I have several close friends (including a regular Shaker, who may identify himself in comments if he feels so inclined) who have served this country in the military, forced to secret a part of themselves by the country they loved so much they were willing to lay their lives on the line to protect it, to fight for freedom and equality they weren't even granted themselves.
They are some of the greatest patriots I have ever known, and nothing honors their service better than making sure that no one ever has to serve in a closet again.
"There are certain ways that we speak in the military, and I guess I have not learned the DC-insider talk that maybe some of these people are used to."—Republican Congressman Allen West (Florida), refusing to apologize for his wildly inappropriate email in which he called Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz "the most vile, unprofessional, and despicable member of the US House of Representatives" and "not a lady," among other things, and blaming his disrespectful and unprofessional behavior on having a military background.
Ugh. Despite the Pentagon having suspended separation of LGB troops under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in compliance with a court order, the Obama administration is now asking the federal appeals court "to reconsider its order" because: "The Armed Forces are moving forward expeditiously to prepare for the repeal of [DADT] in a fashion that Congress and the President consider the most effective way possible, and consistent with the nation's military needs," but the court order "cuts that process short and overrides the judgments of Congress and the President on a complex and important question of military policy."
For fuck's sake.
The case has put the Obama administration in an unusual position of supporting a repeal, but at the same time filing court motions to prevent it from happening faster than planned. Military officials suggest the policy compliance changes eliminating "don't ask, don't tell" could be finished in a few weeks.
More for fuck's sake.
There is conceivably a legitimate reason for the Obama administration trying to thread the needle to be simultaneously in support of the repeal of DADT while arguing to delay it: The military may be, as it does preparedness training, discovering that there's enough hostility toward LGB troops to warrant delaying the repeal for their protection until the hostility is neutralized, either through sensitivity training or discharges.
If that is the case, however, the Obama administration and the military need to say so. Because, if that is the reason for the delay, and they're refusing to articulate it out of some misguided attempt to protect the American people from evidence of the existence of homophobia in the military (lulz we are aware!), the silence is just serving to shield hatred and haters.
If that is the case, the Obama administration the the military really shouldn't concern itself with the delicate feelings of gay-hating dipfucks and tell some truth about the fact that it's violent bigotry which is holding up the process.
1. One in 3 female members of the military are sexually assaulted during their service, making them more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire.
In good news, due to a rule change by the Department of Veteran Affairs made last summer, it is now easier for servicemembers diagnosed with PTSD to get disability benefits.
Of course, that depends on getting an accurate diagnosis in the first place, which itself can be quite a challenge, to put it politely.
In wake of the court ruling ordering the immediate suspension of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, the Pentagon is complying: "The Pentagon has ordered a halt to all separations of gay troops under 'don't ask, don't tell' and will begin accepting applications from prospective recruits who identify themselves as homosexual."
Meanwhile, defense officials will continue to prepare for the law's formal repeal, which Congress approved in December. The law will be formally repealed 60 days after the defense secretary and chairman of the Joint Chiefs "certify" that it will not adversely impact military readiness.
Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he expected certification to occur in late July or early August.
It remains unclear whether the Pentagon will seek to appeal Wednesday's court ruling, which would have to go to the Supreme Court, Pentagon spokesman Marine Col. David Lapan said Friday.
Troops are currently undergoing training programs to clarify the law and ensure a smooth transition to its repeal. Most of that training is expected to be completed by this summer, yet there is no requirement that 100 percent of the force must be trained prior to repeal, Pentagon spokeswoman Eileen Lainez said.
Quite obviously, it would be better if the entire military had been through sensitivity training before the repeal. Sixty days should be more than enough time for that to happen.
Most families who lose a loved one in the war zones receive a letter of condolence from the President of the United States. But there are a few who do not receive this honor. It's long standing policy - going back many years - that troops who commit suicide in war do not get the president's acknowledgment.
...Under a decades-old White House policy, inherited by the Obama administration, military families received letters from the president only if their loved ones died on the battlefield or in accidents in war zones.
Now, the policy is changing. ... We're told the policy affects all military families whose loved ones die in war zones, regardless of how they died.
This is a much more compassionate and fair policy, which acknowledges that the service of someone who ends hir own life is no less valuable than the service of someone whose life is taken by an enemy, especially since, in most cases, it's effectively the war that kills them either way.
It's also of particular importance for the families of female soldiers like Pfc. LaVena Johnson, whose deaths are reported as suicides despite the distinct likelihood of their having been killed by fellow soldiers who raped them, and other survivors of soldiers whose deaths are staged as suicides for various reasons.
