Matt's OTB

T here comes a time in every writer's life when he must take a step back and look holistically at the body of his work and decide what about it he can improve. I am no different, to the point where I would quickly offer that I could improve in every measurable metric. Self-deprecation aside, there is a quantifiable rubric available to which I can hold up my work and determine for myself if I am producing the quality of work which would merit a high mark.  Let's take a look. So clearly, a Level 4 product is fairly intensive. Let's run down the list and see how I fare! My work is detailed, but not as much as I would prefer. The reason for this is twofold: lack of time and the format. Blogs are not conducive to lengthy, in depth "deep dives" of a given topic. A wiki format would suit that kind of detail much better (more on this later). Lack of time is entirely my fault, as I tend to plan in the week leading up to the due date for a post and then furiously execute th

S ince the Neolithic era the island known as Cuba has actively affected the surrounding region. This holds true whether we are talking about immigration of the Arawak peoples onto the island from mainland South America, or Fidel Castro's revolution. The history of this island is so vast and rich that  things  were happening throughout all eras in (relatively) recent history.  So where to begin? What to focus on? Entire books have been written about just the effects of Columbus' visit in 1493 to Cuba. On the other side of that coin, there is so little information about the Guanahatabey peoples that historians confused them for a totally different people altogether. Certainly, there are quite a few centuries in Cuba's history which were exciting, but I'm going to have to narrow it down.  I am doing this research for a final project based around this particular island nation. While comprehensive, this project is not a doctorate thesis, and so I cannot be too expansive, and

L et us be real for a moment; when you think of Cuba what comes to mind? If you are anything like me, you think of Castro's authoritarian regime, 1950's Cadillacs, Cuba Libres, Guantanamo Bay, and Ernest Hemmingway sipping rum aboard the Pilar. Perhaps if you are an astute historian, you think of the bloody back to back revolutions which caused the Cuban people no end of misery. One glance over Cuba's extensive list of violent coups should make it clear that revolution is deeply ingrained within the Cuban culture. The number of times a government or power has been topple in Cuba can get confusing, and Cuba's own history is rife with conquest. It is always best to start at the beginning, so let's take a look at the man who started it all: Christopher Columbus.   Columbus found Cuba in late October, having just landed in the Bahamas two weeks earlier. From there, Cuba belonged to the Spanish until 1762, when a British task force commanded by George Pocock and George

  Antigua: The History Lover's Caribbean Paradise As most students of history will tell you, there is little point to traveling for vacation if that travel does not take you somewhere with historical significance. While you can find historical significance just about anywhere, we can all agree that standing in the footprints of history while sipping a daiquiri on an exotic beach is probably a slight measure more appealing. Since the most convenient tropical paradise exists just south and east of the U.S. in the Caribbean, I will focus my attention there. Zoom into the mass of tiny islands and one 87 square kilometer dot stands out. It lies just east of Nevis and at the most northern tip of the ring of islands known as the Lesser Antilles. This is Antigua . From Christopher Columbus' 1493 visit, the island remained untouched until the British settled there in 1632. From there sugarcane plantations sprung up, requiring the importation of thousands of West African slaves . Later,

I'm Matt.  For most of my adult life I have been called by my last name, usually attached to a rank. 'Matt' is still somewhat foreign in my ears, and certainly in my own mouth. For the duration of my twenties, and most of my thirties thus far, the phrase "introduce yourself" consisted of standing up in a crowded room full of men and women dressed identically to me, loudly stating my rank, name, and the details of my previous duty assignment.  "Sergeant Long, I'm coming from the 172nd out of Graf."  And the person next to me would stand up and do the same.  "Specialist Jones. 2ID at Hovey." And since I was with 2ID sometime in the past I could find Jones afterward, exchange pleasant insults and perhaps make a friend. Life is so much more complicated now.  This week alone I have sat through grueling introductory exercises where we are encouraged to announce our major, our age, our hobbies, and desperately hope we didn't sound like psychop