From the Peanut gallery - 04/19/2005

Q:
When you tell all, be sure to tell the good, bad, and especially the ugly. The ugly tells the real truth about the Tommie you want the readers to know.

A:
No doubt, this is going to be as above board as I can make it. I plan on getting it out. There are three or four reasons I want to get this out.

1. My friend Sara really inspired me to do this so if you all want to thank someone you can thank her for this and the Peanut Gallery. She was the spark.
2. There was some misunderstanding about my background. I think the BETing/MTVing of the Black ascension to success has skewed America and probably the world’s view of how and where success comes from in the Black community.
3. This "Tommie Hu$tle" character has kind of grown into it’s own personality like a Sherman Clump/Buddy Love thing. I mean I am Tommie Hu$tle, I'm not. I mean this TH thing has taken a life of it's own and people think what they want to think. This will help to bring some balance to the force.

Q:
How do you clean your clothes where you are?

A:
Great question I’m shocked no one has asked me this question until now. We have laundry service. I drop my clothes off and they bring them back to me three days later.

Q:
Who do you miss?

A:
You of course baby, who else would it be?

Q:
I was reading the blog part about the helicopter crash. For a minute, when I heard civilians, I thought about you too. To us, it doesn't matter if it's Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, or Pakistan. They are all the same if we have never been over there. We think when they talk about one, they are talking about them all.

A:
Yeah, I know. I wish that people could live out here for a week to see what it is like. I think they would get a different perspective about how it goes down. At least how I live. I spend most of my time here behind the wire so my life is cushioned from the ugly realities of what you see on headline news.

Q:
I know the old Tommie, but I am sure that I don’t know the real Tommie Right?

A:
I would think you do aside from the fact that I'm not as naive as you think that I am. I am someone who is more likely to take advantage of someone rather than someone who is taken advantage of.
Keep reading.


Q:
I don't believe in guns myself. Actually, I think they should be illegal altogether for all non-military personnel/police in civilian life, fuck the war zone.

A:
Don’t mistake my inability to get sexually excited at the sight and feel of a gun as a statement of not respecting guns or seeing the need for one. First and foremost I’m an American and that being said I am genetically designed with the love of Girls, Guns, and God (in that order). I would have no problem operating a gun if then need arises and I would have no mental hesitation about firing a weapon and killing another sentient being if that meant my survival or the survival of those around me. Job be damned, I’d much rather be fired than buried.

I'm just mature enough to know am already equipped with a fully functional phallus and I don't need an artifical one to affirm my manhood. I don't split hairs, guns are not for defense they are desinged to kill plain and simple. I respect that fact and as it is with many things in my reality having one is much different than HAVING to use one. I would stand far, far away from anyone who doesn't respect that fact.

I live with the reality that regardless if you believe in the reasons why Americans are here. There are people that are only miles from me that would beat, torture, and kill me. Before they did that they would find out where you live and if they could they would go to your home and do the same thing to you and they would continue until they killed every last person that thought or believed what you and I believe. The good thing is that I would suspect that less than 5% of the people here think or believe that.

Q:
Ha! Noticed the change in your title once more - although I must say, I liked the "Is there any man more amazing than Tommie Hu$tle" best of all.

A:
Life is about change. That’s what I try and let my readers know. Nothing stays the same forever. The downfall of any civilization is complacency.

Q:
I am shocked the first thing you wouldn’t want to do when you get home is lay in the arms of a woman you love (or at least like, lol).

A:
Yeah, I know it sounds funny but I left home not in the arms of a woman that I loved or liked so it’s like whatever to me now. The women that I have had in my life tend to suffer from ATF syndrome. That is After The Fact syndrome; they don’t tend to realize what they had in me until after the fact. I’m sure it has to be some sort of mental malady, the only cure is for me to gone for a while. But, once I show back up they will start to exhibit signs of ATF syndrome again.

