New Title

Here's the new title I'm working with. I think it works but I feel like it might not be enough.

Demon's Souls

While I have the soap box--after all that's what using a blog is all about--I'd like to take a moment to talk about the new(ish) PS3 game Demon's Souls. Aside from the grammatical oddity, Demon's Souls is a fantastic game.

It's been a long time since I poured some 40+ hours into a game. The last one I can think of is last year's Resident Evil 5. RE5 wasn't the greatest game in the world, but the combination of co-operative play with Spencer, a horde of unlockable secrets, and classic RE4-style gameplay--I was pretty hooked.

Demon's Souls is a whole different animal than anything that has come out recently. It's a (mostly) single player action/RPG that relies on a very D&D-based stat and equipment system. With a medieval/fantasy setting, it uses the same staples of the genre as just about anything else--sans elves and orcs. What makes Demon's Souls so appealing is that the game has absolutely no qualms with kicking your ass, even to the point of breaking your controller in anger (Spencer). Why is this appealing? Games these days tend to hold your hand, tutorials and user friendliness have taken the place of challenge and brutal difficulty. I realized this while recently playing Megaman 9--another game that will have you cursing your creator after about an hour of play.

In addition to the standard RPG elements, Demon's Souls takes an online approach that is a welcome change to the genre. For one, while the game is technically a single-player experience, you can add up to two friends in co-operative play to take down some of the more challenging stages and foes. This has proven to be the key to the game's hook--for me anyway. With Spencer on the other side, leveling and getting further, I have to make sure my character is within his limits to play with, as there is a +/-10 level gap in playability. Meaning, you have to be within 10 levels of eachother to play together. The co-op play itself adds a whole new dimension to the gameplay. I'm prone to playing Thief/Ranger characters in RPGs. It's just how I roll. As a result, I'm constantly skulking around corners with my Thief Ring equipped trying to get backstabs and avoiding close encounters. Spencer, however, has taken a somewhat more brutish approach to the game as a Warrior type. When we play together, now he can take the heat in combat on the ground while I provide sniper support from the ledges of rooftops. He can keep the enemy dancing with him while I sneak around and stab him in the back (for a huge bonus of damage). The gameplay changes completely, and makes the challenges of the standard levels much more fun to deal with.

In addition to that, the online functionality of the game extends into single player experiences as well. You, or another player, can write notes on the ground to warn other players playing through the same stage--or to fuck with them--of impending doom. It's anonymous, and it's helpful. As well, other players playing through the stage will leave a blood stain when they die. By pressing X over it, you can see a little holographic replay of how they died--thus warning you of something big or learning to not do what they did. While these players don't actually play with you, you're all still playing in the same online realms.

Part of the game's hook also lies with what most games make extremely annoying. When you die--and you will--you leave a bloodstain... that contains all of the souls you've collected up to that point. Souls are important because they let you buy levels, weapons, armor, items, or upgrade equipment. Losing them sucks, however, you can retrieve them from the bloodstain, which will sit about 10 seconds ahead of wherever you died. Therefore, you must go get it. So there you go, repeating the same level to (hopefully) get to the same spot you died so you can retrieve your valuable souls. This will turn a 1 hour session into a 3 hour session easily. This may seem annoying, but like the Megaman games of the NES days, it makes you memorize the level to a T and will make the game much smoother over all for you.

It's hard for me to explain why that kind of repetition is appealing. Other games, like Splinter Cell for example, make you die or "fail" a lot and it just pisses me off to the point that I turn it off. In Demon's Souls though, you die, get pissed off, go kill whatever killed you, get back your 32,000 Souls you dropped, and you feel more accomplished than you would have before. I can't say the game's brutality toward the player is always fun, but at least the game stays challenging from start to finish.

Anyway, I think the game is great. It's great to have another PS3 exclusive that is worth the hype. While I own all 3 systems of this generation now, I will say that the PS3 has much more appealing exclusives than the 360. While I like HALO as much as anyone else, I can't think of any other reasons, besides Left 4 Dead, the 360's exclusive titles would be appealing. All of the major games like your Call of Duty's and your Rock Band's are available on both systems--while the PS3 maintains some of the best games of the generation as exclusives like MGS4, Killzone 2, Little Big Planet, and now Demon's Souls. The only reason I'm getting Modern Warfare 2 on 360 is because I know everyone else is.

So... yeah with that I'm done. I kind of gave up gaming for a while after I joined the Marines. It feels good to be a nerd again. Aloha!

