Saturday morning we piled four of us in the vehicle and headed down to the VFW to check out the Cattle Call for 'The Fighter,' the Micky Ward life story film that's going to star Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale, among others. Right away, we saw a ton of commotion centered around 190 Plain, with lots of preened jocks with sleeveless shirts wearing cabbie hats, put-together blondes with headshots and inch-thick acting resumes, and guys with pained expressions to go with their trucker hats and flavor saver goatees. None of us had anything resembling a headshot or acting resume, and we were all about equally intersted in grabbing breakfast as we were in trying out for a movie.
When we saw the line snaking all the way from the Hall entrance down Eaton Street, and then ALL THE WAY down Montreal Street to Main (if you need Google Earth to picture this it will help sink it in, but suffice to say it seemed nearly a half-mile long), we just collectively said, "Forget it," and went to Wal-Mart to get a present for a recent GLTHS grad (Congratulations, Danny!)
Anyway I was back home later that afternoon in a half-nap when another friend of ours called, said the line had died down, and was heading over. Weighing that against collecting more drool on the couch pillow and dribbling potato chips down my chin, I decided to go for it.
Sure enough, the line had died down considerably. There were still plenty of self-serious types in the crowd, but the non early-bird crew seemed a little bit more likely to have gotten there by accident. We had one picture and nary a resume between the three of us, and we promptly got into the short line to be herded into the hall.
After some quick "hurry up and wait" operations, we finally got told to queue up into a huge line to get ready to hand off our information packets, which included names, numbers, and e-mail addresses. In a mostly civil fashion, all the folks in the hall got into two lines where we spent all of exactly five seconds actually meeting someone from Boston Casting.
Our "moment of glory" consisted of us being asked whether we'd want to be cast as a trainer, fighter, or extra. Our info sheets were then put into one of three piles and we went on our merry ways.
No "Romeo, Where Art Thous." No "You talkin' ta me?!" a la Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver. Somewhat of a letdown for those who looked like they'd spent hours getting ready for the 'event' and then sort of slinked away seeming disappointed by the whole affair.
What I sensed from the beginning was that they probably need to stick fannies in the seats for the pro-am fights, background patrons for the bar scenes, and other general things that movie extras are used for.
If anyone in Greater Lowell is reading this and is still interested in being an extra in The Fighter, the good news I have to report here is that you probably didn't miss a thing if you weren't at the VFW Saturday. You could probably still contact Boston Casting and go for your shot at glory as a guy clapping or war-whooping at a Golden Gloves fight.
You just have to be available with just one day's notice to spend an entire day waiting around for a fifteen-minute shot at acting that might involve walking down a street, sipping a beer, or enthusiastically cheering under the guise of 'acting natural.'
And someday, you can put your grandkids on your knee, cue up your vintage The Fighter DVD from the year 2010, fast forward to 1:09:12, freeze the frame, and say "That's my elbow!" as one of the protagonists pushes past you at a bus stop.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Flash Mobs, Membership Fatigue, and the Good Idea Fairy -- an LDNA Wrap-Up
On Monday night, the Lowell Downtown Neighborhood Association held its monthly meeting in the Victorian Garden (the area between the Trolley Museum and Lowell Tae Kwon Do on Shattuck, now with freshly cut grass as described on the LDNA blog).
Jane Ward from the American Textile History Museum (and also of the 'Around the Neighborhoods' Sun Column, but not here in that capacity) spoke about the big re-opening set to take place on June 21 (http://www.athm.org/). The major event is slated for that day, but the museum has already had a "soft" re-opening from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday-Saturday at its 491 Dutton St. site.
One of the promotional pieces that Ms. Ward handed out at the meeting mentioned that prospective new members would receive a 20% discount on an annual membership. A quick look at the website tells me that for $50, that would get me: one membership card, free admission to the museum for 1 adult, 3 free visits to the Osborne Library (by appointment), the Overshot newsletter, invitations to special events, and two guest admission passes.
We didn't get into the specifics of the costs and benefits of membership, but one downtowner present mentioned the idea of membership fatigue. In light of other fatigues -- social network website fatigue (I signed up for Twitter but I swear that's it and this time I mean it!), blog fatigue (though I just added Rob Mills' blog because I think he's doing something totally unique among the blogetariat), and even czar fatigue (I think I heard we've got more 'czars' in the Obama Administration than there were actual czars in Russia...seriously), the idea of membership fatigue is just that within a stone's throw of Mack Plaza there are enough things to join -- and to pay for, of course -- than a reasonable chap or lass can keep up with.
I definitely feel that pain, and it's understandable.
