing the war because of a lack of funds?

I haven't watched the movie anytime recently, not since I was in Iraq as a matter of fact, but I have been thinking about our extensive national deficit. I don't know the truth, and I'm not an economist so I won't research it, but I have been told that the 160 Billion dollars that funded the stimulus (deployed Soldiers didn't get a stimulus by the way) was in turn funded by the sale of bonds, generally purchased by foreign countries, such as China. That applies to the "supplemental" war funding, as well.

So, if you haven't thought of it, look at it this way. There you are, in the grocery store. You're buying your eggs, milk, and tomatoes (sans salmonella). When you check out, you are shocked to see that the cost of your groceries exceeds the amount in your checking account. Unperturbed, you open the wallet and remove the favorite credit card, swipe it through the doo-hickey, and out you go with groceries in arm. Now, you understand that you have just been given a loan by a bank. On that loan, you will pay an interest rate (provided you don't pay back within the grace period), maybe 8-15%, 21-33% if your credit is really poor.

Now here's the kicker. Your a lower income family member, whose other 12 credit cards are maxxed out and who is barely making minimum payments as it is. You do not have adequate income to do any more against your rising debt. What can you do?

The foreign countries buying our national bonds to fund the stimulus and the war on terror, both noble causes, are the banks of the 12 maxxed out credit cards. The low-income job that we have, well, that is the national gross domestic product that has reached its limits until we raise taxes again. And those minimum payments? I don't even want to know what we pay in interest each month. But to be sure, at some point, these "banks" are going to want their money and are not going to accept "good will" as payment.

As I observe more, I start to see entire fields of opportunity for civic
ethics teachers to field discussions. This is MY country and, in the
affectionate terms of an Army leader, I am responsible for all that my
country does and fails to do. If you don't believe that, try going to
Iraq or Afghanistan, where a Soldier is held accountable for all the deeds of those
prior to him.

For my own part, I am starting an I bond and an EE bond today to invest in America.

(Jeez, did that sound like a commercial, or what?)

The Cost of an Apple

There are a great number of things on my mind today. From the sermon this morning (Parable of the sower: Mt 13 ) to thoughts on the way home. Somehow, they are connective, one to the other, though the meandering path my thoughts take are often a surprising mystery, even to me.

What is the cost of an apple? I think we just paid about $4 for a 3-pound bag. A gallon of gas is also $4. A meal at Sonic is $5. What is the relevance?

It was actually just an observation as I shoveled a Sonic Jr Burger down my maw. One of those "Priceless" commercials, if you will. I paid $5 for crap that is horrible for me and has been shown to shorten my lifespan, when I could have eaten an apple or two and been about my business. Additionally, it took about $4 in gas to get there (around 16-18 miles to the gallon). So $9 for the juicy burger that is hardening my arteries as I sit here and type.

About 4 apples would have produced the same "full" sensation, so maybe $2 in apples to accomplish the $9 value of the burger, and yet, remain healthy for me. But that was not the original thought from which the others were derived. Instead, it was something like this...

Have you ever been really hungry? (Those graduating Ranger school can appreciate this.) I once saw a guy sign a $75 promissory note for the priviledge of licking a fellow Ranger's wrappers after he was done eating. A can of Copenhagen could get you $100 on a bad day half way through the 10-day Florida patrol. I carried cardboard from my MRE in my jacket pocket and would eat the whole box during the course of a patrol.

I wouldn't pay a counterfeit coin for a gallon of gas in Ranger School. But I'd gladly have paid $100 for the chocolate mint brownie (which is NOT pleasant, I might add); maybe more. Isn't it curious then that we are willing to pay more for novelties than for necessities? $1,500 for a purse vs. 75 cents for an apple. I pray we continue to have the luxury of this skewed priority.

What is the cost of an apple?

Dilatory tactics in Congress?

filibuster: the use of extreme dilatory tactics in an attempt to delay or prevent action, especially in a legislative assembly
dilatory: 1. tending or intended to cause delay; 2. characterized by procrastination

Fuel prices are up 400 percent since 2001(big oil reports record profits to the tune of 40 Billion dollars). Food prices are skyrocketing. Whether global warming exists or not, we have about 30 years of fossil fuels remaining. Water sources are becoming contaminated. Desertification. Racial tension. The War on Terror. Nuclear proliferation in irresponsible countries. Health Care.

These are significant problems that are most significantly affecting Americans within the lower socio-economic tier, the lower 90 percentile. Knowing the impact of these problems, one would think that Congress would quickly enact solutions to improve the quality of life for its constituency. So why haven't we seen these solutions? Why do we see endless debate that only highlights our representatives' awareness of our quality of life while doing little to effect solutions?

Perhaps it would be better to ask, "Who among us is voting?" Our representatives are apathetic because they know that we have forgotten the premise of our democratic system, that the true power to effect change isn't with the representatives, but with us - in our VOTE.

Good Intentions

So, I was sitting here writing into my fitness blog, which we won't get in to. I had a thought about all the things we say we're going to do. It almost seems like a cliche to develop New Year's resolutions that will change our lives:

I am going to quite smoking/drinking
I am going to work out 5 times a week

only to shrug the resolution within a short span of time (a week in most cases) and determine to do it next year.

While in Iraq, I learned that there was a difference between what one intends to do and what one has done or is doing. The latter has much more significance. Granted, a plan of short-range events is often a good way to get oneself situated and oriented on a distant, long-range goal. (Business practices call it a plan of action.)

However, it is much more significant to create good habits through repetitious behavior. Even in small steps, a definitive action is worth more than all the good intentions combined.

As an example, my fitness blog is listed as Day one, two... and resets whenever I miss a day. I am looking at the number of consecutive days of having performed this particular habit as a reminder, tomorrow, that it isn't just another day.

Civil Reconstruction Corps

In reading on FDR, I came upon the Civil Conservation Corps. I wonder how many of my generation or later are even familiar with FDR, let alone, his practices. I bring it up because Jessica bought the book for me in June 07 while I was on R&R. In my opinion, the New Deal is like a bible for counterinsurgency. Notice, there is no dialog for fighting, though FDR was no doubt a political warlord not to be trifled with.

No, the key to winning a counterinsurgency is NOT in how many you kill, but how many you save. Insurgents illuminate dissatisfaction with the government and agitate that dissatisfaction to the point of confrontation. The population, therefore, is the "key terrain" - using military jargon - of an effective counterinsurgency.

It is for that reason that I ponder the idea of a civil reconstruction corps. Engineers, farmers, general contractors, and scientists (to name only a few) who are contracted by the US government, not to build American forward operating bases, but to provide critical reconstruction assets and training to indigenous peoples. In other words, engineers and general contractors guide the construction of newer, more efficient, power stations. Scientists guide initial research into solar and wind generation systems. Architects and contractors teaching safer housing and public building construction. And agricultural people teaching the principle of sound, sustainable agriculture.

My personal goal is to return to Iraq and make a difference in the lives of the friends I left in Doura by influencing Iraqi agricultural practices. I have also started to think about a consortium of sorts with other specialists that might contribute to a better Iraq.
That, of course, funnels right into a business idea related to the Blackwater team. Instead of running around blowing stuff up, the company's teams would specialize in reconstruction. Of course, in the interest of self preservation, I do believe that some martial training would be mandatory, as would a degree of physical prowess. Something to consider later.

Learn something simple

I am reading an article on the history of Zionist agriculture practices. While thinking on a passage, a premise dawned on me: learn something simple. In fact, it might be better stated to master something simple. My Dad's apocalyptic "riddle of man" (Can you survive if everything you knew were to suddenly disappear?) has spawned much of my reading in the past.

It also challenged me to eventually become an attentive and deliberate student. I am not good at rote learning, as I get bored with repetition and my mind starts to wander. However, if I become interested, then I will assign mnemonic and imagery to aid in understanding, not memorization.

And so, on mastering something simple, I have elected composting. Encouraged by my time in Sinai and Iraq, I see a rational practice that can aid in agriculture while at the same time keeping homesteads sanitary. I have also started looking at the enormous water towers of my youth with awe. In Iraq, if the electricity goes out, so does the water. Why? Each house in Iraq has a water pump. I don't know about the rest of the region, or even Europe. However, as essential as water is in Arabia, I should think the adoption of water plants, perhaps solar powered, would add greatly to the quality of life of the Iraqi people.

Had I known the simplicity of water towers, perhaps I could have started an initiative while I was there. But that was not the case. As it is, should I ever return, I would be interested in the construction of such a project.

