The Midnight Hour

I saw the “thumbnail”, pretty cool, Jeff! Unfortunately, I cannot view the article, do to my lack of NYT Selectedness. But it’s still awesome!

Congrats, Jeff. I’ll be subscribing for a while.

Thanks for the support, guys. I am finding that as an op-ed contributor apparently my comments to my own blog as well as the blogs of others are automatically accepted. This is fun. I am engaging in some interesting debates. Some guy on another blog just threw out that “reserve and national guard units are usually just as capable, if not more, than active duty unit.” I picked apart that statement in a heartbeat.

I read NY Times Frontlines. Great writing, welcome to big-time journalism. BE SAFE.

anyone want to paste the article text in a comment i cannot acess the page

Gotta cough up some cash, wormeyman…

Glad you got the Se-Xbox working again! I can barely imagine life without it. You try playing split-screen yet? =P

The whole 110/220 thing was a big deal in Germany, too. Fortunately for us, out house had 110 outlets AND 220, so we were one of the lucky ones. I could only laugh in mockery at those I knew who experienced what you have. Of course, I only laughed WITH them, not AT them. Of course.

By the way, think to yourself the following statement:

“I’m on the front page of the New York Times.”

Let it sink in, then think again:

“I’m on the FRONT PAGE of the NEW YORK TIMES.”

Ok, now sit down. Remember, deep breaths. =)

I just happened to cross by your blog. Congrats on you new found fame - good to know the NYTimes picks real true to life people to get the word out! So far sounds like you are prime for a busy year - Good for you!! Hope it goes fast! Take care of yourself!

Enjoyed your first post to the NYT and I have added you to my favorites list. It was nice for once to hear a “gripe” about too much as opposed to too little which has rained on us for many, many months in the MSM. You put it into perspective very nicely! Way to go Marine!

YAY that is so awesome Congrats again, this is such a wonderful thing.

BTW, I saw the pic of the panties on your sidebar LOL Thanks again for a great laugh this morning.

Keep up the amazing work, both in and out of the blogs.
Stay safe, you’re always in my prayers.

Dear Midnight,
I have really enjoyed reading all your posted thoughts here, both the mundane and the less than.
Hmm. Isn’t that like a double negative or something? This is why not only is the New York Times Editor not chasing me down with offers to publish but he is no doubt grasping his red pencil in frustrated anguish wondering “where to begin…”
Anyway. I am shipping you a llama named Tina to feed all of your left over scrambled eggs to. Every unit needs a mascot and, well, “waste not, want not” GOSH!
Wishing you all the best with your women’s underwear issues.
Love,
Yri

Hoorah! *wink* Congratulations Marine. Way to go.

Have you heard any info in these JIN’s that supposedly destroy IED’s ? Would love to see you discuss this, supposedly the Pentagon is holding this up in beaucracy

I notice you have photos of the .10 panties. My question is: If you can walk in and take a photo of them, why not just buy them? Personally, I would think you to be much stranger to see you photographing than buying them. Just a thought you might consider. Lol! X.

LOL Xyane, I hadn’t thought of that……they must be wondering why he would be taking pics of the panties LOL Some weird fetish or something. LOL

Thanks for the great laugh.

No problem Sandra. I thought it to be rather amusing. Lol!
Xyane.

Sorry to break up the lovefest going on here, but I’ve got a bone or two to pick with you, Sir. I never thought I’d have to rip on a fellow milblogger like this, but this needs to be said:

1. You’re ripping off your readers with this pay-per-view crap from a website that’s making money off you for your own writing. The whole purpose and beauty of blogs, especially milblogs) is that they are free to all. Milblogging should be totally devoid of the profit motive, otherwise you’re exploiting the medium for personal gain. That goes for blogads, adsense, or third party involvement.

2. I understand its exciting to be recognized for your work, but consider the source. Have you even read some of the garbage the Treason Times has been spouting this past year? They’ve done nothing but undermine the war at every turn, minimized the successful Iraqi elections as best they could, and revealed on page one nearly every national security secret they could get their hands on.

But woo hoo, your face is on the front page!
I bet if you start badmouthing the war they’ll even move you into the section of the paper that people actually read!

Honestly, why not email Michael Moore and beg to be in his next “documentary.” It’d be about as dignified.

