Here I Stand

Here I Stand

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Occupy This

After watching the Occupy LA encampment being broken up the other night, I still don't completely understand whats going on here, and I'm not sure if any of them do either. Do I think corruption is bad? Of course I do! Corruption and manipulation fly in the face of every facet of capitalism and business. Do I think that the top 1% of America's wealth are responsible for this? Do I think they got to that point through corruption? Certainly not! It is a sad day indeed when someone can be villified for being successful, and threatened with violence or outright theft if they do not entirely support those who have contributed nothing to society. The protesters themselves seem to be falling back on what is at best faulty logic, and at worst a dangerous ignorance and misguided fervor for what would be the downfall of society.


I got this from one of my military buddies, and completely understand the sentiment. We had a mission, we knew what we were doing, and we acomplished our objectives. Also, I didn't even shit in the streets when I was in Baghdad. These kids are doing it in NYC and LA.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

3 Button Suits... Seriously?

I know some of my readers out there might get a bit confused by the diversity of my posts - I don't exactly have a niche, it's mainly just my opinions and what is on my mind currently. A lot of the time this is politics (which are becoming more and more frustrating) Veteran's affairs, Finance and Business, Shooting and Tactical issues, etc. Today, it is fashion - well, as fashionable as men can be anyway.

A suit is a fairly simple garment. There really isn't much to it, but let me assure you, there are an infinite number of ways to fuck up the wearing of it. The days are getting shorter, and the nights are getting colder - even in Southern California, and suits, jackets and sport coats are becoming more and more prevelant (for those who did not man up and endure all summer anyway, or invest in something in linen or cotton) Lately, something that has been iritating my sartorial sensabilities is the three button suit, and what is worse, not knowing how to wear it.

Three button suits were popular in the late 90's and early in the 2000's, but they have fallen out of favor with a lot of the sleeker, minimalist styles of today. Some people can still pull them off, especially if they have been tailored and are worn well, but most of the time, the wearer will look like an extra on "Friends." Honestly think about any three button suits you have in your closet. Did you buy them in the last year? In the last five years? I didn't think so, and if you did, they probably came second hand, didn't they? Styles wax and wane like the seasons, so don't fret too much about it. maybe in a few years they will come back. I wouldn't try to wear them with jeans as a sport coat, or as a blazer with khakis... the look just isn't there, and instead of looking vintage or classic (like say, a double breasted number, or a trench coat from the 60's.... which I wish I had by the way) you'll just look like you don't know how to dress.

The wearing of a three button suit is altogether forgivable though. Suits are expensive, and many times people in a particular line or work, or who are in transition, may be using one they haven't worn in years (I have seen many job hunting veterans guilty of this - and many are too proud to accept a suggestion) What is worse though, is not knowing how to wear it. NEVER button all the buttons in ANY suit. I have seen people wearing them like this, and it is an immediate indication that they don't know what they are doing. This is an ignorance that is easily remedied if one would take the time to learn. With a three button suit, if you MUST wear it, only button the top two buttons, not all three. I have seen lots of variations on this (like only buttoning the middle or top button, which also looks ridiculous) but always keep the bottom button open. Also, three button suits cannot be worn completely open like a lot of their two button counterparts. The three button hems don't fall right. An education like this is free, and not taking it upon oneself to learn shows laziness. If you wear a suit for a living, know how to wear it right.

Monday, November 28, 2011

War drawdowns wreak havoc on Guard soldiers' lives

Interesting article that discusses a side of the war, and our military, that not many ever stop to consider. The reserves and the national guard are a vital part of the US Military, and the ideal of the Citizen Soldier has a long history in our country. Reservists and Guardsmen are also counted among the Warrior Caste that has received so much attention lately, and are often overlooked - being the quiet professionals that they are. I am not saying that the drawdown is a bad thing, but after 10 years of war, the country needs to remember that being home is not always as safe as many think it is.