Prayer through St Francis

Most Blessed Saint Francis, steward of the earth and of the natural order

The Lord, our God, placed us into Eden to cultivate and to guard his creation. Because of our disobedience, we were sent from the blessed garden to till the land and live through the sweat of our brow. We continue to deny the delicate balance that God, in his wisdom, set into place with technologies that foster sloth and gluttony and threaten to destroy all life.

In humility, I ask that my efforts are contrary to these practices and that I do not take from the earth any more than I give to her. Allow my hands to dig deep into rich earth and provide abundant nutrients to the soil. Let me nurture my crops with the heart of a loving father. And if the earth is satisfied with my sacrifice of effort, let her give me a harvest that is sufficient to provide for my family and my neighbors, so that none might go hungry.

Compassionate Saint, let my efforts work in harmony with the needs of the earth to nurture fertile lands that will continue to produce foods for all the generations to come.

I ask this through the Holy Spirit and the glory of God, the Father. Amen.

Today's First Reading

References:

Deuteronomy 8: 1-10

Enya, Pilgrim

"Remember how the Lord, your God led you on this long journey through the desert these past forty years, sending hardships to test you..."

I sat transfixed on the reader's every word, hoping I would not forget before I could pen my thoughts to paper, or medium. Pivotal to my feeling of enlightenment were two sentiments:

• sending hardships to test you
• the [path] you chose

It would seem that Jessica and I are facing the most challenging and stressful events in a relationship. Except, in true army fashion, these challenges are not being spaced across several years, but are in fact condensed into a single burst: moving, selling a house, finance, separation/integration, career change, death, and loss of relationships.

Typically stoic, even I am starting to exhibit emotional responses that are generally out of character. Jessica, ever patient with attempts at understanding and support, is also being overwhelmed. Which brings to light the simplest of questions: How will we face these challenges? (What will be our path?)

In my last BBC interview, I commented that we had discussed separation. Well, we talked about it once, for five minutes. Then we each acknowledged that being the furthest from our desires and the thought passed. So we started working through the problem of the time. Consequently, we came out stronger for it, as we always do. And that is the path that we are on, once again.

Moving from Colorado Springs was not on our "to-do" list after the last deployment. That's why we bought the house. However, sometimes, God breaks your eggs to see if you will make omelets or weep at the broken egg.

Jessica was able to apply to colleges other than Denver U. Consequently, a higher-tiered (better) law program from LSU quickly picked her up.

Our house didn't sell, as we'd hoped. We're going to rent it out until the market bounces back, paying the difference in the mortgage. Our equity will continue to build, we will get a tax break for the house and for Jess being a full time student, and when the house finally does sell, we should actually make the profit we were looking for, which I can apply to the purchase of a farm.

I had to leave my platoon and battalion, but now I have a stable platform at Fort Polk, with no deployments, from which to stage my retirement. I am targeting a micro-biology degree from Northwestern State University of Louisiana in Nachitoches before applying to Texas A&M for soil sciences. Texas has a veterans' clause assuring me 190 semester hours, which should get me through my PhD if I stay local, not counting my Montgomery GI Bill.

In conclusion, God challenges us to see if we are worthy of the fertile lands he has promised for our lives. If not, in our blindness, we will walk right through the promised lands, continuing to wander the desert. Or, as Enya phrased the sentiment: In  your heart you wonder, which of these is true: The road that leads to nowhere? The road that leads to you?

Freaky Weather?

I'm sitting in a hotel in Louisiana, getting ready to pack and depart for the Springs. On the weather channel, they are reporting 'freaky' weather with tornadoes in Colorado and Los Angeles. California got hit with floods and tornadoes.

I guess what really caught my attention is the reporter's apparent awe at this string of events. An Inconvenient Truth and a lot of global warming literature warn that the signs of climatic shift include the frequency and severity of storms. To me, it's as simple as connecting the dots.

Compound that with the leaking levee of Louisiana and I'm glad I can swim.

Produce Corporation

I just thought of this as something to analyze later. In keeping with the Community Supported Agriculture program and the local farmer's market, I am thinking about a small corporation of neighbors. We get together on a Thursday or Friday and make a shopping list of items to get from the farmer's market (I don't know where the closest one is from Leesville/Fort Polk). Everyone purchases 'shares' of the produce, or a price table is established.

On Saturday, one of the families drives to the local market and purchases the items from the market and returns to housing. The member families come over and portion the produce. Of course, there are a lot of holes in this idea, like the simple convenience of going to the grocery store (corporate means easy) and the freedom of doing one's own shopping and buying what you want or need.

But then, the overall idea here is not simplicity, but assuming some responsibilty for small farms. Now to develop a reason why anyone would want to do such a thing.

Organic farming sequesters atmospheric carbon and nutrients in soil

My interests in soil sciences and microbiology are driven by the desire to return to Iraq and attempt to work their fertile basin between the Euphrates and Tigris. This article demonstrates an added benefit: the sequestering of greenhouse gasses by farms, a function I previously thought the sole property of forests.

Given the amount of deforestation in the world and Brazil's desire to develop the Amazon, it would seem that we must look to other areas to slow the rise of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. I am particularly interested in the white paper's desire to...

"review the current body of scientific literature to determine if there are ways to accelerate the formation of organic material in soil, and to determine if it is possible to predict the rate of carbon and nutrient sequestration."

Iraqis, like Americans, are not patient people. If we were able to arrange an agricultural project there, they would want to see an improvement in their production and soils... quickly. Perhaps a five year plan that would project improvments in productivity and in soil content?

National Treasure

If something is wrong, those that have the ability to take action have the responsibility to take action

Biofuels or fertilizers

using corn shucks and refuse from the corn product to produce biofuels, instead of the food. It sounds good since the 'waste' foliage isn't used for anything else. But what if the farmer intends to use the waste as green manure, i.e., as an additive to be tilled into the soils or utilized in a compost for nitrogen?

Do farmers already do this, either directly or indirectly?

Humidity Farming

What is the benefit, if any, of having small forests serving as the borders of croplands?

I was thinking that windbreaks are utilized to slow desertification. On the same premise, small crop areas are bordered with forests on all sides. Evaporation still rises, but horizontal evaporation, such as what cools the human body might potentially be minimized. Thus, the vapor would remain in the crop area to settle again in the cooling evening.

If that were true, how deep would the forest tract have to be? This is a crucial question because every foot of forest area is a foot less of crop area, therefore, a loss of profit to the farmer.

Would increased humidity aid in the amount of nutrient maintained in the soil?

What is the maximum size the crop area can be before bordering?

Signing Out

Okay, only temporarily. I'm moving to Fort Polk, effective 4 hours from now. First I'll be in transit, then I'll be offline. I expect to be out of connection until around mid-June. Of course, I'll still have my cell, so I'll be in touch with many of you.

This sucks. There are so many variables right now that my life is a calculus problem. I requested a deferment until August so we would have time to sell the house and Jess and I could move down together. As it is, my deferment sat on the Bde Cdr's desk for over two weeks, after it was lost the first time. I didn't get a signed evaluation from the company until yesterday. And my award mysteriously disappeared, again. I walked it to S1 myself, yesterday. I'll probably never see it, given my disposition with the Company 1SG. Ni modo.

The house hasn't had any real interest because of the market. Jess has to stay here for a month, that I should be spending with her. Believe it or not, though I sound disgruntled, I'm really very happy. I can't think of a single reason why I would go beyond 20. Not promotion. Not assignment of choice. Not anything. I'm actually smiling right now. Have a good night. See you in a month.

LotR Quote

I fear neither death nor pain, [I fear a] cage: to stay behind bars until use and old age accept them and all chance of valor has gone beyond recall or desire.

Articles on BioFuels

Notes from Time, April 7, 08

Article on Biofuels

Brazil produces 5 billion gallons of sugarcane ethanol, but that is only enough to supply 45% of its transportation-fuel demands.  The country is also touted as being independent of external petroleum demands. (More research required on this notion.) If 100% of US corn and soybean crops were turned to fuel production, it would only offset our need for petroleum by 20%. The significance here is that these green fuels, while producing twice as much carbon in production, remain in deficit in their goal to replace petroleum. By the percentage listed, Brazil still consumes 55% of some other fuel source; America will still need 80% of additional fuel sources (at maximum production).

I am all for green fuels. I have often spoke in their favor, given that we need to research these alternatives. Only through further research will we master the technology necessary to realize the benefits. However, the premature utilization of these technologies has been detrimental to their public favor.

The answer is a complex combination of green fuel technologies, hydrogen cell technologies, electric car technologies (including hybrid), and public transportation services. Fuel technologies are the obvious replacement, given that we can barely consider the fuel conglomerates might invest in technologies that would cost them their $40 Billion a year (profit) business. If they invest in green fuels and hydrogen cells, they can maintain their profit margin until the next crisis.