Having taken the reins as LDNA Treasurer a few meetings ago, I've been hitting up all the new faces at the end of meetings for $5, and gotten a wee bit of pushback (okay, I get it, people don't like being shaken down when they've just come to check something out). Even some older hands have insisted that 'I'm already a member' despite the key word being 'annual' and the LDNA elections marking the new 'fiscal year.'
And five bucks is what some people spend for an iced coffee and a pastry.
Fifty bucks is definitely something else entirely. As much as I support the idea of preserving cultural heritage through museums, as well as investing in your own backyard, a price like that seems a little steep for what I'd be getting back. Maybe someday when my financial picture looks a lot different, I'll be able to support things like that without having to even put any thought behind it, but for now I think I'll take a pass...for a once-through to check it out.
But speaking of fundraising, and what some membership dues (like LDNA) contribute towards, one good news story from the Downtown is the success of the Tent City Coalition's rock concert at Revolving and subsequent campout. The event raised over $3,000. In the words of leader Allegra Williams, "For the first time ever, hundreds of people in Lowell who live on the streets will have a place to go to take a warm shower and to wash their clothes."
Another topic that came up was the idea of having downtown residents get together to meet in bars as a fun, light-hearted way to build social capital (take a look at Rob Mills' latest blog entry -- apparently downtowners are known for high levels of community already) and have fun. Whether that would come in the form of something like an organized pub crawl or something more closely resembling a flash mob (where everybody suddenly congregated in one spot thanks to the power of Twitter and text) remains to be seen, but it definitely seemed like a case where the folks present seemed to love the idea.
As with any soft shoulder landing from the Good Idea Fairy, however, that's just the problem -- good ideas are as famously easy to conceive as they are notoriously difficult to implement. While it takes seconds to start a sentence with "Y'know, someone should..." being that someone is the hard -- and admirable -- part. Leaders of organizations or departments are especially susceptible to visits from others who are laden with good ideas but don't want to take the time or effort to see them through. That's why any leader can best keep from going batty by responding, "That's a great idea, work on it, get back to me and let me know how it goes" rather than "That's a great idea, I'll work on it, get back to you and let you know how it goes."
Following the latter course is a good recipe for caffeine-induced sleeplessness on the part of the leader, the idea not ultimately being implemented, and the inevitable lament from the idea-haver that "No one listens to me."
When I think back on what I've learned in five years as a Navy Officer, that definitely stands out, and I think it's what Edison was getting at with his famous "one percent inspiration, 99 percent perspiration" gem of a quip.
Jane Ward from the American Textile History Museum (and also of the 'Around the Neighborhoods' Sun Column, but not here in that capacity) spoke about the big re-opening set to take place on June 21 (http://www.athm.org/). The major event is slated for that day, but the museum has already had a "soft" re-opening from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday-Saturday at its 491 Dutton St. site.
One of the promotional pieces that Ms. Ward handed out at the meeting mentioned that prospective new members would receive a 20% discount on an annual membership. A quick look at the website tells me that for $50, that would get me: one membership card, free admission to the museum for 1 adult, 3 free visits to the Osborne Library (by appointment), the Overshot newsletter, invitations to special events, and two guest admission passes.
We didn't get into the specifics of the costs and benefits of membership, but one downtowner present mentioned the idea of membership fatigue. In light of other fatigues -- social network website fatigue (I signed up for Twitter but I swear that's it and this time I mean it!), blog fatigue (though I just added Rob Mills' blog because I think he's doing something totally unique among the blogetariat), and even czar fatigue (I think I heard we've got more 'czars' in the Obama Administration than there were actual czars in Russia...seriously), the idea of membership fatigue is just that within a stone's throw of Mack Plaza there are enough things to join -- and to pay for, of course -- than a reasonable chap or lass can keep up with.
I definitely feel that pain, and it's understandable.
Having taken the reins as LDNA Treasurer a few meetings ago, I've been hitting up all the new faces at the end of meetings for $5, and gotten a wee bit of pushback (okay, I get it, people don't like being shaken down when they've just come to check something out). Even some older hands have insisted that 'I'm already a member' despite the key word being 'annual' and the LDNA elections marking the new 'fiscal year.'
And five bucks is what some people spend for an iced coffee and a pastry.
Fifty bucks is definitely something else entirely. As much as I support the idea of preserving cultural heritage through museums, as well as investing in your own backyard, a price like that seems a little steep for what I'd be getting back. Maybe someday when my financial picture looks a lot different, I'll be able to support things like that without having to even put any thought behind it, but for now I think I'll take a pass...for a once-through to check it out.
But speaking of fundraising, and what some membership dues (like LDNA) contribute towards, one good news story from the Downtown is the success of the Tent City Coalition's rock concert at Revolving and subsequent campout. The event raised over $3,000. In the words of leader Allegra Williams, "For the first time ever, hundreds of people in Lowell who live on the streets will have a place to go to take a warm shower and to wash their clothes."