Buck Sargent
4/23 Stryker Infantry
Mosul, Iraq

“Officers. Can’t work with ‘em… can’t shoot ‘em.”

Are you on the front page of a newspaper?

Granted, the NYT or “Treason Times” as you so eloquently put it, is extremely left-wing, anti-war, anti-military, and frankly anti-American. But that doesn’t mean that Jeff can’t use it to inform people about how a soldier lives in Iraq, and do so in amusing and often downright hilarious ways. The NYT is getting him a whole lot more exposure than any blog will and he can use that for good.

Have you even read Jeff’s work? You act like because he was chosen by the NYT, his work is automatically anti-war. I don’t think he has even touched any political subjects. Sure, it would be nice to get picked up by a more conservative newspaper, but I think he will take what he can get. Who knows, maybe Jeff’s writings might change things for the better. Oh, and last time a checked there weren’t a whole lot of conservative newspapers out there anyway and the NYT is less left-wing than some.

Jeff is a great writer! If you want to debate the NYT’s anti-war stance than that’s fine, but don’t come pointing fingers at Jeff, as if he is saying horrible anti-military things. If I didn’t know any better, I’d almost say there was a hint of jealousy in your writings, sir.

As to whether blogging should be “totally devoid of the profit motive”, I wouldn’t know, I’ve never had a blog and I don’t think I ever will. But it would seem to me that if they don’t want to read the thing bad enough to pay, than they can do without.

Slayer
The Nub
Member of THX

You, Buck Sargent, are the one that is not dignified.

Your language is as much to blame for the political division in America as the language coming from mainstream media outlets that you denounce.

I do not feel ripped off at all by the Lt.

Thank you for your military service to our country.

By the way, you didn’t rip Midnight. Don’t think that you did, Bucky.

Ironically, I think you ended up ripping yourself.

I made no mention of the Lieutenant’s work, because its content is irrelevant to the argument. I have no problem with his writing, what I’ve read of it I believe is very good. I made no assertion that his views were anti-war, although if they were I would view him unfit to lead troops in a combat zone. Officers should be held to a higher standard; they don’t have the luxury of being against a war they are entrusted to conduct. But I digress.

I do have a problem with his choice of venue simply because it is aiding and abetting the enemy. Yes, the New York Times is our enemy. I do not expect them to ignore setbacks or bad news, or report only sugar-coated fairy tales. All I ask if that they report the truth — the WHOLE truth. They have made no secret of their outright disdain for this war effort, and have spared no effort in their attempts to discredit the military at every turn. They’ve made it perfectly clear that they do not wish for us to succeed. My grandfather’s generation would not have stood for it, yet my own generation can’t seem to get enough. WWII was one series of disasters and snafus after another, yet the press back then kept it all in perspective and rallied the country to press on to victory. Today they would have called it a hopeless quaqmire before we even made it to D-Day.

But it doesn’t surprise me in the least that the Times would now solicit milbloggers in order to bolster their “street cred”, especially in light of the pressure that the internet and blogging specifically is putting on the publishing world’s bottom line. What surprises me is that any soldier would allow themselves to be used by them.

I don’t begrudge the LT’s desire for notoriety. Who doesn’t appreciate attention for their work? It’s a perfectly normal impulse. But the majority of us aren’t over here to become famous, we’re here to win our generation’s war. And the NYT is doing everything in their power to prevent that. I think it’s pathetic that so many Americans put their disdain for our current President above the lives and future of 25 million Iraqis. Many of these noble people I now consider my friends and brothers, and I will do everything within my power to not see them abandoned. Winning the war here does not mean death and destruction, it means a new chance at life and prosperity. The only way we will not prevail is if you at home quit on us before the enemy does. And the NYT is certainly not helping matters with their misplaced pessimism and outright distortions of the situation on the ground here and at home.

The Times has completely discredited themselves over the past four years with their constant drumbeat of “we can’t win, let’s just throw in the towel.” I for one am sick of it, and the less people that turn to that tabloid for information, the better off us soldiers will be. Because the attacks here are not going to stop until it is patently obvious to all that we are not going to give up, leave, or walk away until the job is done. Period.