For my own part, as I think I've commented earlier, I plan on converting my 3000GT into an electric car. Currently the price tag sits around $9,000. I won't do the research necessary, but I'm wondering if someone is already looking at combining the electric car with Prius technology and solar technology to extend the range of the car. In Who Killed the Electric Car, they discuss a battery, (I think NiMH) that would have extended the range of the EV1 out to 300 miles. I have thought about adding Prius battery charging technologies, magnets on the brake system, etc, to further charge the batteries while in transit. Additionally, perhaps a solar panel on the hood, the roof, or the trunk might further the range.

The Tesla Roadster, $98k electric sports car

Plug-In Cars could increase Air Pollution

Smithsonian dumps electric car exhibit

Electric Car Conversion Kits

Who's Resurrecting the Electric Car

Left Coast Electric

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Notes from Time, April 7, 08

Articles on Martin Luther King, Jr.

Rev. Billy Kyles, "[King] would be terribly disappointed with the behavior of the children of the black nation and all this anger they feel."

Rev. Jesse Jackson, "We're free, not equal... we must focus on the economic investments to close the gaps."

Andrew Young, "But very few people have been able to deal with the poorest of the poor, which is what Martin was doing at the time of his death."

"The scars of [King's] humanity are what make his glorious achievements all the more remarkable... In the end, King used the inevitability of a premature death to argue for social change and measure our commitment to truth."

Florida's Energy Bill

On 30 April, I found an article from the Miami Herald detailing their plan to reduce emissions by 30 percent by 2016. Apparently, environmentalists are okay with it, but as is always the case in these matters, it depends on who employs the environmentalists. I think this is close to the Kyoto agreement, though the US never ratified it. I'll have to look it up and see.

There were several ideas mentioned that I would not have thought about and at least one - nuclear power lines - that I don't understand. (Maybe they meant more power plants?) The ideas mentioned in the article include (1) energy efficient building kids, (2) renewable fuel standards, (3) adopting California's emission standards, (4) 30 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2016, (5) telecommuting by state employees, and (6) allowing the utility company to recover costs from efficiency upgrades, nuclear power lines and plants, and investment in renewable fuel sources.

Something I don't see, though I have not seen the entire report, is a rise in public transportation, including electric cars and trains. Jessica and I were going to take the Frex up to Denver this weekend. However, after researching the cost of the tickets - $9 for an adult, 1-way ticket - we concluded that it would be better to just drive our Prius up there. $36 for a family trip to Denver... for starters. It takes $30 to fill the Prius. Simple economics. And a shame. The Frex is a good idea, but under utilized by my estimates. 

Were the price say, $2-3 for a one-way ticket, more people might use the service. The bus holds an estimated 20-30 people (I don't know for sure); so, $60-90 per trip. That probably wouldn't be sufficient for profit. I wonder how much the service would need? 

• The driver, $8 an hour.
  
• The cost of fuel, $4 a gallon. In a bus, possibly 8-10 miles per gallon at 70 miles: $28-$36 per trip.
• Free WiFi for commuters. No clue, maybe $50 per hour as an acceptable rate?

$100 per trip, lets say $150 for expenses that I haven't thought of and for enough profit to reinvest into the project. $150 divided by 20 is $7.50 per person; by 30 is $5 per person.

Without testing

When not tested or challenged by an opposing view, a hypothesis is unsound and an opinion is irrelevant.

Political Change and Individual Responsibility

The failure of the electric car exemplifies that, as long as I [read: You] am comfortable, there is no need to fix anything, even if the end result is ecological devastation. That is the reason why we have happily trudged from around $1 per gallon in 2003 (when I left for Korea) to almost $4 per gallon, now. The oil companies edged the prices incrementally over time, each just enough to make us mad, but not furious enough to take action.

The best way to get a person, or group of people, to see things your way is, like guerilla warfare, to do surgical strikes against key targets. Philosophically, what that means is that if you and I have dramatically opposing views on a subject matter, it is pointless for me to try to convince you of your view being wrong and mine being right. I will lose that fight as surely as you will (unless, of course, one of us does not have the conviction to uphold our view). However, if I want you to have a paradigm shift to my perspective, I will have regular debates with you on topics related to each of our perspectives, but only those topics which lean more to my point of view. Over several debates, fighting the battles I strategically placed myself to win, your resistance to my ideas will be dramatically reduced and may even be mitigated.

Back to our beloved oil companies. For those of you who don't know, they are currently showing record profits and are projecting continued profits over the next several quarters. Ask yourself how we got to this point? All Bush-Big Oil conspiracies aside (I'm not saying they don't exist, but I like to put responsibility where it really lies), let us ask ourselves what we've done to mitigate this rise in fuel prices. Considering the aforementioned rise in prices, ask yourself, what would have happened in 2003 if Big Oil had bumped the prices from $1 to $4. There would have been open revolt. But, since they did it incrementally, they accomplished their goals. Raise the prices until the community becomes outright pissed. Then lower the prices just enough to quell the raging masses. Once the paradigm had shifted ($1 to $1.50 as a fair price), start raising the prices again, repeating the raise-lower practice until the price is almost $4 a gallon. How much further will we go? (I predict that, given their ingenious practice, they could raise the price indefinitely.)

It's a simple equation of supply and demand. If we stop our gluttonous consumption of petrol, then it demonstrates a fall in demand. As the fall in demand drops while the supply remains constant, the price drops. If the American community holds out long enough, the prices will return to normal. But it takes a unified approach. One person, or one city will not make enough of a difference.  So, who is to blame? We are. Insurance companies show that most accidents happen within 5 miles of the house. Many say it's because as we get closer to home we become more complacent. But what if we conducted our own little experiment, setting the trip meter to our daily destinations. How many would only find that most of their destinations were within 5 miles of their homes?

I like to take my dogs to the doggie park. They're so cute when they get to play with others. I finally got the distance and it's 5.3 miles away. I run 4 miles each morning. We road march from 6-12 miles at work. At a relaxed pace of 2.5 miles per hour, it would take around 2 hours to get there. An hour for them to play, and another 2 hours back. Or, if you're like me and like to hurry up and get there, about 1-1/2 hours. But the thought of exertion is so repulsive that our country now suffers an 80 percent obesity rate. How far is it to the grocery store? I remember walking to the store with my Mom when I was a boy. Cars were expensive and the fam only had one, which Dad took to work.

My point here has specifically targeted the petroleum companies and the exorbitant price of fuel. I want to see a change, not only in consumption, but in price. I hate the government-big oil relationship that does exist. But the solution does not come from the hands of politicians who are ever so willing to take credit. The solution for our current global problems all come from our willingness to demand change and to sacrifice for it. Nothing is free. You will pay in either freedom, coin, or effort, listed in this order because it is the path of least resistance; most will sacrifice freedom and coin before committing effort.

Compost Reflections

I'm watching YouTube videos on composting, after visiting Joseph Jenkins' website. There are a lot of reflections based on these videos and previous readings.

First, in preparation one video, I think for the eco-composting toilet, showed an image of "seeding" the compost with previous sawdust or soil. I thought on this last year when "designing my own compost bin out of a plastic trash can, with holes drilled in for ventilation and seepage. I thought of putting in about 18 inches of potting soil (compost after my first couple of batches) stocked with a handful of worms. The initial 18 inches would serve as an absorbent base, particularly with a layer of straw on top of it. Additionally, I felt that 18 inches would be adequate to protect the worms from the thermophilic decomposition going on over head. As the additional layers of compost cooled down, the worms would migrate to the new layers of food, aerating the soil and munching on any further pathogens as they went.

Second, the use of compost. Many users say compost is only good for horticulture because of residual pathogens. (This is actually the reason for my double major in Microbiology, to develop credible testing methods for my compost.) Others say to till the compost in with the soil. In Farmers for 40 Centuries, by King, he observes the application of fresh night soil (feces and urine). The practice involves layering the additive. Dig down, laying the soil off to the left and right of the row. Put the [compost] as the base (where the roots will be), then add a layer of the soil you removed. Next, add a layer of silt or dampened soil, rubbed smooth (I assume this is to serve as a vapor barrier to prevent evaporation) and top it off with the remaining soil.

And finally, is simply an observation. If we are to transition to this environmentally sound practice, then videos showing "Deliverance" style settings should be minimized. Westerners love their comforts. To get a western community to move in the right direction requires a preservation of comforts equivalent to current technologies. My vision is to develop and put into place a system that synthesizes environmentally sound methods with current technologies to produce a sustainable system with relevant degrees of comfort.

Leadership 2

Decentralization.

How can we effectively raise our subordinates in a decentralized environment? A hands off approach is not leadership, but rather, apathy. A hands on approach is considered by many, especially the subordinate, to be micromanagement. So what is the answer?

