Pull ups in armor. Now that is something I doubt I could do today. Studying full time at this age is a real drag on the health. I’ve been designing a wooden clock that is easy to make and will be accurate in my spare time. There are a lot of plans for wooden clocks online, but they all take too much time to make. My design will be much simpler and better in many ways. But that is just for fun. I am secretly wishing I could build a huge clock in my garage that I could wind once a year or make the KS wind power it perpetually. Engineering insane things is such a pleasant mental disease.

Afghanistan feels like a long way away to me, but as a knowledgeable resident writer, you’re helping bring it closer to home. Maybe when you get back you could expand your thoughts into a bestselling book. Your perspective is unique.

Here in Haiti some of the issues of security are similar. The paternal system where a big chief (they call him a “gwo chef”) disperses favor to an inner circle is pretty normal.

The UN has instituted a national police force (HNP, the Hatian National Police). No one seems to like them much. My limited dealings with them have also been mostly negative. They certainly don’t direct traffic with much acumen. And recently one of them openly wanted a bribe from me, which didn’t increase my confidence. Today I asked a local if the HNP were well liked or are seen as corrupt. His evasively pointed answer was, “Do you have any word for lower than corrupt?”

Speaking of the UN, it’s hard to know what to make of them. There are over 11,00 troops here in addition to the HNP. It’s hard to tell what they do other than driving around in brand new vehicles. The locals say that UN stands for Up to Nothing. Sometimes they put out riots. But sometimes they were the ones who started the riots. Recently one of their vehicles hit a motorcycle and killed a schoolgirl up in St. Marc. Apparently the town rioted and the UN used their force to close down the town.

Incidentally, it strikes me odd and perhaps a bit ridiculous how armed to the teeth they are. I’ll be in traffic poking around an armored vehicle in my dilapidated jalopy and give a wave up to the UN soldiers perched atop a turret replete with machine guns, flak vests, and pith helmets, wondering to myself, “Gee, do they know something I don’t?”

Similar to Afghanistan where you said no one knows what exactly is going to happen when we pull out, the idea here is that the UN is currently keeping peace, but sooner or later they will leave and the question is what will happen then? The prediction is more upheaval.

Anywho, when you live somewhere it’s easyto see the inner intricacies of brokenness in the system and get cynical. For an instance, one local issue is how the government is pouring tons of money into the annual Carnival festival here while many of the local populace goes hungry. I don’t know if they have local Haitian talk show hosts, but I’m pretty sure Rush Limbaugh could have a heyday reporting news here.

Wonder if they have Afghan talkshow? I bet the US military could gain insight through listening in

So I’ve still been doing some jogging here in Haiti. At first it was tough because it is so darn hot here, but I’m getting acclimated now. Yesterday I did a five mile jog around the diminutive half mile loop here in the village. The road is quite rocky. Parts of it are kinda like running in a creekbed.

Did I mention to you I completed the length of a marathon a couple weeks ago? It was on a country road up in the north part of Haiti. It was during the next to last day of Barry’s “across Haiti” fundraiser. That was his slowest day and most of it was walking because he was injured. Our time was like 7 hours, 30 minutes total, counting a number of breaks where he was worked on by our medical folks. During that time I never sat down and it seemed pretty warm outside to me that day. I was bushed afterwards. In the first 9 miles we went up some 2,500 feet. It’s on runtastic.

Keep up the interesting anecdote writing.

Interesting reading your thoughts on how we are spending our time and military’s lives. Stay safe, and we’ll hope to see you back here safe and soon.

Keep it up!

Herod’s order to kill all the boys under 2, was horrendous in its time. Guess the rulers of this age have not improved all that much.

Glad that we can keep up with you through the blog. I know you are bored, but I think I’d prefer that way! Praying for you…

Michael