From Liisa, SMSgt Temple’s wife: This week’s radio interview with reporter Bobbie O’Brien from WUSF Radio was a bit different. You can hear both Rex and his friend SPC Kit Lowe chatting about the school supplies drive and Rex’s latest village medical mission. Here is the link:

My Last Tour: A mission and a friend

Tonight I am feeling exceptionally depressed.  Usually depression is there, hiding, but not far away.  Tonight it’s right here, in my face.  I have lost ana.  I don’t know where she is, where she went, but I have not at all forgotten about her.  I want her back.  Right now she is all I think about, and so it’s a wonder she doesn’t come back.  I don’t know what’s wrong.  I don’t know what’s wrong with me.  I’m looking for her, anywhere I can think.  I go online and I go looking in different people.  I just keep eating, though, like a fatass.

So I want to go away for a week.  Just be mostly by myself, without stressed, and concentrate fully on ana.  I won’t be able to binge there, so I feel like it’ll be better.  I also want to stay here, though.  My heart wants to see him. It doesn’t want to leave and miss a chance to be with him.  But my feelings for ana will hopefully be stronger.  I need her.

I was watching a documentary on ”fat people”.  Haha, the stuff I watch, you know.  The doctors said, though, that the fat cells in your body never go away after you accumulate them, they just shrink.  It made me freak out, want to cry.  I don’t want to gain any more fat cells.  It’s disgusting.  It sounds disgusting and it looks disgusting and everyone knows it.  I’ve had so many people telling me if I just tried to be healthy that I would lose weight, and actually be able to keep it off.  But this documentary just proves further the things I’ve already known.  Half of fat people don’t even lose the weight, and the percentage of the ones who do and keep it off are even less.  That’s not going to be me.  I’m not going to waste my time, losing two pounds a freaking week.

I feel like the people around me need to change, too.  Or I need to get rid of them.  I feel like they just make me fatter.  When I go somewhere with someone who is fat, or when I am introducing someone I know to someone else I know who is fat, I always feel the need to tell them before, “they’re fat.  i already know.  they’re fat, and i do hate it”.  I want to say it, and maybe even have said it a few times.  but I don’t want to think I’m more fat just because of someone else being fat.  Does anyone else feel that way?

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving.  Lots of food; shit.  But Friday I leave, and I hope I’ll fast.  I hope that there’s enough memory left of ana that I can do that.  And find her in the process.  A side note, I haven’t weighed myself in a while.  Way too fucking scared.

stay strong, lovelies.

From Liisa, SMSgt Temple’s wife: Here are all the pictures from Rex’s recent village medical mission to Charkh.
!!!

U.S. flag with Afghan flag in background at Charkh DC.

It was another cool night sleeping in the tent, but knowing we were leaving, nobody really complained about the cold.  Instead, we were like a hive of bees packing up our gear, prepping the MRAPs, mounting the weapons, and getting everything ready for our return ride back to our camp.

Our escort showed up on time and we all lined up in convoy order.  I said goodbye to some new friends and wished them the best.  Our ANA soldiers accidentally left their radios powered on for the past few days, so we had no means to communicate, except for hand signals.   Even when the radios do work, they often ignore us and do what they want to.  Such was the case of taking a shortcut through a

Leaving Charkh DC

Taliban village when we departed the city.

We departed Charkh DC and drove down the main road.  We drove past the point where our other escort was attacked on our first day of arrival.  The insurgents frequently attack at the same point, because this methodology was effective against the Soviet Army, so they

Alas! Back on the hardball.

employ the same tactics against the coalition forces.  But today, nothing happened.

Dusty road leading back to FOB Altimar.

We turned off the hardball and drove down the dirt road leading to FOB Altimar.  The ANP were conducting random checks of vehicles at the

Metal cage surrounds the hull helping to deflect RPGs and other projectiles.

Dabari Bridge.  The big tires on the MRAPs created quite a dust storm, limiting our visibility.  On the way, we passed another convoy; they had the metal cages surrounding their hulls which help to deflect RPGs and other projectiles.

Our convoy made a short halt at FOB Altimar and we picked up our empty trailer.  Then we retraced our route back to FOB Maiwand to pick up a teammate.  This AF SSgt is almost done with his 6 month tour and will be flying back to the United States soon to be with his family and friends.  While there, we discussed some other business with the AF Captain who is the team chief there.

On the road back to the capital city, I observed a tractor that was stuck in the ditch.  This tractor looked identical to those that are donated by

Tractor stuck in ditch.

USAID to the farmers who raise alternative crops instead of a poppy.  A little bit farther down the highway some livestock crossed in front of our vehicle.  As the convoy commander, I radioed the team and cautioned them about the cattle.  But after a second look, these weren’t cattle.  My teammates think they were ugly oxen or perhaps even water

Those don't look like cattle to me.

buffaloes.  Perhaps one of my readers can educate me on what type of animal this is in the picture.

When we arrived on the outskirts of Kabul, the highway became extremely congested with traffic.  A lot of the traffic was big trucks overfilled with firewood.  This is a common sight now and tons of firewood is needed daily to fuel the

Firewood trucks funneling into capital city.

hundreds of thousands homes in the capital city.  Firewood is cheaper than propane and the citizens don’t have the money to convert their heating system over to propane or natural gas.  Instead they rely on firewood to heat their residences.  Unfortunately, this is having a devastating effect on the tiny forests that survive here.  Despite government attempts to save the trees, on a daily basis, 500-1000 trees are being cut illegally.  Due to corruption, enforcement officials are being paid to look the other way.

Thanks to our ANA brothers, they dismounted their vehicles and forced traffic to the side so we could squeeze our armored MRAPs past the congestion.  We arrived back at camp without incident.

Ziua Internaţională pentru Eliminarea Violenţei împotriva Femeilor. Da, şi? Pasă cui ar trebui?

Astăzi este Ziua Internaţională pentru Eliminarea Violenţei împotriva Femeilor.

În România multe femei sunt bătute, violate sau abuzate psihic, dar numai 16% dintre ele au curaj să reclame la poliţie.

http://www.realitatea.net/

Europarlamentarul român, Corina Creţu:

Pentru eliminarea violentei impotriva femeilor

Măcar de n-ar mai fi… de s-ar opri…

Când agresorul este adăpostit de hidoasa umbrelă a PD-L, parte a cohortei de nemoşaguri a unui ramolit cu pretenţii de Crai, chiar dacă ai curajul şi reclami violenţa, hărţuirea la locul de muncă, chiar dacă Poliţia-şi face datoria şi-l amendează pe * vajnicul * nemernic, chiar dacă NU e normal ca instituţia să-l tăinuie şi să-i muşamalizeze repetat ticăloşiile bastardului, victima e repede măturată prin mijloace şi scenarii diabolice, şi-atunci, nu poţi  să nu te-ntrebi, tu OM: oare fetele, nepoatele Tartorilor ar putea suporta suferinţele, durerile, tristeţile prin care-au trecut Sibilla ŞI nişte copile nevinovate ? Până când, Doamne… ?