I struggled with this my entire time as a platoon sergeant. On the one hand, I was rather authoritarian. On the other, I was apathetic. It was a pendulum swing in which I bounced back and forth, ever trying to reach that happy medium wherein my subordinates would have the maximum potential for growth and introspection.

In retrospect, I think the answer lies in tasks and timelines. While at FOB Prosperity this past tour (Oct 06 to Mar 07) as a platoon leader, I tasked my squad leaders and team leaders to write appendices to the platoon's standard operating procedure. They would submit these articles, I would read them, make corrections or discuss them with the owner, and kick them back. The task was two-fold. First, to keep my leaders busy, and thinking. Second, to attempt to produce an actual SOP based on how we actually did things, not how someone in an office pictured them being done. I met with each of them to look at what they had produced, and kept them working on the tasks until we moved back into the fight.

My favorite saying of all time from a subordinate leader is, "How can you evaluate me in how my squad does on the APFT (any task, actually) if you're doing all the planning?" I spoke with Jake on this a couple of times and really boils down to this: if you don't want the Lieutenant or the Platoon Sergeant doing your job, then do it yourself.

I had this one team leader last year who wanted to be home with his pregnant wife while the rest of the platoon was doing training. His squad, in particular, was doing PT twice a day. (The other platoons were off by noon, but I held my guys in until around 4-5 O'clock: a day's wage for a day's work) I appreciate family, but when you assume a leader role, your men have to take priority. Whether they live or die is often a direct reflection of how you trained them. Most in the army do not appreciate this perspective any longer. One of my recent team leaders is now frequently at home with his family; quite frankly, I expected no less from that particular person.

Ayn Rand?

I can't remember where this comes from, and Morgan will probably correct me if he stops by here, but I think it's from Ayn Rand and Atlas Shrugged.

Premise: A person can only be punished according to his values.

Arguments:

(1) A person without values cannot be punished.

(2) A person whose values are not understand or are unknown cannot be punished

Metal Organic Frameworks

Jake Correll, an old friend of mine who happens to be indolently brilliant, told me of pod casts to NPR available for free on iTunes. I got on board this afternoon, and listened to one from Science in Action, 17 April 08.

There was a lot of blather about gravity and not weighing the same in different locations of the globe. But hidden neatly away at about 20 minutes, was a piece on the works of Professor Omar Yagi and his research team on something called metal organic frameworks, or MOFs. All dry jokes aside, it was an interesting piece, detailing the capability of the team to produce crystals (the MOFs) that would store the equivalent of 40 tennis courts of gas per gram of crystal. The team had successfully done this with methane and carbon dioxide, and were working on the process for hydrogen (for use in hydrogen cell cars). Quite frankly, they seem hell-bent on getting to the hydrogen application, but I haven't heard much of their use to start filtering carbon out of the atmosphere to stop or at least mitigate global warming. I guess the financial gain available for getting to that hydrogen car exceeds the need to filter power plants and vehicles?

However, one point that disturbed me was simply, what happens when you've filled the crystals with the carbon? I mean, the crystal doesn't take the carbon, produce a chemical reaction, and voila: oxygen (I don't think that's possible without some manner of alchemy, but then, I'm not a chemist). Instead, it stores it. That is the very nature of what got us here to begin with: out of sight, out of mind. Think about the 80's and the repeated incidents of corporations dumping their toxic waste into the ocean. Okay, we stopped that, but did you ever ask, where is it now? Radioactive Isotopes with a half life of 10,000 years sitting only God knows where. These crystals have the potential to become those barrels full of radioactive sludge. We remove the carbon from the air, but where will we store the crystals? What will happen as the crystals decay? Why do we, as humans, have to look further than natural law to find the solution to such a simple problem?

The complexity of the global warming problem is not in the solution; it's in the inability of us to forego our comfort level for the sake of our environment or, our profit in the case of the oil companies.

Leadership 1

The first principle of military leadership is this: "Nice guys get people killed." I have watched leaders in the infantry for 11 years and the ones that try to be civil are the ones whose organizations are filled with stupidity. Soldiers are humans, and as such, they will inherently seek the path of least resistance, which means that if there are no repercussions for stupidity (okay, call it their individual desires), then that is the path of least resistance. But if they get a coscaron (hit on the head) for frivolous actions, then they perform as expected. General Patton said it best, your men should be more afraid of you than of the enemy.

I remember, as a team leader, my guys hating me. I remember scuffing them up on a regular basis. I remember, going through the barracks every morning, waking them up, coming back through 15 minutes later, and inspecting their rooms. I don't ever remember sitting in Joe's room, playing video games. I don't remember a time when my Joes considered me their friend. I do remember that they never got where I wanted them to be, but sometimes coming pretty darn close.

Team leaders eager to get home so they can drink beer or watch TV are going to be poor team leaders. One trait that defined my career was being the last one out the door. And there wasn't a lot of sitting around time, in my youth. I remember this one Soldier, though his name escapes me, who commented that he liked SSG Shaw's squad because they were so knowledgeable. They would sit around and read the CTT manual, then practice. I started doing the same.

In my opinion, if you show weakness as a leader, you leave room for your men to challenge you. Train in the rain, in the snow. Enjoy it; relish it. Take your guys on 10 mile runs because you can. Put them in their MOPP suits and road march them, making sure you take the time for water and skin and pupil checks. Push them to their limits because I assure you, no one really knows what their potential is until they reach it. And every time you think they've gone as far as they can, you - and they - will be surprised when they go even further.

Jessica's Environmental Law Problem

So, Jessica and I were talking about some of the research projects in my field that are located in Louisiana. Obviously, if I get the chance while I am at Fort Polk, I am going to try to get a 1-2 month internship to go there and follow on some of their studies. Especially the one concerning the invigorating the soils in the flatlands.

However, during that discussion, She posed a problem the should be answered by politicians and Lobbyists alike. They are all based on the premise that energy consumption is, in fact, contributing significantly to global warming. And on the assumption (scientifically proven, I might add) that if left unchecked, global warming could lead to catastrophic consequences for the world's population.

1. If we have the technology to produce energy efficient windows and appliances, why are the noncompliant ones so much cheaper?

2. Why do we have the technology to produce cars, like the Prius, that average 45 mpg, but it is still cheaper to get a car that averages 16?

Because the poor outnumber the other social brackets, and often, the only thing they can afford is the cheaper item, even though they will pay the difference within a couple years in heightened power bills (and power consumption). Let's go a step further and ask, if we know these things are contributing to a global problem, why is it still legal to sell them at all. I get a ticket for not wearing my seat belt, but the corporations get away unfettered for causing irreparable damage at an exponential rate.

I once had the idea of attempting to launch an initiative via petition. The initiative would have called for a 15 ¢ tax for fuel, to be used in the construction of wind turbines and other, truly green energy technologies, as well as research for conversion kits for heritage vehicles to use alternative fuels and alternative fuels did not produce twice as much carbon as gas (corn-based ethanol). Perhaps even to purchase or subsidize farms that could produce sugarcane-based ethanol. And also to began reforestation projects. It was a noble idea, because I accept that if I want to see change, that change carries a price tag and, unfortunately, as a taxpayer, I have to foot the bill. However, I would want the proceeds of the tax to be transparent and itemized as a matter of record for any taxpayer to reference.

On a less somber note, Jessica saw a t-shirt she wants to get me, because I assured her I would wear it. A simple shirt that says, "Obama is my Homey." I laugh every time. My voting preference is as follows. If Hillary beats Obama, I'm voting McCain without question. (One Clinton was more than enough for my taste; I hated deploying every time there was a controversy about that family.) However, if Obama wins the democratic ticket, then the debates between he and McCain, and whether he modifies his stance on Iraq, will be my deciding factors. I intend to write him [Obama] a letter while I am on leave to express this to him. Were he to stay the course on Iraq, and let us finish what we started, then I would have to vote for him. If he and McCain decided to partner up, (okay, that's rather silly, but if... ) no question. If Gore were to partner with Obama on the democratic ticket, I think I would have to seriously vote democrat this year.

My Mother-In-Law

I did a lot of writing today. But instead of trying to key it all in, I just thought I would type this entry about my mother-in-law, Melissa. She's as much one of my heroes as my father, though for entirely different reasons. My father, of course, set the standard for being a man in my opinion. He did three tours in Viet Nam, ultimately winning the Silver Star for heroism. Mildly shell-shocked and shot all up, he personified manhood for me from my earliest memories. Completing the mission, initiative in the absence of orders, do what you're told, being good is never good enough, and we do the difficult daily, the impossible takes a little more time. These are all axioms that I learned from my father, and internalized as I chased after my ideals of manhood.

