Tali Band cd. . .

When we decided to do a CD - we had to find a charity to donate to, because being military, we can't 'make money' off of it, and we weren't interested in that anyway. We decided to donate everything made to a very worth cause - the Women of Hope Project, located right here in Kabul. Please visit the website - Women of Hope Project Website .

I will post the CD cover when done (getting close) - and maybe even a few samples! :)

It was all recorded live by Lucky (Damon) our guitar player, right here at HQ ISAF.

T-Shirts are on their way as well. . . so if anyone would like to order - email me!

BBQ at the shack!

Today - April 19, was cool. . . TSgt Lambert set up a BBQ for us at the shack!! Whoot!

We had charcoal, and a decent BBQ grill donated to us by the NSE (Nation Support Element). MSgt Bixby and MSgt Mahoy cleaned it up - and got to cooking.

Chris did a lot of back end work to get all the permits (for the 'fire') and all the sign offs by our commander. Then he had to go get the foodstuffs from the DFac, cause its not like theres a grocery store here. So we got chicken & steak, they made us up a very nice potato salad, and a nice vegetable salad - peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. It was all very nice. Lt. Limp Biscuit went and got some Cokes, which was very nice of him - and the guys really appreciated it. I covered the charcoal, and the LtCol paid me back half - the officers generally do cover some of this stuff - at least we try to.

After we had the food cooked & guys started digging in, MG Kennedy & Chief Blietz stopped over. They enjoyed the food, and we had some good discussions. I can't really emphasize enough how much of a difference it can make to work with such great folks. Both the General and Chief are great folks - friendly, talkative, and genuinely interested in talking with us. And talk about a wealth of experience - these two guys alone could fill volumes of books.

As many things in life, this was a bit bittersweet - in that it was planned only a few days before our UK team members would be leaving theater. So Borgs, Frankie & JC were on the way out, and Laura, Chris & Lee were on the way in. All being present at least, they all got to hang for a bit with us. Charlie was able to present them with a couple small token gifts to remember us & Afghanistan by. . . . he presented them with a couple temple alarm clocks. . . the sound being a Muslim "call to prayer" instead of an alarm!! The call to prayer is something that is played over loudspeakers in the city here daily, starting around 5am. I hear it many times each day, and although it's not blaringly loud - you can certainly hear it - especially in the quite times - like at night or early morning.

The best part was teaching the Brits how to throw a football in a spiral. I can claim no expertise personally - but was good fun. :)

Afghan party at the Distille Gardens

To start with, the Distille Gardens at HQ ISAF is a bit of an anomaly. It's a garden setting, behind a nice wall away from the main road, with a park like ambiance. It's very nice - and not at all something you'd expect to see on a military base! Here's some pics. . .











What an interesting experience! Today, we had an "Afghan party" thrown by all the Afghan merchants from here on base, where there was traditional Afghan food, music and even a rug making demonstration. Pretty cool.

Walking around, in the garden, was just a surreal experience. Here we are, in Afghanistan - a war torn country - experiencing the culture in a way that most folks will never see. Especially the diverse people that were walking around here that night! Brits, Kiwis, Germans, Dutch, Finns, Australians - it was simply amazing.

More pics from the evening.

Second gig with the Tali Band [March 30]

The first gig with the band was good - but the second was even better. Now, this is back from around March 30, so I apologize for the lateness. . . This was the monthly "birthday gig". Every month the Milano Restaurant has a 'party' for everyone on base that has a birthday. Free meal, some gifts (yes, they have a drawing) and live music. Pretty good food too, I'm told!

I was more comfortable with the material, felt like we were tighter with the music - and the crowd was very into it - which always makes us want to do better!

Hail & Farwell to the Kiwi's

Went to a "Hail & Farwell" last night for the guys we affectionately call the "Kiwi's". The Kiwis are the guys from New Zealand. Mark, the previous bass player from the Tali Band is from New Zealand.

