So this is my old department's logo. It is going to be posted on the door to my office, but first I want to put a motto on the bottom of it. Here are some of the one's I came up with, what do you think? Feel free to comment and suggest other mottos as well.

Ad augusta per angusta - To high places by narrow roads
Amat victoria curam - Victory favors those who take pains
Animis opibusque parati - Prepared in minds and resources (ready for anything)
Aut viam inveniam aut faciam - I will either find a way or make one
vina Sancta! - Holy cow!
Braccae tuae aperiuntur - Your fly is open
Caesar si viveret, ad remum dareris - If Caesar were alive, you'd be chained to an oar
Credo elvem etiam vivere - I believe Elvis lives
Caro putridas es! - You're dead meat
Cursum perficio - My journey is over, or I finish my journey
Duc, sequere, aut de via decede - Lead, follow, or get out of the way
Dulce bellum inexpertis - War is sweet for those who haven't experienced it. (Pindaros)
Dum spiramus tuebimur - While we breathe, we shall defend
Dura lex, sed lex - The law is harsh, but it is the law
Estne volumen in toga, an solum tibi libet me videre? - Is that a scroll in your toga, or are you just happy to see me?
primordium potissimus - the first, the best
Virtute et armis - By courage and by arms
Vescere bracis meis - Eat my shorts
Non illigitamus carborundum - "don't let the bastards grind you down"

Bat The Penguine!!!

best score 320

Well,
Don't know what to say.
My division went the way of the Dodo this morning and I am one of the few left to sweep up the pieces and facilitate the transition of personnel.
I was kicked out of my office,
My favorite LPO is gone,
The world is a very different place right now than it was when I woke up this morning and it's going to take a bit of getting used to.

Canopenner says:
Did you goto my blog today?
Ocean Ace says:
and then you spoiled season two for me
Ocean Ace says:
did you go to my blog in the lsat three days?
Ocean Ace says:
and comment?
Canopenner says:
I did?
Canopenner says:
maybe
Canopenner says:
lemme go now
Ocean Ace says:
I'm checking
Ocean Ace says:
...

I will now do my little tapity-tapity dance, kick symbolic dust on your shoes and yell it like you did something wrong...
"CHALLANGE!"

You Passed 8th Grade Science

Congratulations, you got 7/8 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Science?

OK, OK, You know me too well, I was just happy to pass.

And now for my movie...
The Spinney Gig.

The Spinney Gig.

It is my firm belief that once every six months or so you should take your computer apart down to it's nubbins, walk away for a day and then return and put it all back together again, just to remind it who's really in charge.

I have owned my current computer, a desknote a929, for a little over two years now and have never done this to it. A chief told me yesterday that desknotes had removable video card, and even though I knew it had an integrated one, since he used to sell them I took his word for it and began to plan my assault. Feeling the sudden wild urge to tinker with stuff at about 0143 last night I did just that. I took it apart then fell asleep, then got up and went to work then came home and finished dismantling it then saw the Chief was in error and put it back together.

You have no idea how many screws there are involved in taking apart a desktop replacement to it's chassis. I stopped short of unseating the motherboard, but did just about everything else. To be honest, after it was all back together I was kinda holding my breath during the bootup process expecting to hear a pop, or see a puff of smoke or even worse, have nothing at all happen. Instead it worked like a champ. Guess I showed it who's boss.

I wanted to take pictures, but my camera ate all the batteries up while I was shooting video of this windup toy I got for Christmas. (shutup, it's a fun toy and my friends all like it too.)

Anyway... So there it is, a real post.

It's been a long time since I posted, but to tell you the truth I've kinda run out of things to say.

I'm listening to this new CD Miles to Miles, it's a tribute to Miles Davis by this guy Jason Miles and it's ok I guess, but it's not really anything special. In fact, I think I'm going to delete the first few tracks from my MP3 player cause they give me a headache.

:D Asa

What could be more important than getting cookies for Christmas?

Books.
Books are way, way more important than cookies.
Specifically the seven books that make up the Chronicles of Narnia are the topic of discussion today. Should they be read in the order they were published, or in the new-fangled chronological order that the publishers seem to prefer.

I think they should be read as originally published, but who am I to say...
Anybody want some extra homework for the weekend. (Chadly put your hand down before the teacher sees it!) Too late... Everybody check out THIS GUY'S SITE and write a three hundred bazillion word essay on why some people feel the need to overachieve, (You can put your hand down now Chadly... No seriously.) While others try to slide by without actually reading the assigned homework.

