GQ Magazine: Bush's (Creepy) Bible Briefings

Iraq invasion intel briefings from the ofc of Rumsfeld include war images with scripture.

SLIDESHOW: "ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS"

h/t whatreallyhappened

G.I. Culture Training for the Hot Pocket Gaming Generation

Army hopes interactive videos make smarter soldiers

How american soldiers and dependents are perceived, whether there is any time taken for understanding the cultures they visit, certainly the countries where war is being waged is (duhhh)critical and as a mom, I'd like to know my kid is being prepped with culturally signicant insight. I'd hope this could save lives, his included.

Reading about these videos loosely brings to mind a book my hubbie came across a year or so ago called Unofficial Ambassadors: American Families Overseas and the Cold Ward 1946 to 1965 by Donna Alvah.

Author's Intro

Description:

As thousands of wives and children joined American servicemen stationed at overseas bases in the years following World War II, the military family represented a friendlier, more humane side of the United States' campaign for dominance in the Cold War. Wives in particular were encouraged to use their feminine influence to forge ties with residents of occupied and host nations. In this untold story of Cold War diplomacy, Donna Alvah describes how these "unofficial ambassadors" spread the United States' perception of itself and its image of world order in the communities where husbands and fathers were stationed, cultivating relationships with both local people and other military families in private homes, churches, schools, women's clubs, shops, and other places.

Unofficial Ambassadors reminds us that, in addition to soldiers and world leaders, ordinary people make vital contributions to a nation's military engagements. Alvah broadens the scope of the history of the Cold War by analyzing how ideas about gender, family, race, and culture shaped the U.S. military presence abroad.


My husband and I were both born into military families during this time so pretty interesting to learn that as I was living the Dependent life, our U.S. gov't had a plan for me in a sense. Kinda wierd, I was just a kid. But I was definitely taught to show respect, to be culturally aware and we did interract a great deal with host citizens through our church.

A conscientious objector Mom, confronts son signing up

I still have all of my research printed out, how I would keep my boys from a draft back in the Bush days when militaries were stretched thin and it made people wonder.

The ink has dried and I find out several weeks back that my oldest boy enlisted. He has a BEAUTIFUL baby boy of his own, my first grandson and he is married. I can't say I was surprised he signed up, I worried about him and his family with the economy what it is and in the back of my mind I knew this might be the road he had to take. But I CAN say I felt my heart would break when I found out.

For anybody that doesn't know, this blogspot has laid dormant for so long... my brother in law was killed in Iraq, first wave of soldiers. For my husband, finding out about son brought on a reliving of grief and a horrible fear for son. For me, I had my first very REAL moment of "I didn't raise you this way". Yes, fine. Both husband and I come from long lines of military war folks. But we always said we wanted to raise lovers, not fighters.

Son went into infantry.

It's hilarious in a way. We are liberal, we always said "hey, go out there and sow your oats, just wear a condom", try things, live... find your woodstock or go to college, we'll pay for it. He chose early marriage, early fatherhood and military.

And I am learning what it is to grieve in private and celebrate with son for his choices and his journey, what he feels will bring him happiness. There really is a time where all of your wisdom as a parent has to take a backseat or at least wait for the right moment and they are few and far between if kids have a say. My husband and I have both mistakenly overstepped our bounds with our "wisdom" when our son was telling us "hey... I got it now". Everything I've lived and learned, I don't so much vocalize anymore. I just play with my grandson and let my kid show off, let his wife fill me in and send the pics. Thank god she does that, I'm grateful.

Parenthood. Always something, always a transition you gotta make that nobody freakin' warned you about!

okay, no big I'm back announcements, just Maturation!

My twin girls are 12, 6th grade. Their school's maturation program has been every wednesday for 5 weeks or so. Before I signed my approval for their participation I had my questions, I let them know what I did not approve of schools horning in on. Don't presume to lay down Utah "morals", don't show them pie charts illustrating what a disaster their lives WILL be if they have sex in High School. NO NO NO. But you know how sometimes, you can't know the question if you can't imagine the answer?

So about 5 weeks ago a.k.a. the first week of Maturation Indoctrination, not a parental involvement phase, I get a text from one of my girls. (you gotta love the day and age we live in, right?). Her text said "I'm having suicidal thoughts". Heart attack. We talked, I let her know that her hormones were at play at least to a degree and I could understand, but we would do what we could and find a qualified therapist and everything. So we did. And love the woman we found, she specializes in the whole adolescent transition thing so it's great. But goddamned if that didn't scare the shit outta me.

So last week, it was parent's day/maturation program. As an opener the nurse involved in staging this thing gave us a rundown on what they'd covered so far with the kids. Suicidal thoughts/depression. What she shared matched word for word what my daughter came to me with. Ohhhhkay. So always the chance my daughter is having feelings serious enough that somebody gave her words for it. But also... maybe it's not just so much just that? Add to that, her sister who rather than saying "my math teacher always has a mean face and I hate going to her class" says "omg, I'm so DEPRESSED!

Jesus, I'm new at the girl adolescent thing, my boys were so chill. But I hear girls tend toward the dramatic, I did not but I was not allowed to so I guess I can be grateful my girls feel safe to display their emotions, even if they seem dramatic to me?

I don't know the answer. I want kids who are truly depressed and suicidal to have people come in and tell them others feel this, this is whatcha do as I am sure those forming the Maturation Program were concerned about doing. But in my house it feels like my girls, my hormonal girls have found a language to match the strength of the mood swings they are novices to and don't know how to speak about or deal with, quite yet.

