G.I. Joe, Rise of Cobra

I am kind of a fan of how so many toys and cartoons from my childhood have been updated and made into modern summer (would-be) blockbusters.  G.I. Joe is the latest to get this treatment.  From the looks of this trailer it seems like it will be suitably nostalgic, over the top, and even a bit cheesy.  Huzzah.

Local Commercial Bliss

The wife and I have been trying out some of the local restaurants here in Oklahoma City.  So far it’s been a mixed bag, with our experiences ranging from great to just “meh”.  One of the places that we have not tried is “Mr. Spriggs Barbecue”–which has one of the most interesting commercials I’ve seen for ribs…

So that’s, um, different.  But at least it’s not as bad as this:

What’s new at work…

I’ve been back at Tinker for just over two months.  And it has been a very busy two months.  During these months I’ve gained a lot of experience in the Military Justice and Adverse Actions realms.  So far I’ve been part of two pre-trial confinement hearings (to put people in jail who are considered to be too dangerous to be free while waiting for trial), two administrative discharge boards (which is basically just a firing/retention hearing with a jury), three preferrals (the process where an individual come before his commander and is formally charged with crimes), and I’ve given lots of advice to commanders and first sergeants on nonjudicial punishment and discharges. This is in addition to drafting legal opinions, reviewing paperwork, giving legal assistance to retirees and active duty members, and any number of odd jobs (like working 14 hours overnight on a deployment line…).

Working in Military Justice is stressful, because so much is on the line, and because the whole process moves very quickly.  Although I don’t think I’m an expert by any means, I do feel like I’m getting the hang of things.  And that’s what’s new at work for me.

“Don’t Call Me ‘Ma’am’”

For a member of the military to refer to someone as “Sir” or “Ma’am” is (usually) a sign of respect.  For example, I always address my superiors as “Sir” or “Ma’am”–and I expect the enlisted folks I work with to show that respect to me by calling me “Sir”.

So in watching this clip I can only think that Senator Barbara Boxer is a bit pretentious to refuse this honorific–either that, or she is very out of touch with reality.  Watch and let me know if you think otherwise.

Toyota Prius, Harmony & Petra Haden

I don’t think I need much intro for this, other than to say that I like this commercial.

The singer of this a capella rendition of “Let Your Love Flow” is Petra Haden, and Toyota apparently wants you to have this song stuck in your head for a long time, as they’ve made it free to download at their myspace page.

Palm Pre Review

As promised, here are my thoughts on the Palm Pre.

Things I really like about the Pre:  it’s small (but not too small), and feels good in the hand; the touch screen is easy to use, and the slide out QWERTY keyboard makes typing a breeze; the camera is 3 megapixels and takes photos without interrupting to save; the headphone jack is a standard 3.5mm (so no need to buy a special adapter); WiFi lets me use my home wireless network (and the keyboard makes typing the password simple too); Palm’s webOS is intuitive, pretty, and runs smoothly; transferring data to and from the Pre works just like using a USB flash drive–drag and drop and you’re done; the app store is easy to navigate and use (some of the better apps include YouTube, Fandango, Where, GoogleMaps, Pandora, AmazonMP3, Sprint Navigation, PDF and document viewers).

Things I’m not crazy about:  the high gloss finish on the front and back means the phone looks greasy after just a little touching; the slide out keyboard can feel a little flimsy, like it wouldn’t take much to accidentally break the back from the front; the app store, while easy to use, is grossly lacking in actual applications (as of yesterday, there were only about 15 or 20 apps to choose from) and is still only in beta; the accelerometer (which lets you change the screen orientation from landscape to portrait) only works for a few applications (the camera and web browsing), and not for everything (maybe I’m crazy, but I think it’d be nice to view the music player in landscape…).

Here’s a video review in case you want a more in-depth break down of the Pre.

Our New Dog

The wife and I have been thinking about getting a new dog for a while.  Over the weekend we took the plunge and got a little black cairn terrier from a rescue shelter.  She looks basically like Toto (or like our other dog, but without the wheaten coat).  Here are some pictures.

So far Roxy and Emo are getting along just fine, although Roxy is not completely housebroken (she leaves smelly little “presents” in the kitchen…).

By the way, I took these photos on my new Palm Pre… not to brag or anything… just saying…

Ok, and this last one isn’t actually our dogs–but it was too good not to put up, since it’s basically what Emo and Roxy look like. 

El Capitan

I promoted to the rank of captain on Friday.  Whoo-hoo.  The promotion was actually delayed for over a month, so I am kind of frustrated that it took so long, and I’ve heard that I probably won’t receive back-pay.  Boo.

Still, I was glad to hear that I was approved to pin on and at least I don’t have to answer to “El-tee” anymore.

I Can Has New Phone?