Got cookies in the mail!!!

I sat and chowed a few of them with my LT, and between crumb-filled munches he wanted me to thank my mom and whoever else helped make them. His actual words were "hmmmm... Not too sweet either!", but in the few short months I've worked for him I've become quite adept at interpreting the true meaning of his leadership type double-speak. You can believe me when I say that what he truely meant could be realistically interpreted as "...mmmmmmm thank your mom and whoever else helped make them..."

1) Check out the funnies at This Girl's blog. (And feel free to comment on her blog too, I feel a bit lonely on her comment board.)

So right now, I'm listening to Marylin Monroe VS The Millennium in a remix of "Diamonds are Girl's Best Friend", and thinking about a quote I ran across last night while doing research...

"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing."
-Albert Einstein

Also, I'm thinking about putting a new rhyming game on my blog in the spirit of Fezzig and Vincini.

The time has come at last to retire the "Super Caloused Fragile Mystic Hexed by Halitosis" in favor of someone much more worthy of your attention. Feel free to click the link and think about the simple power you have to forever change a life.

1. Legal First name?
Asa

2. Were you named after anyone?
I was named after someone my parents knew for awhile while they lived in WA. That Asa was named after his father and was a great Christian -- he really impressed my parents with his faith.
I have a great namesake!


3. Do you wish on falling stars?.
Not unless it coincides with a separate train of thought.
i.e. I wish i didn't have to "O a star!" do homework again tonight.

4. When did you last cry?
Honestly, I don't remember.

5. What is your favorite lunch meat?
Do Italian Meatball's count?

6. What is your birth date?
um um um somewhere towards the beginning of 1975.

7. What is your most embarassing CD???
Sunday Morning Bluegrass.

8. If you were another person, would YOU be friends with you?
Heck Yeah we would.
Of course, now that I think about it, I might hold it against him for his gracious wit and rugged bravado.

9. Do you use sarcasm a lot?
Yes. Now that I think about it I do, but only in a graciously rugged and brave sort of way.

10. What are your nicknames?
Ace, Schaef

11. Would you bungee jump?
Yes I would.

12. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?
Sometimes.

13. Do you think that you are strong?
Physically, not like I used to be.
Mentally, better than I used to be... In some ways.


14. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Chocolate cherry.

15. Shoe Size?
10.5 wide

16. Red OR pink?
Um, blue.

18. Who do you miss most?
Of all the things I've found then lost, I think I miss my mind the most.
(oddly enough I can't remember who origionally said that)

19. Do you want everyone you send this to, to send it back to you?
No, chain mail hurts servers.

20. What color pants and shoes are you wearing?
Not wearing either at the moment. hee hee hee
(I'm wearing shorts and have bare feet)

21. What are you listening to right now?
Plumb - All my tears (be washed away)

23. Either gray or dark blue
NAVY blue!

24. What is the weather like right now?
dry and mello, slightly chilly, maybe 70.

25. Last person you talked to on the phone?
MA1 Lewis

26. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex?
hair

27. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
Yes I do, she's the best thing that could have happened to my brother from another mother.

28. Favorite drink?
Fruit Juice or Pepsi

29. Hair color?
It used to be brown, but I have a feeling it's turning grey.

30. Do you wear contacts?
Yes

31. Favorite Food?
General Tzo's Chicken.

32. Last Movie You Watched?
The Princess Bride.

33. Favorite Day Of The Year?
Christmas

34. Scary Movies OR Happy Endings?
Happy endings.

35. Summer Or Winter?
Fall. but winter's not so bad either.

37. What Is Your Favorite Dessert?
Pumpkin pie!

38. Who Is Most Likely To Respond?
Christy Cory

39. Who Is Least Likely To Respond?
Robert or Chad

40. Living Arrangements?
Does my office count? Ok, I live in a flat on the seventh floor with a great view of the lighted citiscape at night.

41. What Books Are You Reading?
Hebrews, Understanding Terrorism in America,
Domestic terrorism and incident management,
Terrorism 2002, Bass Basics, When God Calls Your Name,

42. What's On Your Mouse Pad ?
Don't use one.

43. What Did You Watch Last night on TV?
About ten minutes of Sgt. Bilko, then the last episode of Frasier.

44. Favorite Smells?
Coffee, Baking Bread, Fresh cut grass, vanilla,

45. Favorite junk food?
Popcorn, pretzles, Teriaki rice biscuits.

46. Rolling Stones or Beatles?
You can keep em both.

I got the best thing in the mail the other day. It was a stocking from my family complete with:

Chocolate Coins!
Quarters!
A chocolate reproduction of Paul And Babe! (which is slated for consumption on christmas morning)
A magnet!
A Spinney Gig!
A Pen!
Silly Puddy!
More Silly Puddy!!
And my favorite... An AWIKA!