Two reasons really, one when I get home I want to decompress this job is mentally and physically draining. You spend a lot of your time sub-processing information and rationalizing what most people would find insane (Is this going to crash, get shot at, explode). Here’s a daily thought that I have to suppress but it is a reality. Every place I go can be blown up, think about that for a second. Think about your regular day and then think that something can randomly explode and even your bedroom isn’t safe from that random explosion. If that doesn’t tuck you in at night I don’t know what does. At any rate that is to say when I get home I want some time to myself to process mental silence.

The second reason is because once I get home I’ll be “on” even with this blog people are going to want to hear the who, what, when, where, why, and how of Iraq. So I want some time to think about the who, what, when, where, why, and how for myself.

Q:
Are you wearing plenty of socks to keep away the blisters? I know your momma gave you the remedy to keep blisters away.

A:
Nope. Ummm, nope my Mom didn’t give me the anti-blister remedy, but I’ll be sure to ask her.

Q:
Got a date yet on your ETA?

A:
Yeah, I know exactly when I’ll be home.

Q:
Do you have someone picking you up from the airport?

A:
Someone would have to know when I was going to be at the airport to pick me up. No one knows that.

Q:
What are you looking forward to most in leaving Iraq?

A:
God, you know I've never thought of it really. I think just being around women mostly. Not in a sexual way but, just having a more diverse group of people to communicate with. That's a snap response I'll have to think on it. I generally don't think about what I'm going to do when I get out of here. Around here it's bad to pre-plan getting out. It's better to take things one day at a time. It's real random around here.

*after thinking*

Going to the bathroom is what I’m looking forward to when I leave Iraq. Yes, going to the bathroom in the same general area as my bed. Getting fully dressed to go 200 meters to the nearest bathroom sucks. I think anyone who has been in this situation looks forward to the simple and modern conveniences that American society provides.

Q:
We definitely need to hook up when you’re back!

A:
No doubt.

Q:
Love the blog – it's perfect for a voyeur like me. Sorry I haven't sent more thoughts back! I could bury you with a ton of excuses, but truth is I need to rethink my priorities…

A:
We all do, we all do. Hey as long as you are reading it and getting enjoyment out of it then that's what I like the most. I know you are out there. The thing that is wild about the blog is that I only gave the blog to like no more than 30 people and I've gotten damn near 6000 views and over 200 emails a week. It's crazy but, good crazy it takes my mind away from here.

Q:
Are you going to Poland before you come back to the states?

A:
I don't know yet. I mean I could. I have at least 5 countries that I HAVE to visit. I’m rounding up my list right not but, I know where I’m heading first.

Q: Are you starting to have feeling like you just can't stand being in the same place of the time?

A:
Uhh, I'm kind of indifferent because I'm not really in the same place all the time. I move around a lot. I'm in the air as much as I'm on the ground.


Q:
Are their any females working with you?

A:
Working with me as in co-workers? No. Here in Iraq? Yes, but I wouldn't say I work with them they are just here.

Q:
What is the ratio for female/males, black/white, etc.?

A:
Depends on the base.

Q:
Have you met anyone special out there yet?

A:
*SIGH*, no Mom I haven’t met anyone out here and I’m not looking to.

Q:
Well, I’m just saying Son you can find love anywhere.

A:
This is true but, love in a twin bed isn’t what I would call love.

Q:
How is it going for you this morning?

A:
You mean this evening? Pretty chill, had a long two weeks and I took today "off" that is to say I only had a 12-hour day.

Q:
Will you be able to keep the body armor?

A:
If I 'lose' it then I'd have to pay for it. But, to be honest with you I don't want to see the shit when I get done with this. A bulletproof vest is only cool to people that don't need one.

Q:
Hey – did your blog switch from 50 days left in Iraq to 40 days left in Iraq?

A:
Someone is a sharp cookie I see. But that doesn’t answer the question you think it does. Good luck on that one.

PS: Cookies should be round not sharp.

Q:
I love reading your blog but you sure know how to keep someone in the dictionary.

A:
That is by design. I make the assumption that my readers are more intelligent than the typical net denizen. Because of that fact they don’t mind adding a bit more knowledge to their mental repertoire or mental Rolodex if you prefer colloquialisms.