Yo Adriaaaaaaan!

It's here. My Rocky five disc box set arrived in today's mail, just in time. SPC Fleck went on a trip to Baghdad recently and returned with a copy of the new Rocky Balboa movie on DVD. So now I've got to knock out the first 5 flicks and prepare myself for the 6th. Good times.

Two days away from Cotton Bowl kickoff. I plan on posting thoughts on the big game some time tomorrow, if everything falls into place. We're planning another watch party in the Colonel's office, although this time with an added twist. Should be a good time. Stay tuned.

Christmas time

Today is Christmas day, although being over here in Iraq it pretty much feels like every other day. Now that we've crossed the threshold into our 10th month of duty here in the desert, the routine day to day schedule has turned into a groundhog day type situation: it's the same darn thing, day after day after day. On special occasions (like Christmas) you need to throw a wrench into things in order to make it feel different, more important. Our unit's favorite wrench is a good bar-b-que party. On the evening of 24 December our unit had a Christmas grill out to celebrate the holiday. Here are the pictures to prove it.

Grillzila, breathing fire, ready to devour whatever cut of meat we throw it's way. Awesome.

Soldiers mingling about during the Christmas party. We even had a tree set up, with lights and candy canes and everything. Aren't we festive?
Everyone gathered around the plasma to enjoy holiday classics. Currently playing in the above picture is the outstanding Christmas Vacation. Right after this we watched It's a Wonderful Life. Good times.
Here is my choice cut of meat for the night, a thick and juicy 1.9 pound t-bone beauty just before it's tossed onto Grillzila. Delicious.
Grillzilla brought her A game for the festive event. My steak was cooked to perfection.
SSG Johnson, SFC Kerchal, SGT Kane, SFC Washington and myself, gathered around the table enjoying our food and taking in a holiday classic on the screen.

Close-up shot of your favorite Army man, getting ready to devour half a cow.

The remains of my fierce battle with the t-bone. Notice the high quality fork, sans one blade. The t-bone may have won the battle, but I sure as heck won the war. Terrific.

Random musings

Quick movie update:

• Turistas I won't go into this one too much, simply because it really isn't worth my time. SGT Kane has already done a nice little job on this movie over on his site (read about it here). I think Turistas might end the year as the worst movie I've seen. I've seen a decent amount of flicks, so that's saying something. Don't waste your $8 - don't even waste your $2 at the late run theater. I would recommend visiting the dentist over seeing Turistas. Seriously.
• The Pursuit of Happyness An unexpected winner. I have always like Will Smith's work, but this is definitely different than your usual flashy, showy, Smith blockbuster (Independence Day, Men In Black, etc.). This movie is stripped down, and doesn't feature a star-studded supporting cast or expensive special effects. This film is all about Smith, and he delivers in spades. His co-star is his real life son, who makes a nice film debut. The movie is "based on real events", although I'm not really sure what that means these days in Hollywood. Happyness (the misspelling is explained, don't worry) is a nice uplifting holiday movie - something you could take the family to on Christmas night, for example. I highly recommend. And kudos to Smith for taking a chance on role that he obviously cares about, instead of mailing it in with a big-budget blockbuster. Mad props.
• Jackass Number Two I went into this leery of the sequel money grab. Shame on me for my lack of faith. Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera and crew deliver with another laugh out loud, slap your thigh funny film. If you liked the first, you will love the second. I promise. One of the 2 or 3 funniest movies I've seen all year - possibly the funniest. Highly recommended.
• The War Tapes I bought this DVD at the bazaar. I had heard good things about this film last summer when it made the indie theater circuit and was hoping I could get my hands on the DVD. Nice little independent film following a couple National Guard soldiers like myself throughout their year long deployment to Iraq. This film won best documentary of 2006 at Tribeca Film Festival. Go on down to your local Blockbuster and pick this up for a quality rental and an authentic look at what Iraq is like from a soldiers point of view.
• Casino Royale SFC Kerchal bought this DVD at the bazaar and the quality was superb. I loved this movie, which is saying something since I don't consider my fan much of a Bond fan, historically speaking (I know, I know - I'm disgrace of a man for saying so). I thought Daniel Craig was an awesome choice for Bond. Much better than ol Brosnan. The action was fast and exciting, the girls were gorgeous, and I thought the plot and storyline held up well. A guy can't ask for much more than that. I believe this film is coming to our theater soon, and I'm already looking forward to seeing it again, in all of its big screen glory.
• Rocky Balboa I haven't seen this one yet, but I'm including it on the list simply to let you all know that I'm really looking forward to it. I've read enough good reviews to warrant getting my hopes up, and after reading this article from the Sports Guy I went right on over to my favorite store and ordered the Rocky Anthology on DVD. I hope to time it just right so I can receive the boxed set, watch all 5 movies on DVD and then have Rocky Balboa show up in the theater. Wish me luck.

Well that's all for now. Merry Christmas to everyone and I will check in after the holidays with some thoughts on the big Husker bowl game match up.

Grandma knows best!

Wanted to take an opportunity to say thanks to my Grandparents for the awesome Christmas care package they sent my way a few days ago. Grandma put together some peanut butter cookies, some peanut brittle, and a batch of snicker doodles to boot (my favorite). All were delivered in decorative Christmas tins. To top it all off, she even threw in a bright red stocking packed full with Salted Nut Rolls! Well done Grandpa and Grandma - I appreciate it very much!
Me with the prize - a Christmas stocking overflowing with Salted Nut Rolls. Terrific.

I wanted to take a picture of the tins full of homemade cookies, but before I could get that done my co-workers and I had polished them all off. So I had to settle with a picture of an empty tin - take that as a compliment Grandma!

3 years? Holy cow...

My how the time flies. As of today, I've been courting Nicki for exactly 3 years. I can't believe it's been that long. Craziness. To celebrate, I am posting a couple pictures of my better half and I for your viewing pleasure. Love you Nicki! The first picture on record of the stunning couple. This was taken at Nicki's mom's house during Christmas 2003.
Chillin at the welcome home bash my Grandparents threw for me when I was home on leave in July.
We look good, right? I think so.