The evening started off with a small, but diverse group, gathered in the Garden. I remember Germans, Brits, Italians, Romanians, Estonians, Canadians, a couple of us US folks, Kiwis, and Austrailians. It was pretty laid back, folks just chatting, talking, sharing stories. I met Jon - the Tali Band guitar player, and G$, Joe and Sheyla all came later. The food was good - steaks, ribs & chicken all grilled out, with some salads, & ecouterments.

The Colonel - the ranking Kiwi gave a speech prior to eating, thanking everyone and inviting the guys to speak - which they politely declined. So we ate, continued to mill about and talk, and the beer started to flow. Of course, us USAF folks, few in number, all declined. Then, after most folks had finished eating, the Colonel again spoke, but this time, the guys decided to talk.

I don't recall his name, but the first Kiwi that spoke up began his talk with a Haka - which I had never seen before. A Haka is a traditional Maori war chant - the Maori being the indiginous people of New Zealand. It was very intense - the language was unfamiliar to me, but sounded pacific. There was loud chanting, rythymic, slapping of his thighs, and grunts - lots of hand gestrures and movement. It was very cool - to say the least. Very cool. When he finished - Mark spoke, thanking folks. Then Chris spoke - even gave Jon a Kiwi hat, as they had become pretty good friends (asked Jon, "Ok, where's mine?" - to much laughter and applause).

After Chris spoke, the first Kiwi did another, more animated, louder Haka. Wow. Very very cool. I was completely amazed.

I found out a bit more about it talking to Sheyla after he finished. She has been to New Zealand several times, and had seen a number of them, so she explained the signifigance, and history of the Haka a bit. I felt honored to have been witness to this.

iTunes

StrangeLand has our music up on iTunes, Rhapsody, Amazon MP3 - and more.

Check out our tunecore page for more info: StrangeLand on Tunecore

Enjoy!

NATO Medal

Medals are a pretty common way to pay tribute to a soldiers commitment, will, and actions during war time. The Air Force is very good about giving out what we refer to as Awards & Decs - or Awards and Decorations.

NATO is similar. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has medals of their own - of which I am now a recipient.
Looking back at history, there have been some pretty amazing people that have received this award. And looking at who pinned my medal on, Major General Kevin Kennedy, I'm very proud to be wearing it.

A pretty cool ceremony as well. We (those of us receiving the medal) were lined up in formation. We were there just about an hour early to get ready, and there was every nation in NATO present - I was next to a USAF Lt. on one side, and a German Major on the other. In front of me was a USA sergeant - but all around were folks from the Netherlands, Romania, Italy, Great Briton, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, Norway. . . just everywhere you can think of.

The whole "medal parade" was being run by the camp Sergeant Major - who is Dutch, so when the Generals arrived (6 of them) and the procession started, and we were introduced to the COMISAF - General McNeil, the Dutch national anthem played. The Generals then went down the lines and pinned the medals on us.

I enjoy the pomp and circumstance of military processions sometimes. This was one of them. A very cool experience.

Carpet in Afghanistan

Carpet is one of the oldest and most famous exports of Afghanistan. I'm finding that there are designs that are common to certain areas, and that certain colors are from certain areas. The skill seems to be passed down in families, and the skill has developed such that the carpets from Afghanistan are world renowned for their quality, beauty and long life.




I've had the opportunity to see many different carpets here, not only in the shops on base, but at the bazaar on Fridays - there are probably 4 shops here on base, but there are more like 15 at the bazaar! That's a lot of carpets!



The prices depend on a few different factors - quality, workmanship, depth of the weave, and materials. These often go hand in hand. The easiest to look at is what materials are used. From lowest (cheapest) to highest quality, you have camel wool, lambs wool, Chinese Silk, and finally Persian Silk.