"It's the hope of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network that this favorable ruling will not be challenged by the Defense Department. In fact, this whole matter could have been avoided had we had certification back in the spring. It's time to get on with that important certification, end the DADT confusion for all service members, and put a final end to this misguided policy."—Aubrey Sarvis, Army Veteran and Executive Director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision today to order "the U.S. government to immediately cease enforcing the longstanding ban on openly gay members of the military."
In other words, the court ordered the government to stop making excuses, pull its thumb out, get with the fucking program already, and officially end DADT.
I wish there was more I could be doing right now. I honestly do want to go out and explore the new base but it’s so humid and hot, really not appealing weather to want to be walking around in.
We have a new posting address now so once Oni gets back from in processing we can set up our new bank accounts. Big good luck for him too today as he is taking his driving test for his European license!
I’m going to go and practise my German!
Due to amazon.de shipping errors, people in Germany already have copies of A Dance With Dragons, The fifth installment in George R. R. Martin’s fantasy saga A Song of Ice and Fire. So fuck you Germans, give me my book or give me my spoilers.
Magnus Pettersson
I love these green waters at the Schloss Charlottenburg.
Dinner at Marjellchen in Berlin. I ordered the Masurian Jugged Game of stag and wild-boar, with bacon and forest mushrooms, which came with a side of potato dumplings, stewed cabbage and cranberries. The owner is a gregarious woman and wonderfully hospitable, and overall, this restaurant has absolutely excellent service and incredibly delicious food.
I love the idea of them going together to the Venetian Carnevale!
The United Buddy Bears are currently on Kurfrstendamm.
Despite the fact that President Obama signed legislation to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" 187 days ago (and counting), the Advocatereports today that the Pentagon has confirmed servicemembers are still being dismissed under the policy, because the "certification" loophole has allowed the military to drag its feet on implementing the change.
Outgoing Defense Secretary Robert Gates is leaving office this week, to be replaced by outgoing CIA chief Leon Panetta, who testified during his confirmation hearing earlier this month that he "will work closely with the Joint Chiefs of Staff to assess whether the elements for certification in the law are met before signing it myself." Which is so vague that it's essentially meaningless.
The can just keeps getting kicked down the road, and, per the Advocate, the discharges continue:
The Pentagon confirmed Monday that more service members have been discharged under "don't ask, don't tell" pending certification of the policy's repeal, with one individual's discharge approved as recently as Thursday.
A total of four airmen have been discharged under the policy in the last several weeks, Pentagon spokeswoman Eileen Lainez confirmed Monday.
...Defense officials had said that the separation approved April 29 was the only such discharge under DADT since late October, when the Defense Department limited authority for discharges to just five senior officials.
But in a statement, Harper confirmed the additional discharges since. "On May 31st, 2011, the Secretary of the Air Force approved discharges of two Airmen under the provisions of 10 USC 654 [the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy]," Harper said. "On June 23, 2011, the Secretary of the Air Force accepted the resignation of an Airman who asked to be separated under the provisions of [DADT]."
Harper said that all four individuals discharged had made voluntary statements regarding their sexual orientation and had asked to be "separated expeditiously."
So, basically, the military may not actively ask anymore, but if you tell, you're still getting kicked the fuck out.
“Smoke bombs explode near a South Korean army K-1 tank during a South Korea and U.S. joint military exercise against possible North Korean attacks in Paju, near the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas, on Wednesday, June 8, 2011.”
Mandu. Korean food. Yum.
Last weekend (June 4th - 6th) was a national holiday in Korea (yay!), Memorial day! It’s their version of May 2 - 4. We got the Monday off school, so Jenna and I decided to head to Jeju island with our friends Jenna and Julia. Jeju is often described as the Korean Hawaii. I’m not sure if it’s on quite the same level as Hawaii, but it was beautiful! It’s an island off the southern coast of South Korea (still part of SoKo) and is almost as far south as you can go while still being in Korea.
We went with a tour group and I really think it was a good choice. Other than the sleeping situation (mats on the floor, okay then), it was worth it. We saw a ton of stuff over the course of three days and didn’t have to worry about food or transportation and met some awesome people. We walked a fair bit over the weekend, which was lovely. We saw a number of beautiful areas on Jeju and the surrounding islands. We got really lucky with the weather, and it only rained right before we left on Monday. We went on safari in a green tea farm (in a golf cart!), rode a ferry to Udo island, rode horses, visited gorgeous botanical gardens, saw Jeongbang waterfall (a fresh water waterfall that falls directly into the ocean), trekked around two other small islands, spent an amazing afternoon on the beach, visited love land and climbed a volcanic crater (Sunrise peak).