Terminal Lance #2

"SNCO Syndrome"


Hooray #2!

Terminal Lance #1

"Nunchakus"


So I've officially been given the opportunity to submit my comic to the Hawaii Marine again. It's a small, free, local paper given to anyone who walks passed it. They wanted a comic and I was tired of seeing Gunny Wolf's Semper Toons being the only thing filling the comic section.

While I have nothing against Semper Toons, I will say that it's geared more toward the mentally motarded than to the relevant interests of modern day Marines--especially the Lance Corporals of today's Corps. So with Terminal Lance, I'm aiming to make a slightly more grown up, less motivated version that today's E-3's and below can relate to. I whipped this up today, it took the better part of the day but I think it's a good first attempt. Hopefully people find it as funny as I do... but you never know.

Inked

So I'd like to give a shout-out to my good friend Renda's new book, being self-published October 20th. I've read the whole thing, it's a fantastic book and all of you should give it a shot!

Visit www.rendadodge.com to order it!

Home Again

Well it's been about 9 days since my return to Hawaii, and holy shit did I miss it. Coming home, Didie dropped all sorts of goodies on me. The first night I was back she had a Wii, Wii Sports, some business cards, and even the camera I bought wrapped as presents for me on the table.

The camera is a Sony a700, I bought it on eBay for $830--which is actually a pretty good deal seeing as it was mint with the kit lens and remote and all that. I think the 2nd night I was back we went to Ala Moana shopping center and bought a 50mm Prime lens at Ritz Camera. I hate Ritz, they mostly only have Canikon stuff in stock. No love for Sony/Minolta.

Didie's friend Ryan was here when I got back, it wasn't as awkward as I thought it'd be. We still had plenty of sex (me and Didie). Me and Ryan went to Kuoloa Ranch (Didie had to work), I got to ride a fucking huge horse named Michelin that weighed about 2000 lbs. We also got to do the bus tour that stops by all the movie sights, to include the Jurassic Park area where the Gallimimus stampeded happened in the movie. I'll post pictures eventually after I finish editing.

With all of this awesomeness, I find myself overwhelmed with things to do. Between my Wii, PS3, XBOX 360, PSP, DS, camera and artwork that inevitably needs to get done--I won't be bored any time soon. Not to mention all of the beach hopping I'll be doing. Didie, Charlie and I went to the beach for the first time on Saturday. It was so fun! I miss the ocean so much. It's gonna be bitter sweet leaving Hawaii. Sweet because I'm getting out of the Marine Corps--but bitter because Hawaii is so beautiful and I do love it dearly.

Yo dawg!

I don't typically subscribe to creating internet memes, but I felt inclined to make this for my friend Cottle. He sure loves guitars.

Any way, we're about done with this deployment. I have about just over 2 weeks left and I'm super excited to get back to Hawaii to my wife and my dog and my Teddy's. This will mark the end of my last deployment to this horrible country, as well as the beginning of the end for my enlistment in the Marine Corps. It's hard to believe it's almost been 4 years since I decided to become a masachist.

I'll be leaving Hawaii as well. I rather like Hawaii, it's nice all the time and there's a beach by my house. I would stay if it offered any of the opportunity I need to reach my goals in life. Unfortunately the little island isn't as good for animation and film as it is for relaxing and enjoying the sun.

I went on my last mission the other day. We had a detainee release in Fallujah, left from Baghdad. We spent the whole day prior in Baghdad. It would be nice, if not for the excessive use of army personnel there. Obviously the base is an army base, and that's fine. But places like Baghdad really make you see how little of a war this is any more. Any shred of hardship or struggle goes unremembered in Baghdad's green zone. Between the 2 acres of chow hall and the Taco Bell the spirit of war is no where to be found in that place. Not to sound completely motarded, but I think this is primarily due to the lack of Marines in Baghdad. Marines in themselves carry with them the presence of conflict. If there's no Marines where you are, there's probably not much going on.

Baghdad is so devoid of Marines, in fact, that the soldiers there seem to fear us. Walking passed them in the chow hall or on the street, you're greeted not with words, but with quick, fearful glances in an effort to avoid eye-contact. The soldiers cower and flinch at the movements we make, the officers and SNCO's are overly polite as if we're going to kill them on a whim if they say the wrong thing. The soldiers fear and respect the Marines. I'm not going to make any claims that I deserve this respect, or that I have seen or experienced more than every soldier in Iraq. Just... more than these soldiers. In this stage of the war, the soldiers that inhabit Baghdad are not war-hardened veterans--but rather pasty, overweight and fearful products of the safe-haven.

