Sometimes, you just have to laugh when life kicks you in the junk.

Today, I had a doctors' appointment. Seems they were all weirded out by the chest pain thing and wanted to be sure I was okay, because their job is to worry.

MY job, lately, is to let people attach sticky things to the hairiest parts of my body (and not in the good way) and then hook electrodes up to them (again, not in the good way.)

So I'm laying on the table (the one with the paper roll for "sanitation") and feeling like a piece of take out chicken, when I hear over the intercom "Would the person with the honda pickup with Pennsylvania plates please call the front desk."

"Hey! That's my car!" I tell the nurse, who has just finished sticking things on me.

So the nurse calls the desk, then tells them it's my car, and I'm fixin' to have an EKG, and asks what the message is.

Apparently, someone had just backed into my truck.

The really funny thing is that the EKG wasn't screwed up by my heart going all bugnutty over the truck, it was screwed up because I was laughing so hard at the ridiculousness of the situation. Seriously? Is there anything else you could possibly tell someone about to get an EKG that would be less funny?

I know it's funny folks, but this is my life.

--Chuck

Many of you don't know this, but the one blog that got me started, that made me say "Hell Yeah!" the first time I read it, is the now-defunct Kimdutoit.com. Kim wrote an amazing piece, called "the pussificationm of the American Male" which was sent to my inbox on morning in 2004. I read that article and though, "I need to read more stuff like this."

Kim's first website died a violent death when he learned (the hard way) that anything you say can (and will) be held against you as human resources folks increasingly use google to figure out who they are hiring. In a world where "disgruntled employee" is a term that scares the crap out of people, writing a blog where you talk about liking eeeeevil guns, the stupidity of gun control legislation, the socialists in government who would just as soon take those guns away from you, and how he saw all of this happen in his native homeland of South Afrika, made him somewhat less than employable in his field.

So Kim killed his blog. It would reemerge later as "The other side of Kim" where he discussed travel, fine food, art, music, friendship, philosophy, and yes, guns. After many years of blogging, Kim grew tired of people who buitched about his content, and declared "No more free ice cream." Last year, he pulled the plug.

I was sad to ssee him go--Kim was one of two people I talked to from Iraq when I first killed someone. That killing a person didn't really bother me, bothered me. Kim and I discussed it at length, and I came to terms with the fact that the separation from business and personal was what made warfare different from murder. That I felt no remorse from killing was becuase I didn't have much to be remorseful about, and besides, I had other things to focus on at the moment, being a company commander and all.

Like I said, he was one of two people I talked about. I respect Kim that much.

After giving the author-side of the blogosphere a hearty "Uckfay ooyay," Kim disappeared. Since he was the first stop on my morning superhighway commute, I was left missing him, and still do.

But now, it seems, I may at least get a weekly respite, as Kim and His wife Connie have a blogtalkradio show!

http://kimandconnie.com/

Chuck

That's right folks, yours truly is a featured speaker at the Blogworld and New Media Expo in Las Vegas from 15-17 October. I will be moderating and Participating in the Panel on "The Best MilBlogs You've never read" representing the Combined Arms Center and Command and General Staff Colleges' blog, as well as conducting many interviews with industry leaders to find ways the Army can better use Social Media and Web 2.0 applications for my Master's Thesis.

Additionally, I will be hanging out at the Army and Soldier's Angels booth, giving demonstrations of the VALOUR-IT Laptop and telling people all about the many programs Soldier's Angels has going on around the world.

While all that sounds fun (and exhausting) I will be burning the midnight oil, networking with other milbloggers, and non-milbloggers, to try to get them on board with the annual Valour-IT fund drive. When I am not doing that, I may investigate some of the famous Las Vegas Historic and Cultural attractions, to better understand the nature of this fascinating city.

Want to join me?