Another topic that came up was the idea of having downtown residents get together to meet in bars as a fun, light-hearted way to build social capital (take a look at Rob Mills' latest blog entry -- apparently downtowners are known for high levels of community already) and have fun. Whether that would come in the form of something like an organized pub crawl or something more closely resembling a flash mob (where everybody suddenly congregated in one spot thanks to the power of Twitter and text) remains to be seen, but it definitely seemed like a case where the folks present seemed to love the idea.
As with any soft shoulder landing from the Good Idea Fairy, however, that's just the problem -- good ideas are as famously easy to conceive as they are notoriously difficult to implement. While it takes seconds to start a sentence with "Y'know, someone should..." being that someone is the hard -- and admirable -- part. Leaders of organizations or departments are especially susceptible to visits from others who are laden with good ideas but don't want to take the time or effort to see them through. That's why any leader can best keep from going batty by responding, "That's a great idea, work on it, get back to me and let me know how it goes" rather than "That's a great idea, I'll work on it, get back to you and let you know how it goes."
Following the latter course is a good recipe for caffeine-induced sleeplessness on the part of the leader, the idea not ultimately being implemented, and the inevitable lament from the idea-haver that "No one listens to me."
When I think back on what I've learned in five years as a Navy Officer, that definitely stands out, and I think it's what Edison was getting at with his famous "one percent inspiration, 99 percent perspiration" gem of a quip.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Afghan Pack-Out List
I just heard about a blog called "Afghan Lessons Learned" which is written by soldiers who have deployed to Afghanistan for soldiers about to head over there. I've added it to the blogroll and have included a pack-out list as an example of some of the practical advice it offers. Of course I have no idea who wrote this but #55 indicates it was a National Guardsman.
I'm sure there are good stories behind each item on the list, both good ones from those who had them and some not so good ones from those who lacked.
Here is the list, in raw form:
1. Any extra Class VIII you can bring with you is good to have.
2. Wolfhook single point slings
3. Desert Tan Spray paint
4. Space blanket(s)
5. 100 mph tape, 550 cord, TP, other expendables you think would come in handy
6. Drop Leg Holster (blackhawk or SERPA) and Uncle Mike's Paddle-Holster for wearing around every day (drop leg will wear a hole in ACUs over time). I also have one for my IBA so I can have my 9mm handy when in the gun hatch going through towns.
7. Weapons lube that DOESN'T ATTRACT SAND. (MILTECH or Remington Dry Lube only)
8. Two copies of addresses, phone numbers, account numbers, etc.
9. 2 pairs of GOOD boot insoles
10. A Good Tactical Flashlight (SureFire, even though you will get issued one with M4)
11. Red/White light L.E.D. headlamp
12. Spare pair of running shoes
13. MP3 PLAYER W/ x-tra pair of spare headphones
14. Enough batteries to last you 30 days
15. Chap stick
16. Lotion
17. 30 SPF or higher Sun block
18. Bar soap- for some reason its in short supply....almost always
19. Small compact rolls of TP. A lot of places make travel size, half the time you get to a port-a-potty the jackA$s before you ganked the TP
20. Baby wipes-- 30 days worth. Expect that the power and water will either go out, or the water will be contaminated at least once a month.
21. Gold Bond Foot and Body Powder
22. Small clip on LED light-clip it to your IBA....it will come in handy....quite often.
23. Drink mix for 16/20 oz bottles of water
24. Weightlifting supplies
25. Small photo album with pics from home.
26. Hand sanitizer (small bottles to put in ankle pockets)
27. More books/magazines than you think you will need.
28. DVDs, for you and to loan out for swapping purposes
29. Tactical gloves- military gloves are sort of clumsy ( I love the $9.95 whitewater brand gloves from the clothing sales). Also standard flight nomex are good.
30. Lens anti fog agent. Shaving cream works in a pinch, but you have to apply it every other day or so.
31. Good pair of shower shoes/sandals. I recommend the black adidas....lasted me all year.
32. Small pillow (air inflatable)
33. Cheap digital camera (at least 2.1 mp)
34. Boot knife
35. Gerber multi tool
36. Fabreeze-sometimes the laundry is few and far between.
37. Armor Fresh
38. Extra boot laces
39. Stainless steel coffee cup with screw on lid.
40. Soccer shorts/normal t-shirt to sleep in, hang out in your room in
41. Sweatshirts for winter times hanging around
42. A couple of poncho liners for privacy, nasty mattress cover, etc.
43. A set of twin sheets with pillow case
44. Good regular-size pillow
45. One or two good civilian bath towels
46. Buy a good set ($200) of winter desert boots. All they will give you is a regular summer set and a set of goretex lined for waterproof needs. Desert is a cold place at these altitudes in the winter time.
