The "Crew," Monologues and Briefs

I've really enjoyed the people I work with this deployment (with a few exceptions, but that is to be expected – you can't get along with everyone). When I arrived in September, I was worried about being the late one, making a good impression and trying to fit in with a pre-established group. Fortunately, there had been some moving around right before I got there, so five of us quickly formed a social circle of our own, "the crew." The crew consists of the S2 OIC, the S4 OIC and his replacement "4 lite" (who was actually in the 3 shop temporarily when I got here and trained me up), the S4 NCOIC and me. We generally go to lunch and dinner together, the 2 is my battle buddy for the gym, and the 4 and I tend to have long-drawn out arguments while the rest of the group either watches and laughs or occasionally stirs the pot.

There is quite a bit of good natured teasing, especially since we all have such varied backgrounds. The S4, for example, is married with two children and about to get out of the Army, and we often tell him that has no clue how dating works since he's been with the same person since he was 19. I have quickly become labeled as the liberal feminist with extreme, unconventional views because I don't want children and plan to keep my name if I get married, among other things. They have also teased me about my love of the website Pajiba, and think I make unsafe decisions because I've met two people in person that I had previously known only through the internet. The 4 especially likes to call it the Pajiba Monologues, or make vagina jokes about it. As a result, I decided to order everyone in the crew copies of The Vagina Monologues as a bit of gag gift for Christmas . . . except I gave them out early because patience is not one of my strong suits or virtues.

It was intended as a joke, and I didn't expect them to read the books at all, but they have actually read a few of the monologues on their own (I was, of course, expecting the reading of random paragraphs out of context upon receipt). Two Soldiers saw a copy in the S2 office – one of them promptly borrowed it, and may be putting videos of him doing readings on YouTube in the near future.

Unfortunately, the crew will soon be a thing of the past – as I said, the S4 is about to head back to the States and ETS (get out), the S2 will transfer to another unit for her platoon leader time, and I am about to become the HHC commander. I'll still be here as a result, but it will definitely be a very different dynamic once it's just three of us.

Work continues to go well. I've been briefing our BN's section of the BDE BUB over conference call/Adobe Breeze (it just depends on how the internet is working that day) for nearly two months now, and apparently, the BDE still hasn't gotten over the novelty of hearing me brief. When I first started briefing, our BN XO teased me about how I'm the buzz of the BDE due to my voice and that everyone was asking about me – he actually made a joke about me being "the angelic voice" and how I was so positive and upbeat when I briefed (to quote his imitation of me, "We did some training and it went really well, and then we sent out some convoys to resupply everyone, which made people happy"). I've made calls to BDE in the last month, only to have the person that picks up tell me they recognize my voice from the BUB. Recently the BDE Commander referred to me as the "voice of Maintain" during a visit to our BN headquarters. Only yesterday, our SPO OIC told me I had a soothing voice, and this morning told me that two people from BDE asked him yesterday who I was while discussing business with him on the phone. I hope they aren't too disappointed when I leave the 3 shop, and someone else starts briefing. The BN Commander has already suggested I make guest appearances every once in a while.

Ramblings from Iraq

I haven't really updated in a while, and part of it is definitely due to lack of time. I haven't read too many books since I've gotten here, but there are about three that I could post on. For the most part, I have a good routine down, although I wish there was more time in the day: to sleep, to read, to watch DVDs of TV shows, to go the gym. Basically, the way things are going right now, I only have time to really two to three of those things (sleeping, exercising, reading in order of time spent on each activity daily).

The thing is that while on occasion being on a twelve hour shift kind of sucks, I actually quite enjoy what I'm doing. I like the responsibility, I like feeling like I actually know what's going on etc. And honestly, I've mostly developed a pretty good schedule. It's just I've seriously been dragging the last few days, and I have no idea why. I've also been getting headaches whenever I run which may be a result of something I did while doing deadlifts on Thursday (is it possible to pop a blood vessel from straining too much - I may have been using a heavier weight than I was ready for). I've gone to bed at the usual time lately, but I've been so tired at work that I've made the guys I usually go to meals with stop at the coffee shop afterwards so I could get double shots of espresso. It worked out well today, though the fact that I waited till after dinner to do this last night may have been part of my problem today . . . I slept last night but maybe not quite as soundly as usual.

For people that are still commenting on my blog, thank you and I am sorry I haven't responded. I can check my email at work, so I see the comments, but the site itself is blocked so I can't actually respond, and I'm really too busy to do much non-work related stuff beyond having my email account open. The internet in my room is touch and go - sometimes it's almost normal, other times, especially in the evenings, it takes forever for pages to load. It probably doesn't help that I usually get back from the gym around 10ish which is when everyone seems to be online, leading to a slow connection.