THIS IS AMAZING:

The CEP of the Blogworld New Media Expo, Rick Calvert, thinks we can get 200 people to the milblog track,and is willing to back that with up to 200 free memberships.
He has challenged me to get the word out to as many military members (current and veteran), milbloggers, milblog readers, military supporters, and others as possible, particularly in the California,Arizona, Nevada region.

First, if you could please help cover the challenge (By telling everyone you know--dust off the email lists, put up a flyer, invite your mom, etc.) and share that anyone currently serving or former service who drops my buddy Blake a line at
blake@blakepowers.net
with BWE09 Registration in the subject line,
and tell him in the body who they are, they will get a code for a free
registration. (That's a $500 value!)

Second, ALL milspouses, spouse bloggers, and military supporters (including my readers) can also get a code if they do the same!

Third, if you blog at an organization site (WLF, AL, VFW, NSA, NASA, heck, any alphabet soup), and could post something there, it would be very much appreciated.

Fourth, if you know any bloggers in CA, NV, AZ, please ask them if they will help push this. If you know anyone on radio, television, newspaper in that region, please reach out to them also. (This includes calling your local radio and TV stations and asking them to mention it--and that they can find the instructions for this FREE registration by visiting WWW.FROMMYPOSITION.COM

Finally, stay tuned as we may need someone from each branch of the service there if we can pull something off. The charity shoot is off for now, but we may have something almost as fun to raise money for Valour-IT. Waiting to see if Rick can pull it off. (And if anyone can Pull it off, He can.)

--Chuck

Labels: bl, ILE, liveblogging, Project Valour-IT, Soldier's Angels, Support the troops and their mission

It's this town.

Suspected flag burner pilloried
Alleged offender hunted down, ridiculed after incident at VFW post

By BOB GARDINIER AND HUMBERTO MARTÍNEZ, Staff writer
First published in print: Saturday, September 26, 2009
VALLEY FALLS -- The young man was given three choices: get turned over to the police, go one-on-one in a fight with a seasoned war veteran, or be duct-taped to a flagpole for six hours with a sign around his neck identifying his alleged crime: flag burning.


It was the third option that would still have the small town buzzing a week after a 21-year-old was hunted down and forced to endure a public humiliation with its roots dating to the Middle Ages. Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1938 were incensed enough to tie up the man last Sunday after they accused him of setting the flag in front of their building on fire.

Post Commander Nick Normile, a Vietnam War veteran, said the man came into the post's bar Sept. 18 on Poplar Avenue and was eventually turned away for not having a proper ID.

Apparently angered, the young man, who Normile did not want to name, cut the rope of the American flag flying overhead and used a cigarette lighter to set it on fire, Normile and others said.

The man sat pilloried as the village had its fall youth soccer picnic with a long parade of children passing in front of him.

"He'll never disrespect the flag again, I can tell you that," Normile said.

Normile said the flag had at one point flown over U.S. troops in Iraq had special significance.

Veterans, both local and nationwide, responded to the event as accountings were posted online to the official VFW Facebook page and national Web site. Comments posted supported the act and added ideas for further punishment.

Other nearby business owners said they knew of the event but refused to give an accounting. Unconfirmed reports by citizens said the alleged flag-burner was a relative of a previous commander of the post.

Calls made to the alleged flag burner and a spokesman for the national VFW organization for comments were not returned. The Rensselaer County Sheriffs office confirmed knowledge of the event, but said they were not involved. State Police in Brunswick were contacted, but a trooper said no record of the event could be found.

The flag will be disposed of at a formal ceremony, Normile said.

Labels: Asshats and Douchebags, Fun, In the news, Individual rights, Spew alert, stupid is as stupid does, Support the troops and their mission

So I fnially got parolled from the ICU.

Here's the whole story. Went to work yesterday, same as usual. Pain in my arm was typical everyday pain. Sat in a lecture given by Gen (ret) Gordon R. Sullivan. About 20 minutes into the lecture, I statred having chest pains.

I informed my classmate that I was having chestpains, and was going to go to the bathroom and see if some cold water would help thing s out, and that if I wasn't mack in 15 minutes, I'd be going to the ER.