47. Bring a laptop!!! Also may want a PSP or some other handheld gaming device.
48. Get an external USB hard-drive (120gb). You will need this to back up data to, and to store movies and MP3s that you will fall in on from previous teams.
49. Get a Skype account and download the software from skype.com. This is how I talk to home 95% of the time. If you call computer to computer it is totally free. You can also skype out from your computer to a regular phone for $0.021 a minute. There is nothing cheaper than that.
50. Decent headset with mic for computer (skype).
51. Webcam for video calls back home.
52. Bring a min. of 18ea. M4 mags per person. 9 that are loaded and 9 that rest. Plan to do M4 mag changeover once per month.
53. Bring 8ea 9mm mags, for same reason above. Change these over every two weeks.
54. Order a LULA mag loader/unloader. It will be the best $12 piece of plastic you every bought. I have 12 mags loaded at all times and when I do change over it will do it in a fraction of the time and save your hands, and save the ammo.
55. Try to get your state or purchase yourself one 12v DC to 110 AC inverter per man for your trucks. There are crucial on mission to charge personal items, cell phone, ICOMs, and especially ANA radios (they only have re-chargeable batteries).
56. Dump the IBA tac vest you get issued. Get a Tactical Tailor MAV chest rig (does not matter if you get 1 or 2 piece one as you want to keep the front open for laying in the prone. You don't want mags pushing into your chest making it hard to breathe) . I wish I would have bought mine at the start. It makes a HUGE difference on the back and shoulders when carrying a loaded rig.
57. Get comfortable pair of desert boots. I wear only the Converse 8" assault boots (non-zipper ones). Oakley, Bates and several others are similar in style and comfort.
58. Bring some good snivel gear for the winter time. Extra poly-pro winter hat, gloves, neck gators, etc.
59. Lock de-icer for the winter time
60. Disposable hand and feet warmers
61. Canned-air, lots of it for electronics weapons, etc.
62. Lens wipes for optics
63. Screen wipes for computers
64. Firing Pin Retaining pins, Brownells is a good source
65. DVD ripping program for your laptop so you can transfer all your DVDs to electrons and store on a harddrive
66. A good assault pack, I have one from Tactical Assault Gear with aluminum stays in it for support. It's been a lifesaver several times,the one the Army issues is a P.O.S.
67. MBiTR pouch from Tactical Tailor
68. An aviators knee board
69. Personal GPS (Garmin, etc.)
I'm sure there are good stories behind each item on the list, both good ones from those who had them and some not so good ones from those who lacked.
Here is the list, in raw form:
1. Any extra Class VIII you can bring with you is good to have.
2. Wolfhook single point slings
3. Desert Tan Spray paint
4. Space blanket(s)
5. 100 mph tape, 550 cord, TP, other expendables you think would come in handy
6. Drop Leg Holster (blackhawk or SERPA) and Uncle Mike's Paddle-Holster for wearing around every day (drop leg will wear a hole in ACUs over time). I also have one for my IBA so I can have my 9mm handy when in the gun hatch going through towns.
7. Weapons lube that DOESN'T ATTRACT SAND. (MILTECH or Remington Dry Lube only)
8. Two copies of addresses, phone numbers, account numbers, etc.
9. 2 pairs of GOOD boot insoles
10. A Good Tactical Flashlight (SureFire, even though you will get issued one with M4)
11. Red/White light L.E.D. headlamp
12. Spare pair of running shoes
13. MP3 PLAYER W/ x-tra pair of spare headphones
14. Enough batteries to last you 30 days
15. Chap stick
16. Lotion
17. 30 SPF or higher Sun block
18. Bar soap- for some reason its in short supply....almost always
19. Small compact rolls of TP. A lot of places make travel size, half the time you get to a port-a-potty the jackA$s before you ganked the TP
20. Baby wipes-- 30 days worth. Expect that the power and water will either go out, or the water will be contaminated at least once a month.
21. Gold Bond Foot and Body Powder
22. Small clip on LED light-clip it to your IBA....it will come in handy....quite often.
23. Drink mix for 16/20 oz bottles of water
24. Weightlifting supplies
25. Small photo album with pics from home.
26. Hand sanitizer (small bottles to put in ankle pockets)
27. More books/magazines than you think you will need.
28. DVDs, for you and to loan out for swapping purposes
29. Tactical gloves- military gloves are sort of clumsy ( I love the $9.95 whitewater brand gloves from the clothing sales). Also standard flight nomex are good.