Şi cum am putea noi, victimele nemernicului să spunem * iartă-i, Doamne că nu ştiu ce fac *… când ei, toată armata de şobolani au ştiut tot timpul exact ce fac…  De asta muşamalizarea şi pitirea mizeriilor sub preş, legea tăcerii a acelui * nimic nu răsuflă-n afara sistemului * reprezintă punctul pe i şi degetul pe rană, pentru că,  fenomenul NU e stopat şi există mereu riscul de-a se mai întâmpla! În Twin Peakse-ul  cărăşean, victimele sunt etichetate * nebune *, agresorii sunt ţinuţi în braţe, cui pasă… Hărţuirea morală la locul de muncă, ameninţările, împroşcatul cu invective şi folosirea limbajului obscen, vulgarităţie apostrofărilor la adresa femeilor, fetelor, abuzurile de influenţă, funcţie, putere, hărţuirea psihică, bătăile, etc. sunt ridicate la rang de * merite deosebite * şi-au binecuvântarea cui ar fi putut să reaşeze lucrurile pe făgaşul normalităţii, dar… n-a fost prost cine-a spus că * peştele de la cap se împute *, d-aia duhoarea persistentă de sub nădragii muherilor în izmene, * moralii *, * modelele *, însemnaţii…

Politica socială de*  succesuri *: NU protecţia copilului, ci protejarea imaginii instituţiilor, NU interes superior al copilului, ci interesele personale ale * divelor * şi * prinţişorilor * din dotarea * Împărăţiei *, NU prevenire, măsuri, soluţii, NU stoparea comportamentelor indecente, deviante şi-ndepărtarea cauzelor/agresorilor, ci pitirea mizeriilor sub preş, NU acceptarea tristei realităţi şi conduită ca atare, NU înfruntarea realităţii-adevărului dovezilor, ci, prigonirea şi hărţuirea victimelor, pentru că au avut şi au curajul de-aşi purta cu DEMNITATE durerile. Ticăloşii,  uniţi prin ticăloşiile la care se dedau, habar NU au ce este Moralitatea, Demnitatea, Cinstea, Respectul, jalnicii, caractere josnice, se-mbată cu falsa impresie c-ar fi nemuritori.

Victimele ca noi, mai sperăm încă în… JUSTIŢIA DIVINĂ, că-n rest… cui pasă… ?

http://sfinx777.wordpress.com/2009/10/07/protectia-copilului-dincolo-de-ziduri/

http://sfinx777.wordpress.com/2009/09/25/licitatii-comisioane-contestatii-caras-severin-twin-peakse/

http://sfinx777.wordpress.com/2009/07/22/nu-abuzului-sexual-fata-de-minori-sa-denuntam-brutele/

*******

* Conduita morală nu înseamnă pur şi simplu exigenţa de a renunţa anume la plăcerile vieţii, ci mai degrabă interesul plin de solicitudine pe care-l depune cineva ca să făurească o soartă mai bună pentru toţi oamenii. *   ( Albert Einstein )

* Adevărata moralitate nu constă în a urma cărarea bătătorită, ci în a descoperi adevărata cale pentru noi înşine şi a o urma fără teamă. *   ( Mahatma Gandhi )

* Moralitatea nu este propriu-zis doctrina prin care ne putem face fericiţi, ci prin care ne putem face vrednici de fericire. *   ( Immanuel Kant )

Sibilla

citate preluate de pe www.citapedia.ro

imagine preluată de pe google.ro – www.static,panoramio

::: 1 Samuel, capítulo 1, conta-nos a história de Ana, mãe do profeta Samuel, o mesmo que ungiu Davi como rei e foi uma bênção para o povo de Israel. Resumindo a história, Ana era a segunda esposa de um marido (Elcana) muito dedicado e que a amava muito. Mas, essa mulher possuía sua madre cerrada, ou seja, era estéril. Na época em questão, dar filhos ao marido era uma questão de honra, principalmente se este fosse homem.

.::. Em virtude disso, a outra esposa (Penina), que já havia dado muitos filhos a Elcana, menosprezava-a e zombava dela o tempo todo, mesmo quando toda a família ia para sacrificar ao Senhor. Isso deixava Ana muito triste e aborrecida. Consequentemente, ela era uma mulher muito triste e frustrada, de semblante decepcionado. Isso mesmo sabendo que Elcana sacrificava a Deus por ela uma parte mais excelente, o que demonstrava um amor maior de Elcana por Ana.

.::. Ana sentia-se frustrada e humilhada, como muitos crentes nos dias de hoje, que não geram frutos espirituais. Vão à igreja, louvam e adoram ao Senhor, mas possuem vidas tão destruídas, complicadas e repleta de problemas, que essas pessoas se sentem exatamente como Ana. Humilhados. Frustrados. E, para completar, outros irmãos ou mesmo os incrédulos vivem zombando e afrontando essas pessoas, creio que muitas vezes perguntando: “Onde está o seu Deus?”

.::. Infelizmente, isso é uma realidade dura mas verdadeira. Vemos muitas pessoas andando de cabeixa baixa e decepcionadas com a vida. A vida dessas pessoas simplismente não vai para a frente. E, com isso, as pessoas vem carregando diversos traumas que esfriam sobremaneira o seu relacionamento com Deus, muitos até se desviam e deixam de crer no Deus do Impossível. Essas pessoas, feridas na alma, deixam seu coração endurecer de tal maneira, que semente nenhuma da Palavra de Deus pode frutificar novamente em seus corações. Como uma terra extremamente seca na época de estio forte, toda rachada e machucada, em que uma semente simplesmente cai e não é absorvida, muito menos possui nutrientes para se desenvolver, assim é o coração dessas pessoas.

.::. É um emprego que não deu certo. Um noivado que terminou inesperadamente. Um ministério frustrado. Um filho que aborrece. Um marido ineficaz. Uma esposa fria. Se fôssemos inumerar, seriam tantos os problemas que não caberiam nem mesmo em um livro.

.::. Mas, eu não gostaria de elucidar sobre problemas. Gostaria de falar sobre solução. Nosso Deus é infinitamente maior que todos os nossos problemas. E Ele está esperando que corramos para os braços Dele, afim de que deitemos em seu colo e sejamos acalentados pelo seu infinito amor.

.::. Cansada e exausta daquela vida de derrotas, Ana não se desespera ou toma atitudes loucas. Não. Ela corre para os braços do Pai, e se humilha em Sua maravilhosa presença!

::: 1 Samuel 1:10,11 – “Ela, pois, com amargura de alma, orou ao Senhor, e chorou abundantemente. E fez um voto, dizendo: Senhor dos Exércitos! Se benignamente atentares para a aflição da tua serva, e de mim te lembrares, e da tua serva não te esqueceres, mas à tua serva deres um filho homem, ao Senhor o darei todos os dias da sua vida, e sobre a sua cabeça não passará navalha.”

