I LoL'd.
Sunday, March 09, 2014
Day by Day
Day by Day cartoon knocks it out of the park this morning. I shorted coffee across my keyboard. It's longer, as Sunday cartoons are, but the first two panels are wonderful. As always, you can click to embiggen.
I LoL'd.
I LoL'd.
Mostly Cajun
My buddy Tanker, over at Mostly Cajun, has a good tutorial on the difference between Cajun and Creole, which most people outside of Louisiana consider synonymous, but we denizens of the state know better. Louisiana was settled by two French-speaking groups of people. The French thaht settled the New Orleans area as colonisists, and the Acadiens which came from french Canada. He even provides a map.
The folks around New Orleans acclimatized into the culture we call Creole which takes its culinary roots from many places with a more European cooking style.that absorbed many cultures from the islands in the Caribbean. Their cooking style also took cognizance of the fact that as a metropolitan area, there were more restaurants, and people had time to stand near the stove for complex recipes.
Cajun cooking, on the other hand, was more po-folks style. Meals tended to be simple, belly-filling fare that could be cooked quickly, or could be left alone on the stove without much tending. A gumbo, for example, can be assembled very quickly and left to simmer on the stove for a long time with just a simple stir when the cook passes by, between other chores. Jambalaya, on the other hand, is a very quick recipe, taking just a tiny bit longer than it takes to cook a pot of rice.
My food roots tend toward Cajun cooking for two reasons. First, my maternal grandmother was born on Avery Island and was raised in New Iberia. Second, my first wife (and the mother of my children) had a lot of Cajun in her blood and her family tended toward the culture. I learned as much Cajun cooking from her Dad as I leaned from my grandmother. Don't misunderstand, I enjoy going to New Orleans once a year or so, and sampling their cooking. It's quite nice. But, it ain't Cajun.
The folks around New Orleans acclimatized into the culture we call Creole which takes its culinary roots from many places with a more European cooking style.that absorbed many cultures from the islands in the Caribbean. Their cooking style also took cognizance of the fact that as a metropolitan area, there were more restaurants, and people had time to stand near the stove for complex recipes.
Cajun cooking, on the other hand, was more po-folks style. Meals tended to be simple, belly-filling fare that could be cooked quickly, or could be left alone on the stove without much tending. A gumbo, for example, can be assembled very quickly and left to simmer on the stove for a long time with just a simple stir when the cook passes by, between other chores. Jambalaya, on the other hand, is a very quick recipe, taking just a tiny bit longer than it takes to cook a pot of rice.
My food roots tend toward Cajun cooking for two reasons. First, my maternal grandmother was born on Avery Island and was raised in New Iberia. Second, my first wife (and the mother of my children) had a lot of Cajun in her blood and her family tended toward the culture. I learned as much Cajun cooking from her Dad as I leaned from my grandmother. Don't misunderstand, I enjoy going to New Orleans once a year or so, and sampling their cooking. It's quite nice. But, it ain't Cajun.
Sunday Morning Dawg
It's a beautiful, sunny, mild day in Central Louisiana, and the dog is spending much time outdoors.
The cat seems to be enjoying the weather as well. We're all ready for a little springtime weather.
Y'all go enjoy this Sunday. It looks like it's going to be a beautiful day.
The cat seems to be enjoying the weather as well. We're all ready for a little springtime weather.
Saturday, March 08, 2014
Spring Forward
Yep, it's time to set your clocks ahead, officially at 2:00 am tomorrow morning, in our bi-annual convulsion known as Daylight Savings Time. You can read all the history at the link, and I'm sure that many of us remember when it became standard, in our lifetimes, to set the clock forward during the warmer months to save electricity on incandescent lighting.
That argument makes about as much sense as selling a buggy-whip with a new car. Our lives have changed so much in the past 30 years that I'm not convinced that Daylight Time makes any sense at all, but it's something we do simply out of habit, like Halloween or Memorial Day. It's simply something we do.
The only ones of us who still set our clocks at 2:00 a.m. are the folks actually working, and it's subject to claim if those folks actually have to set our clocks. The clock on my cell phone and the clock on the computer will change automatically. I'll have to set my watch, and the clocks on the stove, microwave, and the clocks in the cars. Oh, and the alarm clock so that I won't be late for church tomorrow.
Don't forget to set your clocks.
That argument makes about as much sense as selling a buggy-whip with a new car. Our lives have changed so much in the past 30 years that I'm not convinced that Daylight Time makes any sense at all, but it's something we do simply out of habit, like Halloween or Memorial Day. It's simply something we do.