30. Lens anti fog agent. Shaving cream works in a pinch, but you have to apply it every other day or so.
31. Good pair of shower shoes/sandals. I recommend the black adidas....lasted me all year.
32. Small pillow (air inflatable)
33. Cheap digital camera (at least 2.1 mp)
34. Boot knife
35. Gerber multi tool
36. Fabreeze-sometimes the laundry is few and far between.
37. Armor Fresh
38. Extra boot laces
39. Stainless steel coffee cup with screw on lid.
40. Soccer shorts/normal t-shirt to sleep in, hang out in your room in
41. Sweatshirts for winter times hanging around
42. A couple of poncho liners for privacy, nasty mattress cover, etc.
43. A set of twin sheets with pillow case
44. Good regular-size pillow
45. One or two good civilian bath towels
46. Buy a good set ($200) of winter desert boots. All they will give you is a regular summer set and a set of goretex lined for waterproof needs. Desert is a cold place at these altitudes in the winter time.
47. Bring a laptop!!! Also may want a PSP or some other handheld gaming device.
48. Get an external USB hard-drive (120gb). You will need this to back up data to, and to store movies and MP3s that you will fall in on from previous teams.
49. Get a Skype account and download the software from skype.com. This is how I talk to home 95% of the time. If you call computer to computer it is totally free. You can also skype out from your computer to a regular phone for $0.021 a minute. There is nothing cheaper than that.
50. Decent headset with mic for computer (skype).
51. Webcam for video calls back home.
52. Bring a min. of 18ea. M4 mags per person. 9 that are loaded and 9 that rest. Plan to do M4 mag changeover once per month.
53. Bring 8ea 9mm mags, for same reason above. Change these over every two weeks.
54. Order a LULA mag loader/unloader. It will be the best $12 piece of plastic you every bought. I have 12 mags loaded at all times and when I do change over it will do it in a fraction of the time and save your hands, and save the ammo.
55. Try to get your state or purchase yourself one 12v DC to 110 AC inverter per man for your trucks. There are crucial on mission to charge personal items, cell phone, ICOMs, and especially ANA radios (they only have re-chargeable batteries).
56. Dump the IBA tac vest you get issued. Get a Tactical Tailor MAV chest rig (does not matter if you get 1 or 2 piece one as you want to keep the front open for laying in the prone. You don't want mags pushing into your chest making it hard to breathe) . I wish I would have bought mine at the start. It makes a HUGE difference on the back and shoulders when carrying a loaded rig.
57. Get comfortable pair of desert boots. I wear only the Converse 8" assault boots (non-zipper ones). Oakley, Bates and several others are similar in style and comfort.
58. Bring some good snivel gear for the winter time. Extra poly-pro winter hat, gloves, neck gators, etc.
59. Lock de-icer for the winter time
60. Disposable hand and feet warmers
61. Canned-air, lots of it for electronics weapons, etc.
62. Lens wipes for optics
63. Screen wipes for computers
64. Firing Pin Retaining pins, Brownells is a good source
65. DVD ripping program for your laptop so you can transfer all your DVDs to electrons and store on a harddrive
66. A good assault pack, I have one from Tactical Assault Gear with aluminum stays in it for support. It's been a lifesaver several times,the one the Army issues is a P.O.S.
67. MBiTR pouch from Tactical Tailor
68. An aviators knee board
69. Personal GPS (Garmin, etc.)
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Sonia Sotomayor and 'Humbling'
I should probably say right up front that this blog entry has nothing to do with the upcoming Sonia Sotomayor nomination process (I'm going to try to avoid it, because I think the whole thing is going to be very scripted and predictable, right down to the Rush Limbaugh soundbites, the faux outrage captured by Drudge headlines, and then the final confirmation vote in her favor). Neither is it going to be some kind of philosophical treatise on what it really means to be 'humble.'
Instead, it's going to be the quick rant of someone who probably would've become an English teacher if a few bumps in the earlier course of his life had shot him in a different direction.
Right after President Obama made his speech today announcing his decision to nominate Sonia Sotomayor for the bench of the Highest Court in the Land, she got up to speak.
And here's how she started: "Thank You, Mr. President, for the most humbling honor of my life."
A quick glance over to the dictionary tells me that 'humbling' means:
1. To curtail or destroy the pride of; humiliate.
2. To cause to be meek or modest in spirit.
3. To give a lower condition or station to; abase.
I should certainly hope that a Supreme Court nomination meets none of the above criteria!
I understand that the English language constantly morphs, and that word meanings constantly evolve, especially when you consider the slang used by young people. Just look at 'peruse,' 'notorious' or 'anxious' for examples of words whose proper usage is more often honored in the breach than in the observance.
Still, there's a curmudgeonly English teacher in me that just cringes every time some self-important athlete who achieves an inherently-meaningless milestone, actor who wins an Oscar, Golden Globe, or lesser-tier award, or politician who wins an appointment or election feels the need to bastardize the words 'humbling' or 'humbled.'
