Rule of Law

Rule of Law. It's boring. This thing is so very civilized.

Rule of law is good. Civilized is good. Don't get me wrong. It's just, well, not as exciting as the Wild Wild West days.

I've visited friends at Walter Reed. Recognized names of those killed in action. I see the faces of those we've lost on the plaques in the JOC every day at work. This boredom is great in the big picture.

But it can be boring.

I also wonder if hearts exploding due to Rip It overdoses and early onset of high blood pressure due to energy drink addiction will be to this phase of the war what TBI was to the prior phases.

The makers of NO-Xplode, Red Bull, and Rip It would probably band together like the Tobacco Companies and kill any such study.

Speaking of which, we convinced a new guy that his job is to maintain our not-so-secret Rip It stash. We keep it behind some folders since people were stealing from it without replenishing (take one, give two, that is the rule) when it was just on a shelf. This way we are guaranteed to have a ready stock when the chow hall runs out... say due to a sustained dust storm that lasts as long as expected and lifts when the genius forecaster said it would... I'm a little bored but still take pride in my work (which is why I just got suckered into betting a soda on what the minimum visibility will be at Balad tomorrow...).

Every meal he returns from the chow hall with each pocket full of Rip It cans.

One day I will actually replace the sign on the beverage fridges in the chow hall that says "Limit Two drinks per person" with one that says "Limit Two drinks per pocket."

Rules that can't be enforced are worse than no rules, after all.