The only ones of us who still set our clocks at 2:00 a.m. are the folks actually working, and it's subject to claim if those folks actually have to set our clocks. The clock on my cell phone and the clock on the computer will change automatically. I'll have to set my watch, and the clocks on the stove, microwave, and the clocks in the cars. Oh, and the alarm clock so that I won't be late for church tomorrow.
Don't forget to set your clocks.
Volokh on Magazines
Eugene Volokh is an attorney, a law professor at UCLA, and a blogger or solid repute. He looks at a case from Sunnydale, CA regarding magazine restrictions.
It is better to elect legislators who celebrate freedom and won't pass laws that restrict freedom. I note that this case is from California, a state that has enough problems that the legislature shouldn't have time to worry about such things. Better to elect legislators who expand freedom and celebrate all of the rights of Americans.
A federal district court has refused to issue a preliminary injunction blocking Sunnyvale, California’s ban on magazines with more than 10 rounds. (Fyock v. City of Sunnyvale (N.D. Cal. Mar. 5, 2014).) A large part of the court’s rationale was that “a prohibition on possession of magazines having a capacity to accept more than ten rounds applies only the most minor burden on the Second Amendment,” and I think that’s both correct and legally relevant.Eugene looks at both sides of the question and iterates the general caution that something that might be unwise my also be something allowed by the Constitution. Just because it is unwise doesn't make it unconstitutional.
More broadly, even if bans on magazines with more than 10 rounds are unwise, not all unwise restrictions are unconstitutional. That’s true for speech restrictions. It’s true for abortion restrictions. And I think it’s true for gun restrictions as well.I believe that the good professor is probably right, although any restrictions on gun rights go jarringly against my grain. You can go to the link above to read the whole article, but what he's saying makes sense to me. Not that I agree with it, but that it makes sense.
It is better to elect legislators who celebrate freedom and won't pass laws that restrict freedom. I note that this case is from California, a state that has enough problems that the legislature shouldn't have time to worry about such things. Better to elect legislators who expand freedom and celebrate all of the rights of Americans.
The American Dream
Backstory
It started innocently enough, several years ago. My youngest sister was sunning in my pool when a friend dropped by on a warm Saturday morning. Little sister was out-of-work, and was bemoaning her lack of employment. Our friend remarked, innocently enough, that Little Sister should look to the nursing home industry for employment. She's smart, educated (which is often not the same thing), and it's a growth industry with our aging population. We all scoffed, but later that week, Little Sister did her research and enrolled at the local college for some classes preparatory to getting the credentials to administer a nursing home. Within a year, she was working in a local nursing home as a junior administrator, learning the business.
After a while, Little Sister announced her intention to have her own home. We wished her luck, but somehow the idea of owning and managing a nursing home seemed out of reach, but we started seriously looking into the possibility. Little Sister did the bulk of the work, and the bulk of the politicking within the family, and started doing the research.
Our family, as are most families, is awash in potential. We boast cops, teacher, maintenance types, business folk, scientists, nurses and laborers. A great wealth of talent, if we're properly focused. Solid, middle-class folks who have done well in our respective fields. Our individual families are mostly grown, and we're approaching solid middle-age. I, the eldest, just turned 60, looking toward retirement and approaching my autumn years.
The Plan
One day, after Little Sister had been politicking amongst the family for several months, we decided that this might be a good idea, so we launched an exploratory venture to come up with a business plan. If we were going to do this, we were going to do it right, so we pooled a little money, formed a company, and got some good advise while we searched for a property. We found a place that looked like an opportunity and talked with bankers, accountants, and lawyers. We signed confidentiality agreements, and began negotiations while we acquired capital. Negotiations ebbed and flowed, optimism was tempered with disappointment, but we doggedly followed though. To her credit, Little Sister did the huge majority of the work, enlisting Brother-In-Law to help with negotiations and legal issues.
All this in relative secrecy. People are talkers, and love to talk about things, and this thing couldn't be talked about. We had to move slowly, negotiate carefully, and keep our plan close to the vest. Loose lips sink ships, and some of us had gone all-in on the venture. We wanted an opportunity to make our mark, and understood that such ventures carry risk, so we kept our traps shut. (I'm a blogger after all, I talk about everything).