One moment in particular that I thought was interesting: I was sitting in the chow hall, eating, minding my own business--the only tan cammies in a sea of gray PT shirts, glow belts and blue ACU's. This civilian in a glow vest comes up to me with a very noticeable scar on his face, he tells me, "Hey man, how's it going? My name is Angel, I used to be a Sergeant in the Marines."

I responded, "Oh hey how's it going?"

He proceeds to tell me that he misses seeing Marines around, and that if we ever need anything--go to the Mayor's Cell and ask for "Gunny". Apparently "Gunny", as the name implies, is a retired Marine Gunny that likes to hook up Marines. He said if we ever wanted any hookups or anything at all that we could think of, we should see Gunny. I was flattered and somewhat taken aback by this. The idea that Marines are so rare and yet revered in Baghdad was strange, honestly I didn't think anyone really bought into the ideas that Marines are that much better. But looking around the chow hall, seeing all the obese soldiers and airmen in their PT gear with their rifles on the floor--you realize that no matter how fucked up we may think the Marines are... we're still better than the Army.

Cruisebook Cover

So I'm sure some may be curious as to what the Cruise Book cover will look like. This is a preview of what I'm shooting for, it's still tentative. It's an ink illustration I did based off the plank holder certificate I did last year.

Ouch Charlie! That really hurt!

Charlie bit me...

I'm still working on this. It's coming along better than I thought it would. The Detective took me way too long, I went over and over and over his facial features a million and a half times over about 4 hours to finally get it somewhere that works. I'll probably go over it again.




If I don't stop myself I'll be up all night with this thing.

www.polkout.com

Read www.polkout.com

It's hilarious.

On the Psyche of a Zombie

It feels like it's been forever since I just tried to paint something for myself. As in, not a Marine or something for 3/3. WO Quigley would probably shit his pants with rage if he knew I was doing this and not the USMC art he wants, but it's 3am and I just feel like thinking about zombies.

I miss zombies. I love zombies. I love how simple, sad, and confused their faces are. I love how they stumble and moan, the amount of entertainment I get out of the little things zombies do is kind of weird. Sure, everyone loves a good zombie flick, they like seeing a group of survivors fight their way out of a horde to safety. They like seeing what the people are going through, and talking about how they would handle it.

When I watch a zombie movie I don't care about the people, I try to think about what the zombie must be going through. People think of them as mindless entities, just roaming and eating. In the simplest of terms, that's what they are. But on some level, consciousness exists. Writing Charlie the Zombie, I started thinking about what he must be seeing. They do see, after all. They see, they smell, they touch, and at some level, they're able to think. If only to discern what's food and what isn't, people always say it's "instinct." I've heard it said that the difference between man and animal is free will, and that animals are driven by instinct. While I can't really say whether or not this is true, I do know that no matter how dumb I may think my dog Charlie is, there is still thought going on behind his blank stares.

Charlie the Dog, much like Charlie the Zombie, sees the world in front of him. He dreams and thinks just like any human, albeit at a lower level of intelligence. No matter how you look at it though, Charlie, like any animal with a brain, thinks. This leads me to think that a zombie must think on some level as well. The brain, damaged from lack of blood flow, still processes information and still produces images and thoughts in his head. These thoughts are damaged though, the images distorted and turned into a horrifying kind of reality only fully illustrated in our worst nightmares. The deepest parts of the brain are the only ones left active, childhood memories and scars buried deeper than we can even remember are the reality of a zombie. The nightmare only growing more frightening and distorted as the brain rots, as zombies do rot, and ultimately the creature will slip away.

People think of zombies as just hungry, wandering and trying to find food. Perhaps there is a reason they see us as food though, perhaps in their horrifying reality we're represented to them as some horrible childhood figure and in their state lack the intelligence to stop themselves from wanting to kill us. Maybe to a zombie, eating the flesh of a living human provides them with some kind of respite--a fullfilled revenge of sorts in their wandering daze.

I dunno, this is all just speculation obviously, and the focal point of Charlie the Zombie. I urge you all, the next time you're playing Resident Evil or watching Day of the Dead; ask yourself, What is this zombie doing here? What events after his death led him to this point, only to be killed by the hero.

Seeing the world from their eyes might in fact open your own.

