Gone Feisin...

So in another life before I became a tattooed Navy wife...

I use to competitively Irish dance...

So Ive started dancing with another school here in VA Beach called An Cor Rud.I dance with moms of the younger irish dancers and then 20somethings that use to compete when they were 13.

Im gearing up for my first Feis (Fesh) which in Irish means competition.

My husband will be here so Im excitied for him to come with me.

It will be back in my old neighborhood of Northern VA.So we will stay with my in laws,and they can babysit the dog.

I dont think my husband knows what he is in for.

Accordian music at 8am...

Me jumping up and down,and counting aloud in the hallways...

Pounding into ballroom floors...

I CANNOT WAIT.

It's starting to look a lot like Dodge City...

http://newyork.gatheringofeagles.org/?p=99

Seriously,what the hell???

I just can't believe this.

I know that my DH would not stand by....we were both raised differently.DH also carries his "Swiss Army Knife on Crack" (it is huge and I think it still changes his underwear),and a Smith&Wesson knife (that can do some lovely damage.) He wants to carry a gun,and we've discussed it off and on.I'm for it...and especially seeing stuff like this...it only further encourages it.My husband def looks like he's military.Walks differently,and has that unmistakeable hair cut.

Hippies are not peaceful:

This week the true nature of the ‘peace’ activists was revealed for all to see. When the veteran’s 14 year old son crossed the street to videotape the protesters and their signs, the protesters became agitated and began harassing the boy. The right to record video in any public venue is long established in law and any attempt to interfere with that right is a violation of civil rights.

Seeing the escalating tension across the street, the veteran and his wife crossed over, leaving their three youngest children on the other side for safety while they went to retrieve their eldest son. Two of the female ‘peace’ protesters then attacked the veteran’s wife. When the veteran pulled one of those attackers off his wife he was jumped by four or five of the ‘peace’ people and knocked to the ground where they held him while beating him and smashing his eyeglasses.

The son pulled the remaining attacker off his mother, but the attacker managed to get in one last kick to his mother’s head with her boot. She then punched the son in his face while his mother called the police.

The problem with an all volunteer military...

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/more-convicted-felons-allowed-to-enlist/20080421173209990001

He added that "low unemployment, a protracted war on terror, a decline in propensity to serve," and the growing reluctance of parents, teachers and other adults to recommend young people go into the military, has made recruiting a challenge.

That is the key there.

As Jon Stewart said the problem with an all volunteer military is...someone has to volunteer.

As Ive stated previously,there was a time when being in the military held high regard.If you were a President's son or a Congressman's son,you were in the military.Now we have at least less than 5 in Congress with children in the military...it is even worse when you look at Congress,very few have an prior military service.

So where are we suppose to get our soldiers and sailors?

You have people who are signing up for the stable job/money (no matter how crappy it is),someone who wants to have some "help" with paying for college (as pathetic as the GI Bill is nowadays...hopefully IAVA can change that),or people who are just plain patriotic.

Sadly none of the above applies to anyone who would be attending Yale or Harvard.There was a time when it did apply to those at those esteemed educational institutions...but now it is just a haven for left wing nut jobs.

So what are we suppose to do?

The war has no end coming soon.

We were not prepared for it to take this long,or I think prepared at all.

So now we have to shuffle paperwork,and get bodies in.

So we have to look the other way on past offenses.

Sucks,and maybe it isnt the greatest idea...

But then again I dont see you signing up for the military,or your husband,or your wife,or any of your children.

Until people look beyond themselves and at the bigger picture,then surely they cannot complain about what our military has to work with as far as recruits go.

In America...There are no cats

'In America...there are no cats' says one of the lines of my favorite childhood movies...Fivel.The cute (Russian) mouse that is traveling with his family to America to avoid the evilness of cats.They paint the streets of NYC with cheese,and America as a great land with no cats.

How often are we moved to hear a first hand account of the greatness of America?How many times have you heard the "rags to riches" story that makes you so very proud to be apart of the red,white and blue?

I know not often.Ive lived outside of DC my whole life.I could drive 15 mins past the Pentagon,and I spent a childhood raising hell through the halls of Capitol Hill while most kids were playing with GI Joes.My brother was notorious for bringing race cars into the Capitol and letting the Captiol Police have a go at the remote controls.We take things like that for grant it sometimes.