It's Christmas time

Christmas is in the air, even here in Iraq. Our dining facility has had Christmas decorations up for weeks, and we've actually had a run of cold weather over the last few days, which makes it feel like winter (kinda). As we all know, Christmas just isn't Christmas without a tree. Well, evergreens aren't very common out in the desert, so any plans of putting up a tree to celebrate the holiday season rests on family and friends back home. Fortunately for me, my girlfriend Nicki's family has come through and delivered a little slice of holiday goodness to my roommate and I. The Blazek's sent a box of holiday snacks and goodies, highlighted by the pre-light Christmas tree they thoughtfully included. I wanted to put this post together as a thank-you to the Blazek's for their kindness. Here is the tree, in all it's splendor.

Close up of the tree. Gorgeous, no?

The tree is just so festive - it really sets off the room!

Carrie Underwood

American Idol winner and country music star Carrie Underwood made the trip across the big blue sea to come visit some troops in Iraq. She made a stop at Anaconda yesterday and SGT Kane and I were lucky enough to see her perform. Her show took place inside our movie theater, which seats less than 800 people. Due to the small size of the venue, the powers that be decided to distruibuite tickets to the event. Only those servicemembers who were fortuante enough to get their hands on a ticket would be able to see Carrie perform. Our base is home to over 20,000 people, so our odds of grabbing a ticket were slim. SGT Kane and I were optimistic we would somehow score one of the tickets, but I don't think either one of us figured we would both be lucky enough to snatch a ducket. A few things fell into place (thank you SPC Fleck and SPC Benes) that made the whole thing possible. Unfortuantley, the theater lighting is not very condusive to concerts and picture taking and what not, so most of my pictures didn't turn out all that well. I have another source for pictures though, and if that comes through I'll post some more later today. Here is a picture taken after the concert with Carrie, Kane and I and a couple other servicemembers.

November Movie Wrap-up

Nothing too new to report on this end (other than that crushing defeat at the hand of the Sooners last night in the Big XII Championship Game, which I would rather forget) so I'm gonna mail it in with a new movie post. Enjoy.

• Deja Vu This movie stars Denzel Washington. Denzel is usually a pretty reliable bet to act in quality movies. His body of work (Glory, Malcom X, Philadelphia, The Hurricane, Training Day, Man on Fire) supports this theory, from my vantage point. So when a new Denzel flick comes to the local cinema, I usually consider it worthy of my hard earned dollar. Factor in that my current local cinema is free, and that makes any Denzel show a must-see. I went into Deja Vu with zero knowledge of the premise, story or cast (other than the star). I must say that I wasn't overly impressed with this movie, nor was I overly disappointed. I would have to say I'm fairly neutral on it overall. I think Denzel does a fine job, and the set-up is decent, but the movie suffers from a few flaws that pretty much kills everything for me. About half way into Deja Vu the audience is basically asked to suspend reality, accept that what we're being told is true (even though everyone is scratching their heads and muttering about how impossible this is) and then the rest of the way out we must continue to just enjoy the movie for the entertainment, and not for any real substance or meaning. After leave the theater, SGT Kane and I discussed a few alternative endings that could have made the movie more interesting or might have made you think a little more, but the folks in charge instead decided to stick with a fairly Hollywood ending. I can understand what they were thinking - they didn't want to leave the audience upset, and wanted to stick with the safe play. This may bring the movie a few more dollars at the box office, but if they really wanted to please me the audience, I think Deja Vu should have ditched some of the physics lessons and worked harder on a meatier plot with a less contrived ending. I think the risk would have paid off. All in all, Deja Vu is a decent flick and Denzel doesn't disappoint, but nothing here is worth remembering.
• The Black Dahlia On paper, The Black Dahlia packs quite a punch. The director is a proven winner, as he was at the helm for gems like Scarface, The Untouchables, Carrie - heck he directed the first Mission Impossible, which was alright. The cast (Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Aaron Eckhart, Hilary Swank) is loaded with big names. Throw all of this goodness into one melting pot and you should come out with a sure-fire gem, right? In the case of The Black Dahlia - wrong. Poor execution, shoddy acting, a confusing plot and a slow pace kill whatever high hopes this movie may have had. I'm not familiar with the story of The Black Dahilia (if you want to know, go here) and I'm not sure if that may have helped or not, but I'm guessing I'm not the only one who waltzed into the theater with no prior knowledge of the story. The movie is put together well, with 1940s era clothing, cars, and everything else. The problem for me was that the story just didn't flow right, and the ending left much to be desired. A little too long and weird for my tastes, and a good example of a well known director and good cast not always being able to deliver solid results. I can't even recommend this for a rental. If you really want to see De Palma run a quality show, go rent this or this. You will thank me.

Buffalo Meat

Our Squadron Commander is home on leave and we took advantage by throwing a Husker watch party in his office last Friday for the big NU - CU showdown. Too bad the Buffs aren't that good this year and the game wasn't very close, but it was a good time none the less. We subsituted our normal hamburger grill-out routine with pizza this time around. Things just aren't the same when our grillmaster, SSG Johnson, is not around. Anyways, here are a few pictures. Enjoy.

I was hesitant to post this photo, because it doesn't paint a very good picture with regards to how crappy it is over here. Plasma screens, plush couches, pizza hut pizza, beer - sheesh, football parties back in Nebraska aren't usually this good. Don't worry folks - this is the exception, and not the rule.
SGT Kane, SGT Hunt and myself ran down to Pizza Hut and picked up four large pies, to go. CSM Hall chipped in and bought beer, and bam - we had ourselves a party.
I can't even describe how weird it was to sit on a couch to watch a game. I'm telling you, it's the little things you miss when you're in Iraq.

Note: Nicki, I know you'll be upset that my gorgeous face is no where to be found in these pictures. Sorry, but I figured I would give the other guys a time to shine. Better luck next time.

Thanksgiving

For thanksgiving today, a few of my co-workers have set a precedent of putting out a "what I'm thankful for" post on their blogs. Of course, it would be rude of me to not follow suite and please my fans with a similarly themed post. However, I think it would also please my fans to see me put my own personal sarcasm spin on it. Because if you can't have fun with things (sappy thanksgiving posts are given no special favors) then shame on you.