.::. Vejam que Ana chorou abundantemente! Isso significa que ela se derramou na presença de Deus buscando socorro e auxílio. Deus espera de nós um coração como o de Ana, totalmente quebrantado em Sua presença, completamente apaixonado por Ele! O rei Davi, homem segundo o coração de Deus, salmodiou:

::: Salmos 34:18 – “Perto está o Senhor dos que têm o coração quebrantado, e salva os contritos de espírito.”

::: Salmos 51:17 – “Os sacrifícios para Deus são o espírito quebrantado; a um coração quebrantado e contrito não desprezarás, ó Deus.”

.::. É exatamente assim que devemos ser! Quebrantados! Um coração quebrantado é aquela terra molhada pelas lágrimas, repleta de nitrientes, fofa e preparada. Quando Jesus Cristo lança nela uma semente, esta terra a absorve e acolhe, e a semente fica pronta para frutificar e ser o que ela é!

.::. Ana, assim fez também um voto com Deus, prometendo seu filho para Ele. Observem que ela não foi egoísta para com o Senhor. Hoje, muitas pessoas desejam as bênçãos do Deus das Bênçãos para si mesmas e para deleite próprio. Na maioria das vezes, Deus não permite que essas pessoas assim recebam porque são extremamente egoístas!

.::. Outra questão interessante é que o sacerdote Eli, observando Ana orar e se quebrantar diante do Senhor, pensou que ela estava embriagada. Mas não, Ana estava cheia do Espírito Santo, que “… intercede por nós com gemidos inexprimíveis.” Romanos 8:26

.::. Meu querido (a), quando estamos cheios do Espírito Santo, este se move em nós de forma tão sobrenatural que não suportamos de tamanha emoção, e muitos choram, gritam, riem, pulam, gritam… infelizmente algumas igrejas de hoje tem se escandalizado por isso. O que é um absurdo! Vejam que o próprio sacerdote escandalizou-se com Ana, e sua maneira extravagante de orar!

::: 1 Samuel 1:13-17 – “Porquanto Ana no seu coração falava; só se moviam os seus lábios, porém não se ouvia a sua voz; pelo que Eli a teve por embriagada. E disse-lhe Eli: Até quando estarás tu embriagada? Aparta de ti o teu vinho. Porém Ana respondeu: Não, senhor meu, eu sou uma mulher atribulada de espírito; nem vinho nem bebida forte tenho bebido; porém tenho derramado a minha alma perante o Senhor. Não tenhas, pois, a tua serva por filha de Belial; porque da multidão dos meus cuidados e do meu desgosto tenho falado até agora.Então respondeu Eli: Vai em paz; e o Deus de Israel te conceda a petição que lhe fizeste.”

.::. Observemos que Eli, aos obter a resposta de Ana e vendo seu quebrantamento, a abençoou. Muitas vezes também, oramos, oramos, oramos e oramos e nada acontece. Deus está esperando que você vá até seu líder espiritual e receba dele a bênção que Ele tem preparado para todos os que O amam. Mas, por quê Deus age assim? Longe de limitar a ação do Altíssimo, talvez Deus queira que nós dependamos uns dos outros para sermos abençoados. Essa necessidades uns dos outros que nos tornam um em Cristo Jesus, que é a vontade do Pai. Nós somos o corpo de Cristo, e precisamos de todos os membros e células para frutificarmos espiritualmente.

.::. Diante de tudo isso, Ana teve um filho, cujo nome é Samuel! Que mãe maravilhosa e prudente! Que mulher exemplar! Ela gerou um filho que se tornou sacerdote da Casa de Deus e que ungiu a Davi como Rei de Israel!

.::. Minha oração é que você, através do exemplo de Ana, possa gerar frutos espirituais dignos de ficarem escritos para toda eternidade nos céus e na terra!

.::. Toda honra, toda glória, todo louvor, toda riqueza, toda sabedoria, todo poder e toda força sejam dadas somente a Jesus Cristo, Rei dos reis e Senhor dos senhores! Amém!

Hoy os presento dos microrrelatos inéditos de Ana María Shua.

“Las dos mitades”

El mago se saca palomas de la manga, las hace aparecer de la galera. Después de un corto revoloteo, las palomas se posan en el dedo del mago, que las traslada a su vez a una percha.
¿Por qué no se escapan volando? pregunta un niño. Porque les cortan las alas, explica el padre. Algunos magos les cortan las plumas de una sola de las alas y es suficiente para que no puedan volar. Otros, para evitar que el público se de cuenta, les cortan una pluma por medio de los dos lados. Durante la actuación, cuando la paloma abre sus alas, parecen completas, pero así mutiladas no le permiten sustentarse en el aire. También hay algunos pocos magos, muy hábiles, que logran adiestrarlas de modo que no escapen.
Cuando termina su número, mago y palomas se van a su carromato. Las palomas doblan al mago en cuatro y lo guardan en su caja.

(Fuente: La nave de los locos)

Worthless heater inside our tent.

Before going to sleep, another heater was brought to our tent.  The females found refuge in the ANA tent that were burning firewood and their tents were hot in comparison.  In turn, we were given their heater stove.  I also walked around the tent and sealed off all of the openings I could find to prevent the cold air from circulating through our sleeping quarters.

The next morning, we woke up and felt a difference in temperature.  The outside temperature was warmer and the additional heater increased our ambient temperature by 5 degrees inside the tent.  Before going to chow we shaved, showered, brushed our teeth, etc.  The shower tent is a bit of ingenuity.  The

Shower instruction sign.

water heater is rigged to the Humvee engine.  Posted on the outside hygiene station are the instructions how to use it.

Me prepping my whiskers.

Before we went to the school to set up, we received intelligence of a possible suicide bomber with plans to disrupt our activities.  Since the road leading up to the school was

Afghan females waiting in their own separate area to enter VMO site.

narrow and heavily guarded, I expected the bomber to be a man dressed in a burqa.  As a matter of precaution, everyone is searched by the ANA and ANP before entering the facility.  Respecting the Afghan culture, female soldiers search the village females in a separate enclosed location.

Today the lines grew rather long and it was a

Patient being transported to VMO site in a wheelbarrow.

non-stop flow of people patiently waiting to see the doctor and be given some HA.  While outside, I took some pictures of the villagers lining the road.  Coincidentally, an elderly man was being transported by a wheelbarrow.  The Army soldier told me to return inside due to the suicide

ANA medics in pharmacy.

bomber threat and this patient would have to be searched thoroughly.  Inside the hallways were lined full of people waiting by the pharmacy for their medicines and another line by the HA room.  The Army Captain decided to empty his connex of HA and before long there was no standing room inside the HA center.  Every customer was being

Little boy with his HA goodies.

issued a wool blanket, clothing, socks, wind-up radio and a limited supply of children’s shoes.  The Navy Petty Officer and I continuously pumped air into deflated soccer balls.  On several occasions I would hand the soccer balls to the young boys just to see the expressions on their faces.  They were too young to differentiate between a Muslim and an infidel.  In their eyes, all they saw was a generous man handing

Navy Petty Officer pumping up soccer balls.

them a soccer ball.

