tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-187650412009-05-13T16:56:48.794+02:00The musings of a diplomat in BDU's fighting ignorance and a bulging waistline armed with an M-9, a double macchiato, and an elliptical machine.civilwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173558814166205890noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18765041.post-1139734143362717522006-02-12T08:26:00.000+01:002006-02-12T09:54:15.033+01:00

I am almost certain that nobody is reading this blog anymore; I haven't posted much in the last month or so mostly because of the fact that we are ALWAYS outside the wire, and mostly due to the fact that our internet service is the suckingest thing that has ever sucked a suck. Translated into clear terms: It's pretty damned awful.So every day I mean to write a little something, and everyday it is

civilwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173558814166205890noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18765041.post-1138471602104209312006-01-28T18:53:00.000+01:002006-01-28T19:06:42.363+01:00

Sigh. I am apprently going senile; I forgot to post the Christmas Eve entry of Leta's Kosovo Diary...Soooooo, here it is: 24 December 2005 – Kosovo It’s Christmas Eve in the Balkans. And, it’s a white Christmas. Something this Southern Girl doesn’t ever remember experiencing. In many ways it is kind of nice – in other ways I could live without it. I remember many Christmases playing

civilwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173558814166205890noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18765041.post-1138311792258629292006-01-26T22:33:00.000+01:002006-01-26T22:43:12.303+01:00

26 December 2005 – Kosovo Departure Day. Adelina woke up with her sad face. I HATE that. Oh, it’s not one of those pity faces. It’s truly a sad face and it cuts right to my heart. I was already in the family room having tea with Mr. & Mrs. Ilazi when she came in. She crawled up on my lap and put her arms around me. Oh dear! We just sat there for a few minutes and said nothing.

civilwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173558814166205890noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18765041.post-1138206618636641492006-01-25T17:29:00.000+01:002006-01-25T17:30:18.666+01:00

25 December 2005 – Kosovo Merry Christmas!!!! Golly, I’m not even homesick. That was nice!!! Had electricity when we woke up. That was nice!!! Took a warm shower. That was “normal.” Froze to death when I got out. That, too, was “normal.” Trundled to the family room for hot tea. That was FABULOUS!!! No presents under the Christmas tree. That was depressing!!! Thought about all

civilwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173558814166205890noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18765041.post-1138133493625079522006-01-24T21:03:00.000+01:002006-01-24T21:11:33.686+01:00

23 December 2005 – Kosovo Here we go again……………….. When I was in Kosovo this past Summer it seemed that my schedule grew and grew and grew each day until finally I had to put my foot down and say, “NO!” Well, that happened again today. I didn’t mention in my diary entry from yesterday that I snuggled in to my cocoon sometime after midnight last night. Honestly!!! There are only 24

civilwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173558814166205890noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18765041.post-1137964764701224912006-01-22T21:43:00.000+01:002006-01-22T22:19:24.756+01:00

21 December 2005 – Kosovo CORRECTION TO 20 DEC entry – Resul Jusufi has his studio in Prizren not Peja. Prizren is the city I mentioned with the Ottoman streets, etc. Woke up to no power this morning. It went off at 9:30 last night. UGH!!! Thank goodness for that wonderful wood stove in the family room. When I trundled in the hot tea was steaming on top of the stove and I was

civilwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173558814166205890noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18765041.post-1137184516091161712006-01-13T21:22:00.000+01:002006-01-13T21:35:16.116+01:00

Apparently, I indvertantly posted the same thing twice yesterday. Gunn Nutt and Leta were both VERY prompt in letting me know all about that, let me tell you. It's nice to know that there is NOWHERE in the world a man can go where a woman can't nag him. It is nice to know that there are selfless individuals such as these two fine and upstanding ladies to help me to see the error of my ways...

civilwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173558814166205890noreply@blogger.com84tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18765041.post-1137093945557092662006-01-12T20:17:00.000+01:002006-01-12T20:25:45.573+01:00

