Monday, June 13, 2011

Flying with the New Guys

On Saturday I took a routine flight 30 miles northeast of Fort Indiantown Gap to a remote fuel site set up at the Joe Zerbey Airport near Pottsville PA.  They airport had an open house to let local residents see the army fuel trucks and the Blackhawk helicopter we rode up in.  The flight up was better than I expected.  The pilots took an indirect route through valleys at 100 feet of altitude rather than the normal 500+ feet of level flight.  The doors were open and I was sitting in the seat next to the open door so I had a great view. There were five young soldiers on the aircraft who were getting their first flight on a helicopter.  They had a ball.

None of us knew the flight back would be even better.

After an hour at the airport, we took off fast.  First we flew level gaining speed then went up hard.  When we got to 1000 feet we circled.  I had asked to take aerial photos of the fueling set up.  The pilots gave me a level circle to take the pictures, then they turned the Blackhawk almost completely on its side on the next pass over the field, then flipped it to the other side so the soldiers on both sides could have the experience of looking straight down from the open doors.

We were all laughing like we were on a roller coaster--which we were in a way.

On the 30 mile trip back we climbed, dove down hard and pulled back up turning almost sideways 50 feet above the trees.  At one point we landed briefly then climbed almost straight up to 2000 feet.

Below are the other soldiers on the flight and the two who sat opposite me:


Friday, June 10, 2011

Air Assault Training in VA

Here's photos of air assault training in VA.  Briefing American and German infantrymen before flights.




Flying to Virginia in the Door Gunner's Seat of a Blackhawk

Today I flew to VA on a Blackhawk in the door gunner's seat.  I never had a chance to do that in Iraq because the real door gunner's had to be on the guns.  It was lot's of fun.  I put my feet on the window ledge to stretch.  One of the flight medics in Iraq put his feet out the window on take-off.  I flew over a big quarry and three-mile island.



Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Getting Ready for the Range

This morning we had a class to get us ready for the range next week.  SFC Lori Burns took this picture because "You are always taking pictures of other people.  I am taking a picture of you." SGT Marc Hall gave a great class on weapon procedures.  CPL Mike Arms helped me to get into kneeling position for firing next week.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Field Kitchen in the Parking Lot

Today Echo Company started field kitchen operation in the parking lot behind the armory.  Went smoothly.  Lines passed through the filed kitchen quickly for the hot food.  Salad and cold food were off to the side.


Monday, June 6, 2011

End of the World in McDonalds Parking Lot

I missed supper tonight so I went to McDonalds at 830 pm.  They have the best internet anywhere near Fort Indiantown Gap so I come here to upload photos and do other tasks that are a pain in the butt with Army internet.

On the way, I tuned my car radio to WKDN Camden NJ, the local station broadcasting Family Radio, the network of Harold Camping, the guy who said the world was going to end May 21 with a worldwide earthquake.  I have checked WKDN every few days since May 21 to see if the station would shut down or what would happen.  Each time I go there they are playing Church music.  But tonight I checked WKDN and Harold was taking calls again, answering your Bible questions.

I did not want to miss this.  The second caller asked Camping what was going on with his prediction.  His answer was priceless!!!!

He said the word Earthquake could be interpreted FIGURATIVELY.  Really???
Camping said his prediction caused a figurative earthquake and caused people around the world to think about the Bible--shaking them up.  So it WAS and earthquake.

Camping would be simply funny, but for most of his 89 years he has said the only way to interpret the Bible is literally.  He said any other interpretation was wrong.  But now when his own credibility is in question, the figurative interpretation is correct.

It was, of course, a coincidence that Congressman Anthony Weiner confessed his sins in public just as Camping pulled a fig leaf over his.  But these very different men are brothers in colossal hubris.

Anyone who doubts we are a free nation should try to name another nation where these two guys would have uninterrupted access to the public airwaves.

Search Amazon.com for harold camping books

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Annual Training Begins Today

Yesterday we had a preliminary day--meetings about the coming two weeks of annual training.

I was on a Machine Gun range today.  I went to take pictures and got to fire 300 rounds with an M240B 7.62mm that is the standard weapon for door guns in Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters.  The range has pop-up targets from 300 to 800 meters.  I shot 100 rounds in one rotation and 200 in the 2nd rotation.  Each time I had a chance to hit the 800-meter targets and did not knock them down, just kicked up some dust.  I knocked down the targets at every other distance.  It's a loto of fun to shoot on a range with pop-up targets.

