Juxtaposition

I noted earlier that I have been watching way too much of The Office lately. I am totally hooked. Basically, at this point, I am just trying to get through the rest of Season Three and finish the unfortunately short Season Four so I can focus on all kinds of self-improvement and that kind of stuff. In my opinion, the people who write that show are total geniuses. What I have noticed more than anything (and maybe it stands out so much because I have seen so many episodes in such a short time) is the use of juxtaposition. There are so many situations where one character is dealing with some kind of a problem (often relationship issues) and the situation is either mirrored, or contrasted by another character. I would love to spend a whole week writing down examples, but I would really be wasting a whole lot of time. It is funny, and frustrating, that I have always wanted to be a writer, and the last few weeks I have realized how much I would enjoy writing reviews and essays on books, movies, or even TV shows. The only problem is I totally suck. Oh well, I guess it gives me something to think about. I wish I wasn’t interested in so many things. It would make deciding what to study and all that much, much easier.

Anyway.

Peace.

So, I just remembered that the names of episodes also have multiple meanings. It is all so well contrived. Wow.

Wasting my time...

One of the many challenges most soldiers face during a deployment is boredom. It seems you are either very, very busy, or you have absolutely nothing to do. I guess that is where the whole discipline thing ought to take over. Honestly, I am not doing so hot with that right now. I have spent quite a bit of time running and working out and stuff, which is a good thing, but also quite a bit of time with my friends from Dunder Mifflin and eating junk food. I know I have announced an intent to quit the crap food, but some days go better than others.

So the challenge is to find the most appropriate way to deal with the boredom. I think that this next year will be a great opportunity for me to grow. The struggle is staying focused on the things that matter most.

I have some goals that I would definitely like to accomplish. I want to run my two mile in under 14 minutes. I want to be able to do 20 pull-ups. I want to lose at least 30 pounds. I want to get all my GEs out of the way so I can come home and finish school as quickly as possible.

This next year will probably be the most challenging time of my life. I will have certain duties and responsibilities that will be mandated by leadership, but I will also have the opportunity to improve myself.

I have been given a year to grow. I have to leave my family and many of my personal comforts. I will in many ways be less than a prisoner. One thing that becomes clearer to me with each day is the sacrifices that are made in the name of freedom. I think it would be fair to say that soldiers will potentially sacrifice life, liberty, and pursuit of their own personal happiness, in the name of freedom.

I struggle sometimes because I struggle to understand my country. I have very strong ideals and are sometimes ashamed at the things that are done under the auspices of security, freedom, and democracy.

I don't understand war. I don't know all the reasons we fight. I believe we, as a people, have a long, long way to go towards pursuing that elusive "more perfect union." I don't know all the reasons and motivations for the wars we are now fighting. What matters most to me is I fight because I believe in America, at least in the dream of what America could, and should be.

Anyway. My family has sacrificed much. They will sacrifice even more before this is all through. I will no longer waste my time.

I will however still allow myself some time with Michael, Pam, Jim, Stanley, Angela, Phyllis, Meredith, Dwight, Creed, Oscar, Toby, and all my other pals at Dunder Mifflin. Just maybe not quite so much.

Peace.

The Written Word

I said it would be easier for me to pick a favourite book. It is. Sort of. I have a few favourites. There are reasons for each.

Les Miserables is always way up there on my list. I love Les Miserables because it is, in my opinion, the ultimate epic of redemption. I generally love romantic literature, and Hugo is the master of Romantic novelists. If I were too ever get a tattoo, it would likely be the numbers 24601. It is a goal of mine to someday read Hugo in French.

Lolita. People usually give me crap about this one. They can't get past the whole pedophile thing. Granted, Humbert Humbert is definitely one sick pervo, but Nabokov is the master of prose, and Lolita is his masterpiece.

Doctor Zhivago - I have to write about this one later. I don't even know where to start. If I could recommend one book, this is it. Boris Pasternak. Doctor Zhivago.

Anything by Dostoevsky. I have never had a book mess with my head like Crime and Punishment did when I read it as a senior in high school. The Brothers Karamazov is probably the most perfect novel ever written. The Idiot is awesome, albeit very, very Russian. Dostoevsky is a great story unto himself. He once stood in front of a firing squad, sentenced to death for subversion. His sentence was commuted to hard labour in Siberia. His insights on capital punishment, which occasionally arise in his books, are hauntingly personal. Dostoevsky, more than anybody, shaped my stance on capital punishment. I will write on that, as well as Dostoevsky later.

