01. January 2005 · Comments Off on Excuse The Faint Odor of Lysol…. · Categories: General, Site News

We have just finished cleaning up after being swamped with a sudden surge of porn spam. Comments were turned off, while we updated our spam-repellant filters, and scoured all the old posts, and wished torments involving fire ants, jars of honey and spiked clubs on the perverts who originated the stuff…

01. January 2005 · Comments Off on Comments And Spam · Categories: Site News

We seem to be experiencing a massive spam attack. I have temporarally shut off comments.

Update: it seems to have ended, comments back on.

21. December 2004 · Comments Off on OMG, What Was I Just Watching? · Categories: Site News

Does it matte? It was some sort of liberal talking head show. But regardless,: to me, there is little else more transfixing than a babe with power tools. And, if you feel as I do, you will love Paige, on this week’s episode of Monster House.

Update: Argh! The owners weren’t happy with their Monster House redux. So they auctioned off the pieces, and are planning another for the 4th of July. Let’s hope Paige comes back. 🙂

15. December 2004 · Comments Off on Hook Out… · Categories: Site News

Dammit. But it also reinforces why I only share in a very general way things I’ve experienced in my own career. Now if I actually ever GET my diamond, then I’ll have to re-think it.

15. December 2004 · Comments Off on Here’s a New Blog, Not the Same As the Old Blog · Categories: Site News

A Blue-Eyed Infidel has arisen and she’s cranky about a haircut! For the love o’ Pete… Who would even care about such things and…oh…my…God! It’s her! She’s back. I thought she was gone for good but nooooooo, she just keeps coming back over and over and over again and now she’s using a different psuedonym and she’s got wireless so she can blog from her couch for goshsakes. Not even an old uncomfortable office chair to slow her down.

Some rant. Some rant well. For others, it’s a calling. Welcome back Rachel.

Via Smash.

13. December 2004 · Comments Off on DW Overhaul · Categories: Site News

Check out Digital Warfighter’s new look.

You think Stryker’s actually been reading something besides a T.O.?

08. December 2004 · Comments Off on Stryker’s On a Roll · Categories: Site News

If you haven’t been paying attention, our very own blogfather, Stryker, has been on a roll lately with his “Who’s The Sucker Now?” series. Head on over to Digital Warfighter and scroll, scroll, scroll.

And while you’re at it, login and call Tom and ignorant slut…he loves that.

30. November 2004 · Comments Off on Firefox and Images · Categories: Site News

Is anyone else using Firefox 1.0 and not seeing the images here on this site or is it just me?

There should be a banner across the top that reads “The Daily Brief” and a photo of two motorcyclists kicking a ball in the post “Motoball” and a picture of four cartoon characters in “Two More Days.”

UPDATE: Thanks to DragonLady I can now see all the images and Michelle Malkin’s Site isn’t jumping all over the place when I move the mouse. If you’re using Norton Firewall and you can’t see images on all the sites you visit, drop her or I a line.

19. November 2004 · Comments Off on Log-In · Categories: Site News

Who can’t log-in to post?

Update: Apprently the “login” link is rarely used. Go figure.

17. November 2004 · Comments Off on DON’T PANIC! DON’T PANIC! AIIIIIIIII!!!!! · Categories: General, Site News

A quick head-up from the Office of Blog Management—

The name servers are going to be set to the new host tonight. There
might be a temprorary disruption of service during the next 24-48
hours and some odd bits might go wrong with the site as tweaking continues, in order to ensure everything works right.

So, anything wierd that happens on the site over the next two days? It’s not your fault. We… ummm… planned it this way.

11. November 2004 · Comments Off on I’m a Fan… · Categories: Site News

Michele over at A Small Victory is holding a Survey that fits in with our own down below but this time she’s looking for Worst Lyrics Ever in a Rock Song. She’s been a bit blue due to post election moonbats invading her comments and email. Go help her out of it.

In case you didn’t catch me fawning over her over at Digital Warfighter…I’m a huge fan of her blog. She rants and she rants well.

She’s also got a new blog going: I have That On Vinyl. From her first post over there:

“So despite the title, this place won’t be strictly about vinyl records; the name is intended to capture my propensity for revisiting the pop culture of my youth, and even yours.”

She and I are about the same age, so the pop culture of her youth is almost identical to mine which is probably why I like her so much.

And since I’ve already qualified for cyber-stalker status let me add that she’s also a major contributor to The Command Post. If you’re not stopping over there on a regular basis…you just don’t know everything.

