Comic Relief - Iraqi Style

When I was deployed to Iraq we used to post a stress relief / vent board on butcher block paper, called the top ten list:  It was hilarious and we used it as a joke board.  Anyone that has been deployed knows about KBR (Kellog Brown Root)
You can always tell when KBR has been working on the city's power grid, just look for the Fire Trucks (putting the fires out)
How many KBR does it take to screw in a light bulb?
15, - 1 to requisition the bulb, 13 to pull security and 1 to ask the Army to screw in the bulb
10, - 1 to do the paper work, 9 to stand around watching while the female medic screws in the bulb
99, - 98 to go from Ramadi to Bagdad and back to get the bulb, and 1 to ask the Navy on Ramadi for an extra one.
1, - just one?  Yes, one to ask the nearest soldier, airman or marine to do the job for them.
All kidding aside, the Independent Contractor does a good job over there.  They must, because we have been in Iraq so long :)
Seriously, I wish KBR had more of those monster generators, I could have used the Air Conditioning!
Yes, it was so hot over there.  How hot?
Hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk by 7 in the morning
Hot enough to fry your brain by 730 in the morning
Hot enough to watch water evaporate

Well, to be honest, there was more than just the heat to deal with over there.....  the dust was another thing altogether
When we would see the dust storms come in, we would lay bets on how much sand we got (similar to snow)  Speaking of snow, I always wondered when we would see the sand plows come through. 

People say that it got cold in Iraq, yep, it sure did, down to about 65 degrees one night.  The poor soldier almost got frost-bit on guard duty.  We even got to requisition heaters for when it got down in the 60's.  It was funny seeing people running around in cold weather gear when the temp dropped into the upper 60's, when we knew back home, that people went to the lake swimming and water skiing in that weather.

One day in Kuwait, my friend was talking to a British Soldier and "pissed" him off.  I asked what was said, and he told the Brit 2 jokes which I title, what not to say to a British Soldier: 
"I just heard about Lady Di, was it fatal?"

"What were the last 3 best things to leave the British Isles?"  (By this time, the British soldier had started to clean his Big Bowie Knife in anticipation of cutting something or someone)
"Beatles,  Prince Albert in a can, and the American Invasion Fleet for Normandy"
Needless to say, I still get emails from my favorite "Brit" asking how us Yanks are coping with the Rebels down south (at that time, I lived in Georgia)  HaHa, British Humor. 

Some funny stuff he sent me were these links though, you got to check them out.
Burn Outs
 Beach Landing Made Simple
Peanut Butter Jelly Time

I don't intend to put anyone down with these remarks, it is all clean, simple fun. 

Lions, "A lesson in Patience" -Underdog!

Well, with a 26 game losing streak, it's probably a done deal for the boys of "Detroit" that they will lose yet again in a record setting losing streak.  What makes the die-hard Michigan Fan stay with the Lions?  Is it their young, maturing defense, like Suh?  Is it their potentially lethal offense, like the wide receiver package?  Or is it just tradition?

I would contend that it's none of the above.  It's not name brand loyalty.  It's not tradition, although I have been watching Lion's games for about 34 years, since I was running around the house as a 3 yr old.  I would say that I like to watch them play as a lesson in patience and long suffering.  I'm not going to say that the "Ford Field" is my church, although the secular similarities are rather congruent.  I propose that everyone likes to watch an underdog struggle. (Underdog)  Everyone likes to watch the "Christians win over the Lions".  It's just too bad that our Lion's play more like the "Romans' Christians" in the Coliseum of old. 

Any way that people choose to look at it, I contend that the Lions are good entertainment.  Is that what Mr. Ford thinks then? I guess that Barry Sanders wasn't enough then, huh?

Send me you comments......

Special Thanks to my favorite Cartoon you-tube
80's and 70's memories
Classic Media Ltd.

Big Rapids Middle School

I tell you, the band at BRMS is really coming along.  My son, Jason is in 6th grade and just performed in the Middle School Band.  Check out the videos.  They are really just for the music, the video is grainy and hard to tell what is going on, but the music is awesome.  The 6th Graders really put on a show Thursday night.  Way to go BR!
Here are the links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URzsLfpjj44

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ32Pg9PqkI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi_Y9lG7gTU

Game Prototype Development

Well, it's official.  I have finally done it.  I am starting Phase two of my Prototype Game Board Design!  Thanks to all of my family and friends:
Carol Campbell
Steve Campbell
Denise Stingle
Fred Stingle
Jason Pion (My Son and Co-Developer)
Kenny Otto (x2)
Bruce Cool
Diane Cool
Friends of Ferris State U.
Professors of Ferris State U.
My Chemistry 103 Prof (you know who you are!)
Friends on Facebook
The "Alpha Testers"
God
without whom I would not have the strength nor the ability to imagine greater ideas to create a recreational tool for people who want more from a "chess game"
Stay tuned to my website for more details: http://robpion.webs.com/apps