I never made it back. I went potty, got a drink, then walked up to the security guard an told him I was having chest pains. He sprang into action, getting me seated, getting someone to call 911, and getting a nurse and some medics from a nearby flu-shot line to come help. They were all tremendous.

Sooner than I imagined, the meat wagon arrived, and asked if I wanted to go to Cushing Hospital or the VA. Hmmm... I chose Cushing.

The got me to the ER at Cushing, giving me aspirin and nitroglycerin along the way. Nitro goves you a BAD headache, by the way. At Cushnig, they gave me morphine, which has the same effect as giving me a lollipop. Doesn't help the pain at all. Then we moved up to dilaudid, which helps, but makes me ITCH. Then up to my old friend fentanyl, which is like gravy that covers all the cracks in your brain and makes you feel extra-smooth groovy. (Street names for fentanyl include Apache, China girl, China white, dance fever, friend, goodfella, jackpot, murder 8, TNT, as well as Tango and Cash.)

They did an EKG, to a chest x-ray, and ran bunches more tests, then decided that I needed to stay overnight. Since I now knew it wasn't a heart attack, just pain that felt like I had a burning javelin going through my chest and out my armpit, I didn't want to stay. I have better things to do with my time than lie around getting fentanyl injections. My ER doc wuold have none of it. My options were stay put and STFU, or go AMA (against medical advice) and go home. Carren was the decider, she told me to shut the fuck up and do what I was told. Needless to say, she was worried. So they stuck me in the ICU for monitoring and to check my enzyme levels for 24 hours.

Now, I've got the IV on one arm, along with the blood pressure cuff (sphygmomenometer,) and the left arm is too scarred to draw blood from. So I tell the vampire blood tech to just take it from my foot. So that was where she drew blood every four hours. It's funny the things you get used to...

Anyway, in the ICU, I get a new doctor. Remember, ICU stands fro Intensive Care Unit. I saw my Doctor twice in 24 hours. The first time was when he was asking if my pain was being managed (it wasn't, I needed a bigger dose of fentanyl) and he asked about loritab which is tylenol and dilaudid. It was then that I realized he must've gone to medical school with Michael Jackson's doctor. I explained to him that taking me to a less powerful drug, in pill form, would not help alleviate pain, because it a) takes time to absorb, and B) if strong medicine doesn't work, weaker medicine isn't likely to help. He told me that ANY drug, including IV injections, take 30 miutes to start working. (This is where my blood really began to boil. I KNOW that's bullshit, because I know that the absorption delay is based on the amount of time it takes to get to your bloodstream through the digestive tract, and putting the drug directly into the bloodstream means it goes directly to to nervous system, brain, and happy place.

I told him I wanted fentanyl or a new doctor.

I got my shot.

That was the last time I saw him until today. I asked the nurse repeatedly when he would make rounds, and she didn't know, as the doctors do so on their own schedule. I then asked to talk to the next higher person on the food chain, becuase if I didn't see my DR by 1200, I was walking out of that place AMA. My nurses were, once again, awesome. They were really swamped for some reason, but they were positive and cheerful, and as helpful as they were knowledgeable My nurses seldom had to ask me if I was in pain, because they were on the spot with pain meds, and when they did ask, they already had the shot ready.

My Doctor showed up at 1155, and ordered a heart sonogram, and then told me I had to wait for the results. I told him I would wait for the test until 1230, and that when the test was over, I was leaving, even if they hadn't read the tests, because a different doctor had to do the reading, that doctor wasn't there, and I just knew my doctor wouldn't stick around waiting. So rather than put up with all this nonsense for a flippin' cramp, I had the test and he released me. (So I wouldn't go AMA, which meant he would have to explain my reasons for doing so.)

I took off all my probes, monitors, and even pulled my IV, cleaned the room, policed up my belongings, thanked the nurse, and I left.