'Honor' and 'honored' are great word choices for such occasions, but you're humbled when something bad happens and it knocks you back down to size.
It would humbling, for instance, if your resume lists you as a fluent Indonesian linguist but then you fail the DLPT.
It would also be humbling to show off your creative side by writing your own wedding vows, but then awkwardly forgetting them during the service.
If you were convinced you WOULD win the Oscar, or would be nominated to the High Court -- and told all your friends and relatives it was coming -- but then you didn't, THAT would be humbling.
Instead, it's going to be the quick rant of someone who probably would've become an English teacher if a few bumps in the earlier course of his life had shot him in a different direction.
Right after President Obama made his speech today announcing his decision to nominate Sonia Sotomayor for the bench of the Highest Court in the Land, she got up to speak.
And here's how she started: "Thank You, Mr. President, for the most humbling honor of my life."
A quick glance over to the dictionary tells me that 'humbling' means:
1. To curtail or destroy the pride of; humiliate.
2. To cause to be meek or modest in spirit.
3. To give a lower condition or station to; abase.
I should certainly hope that a Supreme Court nomination meets none of the above criteria!
I understand that the English language constantly morphs, and that word meanings constantly evolve, especially when you consider the slang used by young people. Just look at 'peruse,' 'notorious' or 'anxious' for examples of words whose proper usage is more often honored in the breach than in the observance.
Still, there's a curmudgeonly English teacher in me that just cringes every time some self-important athlete who achieves an inherently-meaningless milestone, actor who wins an Oscar, Golden Globe, or lesser-tier award, or politician who wins an appointment or election feels the need to bastardize the words 'humbling' or 'humbled.'
'Honor' and 'honored' are great word choices for such occasions, but you're humbled when something bad happens and it knocks you back down to size.
It would humbling, for instance, if your resume lists you as a fluent Indonesian linguist but then you fail the DLPT.
It would also be humbling to show off your creative side by writing your own wedding vows, but then awkwardly forgetting them during the service.
If you were convinced you WOULD win the Oscar, or would be nominated to the High Court -- and told all your friends and relatives it was coming -- but then you didn't, THAT would be humbling.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
What Veterans Share
Saturday morning, I was moving on foot towards the Ladd and Whitney Monument to check out the Memorial Day ceremony when I bumped into Ted Lavash, who I knew to have been a Marine but didn't know when.
After convincing Ted to reverse his course back towards home from the Club Diner and towards the ceremony (it didn't take much arm-twisting), I got to asking him when he served with the Marine Corps.
"1957-1961."
As if he could see the wheels turning in my head to try to figure out what happened then, he broke into my thought before the gears started to grind.
"I was too late for Korea but too early for Vietnam. But I was on the beach in Lebanon in 1958. 10,000 of us came ashore, we stayed for a while and we held the airport."
Amazing. Here I was about to show up at the ceremony standing next to someone who was actually there in the eastern Med in 1958 as a participant in something that's been reduced to a footnote, or at best a paragraph in our history textbooks (President Eisenhower's effort to help stabilize the Maronite government).
Afterwards, as Ted met up with some Marine Corps League buddies and I hitched a ride to Memorial Auditorium from a Navy veteran, I kept thinking about the luck of the draw (and I use the term 'luck' unironically) that determines exactly where someone serves.
That was the topic #1 on the noggin when I saw Dick Howe (author of the eponymous blog conveniently linked to your right) in front of Memorial Auditorium. Knowing he was a) an Army veteran, and b) a high-order history buff, I knew he'd appreciate knowing that I was just talking to a guy who was part that whole 1958 Lebanon adventure.
I was comparing the here-and-now, where you can virtually assume that anyone in the ground services (and increasingly, all the services) has either already served in Iraq or Afghanistan, or is getting ready to do so, to previous eras. By comparison, I wouldn't assume that an active-duty soldier or marine had been in Desert Storm in 1991, and for the smaller wars, forget it. Even the chance that an active-duty Marine would've been on that beach with Ted in 1958 is somewhere between 10 and 20 percent.
Dick mentioned Grenada. He was on active duty in October 1983 (and wasn't there) but it never even would've occurred to me to ask. Operation URGENT FURY was a small-scale thing, involving mainly Special Operations Forces and some XVIII Airborne Corps folks who were sitting on the other end of the line for President Reagan's 911 call when the "go" order came while the marine barracks was still smoldering in Beirut.
Like so many who served during the Cold War, Lt. Howe cut his teeth in Germany, bracing for hell's fury to pass through the Fulda Gap before the "strategic" elements became involved and changed things irrevocably. This tour preceded orders to Devens, formerly a major league-sized element right in this-here backyard (Now who woulda thunkit -- a young man earns a commission, goes on a far-flung adventure, takes orders to get back to the area he left and set up the next phase of his life, then moves his commission over to the Guard -- sign me up for that one!).