A Preview of Things to Come

So it's like 4am here but I had this awesome idea for a new Charlie painting and I started working it. Based off of the Michaelangelo painting, there is going to be much more to it...

Night Vision Goggles

So I was browsing Gamespot and I noticed an article on Modern Warfare 2 coming out soon. This is a picture of the expected deluxe edition or whatever they're calling it these days:



Now, I understand that not everyone would know that these are in fact not what real Marines and soldiers are issued. However, I do expect that the creators of Modern Warfare would do even just a tiny bit of research to unveil to themselves that this is just fucking absurd. Those huge things are mimicking something that hasn't been used in many years, and were replaced by the PVS-14's around the same time I got to the fleet. This game is supposed to be in the near future, and these are what they're passing off as "high-tech modern night-vision".

I took a picture of myself with my issued PVS-14 night-vision. It's about a quarter the size, doesn't strap to my head, and doesn't cover up both of my eyes.



I was really impressed with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare's extremely realistic portrayal of Iraq and modern war. This is disappointing, that they will pass these things off in a $150 DELUXE EDITION and people will think it's really sweet. I hate you Activision.

The Guys in Charge

I talk so much about these two, I figured I'd put up a picture. Here is our Battalion Commander and our Battalion Sergeant Major: LtCol Goff (left), and SgtMaj Baldwin (right).

WIP

Here is something I'm working on. I'm planning on inking it. From the last email I got from Michael Fay it seemed like he wanted to see more ink. That's fine, I love ink.



I don't ever have any direction as to what I'm supposed to be drawing. I just... do. I dunno, it gets confusing sometimes. But whatever, how often does anyone get to do this?

You can't spell "Disgruntled" without "Grunt"

I hate having all of these really awesome ideas in my head for movies and scenes that are fully fleshed out and ready to go, but not having the ability to put things in motion. I really want to go to school, I want to learn the art of character animation and realize everything I've been going through this shit-storm for. Of course, I doubt when I get my degree I'll be able to create everything I want right away, I'll probably be stuck working at Disney animation studios doing whatever new straight-to-DVD-animated-sequel-to-a-beloved-classic they're deciding to flood the market with at the time.

Regardless, I'm really excited to get out of this organization already.

I won't lie, I don't hate the Marine Corps. I think most Marines' anger and hatred is better aimed at their specific chain of command than the Corps itself. There's been a lot of that going on around here lately. While I will agree that most Marines would complain regardless of how good or bad things are--I do think that lately things have been even more ridiculous and fucked than they usually are. That's saying a lot.

Either the command doesn't know, or they don't care that every Marine under them has reached a point of complete ambivalence. No one has any confidence or trust in this chain of command, they're convinced that most of the staff is out to get them as well. While one would expect this from a few disheartened individuals, it's not something that you would typically see on the company level. While I can understand that the commands decisions will not appeal to everyone, it's somewhat expected that they have the responsibility to make the decisions appeal to someone.

When I asked the question, "What is the point of switching two companies in a battlespace when both of them are already set-in, and more than willing to finish the remainder of the deployment at their current locations?" The reply I received was, "It's political."

Political for who? The Battalion staff? Spending thousands of government dollars doing something that absolutely doesn't have to be done is downright irresponsible, not to mention a waste of everyone's time. On paper, playing the infantry company shuffle may work. Shit, it may even work logistically. What the battalion doesn't realize however is that acts like these, with no explanation, leaves the people that it actually affects in complete anger and discontent. No one wants to have to pack everything they have, tell their families they have a different address, move to some place they've never been, all for political reasons. Things like this are what destroy the "Marine Corps" for those on the fence about re-enlisting. Things like this are what keep Marines performing poorly. When there's no purpose behind action, what's the point?

Blah, I'm just ranting now. Anyway, I'm getting tired. My sleep schedule is still messed up from my all-nighters in Ramadi.

Rarely

Very rarely do I actually care about anything that isn't related to my wife or videogames, but I've had a very longstanding dream to become a professional animator. My plan has always been something like this:

1. Do Art
2. ??
3. Make Cartoons
4. Profit!

Unfortunately step 2 has always eluded me, but now that my enlistment is coming to an end, it's high time I get my shit together to fill in this missing step.

Right now that would be getting in to CalArts' Character Animation program. Although I picked CalArts a while ago, I didn't really realize how prestigious it actually is. CalArts, and more specifically, the Character Animation program, is one of the most difficult art programs in the country to get accepted to. It's something like an 8% acceptance rate, and 15 students per semester. While that's somewhere between holy shit and omygawd, I honestly think I have a chance.