Leta mailed this to me earlier today, and I knew that I had to post it right away. For me the events that Leta describes here were overwhelmingly emotional. Read on. 19 December 2005 – Ferizaj, Kosovo (Addendum) Not sure how in the world I forgot to mention this in the day 1 entry – When we got to the Ilazi’s house tonight everyone came in to have a cup of that wonderful hot tea or

civilwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173558814166205890noreply@blogger.com78tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18765041.post-1136927371696142182006-01-10T21:58:00.000+01:002006-01-10T22:19:56.413+01:00

My good pal Leta agreed to share her diary from her recent trip to visit us here in Kosovo. This is a quick and easy way for me to have posts without actually having to write them myself. So, I am going to put these up as soon as I get them for the next several days. Read and enjoy!Kosovo visit December 2005 15:30 hours - 19 Dec 05 – Airport - Pristina, Kosovo I have NO idea how cold it

civilwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173558814166205890noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18765041.post-1136839347973768962006-01-09T21:36:00.000+01:002006-01-09T21:42:27.973+01:00

I'm not going to waste time writing drivel, go here and read the article now...I COMMAND YOU!

civilwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173558814166205890noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18765041.post-1136838459911856742006-01-09T20:32:00.000+01:002006-01-09T21:27:42.273+01:00

From time to time there are things that people say or write that really set me off...or at the very least moderately annoy me. Now, I don't mind if someone has opinions that differ from my own; I actually relish differences of opinion. It alows me to hone my own arguments to a sharp edge, or discard/revise them if they aren't "cutting the mustard".In my December 28th post I wrote at length on

civilwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173558814166205890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18765041.post-1136734158944712462006-01-08T16:22:00.000+01:002006-01-08T16:37:59.840+01:00

My friend Leta came to visit us in December, and stayed for a VERY busy week. I asked her if she would be interested in writing about her trip and what her impressions were, and she wrote the following "article" for me. This wasn't exactly what I expected, but it is honest and refreashing. Read on:Kosovo December 2005I can’t stay away from Kosovo. I’m addicted. I realize that is good and bad.

civilwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173558814166205890noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18765041.post-1136406540432592302006-01-04T21:22:00.000+01:002006-01-04T21:29:00.443+01:00

A purely gratuitous picture of my wife and I from last Christmas...don't we make a lovely couple.

civilwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173558814166205890noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18765041.post-1136322370273403132006-01-03T21:15:00.000+01:002006-01-04T06:57:34.780+01:00

Admittedly though, it is better than nothing at all. I'm fairly certain that my mother's cousins who were fighting in Belgium sixty-one years ago this winter were not all that worried about their wireless internet service, as they were far too concerned about not getting killed by German ARTILLERY, or freezing to death. Maybe I should do a piece on the Battle of the Bulge sometime...hmmm...that's

civilwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173558814166205890noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18765041.post-1133293241755559482005-12-28T19:40:00.000+01:002005-12-28T22:09:46.656+01:00

This has been one hell of a busy week, and I have not posted at all. I intend to write about all that has happened in the next couple of days. In the meantime, I wanted to post something I started to write more than a month ago, and just never got around to. This for all of the whining Marys out there who think that the only time we should ever take up arms is if our nation is attacked, someone

civilwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173558814166205890noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18765041.post-1134935480524184592005-12-18T20:32:00.000+01:002005-12-18T20:51:20.536+01:00

It seems as though it is some law of human nature that no matter how well any particular thing is apparently progressing, there is always someone who is going to be a complete ass because they are not getting what they want. Case in point: last Wednesday evening we were in Kllokot for a village meeting where our commander presented our proposal for the sewer project. 27 men from the village

civilwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173558814166205890noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18765041.post-1134721175547769672005-12-16T08:30:00.000+01:002005-12-16T11:27:35.206+01:00