What the Hammer is thankful for:

• To God, who makes this all possible for me. Thank you for keeping me safe and out of harms way in the most dangerous place on earth. I am grateful.
• I appreciate our chow hall, for going all out with an awesome Thanksgiving day meal. I felt like I was back at the farm chowing down ... until I scooped up some mashed potatoes off of my plastic plate with my plastic spoon. Kudos also for feeding me a steady diet of corn dogs during the week. Delicious.
• I'm thankful for Huskers Illustrated and their ability to keep me up to speed with all of the latest and greatest in Husker news. To be honest, I'm probably more knowledgable about Husker football this season than in any season I can remember.
• TV shows on DVD. I'm not sure who came up with the idea of putting TV shows on DVD, but whoever he/she is - you're my hero. The Wire, the Office, Sopranos, etc. You have kept me entertained and entranced during my time in Iraq.
• Sports. I could write a whole post about my unhealthy/passionate allegiance to grown men playing games, but the important thing is that between college football, NFL, MLB, college basketball, golf, etc. - I am never short of articles to read, games to watch and topics to debate in the office. The deployment would be crawling by without your assistance.
• Twizzlers and Salted Nut Rolls. My mid afternoon snack just wouldn't be the same without the help of these two wonderful snacks. Gracias.
• An awesome job. I sit at a desk in a hard building with a/c. The only injuries I have to watch out for are paper cuts. Things could be much, much worse.
• My 5th gen 30 gig iPod. Music is my life blood, and the iPod has blown my mind with it's ability to meet my every musical need. I commend you Apple. Now, if you're iPod phone is as cool as it sounds, I will really, really owe you big
• Last but not definatley not least I'm most thankful for Nicki, my rock of a girlfriend. She has to deal with my phone calls at all hours of the day and is forced to put up with an Army boyfriend who (once this deployment is over with) will have spent more of our relationship away from home in the Army than he has at home with her. Thanks for putting up with it all Nichile - you're the best.

Well, that's all I have off the top of my head right now. Hopefully everyone is able to spend the holiday with loved ones and if you're traveling to do so, stay safe on the busy roads. From the sound of it NE will be blessed with unusually warm weather and no snow, so go outside and toss a football or something and enjoy that weather. I've added some photos from today's thanksgiving blowout at the dining facility below. Enjoy.

Props to Benes for taking this photo at our Thanksgiving meal today. The look I'm giving is the universal "oh crap, Beans is taking my picture" face. Nice.

Pretty much the same photo as the one above, except not as dark so you can see more of the chow hall. It's not usually decorated like this with the fancy ice sclupture centerpieces and everything - they really pulled out all of the stops for us. This time around I'm rocking the "geez Beans, another picture?" face. Smooth.

me = internet celebrity

Stop what you're doing and click here right away for a pulitzer-prize worthy Q&A session. Jason Siffring and the boys over at Big Red Network have made internet celebrites of yours truly and my co-worker and workout accomplice, SGT Kane. Kane gives you all of the dirty details of how this article went down, so head over here for his take. Now that I'm famous and all I think the Army should send me home right away so I can begin a high-dollar publicty tour and start taking offers from publishers for a book deal. After that we can pursue my dream of becoming a graduate assistant on Billy C Coach Callahan's staff.

Video game craziness

While some of my peers in the soldier-in-Iraq-with-a-blog business cover hard-hitting news stories like the shift of power on Capital Hill, I tend to favor less publicized yet just as worthy subjects. Today's post is a perfect example.

Video games are something that everyone in almost any walk of life is familiar with. The younger generation has grown up with Nintendo, Sega and Sony PlayStation. The older generation had Atari and other ancient forms of pixelated pleasure. Even the oldest of folks have had their lives touched by video games - maybe by walking the aisles at your local Best Buy trying to pick up that hot new title your grandchildren have on their Christmas wish list. Well, with another holiday season upon us, video games are once again a hot commodity. This holiday season is seeing an unusually high amount of video game lust, thanks to the launch of two new gaming systems - the Sony PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii. I've seen a few articles on the national scene covering the legions of dedicated fans of both systems literally camping out in front of their local electronics retailers in hopes of getting their pasty white hands on these hot new gaming systems. The Nintendo system is looking to have larger launch numbers of their system (meaning more Wiis will be produced and available for purchase) thus making them desirable, but not quite as frighteningly desirable as the PlayStation 3. Camping out in front of the local Best Buy or Wal-Mart for a new gaming system is nothing new. However, I think the dedication, shortage of PS3's available (which has sometimes led to violence) and passion displayed by some fans is unprecedented. A man in Connecticut was actually shot while waiting in line for his own PS3. I read this article today in the Lincoln Journal-Star about local Lincolnites who are camping out at Best Buy for the new system, and couldn't help but chuckle after reading this paragraph.

Back a few tents, 43-year-old Chris Wear was crossing fingers. He had not realized until 10:30 Wednesday night that people were already camped outside of Best Buy.“I was like, ‘Oh crap,’” he said. “I threw everything in the vehicle and ran out the house.”He arrived 36th in line. The rumor was that Best Buy had only 34 systems to sell, but that six more might be arriving Thursday night.

Wow. In most cases you would hope that a 43-year-old man would be doing other, more important things than camping out in front of the local electronics store for a gaming system - say maybe working for a living to support his family, or something like that. I would like to think that he is showing this dedication in order to suprise his children with an unexpected Christmas score, but I get the impression this is more likely the sad story of a man with nothing more exciting in his life than the launch of a new PlayStation. My only hope is that 20 years from now you all won't be reading my name in the Journal-Star as some crazed fan waitin for the latest and greatest technology.

Note: I don't know the aformentioned Chris Wear, so Chris if you read this understand I'm not trying to poke fun or question your priorities. I'm just trying to make a point and write a compelling story.

Return to sender...

Way, way back on the 1st of June, I decided to send my lovely girlfriend Nicki a little present. She was a fan of the Desperate Housewives TV show, and so being the generous boyfriend I am I purchased the first two seasons of the show on DVD from the Iraqi bazaar. I then rolled on down to our local post office to send off my gift. Again, this was on 1 June, 2006. Well, I waited and waited and waited, but Nicki never reported receiving the package. I came home on leave in July, and the package still hadn't come. August went by, September past by - still no package. Well, at this point I felt comfortable making the assumption that Nicki would never see that Desperate Housewives boxed set. Of course she was distraught and crying in sadness, but we both found a way to move on and put the tragedy of the whole deal behind us. I've since sent other items through the mail, but have made sure to pay for a couple hundred dollars worth of insurance, for the added peace of mind and to hopefully avoid another Desperate Housewives type debacle. Well fast-forward to today - 15 November, 2006. A full five and a half months since I sent the ill-fated DVD boxed set Nicki's way. What do you suppose I received in today's mail?
Here she is - the package that probably has more miles on it than a 1992 Honda Civic. 5 and a half months! Craziness.