Now, I know it would be weird to think that someone without a high school diploma, degree, or even good grades would be able to make it into a program such as this. However, CalArts is also notorious for not basing their acceptance off of grades, they look for talent. This, and probably only this, will put me in the position I need to get accepted. Honestly, I have to be an extremely unique case at CalArts. This will make it easier for me to get noticed there.

When going up against what I can assume is mostly high school graduates, 18 years of age or so, I have a couple of things on them.

-I have prior college experience, with decent grades.
-I'm not 18, I'll be 23 and thus viewed possibly as being more responsible.
-I'm a combat artist. I doubt any of those kids have either been to Iraq or done any kind of unique professional work.
-I am already educated in art to a point that I know is above the majority of 18 year old kids.
And lastly...
-I'm awesome.

I've already been talking to a counselor, and before that my emails were flooding the CalArts help desk so much they referred me to someone specific--thus letting me know that they probably know my name by now.

I'm pretty confident, even though the odds would seem to be stacked against me on paper, that I will get accepted into CalArts. The only thing I don't have going for me is the GI Bill and California not being too happy together. Hopefully these issues will be fixed soon and it won't cause me any problems while I try to pay the costly $34,000 a year tuition.

Since the beginning of the war in Iraq back in 2003, many new developments have come along as a result of it. War breeds new technology and tactics--and thus a more advanced, efficient war-fighting force has been born as a result of it.

It is now 2009, and we are on the eve of the war's end. It is at this time however, that the rules are becoming more and more ridiculous. I'm not speaking of the new SOFA agreement, or any political changes made to the doctrine of war. I'm speaking of course in relation to the "rules" that have been bestowed upon the average Marine by higher command.

It's almost as if the lack of combat action taking place in the country is causing the higher powers that be to become stagnant, senile entities, sitting in their cave-like offices pondering all the possible ways that the "enemy" in their eyes will try to kill them. Cold, war-hardened colonels and generals sit in their offices lost in the world of their own psyche--a place that I can only imagine. Not unlike a dungeon, a place so dark and wrought with fear and paranoia that any good or common sense that once existed has either been tortured beyond recognition or executed by the undertakers of their mind.

One "rule" that comes to mind is an actual order that is now being practiced in full-swing here on the bases of Iraq. That is, of course, the front rifle carry. Without any thought or consideration for the people that actually have to carry these heavy, metal objects with them everywhere they go, i.e., the Lance Corporal; gone are the days when this inconvenient weapon could be slung on the back or side to keep it out of the way. Now you absolutely must put this hulking piece of equipment--the only one you're required to have on you at all times--to your front. This is to keep in the minds of Marines that we're "always ready". Yes, we're always ready. I can only assume that whatever drug induced general or staff NCO that thought of this rule had only the best intentions. But to justify this new, heavily enforced carry, you need to assume a lot of things.

First, you need to assume that the "enemy" (as we like to call him) has made it passed the front ECP of the base in mind. Then, you need to assume that the enemy has the intention to attack somebody up front, on a base surrounded by service members. Then, you need to assume that the service member being attacked has a loaded rifle--which he or she never will on base. You also need to assume that the enemy, as crazy as he may be, won't just mortar the base or launch a barrage of RPG's in place of coming at you with a knife or some such. This has never happened, and I'm almost 100% certain that if the enemy did decide to attack a base as large as al Asad or Ramadi--they would use some kind of indirect fire. Carrying your rifle to your front, at the alert, is not going to help you defend the base against a mortar attack.

The only thing this rifle carry does accomplish is being extremely inconvenient for the person that has to carry it. As we all know, the issued M9 pistol is a status symbol in the military--those that carry it are usually of higher rank or "rate it" some how. This weapon is usually holstered on their side or their leg. If we're now concerned about always being at the ready, when violence is at an all-time low in the country, then maybe the people that carry M9's should walk around with them in their hands, ready to take out any foes that wish to assault them.

