http://chris.casablog.com A Throwback to a Time that Never Was Sat, 28 Jun 2008 08:38:21 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en      I've done a reverse MacArthur.  I have returned from the Philippines.       As it happened, I rolled home and straight into an exercise! I'd like to say I swapped my 'Battle Rattle' for a chemical defense ensemble, but rather the chemical defense ensemble went on underneath the ... http://chris.casablog.com/2008/06/28/returned-to-base/      Bill Whittle's been absent from his blog for awhile.  It turns out he's not only alive, he's been writing a movie script!      Finally! Something that ought to be worth watching in the intellectual sense coming out of Hollywood! I hope this works! http://chris.casablog.com/2008/06/07/whittle-back/      I received an informative article awhile back from Mr Gary Patriquin, father of my late friend CPT Travis Patriquin (the author of the PowerPoint slideshow How to Win in Anbar).  If you'd like to know how the West was won, see Ramadi from the Caliphate to Capitalism by Andrew Lubin ... http://chris.casablog.com/2008/06/01/revisiting-ramadi/      Today my colleagues and I were invited to a Boodle Fight with some of our host-nation counterparts.  The Boodle Fight is a tradition in this country that builds esprit de corps (team-building, in modern business parlance).  I'm not sure how far it dates back.  The cooks would prepare as much food as ... http://chris.casablog.com/2008/06/01/boodle-fights-and-dead-gecko-coffee/      Some of my friends were not too far away from this event.  They're alright.  They couldn't tell me which of these reports about the event were correct.       I think I'll be redirecting my search efforts.  http://chris.casablog.com/2008/05/29/cobra-quest-paused/      "If you are going to let one segment of society or one area of the country become maligned without insisting that the truth be known, all other segments and areas are subject to similar fates."      -- Ronald Reagan, Remarks at the Kiwanis International Convention in St Louis, MO; ... http://chris.casablog.com/2008/05/27/quoting-reagan/ [gallery]     I was on my way into one of the buildings with some other folks here when I espied this spider.  As best I could tell it was an argiope spider.  This one was about as big as my outstretched hand.  Someone took a picture of me pointing to the ... http://chris.casablog.com/2008/05/21/arachnophobia/      I'm the type of guy who doesn't shy away from wildlife, no matter how wild the life.  If a trail at a national park says to "Beware of mountain lions," it's a pretty safe bet that you'll find me on that trail looking for a mountain lion.      ... http://chris.casablog.com/2008/05/02/looking-for-wildlife/      The best thing about this deployment was meeting this guy:                    . . . At least according to him! You know how these young folks can be brash sometimes.      You're doing great ... http://chris.casablog.com/2008/04/22/the-best-thing-about-this-tour/      I had some of the spiciest Kung Pao chicken ever today, therefore I went seeking a dessert that would cool me off afterward.  Actually, I didn't go seeking it, the waiter stopped by and recited a short list.  I remember hearing "Mango (something), mango (something else), (another something with) mango, ... http://chris.casablog.com/2008/04/17/new-for-dessert/