One day they are cooking cupcakes, the next throwing their laptop across the room because one innocently misunderstands the other, and then they are telling me they are suicidal and so depressed. I just hope I handle all of this in the best way possible. Yes, the laptop throwing had consequences, I'm not being a schmuck mother. And I am trying to give them the buck-up stuff, find the humor in life and know that you are not the most picked on kid in school. I just want to handle all of this well. Girls ARE complicated. If I didn't believe that when my husband told me, I do now.

alaskababy does not approve

And at the risk of regurgitating what has already circulated, I think I'll count the ways between now and election time.

Palin: "There's something going on in Alaska..."

HAL: "something...wonderful?"

Sarah Palin & the Wasilla Assembly of God Parts 1 and 2





Wasilla Assemblies of God "Masters Commission"

"That's a lovely wrap you're wearing! Perhaps I could buy you some fluffy new slippers, made from the heads of innocent and defenseless baby seals!"

(aceventura)

I know this isn't exactly breaking news, but as a mother to two Wolf loving girls, I feel I must do my part here.

Aerial Wolf Hunting in Alaska... Sarah Palin supports this?

I'm Baaaaaaaaack

Wow. Life, huh?

Awwright so lets get caught up. Divorce... imminent. God knows what transpired when I agreed to divorce... jeesuz. God don't know shit. I know!!!! Hard. So I won't get into too much of it, will only say that two people that came from incredibly hard circumstances, married way too young... have managed some kind of miracle.

We are back together and better than ever. So much so that I have room in my heart for Super Tuesday? Think I would've cared a month ago? Nahhhhhh.

Meanwhile, I'm working at a lab now, with tissues and serum, and urine and spinal fluid, sputum, fecal samples. Every night, ten hours a night, graveyard shift I handle people in a test tube. It's pretty wild, pretty amazing to me. I love my work. Ten hour shifts graveyard is a bitch, no doubt. But I work 7 nights on, 7 off. Means I get two weeks off a month to be with my loved ones. And I've become a different person meantime. I went from housewife to good-god-how-will-I-provide? I've experienced the male side of me and it's been really good for me.

We live in a hard, cruel unforgiving world, don't we? Men... God I feel for you now. I learned so much, shlogging myself off to the job, coming home grey skinned and bleary eyed to get my kids off to school... sleep while they were there and pick them up, get them dinner, keep their clothes clean and get myself off to work. I'm not saying men everywhere gotta worry about dinner and laundry. I'm saying... meantime, they needed my love, my humor, my concern for their troubles in math. In my experiences over these past few months I have gained an appreciation for the other side of things. I honestly didn't understand how deep my husband was pulling to bring out mr. jolly as he walked in the door at night, worried about finances and having pulled a long emotionally draining day on the job. I was so naive.

Dizzy, don't know if you're reading me now. But you made a comment that has echoed in my thoughts often during my separation. You described knowing what single mom-hood was, how hard it was. I get you now. I'd seen it with my sibs, but going there and feeling it is quite the experience, isn't it?

Don't misunderatnd, I didn't go back to my man because it was hard, I am inordinately proud... I went back because I could feel on some level, the harshness of the situation had changed something... and it was enough to work off of. But I will never forget how hard this whole thing has been. I've never visited such pain, such fear.

So. Anyway... Super Tuesday approacheth. If I were to put out my psychic vibe, I'd say hils is gonna win the whole she-bang (unfortunately). But that doesn't mean I can't get my ass out there to cast my dreams at the voting booth. I've met few conspiracy theorists as extreme as I am, but I'm also a believer in miracles at this point in my life. Never could I have imagined my marriage could get back on track... nah... onto a better track than it's ever been. I'm not sure what happened, I just know suddenly things felt different and we are busting our asses in counseling to make something better than most dare dream of between us.

Neither of us was conditioned for joy. Yet joy is what we have. Yah, it sucks processing the behaviors of each other during separation. goddamnit... that shit hurts. But in my wildest dreams I knew that nobody could ever "get me" the way my husband does. That I get to be back in his arms, we are both under the same roof (wondering what the hell to do with the other one!) is amazing.

So here I am. During my 7-on, ten to twelve hour graveyard shifts you won't hear jack outta me. I walk in the door, brush my girls' hair and get them to school then drop into bed, sometimes fully freakin clothed and go pick them up after school. But at some point, as I come down from it all on my 7 off, I might make a post or two. I'm glad my little blog waited for me. I actually got a comment today from a romney/ron paul deal-e-o I'd posted. Good stuff :)

I'm proud of my blog, I've felt a loss when I had no time to devote to this aspect of myself, this part that needs to stand on a rooftop and tell the world to pay attention.

I've missed my friends out here. :) BUT, I've loved learning about other sides of me, I'm living life to it's fullest these days and attacking my husband of twenty six years as if I were back to 17... I've never seen a blueprint for life that matched my own and I kinda like that! Wrinkle in time? I don't know. Just know something in me died a long time ago and it's come back to life. I don't care why, I'm loving that it's there.

The alaskababy you were used to is a bit different now. But... her head is still in the game, she still wants to tell people to fucking wake up. She's just living her own life more fully than she ever did before. She'd rather candles, good tunes and her man to a brilliant blog entry. Maybe she can learn to write well on the fly, eh?

xoxo

So I'm in my new place we got our internets up and running

I've missed my blog. But my life has changed so drastically, I don't have cable t.v. and at this point not even local channels. I'm considering keeping it that way, what does the squack box emit but mindscrambling bullshit in between commercials, anyway? Why pay for that? Of course that doesn't mean I can't keep up with my news the way I always tried to, via my favorite blogs and "underground" news sites.

But truth... right now, my own navel needs more of my focus than this whacked world, it's just gonna have to get on w/o me poking at it for awhile. And most importantly, my kids need me. I haven't a clue what's happening outside of them, my job and my divorce.

I bid all of my dear blog friends a fond adiu. Thanks for all of the great discussions, thanks for all the learnin' and for the laughs.

Sandy