Numbers and odds are important.
Joining the Army or Marines today brings with it a virtual guarantee of service in a combat zone and future eligibility for the VFW. I'm not sure if things have really been that way since World War II -- even during Vietnam, we had far more sizable overseas "presence" commitments, and we never used the Guard and Reserves in the same way, so entry into those groups almost meant the reverse of what it did today, as it came with protection from the Draft.
I consider myself very lucky to have joined the Navy in 2004 and still found my way into "the theater" by earning a spot attached to a unit that does that sort of thing for a living (and whose past involvement in places like Grenada and Panama makes them far-from-forgotten within that community). But even THAT had a lot to do with timing. Any earlier OCS start date would've meant a different, far less exciting time as an Ensign and a JG.
Those odds are a lot different than being a Vietnam-era F-4 pilot (as was the author of Right-Side-of-Lowell, also handily linked at the blogroll to your right), where operational demands were high, risks were great, and there weren't many billets you could be *stashed* at and hide the fact that you possessed that skill.
But it's that very level of uncertainty, and the very willingness to accept that uncertainty, that unites all past and present sailors, soldiers, airmen, marines, and coasties. No matter what your branch of service or your MOS, when you join the military you not only surrender your basic rights (remember, we protect democracy and liberty but we don't always practice it), but you surrender your ability to control your own fate.
People who believe that military service is "noble, but it's something for other people, or other people's kids" just don't get this, and never will. Someone who raises their right hand is essentially saying, "I'll be that person, civilian leadership do with me what you will."
Your Germany could be my Korea. Your Laos might be my Northwest Frontier Province. Your Camp Lemonier could be my Camp Fallujah. Your beach in West Beirut could be my Indonesian archipelago after another tsunami hits and the CA guys get tapped to make things right.
The fact is, we just don't know, and we'll live with uncertainty.
Bearing that uncertainty, asking our families to do the same, and pressing ahead in spite of it -- that will be our special bond.
After convincing Ted to reverse his course back towards home from the Club Diner and towards the ceremony (it didn't take much arm-twisting), I got to asking him when he served with the Marine Corps.
"1957-1961."
As if he could see the wheels turning in my head to try to figure out what happened then, he broke into my thought before the gears started to grind.
"I was too late for Korea but too early for Vietnam. But I was on the beach in Lebanon in 1958. 10,000 of us came ashore, we stayed for a while and we held the airport."
Amazing. Here I was about to show up at the ceremony standing next to someone who was actually there in the eastern Med in 1958 as a participant in something that's been reduced to a footnote, or at best a paragraph in our history textbooks (President Eisenhower's effort to help stabilize the Maronite government).
Afterwards, as Ted met up with some Marine Corps League buddies and I hitched a ride to Memorial Auditorium from a Navy veteran, I kept thinking about the luck of the draw (and I use the term 'luck' unironically) that determines exactly where someone serves.
That was the topic #1 on the noggin when I saw Dick Howe (author of the eponymous blog conveniently linked to your right) in front of Memorial Auditorium. Knowing he was a) an Army veteran, and b) a high-order history buff, I knew he'd appreciate knowing that I was just talking to a guy who was part that whole 1958 Lebanon adventure.
I was comparing the here-and-now, where you can virtually assume that anyone in the ground services (and increasingly, all the services) has either already served in Iraq or Afghanistan, or is getting ready to do so, to previous eras. By comparison, I wouldn't assume that an active-duty soldier or marine had been in Desert Storm in 1991, and for the smaller wars, forget it. Even the chance that an active-duty Marine would've been on that beach with Ted in 1958 is somewhere between 10 and 20 percent.
Dick mentioned Grenada. He was on active duty in October 1983 (and wasn't there) but it never even would've occurred to me to ask. Operation URGENT FURY was a small-scale thing, involving mainly Special Operations Forces and some XVIII Airborne Corps folks who were sitting on the other end of the line for President Reagan's 911 call when the "go" order came while the marine barracks was still smoldering in Beirut.
Like so many who served during the Cold War, Lt. Howe cut his teeth in Germany, bracing for hell's fury to pass through the Fulda Gap before the "strategic" elements became involved and changed things irrevocably. This tour preceded orders to Devens, formerly a major league-sized element right in this-here backyard (Now who woulda thunkit -- a young man earns a commission, goes on a far-flung adventure, takes orders to get back to the area he left and set up the next phase of his life, then moves his commission over to the Guard -- sign me up for that one!).
Numbers and odds are important.
Joining the Army or Marines today brings with it a virtual guarantee of service in a combat zone and future eligibility for the VFW. I'm not sure if things have really been that way since World War II -- even during Vietnam, we had far more sizable overseas "presence" commitments, and we never used the Guard and Reserves in the same way, so entry into those groups almost meant the reverse of what it did today, as it came with protection from the Draft.