The Announcement
We're launched, and can talk about it. We are pleased to announce the formation and activation of Steed Care, LLC, a company formed by the family and select friends to manage the first of what we hope are several elder-care facilities. We believe that this is a unique opportunity to participate in the American Dream, to provide a much needed service, and to profitably expand our horizons.
Wish us luck. It's going to be a wild ride.
It started innocently enough, several years ago. My youngest sister was sunning in my pool when a friend dropped by on a warm Saturday morning. Little sister was out-of-work, and was bemoaning her lack of employment. Our friend remarked, innocently enough, that Little Sister should look to the nursing home industry for employment. She's smart, educated (which is often not the same thing), and it's a growth industry with our aging population. We all scoffed, but later that week, Little Sister did her research and enrolled at the local college for some classes preparatory to getting the credentials to administer a nursing home. Within a year, she was working in a local nursing home as a junior administrator, learning the business.
After a while, Little Sister announced her intention to have her own home. We wished her luck, but somehow the idea of owning and managing a nursing home seemed out of reach, but we started seriously looking into the possibility. Little Sister did the bulk of the work, and the bulk of the politicking within the family, and started doing the research.
Our family, as are most families, is awash in potential. We boast cops, teacher, maintenance types, business folk, scientists, nurses and laborers. A great wealth of talent, if we're properly focused. Solid, middle-class folks who have done well in our respective fields. Our individual families are mostly grown, and we're approaching solid middle-age. I, the eldest, just turned 60, looking toward retirement and approaching my autumn years.
The Plan
One day, after Little Sister had been politicking amongst the family for several months, we decided that this might be a good idea, so we launched an exploratory venture to come up with a business plan. If we were going to do this, we were going to do it right, so we pooled a little money, formed a company, and got some good advise while we searched for a property. We found a place that looked like an opportunity and talked with bankers, accountants, and lawyers. We signed confidentiality agreements, and began negotiations while we acquired capital. Negotiations ebbed and flowed, optimism was tempered with disappointment, but we doggedly followed though. To her credit, Little Sister did the huge majority of the work, enlisting Brother-In-Law to help with negotiations and legal issues.
All this in relative secrecy. People are talkers, and love to talk about things, and this thing couldn't be talked about. We had to move slowly, negotiate carefully, and keep our plan close to the vest. Loose lips sink ships, and some of us had gone all-in on the venture. We wanted an opportunity to make our mark, and understood that such ventures carry risk, so we kept our traps shut. (I'm a blogger after all, I talk about everything).
The Announcement
We're launched, and can talk about it. We are pleased to announce the formation and activation of Steed Care, LLC, a company formed by the family and select friends to manage the first of what we hope are several elder-care facilities. We believe that this is a unique opportunity to participate in the American Dream, to provide a much needed service, and to profitably expand our horizons.
Wish us luck. It's going to be a wild ride.
Friday, March 07, 2014
Friday Afternoon
Friday afternoon, and it's been another rollicking-good-time week at the schoolhouse. The national politics have been interesting and if you've been following the news, you know that we won some and lost some this week, but I'm good with the way things are going.
When I got home, I learned that Milady has bought some ceramic tile from a friend, and that we're soon to pull the linoleum from the bathrooms and re-do the floors in ceramic tile. Interesting. It is pretty tile, almost white with some very dim gold highlights. She likes it, and that's all that matters. One bonus to this deal is that her son is a flooring installer and lays tile as his craft. He does it for a living. Guess who's going to get paid for this job.
While I typed that last paragraph, Milady leaned over my shoulder and put a bourbon and coke on the counter. Happy Hour has arrived, so I'm going to sit back and enjoy the afternoon.
When I got home, I learned that Milady has bought some ceramic tile from a friend, and that we're soon to pull the linoleum from the bathrooms and re-do the floors in ceramic tile. Interesting. It is pretty tile, almost white with some very dim gold highlights. She likes it, and that's all that matters. One bonus to this deal is that her son is a flooring installer and lays tile as his craft. He does it for a living. Guess who's going to get paid for this job.
While I typed that last paragraph, Milady leaned over my shoulder and put a bourbon and coke on the counter. Happy Hour has arrived, so I'm going to sit back and enjoy the afternoon.
Wednesday, March 05, 2014
Landrieu Votes Yes
Mary Landireu, our embattled Senator from New Orleans voted yes this morning on the controversial nomination of Debo Adegbile as an assistant attorney general. Adegbile, you may remember was an activist for convicted cop killer Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was convicted of killing a Philadelphia police officer in 1981.
Senator Landrieu votes in favor of race-baiting cop killers. That a damn shame and another reason to vote against her in October.