I've bought carpet here, and now I picked up one for mom and dad as well. Very nice - a bit expensive, but not near as expensive as it would be if you bought it back home in the US. Of course, I'm not the guy spending $3,000.00 on some carpet either - and if you want it - that is here too. The Persian silk is very nice - and very pricey. And if you want to spend that much, brother, they will let you. No problem. You will even get "friend price" - as everyone else does.


It is nice that even though there is a war going on, and there are parts of the country that are just decimated - there is still beauty. The colors you see in this carpet - its almost outrageous how beautiful they are. They are made here. In this land.


Awesome.

Old vs. New

Well, it seems as if the new Air Force has finally caught up with us. At least via our method of dress. Yes - we have the new uniforms.

When we deployed, we were sent in what is referred to as the DCU's - or Desert Combat Uniform. Just rolling out over the past, maybe 6 months, is the new Air Force 'work' uniform - replacing the BDU - or Battle Dress Uniform - is the ABU - or Airman Basic Uniform. Yes - so many acronyms.

Here's me in the DCU:





And here I am in the new ABU:

So what are the differences? Well, to start with, the DCU is a summer weight uniform - it's lighter and less wind resistant, so it's easier to wear in the heat. That being said, the inverse is also true - it does little to keep you warm in the cold. But its not meant to. The uniform cut and fit is exactly like the BDU's - same pockets, same holes for 'stuff' - like pens, notebook, etc - so the fit is very famliar. The BDU has summer and winter weight uniform materials. The ABU on the other hand, is a winter weight uniform - so heavier and not as breathable.

The ABU also has new items - the fit is more 'civilian' - so that it should be easier to know what size you need - just like jeans & jacket sizes. Kind of - but not exactly. There are way more pockets - starting with an inside pocket (in the jacket) - both sides, a pen pocket on the sleeve by the cuff (handy!!!), and lower pockets on the legs.

Overall - not a bad uniform. But I wonder why, unlike most other countries, we can't have one uniform for all the services? Army, Air Force and Marines all have different uniforms. I think the Navy just uses our old stuff. :)

Hoo Rah!

Ok, I'm going to go against my tradition here a bit, and upload this today, while it's still fresh (and yes, probably add older stuff for a bit, til I catch up) - because this is so cool.




As a bit of background, these folks are friends of mine from State Farm - some of us work together, some of us have been there for a while now together - and Brad even went and got his TSgt USAF uniform together! Bravo!
Thanks guys - this is truly cool, and inspirational.
:)

Cheers!

First Gig!

The date finally came, and I got ready for my first gig with the Tali-Band. I'd been practicing with them for the last few weeks - and we had a couple weeks between gigs, so I think I was ready. :) One issue arose - that being that the night of our first gig there would be no alcohol served. Now - I'm not a big drinker - and I'm not an abstainer - but I know that when we play and folks are able to relax & drink - things go well. That's just how it is, my simple observation, nothing more.

So tonight was a bit more. . . reserved. Even the Spaniards were mellow! Ok, on to some pics from the night - and I'll try to explain as we go. . .


Here's the long view. Starting on the left - you've got John Bogart, on lead guitar. If you are wondering - yes, he is related to Tim - from Vanilla Fudge. Rocking guitar player - and he likes metal. We have fun. :) Between John and the tall guy is DJ - the drummer. Man - can that guy beat the skins!!! Has to be one of the better drummers I've ever played with - yes, that good. The guy is just amazing. Tall guy is Joe Rodriguez - he's the de facto leader of the band, more or less. To Joe's right is Cynthia Moore - what a fireball she is - there's a lot of (killer) voice in that little frame! She certainly has some soul in her! Then me - on the right there. With the bass neck. . . .


Yup - there I am. :)


























Ok, here's a good front shot of the band. On the far left there you can see Sheyla Desault, trombonist par excellent, and near by behind her is "Big" Jim Hutton.

And off to the right there - is G$. That's pronounced "Gee Money". Cause he's so money. . . .


Great - and talented - group of folks.