The hike up the crater was an interesting one. It was only an hour hike, round trip, but did provide a stunning view of the ocean surrounding and the two flat islands that are the most southern point in South Korea. The morning before we left Julia mentioned that we were going to a waterfall and it was beautiful so we should look cute for pictures. I didn’t really think about the rest of the day and threw on a sundress and birks. Whoops. The hike up the crater, in sandals, however supportive they might be, was interesting. I only slipped twice which is pretty good, considering. The dress made those falls…interesting. I managed to make it through and no one saw my bum (seriously, hiking in a dress?), but had incredibly dirty feet by the end. All four of us were wearing birks (crazy Canadians) but I was the only one who did it in a dress. Well done, Meredith.
Before we left the island (and just as the rain came in) we headed to Love Land. If you’re really curious, you can look it up online (not at work or with someone who is easily offended) to find out exactly what it is. It was such an odd experience, because Korean culture is so conservative and against showing your COLLAR bone in public. So being in the park was really odd. Seeing Ajummas (Korean grandmothers) there made me even more uncomfortable. It was an experience though, and good for a laugh.
This past week has been a blur of lesson planning and prepping for the open class I had on Thursday and the one I have Monday. Open classes are for parents/other teachers/the VP and Principal to watch you teach a class and grade you. A little nerve racking but Kate and I aced it on Thursday and I hope Rose and I will tomorrow as well. This weekend was one to relax, attempt to catch up on sleep, organize the disaster that my apartment was and skype some people I love. Here’s to another great week!
Xoxo.
Now,this is funny!
Korean variety show called Family Outing with Kim Hyun Joong as the guest family member with Seungri of Big Bang as one of the family members.
It’s really entertaining how the family members compare Seungri with Kim Hyun Joong.
Just watch the succeeding parts on YouTube.
Here’s the next episode where Kim Hyun Joong is still the guest family member.
Anonimo, the Italian brand of watches is offering a model out of the ordinary: the Marlin Bronze, a diving watch, 1500 meters waterproof (150 atmosphere pressure resistant) in a bronze case. True to the tradition of the Florentine watchmakers, Anonimo pays great attention to the details. The robust bronze case is the most striking aesthetic element of this watch, combining design, know-how and great comfort.
The central case and the back cover are made of one piece. The material used to manufacture them is also an unusual one, as Anonimo, in fact, did not use ordinary bronze, but marine bronze. This copper, iron, aluminum and nickel alloy, also known as aluminum bronze, is usually found in the nautical sector (e.g. ship propellers) and in the Navy (e.g. torpedo elements).
Resistant both to corrosion and oxidation, the watch can be used in the most extreme conditions. Besides its functional side, the naval bronze used by Anonimo will also give the Marlin a unique look. Over time, due to the personal usage to which it is exposed, the watch will gain a darker and warmer color, it will “age”.
To emphasize the warm and elegant character of this model, the new dial colors for 2011 are a rich brown and deep green. This watch has an elegance which catches the attention even in the most formal situations. At the same time, Anonimo remains true to its military origins and its dynamic character. Each watch is numbered on the back of the case, which is also engraved with the image of a marlin, the legendary swordfish that gave the name to this diving watch. The calfskin wrist strap, especially processed by the patented Kodiak treatment to resist seawater, gives a final touch of class and elegance. The Anonimo Marlin Bronze is a limited series of 300 numbered watches per dial color.
Anonimo, the Italian brand of watches is offering a model out of the ordinary: the Marlin Bronze, a diving watch, 1500 meters waterproof (150 atmosphere pressure resistant) in a bronze case. True to the tradition of the Florentine watchmakers, Anonimo pays great attention to the details. The robust bronze case is the most striking aesthetic element of this watch, combining design, know-how and great comfort.
The central case and the back cover are made of one piece. The material used to manufacture them is also an unusual one, as Anonimo, in fact, did not use ordinary bronze, but marine bronze. This copper, iron, aluminum and nickel alloy, also known as aluminum bronze, is usually found in the nautical sector (e.g. ship propellers) and in the Navy (e.g. torpedo elements).
Resistant both to corrosion and oxidation, the watch can be used in the most extreme conditions. Besides its functional side, the naval bronze used by Anonimo will also give the Marlin a unique look. Over time, due to the personal usage to which it is exposed, the watch will gain a darker and warmer color, it will “age”.
To emphasize the warm and elegant character of this model, the new dial colors for 2011 are a rich brown and deep green. This watch has an elegance which catches the attention even in the most formal situations. At the same time, Anonimo remains true to its military origins and its dynamic character. Each watch is numbered on the back of the case, which is also engraved with the image of a marlin, the legendary swordfish that gave the name to this diving watch. The calfskin wrist strap, especially processed by the patented Kodiak treatment to resist seawater, gives a final touch of class and elegance. The Anonimo Marlin Bronze is a limited series of 300 numbered watches per dial color.
