Beating the pavement of cyberspace.

It has been a while since I have last blogged. Been out of Iraq since Oct./Nov. timeframe of last year and have been living in The Netherlands for the past 4 months now, looking for global work oppurtunities with a major transnational to get my foot in the door of international marketing. Below is my plain text resume for my future employers consideration:

BOBBY R LARON

EXPERIENCE
10/30/2005 – 11/09/2006, 60+ Hours per Week, Public Affairs Specialist/NCO, 124th MPAD – Combined Press Information Center, MNF-Iraq (PAO). Serve as a Public Affairs Specialist for Multi-National Force-Iraq. Provide public affairs support to local and international press aiding in the strategic communication goals of Multi-National Force Iraq. Provide command information to key stakeholders on the official MNFI website. Assist in practical and administrative support for the MNFI spokesman and staff in presenting press conferences to international and local media. Aided in coordinating and implementing transportation of all media within the International Zone. Evaluate candidate qualifications for press credentialing procedures via biometric screening of all non-US media.

11/18/2003 – 03/15/05, 64 Hours per Week, Management Assistant, Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Market to local business partners helping to build and maintain solid and long-lasting relationships with key decision makers. Provide inventory control to manage and control a fleet of 120 vehicles in the most efficient and effective manner possible. Effectively apply sales techniques to communicate, influence and interact with all types of customers, vendors and co-workers. Increase branch profit generation through analysis of monthly profits and expenditures.

12/12/2002 – 12/23/2003, 50 Hours per Week, Broadcast Manager, American Forces Network-Korea – Taegu Affiliate. Direct all aspects of daily operations including newscast development, broadcast tasking management and 24 hour in-depth coverage for a 22,000 square kilometer area. Built successful junior reporter training operation from the ground up. Provided a wide range of methods for a more efficient news production with higher standards. Earned reputation as a trusted advisor offering solutions through knowledge of human resources and broadcast tools. Provide ongoing public affairs support for a major international organization.

EDUCATION
BA, History, Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA, 99004, March 05.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
SPECIALIZED TRAINING
Advanced Electronic Journalism, May 02, 40 hours; Basic Broadcaster Coarse, Jul 00, 9 weeks; Basic Wildland Firefighter Coarse, Jun 01, 40 hours; Underwater Helicopter Egress Training Coarse, Sep 02, 1 Week.

LICENSES/CERTIFICATES/AWARDS/OTHER INFORMATION
MOS Qualified 46R2o Broadcast Journalist; May 04 Enterprise Rent-A-Car Group 32 MVP Award; Television News Story of the Quarter - 1st QTR FY 2003; Joint Service Achievement Medal; Army Achievement Medal (3rd award); Joint Meritorious Unit Award; National Defense Service Medal; Global War On Terrorism Service Medal; Korea Defense Service Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon (2nd award); Armed Forces Reserve Medal w/ M Device; American Legion; Sep 96 Rotary International Exchange Student to Finland (1 year)

Send a little rain my way...

As the temperature rises so does my temper and temperament with what I do for the Army. My newest and most mundane tasking now is to creditial and bio-metric all media coming through Iraq, with the help of only one fellow soldier. We get it done, don't get me wrong...but there is a systemic problem with the amount of need and the amount of quality work we are able to feasibly complete in a workday and when the burden isn't shared equitably throughout the unit...Bitterness builds. I usually keep it all to myself because nobody wants to hear another complaint in this unit. Many grips are unfounded and so the ones that matter go unheard in the great white noise of intent and reality. Know what I mean? Wish I could get more specific but you never know who is reading. Could be the enemy at the gates or within. Anyway, the picture is of me in Qatar on my 4 day pass. Food tent int the background, yummy kabab and Persian Gulf if you were looking through my eyes at the camera. All the best to all my best....Bobby

the goings on...