I never would have guessed in a million years that I would meet such a talented group of folks in a war zone. And made some great friends - and memories I will treasure forever. :)

Day in the Groundhog

I wanted to go through and discuss what a ‘normal’ day is like – including the special days, like Friday – which they call “NATO” Friday – or ____ Off Friday – since Friday is the Muslim version of our Sunday – what they consider a holy day. Most folks either don’t work at all on Fridays or work only half days. Of course, the war continues – but I think that’s obvious. :) Now, we don’t get days off. We work every day – same schedule – so that’s why it becomes more like Groundhog Day for us here. Not much changes day to day.

However – there are certainly ways to gauge the day based on what is happening on base. For example… Sunday is chapel. Now, this is not your normal, run-by-a-chaplain military base chapel. Nope. There is no ‘protestant’ chaplain on HQ ISAF – to start with. I’ve heard that there is a Catholic Chaplain, but haven’t met him. No – out chapel is run by the laymen. We have Jon, a major from the UK Army, that typically leads the singing – unless of course SFC Handren is in town. WOW – that guy can sing! He has such a deep clear voice – sometimes I just like to hear how he’s singing the songs as opposed to singing with him. Then there’s the US Navy Commander that plays the songs on his computer as we sing along. Now, often Major Jon is seen as the ‘leader’ of the chapel, at least by me. And he will preach occasionally. But the special treat is when MG Kennedy preaches. His knowledge of the Bible is absolutely stunning. His depth and breadth of knowledge is indeed formidable. The man is. . .wise. I don’t know very many men I would call wise. Some wise-guys – sure, but actually wise – few and far between. MG Kennedy is wise. Another interesting tidbit would be that, were we under the auspices of the Afghan law, we would be breaking it – as preaching Christianity is illegal in Afghanistan. Or at least it used to be.

Monday through Wednesday – Groundhog Day – all the same. Thursday night – now that’s party night. Typical signs that its Friday morning on ISAF – vomit on the ground outside the Cadillacs – typically smelling very much like beer; rumors about bunker 5 and a certain nation’s men engaging in what I believe is against NATO policy (I won’t go into that – plus there’s no proof); ‘some’ shops being closed – but not consistently; folks not being at work; the post office on base only being opened from 0930 – 1100 – and only for pickup; the chow hall not opening until 7 – but staying open until 10 (for ‘brunch’); and there are others. Thursday night is the big ‘party’ – for some folks (not all) – and Friday is the NATO holiday.

Saturday and Sunday? Well, outside of having chapel on Sunday nights, the weekend is just pretty much like every other day – nothing different. Everything is open, mail is open – you know, it’s a bit odd getting mail on a Sunday, but you get used to it – all the shops are open, and nothing really stops.

Maybe that’s part of the insanity of war – no days off. That’s why after WWII (or was it I) the world went to a 5 day work week. Maybe that’s when vacations started. Maybe that’s when calling in sick started. I don’t know – but it certainly is a different reality to get used to.

Ok, back to work. . . it’s. . . .

Yup.

Groundhog day.

Roadie, rock 'n roll & philosophy

When I met Mark, The Major with the New Zealand Army that was the current bass player for the Tali Band, I told him that I could step in as soon, or as late, as he’d like. I’m in no hurry – and I realize that this is his gig. I’m willing to be the replacement when he is finished – no worries. There are a couple gigs coming up – Sunday birthday gig at the Milano, and then Monday a trip to Eggers (about 2 blocks away – but have to get there via secure travel, and armored up – even though it’s a ‘green zone’ area). Sounded good – so I thought I’d go ahead and travel with the band and act as roadie, helping get set up – an extra set of hands & ears are always helpful for band setup.

The Sunday gig – the birthday gig (last Sunday of the month, every month, at the Milano restaurant) was cool. I was there, helped set up – got to tweak the bands levels in the EQ – yes, Kevin & Kevin actually taught me some good things about running sound over the past few years – and we got them sounding really good. All the levels sounded good, vocals up front, nothing too much louder than anything else – a pretty good mix.