It's about damned time I get around to doing this meme thing. I got tagged by my good friend GunnNutt a few days ago with a meme where I have to describe 5 annoying/psycho things about myself. (Sigh) Five things? What are you lady, nuts? I'm a regular encyclopedia of weirdisms over here! Well, I suppose I can do this, as I ACTUALLY have a day off today (which I am enjoying immensely, by the way),

civilwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173558814166205890noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18765041.post-1134402400401702292005-12-12T16:25:00.000+01:002005-12-13T19:34:52.583+01:00

I tried to post last night, and was almost done with the whole shebang when everything suddenly disappeared...guess I should have saved as a draft....ah, well....Actually, I've been trying to post for the last several days, but blogger doesn't want to save anything...what's up with that?Last week started out with one of those emotionally wrenching days that kind of leaves you breathless for a few

civilwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173558814166205890noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18765041.post-1133982828705207872005-12-07T19:55:00.000+01:002005-12-07T20:13:48.720+01:00

Sixty-four years ago today the United States of America was finally, brutally, and unwillingly dragged into the world wide conflagration of the Second World War. For years the U.S. assiduously avoided being dragged into this horrifying feeding frenzy of the predator states, as they consumed the lives and fortunes of tens of millions of their fellow human beings, their nations, societies, and

civilwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173558814166205890noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18765041.post-1133941518597929472005-12-07T08:37:00.000+01:002005-12-07T19:45:50.396+01:00

I recieved this message from my friend Leta, founder of the NGO "Progress Through Peace". PTP is actively trying to raise money to help the village of Kllokot with the terrible sanitation problem that has been making people (especially children) sick. Please read the following; if you are willing to help us, please, please do so:Progress Through Peace, Inc. (PTP) is very thankful for the response

civilwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173558814166205890noreply@blogger.com80tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18765041.post-1133548673378216722005-12-02T18:54:00.000+01:002005-12-02T21:02:34.943+01:00

Once again, this morning, I made the mistake of watching the news on AFN as I was getting ready to start my two hundred and forty-second day away from my wife and kids and friends and home. AFN shows the CBS Evening News at 0600, followed by the NBC Nightly News at 0630, so I get a double dose of whatever is being served on any particular day. On past days I have had my blood pressure raised by

civilwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173558814166205890noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18765041.post-1133295441709979802005-11-29T21:04:00.000+01:002005-11-29T21:17:21.740+01:00

Okay, this one isn't mine, but I could never EVER say what I think better than this. Posting this is my way of affirming to all and sundry that I firmly refuse to apologize for Al Qaeda or other terrorist prisoners being fed better in prison than I ever was in the field, getting to have showers a whole hell of a lot more than I ever did back in the day, and who probably get a hell of a lot more

civilwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173558814166205890noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18765041.post-1133199131634229932005-11-28T18:02:00.000+01:002005-11-28T20:36:29.500+01:00

Normally I try not to write much about politics, or my opinion about the aforementioned topic. It's not that I have no opinion...far from it! I am as opinionated as a person can get, AND I am occasionally one of those who truly believe that the louder I get, the stronger my position on any given topic, which definitely puts me squarely in the "obnoxious debater" category from time to time. The

civilwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173558814166205890noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18765041.post-1133120228698253122005-11-27T20:03:00.000+01:002005-11-27T21:35:26.846+01:00

In the last week and thensome there have been plenty of things that have pissed me off, some of it here in Kosovo, but mostly outside of the province. Things like Representative Murtha's comments, Cindy Sheehan's nonsense, and the lovely story about a certain "gentleman" by the last name of Robles telling all who will listen about a "...little Guantanamo..." being operated here on Planet

civilwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173558814166205890noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18765041.post-1132078785500072602005-11-15T18:44:00.000+01:002005-11-15T19:19:45.513+01:00

What a completely remarkable day today was...but then again that isn't all that unusual for my experiance so far here in Kosovo. I can't mention in detail everything that we did today, but I can say that we took the tme to visit an orphanage in Pristina run by an international NGO called SOS-Kinderdorf. What a remarkable organization, and an incredibly loving group of people who run this

civilwarriorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173558814166205890noreply@blogger.com6