I would also have to recommend Reading Lolita in Tehran, by Azar Nafisi, and The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini. I will hit these books, along with Chaim Potok's Asher Lev books, later. I am not procrastinating. I just want to do my research.

These are my suggestions. I recommend any of the above-mentioned books. I am always open to suggestions as well. I am always looking for a great book.

Peace.

re: Still on the Wagon

For those who have possibly become worried about me, I have not really been not sleeping lately. I am also not really concerned my Platoon Sergeant is trying to eat my spleen and I do not have a case of the itchies. I was just reading about heroin withdrawal and amplifying my sugar withdrawal symptoms in a failed attempt at humour.

I sincerely apologize to any recovering heroin addicts I may have offended (however since nobody actually reads this blog, I guess I am not really all that concerned).

Peace.

Still on the Wagon

Well,

I have been off the sugar for about 20 hours now. I think I am doing pretty well, aside from the random muscle cramps. I think my Platoon Sergeant is trying to kill me because he wants to eat my spleen, but otherwise I am doing awesome. I itch all over and have not slept in 72... I mean 48 hours but, hey, life is great.

Peace.

Sugaholics Anonymous

Hello. My name is Joe, and I'm a sugarholic.

Just so you know, I'm quitting sugar, at least high-sugar products. The way they make food nowadays it would almost be impossible to quit sugar (at least in the Army). But candy and pop and all that great stuff. No more. Same with chips and fries and junk. I will need support. I have not figured out how you can stage an intervention via blog yet but if you can figure it out...

Anyway, any of you who are becoming cardiologists or dentists probably think this is a bad idea as it could cost you a rather profitable customer. Tough beans. My pancreas will thank me.

Peace

Favorites

Hello everybody!

So, I have been thinking the last little while about trees and birds and little bunnies and stuff like that and also about my favorite things (I prefer the British ou spelling in general so perhaps I should say favourite things -- even though the stupid blogger spell-checker thingy does not like favourite). I have come to the conclusion it is very difficult for me to list my favourite things. I really like books and music so those probably top the list, at least in the arena of humanly created objects. In the arena of music however, I cannot even come up with a favourite genre.

I guess my favourite music group would have to be U2. Among U2 songs, however, it is extremely difficult for me to chose a favourite. I think "God Part II" has probably influenced me more than any other U2 song, probably more than any one song period. A lot of my semi-radical social ideals were likely awakened by the lyrics (lyric as they would say in Ireland) to that song. I really like "Running to Stand Still" and "One Tree Hill", and even "Exit". "Bad" is just awesome. My favourite U2 love song is definitely "All I want is You" (which is not really all that difficult because it seems most U2 songs that are your Prom Theme type songs aren't really that great of love songs if one actually listens to the lyrics).

John Lennon's "Imagine" is among my favourite non-U2 songs but that is kind of way too popular, so that just seems too easy. I really like "Disarm" by the Smashing Pumpkins. The entire Toxicity album by System of a Down blows my mind. It is likely my favourite non-U2 album but I think the Cranberries' No Need to Argue is also a great album. The Counting Crows Films about Ghosts is great too but it is a greatest hits collection so it doesn't quite count. My favourite Country song would definitely have to be "The Dance" by Garth Brooks.

As I have been typing too, many songs have run through my head, trying to make their case for #1. Five for Fightings' "Superman", "9 Crimes" by Damien Rice, both awesome. "Welcome to the Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance. I almost forgot about the Killers, who are probably my favourite new group out there... I give up. Music rules. Tomorrow I will write on books. That should be easier. I have definitely read far fewer books than I have listened to songs.

Anyway. If any of you out there are more decisive than me, and have some favourite song recommendations, or any music recommendations in general, I would appreciate them.

Peace.

Waxing Political

I apologize in advance for the possible triteness of this post. I am a little grumpy and that tends to intensify the causticity of my rantings.

I noticed yesterday that one of my friends on Facebook has joined a group called Stop Hillary Clinton: (One Million Strong AGAINST Hillary). I am not particularly a Hillary Clinton fan, but I cannot help but wonder what the purpose of such a group could be. In my opinion it would be much more prudent to put any effort toward supporting whatever candidate you believe in than to join some organization dedicated to preventing the candidacy of somebody you don't like. I tend to wonder how many of the people that would belong to such a group know the reason why exactly they are so violently against Hillary Clinton. It would seem to me that there are people in both parties in much more prominent political positions than Senator Clinton who are guilty or corruptions, failures, and atrocities she has not even approached. Anyway... I guess it is all about what makes you feel hapy about yourself.