What do you think about the Airplane Shooting?

Ever feel like you live in a sitcom?

Today we were pulled from our normal jobs to spend the afternoon at an Admiral's call. For those of you who aren't military, it was a bunch of different commands and departments in military formation being addressed by a visiting Admiral. In this case, the department I work for was required to be there. The reason for this, we found out, was that the Admiral specifically wanted to single us out and thank us for an outstanding job in protecting the supplies flowing into Iraq.

Anyway, at the beginning of his speech, the Admiral turned to address the whole formation and asked where my department was. A few of us raised our hands, but he had turned slightly to scan the whole formation and didn't see the hands. A group at the very end who are being trained to replace us sometime next year, but have yet to go on more than one or two missions all raised their hands which he did see. So this is where it turns into a sitcom... He basically proceeds to turn his back to us, the people he meant to talk to, and tell these clownshoes down on the end what a great job my department is doing and how much he appreciates their dedication and the long hours they've put in and personal sacrifices they've made. Except that instead of naming my department, he looked at these fools and said you. I appreciate the great job you are doing, I appreciate your dedication, and your sacrifices etc... The real salt in the wound is that the department he was talking to is in training to replace us and hadn't been on the island for more than a couple of months and had only training missions under their belt instead of the hundreds that we've performed, but felt that they were entirely justified in stealing our thunder, and didn't feel the need to explain any of this to him.

Like I said, the whole thing was rather comical and just made me mentally shake my head and laugh until it was all over. To be honest, even though he had his back to us the whole time, what he had to say made me pretty proud. It also reminded me of a poem I heard a long time ago.


Ahem...
"Life, it is so like the bluebird,
as Omar the poet once said.
Some days it sings at your doorstep,
but some days it poops on your head."
-unknown

God was good to me this week.
It's been a busy week with too many bosses asking for different things, and of course each one says to make their's the priority. But at the end of the week the job is done and everyone is where they are supposed to be. Orders were cut and signed, I was only cursed out by a few people, and although there was this one time I was really, really close, I refrained from cursing them back. I was able to help some of the younger guy's with their paperwork, and even managed to lock my homework in an office I didn't have the key to on the busiest day of the week. At first I was mad, but when I got home there was nothing to do but relax... Well, let's just say that it went from the worst day to the best day in the space of five minutes.

Also, I got to see a picture of a semi sliding across the ice at this gir's blog, and it made me kinda miss home. Then I saw how cold it is back there and decided that maybe I didn't miss it quite so much after all.

So I was looking through an old website and came across some mischief from my days at BISYS. Judge for yourself, but it made me laugh.

Well, I don't know about you, but my Thanksgiving was rather nice.

The base had free breakfast lunch and dinner, so I slept in then caught the lunch with a few friends, helped someone with paperwork for about an hour and then went off to do homework for the afternoon then had dinner with a different group of friends.

All in all it was a nice way to spend the holiday. I could get used to this desk job and actually having holidays off. I felt kinda bad for my freinds who had to work, but sometimes life is like that. Whenever my job goes away, and it's going to any month now, I'll be right back there on the gates with them, so I might as well enjoy the sunny afternoons while I can.

Speaking of sunny afternoons, man did we have a cold snap here today. I'm not kidding either, it must have been in the low 70's... Enough to make me want to break out my sweatshirts and jacket.

AHHHHHHEM!!!
To be sung to the tune of Monte Python's "I Like Chinese"

I-am-debt-freeeee!!!
I-am-debt-freeeee!!!
College-loans... A-stack-up-to-my-kneee.
but-now-they're-paid.. And-that's-why-you-see,

I'm-in-a-debt-free-moood.
My-lender's-are no-longer-rude!


ok ok ok, you get the point.
After twelve long years, I've finally managed to pay off the last of the blood sucking vultures. Now I can take all that cashola I've been using to pay them off and put it into bonds or maybe a mutual fund, or some sort of investment instrument so I can save it for buying a house.

Let's see, where was I,
O yes...

I-am-debt-freeeee!!!!
I-am-debt-freeeee!!!!