I also noticed some repeat customers too.  They were wearing different clothing today.  The female medics made this same observation too.  They grew suspicious when the women would not reveal their faces to them, even though they were in segregated privacy and no males would be able to see them.  The local

Afghan grandfather with grandson.

ANP officers also visited.  They would change out of their uniform and put on civilian clothes to appear like a villager.  Some of these people returned 4-5 times.  On a few occasions, I would stop them and question them with the aid of my interpreter.  Others, I recognized and would take their HA voucher so they wouldn’t be issued anything.

Through our interpreters, we learned many of today’s visitors left early in the morning and walked a long distance to get here.  A decision was made to stay open late and try to accommodate as many villagers until the medicines and HA run out.  The suicide bomber threat never materialized.  In my opinion, the villagers reached an agreement with

Afghans waiting in line for HA.

the Taliban so they could get free HA and not be attacked in the process.  I’m also certain some of the extremists visited our site to gather intelligence along with receiving free HA items.   This happens at every site we visit.  But today and yesterday was a small victory.  The insurgents tried to scare away the villagers by instilling fear and attacking our people and

Children waiting at pharmacy for vitamins.

location, yet that didn’t dissuade them from not visiting.  Our best guess is we treated over 1300 patients and probably gave HA to about 1500-1800.  Due to repeat visits from the same person, it was hard to keep a valid tally.

It was getting late in the day and the pharmacy ran out of powdered milk, children’s vitamins, and a variety of other

Little Afghan boy and his sister get HA.

medications.  The command was given to shut down the operation and load the remaining supplies on the back of a pick-up truck.  My teammates were anxious to return to camp and rest.

After dinner I called for a team meeting to discuss our departure mission brief.  But we also had a special surprise for the female AF Lt.  Today was

AF Capt presenting AF Lt her birthday present.

her 27^th birthday and we wanted to do something special for her.  I managed to get a blue berry muffin from the chow hall and the Captain inserted a match stick to serve as a candle.  Then he presented her a gift from the team.  It was a traditional blue burqa commonly worn by Afghan women.  On the trip down here, the Captain and I joked about doing this and we made it happen.  This will be one birthday she will never forget and now she has a unique souvenir to remember it by.

Illumination rounds light up the sky.

Before we called it a night, the Army lit up the sky with some illumination rounds.  I’m uncertain if someone saw movement in the mountains or they were just practicing.  I also saw a few shooting stars streak through the sky.  A few nights ago, I had hoped to see the Leonid meteor shower, but it was too cold outside and I didn’t.  This would be our last night in our refrigerator tent, because tomorrow we would start our trek back to our home camp.

En los premios anuales al éxito de gestión que da la AAF (American Advertising Federation) a aquellos profesionales que aún no han cumplido los 40 años, se han levantado voces contra los gestores de compras incorporados a la negociación de compensación por performance, ya casi ineludible, entre las agencias de marketing y sus clientes.

El preámbulo de estas protestas lo tuvo a su cargo Jonah Bloom en la conferencia de la ANA  (Association of National Advertisers) en Phoenix, donde mostró que los márgenes operativos (o producto neto de sus operaciones) se han mantenido sin variación en el caso de los 100 principales anunciantes de los EE UU, mientras que el margen de las agencias ha caído de 12.5% a 10.5%, según cifras del Data Center de Ad Age. Del pensamiento de Bloom en torno a este tema tenemos tres posts en este blog:‘Los siete pasos para salvar a la agencia de la “comoditización”’,  ‘La rebelión de las agencias ¿está en proceso?’, ‘La compensación por performance a toda vela, pero se está convirtiendo a la agencia de publicidad en un/una commodity’

Su participación en la reciente conferencia, se puede ver en este video de la ANA  Jonah Bloom, Editor Advertising Age, y en este reporte de Ad Age, que pongo a continuación en la versión de YouTube.

Has Advertising Procurement Gone Too Far?

A Bloom se le unió Frank Cooper, miembro del directorio de la AAF y CMO, Sparkling Beverages, de Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages, quien afirmó que “con los compradores (procurement) liderando las negociaciones de lo creativo y los medios, el desastre está en camino”. Y también Tara Comonte ex CFO at Universal McCann y ahora CFO y en paralelo Chief Operating Officer de Mediabrands, que es una de las galardonadas con la distinción y que en su nueva función se concentrará en “los procesos del negocio, la reingeniería y en automatizar más y desarrollar eficiencias en el negocio principal de la agencia, orientándose primariamente al uso de la tecnología y a la incorporación de la misma a lo largo de toda la organización, así como a diversificar las fuentes de ingresos y los servicios ofrecidos.

Su discurso de agradecimiento puede verse (supongo que solo por unos días) en la web de Mediabrands.

Es interesante anotar que Mediabrands fue creada por el Grupo Interpublic, para manejar sus empresas de medios globalmente, ha adoptado, bajo la dirección de la Sra. Comonte, un perfil muy agresivo de reinvención del negocio. Y digo que es interesante porque el año pasado fue otra agencia de medios, Mindshare, la que se distinguió revolucionando su misión original como vimos en varios posts pero principalmente en El futuro de la Agencia de Publicidad (IV). El caso Mindshare.

Ad Age le ha hecho una larga entrevista. Extraigo de ella lo que me parece reflejar una posición de vanguardia en lo concerniente a la compensación (con sus pros y sus contras) y a la reinvención de la agencia, como una manera de darle value y escapar de la subordinación al nuevo sistema de remuneración.

- La reinvención es crítica. Yo estoy obsesionada con la reinvención a través del uso de la tecnología. Tiene que aportarle nuevos resultados a nuestros clientes, sea a través de algún tipo de reinvención o de automatización a través de la tecnología. Parte de esto depende de los propietarios de los medios, de sus sistemas y de sus procesos y me gustaría tener más control sobre eso. Nuestra reinvención y reestructuración de parte de nuestro negocio requerirá involucrar a otra gente.

- Para mantenernos en la delantera necesitaremos seguir agregando capacidades y talento. Creo que los motores de búsqueda, los medios sociales y los móviles serán áreas de importante concentración en el futuro para nosotros.

- Sobre los gestores de compras y las negociaciones le diré que con frecuencia es difícil que ellos vean el beneficio de estos servicios adicionales. Y es atrozmente difícil hacer que lo vean y que paguen por ello. Pero los clientes no es que lo necesiten ¡lo reclaman y lo esperan! (se refiere evidentemente a la gente de marketing de los clientes).