Apparently, there was a mix up with where exactly Nicki was living. This is kind of understandable, since she was in the process of moving from one apartment to another during this time period. That was back in August however ... where has this thing been sitting during September, October and November?

I still can't believe this package made it's way back to Iraq. I assumed it was long, long gone. Well, now I will re-label it, roll on down to the local post office and send this package of goodness off on it's way once again.

Purify celebration

One of my favorite pictures of the year. Always nice to see players (especially out of state players like Maurice here, who have only been in the program a short time) show emotion. Just thought I'd share it with you. 10 days until we stomp CU...

Kansas City here we come!

Unbelievable. Just when I thought all was lost, that another once-promising Husker season was about to completely fall apart, that we were going to let yet another game we dominated early get away from us and slip through our grasp ... we delivered one of the most thrilling endings to Husker game in recent memory, and quite possibly in the history of the program. I can't even describe in words how much it thrilled me to see our team, at it's lowest of low points, with the odds against them and their backs to the wall, come together on the road in a hostile environment and put together a stunning drive for the ages. The image that is burned into my memory is a shot the ABC cameras showed late in the game of our bench, all on their feet, arms interlocked, just hoping, praying that our offense could regain their 1st half form and put together one last drive to steal a victory on the road that would punch our ticket to the Big 12 championship game and deliver a North division crown. To see our team come together like that when it mattered most was a thing of beauty. I think it's fair to say that our team (Billy C especially) would have come under heavy fire back in Nebraska if we let yet another early lead dissolve. Congratulations to: Barry Turner, for making the comeback possible with a huge field goal block; to Todd Pederson (who only had 10 catches on the season coming into this game - he had 7 against the Aggies) who was doing his best Jerry Rice impression on the final drive, making big catch after big catch; to Zac Taylor, who stayed cool and calm in the pocket and seemed to make all the right reads when it mattered most; and last but definitely not least - Maurice Purify. All I can really say is that Purify is a weapon that this Husker team has desperately needed, and he adds a dimension in the red zone that our offense hasn't had in years. Let's hope our team can keep this momentum going and finish off this season on a high note.

Movie time

Time for another movie review post as I sit here at my desk preparing for the Husker - Aggie showdown. Go Big Red.

• Stranger Than Fiction This was a perfect example of a movie that I knew absolutely nothing about until the title popped up on the calendar of movies being shown in November. My usual routine is pulling up unknown movies on imdb and doing a little research on the cast, director, etc. So when I pulled up Stranger Than Fiction and saw that Will Ferrell was the star, I was very intrigued. When I walked into the theater last night (on the same night the movie debuted in the states, I believe, which is pretty sweet) I still knew next to nothing about the film, save for the Ferrell starring role. In the movie, Ferrell's character leads a boring, non-descript life until he suddenly hears a voice in his head of a woman, who is narrating his life as he lives it. I won't go into two many details about the plot, except to say that it is definitely not your normal sophomoric comedy, and especially not your normal Ferrell comedy (Old School, Anchorman, Talladega Nights, etc) I think the best comparison I can make is that this movie is to Ferrell what Punch Drunk Love was to Sandler, or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was to Carrey. Ferrell absolutely nails the role, and is able to carry the movie and create a lot of laughs, without the slapstick humor that he is normally associated with. I must also mention the outstanding job done by the wonderful Maggie Gyllenhall - she is warm and energetic and a perfect yin to Ferrell's yang. Pay special attention to the cookie scene in the bakery - awesome stuff. Ferrell and Gyllenhall are great together, and at times I just couldn't believe my eyes as I saw Ferrell come through in moments that require a delicate touch of drama - much the same way I had to rub my eyes watching Sandler steal every scene in Punch Drunk Love. I can say with confidence that Stranger Than Fiction currently tops my list as best comedy of 2006, and easily qualifies as must see material for any fan of comedies that make you think, along with fans of Ferrell's previous work. Definitely a pleasant surprise and a movie I will surely own on DVD, once it comes out.
• Flags of Our Fathers This movie rocked. I have always known next to nothing about history, which is embarrassing, but true. Iwo Jima was one historical event that I thought I understood - we kicked butt, raised a flag to signal the end of the conflict, and after that we all drank fruity drinks on the beach and basked in the glow of our victory. After seeing this movie I was harshly reminded of the facts - I blow at history. The movie (based on a book of the same name) follows the story of the Marines and Navy Corpsman whose act of raising the flag over the island of Iwo Jima was forever immortalized in one classic photo. From watching the movie, I learned a couple of things: there was way, way more to the conflict after the flag was raised; the media and the people love heroes; people don't understand what war is really like unless they've been there and finally - Clint Eastwood kicks ass. The battle scenes in this movie are expertly done, and prove once again that just like fine wine Eastwood has gotten better and better with age. His work in this movie reminded me of the jaw dropping scenes created by Spielberg for Saving Private Ryan. The story was interesting and kept me involved right up until the very end. Recently single Ryan Phillipe and the rest of the actors cast perform well, although the story presented here is much bigger than one or two actors. Defiantly a must see for a multitude of reasons, but most notably to witness a master (Eastwood) on top of his game and for the history lesson everyone should know regarding the Battle of Iwo Jima.

Haircut day!

Yesterday was haircut day for yours truly. Here are some gorgeous before and after shots. (Special thanks to SSG Johnson for taking these beautiful pictures - he operated this photo shoot like a true pro)
I grew out my hair a big longer than usual. The ladies Nicki isn't a fan of my longer hair look, but since she isn't here I can grow it out as long as I please. Within reason, of course - the Army (like Nicki) isn't too fond of long hair either.
Shazaam. $5 later, and back to the Army high and tight. Awesome.

I'll throw this out there - what do you all think is better:

• SGT Hanseling with long hair.
• SGT Hanseling with short hair.

Post votes in the comments section.

Huskers vs Tigers

Well, needless to say our beloved Big Red were in desperate need of a statement win yesterday, and by golly, they delivered. After the disappointment and heartache of the Texas loss combined with the embarrassment and failure to rebound on the road against Oklahoma State, I was getting sick and tired of losing and was worried I might be watching another once-promising Husker season slip away. However, we were able to pick ourselves up off the mat and deliver in a must-win situation at home. Huge win for coach Callahan and the program. Hopefully the Bugeaters can keep the big mo rolling, win our next two against aTm and the vermin and roll into our highly anticipated rematch against the Longhorns on a hot streak.