I've been good about going to the gym after work (as long as I get off work somewhat on time . . . generally, if I stay more than an hour late, the gym doesn't happen, but fortunately, a lot of deadlines have been moved up in the past month so my regular reports are due during the day, and I don't have to wait around too much after my shift to finish them up) but I really was hoping that by this time in the deployment I would be going twice a day . . . or to be more precise, that I would be doing cardio twice a day - I go twice a day a few times a week since I've been lifting over lunch three times a week, but I cannot get myself up in the mornings to go to the gym. For some crazy reason, I thought that maybe I could wean myself off sleep some as the deployment progressed but that doesn't seem to be an option. I would also like to say that all those magazines that say that exercising gives you more energy are full of shit . . . I still need as much sleep when I exercise regularly as when I don't.

I have received some good news in the past day, though. Actually, I guess it was Friday and Sunday that I was exhausted - yesterday, I was actually in a really good mood - maybe I simply used up all my energy for the week on Saturday :p . . . anyway, I found out that I will be moving to a new position in the next few months, and taking a command. I knew I was going to get a command with this unit at some point, and I was hoping I would get one in the spring, but based on some courses of actions I'd heard being considered, I thought I probably wouldn't get one until later on. Now, it's happening sooner than I expected or hoped for, so I'm really happy about that. This may mean longer hours than I already have but I also think it will mean slightly more flexibility in some ways. I'm definitely happy about it, though, and honestly, my current position was really a great way to prepare me for the demanding hours of command. I admit, I'd had it a bit easy for the previous year as far as actual work schedule was concerned (I got so lucky last deployment - we put in a lot of hours pre-deployment but once we were in Taji, it really wasn't too bad). Anyway, things are actually going very well professionally, and I am enjoying myself. If only I didn't feel so attached to sleep . . .

Book 101: Catching Fire

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

 

This review will include spoilers to The Hunger Games, in other words, stop reading if you don't want to know how it ends.

 

The sequel begins about six months after the conclusion of The Hunger Games, and only a few hours before the Victors Tour that takes place halfway between the annual Hunger Games (have to keep the audiences happy and interested, after all).  Katniss is still adjusting to the changes in her life and her relationships.  She and her family now live in the Victor's Circle with only Peeta and Haymitch as neighbors, the only other living District 12 winners.  Before the tour kicks off, President Snow, leader of the Capitol, makes a personal visit to Katniss and warns her she needs to watch her behavior on tour, threatening the lives of her friends and family.  At the conclusion of last year's Hunger Games, Peeta and Katniss had partnered up upon the announcement that for the first time ever there could be two victors if both tributes from the same district were left standing.  As soon as Peeta and Katniss were the last survivors, this revision was revoked, and rather than kill Peeta or let him kill himself to save her, she made the gamble that the Games had to have a victor, and asked him to eat poisonous berries with her.  Rather than have no victor, the head game maker reneged the previous statement, and crowned both Peeta and Katniss.  While most of the audience in the Capitol have read this gesture as the romantic gesture of a young girl madly in love, some of the districts have interpreted it as an act of defiance against the Capitol, and have drawn inspiration from it.  President Snow wants Katniss to present herself as a young girl in love to convince the districts that she in fact did not defy the Capitol, and quell the growing signs of unrest and discontent.

 

Katniss herself isn't completely sure what her intentions were with her action, whether it was out of affection for Peeta (definitely not mad love), in defiance of the Capitol or cold calculation on her part - District 12 never would have forgiven her or let her live in peace if she had killed such a decent human being they all knew - the only thing that is clear to her is that she thought it would allow her to survive, and she wasn't doing it because she wanted to sacrifice herself.  The first visit on the tour is to District 11, which her friend and ally Rue had represented.  Katniss sees the anger in the crowd, and understands what President Snow was referring to - Peeta's and her speeches lead to a show of solidarity, and she witnesses several civilians killed in response.  Following that incident, Peeta and Katniss play along as much as possible with President Snow's desires to prevent more deaths, but at the end of the tour, Katniss is told that she has failed to calm the feelings of unrest and rebellion.

 

After returning home, Katniss worries about the repercussions for her family, but also starts to hear more vague rumblings about uprisings.  Even though the media is completely controlled by the Capitol, she gathers that District 8 has rebelled based on a report she accidentally sees in the District 12 mayor's house.  She also runs into two refugees from District 8, and begins to hear rumors that District 13 may not have been destroyed after all.  In addition to all these vague rumors, it also very clear that the Capitol is cracking down since the security force has new leadership and an increased presence in District 12.