Next week we will have aerial gunnery.  Don't know if I will have a chance to shoot a door gun from a helicopter, but should get good pictures.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Soldiers on Motorcycles

A dozen soldiers in my unit had a special session of the weekend-long Motorcycle Safety course at the Pennsylvania State Police high-speed driving school near Fort Indiantown Gap.  Of the twelve, 10 were on bikes that could be categorized as Cruisers--long wheelbase Harleys and similar Hog-like bikes.

Watching those bikes on a cone course was like watching dancing elephants in a circus.  They are amazing to look at.  Graceful for their size.  The instructors rode a small 250 Honda for demonstrations and looked very fast by comparison.














Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Soldier Dies After Deployment

On Sunday Jim Dao wrote a story in the NY Times about all the dangers that face soldiers coming home from deployment from car accidents, drugs, alcohol and all the other temptations that face young men especially.

This morning my Army email included a link to the funeral service being held tomorrow for on of the soldiers I served with in Iraq.  SPC Steven Lenois was 21 when we got on the plane for Iraq.  He was a bright, optimistic, confident guy.  He had the kind of confidence that could have led to great success.  But we will never know.

Steven Wayne Lenois, 23, passed away Friday (May 20, 2011) from injuries sustained in a Motor Vehicle accident. Steven was a proud soldier of the Army National Guard and had just recently returned from Iraq. He is survived by his parents Teresa Lenois and Thomas J. Lenois; his siblings, James F. Toczko and his fiancé Dawn, Timmy Toczko, Michael Roy and his wife Lisa, and Kimberly Lenois, his foster family Carol and Norman Dove, Jesse Drown, Zackry Drown, Lucas Dove and Cassandra Dove, and many aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews. 



New Blog on Raising Kids, Saving Money

My wife started a blog a week ago called Miser Mom.  It is about being frugal and raising kids.

It has nothing to do with the Army, except for the fact that she has to deal with everything that happens while I am off playing Army on weekends and at summer camp.

The first blog post is her philosophy.  I support what she does, but in a way, we both are reliving our fathers' lives in the things we do.  Annalisa's Dad saw the blog yesterday and said, "I taught you that." referring to being frugal.  My Dad loved the Army, stayed till he was a very old soldier and did not get a retirement.  He also liked nice clothes, powerful cars and telling stories.  Neither of those apples fell far from the tree.

Almost Summer Camp

In three short days I will be sharing a room with 39 of my closest friends for 15 days.  Army summer camp starts Friday at 0730.  During the two weeks I am hoping to fly in a Chinook helicopter to Fort Dix NJ for aerial gunnery and to Fort Knox in a Blackhawk helicopter for training there.  In between will be ranges, soldier skills, the fitness test, and lots of Army food.

I will post pictures as soon as I can.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Blog Post at My Day Job

http://chemicalheritage.org/community/periodic-tabloid/2011-05-27-study-80-of-baby-products-are-toxic.aspx

On the connection (or not) between Fox News headlines and medical reality.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Water Bucket Training--Fire Fighting with Blackhawk Helicopters

On Saturday morning at the beginning of drill weekend, I watched Blackhawk helicopters practice filling and emptying fire-fighting a water bucket hanging beneath their birds.  Here are the pictures:




Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Account Off Line

I will post some pictures from last weekend later this evening.  My blog got spammed and I could not access it since Sunday.  Did not know what was wrong at first.  Should be fixed now.  Pictures soon.

Neil

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Rode to NYC (Almost)

After several days of rain delay I took the day off and rode to New York City from Lancaster--at least as far as I could get.  I rode 145 miles, stopping at 640pm at Metropark Train Station in Edison NJ, 145 miles from home.  I might have made it farther, but I slept late--till 7am!! And I did not leave until 8am!
10.5 hours later I still felt pretty good, but I wanted to actually go to NYC.  I got to NYC at 720 pm and still had time for a 5-mile ride to get me to 150 miles before I got something to eat.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Blogging About Bicycling

The following is today's post at my day job:


National Bike to Work Week has been a difficult one this year: rain all over the northeast has stopped all but the most addicted riders from a two-wheeled commute. But even if you spend today groaning over the weather, the sun will be out next week. In the meantime, you might consider how bicycling is the most chemistry (and chemical) friendly ride in the world.
Any serious cycler knows what their frame, fork, seat, handlebars and even drink bottle cages is made from. If you think it doesn’t make a difference, pop into a bike shop and witness the array of parts of sale. The staff will be happy to educate you – if you have an hour to spare. Because weight is so critical on bikes, even small components are made of different materials. Over the years I’ve ridden bikes made from steel, titanium, aluminum, titanium and carbon, and just carbon. When different grades of steel were common, I – like many riders – knew which type I had; in the 80s and early 90s top racers rode frames of Reynolds 531, a manganese-molybdenum alloy steel, while riders with less cash settled for a 4130 ChroMoly.
In 2004 Cannondale introduced a carbon-aluminum bike called Six13. What could be cooler for the chemist on wheels than a bike with atomic numbers for a name? There’s also the Trek Carbon and LeMond Titanium, for anyone who wants their favorite elements front and center.
So ride a bike and join a very big fraternity of chemistry geeks. Carbon frames or no, biking reduces your own carbon footprint. It also improves your health, saves your wallet, and – as long as it’s not raining – makes even Monday morning something to look forward to.  

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Two Graduations Today

Just got back from my oldest daughter's graduation.  Lauren graduated from Juniata College today.  My step-daughter Iolanthe has graduated from Bryn Mawr College as I write this post.  They are 200 miles apart, so I could not get to both.

Congratulations!!!!

Two done!  Three to go!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

SEAL Mania

Today's Washington Post included an article on the new books coming about Navy SEALs.  I am reviewing one now for Books and Culture on line.  I'll talk about that in a later post.  Beyond the serious books by former SEALs, it turns out there are Navy SEAL Romance Novels!

The review begins:

"Ever since an elite unit of Navy SEALs stormed a fortresslike compound near Islamabad, Pakistan, and killed Osama bin Laden, people can’t get enough of the SEALs. There are some who want to know what it’s like to be one, and others who want to know what it takes to become one. Then, there are those who want to know what it might be like to, well, “be” with one."




It's a fun review.  Check it out!

Monday, May 9, 2011

Racing with the Boss

The commander of 2-104th Aviation, LTC Joel Allmandinger, is an avid bicyclist.  He mostly rode mountain bikes before our deployment.  He rode in Iraq also and won the individual category in the Thanksgiving Day Biathlon held at Tallil Ali Air Base in 2009.  On Saturday we competed in different races at the same time as part of the Turkey Hill Country Classic.

LTC Allmandinger races in Category 5, at least until he moves up to Cat 4.  I race in the 50+ category.  Since he is 40 even when he moves up to Cat 4 and can do age-group races, we won't be in the same races.  He won a race three weeks earlier at Farmersville Lancaster County.  It was a cold day with rain on and off and wet roads for the whole event.  I finished way behind the leaders.

It wouldn't seem like one weekend a month is a big deal, but serious bicycle racing means racing a lot.  We go to summer camp for two weeks in June, but that means three weekends.

The civilians in my life think drill weekend is physical.  Actually, drill weekend cuts into my exercise routine.

Oh well, at least we get paid to miss races.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

National Asian Pacific and Jewish Heritage Month???!!!

Definitely WTF? was my first reaction when I saw the email from our Unit Readiness NCO with an official notice that May is National Asian Pacific and Jewish Heritage Month.

Is this celebration only for those who are Jewish and Asian-Pacific?  The official Army letter said nothing one way or the other.

It turns out that this month, besides being my birthday month and the birthday month of my step-daughter Iolanthe, is also Older Americans month.

So I am 50% qualified for Jewish Heritage Month by birth, definitely qualified for Older Americans month by my birth being 58 years ago, and since I have visited the Asia-Pacific region several times, I would certainly celebrating going back there--at least all-expense paid.

While budgets are cut and training money gets pared to the bare minimum, it's nice to know there is still money to pay a retired colonel to advise all PA soldiers it's time to celebrate our Jewish and Asia-Pacific Heritage.