I’m in the market for a new cell phone.  Here are some pictures of the Palm Pre, the current leader on my short list.  It won’t be released until June 6th–and chances are I won’t be an early adopter; I’ll have to wait for the reviews to trickle in before I commit any of my hard-earned moola.  But until then I’m open to suggestions or techno-envy/hate from other smart phone users.

Update:  Okay, so this may make me an “early-adopter” but I picked up the Palm Pre Saturday at the local Best Buy.  (And I was only one of three people to get to do so before the store was sold out.  Which, by the way, seems to be part of the Palm strategy to create an artificially high demand by suppressing the supply of the new Pre… )

So I got a new phone, and I’ll try to post later about some of its cool features.

“Project Natal”

Microsoft, maker of the Xbox 360 and lots of other nifty stuff, looks to be serving up a whole load of smack-down for the Wii and the future of interactive entertainment with the forthcoming “Project Natal”.  Looks pretty ambitious, and I have a hunch that the disclaimer at the start of this video holds more truth than Microsoft would like to admit… but it still looks like a pretty amazing device.  Watch the video and be impressed (even you Erica!).

Paper Towels!

Just when you thought I was done with the “Sham-Wow”/”Slap Chop” posts and parodies…

(Caution for my readers with sensitive little ears nearby–there’s a swear in this video)

Busy Again (With Details!)

So I haven’t blogged in a few days.  And when I have blogged lately it’s been to either post a (hilarious) youtube video, or just to say “I’m really busy at work”.  So for this post, I thought I’d broadly explain what I’ve been so busy doing.

Over the past few weeks at work we’ve had a court-martial for rape and assault; we put three guys in pre-trial confinement (which is kind of unusual in the military); and we’ve been preparing for a handful of upcoming courts on cases ranging from drug use and distribution to domestic assaults, to date rape.  That’s on top of the usual less-exciting legal business we see everyday.  So, as I’ve said, it’s been busy at work, and most nights I don’t leave until 6:30 pm.  A few nights this past month I’ve had to work until 8pm or later…and then come in most days at 6:30 or 7:00 am…  So, when I say things are busy at work, I don’t just mean 8 to 5, punch the clock and go home; I mean I come home too tired to blog or do much of anything that requires thinking.

And, speaking of things that don’t require much thinking, I have managed to squeeze in some play time on the ol’ Xbox 360, playing “Legends of WrestleMania”.  For my friends from the ButterSlide/ Ivy Lane, I highly recommend this game.  It’s pretty simple to pick up and play, but there’s also a good bit of more subtle things to learn as well.  I played through pretty much every mode (from reliving classic WrestleMania matches to surving Hell in a Cell or 30-man Royal Rumble), and collected 1000 gamerpoints in just under a week.  And I got to see some classic WWF/ WWE WrestleMania footage in the process.  To hear “Oh my Gawd J.R.!” from the announcers was truly hilarious…  So even though work is kind of stressful at the moment, I’m managing to blow off steam and maintain my sanity by dropping “the big boot” and playing some “sweet chin music”.  Good times.

“One more game!”

This post is dedicated to those who don’t know when to quit, or, alternatively, just lived through the 90s and have fond memories of this commercial (Bubs!).

P.S.  I promise a real/serious post is coming soon…

Just for Fun: Sonic Commercials

I don’t often eat at Sonic (the “Drive In for a Change” fast food place), but I do enjoy their commercials.  Here are a few of my favorites.

J.A.G. and real life…

There are so many things going on at work, I don’t really have much free time lately.  I will say that being an attorney in the military is not quite as glamorous as the TV show–I’m still waiting on the whole “fly my own jet” thing…

But the work is challenging, with new issues every day.  Right now I’m prepping two courts-martial for the near future.  Most of my classmates from law school who are working in the private sector will never even see the inside of a court room other than as a spectator, let alone to try cases within the first year of practicing law.  So I guess that’s pretty cool.

And the courts are in addition to the normal hubbub of giving legal advice to commanders and first sergeants, legal aid to young (and old) military personnel, and being an officer in the profession of arms.  Yep.

But… still not as cool (or cheesy) as this:

Midweek Fun: “Rap Chop”

A long time ago, in a post far far away I shared about the “Slap Chop” and Vince, the boisterous chap responsible for trying to sell said “Slap Chop”.  Apparently I am not alone in my enjoyment/disgust for all things Slap-Chop, as this mash-up demonstrates.

AWACS Overhead

I’ve been back at Tinker AFB for a week now.  One of the things I kind of missed while being at Maxwell was getting to see huge planes land and take off while driving on base.  The most common plane at Tinker is the E-3 Sentry, more commonly called the AWACS.  While I did not have the savvy to film an AWACS since I’ve been back, I did have the savvy to track down this clip of an AWACS landing, to show off what I’m talking about…

Big things moving through the air, utilizing laws of physics to do a controlled fall… That’s pretty spiffy.