Al-Qaeda and the insurgents follow the media reports coming out of our country. They have admitted they do time and time again. And when the “Great NY Times” prints things that try to influence our citizens to quit on us, it emboldens them to hang on until the bloody end, just like it did the North Vietnamese in the last war we lost. The media and the antiwar crowd is prolonging the war with their nonsense, and the longer the fighting continues the more soldiers and Iraqis will die.

Stop thanking us for our service and saying you support us if you’re going to turn around and stab us in the back. If you truly supported us, then you’d support the cause we are willing to die if necessary to prevail. None of us have to be over here. No one held a gun to our heads.

Look, I’m not holding all this stuff againt the LT. I understand what he’s trying to do. But you know what would actually get me to subscribe and hand over money to the Times? If he writes a post saying how much the NYT sucks at basic reporting and that withholding the other side (i.e., positive side) of the story is yellow journalism at its worst.

I’d pay money to read that. Assuming he could get them to print it.

Okay, I’ve had my say. I’m not here to monopolize the LT’s website. I’ll run along now. I just get all worked up when I see people still taking the Times seriously. If you haven’t found a worthy news alternative to them yet, you really haven’t been paying attention.

Sir,

Thanks for posting this comment! I agree with you whole heartedly! I think if you had posted this comment in the first place, it would have been better for all of us. I still think however, that Jeff can use the NYT to inform people about the everyday comings and goings of soldiers in Iraq.

Perhaps Jeff will as you say write about how much the NYT does suck. I don’t pretend to know his all of his political convictions, but I do believe that he will defend our Nation in any way he can.

Thanks again.

Slayer

“I understand what he’s trying to do.”

I don’t think you do because you say, “All I ask if that [the NYT] report the truth — the WHOLE truth.” Then, you get all up in arms when someone, like Jeff, is writing truth in the NYT. He is someone who is providing an inside look into the war without political language. That is probably a big reason why news agencies are interested in talking with him. That’s probably why so many people read his blog.

So, I don’t think you understand what Jeff is trying to do. I don’t think it is for money or fame. I don’t think it is for personal gain. I, though, think we all understand what you are trying to do.

Believe it or not, some “milbloggers” don’t have a political agenda. Some don’t even have a person agenda, other than to communicate with their loved ones, or to explore a new form of creativity.

You obviously have an agenda. You are going out on limbs, the branches are breaking, and you are falling back down to the fire-breathing dragon’s pit.

I think a person ought to gain their news from multiple news organizations, regardless of the respective new organization’s outright or hidden agenda. It makes for a better world-view. I claim The Times, Fox, Aljazeera, etc. all are worthy news sources and they all have their faults. Isolating your news to a handful or news outlets creates tunnel vision.

Writing for a media outlet does not make Jeff less of a person, less of a soldier, or less of a patriot. It should not offend anyone, except self-proclaimed “firebreathing” political fanatics. He is simply writing about his life in Iraq. If you would have faith in your fellow serviceman, you would be comforted because you would know that the media outlets are in good hands with Lt. Midnight.

I wrote that last post as I was literally going out the door, so I think I got a little sloppy… er a lot.

But after reading your second post again, and Rapture brought this to my attention, it does seem like you are accusing Jeff of doing it for fame and fortune. You say that you are “not holding this stuff against the LT”, than why are you bringing this to his attention at all?

Once again, I don’t think that Jeff has even touched a single political subject. Will he in the future? I don’t know, that’s his business, he can do what he wants.

Like I said, I wholeheartedly agree with you about this stuff, and I understand where you are coming from. My problem is that you sounded like you were attacking Jeff, when he has done nothing but talk about his life in Fallujah.

And the more I think about it, the more I think that Jeff deserves any pay he can get. Writing is hard work, as I am sure you know, and I really don’t see any problem with Jeff being paid for it.

Dammit, against my better judgment I am now officially a blog troll. But our mission got scrubbed, I’ve had way too much coffee, and I’m bored. So here goes:

Rapture, you made a good point about the LT giving NYT readers a taste of truth. After some consideration, I think you’re right. I tend to fly off the handle in a rage whenever the Times is involved, simply because it’s hard not to. Being over here and then reading the drivel they’re poisoning our country with is enough to make one insane. But instead of just writing them off completely, I suppose it’s better to infiltrate their ranks and try and moderate their nastiness with our own version of events. On that point, I feel the LT probably on to something.