Of course, for all of us who were horrified by September 11, 2001, from now on May will be

Osama Bin Laden Is Fish Food Month.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Obama Kills Osama--Rush Lives in "Realityville"

On Sunday on the way home from my second of two races, I tuned into the Rush Limbaugh highlights show.  I try to listen to Beck, Limbaugh, Savage and Hannity once each month so when I make fun of them, I will have something to quote, not just mention that together they (and all the rest of the Commentariat on the Right) have served exactly ZERO days in the military.

On Sunday Rush said, "I live in Realityville.  If Obama ran today against any Republican, that candidate would win in a landslide."  He went on to say that a plurality of America supports the Ryan budget and the media is distorting the outcry against it.

OK Rush.

And with Osama Bin Laden making the world a better place as shark food, do you really think the latest draft-dodging comb-over Pansy Patriot (Trump) could beat the Commander in Chief of that Navy Seal raid.

It would, of course, be too much to expect the one-note chorus on Right wing radio to celebrate the death of Osama Bin Laden and acknowledge that the President took a big risk in going after the scum bag who planned the attack on America.  If the raid had failed, and it could have, they would have been attacked the President quicker than chicken on a June bug to use the southern expression.

How's things in Realityville Rush?

Blogging Conference Wrap Up

Timing is everything.  If the news out of Washington had been two days earlier, the military blogging conference would have been a celebration of finding and killing Osama Bin Laden.  Jim Dao was at the conference reporting for the New York Times.  His article talks about how military blogging has gone corporate.  Originally it was grunts reporting on the mess they were living through and in some cases getting shut down.

By the time I started blogging in 2007 some of the controversial web sites were already shutting down.  Many more family members are bloggers, which is a good trend.  Military families suffer a lot.  During a deployment like mine where my little physical danger threatened us, my family still had to wait for a year wondering if the war would suddenly turn for the worst.

But for those of us who served during Viet Nam and the Cold War, the whole idea of blogging, even if it has less of an edge than in 2003 is still way ahead of the controlled world of the 60s and 70s.  And really, many soldiers over 30 still don't know what a blog is.

Saturday, April 30, 2011

At Military Blogging Conference

I am at the social media session at the Military Blogging Conference.  I sent a few tweets to #milblogcon on my twitter feed @sgtguss.  The results of the Milbloggie awards are in.  They only list first place and I didn't win.  Thanks to everyone who voted for me, especially the Theta Sorority at the University of Richmond and the Eagles Womens Soccer Team at Juniata College.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

More Air Assault Training Photos

I am putting together the battalion newsletter and was re-sizing the following photos.



Monday, April 25, 2011

Voting is Easy: Please Vote!

Voting is now open for the 2011 Milbloggie Awards.  I am in the first category, Army blogs, and about eight down the list.  If it opens in a small window, you may have to scroll down.  My blog is "Home from Iraq."
http://milblogconference.milblogging.com/2011-milbloggies/vote-now/
Thanks in advance for your vote!!

Milbloggie Awards 2011 Begins Tonight

At least that's what they said on the Web site.  I am one of the finalists in the Army category.  Last year voting was a pain.  this year they said it would be better.  I will try it out when they open up voting and see if it really is easy.  Thanks to everyone who voted last year.  I will be at the milblogging conference Saturday and see the other contestants.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Jacari's Adoption Hearing Goes Smoothly



Today we adopted Jacari in Lancaster County court.  From left is Amanda Moore, Jacari's social worker, Nigel, Jacari, Annalisa, me and the Judge.
Since Jacari is 12, he took the witness chair and said he wanted to be adopted.  The hearing is mostly a formality, but it still marks a big change for Jacari and our family.
The judge said we would get an official birth certificate in 6 weeks and that it would be perfectly legal if Jacari decides to run for president.

If anyone reading this is in the Lancaster PA area, we are having an adoption party tomorrow from 6 - 8 pm.  Send me an email if you need directions.

More Air Assault Shots

Here's some more.




Monday, April 18, 2011

Air Assault Training in Western PA

More later, but for now, a few shots from a hillside on a farm where Alpha Company, 1-10th Infantry, 2nd Brigade practiced air assault and extraction.  These photos are of one of the platoons running back to the Chinook at the end of the mission.



Saturday, April 16, 2011

Grounded

This morning I showed up for a 0730 mission brief at the Flight Facility on Fort Indiantown Gap, PA.  When I got there, the day's mission had already been cancelled for weather.  The mission to western PA may be rescheduled for tomorrow when the sun is shining.