The S-1 section continued their bar-b-quing ways last night, with an added twist. We rolled with gourmet burgers on the grill, and added SSG Johnson's nachos as a nice pre-game warm up. Needless to say, I was unable to move for a good hour afterwards. Pics below.

Our designated grill master (also the mastermind behind the nacho plate), SSG Johnson, keeping a close watch on the progress of our burgers, with moral support from SGT Kane and SPC Fleck.
Adding the fixings. There was another grill going last night with regular burgers, but here in the S-1 "normal" just doesn't cut it. American cheese, swiss cheese, and bacon - that's what we call taking it to the next level.
Burgers are ready for show time and are the centerpiece of our spread inside the office. Nicely done Brad.
Yours truly, attempting to crush a giant double bacon cheesburger. I get full just looking at this picture.

movie time

I did a movie review post awhile back and thoroughly enjoyed the process. After catching a few flicks in the past two weeks, I decided it was high time for another one. Besides, a movie post will help take my mind off of the recent tragedy in my life. Without further ado...

• The Marine Oh. My. Goodness. This movie will probably end up challenging The Guardian in my end of the year debate over "most cliche-filled film". Wrestling star John Cena stars in this action flick, which promised big explosions and non-stop fun with the WWE's latest chosen one. I saw the previews for this flick and thought to myself, "Yes! About time we get a classic shoot 'em up guy movie!". Not sure how accurate this is, but I felt like there just aren't enough pure action movies coming out of Hollywood these days, now that the genre's mega-star is now governing instead of kicking butt. Anyways, there were enough bullets, car chases, explosions and fights to make just about any guy happy. However, if you happen to be one of those guys who needs just a tiny bit of actual acting with your action, you'll be disappointed. Or maybe you're only requirement is a solid plot line - again, you'll leave disappointed. Anyways, in case you haven't figured out yet, The Marine sucks. It's horrible. Stay far, far away. If you do go, despite my warnings, in order to satisfy your urge for action, then that's your call. Just don't say I didn't warn you...
• The Departed When you're in Iraq you tend to be isolated from the outside world. Sure, we have internet access, but that's about the limit to our connectivity with what's happening. So it goes without saying that I miss things, from time to time. The big popular pop radio song - I've probably never heard it. The sweet new resturaunt on the far side of town - I've never eaten there. The hip new jean style that everyone is rocking - umm, what? However, one of the biggest things soldiers in the desert miss out on (and the major reason we are so out of the loop) is the 21st century advertising machine - TV commercials. We get a few TV channels over here, but the commercials are limited to Army produced & designed spots that are so horrible and boring I won't even waste your time trying to describe them. So, when you don't have commercials, you tend to miss out on the hype train that drives a lot of the movies that hit theaters back home. Although we usually get most of the big movies that you all get back home, they usually arrive with little to no fanfare. However, having said all of that - there are exceptions to every rule. Despite nearly zero commercial or media advertising impact or influence, we all knew what The Departed was, and we knew when it was coming to Balad. Some movies are just destined to greatness- the combination of a fantastic cast, a big name running the show and a monster budget - you usually have the makings of a classic. So when we heard that a movie starring Jack, Damon, DiCaprio and Marky Mark - with Martin directing - was heading our way, well, we about wept with happiness. I think SGT Kane even did a little dance, but let's not re-visit that. After a minor scheduling conflict at the theater moved our premiere night back a couple days, we finally got our shot at seeing The Departed in all of it's movie screen greatness. Wow. I was captivated from the opening scene until the credits rolled. I won't delve into plot specifics or anything like that, because you need to go see this movie immediately if you haven't already and I don't want to ruin one single moment of this cinema masterpiece for you. One thing I can tell you - the actors all deliver clutch performances. One of my personal favorites was Alec Baldwin - he steals every scene he's in. Also, Marky Mark delivers nicely when called upon, as usual. Of course, Nicholson is the man, and is cast in the perfect role. The real gem of the movie for me, however, was DiCaprio. I've never been a huge fan of 'ol Leo. Maybe because the role he's most associated is from a chick flick. Or maybe because I wasted $7 and saw The Beach. I don't know. For whatever reason, I've always viewed him as soft, way too boyish, and I've never been able to wipe away his Basketball Diaries character - I always think of him as some 12 year old boy - not a tough, Russell Crowe-like movie star. (Apparntley, the NY Times agrees with me - read more about Leo's Hollywood maturation here) Well, when I saw DiCaprio in The Departed, I saw MJ dominating the Cavs. Or Tommie Frazier running all over Florida. It was just a beautiful thing to watch, and I mean that in a purely hetro-sexual kind of way. When I think of Leo now, I don't think of this. Instead, I think of a gun-toting, pill-popping Jersey tough guy who will break you in half if that's what it takes. If you don't like Scorcese, or Damon, or mobster flicks in general - you still have to see The Departed. DiCaprio is that good, and he makes this movie what it is - my early leader for movie of the year. I just can't describe how fun it is to go watch a movie as well acted, well directed and well everythinged as this movie is. Go. Now.
• Flags of our Fathers I just saw this last night, and I'm not quite ready to post my thoughts. Give me a couple days.

Thank you, Salted Nut Roll

The Pearson's brand Salted Nut Roll. What a delicious snack. I've always been a fan of nut rolls. Many years ago, I remember my mom buying a couple nut rolls at Pac N Save (she was a big fan herself) as a reward for a productive shopping trip. The legion of Salted Nut Roll fans is what I would consider a fairly small niche group in the candy bar world. You don't see too many magazine advertisements, TV commercials, or catchy advertising campaigns for the Salted Nut Roll.

Anyways, a kind soul in SSG Johnson's life has been sending nut rolls over here in care packages for awhile now, and SSG Johnson has been kind enough to share a nut roll or two with myself and a couple other lucky souls in our S-1 shop. I have come to admire the Salted Nut Roll even more so recently, due to it's sudden re-emergence in my life. Not only has SSG Johson been receiving Salted Nut Rolls, but king-size Salted Nut Rolls. Until now, I didn't even realize that a king-size version (two full-size nut rolls in one wonderful package of goodness) existed. Now I do, and I am thankful. So today, I offer this blog post as a way to say thanks to the Pearson candy company, who has been producing this delectable snack since 1933. Your Salted Nut Rolls are a highlight, a bright spot in my dreary Iraq existence and for that I say thank-you. Thank you Salted Nut Roll, for everything you do.

Game Time part two

More pics from out Huskers/Longhorns shin-ding last night.

