Commercials

I can't get over the AFN commercials. There is a recruiting commercial for Special Operations Weather Teams. Maybe it cracks me up because I know the guys involved. Maybe it is because if you look carefully you can see the truck in the background that they used to drive out for the filming the "patrol." It could be the pure cheesiness. I guess that is how you recruit.
The other commercial that I found unintentionally amusing was one of the many "Thank You" spots run by the USO or by the America Supports You program. In this case, it was as a bunch of country singers saying that they appreciate our sacrifices, the hardships that they can't even imagine, and all the work that we do. That in itself could be funny given how true to stereotype it is, but they mean it. However over the top some country singers are at times with their profuse expressions of support, a lot of them back it up with USO appearances.
One of them didn't quite fit in the whole theme of thanking us for what we do. Keni Thomas, a former Ranger and veteran of the battles in Mogadishu made famous by the book and movie Blackhawk Down, is now a country singer. Not big time yet, but I like his work. In any case, he knows all too well about the hardships and sacrifices involved. Somehow his appearance changed the atmosphere of the commercial, even if most viewers wouldn't recognize him or know his history.
My wife figured out how to get Gmail chat working. Nice.
No other news really. I've been here a little over a month. Feels like I've been working less but gone longer.
Frustrated by some of the busted forecasts we made early in my tour, I decided to pull the model data that we used, compare it with the observations and satellite imagery, and see if I could identify either a deficiency in the models or in our process. Upon review today, I realized I have the wrong day's model data for this little study. Of course, that data has been purged from all systems, so I'll make do.
The war won't be over when I leave, but maybe I can do a little piece to make us a little more effective as my little legacy.