Arrived in Iraq

This is the day that I arrived in Iraq. I am writing this in September of 2005 and now know that we will be leaving where I am at on November 23rd of this year.

I started out the year working in my company ( A 1-194 AR ) operations and part-time commo/signal guy - working 8 hour days and no days off.
Within 3 weeks I was op-conned to work for our battalion (793 MP BN) and worked 12 1/2 hour days , 7 days a week but one or two days off a month.

I did many great things for the battalion. It earned me my E5 - making me a Sergeant in April.
I also will be receiving the best NCOER I have ever had soon because of my excellent work there. I did receive a certificate of recognition at a ceremony - though no real award. Nonetheless I appreciated it, because you do not always get recognized in the ARMY as the mission means we are always at work.

I went on leave in August - and had 15 days home. ( more details on that date)

All I know is that I miss my family and friends dearly. I had already spent several months in New Jersey at Fort Dix training up to be in Iraq - since October 2004!

The Streets Concert

I went to see The Streets at the Fine Line in downtown MPLS. They rock! Heard some tracks from his new album that I hadn't heard yet. Wish he'd come back here, don't know what I'll do until then. Listen to something put out by the Rhymesayer's crew! :D

Anne Rice averts hurricane disaster in 2004.....

I find it interesting that Anne Rice moved from New Orleans to the suburbs a little over a year before the hurricane Katrina hit the city. Maybe her psychic told her to move?


" Anne Rice in the Suburbs?
Anne Rice recently put her New Orleans Garden District mansion up for sale. The 1860s building is a mecca for Rice fans, goths, and . The New York Times has an article describing the reasons for her move--painful memories and the flood of fans to her gates. If I didn't love the Bay Area so much, well, and had $4 million to spend, I'd probably bid on it ;) I'd love to live in the house of the woman who gave us Lasher & Lestat (& Anya, and Pandora, and...) " Source: http://librarianinblack.typepad.com/librarianinblack/2004/05/anne_rice_in_th.html


I tend to think of her move as prompted by a tarot reading or something. But she would feel a fool to have said " because of the awful hurricane!" in 2004. ;)

{ House on the left is her previous home in New Orleans Garden District }

Digital Democracy

Most Americans have become disenfranchised with the current status of
our government. We feel as though we can not truly get what we want,
instead most vote for the lesser of two evils. This type of system is
as outdated as a 1954 IBM. (in actuality it became outdated for new
grassroot ideas starting in the 1890's with the coming of ballot
access laws)

America needs a new democracy, one that truly REPRESENTS each person
as much as possible. This system would have to be digital. I dub it a
"Digital Democracy." In a digital democracy we would split up the
votes for each senator and house representative based on their popular
vote. The "winner" would still go to the capitol and present bills,
but he/she would only have the percentage of popular vote they took at
the election. The others who did not win but at least received 5% of
the vote would be able to vote online on a secure server.

A digital democracy would succeed in bringing more people to the
polls. In 2002 54% of Americans voted, which I consider dismal.Mainly
3rd world countries have participation that low. Some say that the 46%
do not vote because they are content with the current way things are
being run. I disagree completely. All those I know who do not vote
feel that the entire system is a sham made only to help those already
in charge (aka the only 2 parties in American minds).

A digital democracy would allow people to feel they are at least being
represented. How much more empowered would many feel to know that
their vote actually counted? Imagine the Green Party and Libertarians
taking 5% of the house and senate EACH? That would change American
politics forever. A vote for a third party would no longer be called a
"wasted vote."

The only races I feel that a "winner takes all" should be token races
such as President, Governor, and local boards. The 2 parties will
continue to win these until they are forced to change or leave by
those who begin to vote.

How can such a system be implemented? It must be brought into the
public conscience. Either by media such as the internet or through the
third parties.

I believe that the candidates that want this idea implemented on
either a local or national level must take the "Digital Democracy
Challenge." The "Digital Democracy Challenge" is that you will
present and vote for a bill allowing this type of democracy to exist.
Any opponents must also be asked whether they will take the Challenge.
These candidates should be supported by a non-partisan Digital
Democracy network or organization.

Our nation has and is changing as a society and moving into the
post-industrial era. Let's have our democracy move to the 21st century
as well.

It will take a long term effort to undertake a task of this
proportion.
Anyone interested in making Digital Democracy a reality in America
contact me.

3 months into the war.

I listened to the Iraq War intently on MPR in March. I still think it was foolish to enter such a war. Scott Ritter was a weapons inspector who stated they did not have WMDs. And I am certain they don't. We will see, I suppose. But it just seems like a war that could have been averted.