Three blogs…sheesh…I guess we’re not that much alike…I actually lost this one for a couple of days…couldn’t find it…weird huh?

04. November 2004 · Comments Off on Post-Hangover Headaches · Categories: Site News

The hosting service for this site is going belly-up on January 1st. If you know of a hosting service that offers the following, let me know:

1Gb of storage
20Gb/month traffic
Unlimited email accounts
5 FTP accounts
Unlimited SQL databases
CPanel
$20 bucks a month

That’s what this hosting service offered. I’d like to find something similar.

21. October 2004 · Comments Off on Geek At Work · Categories: General, My Head Hurts, Site News

I’m adding a new banner for the site and some other stuff to the index page. The page looks okay in Internet Exploder, but the blog body slides under the banner in Netscrape. Grrrrrrrrr!

Please bear with me as I’m a hardware guy, not a bit counter.

Update: The Banner works in Netscrape now, yea!

15. October 2004 · Comments Off on Sgt. Moms’ Virtual Book Tour: Stop #1 · Categories: General, Site News

Book Interview is
here, at “Technicalities”! The Book is available here, and through Amazon, and I have a few signed copies available, for anyone who wants to order a copy directly from me. (Check or Paypal for $13.95 + $3.00 for postage)
And if you have a weblog, and want to send me some interview questions, I will do my best to provide sparkling content, honest answers and a link to it from The Daily Brief. Just click on my name or make a comment, and I’ll get back to you.

21. September 2004 · Comments Off on Auditions: Closed · Categories: General, Site News

The response for new contributors to this weblog was immediate and overwhelming: I have logged in sixteen new writers, and will add several more as soon as they come up with a good “nom du blog”. Our need for new contributors has been met and auditions are now closed.
So, we are doing a little adjusting— getting some more cubicles and office chairs from DRMO, renovating the unused space, and handing out the metaphorical pajamas… (Hey! Who wants a set with feeties?)… and otherwise getting ready for another interesting and informative year.
One more thing: Stryker wants to reserve that name for his other site, so from now on, even though the domain name remains “sgtstryker.com”, this site is now “The Daily Brief”, and yes, our new logo may very well involve a pair of boxer shorts, and no, it doesn’t really make sense, but if you expected things to make sense, you’d never have joined up in the first place? Clear?
Thanks again to all who responded— welcome to the collective—- and stay tuned.

15. September 2004 · Comments Off on Announcing Auditions! · Categories: General, Site News

As Stryker is caught up with “Digital Warfighter”, and the USMC is keeping Cpl. Blondie rather busier than usual, the regular posting of good bloggy tidbits on SSDB has increasingly fallen to Kevin Connors and myself of late. Indeed, Stryker wants to devote his full attention to “Digital Warfighter” and so has generously given the keys to this blog to us. Kevin and I plan to maintain this as a group blog focusing on aspects of the military life and experience, and an infusion of fresh contributors is necessary to maintain the high standard to which we have all become accustomed.

The writer Arthur Hadley, in his analysis of the military “The Straw Giant” felt very deeply about the consequences of what he called ‘the great divorce’, that distance between an insular, self-selected military and the elites— especially the intellectual, political and business varieties, who generally thought of the military as “unwanted step-children at best, and at worse, inclined to be vicious”. It has been thirty years since some experience of military service was a common coin amongst Americans. Many Americans only see military service through the blurred lens of television and the movies, and many who have served tend to take their own experience as typical of all, even though the difference between the experiences of , say, a Vietnam-era Army Ranger and an Air Force P-MEL tech in the 1990ies would be substantial.

We would like to continue “informing and entertaining” per the motto and mission of AFRTS (only without the cheesy ads!) and so extend an invitation for active duty, retirees and veterans of any military service— American, Canadian, British and Australian— to audition for a place in the Stryker collective. (I will consider DOD civilians also, especially if accompanied by literary brilliance!)

We ask only that you share a passion for explaining and enlarging upon the military experience, be able to communicate that in writing— and that you not be a raging conspiracy freak (the X-files is soooo 1990ies!). Comment below or e-mail me privately, if you are interested in being part of the collective blog experience.

Thank you
Sgt Mom

(Seems to be a problem with comments—just send an e-mail!)

26. August 2004 · Comments Off on “The Book” Goes International!!! · Categories: General, Site News

Recieved this e-mail yesterday:
“Just to say I have received my copy of the book down here in New Zealand
yes – you have overseas readers !!!”