Several other Democrats in tough races voted in favor of the nomination. Sens. Kay Hagan (N.C.), Mary Landrieu (La.) and Mark Begich (Alaska) are all seen as vulnerable in this year's midterms, but all three voted in favor of moving the nomination forward.I know that attorneys have to represent their clients, but Adegbile went beyond representation to activist on Mumia's behalf, which puts his nomination beyond the pale. I had written Senator Landrieu on Monday morning and told her to vote against the confirmation. Senator Landrieu chose to ignore my constituent interest. That's her choice, and voting for her is my choice.
Senator Landrieu votes in favor of race-baiting cop killers. That a damn shame and another reason to vote against her in October.
Tuesday, March 04, 2014
Enforce or Repeal - Slippery slope edition
In the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy, the legislature of Connecticut passed certain laws, regulating certain firearms that look like assault weapons and placed the gun owners of that state at risk if they failed to register their firearms. Those laws became effective at the start of this year, and it appears that the scofflaws of The Constitution State haven't forgotten their revolutionary roots and failed to register their rifles. When the new year rolled in, thousands (some say tens of thousands) of good, stalwart Connecticut citizens became instant felons, simply for owning the most popular firearm in the US.
I've heard for years that no one wants to take my guns, yet that seems to be exactly the options open to the government of Connecticut, and there are a hell of a lot of guns out there. There's the slippery slope. Registration leads to confiscation, and the officials of Connecticut had better decide what they want to do. If they want to start confiscating firearms, they might find that the good people of Connecticut are armed.
I stand with the instant felons in Connnecticut.
Legislation enacted after the December 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT requires that gun owners registered military-style rifles and high-capacity magazines with state officials by the end of last year. But only a few weeks after that deadline came and went, journalist Dan Haar of The Hartford Courant newspaper wrote that as many as 350,000 assault weapons remained unregistered and that “Connecticut has very likely created tens of thousands of newly minted criminals.”Second Amendment organizations have gavanized against the ban, and they're openly threatening officials with recall. They're also calling them out, telling them to either enforce the law or repeal it.
Now, State officials look down the barrel of the laws that they created, and it is very probably that they now tremble as they rethink the extremity of their folly. Connecticut Carry calls on every State official, every Senator, and every Representative, to make the singular decision: Either enforce the laws as they are written and let us fight it out in court, or else repeal the 2013 Gun Ban in its entirety.An estimated 350,000 assault weapons in the hands of instant felons, in the little state of Connecticut.
I've heard for years that no one wants to take my guns, yet that seems to be exactly the options open to the government of Connecticut, and there are a hell of a lot of guns out there. There's the slippery slope. Registration leads to confiscation, and the officials of Connecticut had better decide what they want to do. If they want to start confiscating firearms, they might find that the good people of Connecticut are armed.
I stand with the instant felons in Connnecticut.
Jury Duty
One of the privileges, (or burdens) of American citizenship, is jury duty. We're discussing jury duty and nullification at this forum, and as a long serving cop, I have my own particular jaundiced view on most juries, that track mostly with the experiences of Mark Twain. As a young officer I looked askance at the jury selection process and decided that Louisiana's laws were altogether too liberal in many parts regarding the criteria for excusal, and remember one attorney wag remarking that he'd "never trust the freedom of a client to twelve people too stupid to get out of jury duty".
Louisiana later revised its law to make it much harder to be excused from jury duty, and to spread the burden around more fully, although in my experience the Courts do not want anyone who can read, understand basic human nature, or reach his own conclusions to sit on a jury. Only the dull and illiterate need apply.
Yet, as a police officer, I had many dealings with juries and have to admit that against all odds, they often reach the proper conclusions. One facet of jury duty, in heinous cases is something called sequestration, which means that the jury will be locked up for the duration of the trial. Unable to watch TV or read newspapers, they'll be locked into a local motel for the duration, all the more to focus their energy on the task at hand. It leads to some interesting anecdotes.
One case in particular comes to mind. A local family had been murdered. The victims were "salt of the earth" folks, active in the church, hardworking types, who happened to run afoul of a wanted criminal. The criminal wanted the family car and killed the family to help in his escape. Truly a vicious, wanton crime. The criminal was soon caught, jailed, and indicted, and in the normal course of things, a jury pool was selected.