So we get done setting up – check sound a bit, then all head out to eat, run, whatever prior to the gig at 8. So I went & got some chow, and hit my room for a bit to check email prior to the gig.

The gig went fantastic – crowd really into it – folks dancing a bit, and everyone just having a great time.

The next night we had to head over to another base, Eggers. Now, it’s only a couple blocks drive, but we still had to ‘suit up & load up’ – which means put on the body armor, helmets, and load a magazine into our various weapons of choice – mine being the 9mm. Now, loading up may conjure up different things for different folks – especially military. In the AOR here in Afghanistan, the ROE states that when we ‘load up’ a magazine, we only put the clip in without chambering a round. AOR = area of responsibility, aka the theater of operations. ROE = rules of engagement – the rules for how we ‘fight’. When in this area of the city, we load the magazine, but don’t chamber a round – which means we don’t cock the gun, and we don’t load a bullet in the chamber, or barrel. Doing so makes the gun immediately ready to fire. We have the weapon in a state ready to go – but needing to be ‘charged’ before firing. Safer for us – but also brings in a bit of delay were we to get involved with the enemy. No worries.

So, we load up the gear into the armored vehicles – what a way to travel – and head out. When we arrive at the base, just after leaving, we go to the tent where we are going to play to find a 4’ stage in a fairly nice, large tent for the show. Very cool. We got to moving things around and setting up, and suddenly one of the MWA folks (morale, welfare & activities) folks tell us there is a bunker call, and to stay put. Well. Isn’t that nice. A bunker call – is what happens when there is an attack, and they want to get everyone to a safe fortified position – the bunkers. There was not an attack, but this was only a drill. Even better.

The bunker call ends – the show goes on – folks come in, have fun, even dance a little and the world – at least in Kabul – is a better place. That’s the coolest part about what we do in the Tali Band – we bring folks into a musical environment where they get to forget that there is a war going on right outside the walls. . for a few minutes. They get to relax, and be normal. . . before heading back out and defending the freedom we find so dear.

Pretty darn cool if you think about it.

I’ll close tonight with a quote from one of my favorite philosophers – John Stuart Mill:

“A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.”

Condi Rice & David Milliband

I’ve not met lots of famous people. I have met a few, some interesting, some not – mostly musical in nature. I have not gone out of my way to meet people – especially famous people, as that fame thing does not really appeal to me. I would much rather spend time with my family or friends, rather than go hunting for folks. When I was in LA, I didn’t meet anyone famous – and certainly felt like the trip was still fun & worthwhile. I did ‘run into’ (i.e. stand next to) from the bands Styx and Damn Yankees. He looked like I felt after flying for 10 hours – so I didn’t bother him.

Anyway, I’ve always thought that Condoleezza Rice came off as a fairly straightforward person; at least she appears that way. Very knowledgeable – she’s a PhD – and seems like a person of substance and of some moral standards. When I heard that she may be coming on a VIP visit to HQ ISAF, I thought it would be interesting to see what she has to say, so I found out about the when’s & where’s and arranged to get there. This was kind of a last minute thing – as the security around the travel arrangements of important folks in the AOR is often pretty tight – so we didn’t hear until the day of. We were told to be at the gymnasium (the best place, really – for a large gathering) so we showed up at the appointed time only to be told there was a delay, to return later (about and hour and a half). So we did. The gym is actually pretty close to the shop, so no biggie. When we returned, there were many rumors about what was to happen, but not much organization. We stood around for a bit – maybe a half hour, and then the base Sergeant Major (the senior enlisted for the entire compound) has us form up into a couple of formations. He then explains about what is to happen – Mr. Milliband and Ms. Rice will enter, give a short talk, and then be on their way. We should not try to get autographs, as they are on a tight schedule, and please show military bearing, yada yada yada. Okay, so we were going to be a bit military – that’s understandable. We were then told that they were about 20 minutes out. Okay, so we stayed loosely in formation – haven been given the ‘at ease’ command, so we talked a bit, milled about. This went on for about 45 minutes, til we were told they were 5 minutes out. Given the recent math – we figured we had about a half hour. Forty-five minutes later we were again formed up, and then an additional fifteen minutes, and we were called to attention, and saw the cameras light up as the procession came into the room.

