Comments on: Whirled Views 11.26

By: rdean

rdean — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 21:03:58 +0000

#60: blackmail opportunities and/or security risks inherent to being outted.

And of course, common sense tells you that if the military would stop discriminating, then soldiers COULDN’T be blackmailed. But who follows “common sense”? It’s not that common.

Report comment to moderator

By: rdean

rdean — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 18:47:40 +0000

When I was in the service, I took a German class while in Germany and, with my VERY limited German, I was constantly called to “Translate”. I talked less German than a baby. So I suspect your linguists being limited to the motor pool is imagination hard at work. Sorry.

Report comment to moderator

By: Sawgunner

Sawgunner — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 11:31:32 +0000

While I was at the Defense Language Institute there were a number of soldier/trainees that nearly all of us suspected of being gay/lesbian. It was the most widely known “secret” among the troops. Mannerisms, affect, close-cropped haircuts (among females) all were big tip offs. A quite butchy female–a sheriff’s deputy before enlisting–often spoke of a conveniently out of state fiance. We would all wink-wink play along with her act.
Admittedly the anti-homo policies of the military most likely stem from the blackmail opportunities and/or security risks inherent to being outted. (McClean and Burgess were two homo Brit spies, and their escapades probably did much to instill the anti gay policies)

Report comment to moderator

By: Sawgunner

Sawgunner — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 11:26:22 +0000

#53 I would not recommend any soldier gay or straight become a linguist. The promotion points are very high. The whole time you’re in training you cannot be promoted beyond E4.
Once you are graduated and sent to your assigned unit, you most likely will not ever be given regular “language maintenance” practice/training. Linguists are as likely to be sent to drain truck oil or mow the grass as they are to actually do the job they contracted for.

Report comment to moderator

By: Sawgunner

Sawgunner — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 11:02:53 +0000

Lynn, who is speaking the line from “The 10 Commandments”? Who is being addressed??

Report comment to moderator

By: Sawgunner

Sawgunner — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 11:01:41 +0000

Chas and everyone else:
This morning at 6am we all did a “bag drop” in anticipation of leaving for the Ali AL-Saleem Air Base where we’d leave for our flight to the States.
Nope. Not gonna happen. Our bird was scrubbed due to mechanical failures. I assume a new aircraft will be tagged for us and tomorrow will go as today should have gone. One more day away from Cindy, Tess(6) and Helena Kate (5)!
In the meantime here I am at beautiful Camp Virginia, Kuwait. This a.m. since so many of us anticipated LEAVING lotsa guys and gals tossed soap, shampoo, shower shoes/sandals, pillows etc in the trash. Of course as we learned our flight was deferred many wanted to go retrieve those items from the dumpster but the local trash crews had already come around. Somewhere in Kuwait an enterprising Arab is now selling slightly used running shoes, pillows, blankets etc!!

Report comment to moderator

By: HamachiTwo

HamachiTwo — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 06:16:14 +0000

Da Vinci’s Last Supper, an interpretation. This is really well done!

http://static.crooksandliars.com/2007/11/one-of-you-will-betray-conservatism-large.jpg

Report comment to moderator

By: rdean

rdean — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 05:11:58 +0000

A really interesting article.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5797164/

Report comment to moderator

By: rdean

rdean — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 05:07:25 +0000

Just for fun, do a search with any search engine. Use the words, “Bush scandal”.
The amount of material is daunting.

Report comment to moderator

By: rdean

rdean — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 03:09:31 +0000

Going around the internet, I found the following article:

Congressman Gary Ackerman of New York gave Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice an earful at Congressional hearing on the 2008 State Department Budget. After Rice repeatedly bemoaned the government’s lack of Arabic translators, Ackerman wondered if it had something to do with Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
Though Rice said her department doesn’t follow such discriminatory standards, Ackerman quipped:
It seems that the military has gone around and fired a whole bunch of people who speak foreign languages – Farsi and Arabic… For some reason, the military seems more afraid of gay people than they are [of] terrorists, but they’re very brave with the terrorists. If the terrorists ever got hold of this information, they’d get a platoon of lesbians to chase us out of Baghdad.

Approximately forty House Representatives are urging the Pentagon to reconsider its ban on gay Arabic linguists. Spearheaded by Representative Marty Meehan – the Massachusetts politico who regularly fights “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” – the collective asks the Pentagon to justify booting 58 gay Arabic linguists.
Speaking on his own behalf, Meehan pondered:
At a time when our military is stretched to the limit and our cultural knowledge of the Middle East is dangerously deficient, I just can’t believe that kicking out able, competent Arabic linguists is making our country any safer.
The outcry comes after government officials fired three more gay linguists, including Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Stephen Benjamin…

Benjamin claims that the Navy wanted him to sign a contract denying his homosexuality, but his lawyer advised against it.

—-Isn’t that a hoot? Especially considering that Ms. Rice has never, ever been linked to any, uh hem, “man”. Oops, apparently, she has lived with the same woman for 12 years and they jointly own the house that they live in “together”. Oh, I’m sure it’s all totally “innocent”. I mean, who could possibly work for a President who wants to put discrimination into the constitution against their own kind. It’s not the same with Cheney. After all, it’s only his “daughter”. Oh no, I just realized, Bush seems to be “surrounded”.

Report comment to moderator