The heart sonogram tech even said I had a beautiful, textbook heart, and given my pulse and blood pressure, she was sure I was an exercise fanatic. I told her she was mistaken, I've smoked for close to 20 years, only run when chased, and thrive on controlled chaos and a steady diet of anger and regret.

She was shocked, shocked I tell ya....

Anyway, I am home, the Mrs. is taking a well deserved nap, and I am sweating out the last of the narcotics. Even mini-withdrawal sucks.

Thanks to all who sent their prayers,and the friends and family who called and helped with the kids, too.

--Chuck

Labels: Fun, SITREP

This is Carren, reporting in for blogging duty... while my cat throws up for the THIRD TIME since I've been home!!! I swear, between my kids and all their daily drama, Chuck going to the hospital (again!) and my cats throwing up... I think I need to take some of Chuck's pills...

I left the hospital about 7pm-ish. Chuck was half asleep, but continued to have pain. His nurse was really nice and I filled in the nurse for the next shift so she knew what kind of patient she was dealing with (Chuck is a good patient... except when in pain... the nurse will be fine... I hope).

The kids are handling this well, I think. Quite wound up when I picked them up from my friend's house (Thanks, Deb!). Adelle is taking this the hardest - crying and asking why daddy has to keep going to hospitals. She told me her tummy hurt so I gave her a heating pad (hey, if she thinks it will help her feel better, it works for me!). Both kids are now sound asleep (or they have escaped out the window... maybe I should check).

I will head back to the hospital after the kids get on the bus in the morning and HOPEFULLY come home with my heavily medicated husband. I'm supposed to go to San Diego this weekend for SpouseBuzz. I told Chuck he didn't have to go to such great lengths to keep me home ;)

Okay, now the cat is throwing up for the FOURTH time!!! Calgon, take me away!!!

Will update tomorrow... night, all.

Damn, from the picture it looked a lot worse.

Hang in there.

Odd, not really related story: http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2009/09/23/i-went-to-afghanistan-and-all-i-got-was-h1n1/   (Except he doesn't look as bad as you do, illness wise)

Gupta had some great reports on medevac, other medical stuff from A'stan.

----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, September 23, 2009 6:05 PM
Subject: Shitty day, the adventure continues

So....

It wasn't a heart attack, they think. Chest pain on scale of 1-10: 8.

My 10 includes being on fire, losing a nut, breaking bones, collapsing a lung, all at the same time.

So there keeping me in the icu overnight, separated by a curtain from an octogenarian with a bedpan and the screaming shits. The smell reminds me of an iraqi donkey farm.

So far, I've been given two shots of morphine, two shots dilaudid, one of fentanyl, and my idjit doctor just gave me vicodin tablets... Whuch should help in an hour or so, if I don't kill someone first.

The person next to me just shat the bed. Nothing like trying to eat supper next to a cess pool.

Again, aside from the little things, I'm okay.

So....

It wasn't a heart attack, they think. Chest pain on scale of 1-10: 8.

My 10 includes being on fire, losing a nut, breaking bones, collapsing a lung, all at the same time.

So there keeping me in the icu overnight, separated by a curtain from an octogenarian with a bedpan and the screaming shits. The smell reminds me of an iraqi donkey farm.

So far, I've been given two shots of morphine, two shots dilaudid, one of fentanyl, and my idjit doctor just gave me vicodin tablets... Whuch should help in an hour or so, if I don't kill someone first.

The person next to me just shat the bed. Nothing like trying to eat supper next to a cess pool.

Again, aside from the little things, I'm okay.

Matt Burden (a.k.a. BlackFive (www.blackfive.net) is running for the Illinois Senate's 41st district.