Tara Comonte

- No existe el reto de desarrollar nuevos modelos de compensación, porque tenemos todo un rango de modelos que usamos activamente en la actualidad con los clientes. Además, cuando intervienen los de compras, es un reto mayor aún vender un nuevo modelo de compensación porque lo que ellos quieren es poner en línea a un cierto número de proveedores y poder comparar manzanas con manzanas. Esto es sumamente complicado si las empresas traen modelos diferentes. Ahí está el verdadero reto y no en desarrollar nuevos modelos.

Es crucial para nosotros como industria centrarnos en este tema. Es absurdo que se nos pague por el tiempo que nos toma hacer algo. Eso no tiene nada que ver con crear value. Estamos en un momento clave para reinventar nuestra compensación y nuestro modelo de negocios. Y hay dos factores que lo impulsan: el panorama digital, cada vez más complejo y permanentemente en proceso de fragmentación, que exige inversión e innovación y ambiciona resultados. Y el hecho de estar saliendo de la peor recesión económica de los últimos cien años, lo que teóricamente dictamina frugalidad y una seria gestión de costos.

Aunque la gente tiende a pensar que estos dos factores está enfrentados yo pienso que, al contrario, están alineados y su concurrencia son nuestra oportunidad de reinventar nuestro modelo de negocios, porque un clima como el actual exige responsabilidad/imputabilidad (traducción de la palabra accountability). Yo me siento muy cómoda teniendo que responder por responsabilidad/imputabilidad y con nuestra capacidad de inducir y obtener value, y esto, en los tiempos actuales, es muy atractivo para nuestros clientes. Si inducimos buenos resultados en su negocio logramos un beneficio mutuo.

Es el momento de cambiar y es el momento de que como industria hagamos frente al reto del cambio.  Es crucial que nos alejemos de los modelos o sistemas que nos legaron, porque no están en modo alguno alineados para rendir (value) al mas alto nivel para nuestros clientes. No hay nada malo con ser calificados como responsables/imputables de nuestra performance o del value que producimos.  Y eso no es lo que persiguen nuestros modelos actuales.

"Accountability": una palabra que es una especie de "responsabilidad imputable". Pero no necesariamente con un sentido peyorativo sino de definir quien / qué organismo es responsable de qué resultados.

Le hacen una pregunta específica sobre los “compradores” (procurement): si han agregado value al proceso y si no es que han ido demasiado lejos en sus medidas de cortar costos.

- Han llegado tan lejos como los hemos dejado llegar. Les hemos permitido poner en riesgo nuestra capacidad de invertir e innovar, y corporativamente, es decir como industria, es algo que deberíamos detener. Es nuestra opción decir “no” algunas veces, especialmente cuando es para beneficio de los clientes. Yo me siento muy cómoda negociando con los compradores y negociar con ellos, debería ser algo bueno. Es algo que obliga al rigor y a la responsabilidad/imputabilidad (accountability) y los resultados deben ser responsabilidad de las agencias e imputables a las agencias. Por lo tanto el concepto debe respaldarse. Lo que no hay que aceptar es que los compradores extraigan cifras del aire. Por otro lado, yo no acepto que un socio en la función de marketing, por no tener  un conocimiento real de las funciones ignore las consecuencias que se esperan de las agencias. Tenemos que volvernos mejores en la educación, en la réplica y en la manera de trabajar con los compradores. Y nuestros clientes (evidentemente marketing) tienen que hacer lo mismo con sus propios departamentos de compras. En el largo plazo lo veo positivo. En el corto, los hemos dejado llegar a un lugar que no es saludable para nosotros ni para ellos y nuestros clientes (evidentemente marketing) les han permitido ponernos a todos en ese sitio que no es saludable para ninguno.  Pero tienen un papel importante que desempeñar.

Le preguntan cuales son los principales retos que enfrenta la industria y cómo los enfrenta en su empresa. Y responde:

- Percibir la “comoditización” (ver (1) en este post) y la velocidad para evolucionar. Nuestro reto no es mantenernos al día con el panorama cambiante sino ir por delante de él, poniéndole velocidad a las acciones y a las estrategias y soluciones.

- Tenemos que invertir en lo mas alto del talento que haya. Puesto que la tecnología y la automatización son críticas en la práctica y en el establecimiento de nuevos negocios, no podemos ir por delante si no tenemos en nuestra organización, los pensadores estratégicos mas brillantes. El nuestro, es un negocio de personas y siempre lo será. Y tenemos que invertir en el talento mas alto con un rango diverso de antecedentes, porque no creo que el negocio de medios deba contratar gente de medios si estamos tratando de generar negocios y soluciones de marketing.

Procurement: el proceso de la adquisición o compra.

Tenemos una organización ágil y un equipo de gerencia dinámico que se alinea con la estrategia y con lo que es mejor para el cliente. Hemos analizado distintos modelos y tomado lo mejor de cada uno. Nos han permitido aprovechar los recursos centrales algunos servicios tales como finanzas, tecnología o recursos humanos y otras funciones que no tienen contacto cara a cara con el cliente. Esto ha producido eficiencias que nos han permitido reinvertir en el negocio para crecimiento futuro y funciones para el beneficio de nuestras marcas. Hemos desarrollado, también, recursos especializados que pueden operar solos o en equipo para generar mayor eficacia para nuestros clientes. Porque hay clientes que prefieren tener múltiples puntos de contacto o uno solo (en referencia evidente a los que han seguido la teoría del BAL de P&G del que hemos hablado antes en este blog).

¿Cuanto de lo que declara Tara Comonte es realidad y cuanto autobombo, publicidad para atraer clientes? Es difícil de saber. Sin embargo su pensamiento es nítido y sus objetivos están perfectamente alineados con el pensamiento dominante entre los estrategas de las agencias: huir de la comoditización, innovar (o reinventar el negocio), poner estrategas a cargo del diseño. A mi me ha impresionado cuando habla de que no hay que tomar personal de medios para hacer el trabajo de medios y su decisión, siendo la cabeza de finanzas, de mantener a los servicios de la empresa, centralizados en la oficina madre, para no tener distracciones en la tarea de reinvención. Esperemos sus frutos para juzgar mejor.

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Esta es nuestra postal de invitación.  Para este fotomontaje contamos con la ayuda de nuestro amigo y fotógrafo Emanuele Ciccomartino a quién le agradecemos su inmensa colaoración. Gracias Manu!!

Weight: 112 lbs

Body Fat: 19.6%

Waist: 25″

Hips: 34″

So, the history work is suffering from aspirationsearching (finding thinspo) but keeping busy in lunchtime is good feeling quite strong-willed at the moment

Also now wondering how much having sex is keeping my weight down. Its not exactly gymnastic so Id guess not too much. The bf said Id lost weight…but he is disgustingly fond of being able to hold onto women…oh well, playing hard to get can involve not being grab-able.

Want to cry at these pictures, enough to kick anyone into action.

