Friday, 8 December 2006

The conference went well as did my presentation! Jeanine and I spent a couple days in Florence and a day in Verona afterwards, and let me tell you, Florence is not the charmer you would think. No, Florence is actually dirty and a little too modern. Now it does have Michelangelo's David (fantastic) and some great museums, but we really liked Verona a lot better. Verona has a 2,000 year old Roman arena and twisty, cobblestone streets with attractive shops that simply ooze charm. Finally, congratulations are in order for Michael and Svitlana (friends from work and church) who just got engaged.

Friday, 24 November 2006

Happy Thanksgiving, all! Jeanine and I had 8 people over for a huge Thanksgiving feast, and it was spectacular! Also, I had two court-martials last week, both fully litigated, and they went well - one acquittal (due primarily to my colleague, Capt Carson, rather than any skill on my part) and one with a lot lighter sentence than the government was asking for. (Despite that, I'm never doing two in one week again - atrociously busy.) This Monday I leave for Aviano Air Base (a US base) in Italy to attend a conference. I'll be speaking there along with several of my colleagues, but hopefully it will be all right in spite of that.

Friday, 3 November 2006

I had three hearings and a deposition in one week. Which is a lot. This job (criminal defense) is starting to wear a bit: I find myself getting tired of spending my days mucking around in the filth of humanity - guilty, innocent, some of both - it's still all dealing with people's garbage. Also, the minor injustices of the government are starting to get to me - e.g.: when a commander or supervisor puts a letter of reprimand in a troop's file on scant evidence and there's nothing I can really do because it is an administrative rather a judicial action and hence subject to command prerogative rather than Constitutional due process - that kind of stuff. Also, I really just wish people would think a little more before (instead of) taking certain actions that land them in my office. Ah well - still, I do get to help a lot of people.

Saturday, 21 October 2006

Sorry about the lack of posts lately. I reformatted my hard drive and then took my time about reinstalling everything. And then I moved to my new permanent domain. Welcome. Also, Jeanine and I spent four days in Northwest Wales - it was great! It's full of beautiful countryside, medieval towns, rugged coastline, and huge castles! You can see for yourselves here (along with tons of other pictures).

Sunday, 1 October 2006

The case in Germany and another case I had this past Thursday went as well they could (which is to say not so great for my clients (but that's about 80% of my cases)). Jeanine and I spent Friday and Saturday in London touring the city with her pen pal of 17 years from France. It was her pen pal's first time in England, and she spoke mostly French, which I don't speak at all. Jeanine speaks basic French, but after 2 days I think we had all the conversations possible. We all did have a great time seeing the sites, though.

Thursday, 14 September 2006

Well, I'm off to Germany tomorrow to try a case next Thursday, and then I'll be back really late Friday night. My biggest issue to deal with on this trip (apart from the case itself): how much footwear can I fit in my suitcase? I have to take two different uniforms, PT gear, and civies, and they all have a different pair of shoes! Time to make those visual/spatial skills earn their keep.

Sunday, 10 September 2006

As it turns out, there's a reason people don't daydream about escaping to the beaches of England - they're not quite the stuff of postcards and calendars. That said, Jeanine and I had a pleasant and relaxing time at our first English beach last weekend, pebbly, cold, and brown though it was. The North Atlantic is, perhaps, not an ideal swimming hole, but it was still quite nice to stroll along or just sit and toss stones into the ocean while relaxing to the sound of the breakers pounding the sand.

Saturday, 2 September 2006

Here's a weird thing: styrofoam cups cannot be purchased in grocery stores in England. I don't know why, but that's what I discovered recently to my chagrin.

Sunday, 27 August 2006

We made it to DC; the weather was beautiful and the reception went well; the course was useful; and we made it back. I had my first court on the defense side on Thursday with a good result for my client, so I'm happy about that (as is my client). Now I'm off to another base for a hearing later this week, but I'll be back by Friday. Ta.

Thursday, 10 August 2006

Well, it's been quite a day. Tomorrow Jeanine and I may or may not fly from London to Washington, DC. We're on separate flights; hers is in the morning, and mine is in the late afternoon. I have a course in DC next week, so we're coming back a little early because her parents are holding a reception for us with Jeanine's side of the family, which should be fun. If we get there.

Monday, 31 July 2006

I'm back from the Portuguese Hawaii (ok, so they don't call it that, but they should)! The case went well, and I was able to work out a good deal for my client and the Air Force. Also, I drove around the entire island one afternoon (about a 55 mile trip), and it is so beautiful! Also, lots of cows, which I only mention because in their main city of Angra (about 30,000 people), I ate at this restaurant where I enjoyed perhaps the best steak of my life.

Wednesday, 19 July 2006

Well, war is looming.  Again. (Lebanon and Iran for those not following the news and/or not in danger of deploying)
The Legos were amusing; I would also like to see a Lincoln Log distraction, if any of my programming friends are so inclined...

Tuesday, 11 July 2006

Is obesity a sin? If yes, then presumably because of gluttony, "body is a temple", and self-indulgence. If no, then perhaps because it is better to focus on more important things than proper diet and exercise.

Tuesday, 4 July 2006

Happy Independence Day!
Jeanine and I just got back from Poland! Warsaw and Krakow are pretty cool cities to visit. Krakow has the largest town square in all of Europe, and I must say, it is big. Also, we took a tour of Auschwitz, and that is a somber place. Strangely, it is not what you would expect, by which I mean, all the buildings are red brick rather than black and white.

