Action Jackson

This picture makes me look cool - hence why I put it up here. After all, I have to at least give the impression that I am out and about winning the war "Jack Bauer" style. No I'm not running, no the hooded idiots aren't shooting at me. The truth is that I am walking back to my ride - but that probably isn't what ya'll wanted to hear. At any rate, this is all just filler b/c I'm doing my best not to talk about the Padres. However, you know I can't resist ... Milton Bradley? And no, I'm not talking about the board game company ... Monopoly, Life, Clue, etc ... Is that the best that we can do? I guess it is more of a comment about how much the Padres and other organizations value pitching. KT has said time and time again that he is not going to break up his major league pitching talent. I'm on board with our baseball philosophy ... its just that the lure of that one big bat is a tad overwhelming, if not entirely fantasy. In the end good pitching beat good pitching. I'd just be nice to have a little more cushion. Unfortunately, Sledge isn't the answer ... and by my calculations he is on the way out. I think the Padres aren't done, though ... I see them moving someone else for minor league talent ... they need the roster flexibility. My guess? Sledge, Branyan, or Blum ... in that order.

Today, I got back on the civics syllabus w/ yet another meeting w/ the Fallujah Iraqi Police leadership. We can talk for hours about the correct answer - but is anyone going to go against the fact that money talks? Funny, how we can be in another country, another culture, and have many fundamental disagreements; yet, when it comes time to produce "money talks." I can't really go into what we were talking about ... but it is that same old Jerry McGuire adage ... show me the money! You mean to be surprised when millionaires - read Paris Hilton - get treated differently than the average person? The audacity ... Even with that said, the local police have their heads on straight and are really thinking about the long term (read post American presence) rather than the temporary stop-gap. It goes to show that we are pleased to be a position of dealing w/ honest men or are trying to do the right thing. It makes things a little bit easier to deal with on a daily basis.

Now back to my mundane paperwork and PowerPoint adventures ... the life of the real staff officer.