He needs your support to raise $100,000 to campaign, and $250,000 to win (assuming he isn't running against an ACORN-sponsored, register te graveyard candidate)

Fifteen reasons you should support his campaign:
1. Matt Burden will be the only Illinois representative I know who isn't a crook, and would piss all over, monkey stomp, and donkey punch anyone who tried to bribe him.
2. Matt Burden's not only read, but has defended the US constitution.
3. Matt Burden's on the Board of directors for Soldier's Angels.
4. Matt Burden's a founder of the Warrior legacy Foundation.
5. Matt Burden's a warrior himself.
6. Matt Burden is one hell of a damn fine American.
7. Matt Burden is my friend.
I would go to war with Matt Burden.
8. Matt Burden introduced me to the Gimlet.
9. Matt Burden has successfully managed a privately-owned, web-based LLC, and kept it in the black while holding down a day job, fund-raising for charity, completing a master's degree, and raising a family.
10. John Galt would vote for Matt Burden
11. Matt Burden regularly visits service members in hospitals, because he cares about them, not for his own gain.
12. Matt Burden can balance a checkbook.
13. Matt Burden is Irish, and not a Kennedy.
14. With representatives like Matt Burden, Illinois will not be seen as a political hive of scum and villany.
15. Matt Burden would never say any of these things about himself, because his actions speak for him.

For more, http://www.mattburdenforus.com/, and here.

(Bumped by the Code Monkey)

Labels: Support the troops and their mission, What's next

To register to vote in Illinois, you must register 28 days prior to each election. Illinois must use and accept Federal Form, and also uses a state form.

Where to mail the Federal voter registration form:

State Board of Elections
1020 S. Spring Street
Springfield, IL 62704

Illinois State Board of Elections website

-source

Labels: Support the troops and their mission, What's next

All summer we have been experiencing a very large number of incoming medevacs, particularly from Afghanistan.

Unfortunately, the past several weeks have been even worse. We are in urgent need of the following items. Please help if you can. Please also pray for our patients and staff during this very difficult time.

Thank you.

MOST NEEDED:
- Sweatpants and Zippered Hoodie Sweatjackets (M, L, XL - Gray, Black, Dark Blue)
- Blankets of Hope
- Lounge/sleep pants/pj bottoms (M, L, XL)

2ND MOST NEEDED:
- Undershirts and plain T-shirts (M, L, XL)
- Shorts, baggy basketball-type (M, L, XL)

3RD MOST NEEDED:
- Men's Boxerbriefs (M, L, XL) 2nd choice boxers. Please do not send "tightie whities"
- Socks

COMPLETE LIST OF ALL NEEDED ITEMS CLICK HERE
- Please do not send clothing sizes Small, 2X, or 3X.
- Please do not send books or magazines.

Please send items to:

MTD
Attn: Soldiers' Angels
CMR 402
APO AE 09180

Important:
- Please email me mphillips AT soldiersangels DOT org when items are shipped.
- Include a note with your name, Email address, and brief description of items sent in your packages. Without this information, we will be unable to confirm their receipt.
- Please allow 6 - 8 weeks for receipt confirmation.

Labels: Soldier's Angels, Support the troops and their mission, surgery

Also this week:

My truck died. New starter, $550, parts, labor, taxes. Three days in the shop? Really? For a starter?

Next day, another epidural. Back hurts worse this time. Is it just me, or is this not supposed to be the way it works:
Got pain
Go see pain management doctor
Doctor treats (back) pain
Back Pain increases
Go to pain management doctor
Doctor treats back pain again, using same treatment method as before
Back pain increases again.

Spent last two days assed-up and grumbly. Truck is still broken. And I can't find a decent price on .45 ACP anywhere (and by decent, I mean like .20 per round. .40 cents per round is flippin' obscene.)

--Chuck

I know I haven't written much since Reno, but it's been a hellish week.

Reno, and the Gun Blog Rendezvous, was awesome. I had the opportunity to meet Alan Gura, the Lawyer who defended Joseph Heller in Heller vs. DC. His take on the gun rights struggle was eye-opening. He frames the struggle not as one based on interpretation of the constitution, but as one based on precedent. It was interesting to see it through the eyes of someone fighting in the courts.