War drawdowns wreak havoc on Guard soldiers' lives

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two months ago, Demetries Luckett left his job in Michigan, turned in his cable box, sent his daughter to live with her mother, and headed for Camp Shelby in Mississippi.
As a 1st lieutenant in Michigan's National Guard, he was being deployed to Afghanistan.
But just a month after he arrived for training, the Army decided Uncle Sam didn't need him after all.
Now Luckett's unemployed and back home in Harper Woods, Mich. — a victim of the Obama administration's ongoing effort to pull at least 33,000 U.S. troops out of Afghanistan by next fall.
Unlike active-duty soldiers who are stationed at U.S. military bases across the country and can be sent on a moment's notice to a conflict anywhere in the world — the nation's citizen soldiers have civilian jobs and lives they have to set aside when they get those deployment notices.
And unlike active-duty soldiers, Guard members may have little to go back to, if their country changes its mind.
Luckett is not alone.
In the last 60 days, as many as 8,900 Army National Guard soldiers were either sent home early from Iraq or Afghanistan, or were told that the Pentagon's plans to send them to war had either been shelved or changed. As a result, U.S. military and Guard leaders have been scrambling to find alternative missions for many of the soldiers — particularly those who had put their lives and jobs on hold and were depending on the deployment for their livelihood.
"If you're a 25-year-old infantryman, and you're a student at Ohio State University, and you decide not to register for school in July because you were going to mobilize, and we say your services aren't needed anymore — that becomes a significantly emotional event in that person's life," said Col. Ted Hildreth, chief of mobilization and readiness for the Army National Guard.
Guard members scheduled for deployment, he said, often quit or take extended leaves from their jobs, put college on hold, end or break their apartment leases, sell or rent their houses, and turn their medical or legal practices over to someone else. And in some cases, in this flagging economy, Guard members who may be unemployed or underemployed are relying on the year-long paycheck, which can include extra money for combat pay or tax-free benefits.
"These are commitments and contracts that have been signed, and so when these changes happen, they are not insignificant," he said. "So we work with the unit, the country team and the joint force headquarters to define who are no-kidding hardships and who we had to work to find other employments opportunities to fulfill the 400-day mobilization commitment that we made to that soldier."
In the coming weeks, as America works to extricate itself from two wars, the U.S. will pull the remaining 18,000 troops out of Iraq, and withdraw 10,000 forces from Afghanistan. Another 23,000 or more will come out of Afghanistan by next fall.
And while the political ramifications of the war drawdowns are hotly debated topics, there is often little said or known about the cascading effects such decisions have on the lives, jobs and schooling of the National Guard and Reserve troops.
Guard units are notified of their deployments as much as two years in advance, so they make long-term plans to meet the year-long military commitment.
But to meet the often-changing withdrawal timetables for Iraq and Afghanistan, the Pentagon has had to abruptly shuffle units, and even individual soldiers, around. The major moves include shifting forces from Iraq to new missions in Kuwait or to Afghanistan.
During a hearing on Capitol Hill, Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the military tries to do all it can to avoid changing deployment orders given to National Guard units once they are notified.
If a unit has been mobilized, he said, "we will find a place to use it," particularly if it is an aviation unit, since those are in high demand.
Usually, he said, officials try to identify soldiers who prefer not to deploy, since there often are some who are happy to stay home. Then the rest of the unit will, if possible, be sent to a different mission in the same country or to another location.
For example, the 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, made up of more than 2,300 soldiers from Ohio and Michigan, was initially scheduled to go to Afghanistan in early October to do combat and other operations.
But when Pentagon leaders decided many weren't needed, they scrounged for other missions so that the soldiers who really wanted or needed to deploy could do so.
Maj. Jeff Kinninger, executive officer for the 126th Cavalry Squadron, was another soldier who got to Camp Shelby, then was told not to deploy. But for Kinninger and his family, it was more of a welcome decision because he has a full-time job working for the National Guard in Grand Rapids.
"For me, this would have been three deployments in the last seven years, so I wasn't too disappointed," said Kinninger, 42, who had served in Iraq in 2005 and 2008. "I'm disappointed not to be there with my soldiers, but my family is happy I'm not going."
His squadron is part of the 37th IBCT. So, of the 430 squadron members who headed to Camp Shelby to prepare to deploy, more than 200 were told they weren't needed. After sorting out who wanted to go home, military officials were able to find assignments for all the rest, Kinninger said.
Two other brigades are going through similar struggles — the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, based in New York, and the 29th Combat Aviation Brigade, which includes soldiers from across the U.S.