I personally like Obama. I liked Bill Richardson too, but he was obviously a long, long, long shot. The thing that really got me for Obama was his statement that he would engage nations like Iran and Cuba in dialog. I know that our policy of thumbing our noses at countries and saying we won't talk to them on any terms but our own has worked so well in the past. Especially when we are "friends" and have valuable trade agreements with such bastions of freedom and protectors of human rights as China, Paki(let's prosecute rape victims for adultery)stan and Saudi (don't even get me started) Arabia. I guess Caveman (walk drunkenly and flail madly about with a 40 pound club) Diplomacy has worked marvelously for us the last few years.

Anyway, enough. US Foreign Policy always gets me going. Who needs consistency, right.

Have a nice day.

Invictus

"Invictus" was written by British poet William Ernest Henley. Henley contracted tuberculosis of the bone at age 12. He eventually had to have a foot amputated as a result. Still, he led a long, fruitful life. (Click here to read Wikipedia article about William Ernest Henley)

I feel this poem exhibits a wonderful defiance in the face of adversity. Please check it out.

Invictus

Personal Request

Howdy howdy. I have a little request. If you happen to, by some misfortune, actually know me personally, I request that you refrain from posting comments of a personal nature. I appreciate hearing from all y'all and stuff, but I would prefer if you sent personal comments to my e-mail.

Peace, and thank you.

Poetry

I love words. I love poetry. I think I will occasionally post a poem here or there. I love this one by Yeats. It is a good one. Enjoy!

An Irish Airman Foresees his Death

Introduction...

Hello,

My name is Joseph. I am called Joe or Merkley or Merk. I am a husband, a father, a dreamer, and a soldier, basically in that order. I am also an idealistic, and like most idealists, a fool. I joined the Army not long after 9/11. I did not join the Army for glory, or honor, or revenge. I joined the Army because, as I mentioned earlier, I am a dreamer, an idealist, and a fool. I joined the Army because I believe in freedom, truth, and justice. I firmly espouse the values of liberte, egalite, fraternite.

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly called the Mormons), and as such I consider myself a Christian. There may be those who argue with that assertion but that is of no significance to me. I believe in Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I believe him to be an example of perfect manhood. No man or woman has the right to judge the depth or sincerity of my faith. I seek in no way to defend or justify my beliefs. I know all too well that even the mighty and learned are unworthy of and incapable of sufficiently expounding and defending the truth. The Lord himself was often unsuccessful in convincing others of the veracity and justness of his "good-news", particularly in the case of those who considered themselves wise and learned in matters of religion.

Though I am a soldier, I am no lover of war. I am a lover of peace and freedom. I believe that the basic principles on which this country were founded were inspired of God. I believe every human being born into this world to be a child of the same God. I do not believe that the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are the inherent rights of all people, regardless of national origin, gender, or ethnicity. I believe habeus corpus to be a divinely appointed and just right. I believe that torture is in all cases wrong. I believe that Americans, especially members of the United States Military, must treat all men, women, and children, to include the enemy, in a humane manner. I believe that anybody who promotes the denial of rights such as habeus corpus, who would advocate any practice that even borders on torture, who would deny constitutional and divinely appointed rights in the name of security, or justifies them as being necessary in the prosecution of the "Global War on Terror" is gravely mistaken and is doing much to support the cause of those terrorists we would seek to prevent, stop, and destroy. I believe that America will be great as a nation only if we hold ourselves to a ridiculously high standard. If we would be a light unto the world, a beacon of freedom and democracy, we must unwaveringly espouse and defend the principles of same. As I said, I am an idealist, a dreamer, and a fool.

My intent in starting this blog is to give me a clearinghouse for various thoughts and rants that might come to mind. If anybody reads what I have to write, good, I hope you benefit. If you disagree with something I have to say, I respectfully ask you to approach me in a productive manner. I welcome criticism, but please make it productive. I enjoy didactic and dialog. My only disclaimer is everything I write is based on my personal perceptions. I do not claim that my thoughts are representative of the LDS Church, the US Army, or any other organization to which I may belong or which I might mention.

Peace.