I went to Plan B.  Go to Marquette Lake and watch fire-fighting training with Blackhawk helicopters.  Our Blackhawks were slated to scoop up water from the lake and practice dropping it on a point and across an area.  I went to the lake 30 minutes ahead of the first mission.  An hour later I switched to Plan C--take pictures of two soldiers from Echo Company who were graduating from the Warrior Leadership Course.  That worked.  Graduation was indoors, on time.

Then I went back to the lake.  It was beginning to rain.  I waited about 15 minutes but the mist turned into rain, the wind kicked up to 25 mph.  Mission cancelled.

Tomorrow the main mission, air assault training for an infantry unit in Western Pennsylvania may go ahead as planned.  More tomorrow.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Milbloggie Awards 2011

Tomorrow night nominations open for the Milbloggie Awards for 2011.  I will be attending the Milblogging Conference at the end April.  When voting opens next week, I will be asking you to vote for my blog.  The people who run the site promise it will work better than last year.  I will post the link after I try it out myself.  Last year I know it was a big hassle to vote.  If it is as bad as last year, I won't ask.

Thanks in advance.

Neil

Monday, April 11, 2011

Half Marathon with My Wife and Running with the Boys

On Saturday morning I ran the Garden Spot Half Marathon in New Holland PA.  I did not run more than seven miles at one time in the last month and my time showed that.  I finished in 2:09:14.  Even allowing a half-minute to get to the start line a pace of 9:50 per mile.  My wife and I started together with Catherine, one of her running partners.  Catherine dropped back right after the start so Annalisa and I ran together for the first eight miles.  The out-and-back course was more uphill on the way out, more downhill on the way back.  Annalisa is faster than I am, but I run better up hills, so I would go ahead up hills then she would catch up on the flats and fly downhills.  She was way ahead on the downhill to the turn around, but at a short, steep hill on the way back, I caught up.  The next big downhill she was gone.  We finished a minute apart.

Terilyn, another member of my wife's running group, skipped the event , but brought Nigel and Jacari to cheer for Annalisa and I.  She is good with a map and brought the kids to cheer for us at mile 5, miles 8 and mile 12.  Some other people we know who were running told us afterward that Nigel and Jacari  cheered louder than anyone else along the course!

Jacari ran the last mile with Annalisa.  Nigel ran the list mile with me.  When we got home, Nigel and Jacari ran another mile with me.  They run at least two miles with me each day on weekends when I am home and sometimes during the week.  On Sunday, we ran another two miles.  Nigel was hurting on the second mile, but his brother Jacari stayed with him right to the end.  Nigel did not quit and even put on a short sprint at the end.  I finished third.

We sing Army songs when we run.  It seems to help them.  Some of them are Army classics "C-130 rollin' down the strip. . ." and some I make up.  If I see one or both of the boys are feeling lazy, I make up a song with "My Little Pony" in it.  My Little Pony is a very girlie toy advertised on the Cartoon Network.  If I make up a line with "I wanna play with My Little Pony" they both straighten up and keep running.

Monday, April 4, 2011

AMTRAK Quiet (except for ME) Car

I ride AMTRAK trains to work and on trips to NYC 4 or 5 days each week.  Recently AMTRAK added quiet cars on the Keystone service between Harrisburg and NYC.  The rules on the quiet car are No Cell Phone Use, No Loud Talking.  But every other time I get on one of these cars, someone will talk on their cell phone.  Sometimes they are oblivious and did not see the signs on the door and every ten feet along the roof.  Sometimes.  Not often.

Mostly what they want is a quiet car for everyone but them.  They get to drone on about their latest deal or horrible date.  I know a guy who works in a bakery in Lancaster and commutes to Temple several days a week.  He is taking classes toward a PhD.  He sits in the quiet car hoping to do homework.  Then someone starts talking.  He said he waits up to 10 minutes to say something.  He likes having me on the train.  I wait up to three seconds before saying something.  Usually, "There are five other cars on this train, go there."

Since I think people are like gardens--good only with effort, full of weeds in their natural state--I assume the person who takes the call--or worse dials the call and sits on their ass making disturbing 80 other people is a jerk.  So I ask them to leave, shut up or both.  It is worth the hassle because the same jerks who flaunt the rules they want others to obey are cowards.  When they see it is a hassle to act like a jerk they do something else.

