Two more song's lyrics

These two come from Toby Keith. The last time I did this I broke it down by verse and chorus and then blogger went right ahead and changed it so I'm not going to waste my time with these two.

They are kinda country, but very patriotic. I listen to them before every mission in my truck now. So without further ado, here we go.

Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue:

Verse 1:

• American girls and American guys
  
• we'll always stand up and salute
  
• we'll always recognize
  
• when we see old glory flying
  
• there's a lot of men dead
  
• so we can sleep in peace at night when we lay down our head
  

• My daddy served in the Army
  
• but he lost his right eye
  
• but he flew a flag out in our yard until the day that he died
  
• he wanted my mother, my brother, my sister and me
  
• to grow up and live happy in the land of the free
  

• Now this Nation that I love has fallen under attack
  
• a mighty sucker punch came flyin' in from somewhere in the back
  
• soon as we could see clearly through our big black eye
  
• man we lit up your world like the Fourth of July
  

Chorus:

• And Uncle Sam put your name at the top of his list
  
• and the Statue of Liberty started shaking her fist
  
• and the Eagle will fly and there is going to be hell
  
• when you hear Mother Freedom start ringin' her bell
  
• and it'll feel like the whole wide world is raining down on you
  
• brought to you courtesy of the Red, White and Blue
  

Verse 2:

• Justice will be served
  
• and the battle will rage
  
• this big dog will fight
  
• when you rattle his cage
  
• you'll be sorry you messed with the US of A
  
• 'cuz we'll put a boot in your @$$
  
• it's the American way
  

Repeat Chorus

Next Song, American Soldier:

Verse 1:

• I'm just trying to be a father
  
• raise a daughter and a son
  
• be a lover to their mother
  
• everything to everyone

• Up and out bright and early
  
• I'm all business in my suit
  
• yeah I'm dressed up for success
  
• from my head down to my boots

• I don't do it for the money
  
• there's bills that I can't pay
  
• I don't do it for the glory
  
• I just do it anyway

• Providing for our futures
  
• my responsibility
  
• yeah I'm real good under pressure
  
• being all that I can be

• I can't call in sick on Monday when the weekend's been to strong
  
• I just work straight on through the holidays
  
• sometimes all night long
  
• you can bet that I stand ready
  
• when the wolf cries at the door
  
• yeah I'm solid and I'm steady
  
• and I'm true right down to the core

• And I will always do my duty no matter what the price
  
• I've counted up the costs
  
• I know the sacrifice
  
• Oh and I don't wanna die for you
  
• but if dying's asked of me
  
• I'll bear the cross with honor
  
• 'cuz Freedom don't come free
  

Chorus:

• I'm an American Soldier an American
  
• beside my brothers and my sisters
  
• I will proudly take a stand
  
• when Liberty's in jeopardy
  
• I will always do what's right
  
• I'm out here on the front lines
  
• sleep in peace tonight
  
• American Soldier I'm an American Soldier
  

Repeat Chorus

It's HERE!!!

The MacBook arrived yesterday. I was out working and since it was insured I had to wait until this morning to pick it up, which was pure torture to be sure. So once I took care of some work business this morning I took myself to the Battalion mail room to sign for my package. Which among other things from my dearest wife included the laptop and 4Gb of RAM to upgrade it with. I ran to my room and began to unpack everything. At first glance it's hard to like the cosmetics of the MacBook, but then I realized that's because I've become so accustomed to black or graphite colored laptops that the white set me back a bit. Plus there aren't a thousand colored lights and dozens of extra buttons that no one will ever use either. What it does have is exactly what anyone would need, exactly where the would look for it. The keys press effortlessly and are large and well spaced, even some one with fingers my length can enjoy the keyboard.

I'm absolutely giddy, and it's even faster now that I installed the 4Gb of RAM. I ran it through its setup program and played with it a bit as it was to make sure everything was going to be operational before I opened it up and upgraded it. I haven't figured out how to turn on the keyboard backlight yet, but if it's anything like the rest of this laptop, or my iPod for that matter, it'll probably come on all by itself when it notices it that the room is dark.