 

Finally, the 75th Hunger Games are steadily approaching, and every 25th anniversary is referred to as the Quarter Quell, bringing even more horrors with it.  For the 25th anniversary, the districts had to vote on which children would serve as tributes rather than the usual draw, for the second Quarter Quell, the Capitol drew twice the number of tributes (this is the year Haymitch won).  Between the anxiety and anger over the Quarter Quell and the general oppression, the country is a powder keg ready to explode.

 

 While The Hunger Games dealt with personal survival within impossible circumstances, in Catching Fire, Katniss witnesses the beginnings of a revolution.  She vaguely begins to understand that she has become a symbol of defiance, and a symbol for a movement since she defied the Capitol and survived.  As the novel progresses, several new characters are introduced, especially after the rules for the Quarter Quell are announced, and the drawing afterwards (I quite enjoyed Finnick).  Instead of simply worrying about her own survival, Katniss has to worry about her family's surival (and not just keeping them fed as before) and has to learn where the line is between survival at all costs and standing up for a cause.  She blames herself for many of the deaths she sees (such as in District 11), even if they were due to people's choices and the Capitol's regime.  From reviews, I had heard that this novel wasn't quite as good as the first, and while it wasn't necessarily as quickly paced or action-packed, I actually quite enjoyed reading about the politics, and learning more about the districts.  I felt like there was more than enough going on, and in fact, more happened than in the last novel, it just simply wasn't all action.  Collins did a great job of presenting how in a disillusioned and oppressed society, one simple gesture or act can be all that it takes to return hope and give people something to fight for - obviously, once logistics are involved, it becomes a lot more complicated but what was once an impossibility can become a choice with the right spark. 

Book 100: The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This isn't actually the 100th book I've read this year since I'm still behind on a few reviews but I wanted review 100 to be coherent rather than a collection of paragraphs about books I read in April and barely remember. I haven't been living behind a rock so I've heard quite a bit about this novel, and how good it is. After being in Iraq for a few weeks and barely having time to read, I figured this would be the perfect novel to get me back into reading: from all the other reviews, I knew it was a well-written, well-thought out and thought-provoking novel, but since it still falls into the young adult category, I figured it would also be rather easy to get into.

The other reviews were, of course, correct: this is very well done. In fact, I really wouldn't think of it as young adult fiction necessarily even though the protagonist is a teen or young adult. Mostly, it's just a good story. The last novel I completed before this was Atwood's The Year of the Flood, so apparently I'm into dystopian futures at the moment. However, if anything, I would say the set-up here is more similar to the show Firefly since there are is the Capitol (or Panem) that controls all the other surrounding districts and exploits them, especially after they unsuccessfully fought for their freedom. The Hunger Games has a darker twist than Firefly, though (or at least, the government is more obvious and perverse in exhibiting its control) - as punishment for the failed uprising, each of the remaining twelve districts must give up two tributes, one boy and one girl, between the ages of 12 and 17 to participate in the annual Hunger Games.

The narrator, Katniss, is 16, and the odds are not exactly in her favor due to her age (the older the child is, the more times their name is entered) but it is her 12 year old sister, Prim, with her single entry who is called to be a tribute. Katniss volunteers to take her place, and Peeta, the baker's youngest son, ends up being the male tribute of District 12. They have not had much interaction in the past, and Katniss does not know what to make of him, especially when he confesses his love for her on live television in the Capitol. However, between this starcrossed lovers bit, and their fashion designers' skill, Katniss and Peeta become very popular before the games begin, which means they have a greater chance of survival since sponsors can buy things and have them dropped into the arena.

Once the Games begin, the novel basically becomes a study of human nature - what someone will do to survive, how loyalties are formed, alliances built and destroyed, and self-sacrifice. Katniss becomes allies with a 12 year old girl from District 11 because she reminds her of her sister, and this leads to one of the more heartbreaking scenes in the novel (actually, I was worried there would be more heartwrenching death scenes than there were - when Collins describes the chosen tributes, she includes tiny Rue, a boy with malformed foot and a few others whose selection seems even more unfair than the rest). Of course, Peeta also ends up playing a big role, and the technology that the Capitol possesses that is on display in the arena is awe-inspiring, making the juxtaposition between the poverty of the districts and the decadence of the Capitol even more obvious.

While this could definitely work as a stand-alone novel, Collins has created a trilogy and as the series progresses, she will really start exploring the larger political implications and issues at play. While all the novels are very personal since they are from Katniss's perspective, this one has the most contained setting, even if it does give a good introduction to the disparity, the injustices and oppression that exist in this country. (I have to say I'm not sure how well I succeeded with the coherence bit here . . . can I blame the fact that I barely got any sleep last night because I couldn't stop reading Mockingjay, the last book of the trilogy?)