And last week I got an e-mail from a retired NCO who lives in Greece, and remembers working with me there, and he has ordered a copy, and I am sure that Tim Worstall has ordered a copy, as well, so on that basis I can describe “Our Grandpa Was an Alien” as an international sensation!
I have also a limited quantity of copies on hand for anyone who wants an autographed copy with a personal inscription; just e-mail me directly for particulars.
Today, publish-on-demand! Tomorrow— the New York Times best-seller list!

(Later Note: It’s listed in Amazon, too! What a thrill!)

10. August 2004 · Comments Off on Later · Categories: Site News

Have you ever been the only sober guy in a room full of drunks? It sucks. See you after the hangover.

I’ll be over here if anyone needs me.

04. August 2004 · Comments Off on I’m Flattered! · Categories: History, Site News

She noticed!:

I was further inspired by some intriguing blog debates last year between Sgt. Stryker [FYI: that would be me – Sparkey, not Stryker] and Is That Legal?. After reading a book by former National Security Agency official David Lowman called MAGIC: The untold story of U.S. Intelligence and the evacuation of Japanese residents from the West Coast during WWII, published posthumously by Athena Press Inc., I contacted publisher Lee Allen, who generously agreed to share many new sources and resources as I sought the truth.

And now I feel it is time for a public service announcement:


(A gentle reminder for those Neanderthal’s whose, ignorance, penchant for creative spelling, and remote locations make it difficult to take their hostile messages seriously – despite the author’s intent. We now return you to our regularly scheduled blog.)

To make it easy, here’s a list of my blog entries on the subject.

Some Facts (Not PC Shrill) on the Relocation of Japanese During WWII

Update to Japanese Evacuation/Internment

Response to Eric Muller

Interpretations of History

History, MAGIC, and Sources

Bing, Round Three

A Reader’s Insight

I have a big deadline tomorrow, but more soon, I promise!

UPDATE: I fixed the links!

30. July 2004 · Comments Off on I’m Baaaackkkk!!! · Categories: General, Site News

I’ve been out of pocket, out of touch, and close to out of my mind. But I’m feeling much better now… However, I now have to go to a dinner party.

Back to blogging in a bit!

30. July 2004 · Comments Off on TAH-DAH!!! · Categories: General, Site News

It’s

! The book that SSDB readers have been asking for! “Our Grandpa Was an Alien”!
(Well, he was…British, and a resident legal alien for fifty years. He had this grudge about being turned down for military service by the US Army in World War I… it’s all in the book.)
Nothing really R-rated, and minimal celebrity content, avaliable through “www.booklocker.com”, and maybe at your local bookstore if you really, really pitch a fit.

24. July 2004 · Comments Off on Changes · Categories: Site News

I’ve obviously changed the site format. The Archive and About sections aren’t complete yet, but the others are. The Archive will house links to the old MT site. The About section will eventually feature profiles of those authors who wish to participate, along with links to their own archives (Both MT and here). The Portal is where my blogroll is now entrenched. I have only one more column of links to place there and then that page will be complete. If you would like to see your site on that page, let me know and I will classify it and post it. Don’t worry if your site isn’t political! The final column of that page will be comprised of sites that have absolutely nothing to do with politcs. The News section is a page featuring all the RSS feeds I personally read on a daily basis.

If you have an RSS feed to this site, please note the address change:

http://sgtstryker.com/wp-rss2.php
http://sgtstryker.com/wp-atom.php

All previous links to this site still work and will take you to their original pages on the Movable Type site. I haven’t deleted or moved anything from there, except the index page, which can now be found at:

http://www.sgtstryker.com/mt/index.php

I will probably get around to changing the formatting of those pages so they at least resemble what is found here. I will slowly start to close comments on older entires, though, as the comment spam is driving me nuts. Even with MT-Blacklist installed, those bastards are finding new and creative ways to irritate me.

You’ll also notice a link to Digital Warfighter up there at the top right along with an RSS feed of the five latest posts from there. I highly encourage you to visit and participate in that site, which unlike this site, is open to the general public for posting. Timmer has been doing an excellent job over there, and I plan to increase my presence as I finish dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s here.

I also have some random pictures from the photo gallery (which will soon have more pics), but the code I use doesn’t take you to the exact photo it’s displaying. I’ll fix that later when I have the time.

Sgt. Mom has her first book coming out very soon. Look for a promotion party here, along with an exclusive interview with the author herself!