College Gameday is on ... starting to get pumped up for the game. MSG Aldag brough out his white Husker flag, which is signed by the entire team, for good luck.
SPC Benes, the reigning HHT soldier of the month, was the "grillmaster in training" all night. In this picture, MAJ Teegerstrom is giving Beans some tips on how to tame his monster, Grill Zilla. I'm sure Benes came away from the night a much-improved grillmaster, thanks to MAJ T's fine tutelage.
I turned off the flash on this photo, to capture SPC Benes taming the fire-breathing monster that is Grill Zilla.
Left the flash off on this picture also to give an idea of just how dark it was out there. We had one or two lights, and the glow of the plama screen tvs helped also. The crowd is starting to gather, anticipating the clash of the titans that awaits.
Another shot of our setup. You can see the awesome spread of food that we enjoyed, and you can also spot the 2nd tv, in the top right corner. Iraq isn't the best place to watch a Husker game, but I think we did a pretty good job considering the location.

One last point about the Husker game last night. For those of you who might be second guessing Callahan's decision to throw the ball to Nunn on 3rd down late in the game to ice the victory, I reccomend you check out what happened in the Notre Dame - UCLA tilt. UCLA was in a position similair to ours - underdog team, with a small lead late in the game (17-13), trying to ice the upset victory. UCLA had the ball on their own side of the field, just like NE did. UCLA came to their 3rd down crossroads, and decided to run the ball. Their coaches were willing to punt the ball back to Notre Dame, which sports a high-powered offense that had been restrained most of the night - eerily similair to the 'Horns offense being held in check for the most part by the Blackshirts. UCLA ran the ball on 3rd down, Notre Dame burned their last time out, and then UCLA punted the ball to the Golden Domers with a shade over 1 minute left on the game clock. Notre Dame, with no time outs and 80 yards of green grass between them and the end zone, needed a touchdown to win the game. What do you suppose happened, my loyal readers? Notre Dame went right down the field in the blink of an eye, scoring a touchdown in only 3 plays. UCLA got the ball back with time to run one final play, which ended in a sack. Ball game. Notre Dame pulls out the victory, 20-17, ruining the Bruin's upset bid. Personally, I'm fine with the play call to throw - we had a chance to ice the victory and beat Texas, and we went for it. Something to chew on as we all try and recover from the heartbreak of last night's game.

Game time

First off - wow. What a ballgame, and what a rough ending. 30 or so diehard Husker fans over in in Iraq were taking in the game together, and thought we might be witnessing the first big "signature win" in the Bill Callahan era. What a way to lose. Heartbreaking is the only word that comes to mind. Hopefully our team can get up off the mat and win our remaining Big 12 games and earn a second shot at the Longhorns in the Big 12 title game. I was hoping I would come into work this morning feeling better about this whole thing, but I just can't get the bad taste of it all out of my mouth.

Now that we have that out of the way, I'll share with you some photos from happier times. The 11:10 am kickoff back in Lincoln gave us an awesome 7:10 pm kickoff here in Iraq, which was very condusive to our grilling plans. The time slot also brought out a ton of Husker fans that aren't quite diehard enough to wake up at 2:00 am and listen to the Big Red over the radio. The atmosphere before the game was great. We had multiple grills going, plenty of ice cold beverages, tons of food, two plasma screen tvs and lots of Husker fans ready to take it to the Burnt Orange. This first batch of pictures focuses on the grilling portion of the evening.

A matchup versus Texas calls for the best - big, juicy steaks. Here are our heroes, seasoned, tenderized, and ready for showtime.

"Grill-Zila" MAJ Teegerstrom's ballyhooed grilling monster was rocking and rolling for hours last night. We didn't want our steaks to fight hamburgers and brats on the the main grill space, so we opted to fire up a couple of smaller charcoal grills for our beauties. In this shot the coals have just been fired up, still a ways away from grill time.
Our grillmaster, SSG Johnson, preparing to plop our main course on the grill. The flash from my camera gives the illusion we were grilling in optimal lighting conditions - do not be fooled. We were basically cooking in the dark, and SGT Kane and I had to assist our grillmaster with flashlights, so we could observe the progress our steaks were making.

Gorgeous. Just a few more minutes until we feast.
SSG Johnson, SGT Kane, and myself, killing some time until the food is ready to go.

Shout outs - showtime

This Saturday's big game versus Texas has officially gained even more importance. The word on the street is that the short and sweet shout-out video that I taped a few weeks ago (see my post covering this here) will be played on the HuskerVision jumbo screens this Saturday at some point during the game. This has not been declared a 100% certainty to happen, but my source tells me that the chances are good that this is going to be the game. So, if you're one of the lucky few who have tickets to the game and plan on viewing the Huskers game live, in person, keep your eyes on the big screens for a possible shot of yours truly from Iraq. (Nicki - I'm talking to you!)

Big weekend

• Ok, so AFN has come through and are broadcasting the Husker - Longhorn battle this Saturday. We'll see it live on Saturday night at 7:00 pm. We're planning on continuing our bar-b-q tradition, as the 7:00 pm time slot is much more conducive to grilling out (versus the painful 2:00 am last week) and should make the whole experience that much more enjoyable. SSG Johnson and SGT Kane are doing steaks, and SFC Kerchal is planning some type of bacon-wrapped sirloin strips masterpiece for him and I. The more convenient kick-off is also bringing the fairweather fans out of the woodwork. Should be a few more Husker fans milling about the building, and we may possibly have some competition on the grilling front also. Our section tends to be a little anti group activity, so I'm sure we'll stick to our normal MO and seclude ourselves in our office - diehards only. Hopefully the crimson and cream can fight through all of the buildup for this huge Big 12 matchup and deliver a knockout blow against the mighty burnt orange. We're all cautiously optimistic that the Big Red will deliver the epic win. For those of you who are attending the game, make sure and yell a little louder for me and all of the other Husker faithful deployed over here - I would give my right arm to watch this sucker live at Memorial Stadium.
• This is shaping up to be a big weekend on a couple of other, albeit not nearly as important, fronts. After a way too long two week or so absence from the movie theater, I'll be getting things back into high gear with a couple of flicks over the next two days. Tonight I'll be catching "The Marine", starring WWE superstar John Cena. Can't wait! Friday night brings the highly anticipated "The Departed" to the Anaconda big screen. Can't wait to see that one. Then we have the game on Saturday, of course. All in all, shaping up to be a nice couple days for SGT Hanseling.
• We're less than one week away from our 7 month anniversary of time spent in Iraq.
• Give it up for the Seward High boys cross country team. The Bluejays picked up an impressive 2nd place finish at districts this week, and will carry that momentum into State this weekend, looking for a top ten finish. My man Jacob Hanseling came in with an outstanding individual 13th place finish, which earned him a medal. Good luck at state bro.

weekend thoughts

A few rambling thoughts from this weekend...