Book 99: A Beautiful Blue Death

A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch

In one word, I would describe this novel as serviceable. It didn't irritate me, it was easy enough to get through, but it didn't exactly leave me wanting for more. Set in England in the 1860s, it begins when Charles Lenox receives an invite from his neighbor and friend, Lady Jane, who asks him to begin an inquiry into a former maid's death. Charles Lenox is well-to-do and of aristocratic blood, and as a result of all his leisure time, has become a bit of amateur detective or P.I. He also has a strong interest in Roman history and travel. This is the first in series of murder mysteries centered around Lenox. While I didn't guess immediately who the killer was (possibly because I just didn't care enough), I wasn't impressed with his investigative technique - his interviews just seemed weird, and he immediately suspects one person on incredibly flimsy evidence. In fact, I didn't even think there was evidence pointing to that person, really.

Lenox becomes so focused on one aspect of the case that I felt like I had to be reminded that there was a murder investigation going on. There are a lot of other characters throughout that want to help in the investigation, and everyone remains very proper and polite during the whole novel. There was no real action . . . at no point did I start becoming worried about any of the characters. Then again, I guess it was kind of nice to have a murder mystery for once that didn't involve the detective almost getting himself killed because he is seen as a threat.

It almost seemed like they talked more about tea-drinking and sandwiches than anything else. Every time someone visited Lenox or vice versa, there'd be tea and comments on the cold weather. I guess if someone is interested in Victorian England, those touches might be cute but they didn't seem real - none of the characters seemed real, they all seemed like stereotypes someone might have of what proper Victorian English people should behave like. Also, I got a little irritated by how protective Lenox was of Lady Jane - "you talked to Barnard - how brave of you" - really? At what point did that man ever really seem to be a huge danger? A bore maybe. And yes, I realize, Victorian women are supposed to be sheltered but it was a little irritating how much credit she got for doing basically nothing.

I don't really see myself picking up the next in the series unless I run completely out of ideas for books to read - it wasn't fun enough to qualify for trashy or easy reads when I need something light, and I didn't become invested in any of the characters at all.

Book 98: The Year of the Flood

The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood

As much as I like Margaret Atwood, I was a bit hesitant to read this. I feel like some of her more recent books have been disappointing. I knew it was a tie in to Oryx and Crake though they didn't necessarily have to be read in any particular order, and it could still work as a stand alone novel. I read Oryx and Crake a while back, so I couldn't remember much beyond some basic plot points, so it kind of irritated me that I didn't remember more as I was reading this one . . . when Jimmy and Glenn appeared, I wondered if they were characters from the other novel, but it took me a few more chapters to put two and two together. Still, I think if I hadn't read Oryx and Crake already, this actually wouldn't have been a problem . . . it was just the faint recollection that was worse than not knowing at all since I was trying to place it within a context I couldn't remember.

Mostly, I liked this though it took me a while to get into this, partially for the above reasons, and partially because the sermons and the poems from the Gardners seemed like distractions at first. However, as the novel progresses, and I became acquainted with the characters, this wasn't the case since the sermons would contain names of characters I knew and as a result, feel more like background. At first they had simply seemed like philosophy or religious thoughts, both things that tend to make me zone off. I still could have done without the poems that came with each sermon though.

The novel is told from the perspective of two characters, Toby and Ren, who knew each other in the past. As the novel begins, the virus/plague that ended Oryx and Crake has passed, and Toby and Ren are two survivors due to the fact that they had been in isolation as it hit. Toby is in a spa where she had stored goods for just such an occasion as a result of her years with the Gardeners, and their prophecies of the waterless flood (or the plague/virus tha occured). Ren is trapeze artist at a gentleman's club and had been in the isolation room after an incident with a customer to make sure she was virus-free. Ren's story is told from 1st person, and Toby's is told from 3rd person limited.

The novel switches back and forth between the two characters, and each chapter/part begins with the year 25 as seen by the Gardeners, or the year of the flood, and then goes back to give background on the characters. Ren and Toby knew each other before when they lived with the Gardeners, a religious sect; Ren came to live with them when she was around 10, in the year 10, while Toby had joined them earlier when she was already in her twenties. As a result, the reader gets to see the perspective of a child and an adult in this community, and different interpretations of the same events.

Atwood describes the world she had already introduced in Oryx and Crake, although this time it is from the perspective of the poor rather than the two boys that grew up in a more middle class and sheltered environment. Private corporations are in control of everything, species are dying out by the day, and excess exists all around for those that can afford it.