Since I am already being a Judgmental Bastard (my favorite segment on Jay Leno.  If you have never seen it, search it on YOUTUBE) I can say that I have never asked a soldier or someone who looks military to be quiet on the quiet car.  The worst offenders are guys in suits.  The hardest to shut up are women.  When they act like jerks, they are used to getting slack.  Last trip back from NYC a large woman across the aisle made a call in the quiet car.  She said "I'll just be a few minutes."  I asked her to spend that few minutes elsewhere.  She stormed off.

Civilian life is being the bad guy for enforcing even an obvious ten-freakin'-signs-and-five-announcement rule.

I let you know if I end up with a broken nose.

Jealousy and Envy

When we were getting ready to go to Iraq, Colonel Perry spoke to the battalion in Oklahoma.  The most memorable part of his speech for me was when he said that envy ruins units at every level.

Of course, envy ruins every kind of community--civilian, military, secular, religious, law-abiding or criminal.  I got a dollar book at a used book store with the title "Envy."  It is one of a series on of seven books, each on one of the Seven Deadly sins.

I am just two chapters into this brief and entertaining look at one of the three worst of the seven sins and I plan to follow the authors advice in thinking about envy vs. jealousy.  Joseph Epstein "I am jealous of what I have, I envy what you have."  He makes clear that jealousy can be good, or at least appropriate, but envy never is.

God is jealous, the Bible says.  He wants to keep those who have chosen to love Him for Himself.  A spouse or lover can be properly jealous.  Of course we all know someone can be crazy with jealousy also, but jealousy is not evil, like envy.

Envy is always bad.  Col. Perry told us that when we feel envy we should go out and get something for ourselves.  Envy can be both evil and passive.  It wants what it doesn't have and does not want to find something else.  Epstein says we always try to keep envy secret which is why it eats at us.  No one wants to admit envy.  Admitting envy is to admit someone else has something better or actually is better than us.  We want what they have, we want them not to have it, but we don't want others to think of us as being that small and venal.

I will be at summer camp in June.  I remember how much it means just to have a bottom bunk.  Envy doesn't have to be about a big topic to be a big problem.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Jobs for Veterans

On the train to New York last week, a guy getting on the train in NJ saw my pack and asked if I knew any veterans who needed jobs.  I said sure and said I would post his info on my blog.

Here it is:

Glen Witt
Program Manager
Veterans Across America
152 Madison Ave.
New York NY 10016
Ph:  212-684-1122
Cell:  540-532-8141

gwitt@veteransacrossamerica.org

If you need a job, send him an email or call.  He said he has leads on good jobs everywhere in the US.

Travel Cards for ALL Soldiers

When I hear the budget debates carried out on TV, one refrain is "Don't cut the military budget."  That is set in opposition to "The government is wasting money."

It's as if camouflage clothes somehow washes the waste out of the system.  It doesn't.

No I can't comment on $35 billion projects like new tanker  planes or fighter jets, but I just heard about a small project I can understand.

I just heard that all National Guard soldiers will be issued travel cards.  It makes sense for the full timers, but us weekend warriors will use those cards once or twice a year.  We will all fill out long forms, learn all the security procedures, forget them, then bother our full-time staff about the money we did not get.

The military is a government bureaucracy just like any other.  And it is a deep enough hierarchy that a mid-level manager can dream up new procedures that can waste millions of dollars.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Next Drill--More Air Assault Training, Fire Surpression

At April's Drill if the weather is decent, I should be flying to western Pennsylvania to cover air assault training for an infantry unit on Saturday and watching Blackhawk crews practice fire surpression.  There should be great pictures if the mission goes off according to plan.  There will be both Chinook and Blackhawk helicopters on the air assault training mission.  I am hoping to ride on the ramp at the back of the Chinook and shoot pictures of the Blackhawks flying in formation.  We will be flying west in the morning and east in the evening, so I will have to ask for some kind of turn to the north or south during the trip or my pictures wil all be silhouettes.

On Sunday, I want to be on the ground near where the 500-gallon bucket picks up water and get a shot of that and then catch the water dropping from the bucket.  It should be dramatic if I can get close enough.

Not So Supreme: A Conference about the Constitution, the Courts and Justice

Hannah Arendt At the end of the first week in March, I went to a conference at Bard College titled: Between Power and Authority: Arendt on t...