And progress: http://s286.photobucket.com/albums/ll117/yourlissy/LaPetiteParfaite/

Eating breakfast at the chow hall.

As expected, it was a bitter cold and uncomfortable night.  I woke up around 3 am and all of my teammates were buried inside their sleeping bags with their heads covered.  You could see your breath as you exhaled.  It was freezing cold inside the tent.  When we awoke early the next morning, everyone complained how cold it was.  The ladies in the tent next to us accidentally turned off their heater while trying to adjust it and complained about the freezing temperature too.

The chow hall opened early for our visit and we took advantage of the small seating room.  The tables and benches were constructed of cheap Pakistan quality plywood, but it served its purpose.  The food was lukewarm and the eating area was illuminated by a 6 inch fluorescent tube light.  The sun was rising, but it was still frosty inside.  We didn’t want to whine because the soldiers who live here have to endure these conditions daily.  Although I was disappointed they didn’t have hot coffee brewing.  Anyhow, we ate our breakfast and went over to the school to prepare for our visitors.

Apache attack helicopter to the rescue.

We were informed the Taliban disseminated “night letters” threatening the villagers if they came to the school.  The first hour, it was a light trickle of people.  Then suddenly the gunshots rang out.  The insurgents were shooting at the exterior protective wall outside the school building.  We quickly donned our body armor and helmet.  This time I was prepared with my M-4 rifle and took cover behind the concrete walls in the school.  Within minutes an Apache helicopter flew overhead and fired its guns.  Then an F-15 Eagle came screaming by as a show of force.  This time my teammates looked at each other and echoed “Air Power!!!”  Once again it became quiet and the villagers started coming again.

ANA doctor treats 3 patients.

The next line of visitors was well dressed by Afghan standards and these were the village tribal elders.  First they visited the medical treatment room and were seen by ANA doctors.  A US Physician Assistant assigned to the COP was also treating patients with the aid of an interpreter.  After seeing the doctor, they would take their prescription to the

ANA doctor with patient.

pharmacy for their medicines.  Despite the large population here, they do not have a medical clinic and the nearest one is about an hour drive away.  This distance takes even longer if they have to travel by donkey, horse, or foot.

The last stop for the visitors was the HA room.  This is where I spent most of my time

ANA Mullah handing out HA.

watching the ANA Mullah hand out blankets, clothing, soccer balls, socks, radios and food stuff.  Me and another teammate sat in the back and took turns pumping up deflated soccer balls.  The children were ecstatic about receiving stuffed animals along with some miscellaneous donated toys.  The Mullah reminded me of our version of Santa

Little boys delighted with stuffed animals.

Claus with his demeanor in delivering the goodies to his Muslim countrymen.

We didn’t hand out many school supplies because they are being saved for a separate project.  They want to ensure the teachers and the students receive the supplies and can use them, instead of selling them at the bazaar.  But

Afghan boys receiving HA.

some children were given some boxes of crayons, pens, and tablets to quell their persistence in asking for pens.  One boy asked for my pen and when I wasn’t looking, he quietly removed it from my uniform.  I guess he needed it more than I did.

Burning toilet waste.

At the end of the day we returned to the COP.  The barrels of toilet waste were still burning and the wind caused dust storms as we walked up the dirt road leading to our tents.  I took a picture of my foot just to show the consistency of this dirt-sand mixture.  By now the chow hall was filled and no seats were available to sit down.  My ETT team members decided to eat their dinner outside the tent.

After the sun went down,

My foot in sand.

we were informed there was going to be a light show.  The camp was going to fire off some “Willy P” which is a nickname for white phosphorous rounds at the mountain side.  Around 7:45 PM, the guns sounded and launched a projectile high up on the mountain side.  We watched as it burst into flame and then into smaller sublet flames.

Night show resulting from Willy P.

The white phosphorous consumes everything around it.  So if the Taliban were planning on launching a rocket attack from this location, they were now fried crispy critters.  After the light show, we went back inside our chilly tent and prepared for another cold night.

It’s been a rough week.  I’ve binged a lot, haven’t gained any weight.  I’m stressed, tired, and cold.  Always cold.  I have to put some of the blame of me being so weak onto my crazy ass mother.  She stresses me out.  And even if she didn’t, since she found out about my… eating disorder?  Whatever this is, she’s been making me eat.  And once I start, I can’t stop.

Tomorrow is a new day, though.  The start of a new week.  I’ll go to see my therapist, then go to see my lawyer.  I’ll fast, and it’ll be a redo.  Tomorrow is Monday, so I get to stay at my brothers, which is also somewhere I don’t usually eat.  I can’t wait.  I want to feel hungry again, all day.

I found this on a site I was looking at… If you have a sense of humor about your eating disorder, then you’ll probably like this.

You know you’re anorexic when…

you could be sponsored as pro for cutting huge lettuce leaves into an edible size
you spend more time planning out your eating pattern than you do on your term paper
you don’t own a single food item that does not come fat-free or reduced calorie
you haven’t “spread” margarine in months, since calorie free only comes in a spray
you’ve ripped off your clothes compulsively for the sole purpose of getting the ”accurate” weight 3 times a day
you have to schedule times with different friends so your excuse of “I already ate” will be believable.
caffeine… need I say more?
you plan strategic “eating” times so that people will think you are constantly stuffing your face.
you fill a cart with food at the grocery store and put it all back, leaving with nothing.
you spend twenty dollars on a meal and don’t put any of it in your mouth.
you know the calorie content of almost anything.
you can write your own calorie counter book/website
you automatically count calories as soon as you take a bite of something
everyone in the room is sweating in a tank top, and you’re freezing in a sweater.
you cannot drink a soda that’s not diet under any circumstances
you’re suspicious of the amount of calories the package says
you can remember the amount of calories you ate 5 days about, but you can’t remember where you put your car keys.
when you think that 100 calories for one meal is too much.
your roommate gets pissed because you keep opening (and closing) the fridge door.
you intentionally buy clothes that are a size smaller then what you currently are.
when you have to talk to yourself to find out if you can eat.
you love being hungry, because you know you’re doing something right.
you get depressed if you can’t go to your online ED-forums.

What other ones can we come up with…

Cerimonia di fine addestramento Kabul 22 nov 09 (foto USFA)

Mentre a Kabul si inaugura il nuovo centro per la formazione delle truppe afghane e il programma di addestramento accelerato per i soldati dell’Ana dà i suoi primi frutti (obiettivo 138mila unità entro il 2010), da Kunduz e da Nangharan arrivano notizie su iniziative di autodifesa “popolare”. Iniziative che potrebbero essere una speranza quanto una catastrofe per l’Afghanistan in preda al caos della guerriglia (purtroppo nel paese le alternative sono sempre estreme).