Given what little I had heard about this novel before reading it, I was actually pleasantly suprised. As I said, I had a few issues getting into it, but once the story really started going, I enjoyed it quite a bit. I believe there is supposed to be a third novel, and I would definitely like to see where Atwood goes with it - whether she will introduce new characters and perspectives or if she will continue more with the remainders of humanity trying to forge a life in this new world.

Book 97: The Lacuna

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

I enjoy Barbara Kingsolver and as a result was very curious to read this, especially when seeing that it would deal with Frida Kahlo among other things. It was a weird book for me to get into . . . I liked it but it definitely almost felt like two separate novels, and I'll explain why as I go.

The novel is set up as a diary entries and letters with a few pages of explanations inserted throughout by the person (V.B.) who decided to compile Harrion Shepherd's personal papers into a book. V.B. explains that Shepherd has always had a tendency to see himself on the outskirts and as more of an observer rather than as part of the action. In fact, even though the first half to two thirds of the novel are comprised entirely of his journal entries, the word "I" rarely appears except when in quoted dialogue. Despite the fact that I was forewarned, I think this may one of the reasons I had a hard time getting into this part of the novel while it might have been easier if it had simply been told from the third person. Even when he addresses his emotions or speaks of himself, he tends to do it in the third person so the novel seems oddly removed at times. The first half of the novel is mostly set in Mexico where Shepherd grows up with his slightly erratic mother after she leaves his American dad. When young, he makes friends with his mother's boyfriend's cook, thus acquiring a skill that will lead him to first be a plaster mixer and then a cook for Diego Rivera, and by extension, Frida Kahlo, "the Aztec princess." Surrounded by these colorful characters, and eventually Lev Trotsky, Shepherd documents their lives and passions rather than his own. Despite the fact that the diary seems somewhat emotionally removed, it is still obvious to see how Shepherd, or Soli as Frida calls him, feels about people based on his descriptions, so that his crush on one of Trotsky's secretary's is obvious due to his Adonis-like descriptions.

After Trotsky's assassination by Stalinist, Shepherd seizes to write a journal, and moves to the States. In the States, he becomes a famous novelist, and most of this section of the novel is comprised of letters written to friends, especially Frida, random thoughts he wrote down without being a regular diary, and newspaper clippings. As much as I loved reading about Frida and his descriptions of her volatile nature, and how everyone fell under her thrall, I preferred this part of the novel, or at least the voice . . . I liked hearing Shepherd actually talk about himself a little bit in letters rather than alluding to himself as "the secretary," etc. It wasn't even necessarily that he was talking about himself more but since it was letters, his tone was more conversational. The writing throughout the whole novel is beautiful and there are quite a few different sentences and paragraphs of great descriptions (then again, there were also a few that went on too long, especially in the diaries which may have been why that part felt slow to me on occasion).

Barbara Kingsolver explains in one of interviews in the back that she wanted to explore the relationship between art and politics, and especially within America - she used Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera as a contrast to America. As she says, in Mexico and elsewhere in the world, political artists are celebrated and politics and art seems a natural mix (Toni Morrison would agree). In the States, however, she believes that the public wants their artists to be apolitical and not be part of a movement or a cause. As a result, I definitely understand why she chose to set up the novel the way she did, and Shepherd's background as a cook and typist for communists in Mexico made the fact that he would be investigated during the era of McCarthyism all the more believable but in ways it also felt like Kingsolver was interested in Kahlo and Rivera, and McCarthyism and came up with Shepherd as a way to connect the two and I'm not sure if it quite worked for me. I think it might be the tonal shift more than the topic that makes it seem like she took two almost unrelated stories and wove them together, though.

Some other themes that I thought were of interest, and probably also meant to reflect on current times, was the portrayal of the media. I know I have seen complaints and lamentations online about the current state of the media and investigative journalism, and the fact that journalist seem to simply report what people say rather than research it and show the viewer/reader how statements certain political figures are making are false or misguided . . . since they simply get repeated, these statements are accepted as fact by the public. However, while I share this sentiment, I'm not sure when the glory days of investigative reporting were because all the newspapers and media sources in this novel do the same thing in the '30s and '40s and invent a few facts as well. The other theme that I believe was paralleled today was the way Kingsolver described both the McCarthy investigations and the hysteria and fear caused by the idea of Communism even though no one actually really knew what communism was, just that they were against.

Overall, definitely an enjoyable novel, and it is obvious that Kingsolver is also using the past to make statements about the present. The first part had a variety of colorful characters but in ways I liked the more intimate last half better. Basically, there were things I liked in each part of the novel; I just felt like the Mexico section went on maybe a little too long.