• Stoked about the Husker's getting a big road victory against the Mildcats on Saturday night. Our defense played well and made the Cats one-dimensional, which was the key. From listening over the radio, sounded as if Josh Freeman made some plays and could be the real deal down the road. Right now though, I'm content with coming out of Manhattan with a W. Now we have to focus on our biggest game of the year - the mighty Longhorns of Texas this Saturday in Lincoln. Cross your fingers that our good friends over at AFN pick up the game and allow those of us over here in the desert a chance to root for our Huskers live, on TV.
• We mixed it up a little bit this week during the Husker game, adding a little bar-b-que action to our weekly festivities. Click here for SGT Kane's excellent post on the whole grilling experience. It was something else - eating cheeseburgers and listening to Husker football under moonlight skies at 2:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning in Iraq. Can honestly say I never thought I would be in that situation during my lifetime.
• My roommate, SSG Johnson, and I have put together the ultimate football fan's paradise in our room. I'll see if I can't grab some pictures next week. We have three TV's, with two at the foot of Brad's bed and one of the foot of mine. All three were tuned into three separate college games on Saturday night, and earlier tonight all three were tuned in to three separate NFL games. One of the loveliest site these eyes of mine have ever seen. It's a little overwhelming at times, trying to keep track of all three games at once, but definitely a position I love being in.
• We received (drum roll please) a whole bunch of RAIN this past week. It hadn't rained in 4-5 months, so the sound of rain drops hitting the roof of our building late last week was an odd sound, to be sure. We were given quite a show the first couple nights - lightning, thunder, the whole works. Apparently we're about to dive head first into the rainy season, which will turn our camp into a soggy mess, from what we've been told. Should be an interesting couple months. Funny how we go from absolutely no rain at all, to buckets and buckets of rain.

movies

As I've mentioned in the past, one of my favorite ways to kill the time here in Iraq is by checking out whatever movie is playing at our grand movie theater. I've had the pleasure of viewing a handful of flicks lately, and since I really don't have anything exciting to write about today, I have decided to give my own personal take on what I've watched. (Editor's note: most every movie I see has already been playing in the states for weeks, so these reviews aren't a good guide to go buy when deciding if the newest arrival at your local theater is worth your hard earned $8. For current movie previews/reviews, I suggest you go here.)

• Miami Vice I had high hopes for this flick, considering the director (Michael Mann) has done a few movies I like, and the cast includes a recent Oscar winner in Jamie Foxx. I just missed seeing this when I was home on leave, as I think it originally came out around the 1st of August. Anyways, it's here now, and I came away from this disappointed. The movie was dark and moody, which tends to be Mann's style. However, the acting was subpar and the action scenes were few and far between. I found myself bored for long stretches of the movie. A couple scenes were entertaining, and most guys would agree that fast cars, boats, jets, and big explosions are ingredients to make almost anything watchable. Unfortunately, that's all this movie is - watchable.
• The Guardian If you go into this movie like SGT Kane and I did (expecting it to suck and be entertaining in a my-goodness-this-movie-sucks kinda way) then you'll be pleased. However, if you go into this with the mindset that The Guardian is going to be a cinematic masterpiece and will serve as Ashton Kutcher's rocket ship to acting stardom - well, then you might leave the theater crying. One word can be used to sum up this entire movie: cliche. This flick uses nearly every movie cliche known to man, and borrows heavily from much better films (like this one and this one). Stay away, unless your a fan of unintentional comedy.
• My Super Ex-Girlfriend Sometimes, I go to the movies for a couple of reasons: 1) It's free 2) I have nothing better to do and 3) It's free. I saw this movie based on all three reasons. I didn't expect much, and didn't get much, which is why going to the movies for free is such a beautiful thing. You don't put anything worthwhile into it (other than your time, but what's that really worth?), so if you get nothing worthwhile out if it, you don't really feel all that bad. Well, maybe you feel bad for the poor sucker back in the states who blew $40 on a date with his girl to go see this crap-fest, but oh well. Anyways, My Super Ex-Girlfriend has one redeeming quality that I think is worth mentioning: this guy, who most of you know as Dwight from NBC's comedy masterpiece The Office. Dwight's tour de force performance steals pretty much every scene he is in, and made me laugh every time. Other than that, this movie was mostly forgettable. Which is ok, because it was free.
• The Last Kiss This movie will always be memorable to me. Not because of anything I saw on the screen, but more so for what this movie stands for, and the adverse reaction it caused my roommate, SSG Johnson. I had actually been looking forward to seeing this movie, based on my purely heterosexual soft spot for Zach Braff, and his previous work with Garden State and Scrubs. When I approached SSG Johson about the idea of him and I going to see this movie together, his reaction was quite entertaining, yet hurtful. He was 110% against the idea of going to see a "chick flick" with another guy. Forgetting the fact that tons of other guys would be seeing this movie also (simply because were in Iraq, it's free, there is nothing better to do, and it's free) SGT Johson simply would not budge on his anti-chick flick stance. So I had to wait for my true battle buddy SGT Kane to return home from leave, and then the two of us went and I finally made my way down to the theater to check this thing out. The movie itself was entertaining and worth seeing, in my opinion. However, the movie - the ending especially - is not very uplifting or positive. So, if your a fan of happy cheery movies with happy endings where everyone gets along, this probably isn't the flick for you. However, if you appreciated Garden State and are a fan of Braff's work in general, you should enjoy The Last Kiss. Oh, and the soundtrack to this movie is excellent also.

That's a quick synopsis of what I've seen in the last month or so. I'm looking forward to a few movies coming out over the next few weeks, (The Departed, Flags Of Our Fathers, The Marine)so depending on the feedback I get from this post I may end up sharing with you my thoughts on those as well.

one-thousand

1,000. I have now (somehow) crept over 1,000 hits since this blog came into existence way back in the day (which was a Wednesday). I will not use this opportunity for some sick self congratulatory post, boasting about my addictive/awesome writing style and how you, my loyal readers, just HAVE to visit twice a day. However, I will use this post to say thanks to my Uncle Mike, who inspired me to create this blog. Mike's own blog about his time spent discovering himself in Antartica was a joy to read, and his pictures were great as well. So, if you happen to read this - thanks Mike. I couldn't have done it without you. Cheers.