Nel nord del paese, si segnala (vedi questo lancio della Afp) la nascita di milizie spontanee, al solito su base di villaggio od etnica, per contrastare quello che è il nuovo fronte talebano che punta a bloccare la rotta logistica (i flussi di rifornimenti per le truppe occidentali dalle ex-repubbliche sovietiche) e che ha trasformato la un tempo (pochi mesi fa) pacifica provincia di Kunduz in una “no-go zone”. L’esperimento sta riuscendo bene dal punto di vista del contenimento dei talebani, male per le sue conseguenze (in pratica stanno nascendo nuovi signori della guerra che battono cassa sulla popolazione e i transiti) come spiega questo articolo del NyTimes.

In realtà l’articolo del quotidiano americano descrive principalmente un’altra micro-storia ma che potrebbe essere molto interessante, quella degli anziani della valle di Shinwari, nel distretto di Achin (sud-est al confine con il Pakistan). Anziani che dopo una lite con i talebani hanno preso le armi e (all’afghana) hanno organizzato i compaesani per difendersi. Un caso locale che ha spinto le forze speciali americane a pensare globale e ad intervenire locale fornendo approvigionamenti alla milizia che in futuro dovrebbe essere addestrata e dotata di radio.

La storia è emblematica perchè nella remota valle non c’è presenza del governo afghano (nè polizia, nè esercito ed è immaginabile che se ci fossero truppe straniere, la loro presenza scatenerebbe nuovi conflitti) ed è immaginabile che non ci sarà per anni visto che, in particolare la polizia, è indietro con l’addestramento delle nuove unità. E’ emblematica per la sua natura “micro”, iperlocalistica. In Afghanistan non ci sono tribù centralizzate come quelle sunnite in Iraq e quindi non basta un accordo per pacificare un’area, a volte ce ne vogliono centinaia.
Inoltre è evidente che la piccola dimensione può aiutare a non distogliere truppe per controllare aree inaccessibili e dal terreno montagnoso (che a parità di superficie moltiplica le forze necessarie) e soprattutto può evitare che crescano nuovi signori della guerra.

Ricordiamo che il generale McKiernan, precedente comandante delle truppe americane ed Isaf nel paese, aveva lanciato un progetto del genere (tra grandi polemiche e discussioni) nel gennaio scorso nella provincia di Logar, esperimento di cui si è persa traccia.

Festa heineken / amigos / casal que adoro / Amigos ti / diversão.

Adorei !

Con el propósito de mejorar la Seguridad y el Tránsito de vehículos, presentamos las siguientes normas que esperamos san respetadas por todos

NORMAS DE CIRCULACIÓN

• No circular por el recinto del colegio fuera de los horarios de entrada y salida de los alumnos, se ruega tengan  puntualidad a la hora de acudir al colegio para evitar atascos y para no interferir en las actividades de los alumnos
• Moderen la velocidad pues no se trata de una vía pública sino de un acceso a unas instalaciones privadas
• Recuerden que en todo momento tienen preferencia de tránsito los padres y alumnos que lo hagan a pie

NORMAS DE ESTACIONAMIENTO

• Prohibido aparcar en las calles de acceso, más concretamente en la rampa de salida del colegio
• Existe un Parking situado en la zona superior del colegio con 57 plazas, observamos que en pocas ocasiones se llena, pues los padres prefieren aparcar en las canchas de fútbol y baloncesto, éstas son para que jueguen lo alumnos no para los coches y sólo se pueden utilizar en ocasiones especiales en que el volumen de vehículos lo requiera
• No está permitido bajar con los vehículos a la zona de estacionamiento de autobuses, salvo en ocasiones en que una limitada movilidad del alumno lo requiera

ANA armed escort.

It was a brisk morning and the mercury was holding steady about 26 degrees.  We ate a hot breakfast and prepared for the next leg of our trip.  We met up with our US escort to finalize the details.  The route clearance guys (IED hunters) would go in front of us and actively search for IEDs implanted in the culverts and along the road.  As fast as the IED

Road leading to district center.

hunters dispose of the IEDs, the insurgents wait until they pass and reseed the road with these lethal home-made bombs composed of two types of fertilizer and diesel fuel.  The fertilizer is cheaper than a bag of flour and is abundant in country and available anywhere for resale.

We aligned the convoy and picked up additional ANA troops and vehicles

We got ourselves a convoy!

along with some commercial trucks transporting food and drink supplies for the troops at the Charkh District Center.  In all, we had over 30 vehicles in our convoy.  As we traveled down the dusty dirt road, our gunners were given an opportunity to fire the crew serve weapons at the mountain side to ensure the machine guns were functioning properly.  My gunner who is an AF SSgt enjoyed this part of the trip.

Village children by their house door.

The terrain was barren and desert like, but the IED craters in the road were a reminder that the enemy was somewhere in the vicinity and didn’t want us traveling to their town.  We turned off the dirt road on to an asphalt one that would lead us directly into the village center.  I was surprised to see the abundance of the trees and orchards that paralleled this road.   The village children came out of their houses to watch as our armed convoy passed by.  One small boy had a wood switch in his hand and used his other hand motioning for us to get out.  It was as though he wanted to whip us with his stick!  Look at the picture to see the seriousness on his face, it was unforgettable and made us chuckle at

Afghan boy who wanted to whip us.

the time.

As we approached the combat outpost, the road turned into talcum powder like sand.  This caused the tires to spin, thus creating dust clouds making visibility difficult.  I tried to capture this with my camera, but there was so much dust, you can’t see the vehicle in front of us.  We arrived safely at the camp and set up our gear in a nearby tent.  While eating our MREs, we heard a torrent of machine gun fire.  We were certain there was a shooting range nearby and they were practicing their marksmanship.  This was not the case.  Our escorts departed the FOB and drove about 1 kilometer and they were attacked by small-arms fire.  One of the US gunners was injured by shrapnel and after the fire fight was sent to the medical clinic at FOB Shank an hour’s drive away.   I was informed the soldier is going to be fine.

Outside of school.

It was obvious our presence wasn’t welcome.  This was the first time, the FOB had attempted a VMO and HA distribution since being set up earlier in the year.  But this wasn’t going to discourage us, so we walked next door to the VMO site.  It was a 2-story modern looking school.  An Army LT explained that the insurgents previously

Modern classroom.

riddled the school full of bullet holes.  Since then, the holes have been patched, windows replaced, new desks purchased, and the school was painted.  The villagers may have reached an agreement with the Taliban to permit their children to attend the school, because it hasn’t been attacked since.  The Charkh DC is composed of a 178 miles

Afghan women villagers in burqas.

of populated villages (pop. 40,000), orchards, deserts, and mountains.  There are approximately 30-40 hardcore extremists who try to control the district and about 100 other insurgents who seem to take turns attacking the coalition forces.  In addition, there are over 500 sympathizers who provide some sort of assistance to the

Carrying in school supplies.

anti-government militants.