Joining the Minnesota National Guard

I joined the Minnesota National Guard on this day. I joined because I did not see a problem in defending my country - but more importantly my state. Jesse Ventura was my state Commander-in-chief and Bill Clinton ( who I did not admire much at the time) was the current President. In the National Guard I saw them as on equal levels. Since 9-11 the National Guard has become a de-facto reserve for the Feds and NOT a state-run organizations. States do not even have the right to keep their troops home if they want them to ( this has not happened yet, but the Feds took away the right in 2005 to pre-empt future Governors from this power).

I also joined for experience. I cannot say I have gained much experience as I have a glimpse into a culture whose existence I would never have seen. I cannot truly transfer the literal skills of the job I have, apart from leadership skills into a civilain career. I do not plan to work for Qwest or Time Warner installing cable internet - as this would be a lower paying job than my current work.

The ARMY subculture is rather unique. It is comprised mainly of rural and small town citizens - not so much urban dwellers. Their beliefs in things such as gun rights and that God should be in charge of our nations policies are much more radical than any suburbanites I had met.

But also not having lived in a large city, they tend to have stereotypes of where I live. They fear cities. They think any person of another color who looks at them in Minneapolis wants to "beat them down." I honestly cannot understand why there is so much fear to cities, maybe they should visit me and take a stroll down Frankline Avenue or Nicollet Avenue with me sometime. Then they will see that the place is not some city full of gangs ready to mug you as it is coffee shops and ethnic restaurants.

If anything, I show them what is possible by living in Minneapolis. They see it as possible to live where I do carfree. Though they cannot understand how I am still alive on a strict vegetarian diet. :) But I can pass my physical tests and can run faster than most of them!

Anyways, I did not foresee a war with anyone until 9-11. Afghanistan was indeed run by the Taliban and needed change. Iraq and the Middle East have needed change, too. But there are more countries than Iraq that need it.

Saddam Hussein was our ally until he went to war with Kuwait because Kuwait was taking Iraqi oil. Horizontal drilling by the Kuwaitis is still occuring and the current Iraqi elected officials want it to end. So to have worked with Saddam to create a democracy after he died - would have been a better resolution than not trading with Iraq and causing thousands of children to die of malnutrition and the nations ifrastructure to fall apart.

If we make a deal with every dictator that they establish a democracy after they leave office or die - then we will be able to create democracy worldwide without as much bloodshed and suffering. This seems to be current U.S. policy ( the opposite of the spread of Communism ) - the creation of democracies worldwide.

I look at politics as a form of nonviolent warfare of ideas and beliefs. If we can move more people to working together in this fashion, I think we will see a less violent world. Even as the Iraq War 2 began, worldwide deaths by war were the lowest in decades. I see this long-term change very optimistically.

But rushing to war without proper global dialogue and without a real reason - really doesn't fly to well with me.

So I get to decide before May of 2006 if I should renew my agreement with the U.S.A. and stay in the National Guard. We will see what happens. I consider it only because I have 2 years of IRR and could get called up to go to Iraq AGAIN if I do not stay in longer.

DQ Dilly Bars

One of my favorite childhood memories: dilly bars! :D

You can't go wrong going to Dairy Queen in the Minnesotan summers! It can be addicting and unhealthy. Of course, there should be more vegan alternatives there for the 21st century.....

Moved to Saint Cloud

It was in December of 1999 that I moved to Saint Cloud with (now ex) Mellody Kennedy. I had searched online for several jobs in the area. I had quit my job at Burger King and was working at McDonald's and County Market in the Deli. I was living in Prior Lake with my Mother at her apartment on Tower Street - the poorest area in this fairly well-off ex-urb.

I wanted the opportunity to actually live in a city. I was rather tired of the ex-urbs - and wanted to see what a more close-knit city was like.

I ended up working at Wendy's for a month - with Mellody. The supervisors there treated us like crap. They did not consider our previous years of being supervisor's at Burger King to be "good enough" to deserve a higher pay ( the lowest I had ever made per hour was there at $5.75 an hour!!).

The job was Mellody's idea. She had tried the Burger King's in town and other stores ( like I tried working at Circuit City and Best Buy). I was hired at Burger King in the Crossroads Mall after my 15 minute interview - same day hiring. The store-manager was the interviewer and he was impressed immediately. I had a starting pay of $7.50 an hour with a promotion to team-lead if I did excellent my first month - with a raise of 50 cents to $8.00 an hour. I made that promotion and worked part-time there while finishing up my High School diploma.

Mellody worked various odd jobs. She worked at BK in Crossroads. Then quit and worked at Wal-Mart in their food department. The short stints of work she did were better paying and had more hours than mine - yet she never stayed at these places long. I took care of the finances - yet Mellody never told me she had applied for several credit cards and would max them out shortly before breaking up with me. ( and she never told me this until she moved out).