Melissa (Mom) is a case study in the American virtue of perseverance. Two bad marriages each left her penniless and often in debt. Each time, she built herself up from bankruptcy for the good of her daughters, often working two jobs, full time so her daughters wouldn't want for anything. She never quit, though I imagine there were many overwhelming moments, when the stress was so powerful she couldn't even cry. And yet, she always fought the odds and clawed her way back to the top. She worked herself ragged, helping to pay Jessica's way through her Bachelor's Degree. She has also taken it upon herself to organize a "Support Her Troop" function with her church and workplace, ensuring a constant supply of cards and packages during my two deployments, both for me and for my men. It must be the most rewarding experience to look back on a life of struggle and know that by every standard, you have succeeded.

BBC Coverage

I just wanted to put the BBC coverage of my platoon's deeds on here for easy quick-linking. We had a great time with the reporters, Mark Urban and Mark McCauley. In May, we used to sit in "Doug's Diner" - named after our First Sergeant, Doug Maddi - and talk about our experiences. They had both been in numerous Arabic states, and spoke of 'the wave' and gaining rapport with the people. When we first deployed back into Tomah - where Gibson and Freeman were killed - me and the Lieutenant both laughed because we were throwing 'the wave' at everyone. It was a beginning.

I remember my first patrol back into Wahdi/Wahlameen. My section was driving down 3rd Street, so I dismounted and just started walking by myself with the truck following me. A kid was leaning against the wall - he was maybe 7-10 years old - so I walked up to him. "Irfa Aydek," I said: Raise your Hands. The people were so used to us coming in stormtrooping, so he raised his hands and got ready for 'tefteesh,' or being searched. There were some women on the street, and their fear was so apparent. So I walked up to the kid, dropped my weapon to my side (it was on a sling) and started tickling the kid. Everyone that saw started laughing as he squirmed all over the place, laughing.  I chatted a few minutes with him, in Arabic, then continued on down the street, smiling, waving, and saying "Sabah al-Khayr," or, Good Morning. We still got attacked after that, a couple more times, but I think I showed them that, yes, you recognize us. Yes, the last time we were here, you couldn't walk the streets, safely. But, things are going to change; we're here for you.

That reminds me of something Jake told me. He was visiting a house and a woman said, quite frankly, how can you protect me if you can't protect yourself. When he and I spoke of the engagement, I told him, "We're not here to protect ourselves. If we wanted to be safe, we'd be back home. We're here to do what's necessary, even if it means getting killed, to make sure these people have a fresh start and a safe life." I think we agreed on that. 

And I think I really internalized his speech the morning we went back into the neighborhood. "No road is black. No house is off limits. This is our neighborhood. We're going to take it and we're going to make a difference." And we did.

'Can Do' Spirit of US Troops in Baghdad, 17 May 07

Video: US troops surge

Fragile Success for US Iraq Surge, 8 December 07

Video: Signs of success

Simon Wilder's Message

You shall no longer take things at

second or third hand, nor look through

the eyes of the dead, nor feed on the

specters of books. You shall not look

through my eyes either, nor take things

from me. You shall listen to all sides,

and filter them from yourself.

From With Honors

Tony Blair Part I

I'm reading an essay by Tony Blair, while taking a break between clearing appointments. The article, "What I've Learned," contains his reflections on his time as Prime Minister. The prevalent theme is the significance of foreign policy on politics.

During point one, 'Be a player, not a spectator,' I reflected on Robert De Niro's character, Sam, in the movie Ronin. To quote, "You're either part of the solution, or part of the problem, or part of the scenery." I have always loved this line, and related it to my own working philosophy. The majority of people make up the scenery; they sit idly and wait for someone else to come along and solve their problems and make their lives better. For them, the drudgery of their lives is always someone else's fault, and it doesn't matter what is going on, they are in full complaint, pointing the finger as though they might know a better way. Solution people are not necessarily the go-getters, they may also be found in the shadows of someone else's glory, pointing the way and guiding the path. They are the rare, proactive people who internalize change and problem solving; they look for solutions to difficult problems that generally do not present a conventional solution. And the bane of my existence are the problem people, those - too many - that serve as obstacles to progress. They are the spotlights, that generally steal undeserved praise for solutions they not only failed to support, but often tried to prevent. The one character flaw I have identified with this group is a fixation on past ways of doing things. They possess little, if any, initiative or insight, and are terrified by those that do for the inadequacy they feel in their presence. (I could throw a few names out there, but currently, that might be a little foolish; maybe in a later edit.)

What most impacted me in this single bullet was Mr. Blair's statement, "They are indicative of an attitude, of responsibility to others, an acceptance that international politics should not be simply a game of interests, but also of beliefs, things we stand for and fight for." This is such a powerful statement because all I could ponder was  my personal reasons for service in the Army.

In my youth, all I wanted was to HALO (parachute) into a foreign country, kick someone's door down, and shoot them in the face. Honor was death on the battlefield, and I childishly relished the idea of this sacrifice, for myself. Family was only the fellowship of the squad and platoon.

I have since crossed the precipice of maturity and manhood. I take responsibility for my actions, and my vision for the remainder of my life had evolved to bringing about a change, for the better, of Iraq, and the world in general. Was my previous goal naive? Was it childish? Yes, but I could not have developed my current views without it. I needed combat. I needed personal pains. I needed to suffer the grievous loss of my men, and I needed to crawl into that truck. I needed to know men like Doc Willer and LT Carlisle, and to make the acquaintance of Mark Urban and Mark McCauley. I needed to laugh with them and cry with them. All of these events contributed to my developed and heightened sense of perspective. Everyone thinks they understand, or that they can understand, but they can't. Just as I can't understand their perspectives. Our experiences are different.

So, in this heightened sense of perspective, I realize that Mr. Blair is absolutely correct. Politics - and life - are not simply a game of interests. And in realizing this, I realize that my service - to the Army now and to the World, later - is not about my Country, but about the beliefs that my country holds most dear. Those beliefs that she has sacrificed young men for time and again. Life. Liberty. Pursuit of Happiness. I internalized those beliefs and I hold them so sacred, that I would sacrifice myself for them, time and again. 

"The ultimate sacrifice for the ultimate value," Robert Heinlein.

My Vision of a Sustainable, Symbiotic Existence

I was exposed to sawdust toilets in 1999, while deployed to Sinai, Egypt. I patrolled feces-flooded streets in the Al-Rasheed District of Southern Baghdad, Iraq in 2007. I came home for R&R in June 2007, when my wife introduced me to Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth and I followed that up by watching The Day After Tomorrow. Two weeks of research and thoughts progressed - not a lot of time where scientists are concerned, but then, I am not a scientist. I had an epiphany one day as Doc Willer and I discussed the intricacies of composting and how the process might be used to aid the Iraqis. But there were still holes in my knowledge that needed answering.

I got online and did some web searches for composting, during which time I came across Joseph Jenkins and his Humanure Handbook. This was a pivotal work, for me, and I consumed his writing with zeal. At the same time, I ordered Farmers for Forty Centuries, a history of Asian organic farming that used night soil. These two works were the foundation for what is to become my major in college: Agricultural Engineering in Soil Sciences double majored with Microbiology.

To utilize our feces and urine, composted with the remainder of the organics we typically throw away to the landfills, as fertilizers to invigorate otherwise dead, or taxed soils to produce food or to aid in forest reclamation. In "Farmers," it becomes apparent that this is not a new technology, as the book is a journal of a scientist that travelled the orient in the early 1900's. However, in the name of technological advancement, even many of these sagacious, Asians have turned their backs on sound agricultural principles.

I am as guilty as all with my hydraulic flush contraption. I urinate, or defecate in a little bowl, flush it, and at the expense of 400 gallons of drinking water a week, do not have to pay my waste another thought. And at this point, it is waste. It is contamination. The very act makes me part of the virus that is killing the planet earth. If you knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that within 50 years the world would be populated with 9 Billion people contributing their share to the destruction of Earth, would you seek an alternative life? Do you even care if your children and their children even have a planet to call home?

Global warming is all part of the sickness that is reflective of our inability to live in a symbiotic relationship with our planet. Balance must be attained, if our children are to continue to exist in a manner similar to our own. Perhaps we are talking about extinction. Or, perhaps we are talking about small pockets of humanity that find a way to exist in spite of the odds. Or, maybe we take an active part in the healing of our planet.

My vision starts at the individual level and works its way up to the community. My vision is, perhaps, a bit on the radical side, but it is not technologically unsound. In fact, my vision isn't even technologically challenging.