Do I have a political agenda? You’re damn right I do! My agenda is to win. And I will side with anyone of any party or any persuasion who wants the same thing. Is it my fault that only one party in our country appears to actually want to win this war? Everything about war is political, from the way it starts to the way it is conducted to the way it is won (or especially, lost). Anyone who claims a soldier’s job can be divorced from politics has never been a soldier. Every single thing we do in Iraq revolves around politics. Read Robert Kaplan’s excellent work on this subject if you don’t believe me. Trigger pulling is about 5% of the fight over here. The rest is getting the tribal chieftans and the local officials and the police and army to actually start giving a damn about their own country for a change. And I’m telling you, this is the hardest part of the equation. And you have to actually leave the wire more than once a month to make all this happen.

If the LT has no personal agenda and just writes for fun, hey, more power to him. I do mine because I enjoy it, but also because I want to do my part to convince Americans that this is a fight worth having. This is more of a war of ideas now than anything. The insurgents have no hope of defeating us on the battlefield. It’s not even close. But they can wait us out until our politicians and people get bored or fed up or simply apathetic and want it all to just go away so they can go back to focusing on American Idol and Bradgelina’s baby.

But for a soldier to be over here and not have strong opinions on the matter is just silly. You’re just killing time if that’s the case. That’s fine for Private Joe Snuffy, but for leaders it’s another matter entirely. The American taxpayer is not getting their money’s worth out of a soldier who’s just counting the days until his deployment is up.

And Rapture, if you honestly consider al-Jazeera a “worthy news source,” then either you’ve never spent much time on their site, or you’ve got serious moral equivalency issues. They make CNN look like Rush Limbaugh.

Okay, I’ve changed my mind again. There’s no excuse for writing for the NY Times. I don’t care if they offer you a regular column and a free coffee mug. I wish I could comment on the actual Times Select articles themselves, but I’m not about to send them one red cent. But just be sure and start writing about how bad the war sucks and I’m sure you’ll do fine. They’ll eat that stuff right up. Or just keep writing about panties at the PX. Whatever.

I just now realized what my problem is and why I’m getting so worked up over this. I hate officers, fobbits, and the Times, in that order. This whole debate can only end badly. I think now I’m just stirring the hornet’s nest for no good purpose. I’ll stop trying to have the last word.

You may commence flaming when ready.

Buck.

I don’t want to start a flame war, especially in this setting on the internet. It’s hard enough to have a discussion in person about sensitive political beliefs. I respect your opinions. You shared yours. I shared mine.

I think al-Jazeera is one of the most important news agencies in the world at the moment. They obviously have connections to terrorist leaders. The agency reveals important details about the enemy’s thought process, their leaders, their intentions, and so on. They are, perhaps, a propaganda machine. Perhaps they are a tool for the enemy. However, the tool can be studied and evaluated. In turn, the student will have a more advanced perspective on the situation of affairs. So, in that case, I see them as carrying worth for many different types of people that have many different types of beliefs.

Just because a news media says it, doesn’t mean you have to believe or support it. I think it is very important to be exposed to different points of view, now more than ever.

By the way, you can get a free 14-day trial of the New York Times. However, you will need to fill in credit card information to get the trial - which is actually the start of a subscription.

Congrats on the NY post. Foudn your blog via the K2 forum. Will add you to my blogroll, be the first milblog on their.

While I’m here big thanks to you and the rest of the guys and gals doing your thing out there. We do appreciate you guys.

Mik

I give up. It’s getting over my head, er did a while ago. I’m just a nub you know. I’ve done my best to defend Jeff and I think the rest is nit-picking at details.

We seem to agree on the main issues… I think.

Buck Sargent - okay, your agenda is to win the war. What is your definition of winning?

To Buck Sargent:

My comment each time I have gotten a half price solicitation from the NYT had been “when hell freezes over”. It appears to have done so for the next month. However, when that month ends you are going to hear the increible sound of running water going down a drain.

The point is that this is not going to financially make a difference to the slump they are in but when people come on board and then leave having done so for the sole purpose of getting real war news, we will have sent an important and ppwerful message.

Ask yourself why they asked milbloggers in the first place? They are aware they are losing out to real news and they need money. I will have an opportunity to send them a message which was unsent as long as they never knew how I felt. Yes they will get two weeks of my money but I have found new blogs and will have the wonderful sense of power over the NYT that I will get when I pull the plug!!!! I don’t have trouble discerning the winners here.