I also spent two days on the range, the second day being the one I posted the video. The girl shooting (or, I should say, out-shooting) all of us is Molly ( The Molly Minute,). Molly has been shooting since she was 12, and a year later, at 13, she is sponsored by smith and wesson, an incredibly talented shooter, and a damned nice girl. Incredibly respectful and down to earth, tweo traits I blame her parents for. Her folks were both there as well, and it is easy to see where she gets her manners from. Molly was great fun to meet and shoot with.

There were many new faces, as well as faces I'd seen before, but I don't want to "Out" anyone, so I'll just link to them... If I miss anyone, apologies.
smallestminority.blogspot.com
http://smallestminority.blogspot.com/ (security specialists for my backpack)
Mr. Completely
Say Uncle
Cap'n Bob and the Damsel,
Reasonablenut,
The Clue Meter
Cheaper Than Dirt blog
U.S. Citizen
Engineering Johnson
Keewee

And we raised over $8,000 for VALOUR-IT!

--Chuck

Who says they never report any good stories?

Valley Soldier Makes His Son's Birth



~~ Code Monkey

Labels: Support the troops and their mission

At first she was concerned nobody would come.

But people started arriving about 30 minutes before the plane landed.

They formed two lines right where passengers leave the gate area.

They held signs and waved flags and waited to erupt, despite the fact that none of them had ever met the Marine.

"Don't know him at all," said Bernard Kaplan, 80, who fought in Korea. "You never know who is going to be out here for these men. I just wanted to make sure there was at least one person here for him."

He need not have worried.

Approximately 150 people stood and waited for Cottle.

It was hard to pick which part to quote. Read it all here.

I swear I've heard once or twice lately that there are more and more Americans registering as independents/no party/none of the above on their voter registrations.

Here in AZ, you can go on line and change your party affiliation with minimal effort. It's really quite awesome in its simplicity.
https://servicearizona.com/webapp/evoter/

I wonder what would happen if AZ had more independent voters than it did D's or R's. Would we be a purple state? What would happen if there were more purple states than blue or red? Would the politicians in DC finally start to understand that we're not buying it hook, line, and sinker anymore?

There's a lot of room in the sidebar down towards the bottom, and I think I'm going to add a list of links for states that have an online way to change update your voter registration. This is because I'm a giver. I realize there are a lot of people in the military community who read this blog. People in the military move a lot. Wouldn't it be nice to have a handy link to make sure you're registered to vote in your new home town? Hey Chuck! Have you re-registered to vote since you moved?

And on the odd chance you're just in the mood to change the letter after "Party" on your voter card, well that's cool too.

Feel free to put links to your state's voter website in the comments to help this monkey out.

~~Code Monkey
(Not Chuck)

Labels: What's next

I am back from the GBR IV.

I was wiped out yesterday, and will be in class today till 5:30, then home for dinner and family time, and a mountain of homework forr tomorrow. Will try to updat later tonight, maybe tomorrow on the fun that was had by all.

--Chuck

There are bloggers who are attempting to discredit the 9/12 DC rally by pointing out the people of the fringe who showed up with nazi/birther/racist signs.

Isn't that a little bit like saying everyone who shops at Walmart is like this?

Besides, if the non-radical types at the rally had tried to get the radicals to put down their signs, these same people would probably be screeching about first amendment rights and censorship.

~~Code Monkey

Can someone please explain to me what is so difficult about flying the flag at half-staff on September 11th? I'd say at least half of the flags I've seen today have not been lowered.

I finally arrived in reno.... Only took 7 hours. Had layovers in utah and lax.

Actually flew over vegas en route to LA. Layover in LA was long enogh that I could've rented a car and drove here quicker!

Apparently, the gentlemen from TSA were vigilant, and my new toothpaste, shaving cream, and aftershave are all safe from harming anyone. 

Either way, I'm here, no worse for the wear, and getting to bed early-ish. Big day at the range tomorrow!

~~CM

If twitter were a blog....

--Chuck

"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom: it is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
--William Pitt the Younger

You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.”
--Rahm(adan) Emmanuel