At the individual level, I must concur with Pope Benedict that pollution is merely a contemporary variation on gluttony and sloth. So, I must find ways to balance my input (my gluttony, or selfishness) with my output (if done without consideration of future effects, this is sloth). Here, I am specifically talking about consumption and digestion balanced with defecation and urination.

Two points from "Farmers," page 194: (1) With each adult averaging 40 ounces of excreta per day, we can estimate the reutilization of 5,794,300 pounds of nitrogen, 1,825,000 pounds of potassium, and 775,600 pounds of phosphorous carried in 456,250 total tons of excreta per million of adult population per year. (2) In 1908, the Chinese government of Shanghai sold the privilege of collecting 78,000 tons of night soil (urine and crap) to a contractor for $31,000 gold - to be carried to the country for sale to the farmers.

And in "Humanure," Mr. Jenkins gives an in depth discussion of building a sawdust toilet, a compost bin, and how to use them at the personal level.

My vision is to incorporate these two examples, tie them to existing services, and in this one small way (to the tune of 80 percent of our total waste produced) return to the earth what she needs. Consider the house, and its occupants as a single entity. In the current state, as mentioned, we wastefully consume natural resources - water, food, fuels - without giving anything back. My vision, begins with the household. Water is piped in, as per status quo, for use in cleaning and drinking. (However, water is not piped in for sewage.) We drink the water. We eat the food. We urinate and defecate in sawdust toilets. We wash dishes and take showers (with organic, biodegradable agents), but the water is contained on the grounds in a reservoir that, perhaps, leeches into a water reclamation site (such as artificial wetlands). External spigots are fed off the reservoir, instead of with fresh water. The reclaimed product is used to water our yards - and compost bins if needed - and wash our cars, or whatever other task we have except consumption. The sawdust toilet is used until full (or 3/4 full, thereabouts) at which time a lid is fastened on and the bin is set outside. A waste management technician (the garbage guy), with a special truck, picks up the full receptacles and leaves empties, then drives to a composting facility where the product is added to a windrow or other naturally composting pile. Through thermophilic and mesophilic composting, the pile decomposes to about 1 to 2 percent in volume, at which point it is a mineralized soil. The compost is then utilized in forest reclamation and food production.

At the community level, I am thinking about advancing the green belt concept from Boulder, Colorado. We, the constituents, demand legislation that requires each community to maintain adequate carbon sequesters to consume carbon produced by power generation, vehicles, and industry. The logging industry must plant an acre of trees before it removes an acre of trees. Further, Boulder's beltway is an excellent idea to stop the sprawl. Instead of outward expansion, we could work vertically, so that more land exists to raise trees necessary to reduce the atmosphere's carbon content. In one concept I discussed with Jessica, housing would be shaped similar to the Mayan temples, with the terraced platforms serving as yards for trees and foliage all the way to the top. Each building would have several homes within it. (I kind of had a romantic notion of the hanging gardens of, Babylon, I think.)


There are still holes in my knowledge that need answering, but the holes in my understanding have been filled. David Ben Gurion, Prime Minister of Israel once commented that if the Israelis did not conquer the desert, the desert would conquer them. Thus, Israel has spent the last 50-some years working on desert agricultural practices to enhance their environment. That is the target. That is the goal. If we are to survive as a species and contribute to the balance of the planet, we must look for the methods to nurture earth, instead of polluting it.

(And for those that say that humans are too small to have any impact on the planet.... when was the last time you saw the ebola virus, or AIDS/HIV, or influenza. You didn't. Equally insignificant in size, but over time, they bring us to our knees and have the capacity to lay us in our graves - that's what we are doing to the earth.)

Assymetric Warfare Group

I tried out for a training advisory team several weeks ago, but regrettably, they did not select me. However, during my train up, during one of my grueling "run clinic" training days, I had the following thoughts.

Why do I want to go to Assymetrical Warfare Group? First, to see if I have enough to be there. All life is a challenge, and we only get better in life if we continue to seek out and overcome these challenges. Inevitably, the more challenges you overcome, the more fulfilled your life. Second, the future of the Army, and the country, is a locked door. The conventional Army is banging its head against a wall, using archaic, non-visionary tactics to fight a determined, intangible enemy. I see the AWG as the key that might unlock the future of the Army. But only if we meet adversity to change with intrepid resolution. I once had a friend, Stephen Parshall, who said that the Infantry, and the Army, refused to change. They must be forced to adapt and change, lest we face the peril of the Romans.

The Quarrelsome Sons of Abraham

US News and World Report
February 25, 2008

"Votes in an Era of Fear", Page 8, and "In Defense of Secularism" on Page 15

Maulvi Noor Mohammad commented, "I've wasted my time the last five years in Islamabad's Parliament. Western-style politics will not bring about a Sharia [Qu'ranic Law] system. Perhaps we have to try another way." I foresee a war in America between Muslims, Christians, Jews, secularists, and the other religions. It need not be a war with guns and bloodshed, though that is not outside the realm of possibility, but rather an idealogical war to transform America. This threat further reinforces the need to stay thr course in Iraq and Afghanistan. Quite simply, in a nonsecular government, the trend historically follows a pattern of, "if you're not with us, you're against us." Catholics against Baptists. Shia versus Sunni. Muslim versus Christian. The importance of separation of church and state cannot be stressed enough. Neutral government, void of religious consideration and concerned only with the welfare of it constituents, all of its constituents, is a demand for global evolution. The best way I can sum it up is to paraphrase Jesus' comment to "give unto Caeser what is Caeser's." Piety is for ecclesiastical, as secularism must be for government; morality and concern for the human element must be adhered by both.

Further, when Sheikh Mohammad commented, "Perhaps we have to try another way," I fear he was referring to another Sadr styled terrorist group. Of course, they all see themselves as freedom fighters. However, religion, unchecked by prudence becomes oppressive, and what began as a relationship to get closer to God becomes a movement to subjugate one's fellow man.

In our shrinking global community, with our diverse religions and ethnicities, how long can we progress at this rate before Muslims demand a Sharia system in America? Or before westerners demand a Christian state within the Middle East? How long before our opposed systems leap from the precipice of reason and the call to Islamic Jihad is answered by a call to Christian Crusade? How long until we as humans do what we do best and eradicate all life with the use of biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons?

And, while evaluating this slippery slope into Meggido, shouldn't all Christians, Jews, and Muslims really be asking of themselves, "Does thou shalt not kill" mean simply to not murder or, in true appreciation of our idea of a Loving God, does it mean exactly what it says, DO NOT KILL? Rather, as children of the God of Abraham (regardless of whehter we believe Issac or Ishmael is the chosen path), shouldn't we nurture humanity and life and strive to grow together in a symbiotic relationship: "all for one, and one for all."

Environmental Ponderance

US News and World Report
Issue, 25 February 2008

"Wide Open Spaces for Sale", Page 9, and "Rethinking the Environment", Page 18

Unused property could be used to plant trees and algae to offset the carbon produced by urban sprawl. One thing that keeps coming to mind is Fort Carson with the "red rock" yard landscaping. This was supposedly put into place because of a draught several years ago. Why not plant some form of carbon muncher? (In a recent article, it is estimated that deforestation is contributing 25 to 30 percent of the global warming problem.) In fact, why doesn't Colorado lead the way and launch a new green practice that requires each municipality to sustain enough foliage to offset greenhouse gases produced? For example, we know that every gallon of gas contributes 19 pounds of carbon-dioxide into the atmosphere. My car uses about 13 gallons a week, so I am guilty of 247 pounds of CO2 per week, or 12,844 pounds per year. And that is solely for my car. That does not include electricity usage in my house or any of the other contributing factors. (When I came home on environmental morale leave, R&R, I payed like $150 in carbon credits at http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/sgw_tellafriend.asp. This money is supposed to go into research and development for clean energy.) I am curious how many trees I would be required to maintain to offset my carbon contribution.

One reason for not implementing this initiative is the use of water in an already strained environment. We are seeing more draughts as global warming escalates. How about reutilization? The system I've been thinking about for some of my future experiments is a dual transport system, one for black water and one for grey water. The grey water is put into a filtering system and cycled through a reservoir before being piped to reclamation areas, such as a tree reserve. Next question, what is the cost-benefit ratio? What will be the positive and negative ecological impacts?

This also brings up the, "But how do we pay for it?" question. Taxes, of course. Add another nickel or dime to each gallon of fuel and use that for the reserves and for clean fuel alternative research, such as wind turbines, hydraulic power plants, and solar energy. Where is the initiative that says, "Colorado will be clean energy by 2025," or some other such thing?

Wikipedia: Composting Toilet

Definition. A composting toilet can be defined as "a system that provides an environment within a container for predominantly aerobic decomposition and stabilization of refuse.

