We have arrived

With much thanks to the many who've made this trip bearable, and to all of you who've kept me chuckling with your "Cruel Summer" captions. Many thanks also to Code Monkey, who's kept the wheels from falling off, as it were.

We have arrived here at Fort Leavenworth, and we are starting to see carpet and walls instead of the mountains of cardboard boxes. Unpacking is an unenviable chore, as each carton is like a christmas present, wherein each box has stuff you already knew you had, but the surprise comes from finding out whether your stuff in that box has been destroyed.

So far, an antique childs' desk, which I can repair, a lamp I won't bother with, our bed frame, and pieces of the entertainment center have all been eaten by the moving monster.

Another fun thing is waiting for the various services to get hooked up. So far, the most fun has been the cable internet, because after I did all the account set-up and scheduling, and they sent a confirmation email, they then neglected to bother showing up to actually install the internet. They said that they sent an email telling me I had to reschedule, because the dates shown on their web site (timewarner) that it tells you to select, aren't necessarily available dates. (Then why the hell do they have them?)

So they supposedly sent me an email ahead of time telling me to reschedule. Funny, I got their confirmation email. I even got an email about the rescheduled date (after I called to kvetch). But no email telling me to choose new service dates. Gmail doesn't lie, but apparently timewarner does. Unfortunately, they are the only company to service Fort Leavenworth.

Which makes me really bitchy, because I hate artificial monopolies. How much better for the servicemember would it be if cable, phone, and intrenet all had to compete for our business? It tends to drive prices down.

In other news, the kid who went missing (some say deserted) in Afghanistan has been on the news making all sorts of statements. Here's my take, and the way it plays out.

Possibility 1. He willingly deserted
a. If returned to US custody, his lawyer will claim he was duped, tricked, abducted, suffering from PTS, etc. Not wanting the bad press from prosecuting him (and his victimization by the left, of the Taliban using said prosecution as an example of our tyrannical gummint) The Military, DOJ, hell, the Administration will instead hail him as a prodigal son, give him his 15 minutes, and send him quietly home, with a medal.

Possibility 2. He actually was duped, tricked, abducted, suffering from PTS, etc. Not very likely, I'm afraid to say. He certainly doesn't appear in any distress in the video.

What this kid doesn't realize is that the Taliban will never release him. Unless we find him, he will continue to be used for propaganda until he no longer is front-page news. Then his head will be separated from his body, and that will get him in the papers again.

Unless we find him, he is going to die.

Unless anyone can cite any instance of an American, let alone an American Soldier, being released by the Taliban.

If he did go willingly, he is responsible for the deaths and injuries of every servicemember out looking for him. He may simply be doing now whatever he thinks is necessary to survive as long as he can. I hope that is true. I hope that we find him and find out he was abducted, drugged, etc. I really hope he isn't the greatest traitor since punch-card boy sold out the Navy.

Finally, the Mrs. applied for a dream job today, social worker at the Disciplinary Barracks or Federal Pen here at Leavenworth. It'd be full time, and would greatly increase the speed at which she can get her clinical license (she's got the sheepskin, just needs the 3000 hours of clinical experience). PLEASE pray for her to get this. She really wants to work there, and she goes a little nuts if I leave her alone all day with the cats.

--Chuck