That said, I admire your patriotism “my agenda is to win”, your service and yes your initial indignation on behalf of the first. I agree with virtually everyting you have written in regard to your political stance in your later comments. Sure glad you are on our side!!!! Stay safe and PS: officers are not the enemy, paticularly not the LT as he came to the NYT with an argument against the MSM repitition on more and more body armor. An attack from within! UH rah….

Buck Sargent, Please make up your mind. In one sentence your upset Jeff is writing for NYT. Then you glad he has infiltrated the ranks. Yet once more, you turn around in the same rant, and say “Never mind, “I don’t thing that the LT should be writing for the NYT!”. Is it too much coffee? Are you off your medication? They do have good treatments these days for bi-polar disorder. I am not trying to offend. Maybe you should look into it. You may just need some Prozac, etc., to mellow out. Call me ignorant or politically stunted if you like. I don’t see any reason to become overly excited or the need to be so melodramatic.

Personally, I do not know Jeff well enough to ask him if he is being bestowed monetarily by the NYT. I do say either way “Good for him!”. Most of us can only wish that our writing skills and opinions would matter to our own local paper. Hell, I had my first photos published in my local news just a few months back. I received no payment, but was just thrilled to get to recognition for my work. To me it was not really important what news entity recognized it.

(Jeff- if your getting paid by the NYT, GOOD FOR YOU! Run as fast as you can to the bank and cash the check.)

Furthermore, I have not seen in Jeff’s BLOG any political agenda. His BLOG was selected because of it’s non political content, or so it would seem. I myself enjoy hearing the thoughts, hopes, & dreams of those that are sacrificing their time, and sometimes their lives for us. I hear more political crap on the news in a week than most should have to endure in a lifetime. It’s refreshing to get a sane & unpolitical view from someone in the middle of all the chaos that we face in the media daily.

My advice is to take this for what it is, one persons outlook on the situation he finds himself in. Any recognition he receives beyond this, is icing on the cake! Go Jeff!!

Sorry for the absence, guys.

Buck,
I respect your right to have an opinion, and as long as they are civil, your opinions are welcome on this blog. Now, I will respond to each comment in the order you posted it:

“Milblogging should be totally devoid of the profit motive, otherwise you’re exploiting the medium for personal gain.”

-This is a one month stint with the NYT that stands to gain notoriety for the military blogger and add fact-based reporting to their publication. My personal gain is a hefty $500 for the entire month. That is approximately 15% of my monthly base pay. That won’t even cover what I pay in taxes per month when inside the US. Besides being so minimal, I am not even sure I can accept it yet. Contrary to what you may think, officers are held to a higher standard. If I can’t I will sign the check over to a charity.

“…although if they were I would view him unfit to lead troops in a combat zone”

-Thank you, sincerely, for offering your opinion on my theoretical capability to lead troops in a combat zone. I was sweating bullets in the middle of Fallujah this morning hoping that I met your standards.

“But the majority of us aren’t over here to become famous, we’re here to win our generation’s war.”

-I hope you aren’t implying I am over here to become famous. If so, you are sorely mistaken.

“Or just keep writing about panties at the PX.”

-Not reading is absolutely free.

“I hate officers, fobbits, and the Times, in that order. ”

-Really? Why not just add Blacks, Jews, and auto repairmen named Earl to that list? You can’t pretend to know every officer, so how can you substaintiate hating us?

I grow tired of clubbing this loathsome horse. I return from outside the wire (working hard on fulfilling your quota) to see a measuring contest has erupted on my blog. I have 6 Marines to take care of and lead in combat operations. I have not the time nor the will to combat you repeatedly on my blog. Your judgments on me and the officer corps are unfounded, uninformed, and a whole list of “un’s” that it’s too late in the night to get into. Be advised: I run this nuthouse, not the loonies.

The way I see it you have two options:
1. Get over it.
2. Die pissed off.

Either one suits me.

I’m surprised that no one has ever told Buck (or BS as I like to call him) that a Marine is not a soldier. A Marine is a Marine. That’s with a capital M, Buck-O.

Nice Post.

That was well said. Always appreciate your indepth views. Keep up the great work!

John