My ETT team along with the ANA unloaded medicines, blankets, clothing, and school supplies from the 7-ton truck and stored them inside the school building.  The ANA doctors and US medics were busy setting up the pharmacy and the treatment rooms.  The

Afghan teenagers who hate Americans.

village women and children would be treated on one side and the Afghan men and boys would be treated on the other side.  After they received their medications, they would visit the HA center.

While the team was preparing the site, I ventured down to the entry control point to take some pictures.  There were several boys perched on top of the mud-brick wall motioning for my attention.  I walked over to them along with my interpreter Omid.  The boys were demanding “rawdios” and callum (radios and pens).  The radios are one of the most popular items we hand out, because it has a manual crank and doesn’t require electricity.  I didn’t have any radios or pens to hand out.  But I saw this as an opportunity to create some dialogue.  I inquired whether they liked Americans or not.  The oldest teenager responded and my interpreter was hesitant to translate.  I insisted he translate word for word.  The translation was “I hate Americans”.  At first I was a bit disgruntled and thought to myself, “You hate Americans, but you want our HA and medicines we give out”.  Instead, I told him, that I respect your opinion and wanted to know more.  Here is a generalization of our conversation:

Me:  Why do you hate Americans?

Boy:  Because you are a non-believer.

Me:  (Recalling my conversation with ANA mullah)  I am not a non-believer, I just have a

different book than you do.  (Referring to the Bible for Christians and the Koran for Muslims)

Boy:  It doesn’t matter; I am supposed to hate Americans.

Me:  Why do you say that?

Boy:  Because the village mullah teaches us this way.  (In the interim, another younger boy interjects)

Young Boy:  (Talking to older boy)  Don’t tell him that because he won’t give us a radio or a pen.

Me:  Come here tomorrow when we are open and I will give you a radio and other HA.

The VMO/HA site was set up and the doors were secured.  Afterward, I joined in a friendly game of volleyball with the ANA and ANP.  Despite being 44 and 7/8 years old, I was still able to block their spikes and hold my own.  Meanwhile my teammates went to eat and after volleyball I would do the same.

After chow, I was in the small computer and phone center.  Suddenly the windows rattled and a large explosion was heard.  An Army Specialist came running inside and yelled for everyone to leave and grab their gear because we were under attack.  I was in a bit of a pickle because my body armor, helmet, and my M-4 rifle were secured in the tent.  To get to the tent, I would have to pass by the Entry Control Point (ECP) where all the action was taking place.  Instead, I decided to take cover in the small concrete wall room along with two of my interpreters.  I was still armed with my M-9 pistol, so if an ambush would take place, I could still defend myself at a very short range.  The insurgents were using air burst Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG) to try and take out the guard towers and the ECP.  The soldiers on duty opened up with a deafening reverberation of 50 caliber machine guns.  There were several large booms.  Admittedly, I was a bit scared and so were my interpreters as they hunched down low and took cover under a wood platform supporting a computer.  It was like everything was in slow motion.  The attack only lasted for 10-15 minutes, but it was agonizing.  So many thoughts flashed through my head.  My biggest worry was an errant RPG because they are inaccurate and unpredictable.  I thought about my lovely wife Liisa and about our future vacation plans in a few weeks.  I pulled out my gold cross she gave me and said a small prayer.  Then just as quickly as it happened the gunfire was silent and we waited another 15 minutes until an all clear was given.  Unknown to me at the time, my teammates were huddled in a bunker wearing all of their body armor.

Afterwards the Army soldiers were yelling “Hooah” and talking about the attack and previous attacks.  I recall one soldier bragging about #67.  It had been several weeks since they last attacked and it was obvious this one was meant for us and to instill fear in the villagers and discourage them from coming out to the VMO site.

We returned to our tent and I looked at the various expressions on my teammate’s faces.  I’m sure several of them experienced the same thing I did, but probably won’t admit it.  We settled down for the night and lit the wood burning stove.  This proved to be quite a chore since we didn’t have kindling and resorted to dipping the large wood chunks into diesel fuel.  The stove was too small to heat the large tent and the 2 foot flames being emitted from the flu might possibly catch the tent on fire.  The Army 1^st Sgt managed to find a diesel fuel connector but the amount of heat it provided was dismal at best.  You had to be 6 inches from the stove to feel the heat.  It was freezing outside and not much better in our tent.  It was going to be a cold night.

Cred ca de ziua ta nu iti doresti nimic in afara de oameni dragi. Oameni care sa-ti zambeasca din tot sufletul, oameni care stiu cat de mult inseamna pentru tine. Cred ca am avut cea mai frumoasa zi de nastere. Cadouri, zambete, imbratisari prelungi, oameni la care tin enorm si care ma fac sa plang numai cand se uita la mine.

M-am bucurat enorm ca G si-a mutat pentru cateva zile catrafusele de la Bucuresti. E unul dintre cei mai importanti pentru mine.

Nici ea, cea de la 800 de kilometri, n-a uitat de mine si m-a facut sa izbucnesc in plansete de emotie inca de dimineata, atunci cand i-am citit e-mailul in care a cuprins atatea sentimente, incat nu le-ai putea desena nici in culori.

Iar fetele, fetele m-au imbratisat de cel putin 20 de ori. M-au facut sa realizez din nou cat de importante sunt adevaratele prietenii. Stiam asta, doar ca am un sentiment asa, furnicator cand imi reamintesc. Si apoi  sunt mandra de mine. Pentru ca prietenii mei sunt cei mai frumosi, cei mai intelepti, cei mai fermecatori. Pentru ca intotdeauna se gandesc la toate.

Iar mama , ea mi-a zis ca ma iubeste.

In rest, am un ras diabolic de fiecare data cand realizez ca si-a mai adus cineva aminte de mine. Ma emotionez irecuperabil.

Am ajuns din nou la varsta 0.

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1den1e community as 1den1e, 16 ekim, 1974, 1995, 2008, 2009, 3G, amerika turnesi, alicia, advertising, ad, abdullah gül, ABD, animasyon, Avrupa, avrupa birliği, aşkı memnu, “barack, barackbush, behlül, beyoğlu, beşir, bihter, bilgi, bilim, bobiler, Bush, cannes film festivali, CNBC, damgasını vuran şarkı, diyalog, dizi, domuz, Dünya Gıda Günü, edward maya, eklenti, en iyi, Ermeni, ev manzaraları, facebook, fal, film, foto, fotoğraf, george, gıda, gıda mühendisleri odası, gif, gizli kamera, GMO, gossip girl, GPS, gribi, grip, grup indirimi, günün lafı, haber, hakan utku, hocalı katliamı, Honda Accord, ilginç, Isa, Istanbul, jackson, kapitalizm, kareler, karikatür, Kevin Costner, kısa film, kombi, Komik, Konser, kumru, Kuş, köşe yazısı-makale, meclis konuşması, meslek etiği, micael, mizah, Mona Lisa, müzik, Nezle, Nihal, nostradamus, Obama,

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