Bryan Strawser

Over in Iraq, Army Chaplain Brad Lewis is blogging his experiences - in this entry he writes of dealing with the aftermath of the suicide bombing in Mosul:

After a few tense moments people began to move around again and the business of patching bodies and healing minds continued in earnest. As I stood talking with some other chaplain, an officer approached and not seeing us, yelled, “Is there a chaplain around here?” I turned and asked what I could do. He spoke to us and said that another patient had just been moved to the “expectant” list and would one of us come pray for him. I walked in and found him lying on the bed with a tube in his throat, and no signs of consciousness. There were two nurses tending to him in his final moments. One had a clipboard so I assumed she’d have the information I wanted. I turned to her and asked if she knew his name. Without hesitation the other nurse, with no papers, blurted out his first, middle, and last name. She had obviously taken this one personally. I’ll call him “Wayne”. I placed my hand on his head and lightly stroked his dark hair. Immediately my mind went to my Grandpa’s funeral when I touched his soft grey hair for the last time. And for the second time in as many hours I prayed wondering if it would do any good, but knowing that God is faithful and can do more than I even imagine.

God be with you Brad….

Via Little Green Footballs comes this little tidbit from the New York Sun:

Furious students and faculty members at the Borough of Manhattan Community College are demanding that the school abandon plans for a certificate program on security management. They view it as an endorsement of the Bush administration’s Department of Homeland Security.

Like hundreds of other community colleges across the nation since the September 11 attacks, the two-year CUNY school in Lower Manhattan is hoping to take advantage of the surging demand for security training. The school’s faculty proposed a program in May that would teach students about threats to homeland security and how to counter them.

At a school where the student government headquarters is decorated with a poster of a tortured Abu Ghraib prisoner and another that calls President Bush a “madman,” some students and faculty members have reacted to the proposed program with intense suspicion.

While those who proposed the program argue that it will offer BMCC students sought-after skills to help them find jobs in the security industry, critics say the program is an oppressive outgrowth of the Department of Homeland Security.

I’m a security professional by trade - educated at Indiana University’s Department of Criminal Justice. This has to be one of the most ridiculous political moves I’ve ever seen made by a community college before.

The security industry continues to grow and expand - organizations such as the American Society for Industrial Security are helping to lead this effort. Obviously at this community college, they have more important priorities - and those priorities are not their students.

The New York Times is reporting on Hamas’s strong showing in the local Palestinian Elections today:

The militant group Hamas made a surprisingly strong showing in local Palestinian elections, according to preliminary results obtained Friday,

signaling a drop in popularity for the ruling Fatah movement before next month’s presidential poll.

[...]

According to preliminary results obtained by The Associated Press, Fatah won a majority of council seats in 14 towns, while Hamas, taking part for the first time in Palestinian elections, took control in nine.

[...]

Hamas has been at the forefront of anti-Israeli violence, carrying out suicide bombings and other attacks, even as it has emerged as the strongest political challenger to Fatah, the Palestinian Liberation Organizations faction formerly led by Yasir Arafat.

This is democracy? Hamas elected to lead nine towns.

Wake me up please.

As you can tell by the new look and feel - and the new layout - I’ve decided to make a few changes over here.

I’ve been blogging for well over two years now - this blogs 3rd anniverary will come in January I believe. As has always been the case for me, the end of each year and the changing of the calendar is a time of deep introspection and renewal for me. In the blogosphere at least, this will result in some changes here.

I’m not sure that I’m going to keep the current look and feel - but it will at least serve as a bridge for the time being. There will be more changes to come as I tweak the layout, re-add the blogroll, music selections, and some other goodies.

For certain, some things are gone and won’t be seen again - the moblog is gone as my current cell phone doesn’t have a camera. The sidekick has been encouraging me to post a picture of the day and I may give into that pressure as well. You know women, there’s always pressure

One of my resolutions for next year is to write less often - yet more meaningfully. I’m inspired by what I’ve read at the indomitable EjectEjectEject and his first book Silent America. While I will never be the writer that Bill Whittle is.. I do have much that I feel I can contribute.

But first, this design has to be locked down.

More to come!

Hang on tight as we’re about to change the look and feel over here.

More to come.

First thing I remember was asking papa why

For there were many things I didn’t know.

And daddy always smiled and took me by the hand

Saying someday you’ll understand.

Well I’m here to tell you now each and every mother’s son

That you better learn it fast you better learn it young

‘Cause someday never comes.

Well time and tears went by and I collected dust.

For there were many things I didn’t know.

When daddy went away, he said, try to be a man,

And someday you’ll understand.

Well I’m here to tell you now each and every mother’s son

That you better learn it fast you better learn it young

‘Cause someday never comes.

And then one day in April, I wasn’t even there,

For there were many things I didn’t know.

A son was born to me. Mama held his hand,

sayin’ someday you’ll understand.

Well I’m here to tell you now each and every mother’s son

That you better learn it fast you better learn it young

‘Cause someday never comes.

Think it was September, the year I went away,

For there were many things I didn’t know.

And still I see him standing tryin’ to be a man,

I said, someday you’ll understand.

Well, I’m here to tell you now, each and every mother’s son,

That you better learn it fast, you better learn it young,

‘Cause someday never comes.

- Credence Clearwater Revival

Hearts are worn in these dark ages

You’re not alone in this story’s pages

The light has fallen amongst the living and the dying

And I’ll try to hold it in, yeah I’ll try to hold it in

The world’s on fire and

It’s more than I can handle

I’ll tap into the water

(Try and bring my share)

I try to bring more

More than I can handle

(Bring it to the table)

Bring what I am able

I watch the heavens but I find no calling

Something I can do to change what’s coming

Stay close to me while the sky is falling

Don’t wanna be left alone, don’t wanna be alone

Hearts break, hearts mend

Love still hurts

Visions clash, planes crash

Still there’s talk of

Saving souls, still the cold

Is closing in on us

We part the veil on our killer sun

Stray from the straight line on this short run

The more we take, the less we become

A fortune of one that means less for some

- Sarah McLachlan - World on Fire

One of my daily reads for a very long time now has been Sgt. Hook.

Until recently, a company first sergeant of an aviation company, Sgt. Hook has brought to life the honorable men and women that serve us today throughout the world. Earlier this year, his unit deployed to Afghanistan where they have served with distinction.

It was clear to me that Hook was a fantastic leader - because he cared deeply about his men and women - and it showed in what he wrote. Some of his tales of courage in leadership and of the sacrifices made by his men remind me of my own humble lessons that I try to teach to my team.

For his leadership, Hook was recently selected for promotion to Sergeant Major.

I’m saddened tonight by his decision to close down his weblog.

Hook, however, ends his time here among the bloggers with one final post. A class act to the end.

Farewell, you’ll be missed…