note: since my laptop was nabbed, which had all my writing and photography on it, I'm going to be later than intended on a full online return. sorry guys, hope you all understand

note2: if a few journal entries appear at ~jan-leva just ignore them, they're merely the older ones from here for record's sake.

So I'm sitting here at 0330 GMT listening to the roar of 1000 lions (aka my mother's snoring in the bed next to this computer desk) typing away with my left hand and it hits me. What happened really wasn't that bad.

Though I could possibly lose my hand, I didn't lose my life. And while I was robbed of quite a few things, its the first time this house has been robbed since my family moved here over 40 years ago (and knowing my father, the last). Not to mention they could have taken a lot more than what they did, including the very computer I'm using to type right now.

Then of course I look at the bare shelves in my own room and the fact that I'm sitting here potentially crippled; suddenly I find myself starting to get pissed off.

I certainly hope this doesn't mean I'm going to turn out a grumpy old sod like Gregory House

But yes, update:: the police are tracing the artwork that was stolen as they think the Assassin's Creed by *Rahll print in particular may be put up onto Ebay. And they're working hard to trace the gun. Acer have also been notified so they'll be sure to let us know if that same laptop comes up again.

My hand is slowly healing - surgery is looking a lot more likely however not the bad kind. Again, as the doctor continues to reiterate to me, its too early to tell and as anything can happen at any given moment, only time will tell.

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I'm slowly trawling through the messages and deviations - like I had just recently finished doing and I've managed to climb through a whopping 800+ messages However I did cheat down the road - so forgive me everyone if I didn't post on ALL your journal entries but lets face it. I really don't give a damn anymore. I did, however, take the time to at least read them all so I know whats going on.

Rest assured, I'll try and not do the same with deviations

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Since my laptop was amongst the items stolen, I've lost all my writing. So all the poems and G.I. Memoirs I had typed up while on deployment have vanished and most likely have been wiped. Which sucks because now I'm back at square one and in the case of poetry, not even there.

I did however, manage to grab one entry of GIM which my brother happened to have in his email box. I will throw that up into my scraps as I think it has a LOT of work needed. I'm also thinking of redoing the Memoir styles so they're actually more like memoirs and not so novel-esque. Input will be nice people

Scrap entry can be found here: [link] - keep in mind, it will continue to be edited and changed, possibly removed

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Shameless plugs... I got the list right here

However I suddenly realised how lazy I'm feeling So watch this spot as they'll be coming soon!!

'Til next time kiddies

update: since my laptop was nabbed, which had all my writing and photography on it, I'm going to be later than intended on a full online return. sorry guys, hope you all understand

So in total I've spent the bigger part of the past decade on deployment. Fighting a war I don't believe in for a country I don't belong to. (yes i know, i'm not usually this bitter regarding military service )

However I come home on medical leave only to find I've been robbed. The whole place has been ransacked and amongst the things taken was not only upto £10,000 cash ($20,000 approx.), but jewllery coming into the five-digit numbers including parent's wedding stuff, entertainment/electronical goods (ps2, ipods, cameras, gamecube, etc), tvs, computers, my laptop from work and my handgun (my baby! ) amongst many other things. This also means I lost years worth of artwork given to me by friends and idols such as *Rahll, *operative274 and *14-bis, pictures of/from friends and family, documents, saved details and conversations etc. Things of sentimental value which I can't put a price on for the cops.

The kicker is this (besides the fact they stole my uniform, my handgun, base ID, etc.):: Amongst trophies and other awards for academic and sports-related things, they decided to steal my medals and badges.


Talk about a hero's welcome home....

I just love over-exaggerating things don't I?


But yes, I have returned home and am currently plopped down on my bed typing this up. With great difficulty.

While we were supposed to stay there until everyone had pulled out, then come home, I'm afraid there was a change of plan for myself and at least 5 others. I'm not going to go into details, so please don't ask. Just know that I'm back due to medical problems which in the worst case scenario, may mean the end of my career.

Now before anyone panics, don't. I'm not dead or dying because I'm here talking to all of you. Nor am I going to die anytime too soon. Worst case scenario = life's going to be difficult for a few months but I'll adapt.

Anyway that being said, I'm going to get a few peices of writing in soon. However don't expect much from me in the next few days (for obvious reasons though i will try and do at least 20 messages a day) and especially on the coming Friday and Saturday because those two are religious events for me (Moharrum/Ashura).


Speaking of writing, I'm thinking of changing quite a bit on the writing style of G.I. Memoirs, something I'll experiment with in the coming entry (will also ask you all for your input on that nearer the time). I do ask you all this though - should I keep it in chronological order or just throw it out as it comes along? Do let me know as I'm in a bit of a pickle with this.


On a final note before I go, thanks to everyone for their concern regarding the racial issue mentioned in the last Journal. I feel the love It's nothing serious, I wasn't really bothered about it but I felt a response was necessary to said deviant because of a later comment she made. Something which I've taken the liberty of posting below::


Just because I'm white, doesn't mean I'm ignorant as to why that term is used and where it comes from. I'm still British. And I wasn't mad at you as you claim. Nor was I angry. Just disappointed that such a great conversation had to go wrong because of your lack of manners.

In fact I never was mad at you, not once. Until now.

How dare you use race to judge me. Don't you ever generalise anyone like that again - whether you're talking about blacks, browns, whites or bloody polka-dotted. You have "arab friends", your kids have "arab friends": that doesn't take away the fact that what you just said to me was racist. So don't you tell me that by not talking to you I'm being a typical Arab - or in your words, "the same as all the others". For you information love, I'm not even Arab. Secondly, theres no such thing as a 'typical Arab'. And furthermore, I wasn't even ignoring you - if you had been half-assed to read my Journal, you would have seen that I wasn't responding to any messages because I wasn't here. I even left you a link to it so you wouldn't miss it.

People like you are nothing more than a pathetic and sad realisation that ignorance is still amongst us. I hope for the sake of you - and those children of yours that you mentioned - that you learn how to address others properly.

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I would put her message (the one that provoked this response) but to be honest its barely legible. Feel free to ask for it though I'll happily give you a copy - just to be "typically" difficult



Anyway enough babble from me, will keep you all updated and will let you know the situation with all the above. Please give me your responses on the question guys, I'd appreciate the insight. Til then however, take care

Alright, so I finally opened a separate writing account. Thanks to those who answered the polls (whatever your answer was) and helped me to solidify this decision. Much love for you

From now on any written pieces I create will be put up here. However for the sake of the lazy amongst you I will also be putting them up on my original account. Same goes for Journal entries, though those won't always be an exact duplicate.

This way, even if I don't end up using this account, I've got something in case. But don't let that stop you from watching this account too


Now that just leaves the task of getting a new avatar, devID, and Writing strip, heh heh heh ....