I’ve never met a royal – but the first word that came to mind was regal. Ms. Rice looked confident, self-assured, and calm. I’ve seen her walk on CNN or Foxnews before, so recognized her from that. Then she began to talk. She was very proud of us – and wanted to thank us for our service, our commitment, and she did it in such a way that was very sincere. I’ve seen political speeches – who can miss them nowadays – but this was no political speech. This was a heartfelt thank you.

After the speeches, eash person went to an opposite side of the room to talk with us, the troops. There were many nations represented here – I stopped trying to count, but the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, UK & US of course, but many others as well; and every branch of service was represented as well. Given the warnings from the sergeant major, most folks just kept in their places as they came by – until one particular lieutenant. Now, he works with us – and I’d heard he was going to do this – but when he did – well, everything changed. He unzipped his flight suit to reveal a t-shirt underneath with the words – I Condi – written across his chest – and he asked if she would mind signing his shirt. She immediately broke out into a very genuine smile. Ear to ear. That was the key. Everyone broke away from where they were to get a look – and a photo. :) The news cameras were actually running to get it on film. I heard that it made CNN – but never did see it myself.

Since the proverbial ice was broken, everyone started to crowd – just a bit – and Condoleezza Rice moved around the room – talking to every single person, shaking hands, saying “Thank you for your service” – and stopping for anyone that had a camera. She seemed very genuine – and very nice.

If she were running for office – I’d vote for her in a heartbeat.

The Tali Band

Valentine’s Day turned out to be something special at HQ ISAF – turns out there was a live band playing. WHAT?!?! A live band – I am so there. :) So 8 o’clock rolled around, and I made my way to the Milano restaurant to see what was going on. There was a band there alright – and they were very good. There had to be about 9 folks up on stage, 3 guitars, 2 acoustics (one doubling on mandolin), bass, drums, trombone, 2 singers (in addition to 2 guitar players that also sang), keyboards. . . I think that was it. They were doing cover tunes – stuff you would know from the radio – songs from the 70’s & 80’s – and they were doing very well. Here I am, Kabul Afghanistan, and there’s a live band playing. How cool.

As a point of reference – and reading this blog you should realize this by now – I am a musician. I love music. I play in a couple bands and as a worship musician at church. Knowing as I did that it was possible that there would be some downtime while I was stationed here, I brought with me a few items that would help me pass the time – including one of my basses. I brought my fretless custom Wilkat/Anderson/BEE with me so I could practice my intonation on the fretless and just get more comfortable playing it. I mean, I’ve only had it for, what – maybe 6 months by now. So I knew there would be time on my hands, and what better way to spend it than by honing my craft. I know the guys back home are working on writing a new cd – in StrangeLand – and DC Key just finished a cd – so there may be gigs to play. What could be better?!

The band played through a set for about an hour – then they went on a break. I grabbed the bass player, Mark, introduced myself, and asked if they would need a bass player at some time in the near future. He was very friendly and nice, and instructed me to come on in to a practice, and they would be more than happy to have me. Sweet! I was in! I listened to the rest of the set, and then turned in for the night with a plan.

I attended practice and met the guys, who all introduced themselves (including “Jim” – who I later learned was a Brigadier General in the UK Marines!). Very nice folks – and some very talented folks. The band included folks from all over base, and all over the world. LtCol’s in the USAF, a LtCDR from Canada, a BG from the UK, a Major from New Zealand, and on and on. This band was a pretty diverse group – and as we played and learned the songs, I found them to be a talented group as well.