2 types
o in situ
o bucket and chuck it

Soak material such as straw, sawdust, and dry grass are added to...
o absorb excess liquid
o cover waste materials
o exclude flied
o reduce smells
o balance carbon to nitrogen ratios

The article mentions separating human waste from other kitchen scraps and garden waste. Why? As mentioned in the Humanure Handbook (Joseph Jenkins), all organics will decompose.

Conventional toilets consume large quantities of clean, drinking water (I think it was like 400 gallons per week per person)

In Situ: Drawbacks. technological curve, spacial requirements, some require an accelerant such as gas, some require electricity (pollution), stirring or rotating. Benefits. utilization is similar to hydraulic systems (no social adaptation), minimal water requirements, reduced exposure of refuse to the environment.

Bucket and Chuck It: Drawbacks. social stigma of handling shit, transport bucket to external compost pile, requires a secondary compost pile. Benefits. Compost pile can be used with all household organics (estimated 80-90 percent of garbage that otherwise goes into the dump sites), gas and electricity not required (for the decomposition process), thermophilic decomposition means fossil fuel accelerant not necessary

After 5 years, only 1-2 percent of the original volume remains. It is then a mineralized soil and will decompose no further.

Yields furtilizer that is, after the legally required period of time, able to be used in horticulture and agriculture.

Change compost bins annually or bi-annually for adequate aging of the compost to eliminate all hazardous bacteria and fungi.

Mesophilic composting (pathogens destroyed over time) vs. thermophilic composting (pathogens destroyed by heat).

NSF and Standard 41?

How many western, technological countries are doing this?

Waterless, odorless composting toilets facilitate homes remaining occuppied in draught areas.

Odors can be controlled by...
o keeping urine and feces separate (kind of defeats the purpose. urine is rich in nitrogen and phosphorous. Feces is a carbon item. balance, not separation)
o adding high carbon soak materials
o materials must remain aerated to prevent anaerobic decomposition (ammonia) (some think this means you have to turn it, but a sufficiently coarse stock might allow oxygen to continue to circulate. It's also a consideration in bin design. I've thought about putting 12-18 inches of topsoil in the base of my bin and putting earth worms in. As the compost ages, and temperatures drop, I am thinking the worms would climb the stack, serving to aerate and further eliminate harmful bacteria and fungi.)

I am more interested in the deeds of man

I am more interested in the deeds of men than the divine will of God; for they are the only things over which I may have any influence. God's will, will be done regardless.

Infinite Solutions

For every tactical problem there is an infinite number of solutions. None are right, none are wrong, each must be developed to overcome weaknesses in the solution to attain the desired goal.

On Divine Will

God set his plan into action by putting us, all of us, here together. How we facilitate his plann is up to us; it's called free will. Waiting for HIM to solve our problems is farcical.

Decentralization for the Evolution of Leadership

The road march thing on Wednesday. To much control! As an alternative, the Commander might give guidance to run a total of x-number of miles per week and road march a total of x-number of miles per month. This forces subordinate commanders to make decisions. Platoon Leader development, et al. As an example, the Battalion Commander's guidance might be road march development weekly. Further, he might define the road march as tactical foot march, conditioning foot march, or tactical dismounted patrolling. The Company Commander then provides further guidance by stating 12-miles per week minimum or, for example, 12-mile tactical foot march at a 3-mph pace (increasing the pace per week; or, the weight or packing list, etc). The Platoon Leader and Platoon Sergeant then plan to meet the training guidance. Using the above examples, two possible solutions might be...

1) a 12-mile foot march on Wednesday, with a 50-pound packing list at 3 mph.

2) Two 6-mile foot marches, one on Tuesday and one on Thursday. Tuesday foot march is with a 50 pound packing list at 3 mph. Thursday packing list is a patrol with an 80-pound packing.

This principle, when properly applied gives subordinate leaders the greatest opportunity for decision making development, an area that is severly deficient in our leader development programs. Perhaps, as part of our organizational evolution, we might start looking at ways to further decentralize the decision making process to develop leaders more proficient at sound, snap decisions in stressful situations like - oh, combat.

This is most likely my continued appreciation for NCO development programs of the German Army after WWI. As an example, during one field problem, I argued with one of my Lieutenants about our maneuver. In short, the solution called for the machine guns to set up and start shooting. The guns would cease fire when the assault squads would cut diagonally in front of them and start a bounding assault on the objective, providing their own security. "Why don't they flank and assault from the side, so the guns can keep firing?" I asked. I was told it was the approved solution. I could go on for a good couple pages on this, and I might actually hotlink a PDF file with imagery later to show what we were doing and what I was recommending, but the point here is that, the solution had be provided by higher and deviation was not allowed.

On approach, 31 December 2008

As we make our approach on New York, I find myself reflecting on Iraq and contemplating whether or not I will put my consolidated writings into one of our expensive journals. I keep thinking of mine and Lieutenant Carlisle's early discussions about patrolling the muhallahs. My first assessment had been that we could turn 10 percent, that 10 percent would remain ardent enemy, and the other 80 percent would passively support both sides. There was not scientific basis on these numbers and I was probably musing to begin with.

I remember talking about gaining popular support from the locals and how key terrain, as a tactical term, was obsolete unless one regarded the people as key terrain. In a counter-insurgency, the only consideration is how to leverage the population from the insurgent. Everything else must support that objective. Think in second and third orders of effects. If the people are dissatisfied, they will eventually rebel. But if they are satisfied, then the insurgent has nothing on which to base his claims and nothing to offer.

Notes on the Qu'ran

10: 67-70

They say: "God has begotten a son." God forbid! Self-sufficient is He. His is all that the heavens and the earth contain. Surely for this you have no sanction. Would you say of Godwhat you know not?

Say: "Those that invent falsehoods about God shall not prosper. They may take their ease in this life, but to all Us they shall then return, and for their unbelief we will make them taste the grievous torment."

I remember reading this and thinking, "so much for a peaceful religion." However, I also recall in our own Bible, God saying to 'wipe them from the earth.' The point is, extremists of every religion will find, or create, what they need to give momentum to their faction. Those are the ones, I think, that need to be wiped from the earth. Yes, there are passages that promise an endless war between the different religions, but I think those are the ones we should remember as historical reference, but supplant as we evolve. My father, an honorable man, said that if I were killed in Iraq, he would want vengeance. I am certain that is the same for all my family. But I would like to point out that, if I die in Iraq, it was my choice. I enlisted, without coercion, but of free will. Therefore, if I were to die in Iraq, I would have you celebrate my sacrifice at the alter of freedom and humanity, and continue my works to aid the Iraqi people. That is how you would honor me.

Albert Hourani, A History of the Arab Peoples

Yet another excerpt from a book in Kuwait.

"...In it, Ibn Khaldun tried to explain the rise and fall of dynasties in a way which would serve as a touchstone by which the credibility of historical narratives might be judged. The simplest and easiest forms of human society, he believed, was that of the people of the steppes and mountains, growing crops or rearing livestock, and following leaders who had not organized power of coercion. Such people had a certain natural goodness and energy, but could not by themselves create stable governments, cities, or high culture. For that to be possible, there had to be a ruler with exclusive authority, and such a one could establish himself only if he was able to create and dominate a group of followers possessing 'asabiyya', that is to say, a corporate spirit oriented towards obtaining and keeping power. This group could best be drawn from the energetic men of the steppe or mountain; it could be held together by the sense of common ancestry, whether real or fictitious or by ties of dependence, and reinforced by common acceptance of a religion. A ruler with a strong and coherent group of followers could found a dynasty; when its rule was stable populous cities would grow up and in them there would be specialized crafts, luxurious ways of living and high culture.

"Every dynasty, however, bore in itself the seeds of its decline: it could be weakened by tyranny, extravagance, and the loss of the qualities of command. Effective power might pass from the ruler to members of his own group, but sooner or later the dynasty might be replaced by another formed in a similar way. When this happened, not only the ruler, but the whole people on whom his power had rested, and the life they had created, might disappear; as Ibn Khaldun said in another context, 'when there is a general change of conditions, it is as if the entire creation had changed and the whole world had been altered.' The Greeks and Persians, 'the greatest powers of their time in the world,' had been replaced by the Arabs, whose strength and cohesion had created a dynasty of which the power stretched from Arabia to Spain; but they in their turn had been replaced by Berbers in Spain and the Maghrid, and by the Turks further east."

Of particular interest to me, here, is, "it could be weakended by tyranny, extravagance, and the loss of the qualities of command." Extravagance. The end of the Roman empire is sometimes tied to extravagance on the part of the Roman citizens, which forced the legions to be manned by Barbarians. In time, Romans, except for the poor and destitute, stayed out of service. What does that say about us, here in America? 80 percent of our citizens are obese, by last estimates. Only a small percentage volunteers for the military. "What we do in life, echoes in eternity." Extravagance.