Another one of these new rules cooked up in the demented world of higher-rank is that of the "face guard". Illustrated by my good friend LCPL Jacobs here:



This is a face guard designed for turret gunners. Specifically, the lead turret gunner. Jacobs here is the lead turret gunner of a 7-ton--a vehicle that puts him some 15 feet off the ground. In this stage of the war, where IED's are much less common--this hefty addition to his kevlar is best described as "too ridiculous, too late". But somehow, in the cold, bitter world that is the higher-up thought process--this seemed like a good idea. Despite the fact that we haven't run into a single IED out here, despite the fact that the frag from an IED probably won't be able to arc over the 15 ft tall armor of the 7-ton turret and still cause damage to his face. Despite the fact that even if that did happen, it would probably be far too close for this thing to make a difference... he still has to wear it; because in the horrifying reality taking place in the mind of some colonel somewhere in this country--LCPL Jacobs is in danger without it.

I could go on, but I think I've illustrated my point here. As less and less happens, things become more and more ridiculous. It wasn't this bad on my first deployment here, and though nothing of interest happened then either--the odds of it were much greater. And yet, we didn't have to carry our rifles to our front and LCPL Jacobs (or myself for that matter) didn't have to wear the face guard.

Hopefully we get out of this country soon. If we don't, we'll probably have to walk around in our PPE wearing our dress blue jacket patrolling the food court to make sure the enemy is thoroughly confused before they try to mess with the US Marines... a force to be reckoned with.

Why I deleted the picture post.

Well I discovered I can't actually put these images online without the consent of Public Affairs first. So, I removed the images until further notice.

The 1st One

So after much trial and error with the language settings for these Arabic networks, I was finally able to get a blog up and running. I don't really care much for LiveJournal anymore, I don't really think anyone would read it anyway. However, I kind of miss blogging and I haven't actively done it in a few years. This is primarily because of the Marine Corps iron grasp on my life, but things have calmed down for me and I find myself with a lot of time to reflect on myself.

As it stands, on my 2nd deployment to the beautiful nation of Iraq. This time, however, I'm no longer in the infantry. Well, I'm still technically, but I've received a promotion in billet from an Assaultman Squad Leader at the company level to the battalion level billet of "Battalion Artist" or somesuch. I find that billet title somewhat childish though, and I prefer to refer to myself as a "Combat Artist." About half my job is photography however, as the one photographer we do have, LCPL Perez, usually isn't enough to cover all of the assignments we are tasked with.

As the means become available, I'll be posting photos from my issued Canon 1D MkII, as well as scans of my artwork from the missions I go on periodically.

Though I'm stationed in al Asad, I'm in Ramadi right now on assignment. Ramadi is a nice base, it's a lot like al Asad but very tightly compact. Everything is within walking distance, at least everything I could need. Unfortunately, with mission delays and so forth, I find myself with very little to do over the past couple of days. I've spent a lot of time at the MWR (Military Welfare and Recreation) center, on the computer looking at new cameras and on the phone with Didie--my beautiful wife. They also offer videogames here, you check out a game and a controller at the front desk and go play for as long as you want. I think there's technically a time limit but since hardly anyone actually plays, they don't need to enforce it.

Yesterday I spent about 5 hours playing Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles on the Wii. The game itself is extremely short, and even less complicated. It's an on-rails shooter exclusive to the Wii, utilizing the Wiimote as an aiming device to shoot all the zombies, lickers, hunters, dogs, and the other beasties common to the series. Being a huge fan of the RE series, I was kind of disappointed at how simple the game was. It doesn't really offer much of a challenge, just frustration as things become either hit or miss.

My computer was broken last time I was at al Asad. I came back from a mission up at COP Heider to find that my Toshiba laptop no longer worked. Not wanting to spend money on a new one, I have a few recovery discs being mailed to me, but it will probably be a little bit before I actually get them. Until then it's MWR and office computers for me. The MWR isn't so bad, my only gripe is everything is somehow greasy from people using it. The keyboard, mouse, phones... all of it.

We've been here for almost 3 months now. We're almost half way there, and after this I only have about 5 months left in Hawaii before I get out of the Marine Corps entirely. I'm being urged by all the staff NCO's and officers to re-enlist. But the more I look at how the military wears on people of higher rank, the less I want to do it. I'd like to get out while I still have some youth, and continue my life where I left off. Though I don't think I'll ever be quite the same, I still want to go to CalArts and get an animation degree. Charlie the Zombie and Ragnarok are still at the top of my list, and they have become increasingly more complex as they bounce around my head--as I bounce around the back of an MRAP or 7-ton.

Well I'm going to run to chow, the chow hall here has a smoothie bar! It's actually a milk shake bar, but the people who run the chow hall don't typically speak English so we let it slide.

Toodles.