I have not posted in a while though I have often thought about doing so and wonder if that should count toward the effort? No? Okay, well...I'm currently reading "Smilla's Sense of Snow" and wonder if there are any Danes or Greenlanders who can fill me in on the rift if any between the two cultures? Just for my own curiosity. Very soon, I will travel to Qatar for my 4 day break away from this place. I will definitely make everyone aware how it goes, though one word keeps coming to mind over and over and that word is -- peaceful! Nearly done with this temporary graveyard duty and it will be nice to see the light of day again, I wasn't meant to be a vampire at work. Though I do love playing at night. My 27th birthday is on the 26th of this month and I couldn't care less. I could truly stop the aging process now and be happy with it...but time marches on doesn't it. Oh, finally....Iraq's current prime minister has decided to step aside and make room for a unity government to form. I'm so excited, not! I wish we could go back to the good old days when wars were just meant for the warfighters. Alas, the world we live in is flawed. Lin, thank you for the beautiful watch!

Changes are good

I'll be moving to a different working schedule again and I like this fact. Every time there is a change in my daily routine over here, I feel like one portion of my tour is done and I am about to begin another. It helps to break down the year here into easily digestible pieces that are a lot easier to swallow. I haven't been keeping up much with this blog which is quite a shame for me in the long run as it is my only true journal that I have been keeping while here. Much of my days are similar to the days before that and so I can get stuck into a routine in which I don't fully appreciate all that is happening around me. All I can say is that I will try and do better. That is all any of us can do. As some of you may know Lin will study for her LLM in Air and Space Law and there is a conference held at The Hague next month celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the International Institute of Air and Space Law. I would really love to take her there if I wasn't here. Sounds quite interesting and of coarse informative for her as far as 'being in the know' goes. If any browsers happen to make it there. I would love to hear what you thought of it.

Anticipation

I eagerly await the news that will inform me of my future--have I been accepted for graduate studies at Leiden university, my first and only choice? A life of change now stratifies even further with the events of the near past and future. Ordered to Iraq, moving to Europe for advanced degree work, committed relationship with a foreigner, and of coarse becoming an uncle! These changes, to name a few. How each has shaped my perception of my world is still being uncovered. Immense excitement follows impatience too, for instance: finish my tour of duty, move into my apartment over the canal, begin my coarse work, spend quality time uncovering who Lin truly is, and hold my niece in my hands. Everything is in a holding pattern and yet also slowly approaching. It is hard to know what to do with this time. My mission is important to the war effort. I have to believe this, yet I feel no real ownership to it. It is a real set of conflicts for me to be 27 next month and have done all I've done in my life thus far and to not be able to feel of use here. I'm a lowly cog in the machine yet if given a chance to do more, I'm not sure where my talents would be best put to use in this man's army. I just wish I had been called to do this when I was younger and "in the mood" for military life. I've moved so far beyond the limits of lower enlisted mentality that I almost feel insulted when people refer to me by my rank. How dare you call me Specialist, what did I do to you. I've resigned myself to doing what I'm told and escaping into the gym and the written word during my free moments.

The Sun Never Sets on the LaRon Empire

Okay, maybe the quote in my title is a bit over the top but it does set the tone of how I feel here at times. This isn't a reminiscent of glory days as that of the British Empire in the 18th century but rather perhaps deep thoughts of events which lead me to this place. More aptly titled should read "The Sun Sets Upon Rome's demise." Anyway, I couldn't leave Iraq without this testament to my ever loving quest for the perfect memento or souvenir.

(Photo by: James J. Lee, Army Times Photo journalist)

Work out schedule and supplements...

Well, I figured I was in prison so I might as well work out like a prisoner. My new gym schedule is as follows:
Monday- Warm up Cardio/Back/Bi's/Abs
Tuesday- Warm up Cardio/Cardio Fat Burn Work out/Abs
Wednesday- Warm up Cardio/Chest/Tri's/Abs
Thursday- Warm up Cardio/Cardio Fat Burn Work out/Abs
Friday- Fore Arms/Legs/Shoulders/Abs
Saturday- Sports Activity/Abs
Sunday- OFF
The supplements I'm taking are as follows:
1)VY TECH's 17HD Pro-Testosterone Amplifier
2) Xyience's NOX-CG3 Creatin
3) Humagro-Homeopathic growth hormone
4) 100% Whey Protein
Besides that I take...garlic, cod liver oil, daily restore multi-vitamin pack, Calcium, Metab-O-Fx, and lots of water.
I'm also keeping a log of each work out to track my process. I don't necessarily want to lose any weight more that rearrange things:), even though I lost 5 lbs. already in a week's time.
Wish me luck...B