You could say that I was rather immature and rash in my decisions. But I think I gained a lot from the experiences in Saint Cloud. I met some interesting people and joined the Minnesota National Guard while there also. If I had not lived there for 9 months and did what I did - I would not have met Brandy. And her life would not have changed for the better either.

Letter to Prior Lake administration - 1999

The letter to the left is from my senior year in High School in Prior Lake. Obviously the school is a tad bit strict.

When a girl is expelled from school for having a pink water gun underneath the passenger seat of her car parked at the High School. you know your school is overly harsh.

There was a book published about my senior year, but to me I find it my humorous than enlightening: Another Planet by Elinor Burkett. As if my friends would shoot up the school or something.

Kevin Chavis is BORN - in 1981 and NOT 1990

(please imagine the date to be of 1981 and not 1990)
Yes, it is true. My Mother went into labor on Labor Day. It was really my idea - I thought it only made sense.

My mother was only 16 when I was conceived - my father 20. They decided to get married because my Mother was pregnant - though friends would recommend against getting married for such a reason. But my Father - a Fundamentalist Christian - felt he HAD to get married.

They ended up divorcing before I was even 10 years old. My mother - a bisexual - went for another woman ( Sue Hamblin of Falls Church, Virginia - a Conservative stronghold next to Washington D.C.) . And my Father has been single and occasionally dating ever since.

I was born in Coon Rapids Mercy Hospital. I was born a suburbanite, and would spend my life in rural and exurban areas before moving to urban Minneapolis in 2002. (Though I had experienced somewhat urban life in Saint Cloud for 9 months in 2000.)

My life would be spent trying to find out its true meaning. Why am I here? I currently feel in 2005 that I want to leave a positive impact on this world. I gain my insight through the Great Spirit and all the situations and people that get tossed into my life are there to be gained from.

The Eighties

1982
A lot of people do not really think that it is possible to remember when you are extremely young. However, I do. I proved this to my Mother a couple of years ago by giving her details about the layout in every home I have ever lived in. I also explained how things were set-up after my Mother moved things around in the house - usually the living room was re-arranged most often.
Anyways, I do not remember crawling around as much as I remember specific moments looking up and people talking to me. In mid-September of 1982 I was told by my Mother that my sister would be living with us soon. I did not know what a sister really was at the time. But I think I saved this memory because afterwards my sister really did get there. I don't remember when she go there - just this memory of sitting in front of the apartment door in the apartment and being told this.
Apart from that I do not remember a whole lot about 1982 apart from the re-arranging of furniture, etc. I remember significantly more starting in 1983.

1983 - yes I remember various images of this year - which I am sure meld with 1984. I didn't know the years at this age - nor did I care.
But I remember watching "Doctor Who" from underneath and behind the couch. My parents stayed up late and would watch this - and I had a bedtime before the show - so I snuck out and watched it. They would always find me asleep afterwards. Though I do not remember a lot of the plots of these episodes, I do have fragmented visual images of watching it. I also remember Sesame Street and my Mother reading to me. She seemed more interested in reading to me than I was.
I know that I ate a penny one time during my potty-training phase. I had to wait and see if it ever came out. I did see it but didn't want to get it out of the toilet.
I also remember a doctor telling me about potty training. Maybe it was during a check-up but I have no clue.
'84:
We did move by 1984 to another apartment - one in Coon Rapids near this highway. I have seen it again while driving past.
I met these silly twins. They were very hyperactive. I remember one time they were playing with dinosaurs and were rather rude/disgusting in my perspective. Let's just say they pretended one dinosaur left a gift on the ground and another dinosaur ate it. Yeah, not my cup of tea even at 2 1/2.
I went to their birthday party at Chuck-E-Cheese and had a good time. But I still was not all that comfortable with all the lights and loud sounds all around. I wished I had more time there because I had just found this maze thing that I could climb around in when my parents wanted to leave. I wished I had more time to play - even now actually. :)
I had another friend who was a girl about 4 years old I think. She used to wet the bed and the twins would make fun of her for it.
I had a 3-year old Birthday party where my cousin was invited as well as my neighbor friends. I had no concept of Birthday-parties. In fact I was confused by all these games they wanted me to play. I was rather confused by it all - and wished afterwards that I had played a bit more games.

My brother was born a couple months later, on November 29th. I know many people were over to see him and I remember eating popcorn with my Dad and sister at the time. I saw little Timothy sleeping in his crib.

1985
I know my parents moved again but I do not really know the year. We moved to this place on Crooked Lake Boulevard also near some highway in Coon Rapids. We lived in townhouses, and it was much more like a community. The area was not as paved as it is now. The buildings were built on what seemed like a sandy prairie. There was a huge amount of land next to our buildings.