Today,I was at work and had a customer browse through all of our pricey skincare products.She was dressed decently.And as she began to open her mouth and engage me in some chit chat as I often do on a slow afternoon at the mall...she had a Russian lilt.I began to beam saying both of my parents had been to Russia (...there are some good stories in there,trust me.) I also exclaimed how my husband and I would love to see Moscow and St.Petersburg like my parents have some day.

And the lady paused in her somewhat gumbled English and simply said...'America is great.Russia...I miss Russia but not as good as America.America is great.'

She had an utter gleam in her voice and eyes.Like 'If you knew what I have seen in Russia...this country has been a life saver.'I know the Russia she speaks of...My parents told me stories of children begging on the streets...of my Stepmom almost getting imprisoned in a Russian jail and you barter with money,booze and your life.

But America...

Helped her son become an outstanding police detective.He left Russia for Alaska where he could work on his English and be a fisherman.Once his English was perfected he sat for the police exmas.He passed the police exams...and has been here for 14 years.

The passion and tone of her voice...

Made me sad that more than half of Americans probably cant have such pride of that level for America,as this Russian immigrant.

It was humbling...

And it makes everything worth fighting for...and kssing my husband goodbye at the pier for a deployment to the Middle East.

The latest stats dont look good...

Well,I just picked up the recent issue of Navy Times at the exchange today.

The latest quota for recruitment in all branches is way down.Obviously,there was an increase in recruiting of all branches reported in Nov.2001.From the Army to the Marine Corp there was a 15.9% to 11.9% reporting that men would "definitely" or "probably" join the military.

Now as reported in June 2007 the numbers are...Army 8.2%,Navy 7.3%,Air Force 10%,and Marine Corp 7.5%.The numbers dramatically dropped from Dec 2005 to now...they were always coasting in the teens,but now the numbers are at 10% or below 10%.

This cant be good.

"Today's kids and their parents don't necessarily equate military service with public service," said Randy Shepherd,a senior partner with JWT,which has handled the Corps' advertising account since 1946."To them,service is Habitat for Humanity,it's AmeriCorps and all that stuff.So what we are doing is trying to remind people that military service -maybe the highest form of public service."

Thank you,Code Pink.Teaching high schoolers that the only way to serve the community and serve the public is by building houses for the poor or soup kitchens.(Neither of which most teenagers tend to do anyways...unless they are forced like I was in high school/church...which I didn't mind.)

It also starts at home I think.

My Dad and Grandpop were also in the Navy,and so was my husband's male side of the family...his Dad even attended a well known military university in the South.While my husband chose to not go that route (due to being so punk rock he wouldn't and wanting to start from the bottom and go up---his thoughts on it,not mine...haha.)

While I medically could never serve...I was encouraged to do other types of public service.Such as maintain the grounds of the various churches we belonged to over the years.Helping out neighbors with anything that needed to be done.As a kid...My brother and I did the paper route for a small amount of money,and we also met everyone in our small American town.

But...we were raised to respect those in the military,law enforcement and firefighting (of which my Grandfather was a member of after WWII and the Navy.) Kids and Teens these days arent raise to think those underpaid and undermanned jobs are more respectable and honorable than being a greedy businessman.

A few in Congress are trying to change that along with Sen.McCain.They feel (as with Israel) that everyone should serve mandatorily in the military after high school,and if they cannot then they can do public service (picking up trash on the side of the highway...planting trees and building houses,etc.) I think that is an exceptionable idea...slight on the Communist side but in theory I would hope it would have teens learn to respect the military or giving back to the community.

Of course there will be tree huggers upset about this,as with all things.

They are discussing lowering the standards of recruiting into the Armed services.

So we wont have the brightest fighting terrorism.Great.

There was a time when Harvard and Yale students would gladly sign up for the military (see the book,AWOL, written by a USMC Dad Frank Schaeffer.)

Sadly times have changed.

Well,it will be interesting to see what Pentagon and others think should be done about all of this.I will be interested in following this also as my husband's reenlistment comes up in 2009.He is of course reenlisting.