Dry spell

SGT Kane has been harassing me over my lack of posting lately and I have finally relented to his onslaught of verbal abuse and physical intimidation. I apologize to you, my loyal readers and fans, over my lack of content the past couple weeks. Unfortunately, I have come across a bit of a dry spell, content wise. My daily routine here in the desert has been a shining example of mundane office work, with weightlifting and spirited PlayStation 2 battles sprinkled in for good measure. We're a third of the way through the month of October (our 7th month in country). That's a positive thing, for sure. I've been relying on Husker football to keep me going so far this fall. (Editor's Note: I use the term "fall" loosely, as we're still cracking 90 degrees on a daily basis. Supposedly cooler weather is on the horizon, but I'll believe it when I feel it.) I've also been inspired by my co-workers and their post-deployment vacation planning to start some getaway preparations of my own. My travel partner Nicki loves to hear about my big plans. So far the #1 spot on our list of destination possibilities is Las Vegas. I'll have to make sure and leave the ATM card at home for that trip. Would be a shame to blow my hard earned Army savings in a few days. I'm sure having my better half by my side will eliminate that possibility. In other positive news - my fantasy team put together a tremendous performance on Sunday, and I actually have a good shot at earning my first victory of the young season. As the commissioner of the league, I must say I'm disappointed and slightly embaressed with my lethargic 0-4 start, so getting a win this weekend should earn me a little more respect amongst my fellow owners. While we're on the topic of football, I'll mention that I was able to view my beloved Huskers in all their crimson and cream glory this past Sunday on AFN. My fellow Husker fans and I here in the S-1 shop were able to take a break from our brutal Sunday work schedule to take in the Big Red's battle against the Cyclones of Ames. I was proud of our performance in a hostile and unpredictable environment. Always good to grab wins on the road during confrence play. My youngest brother Jacob was actually in attendance, taking in his first Cornhusker road game. Lucky for him, it was a win. Looks like I'll be going back to my old middle of the night radio schedule for this Saturday's game versus Kansas State, as the pay-per-view 6 pm broadcast pretty much eliminates the possibilities of AFN broadcasting the game. Hopefully we can continue our winning ways and take care of business in Manhattan. I will attempt to be more proactive in my blogging over the next few weeks. I will do my best not to let you all down.

October 1st

A few random thoughts...

• What a game last night. SGT Kane has documented our saga with AFN and broadcasting the KU game, so I won't go into great detail here. Head on over to his site for the details.
• As far as the game itself - wow. Listening to it over the radio was tough, but I imagine sitting in the stadium watching the horror unfold before my own two eyes may have been even worse. All I have to say is that I hope Billy sits down with his defensive coaches and irons out the wrinkles, because that defense will cost us at least one or two games this season if we play as poorly as we did against the Jayhawks. Props to the offense and Zac for hanging tough and to the team as a whole for grinding out the victory.
• SGT Kane is back from leave. He is documenting his time back in NE through pictures and stories, a la my own R&R leave posts upon my return from leave a few months ago. Click on the link to the right to read all about it.
• October 1st is a good day. We are now knee deep in our 7th month here in Iraq. Having 6 months in the books and behind us is a great feeling. We're on the down hill slope now.
• I received a new toy today in the mail - a brand new PS2. The one I was using is 95% toast, and toughing it out over the next 5 months without my trusty friend would be just impossible. Now that my new PS2 is here, I can reunite myself with my favorite time killer - NCAA football 2007.
• My brother Joseph is turning into quite the world traveler. He is currently deployed with his Navy unit, cruising the big blue sea on a ship. Read about his travels here.
• Just to give this post a little excitement, I'll post a picture of Nicki and her lovely mother Dianne, tailgating before the NU-KU game yesterday.

Husker game

You want to know how soldiers in Iraq take in a Husker game? I figured you would, so I took some pictures of the S-1 crew listening to the NU vs Troy game. We all had to wake up at 3 a.m. in order to listen, but for a diehard Husker fan sleep is a crutch. Enjoy.

I don't know about you all, but when I see look at this picture I don't see SFC Kerchal - I see Tony Soprano. The similarities are striking. Both are leaders of men, in charge of a "crew", carry a 9MM pistol at all times, intimidating, and both have issues keeping hair on their domes. Now if we can just convince our commander to buy us an Escalade to cruise around Anaconda with, we can really pull this off.

Here I am at my battle station, operating the radio feed over the internet and monitoring a live statistical feed, both courtesy of UNL's official Husker site. We have had remarkably good success with the radio feed, considering our location. I'm trying to see if my new Larry the Cable Guy Husker hat can meet "lucky hat that must be worn during Husker game" status. So far so good - we're 1-0 together. Give me a few more wins, and we'll talk.

SSG Tunnison, pictured in the center of this photo, is the master chef of our Husker listening parties. His cheese/hamburger chip dip is outstanding. Notice the score predictions on the white board - we are all very competitive. No one hit the nail on the head with an exact prediction for the Troy game, but SFC Kerchal and I came the closet, so we called it a tie.


SFC Kerchal and I, digging in to the snacks. I'm enjoying some of SSG Tunnison's delicious dip. Cheese dip and n/a beer at 3 a.m. is the definition of Husker football dedication, in my book.

Shout-out

Our Squadron PAO (Public Offairs Officer) is SFC Shultz. He is the editor and man in charge of our bi-monthly newsletter, and runs all public affairs type matters within the Squadron, including covering newsworthy events, interviewing soldiers within the Squadron, taking pictures, and sending news stories and information back and forth between the soldiers here in Iraq and media outlets back home. Yesterday he organized a Husker shout-out with the local PAO officer here at Anaconda. Soldiers volunteered to shoot a short (30 seconds or so) video clip, saying hello to family and friends back home and wishing the Huskers well for this season. The goal is to get these shout-outs played on the HuskerVision screens at a Husker home game some time this year. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Anyways, just in case you never get a chance to see the video, I had SPC Benes take a picture of me on the set, capturing this magic moment. I have my Larry the Cable Guy hat on in the picture, but I decided against wearing it for my shout-out. Wanted to maintain my militray image and what not.