A big thanks needs to go out here to Larry and Judy Hand, aka Mother and Father-in-law, for loaning us some of the money for the laptop until we get our tax return or my next payment for my sign on bonus. This laptop surfs the internet as fast as I've seen over here and is just sooo Mac lol.

The best part of this is now I can take my time to finish fixing the Acer so that I can get my photos, music, and movies out of it. The photos are the most important but the rest wouldn't be bad either. Actually, given more thought, what I will probably do is take the pieces home with me on R&R and get the adapters I need to connect the laptop hard drive to my desktop. That should be the easiest way to get the files off the drive.

Also, a note for Diana and others, well two actually; first, I haven't yet found a version of MSN messenger for the MAC, go figure Microsoft doesn't readily offer its software for Apple products; and second, I cannot for the life of me remember my e-mail password. I have Yahoo! Messenger installed and if you wouldn't mind Di, I could really use the e-mail password.

Thank you all so much for the support and understanding while I have been without internet in my room. I'm going to go play now, I'm in love with my new laptop already.

Just another day in Iraq

I'm using the internet when I can at the MWR, it's free but limited on time. Diana has sent a replacement laptop which I'm looking to see mid-next week if all goes well. It's an Apple, so I'm giddy of course. Also I'm researching what it's going to take to turn the satelite dish I have into internet access of my own, it'll be faster and I can control it, two positives.

In the meantime, I'm logging up more and more missions, my driving continues to improve, if that's possible. Ok conceeded I know but what the heck, it's my blog, you have a different opinion, make your own post. Life is mostly the same over here, with the exception of a curfew for soldiers now (which I'm sure will blow over). Apparently two dumbasses managed to wander off and get themselves killed on the FOB and now we can't have anyone in our rooms after 2100 and we can't be out past 2300. That's 9:00pm and 11:00pm for the civilians reading. It sucks because that's when we really have time to spend with each other, but at least we can hang out at the MWR and play pool and watch movies.

Pray the laptop shows up on time and I should be able to get back to having regular internet access, which will mean I can read and return e-mails again and start using the web cam occasionally as well.

From Iraq:

PFC. Pahman, Jesse C.
United States, Army
Camp Liberty, Iraq

Much News

Dear Friends and Family,

It's been a little over a week and there is much to report.

First and foremost my laptop has broken, it fell off of my bed and the power connection pushed all the way inside of it, so as it stands now I have no laptop. Currently I am borrowing a friend's but it's only for an hour or two at a time. I've begun to try to repair it, but it may be a moot point. News has come down that our platoon is being moved to Taji to rejoin the rest of the company. The problem with this is that there is no internet in Taji. The provider up there turned out to be a terrorist, nice huh? They were taking the soldier's money for the internet and giving it over to the enemy.

Everyone in my platoon, the company we are with, and the battalion here is fighting this move. The problem is that the order has come down from a Brigade level. It seems our Captain Hernandez knows people in high places. I could go into the safety reasons of why we shouldn't move but I'm not sure how much of that I can really discuss. What I can say is this: We've been doing such a good job here in VBC that we've been requested so often by other FOBs that we cannot support the work load. As such a call went out for more trucks. 16 more trucks are on their way here so we will have a total of 24. The powers that be in Taji saw this as the perfect time to get us back. We're fighting this move tooth and nail, but it seems all we're going to end up doing is slowing this down. The worst part of this is it's a slap in the face. How can you look a group of people in the face and say, "you are doing such good work that we need to bring more trucks here to support the work load, oh and by the way, you all won't be the ones doing the work anymore, we're going to bring in an activated reserve unit of infantrymen". I dunno, it's just a raw deal. I'll post up news when I can but there is no internet in Taji and for now my laptop is still down. I love you all and I'll keep fighting the good fight.