I will post at least one story about living in those townhomes on the January 5th, 1990. But for right now it is too long to discuss.

1986

My Father wanted to live on a farm. I do not believe that my Mother truly wanted to. But we moved to an old farmhouse just on the outskirts of Finlayson, Minnesota in Pine County. If we would have stayed living there my life would be radically different.

I remember having a garden there and picking weeds. But also my Father felt it important that we get "off the grid" in regards to our heating methods immediately. Looking back, there should have been a more gradual change for something that is not easily remediable with instant alternatives. I at least will do that when I want to turn my home into a more renewable and earth-based home than our current mode of living.

But our pipes froze and our home was very cold. We tried heating on only firewood and it was not as practical as it could have been.

My father at the time worked at Shakopee Vally Printing - which meant he had about a 3 hour one way daily drive to work. And so eventually he just stayed down in Scott County until his days off - leaving my Mother to do all the housework in a situation she would much rather have been comfortable in. ( three kids, no heat, though I think we had electricity most of the time.)

This was all in late 1987.

My Grandmother and other relatives heard about the situation my Mother was in and convinced her to leave. She did, and had us all split up for a bit. So initially we went to a foster home for a few weeks in December. I did not like the family much, because I did not have the same rights as their biological children. But at least I was able to watch an episode of "Doctor Who" - it was a Peter Davison episode with the Tract Tators.

Then we were picked up and stayed in the following arrangements: My brother stayed with my mom as he was too young to have others watch. I went with my Grandma Loretta Dougherty on my Mother's side. My sister, Laura, stayed with our Great Grandparents on my Mother's side.

We were united with our Mother in early 1988, and lived with Angel DuCharme's family in a trailer park on the outskirts of Shakopee, but not too far from Chaska either. (it is located their the Chaska turn-off on 169. I enjoyed my time there playing with Angel and Isaac in the snow and eating dough-boys. Though I cannot remember if Angel actually lived there or not - or whether it was Anita and her Husband who did. I think it was them and Angel had lived in New Prague. But I could be wrong.

I do remember a time when Angel and her family lived in New Prague in a farmhouse. We watched the Return to Oz when I was there and I had some Rollo candies for the first time in my life while waiting in the car with them. Angel has told me since then that the place was haunted and they had to move out. I know that when I lived in NP that Andy Seaver and his family lived there.

My mother eventually moved to an apartment in New Prague. Maple Acre Apartments was an interesting place. Every spring there were these box-elder bugs who had infested that place like MAD. I have never seen so many of these bugs in one place, nor have I ever seen them very often ever again. Maybe there is something wrong with that place? But I do know that there water was rather bad - as there were days we would have to boil our water to drink it or just by water at the store.

My Father moved back in with us later in 1988. I had not gone to Kindergarten, but would start 1st Grade. I took a test and they said I was smart enough to start 3rd grade - but that they would not let me skip grades like that. In fact, they made me go to "special classes" to "catch-up" - and I do not know whether my parents knew about it or not.

I had to go to this teacher who would have these one on two classes and I would have to read parts of words - like "ick" and "ack" and "sss" and stuff like that as if I did not know how to read. This other kid with me had a really tough time. Most of my time was spent listening to him try to do what I did rather quickly. I did not understand at the time, but later on I felt a little bad for him.

My pet peeves with my classmates at the time was how they did NOT put spaces between words when writing. I pointed it out sometimes and they didn't get it. But it really ticked me off. Even at such a young age I was too much a perfectionist.

My Father told me I did not have to say the "pledge of allegiance" - which they did each morning. So I think I did it a few times once I figured out what they were all saying. It was weird - like being surrounded by zombies all saying the same thing at once. When everyone is asked to do and say the exact same thing it rather diminishes its true value. I am not going to care about my country any more if I say a few words that say I do - exactly like everyone else.

I was taught a lot of falsehoods that year as well. How the liberty bell was broken by people ringing it too much ( when it broke in transit) and how Christopher Columbus discovered America ( when the Native Americans who lived here before us Did, the Chinese traded with them at some points in history and for the Euro-centric - the Vikings were in America before the Spanish). But that is how public schools are - teach what you believe and it becomes "real." Same thing with religion. How am I to complain?

Doctor Who was canceled in 1989. I wouldn't know it for several years - as the final seasons hadn't been transmitted on public TV yet. But PBS would change the time that it played the show to Sunday mornings at noon in 1991 - and begin with the first episode. ( black and white ones which don't appeal to many peeps). So it is canceled on PBS except for a brief stint from 1998 to 2002.

This concludes my brief overview of my life during the eighties or 1980's. ;)