Boy, oh boy, did I ever misunderestimate the access I'd have to this blog while deployed. At this rate I figure I'll spend about 15 to 20 days on the line, and one back "home," catching up on sleep.

Don't confuse my observations here as whining; this is my chosen career, I love what I do, and the people who work for me (though not necessarily those I work for), and my family's not exactly living on food stamps.

But the point I want to make to my (four) loyal readers is this: my site's not sitting stagnant for weeks at a time because I'm blowing you guys off; it's just that I have so little time for even something so simple as a blog. Hell, I can't even access all the stuff I usually check out before preparing an update to my page.

For an idea of what I'm referring to, check out this article. It's 100% accurate, & really sums up the current atmosphere.

On many "public" computers owned and operated by the DOD -- not the ones for official use; the ones we're provided for personal use in our off-time (sic) -- I can access freerepublic.com or drudgereport.com, but not Stephanie Miller, The Liberal Oasis, or The Democratic Underground.

For the past couple of decades (and probably more, but I can only speak to my personal experience) approximately 75% of military folks have been conservative Republicans. That number is dropping these days, but even if it were to rise to 99%, there's a nasty trend among many DOD-run "internet cafes" that will inevitably backfire.

When the next Bill Clinton takes office, and we go into the next Bosnia under his or her direction, you fellow progressives just might be pleasantly surprised how the current disparity in allowed-vs-prohibited internet access will become a hot topic. If folks like me have anything to say about it, you'll see even more about the fact AFN (formerly AFRTS, pronounced A-FARTS) plays Limbaugh's trash, but no left counterpart to the Pigboy. (Thanks to Al Franken and Tom Harkin, this lack of balance has been a story for a couple years already.)

Anyway, for obvious reasons I'm not exactly on top of what's happening back in the states. Of course, you guys know all this, but after two and a half weeks in the shit, it's nice to open up Google News and others like it, and learn that

1. George Bush's approval rating is below 30% (WOW)
2. Rove hasn't been indicted (yet)
3. Tom DeLay has stupidly referenced one of Stephen Colbert's faux rants as "proof" for one of his inane stances (fucking hilarious, that one)
4. Hastert is under investigation (LOL) in the Jack Abramoff scandal

Et cetera. The GOP is still slipping into a political black hole; things haven't changed much in the month since I arrived. I'm loving it.
Oh, and the Jimmy Hoffa thing. Some day soon I'll tell you where his body really is. ;)

Anyway, I apologize for not being able to give you guys any graphic details of my current surroundings (I'm no Benedict Rove), but I can tell you we are all mentally well, physically well, well-tanned (okay, sunburnt), and goddamned fuckin'-a busy.

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