Greetings Mr Rumsfeld Sir!

And welcome to any other Army Times readers who wander through. Kudos, thanks, and a tip of the Kevlar hat to author Joe Chenelly, who got the MilBlogs story right.

If you're new to the world of blogs - what you see is what you get. Individual entries on whatever topic the site owner chooses, arranged in a big stack with the most recent on top. The hyperlink is the crucial feature; many of the things written here will not make sense unless you actually click the link and read the referenced item. You will find Mudville is made up of a mix of posts, some that are little more than pointers to other spots on the internet (usually blogs) and others that are something more in-depth. These are usually written by me or my lovely wife, but often we have visitors who contribute too. (Yes - that was a link to a recent example. Here's another.)

You can contribute too. Click the "comments" link at the bottom of any post and sound off. Agree, disagree, add your own voice. On typical weekdays anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 people stop by here, sometimes as many as 20k+, so your voice will be 'heard'. That bit about 'rough language' at the top is not for real though, this is a family site so please keep it PG. I'm not responsible for the opinions expressed in comments - I don't delete people just because they disagree with me. This is free speech central.

I'll do a few more posts introducing folks to blogging this week, as well as the usual stuff. In the meantime, the post at this link is the one referenced in the Times article, the one the Seattle Band has recorded for their upcoming CD. It's the note I left the kids when I deployed to Iraq last year. (I'm home now.)

Some other recent posts of interest include my interview with filmmaker Michael Tucker, who's movie Gunner Palace had it's debut last weekend, and my conversation with Jules Crittenden, reporter for the Boston Herald, about the incident at the Palestine Hotel during the Thunder Run. Jules was there when two reporters were killed by a round fired from an American tank.

For some classic Mudville, here's a personal favorite. The Warrior Caste looks at military families and traditions.

But if you read only one thing while you're here, please make it this.

Thanks for stopping by - come back soon for more of my "Intro to Blogging 101" in which I'll link you to some of my good friends from all around the world. I'll have that post up shortly.