One hundred twenty souls reported to the Courthouse for the jury pool, and on the first day of voir dire, the judge told them that if selected, they'd be sequestered. He instructed them to bring a suitcase to court the next day, capable of holding a week's clothing. If selected, they'd be lodged incognito at a local hotel. Over the next several days, a jury was impaneled, and the trial commenced.
On the fourth or fifth day of the trial, I needed the Judge to sign a court order. I called the Courthouse and talked with his secretary who informed me that if I were at the Courthouse at 3:00 the judge normally took a recess and I could catch him as he went into his chambers. So, I grabbed my order and trotted down to the Courthouse where I sat in the judge's waiting room. In due course, the judge entered, waved me into his office, and asked about my business. Just about that time, his secretary told him that he "had a call on line one". The judge held up a finger to me and picked up the phone.
Judging from the conversation, the caller's wife was on the jury. I could hear the judge telling him that she was fine and that he would pass a message that everyone at home was fine, that they understood how important her service was and that they'd be waiting to rejoice with her when she was released. The judge took a pen, and asked her name (so that he could pass the message), then looked up at me with surprise on his face.
"Uh, sir, your wife is not on our jury."
"No, sir, she was examined and released on Wednesday. She is not serving, and was not sequestered."
"I suspect that she is somewhere, watching the news, and will return home as soon as the trial is over."
"No, sir, I cannot recommend an attorney. We have may fine divorce lawyers in this area. I'd suggest that you look in the Yellow Pages."
"Yes, sir, you have a good day."
I never did find out who the woman was. I bet that she had some explaining to do when she came home at the end of the trial.
Louisiana later revised its law to make it much harder to be excused from jury duty, and to spread the burden around more fully, although in my experience the Courts do not want anyone who can read, understand basic human nature, or reach his own conclusions to sit on a jury. Only the dull and illiterate need apply.
Yet, as a police officer, I had many dealings with juries and have to admit that against all odds, they often reach the proper conclusions. One facet of jury duty, in heinous cases is something called sequestration, which means that the jury will be locked up for the duration of the trial. Unable to watch TV or read newspapers, they'll be locked into a local motel for the duration, all the more to focus their energy on the task at hand. It leads to some interesting anecdotes.
One case in particular comes to mind. A local family had been murdered. The victims were "salt of the earth" folks, active in the church, hardworking types, who happened to run afoul of a wanted criminal. The criminal wanted the family car and killed the family to help in his escape. Truly a vicious, wanton crime. The criminal was soon caught, jailed, and indicted, and in the normal course of things, a jury pool was selected.
One hundred twenty souls reported to the Courthouse for the jury pool, and on the first day of voir dire, the judge told them that if selected, they'd be sequestered. He instructed them to bring a suitcase to court the next day, capable of holding a week's clothing. If selected, they'd be lodged incognito at a local hotel. Over the next several days, a jury was impaneled, and the trial commenced.
On the fourth or fifth day of the trial, I needed the Judge to sign a court order. I called the Courthouse and talked with his secretary who informed me that if I were at the Courthouse at 3:00 the judge normally took a recess and I could catch him as he went into his chambers. So, I grabbed my order and trotted down to the Courthouse where I sat in the judge's waiting room. In due course, the judge entered, waved me into his office, and asked about my business. Just about that time, his secretary told him that he "had a call on line one". The judge held up a finger to me and picked up the phone.
Judging from the conversation, the caller's wife was on the jury. I could hear the judge telling him that she was fine and that he would pass a message that everyone at home was fine, that they understood how important her service was and that they'd be waiting to rejoice with her when she was released. The judge took a pen, and asked her name (so that he could pass the message), then looked up at me with surprise on his face.
"Uh, sir, your wife is not on our jury."
"No, sir, she was examined and released on Wednesday. She is not serving, and was not sequestered."
"I suspect that she is somewhere, watching the news, and will return home as soon as the trial is over."
"No, sir, I cannot recommend an attorney. We have may fine divorce lawyers in this area. I'd suggest that you look in the Yellow Pages."
"Yes, sir, you have a good day."
I never did find out who the woman was. I bet that she had some explaining to do when she came home at the end of the trial.
Monday, March 03, 2014
More Winter
Oh, joy. The National Weather Service tells us that more winter weather is on the way.
**UPDATE** at 5:00 pm. Rapides Parish public and Catholic schools closed tomorrow, Tuesday, March 4th.
**UPDATE** at 6:00 pm.
Whoo, dat don't bode well at all for the Mardi Gras celebrations in Southwest Lousiana. I'd bet that les Courirs will be cold tomorrow.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR FREEZING RAIN...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO NOON CST TUESDAY.Just crap. I'll get up in the morning, and see how bad it is. Our kin folk up North would laugh at us, but ice and freezing rain don't bode well for traffic tomorrow.