(Post) JASOC Fun

I’m back in OKC, living the good life as acting chief of military justice (sort of) plus my regular duties as chief of adverse actions.  It’s been a very busy few days at Tinker, with very little free time. And yet I have found time to enjoy this little video of some of my JASOC classmates (aka the JASOC “Boys Choir”) during our end-of-course dining out.  Stick with it beyond the first 30 seconds of shaky-cam and it will pay off, I promise. 

JASOC Final Thoughts

Today was the final day of JASOC.  It’s been a long and very busy two months, and I’m eager to get back to Tinker AFB and put my legal training to good use.  And even though I’m very glad to be done, my feelings are mixed–leaving new friends is always sad.

So, aside from great networking, another great thing about JASOC is the way the faculty and other speakers cast such a great overall vision of the JAG Corps.  After two months of Judge Advocate training, if nothing else, I have drank the JAG Corps Kool-Aid. So I’m looking forward to working for the Air Force as an attorney.

Anyway, I’m still waiting on pictures from dining out and graduation, so I’ll update soon (when I’m back in OKC) with pictures and more thoughts on JASOC.

JASOC: T Minus 5 Days

Well I’ve survived eight weeks of learning to be an attorney in the Air Force, and I’m down to the last five days.  Tomorrow we have our final exam, and then it’s pretty much smooth sailing as we finish up some deployment training and administrative matters.  It’s been an intense two months, full of legal assistance, criminal justice, civil law, nonjudicial punishments, and lots of acronyms.  “Busy” is probably the one word I’d use to sum up all of JASOC.  And at this moment I’m very much looking forward to returning to Tinker, where although it will be busy, at least I’ll get to sleep in my own bed, not have to cook three meals a day in either a hotel microwave or eat out, and I’ll have the benefit of working from my own office.  Of course JASOC wasn’t even close to being all bad–the only complaints I have arise from the billeting (again, have you ever tried to cook a healthy meal in the microwave? It’s pretty close to impossible…).  But that’s a minor quibble.  The past few weeks have been a great learning experience.

I’ll post later in the week, after our dining out, with some photos and more thoughts on my time at Maxwell Air Force Base.

Snow (Halo!)

If you’ve followed my blog for any amount of time one thing quickly becomes clear:  I am a nerd.  And I have no shame about proclaiming my nerdiness.  So, part of this shameless nerd-dome is my affinity for all things Halo.  (Yes Erica, I am going to post again about Halo!)

And while I’ve made it clear numerous times on this blog that I’m a big fan of Halo 3, I’d also like to point out that my awesome taste also extends to music:  I’m also a fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.  So what happens when you combine the best of Halo with one of the best songs from RHCP?  Well, I’m glad you asked…

In case you couldn’t tell, this is a cover (with new lyrics) of “Snow (Hey-Oh!)” by the Chili Peppers–lyrics by Palette-Swap Ninja, video by “UseTheFork”.

D.C. Recap

I got back from Washington D.C. over the weekend.  During this JASOC field trip, we were sworn in before the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals and the Court of Appeals of the Armed Forces.  We also got to tour the Supreme Court, the Capitol, the Pentagon, and a handful of monuments/memorials.  Here are a few pictures to highlight where we went.

I know most of these pictures are of “things” as opposed to people–so I’ll try to update this post when I get some of the photos of my classmates and me (assuming folks post pictures on facebook or email them in the near future).

I Am a Real American…

Seems fitting for me to post this video during my time in Washington D.C.  Also fitting because Hulk Hogan is probably the best example of how to be a great American, both now and forever.

Lt McMillan Goes to Washington

I have never been to Washington D.C.  But for the next few days that’s exactly where I’ll be, as the Air Force Judge Advocate General’s School takes me and 74 of my closest fellow AF attorneys to the Capitol and the Pentagon.  We’ll be briefed on a variety of issues, from a variety of briefers, and we’ll get the chance to tour the nation’s capital.  Exciting, in a bookish/touristy kind of way.  I’m really looking forward to this trip, and I’ll try to post some pictures at the end of the week after we return. 

Just for Fun: (Non) Sense

Recommended Reading: “Mere Xianity”

Ah, the “Xian” abbreviation… Probably one of my favorites, from my days as an undergrad, furiously taking notes in one of the handful of religion classes I took.  Aside from a few religion classes, I was also very involved with Chi Alpha Christian Xian Fellowship at FSU.  Chi Alpha exposed me to a wide range of challenging issues and people.  I was also exposed to a large number of books during this time, and I remember trying very hard to absorb all of them. (Anyone else ever have a self-imposed “reading schedule” with the slightly unrealistic goal of a book a week, all while taking classes full time, working part-time, and being an ROTC cadet…?)