Saturday, 24 June 2006

Well, I tried to pet some cows and sheep, and you know what? They're awfully skittish. Even when I was waving tempting grass at them. Whereas I got a bunch of ducks to eat bread out of my hand. Good times in England. Really.

Monday, 19 June 2006

A lot of Christians want to have a heart after the Lord like David or Paul or Jesus, which is certainly admirable. But they are unwilling to live and suffer as these great men (though describing Jesus as a great man seems insulting since He is also God, but I digress) lived and suffered. David meditated on the Lord and delighted in His Word as a shepherd, a fugitive, a warrior, and a king; Paul studied and fearlessly preached the Gospel to the known world; Jesus gave His life for us all (and not just at the cross, but He gave Himself daily for us). How many of us are willing, or even able, to drink the cup He drank (Mk 10:38)? Only when we are willing to daily live as they lived, will we truly walk as they walked.

Saturday, 17 June 2006

Jeanine and I are planning a trip to Poland and Belarus over the July 4th holiday since I have a 4 day weekend. It is way harder to get into Belarus than it should be. We have to have visas! Nearly every country in Europe allows visa-free visiting, but not Belarus. You would think that, not being a particularly well-to-do country, they would be throwing open their borders to any tourist who would visit - especially free-spending Americans - but no! You need a visa from their embassy, which requires a form, a photo, your passport, and a fee. But before you can apply for the visa, you need to be sponsored by an approved Belarusian travel agency, which, of course, involves another fee and a hotel room booked through them. But what else are you going to do? Not see Belarus? I don't think so.

Sunday, 11 June 2006

Well, as it turns out I have bronchitis (see 4 Jun 06 post on valuable lessons), but not to worry - I saw the doctor; I'm taking medication; and I should be better in 7-10 days. In other news, the British love to open their windows during the summer. But they do not use screens. In fact, they don't seem to have any screens on the whole island. It's bizarre.

Sunday, 4 June 2006

Slowly recovering - valuable lesson learned: when your fever is 102, take a couple days off; better to rest for a few days than recover for a few weeks. Valuabler lesson learned: better to take care of oneself to begin with and avoid the whole sickness thing entirely.

Friday, 26 May 2006

Sorry about the lack of updates recently. Jeanine and I had a good time visiting her sister in Madrid: we got to visit Ferdinand and Isabella's castle and see the ancient Roman aqueducts (constructed from granite blocks without mortar)(I was only permitted to climb on them a little bit). Then the last day we were there, I got sick, and then Jeanine got sick. Then Jeanine got better. But I remained sick until finally yesterday I started feeling better. So there you go.

Friday, 12 May 2006

Jeanine and I are off to Spain for the weekend to visit her sister who is spending the semester in Madrid. Her brother is also meeting us there, and it should be a lot of fun. I'm sure it will beat my last trip to Madrid in 1998 when I was so tired I could only stumble around the area near the train station for a few hours before boarding a train to my next destination (which I think was Andorra, but I'd have to check my stories to be sure).

Sunday, 7 May 2006

After several years and quite a lot of trials, I am happy to announce Jeanine and I are finally married!  Yay! Our wedding was an intimate ceremony in St. Louis on 8 April followed by our honeymoon in Venice. Now she's living here with me in England, and we're both happy to finally be together.  Cheers!

Sunday, 2 April 2006

Friends, I'm off to St. Louis for a week or so. I won't be posting while I'm away, but I'm sure you'll cope.

Sunday, 26 March 2006

Many people think they would accept Christ as their Savior if only He would show Himself. But it is interesting to note that even when Christ raised someone from the dead, the Pharisees acknowledged this and only plotted all the more to kill Him.

Friday, 24 March 2006

(This is not directed at anyone I personally know.) Talking during a movie is rude, selfish, and arrogant. The movie theater is not your living room; your little comments are not more interesting or entertaining than whatever is happening on screen. And maybe if you paid more attention, you wouldn't have to ask what just happened. Or you're stupid, in which case you have my condolences.

Tuesday, 21 March 2006

You just can't look tough while riding a bicycle.
But anyway, Jeanine and I had our first dinner party last night with two friends of ours from church. Big success; much fun was had by all.

Sunday, 12 March 2006

To springboard off Charlie's post, generally I think people who champion tolerance, are really only "tolerant" of similar viewpoints. Ultimately, the intolerant who demand tolerance react so badly to opposing (by which I mean Christian) viewpoints because of their spiritual struggle against God's Truth.

Monday, 6 March 2006

The great miracle of Christ's sacrifice is not that He loved enough to die - people across the globe die for love - rather, the miracle is that He died for us - we, the unlovely and unlovable - we, the very ones who slew Him - we, the ones who kick and curse Him every single day - we are the very ones for whom He gave His all. His unfathomable love tells the story of our undeserved redemption for His good glory.

Saturday, 25 February 2006

Hello, friends - I'm back!!!

Firstly, let me apologize to everyone who has contacted me or been concerned about my absence.  (And thank you for your concern - it was touching and motivating; I returned in late January, and I finally got the kick in the pants I needed to resume blogging.)  Secondly, the deployment, while quite safe, was much more difficult than I anticipated, and I am very glad to be home.  I ended up being gone for 141 days, which was a little longer than than the original 120 days I was expecting.  The hours were long (typically 0730 - 2200 every day, but usually half days or only a few hours on Sunday), and the work was challenging.  I'm glad I went, but I'm much more glad to be back.  Also, locals seemed generally glad to have us there, and we do seem to be making a real difference in their lives and country, despite the violence.