* TIMING...FREEZING RAIN...MIXED WITH SOME SLEET...WILL DEVELOP FROM 3 TO 6 AM TUESDAY MORNING...AND CONTINUE UNTIL NOON TUESDAY WHEN TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO RISE ABOVE FREEZING.
**UPDATE** at 5:00 pm. Rapides Parish public and Catholic schools closed tomorrow, Tuesday, March 4th.
**UPDATE** at 6:00 pm.
YET ANOTHER VERY COLD AIR MASS HAS BECOME ENTRENCHED ACROSS THE AREA AS A CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM BUILDS IN. MEANWHILE...A STRONG DISTURBANCE ALOFT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT PRODUCING PERIODS OF RAIN BEGINNING DURING THE PRE-DAWN HOURS ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS...AND SPREADING NORTHEAST ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LOUISIANA ON MARDI GRAS MORNING. FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED ALONG AND NORTH OF THE I-10 CORRIDOR BY 3 AM TUESDAY MORNING...AND REMAINING BELOW FREEZING UNTIL LATE MORNING. WHILE THE PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR MOST OF MARDI GRAS DAY...TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO RISE ABOVE FREEZING BY NOON... WHICH WILL END THE THREAT OF ANY ADDITIONAL FREEZING PRECIPITATION.
Whoo, dat don't bode well at all for the Mardi Gras celebrations in Southwest Lousiana. I'd bet that les Courirs will be cold tomorrow.
Sunday, March 02, 2014
RIF
Reduction in Force. It's not a new concept, nor the first time I've seen this ploy trotted out. It is tough being in the military, and it's tougher when the military goes through a draw-down, yet it's an historical phenomenon and it's painful when it happens. I see these families struggling with the same problems I've dealt with in the past.
I live through a RIF in 1976, during the Carter presidency. The Army decided that it didn't need a whole lot of helicopter pilots because we were no longer embroiled in a big war with lots of helicopters. Those guys who had joined up to fly, and had no interest in command, were left hanging. I lived through another RIF during the Clinton years, when the government decided that the Red Threat was no longer a threat and we could live with a smaller military.
In times where there is a perception that we don't need a large military (or when the needs of the services changes) normally under a Democratic president, the military shrinks. The hard part for many of us was that the criteria for retention was set by bureaucrats to meet the needs of bureaucrats and those service members who met the criteria are retained, while those who don't meet the criteria are released. Often, it seems that the bureaucrats stay in the service and the war-fighters are released. Such is the nature of a peace-time military.
It sucks, but it isn't anything new.
"There are a lot of people in the military who joined to make it a career," she told FoxNews.com. "We understand that there needs to be cuts, but please don’t forget there are people's livelihoods behind all of these proposals. We're not okay with cuts that feel arbitrary and cuts that break promises that were made when we joined."Yeah, it's tough, but one thing that is a dead-certainty in the military is that one day, they'll tell you it's over. Whether you're enlisted or an officer, one day it's over. For some that comes with retirement, with others it comes at the end of enlistment, with yet another subset, it comes with a letter telling you that you won't be retained. Either way it comes, it comes.
I live through a RIF in 1976, during the Carter presidency. The Army decided that it didn't need a whole lot of helicopter pilots because we were no longer embroiled in a big war with lots of helicopters. Those guys who had joined up to fly, and had no interest in command, were left hanging. I lived through another RIF during the Clinton years, when the government decided that the Red Threat was no longer a threat and we could live with a smaller military.
In times where there is a perception that we don't need a large military (or when the needs of the services changes) normally under a Democratic president, the military shrinks. The hard part for many of us was that the criteria for retention was set by bureaucrats to meet the needs of bureaucrats and those service members who met the criteria are retained, while those who don't meet the criteria are released. Often, it seems that the bureaucrats stay in the service and the war-fighters are released. Such is the nature of a peace-time military.
It sucks, but it isn't anything new.
Sunday Morning Dawg
The dog finally got a clip this week, but the chilly weather made him feel cold without all his fur, so we had to break out a sweater. He was shivering like crazy while we were on the veranda.
He sure looks better without all that shag. Here's another picture of the Sunday Dawg and the Sometimes Cat.
When the weather warms up, we'll take the sweater off, but he seems ot enjoy it right now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)