So one of those books was C.S. Lewis’ “Mere Christianity”.  Since my days as an undergrad I’ve selectively read (and re-read) portions of this book quite a few times.  I’m currently re-reading the second half, and I’ve really enjoyed good ol’ Clive’s words on Christian philosophy and morality.  I have struggled lately to find time for pretty much anything other than JASOC class and homework;  so reading a chapter or two of this book before bed has been very helpful.

I know C.S. Lewis isn’t the most modern of writers, and the way he writes can sometimes feel a little stilted or odd.  But I highly recommend this book.  I love the logical progression Lewis sets out — he tells what he wants to talk about, then he talks about it, and he defends his position along the way from most of the obvious objections.  Maybe I’ve gotten used to an amount of argumentative bias in reading so many court cases and writing so many arguments myself…  But I like the way Lewis takes a position and then provides logical support for his thoughts, without  resorting to cheap tricks or emotional ploys.

And while “logical” is the catchphrase that best describes Lewis’s style, at the same time, there’s also a strong current of emotional and experiential truth in “Mere Christianity” and many of his other writings.  Want an example of how this looks?  Here’s a sample from the chapter on marriage I read last night.

“What we call ‘being in love’ is a glorious state, and, in several ways, good for us.  It helps to make us generous and courageous, it opens our eyes not only to the beauty of the beloved but to all beauty, and it subordinates (especially at first) our merely animal sexuality; in that sense, love is the great conqueror of lust.  No one in his senses would deny that being in love is far better than either common sensuality or cold self-centeredness.  But, as I said before, ‘the most dangerous thing you can do is to take any one impulse of our own nature and set it up as the thing you ought to follow at all costs’.  Being in love is a good thing, but it is not the best thing.  There are many things below it, but there are also things above it.  You cannot make it the basis of a whole life.  It is a noble feeling, but it is still a feeling.

“Now no feeling can be relied on to last in its full intensity, or even to last at all.  Knowledge can last, principles can last, habits can last; but feelings come and go.  And in fact, whatever people say, the state called ‘being in love’ usually does not last.  If the old fairy-tale ending ‘They lived happily every after’ is taken to mean ‘They felt for the next fifty years exactly as they felt the day before they were married’, then it says what probably never was nor ever would be true, and would be highly undesirable if it were.  Who could bear to live in that excitement for even five years?  What would become of your work, your appetite, your sleep, your friendships?  But, of course, ceasing to be ‘in love’ need not mean ceasing to love.

“Love in this second sense — love as distinct from ‘being in love’ — is not merely a feeling.  It is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by (in Christian marriages) the grace which both partners ask, and receive, from God.  They can have this love for each other even at those moments whey they do not like each other; as you love yourself even when you do not like yourself.  They can retain this love even when each would easily, if they allowed themselves, be ‘in love’ with someone else.  ‘Being in love’ first moved them to promise fidelity:  this quieter love enables them to keep the promise.  It is on this love that the engine of marriage is run: being in love was the explosion that started it.”

Good stuff.  And this is just Lewis addressing Christian marriage– you should hear what he has to say about right and wrong, or forgiveness…or Sigmund Freud!  

The Power of Trust?

I think this video speaks for itself–and it also speaks to the power of a visual aid/joke gone a little too far.

Here’s the website for the “motivational speaker” (comedian) responsible for this little debacle.

Monday, Monday

Looks like somebody has a case of the Mondays.  Or maybe it’s just a case of “the weekend isn’t nearly long enough”.  Probably both.  At any rate, a new week has begun, and I have a fun mock trial today.  Huzzah.  I’m spending the afternoon going through a typical Air Force guilty plea, which is highly scripted (literally…).

I’ve sat in on a few guilty pleas back at Tinker AFB, and I’ve been preparing for the case all weekend long (which is maybe why I don’t think this weekend was long enough).  So I think it shouldn’t be too tough to get through.  I am kind of nervous about introducing evidence because I’ve only done testimony in the past.  Getting documents admitted usually isn’t a big deal, but I’m still learning some of the technical aspects of trial lawyering…  Meh.

On the positive side, one benefit of having my trial on Monday is that I don’t have to do anything too taxing for the second day of moot courts, other than play the role of audience member or maybe a witness.  And maybe play some Fable II for homework.  Booya. 

Corey Hart and Miley Cyrus

This is a song by Corey Hart (ignore the weird intro logo).

And this is slightly more recent song by Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana.

Anyone else think there’s a disturbing similarity in the opening strains?  Just me?  Maybe I should play them backwards while watching the Wizard of Oz…

Midweek Fun: Boom Goes the Dynamite

Just for fun: the worst (college) sports anchor in the history of sports broadcasts.

Rumor has it that the guy is so bad because the teleprompter went out and he ad-libbed the whole bit.  At any rate, now you know what folks are referring to when they say “boom goes the dynamite”.