Karen Armstrong, The Battle for God

A History of Fundamentalism

"At all events, the hideous September [11] attacks show that when people begin to use religion to justify hatred and killing, and thus abandon the compassionate ethic of all the great world religions, they have embarked on a course that represents a defeat for faith."

A book I found and quoted into my journal while in Kuwait. I love this quote, and actually paraphrased it into a later entry concerning an Arabic Politician who said he'd wasted his time in his country's parliament and thought it might be time to try "something else." I'll hot-link the other entry when I key it in.

Departures, 26 December 2007

I entered the C-17 with a sense of dread, a sense of longing, and an overwhelming loneliness. This was my war. This had been my battle, and my men had won.

As we approached the bird, I looked at the lights of the airport and imagined the city of Baghdad. I imagined Dora, with all our friends, eagerly awaiting the next morning with hope. There may be jobs.

My future hangs heavy on my soul. When I close my eyes, I see myself as an Infantry leader. And yet, for fear of professional integrity, I feel it's time to leave. Special Forces or Civil Affairs? I later learned I wasn't eligible for either. As a Sergeant First Class with 4 years in my current rank, I exceed the time in grade window for Special Forces and as a Sergeant First Class, I wasn't eligible for Civil Affairs at all.

Civil Affairs guarantees Bragg, which puts Jessica in a position to finish her law degree.

I cannot say that badges don't matter. I'd love to get my long tab. I'd love to honor my father and, as Barry Sadler said, he'll be a man, they'll test one day, have him win, the Green Beret.

And yet, as I ponder this decision, the beginning of Troy comes as though foreshadowing an epic decision. If I go SF, I will earn my glory, but fail to achieve the normalcy of family. If I go Civil Affairs, I will impact the world to some lesser degree and perhaps actually have a modicum of family interaction.

Self-edification. The word keeps popping into my mind.

Idea for a paper; 24 December 07

A paper on the ideas Doc Willer and I discussed about how Saddam Hussein had basically given the people everything: food, petroleum, and services. It sounds good at first glance, but then we realized that he had done all this as a method of control. Who would want to dispose of the man that provided for your family, even if he put your neighbor in a meat grinder and you weren't allowed to really object to any of his policies. And thus:

Idea for a paper. Social platforms of the Democratic party as an environment for control. Also, the manipulations of fear by the Republican party as an environment for control. On one side, you could sell your liberty for free gas (like the Iraqis) or on the other you could allow the government to usurp your liberty in the guise of your personal safety (watch V for Vendetta if you don't understand)

Additional thoughts on this include social welfare programs. Again, they sound good, but when is enough, enough? When do we hold people accountable for their actions? Specifically, I am referring to women who have kids out of wedlock, do not hold a job, and demand the government take care of them "with a check." How is this for taking care of them: take their kids and put in a birth control implant. There are many good uses for the welfare programs, like helping people get themselves back on track. But simply being on the dole (Roosevelt) is wasting the tax dollars that could be used for other, productive ends.

Friday Prayer in November, 2007

One Friday, I had my interpreter listen to the Mosque message to see if the local Sheikh (Imam) was still doing a Pro-Iraq message, instead of the anti-American, anti-Iraq message that used to come out every mosque, every Friday. I took notes as the terp translated and was most pleased with the message. One could easily find the same in any Protestant, Catholic, or Jewish message, and feel quite at home.

Iraq is like our mother, but we don't steal from our mother, or disrespect her. Why do we do these things to Iraq? ( Here, he was talking to the politicians, as well as the people of the neighborhood. For the politicians, he was referring specifically to government appointed officials - and the elected officials - to stop stealing money and hiding it in Jordanian accounts. Instead, they should be using that money to make life better for the Iraqis who had very few jobs and hard lives. For the neighborhood, he went on to talk about how they were throwing garbage on their own streets and that was why their homes looked so poorly. Also, he kind of addressed the neighborhood men to stay away from insurgency and instead help to make Iraq a better place. )

Keep your sons off the street. On the street, they learn rudeness. Islam is a polite religion. When your children are rude, it is your fault. Keep them in your house and raise them right. ( Here, he was talking about gangs that had popped up as insurgent groups. )

Robert Louis Stevenson

REQUIEM

Under the wide and starry sky,

Dig the grave and let me lie.

Glad did I live and gladly die,

And I laid me down with a will.

This be the verse you grave for me:

Here he lies where he longed to be

Home is the sailor, home from the sea,

And the hunter, home from the hill.

25th or 26th of December, 2007

My post script comments will be in italics. I will attempt to keep the transcriptions as I wrote them at the time, though I may edit them to protect identities or to protect myself (selfish as that might sound, I am prone to shooting myself in the foot).

Closing thoughts, Exodus, Day 1.

I am lying on a cot in a tent on Baghdad International Airport. I layed out my poncho and liner, folded length-wise on my cot to serve as a temperature barrier. I am now in my sleeping bag lying on the pillow Jessica sent with the stuffed dog (presumably from our dogs) that is also on the cot.

I said goodbye to [my very good friend and interpreter], Jimmy on the way out of the barracks: my akuya. I have since written him an email, but have gotten nothing in return. I shall have to call and make sure he is alright. When I sit and think on Iraq, I often get depressed that my life here in America is not as productive as in Dora. There, we made things happen every day to make the Iraqis' lives better. Here, I watch life pass quickly by, hoping for my retirement so I can put myself in a position to improving my environment again. Here, I am a spectator of current events.

We had lunch with Lieutenant Fiedler and Staff Sergeant Brown from a civil affairs advisory team. They spoke to me at length about the provisional reconstruction teams and I must confess that I am quite interested. There are three to six month deployments - as opposed to fifteen. Jessica would be able to apply to law school at Campbell University, her alma mater (?). And I can seek out my degree while active duty, possibly at NC State. After dealing with raw sewage and seeing children walking down streets in sometimes mid-calf deep shit water, I developed a desire to figure out how to use composting to resolve the issue. I have since read several books on the subject and determined my future to be in Agricultural Engineering (Soils concenctration) with a double major - or minor - in microbiology. But we'll get into that in depth as we go along.

(This is sewage, not water)

Then there is the opportunity for me to work with composting across the world. I am eager to make my first sawdust toilet and even more for my first batch of compost. I spent many patrols talking to Doc Willer about the composting he had seen in Boulder. He brought up alot of interesting ideas for civil planning (the green belt in Boulder), composting, and the list goes on. We discussed my design for a home compost bin that I might be able to use in a residential area. The big obstacles are smell (otherwise no one will know what I am doing) and sanitation (children playing in the area being exposed to something dangerous).

Thiebe. Aminah. Ghofran. Dora'a. The pretty little girl in the red, flower-print dress. Tariq and daughter. Jimmy, Michael, Alex, and Rose. I will miss you all. I love you all.

I think about playing soccer with Jessica at the park near our house. Maybe when I get home. And counting. I remember thinking about the local kids coming and playing with us. Then, once I got home, reality sank in. In Iraq, I had been able to walk down the street (after we dominated the insurgents) and play with the children. We spoke to all of them, and many tipped us off to bad people. But back in America, the days of innocence are dead and forgotten. When I was a boy, I remember playing in the neighborhood and sometimes getting a spanking from a neighbor down the street. Then they would tell my dad and I would get another, or a coscaron (hit on the head) at the very least. Nowadays, should I tickle a child, the parents would probably have me arrested as a pedophile. I wonder how we came to this point in my 35 short years on the planet.

Foreward to Coming Entries

The next several entries will be from my several journals, kept from around April 07 in Iraq through redeployment and after AWG selection. Eventually, I will be posting items kept on my e-Journal on my laptop, but they have to first be declassified, so I don't know how long that will take.

As a good prologue to these entries, I thought I might share a song by Enya. No, it isn't "Only Time", but rather, "Pilgrim", from A Day Without Rain.

Pilgrim how you Journey

On the road you've chose

To find out why the winds die

And where the stories go

All days come from one day

That much you must know

You cannot change what's over

But only where you go

One way leads to diamonds

One way leads to gold

Another leads to you only

To everything you're told

In your heart you wonder

Which of these is true

The road that leads to nowhere

The road that leads to you

Will you find the answer

In all you say and do

Will you find the answer

in you

Each heart is a pilgrim

Each one wants to know

The reason why the winds die

And where the stories go

Pilgrim in your journey

You may travel far

But pilgrim it's a long way

to find out where you are

Pilgrim it's a long way

To find out where you are.