I consider myself very lucky to have joined the Navy in 2004 and still found my way into "the theater" by earning a spot attached to a unit that does that sort of thing for a living (and whose past involvement in places like Grenada and Panama makes them far-from-forgotten within that community). But even THAT had a lot to do with timing. Any earlier OCS start date would've meant a different, far less exciting time as an Ensign and a JG.
Those odds are a lot different than being a Vietnam-era F-4 pilot (as was the author of Right-Side-of-Lowell, also handily linked at the blogroll to your right), where operational demands were high, risks were great, and there weren't many billets you could be *stashed* at and hide the fact that you possessed that skill.
But it's that very level of uncertainty, and the very willingness to accept that uncertainty, that unites all past and present sailors, soldiers, airmen, marines, and coasties. No matter what your branch of service or your MOS, when you join the military you not only surrender your basic rights (remember, we protect democracy and liberty but we don't always practice it), but you surrender your ability to control your own fate.
People who believe that military service is "noble, but it's something for other people, or other people's kids" just don't get this, and never will. Someone who raises their right hand is essentially saying, "I'll be that person, civilian leadership do with me what you will."
Your Germany could be my Korea. Your Laos might be my Northwest Frontier Province. Your Camp Lemonier could be my Camp Fallujah. Your beach in West Beirut could be my Indonesian archipelago after another tsunami hits and the CA guys get tapped to make things right.
The fact is, we just don't know, and we'll live with uncertainty.
Bearing that uncertainty, asking our families to do the same, and pressing ahead in spite of it -- that will be our special bond.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Senseless Deaths, Redux
For the record, I did not know Elizabeth Durante before she died.
I also didn't know Tavaryna Chouen.
I wouldn't have recognized either of them if we'd passed on the street, they wouldn't have been able to do the same for me, and I couldn't tell you a single thing about what made them unique. I can't tell you what was lost when they died, other than all the potential still remaining in a young life.
But I nearly went into shock this morning when I clicked on the Globe's website and saw the picture and name of Justin Cosby, both of which were instantly recognizable as the former 10th grader at CRLS who frequented the basketball courts between Magazine and Pearl.
Justin was a bright, engaging, energetic young man with an original, expressive writing style. I know this last part because as I've been unpacking and sorting out all the boxes of *stuff* that I've accumulated over the past few years, there are a few essays and assignments in there with his name at the top.
I have no idea why Justin Cosby was killed and probably never will. But I know he will be missed by many, all of whom never had the chance to say a proper goodbye.
Justin, may you rest in peace always.
I also didn't know Tavaryna Chouen.
I wouldn't have recognized either of them if we'd passed on the street, they wouldn't have been able to do the same for me, and I couldn't tell you a single thing about what made them unique. I can't tell you what was lost when they died, other than all the potential still remaining in a young life.
But I nearly went into shock this morning when I clicked on the Globe's website and saw the picture and name of Justin Cosby, both of which were instantly recognizable as the former 10th grader at CRLS who frequented the basketball courts between Magazine and Pearl.
Justin was a bright, engaging, energetic young man with an original, expressive writing style. I know this last part because as I've been unpacking and sorting out all the boxes of *stuff* that I've accumulated over the past few years, there are a few essays and assignments in there with his name at the top.
I have no idea why Justin Cosby was killed and probably never will. But I know he will be missed by many, all of whom never had the chance to say a proper goodbye.
Justin, may you rest in peace always.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Did Keith Olbermann Really Just Say That?
While I was just sitting at my desk, updating messages for the boss and not paying too much attention to the TV on in the background as glorified white noise, I heard Keith Olbermann start to go on an anti-Dick Cheney rant.
Fair enough. That's his viewpoint. I'm no bigger a fan of our previous Vice President as I am of the current one, which is to say, not very much of one. What I am a fan of, though, is the First Amendment, so I'm all about Keith Olbermann's right to rant about anything he wants to.
But that same document means I can rant back.
During his diatribe about fear-mongering, Mr. Olbermann completely downplayed the threat once posed by the Fort Dix Six, men who stated a goal of killing as many servicemembers as possible on an Army base in New Jersey (Fort Dix, by the way, is a regional training hub for all deploying reservists from the northeast, so chances are you know someone who could've been affected by this had it been carried out).
Olbermann said something to the effect of "What could a bunch of pizza deliveryman have done by shooting at people on a base where everyone is armed anyway?" I found that pretty crass and offensive. I could say I don't care what people think, or that I never get upset, but: a) neither statement is true (see previous entry), and; b) the fact is that I got pretty upset about what Keith Olbermann seems to think about the Fort Dix Six threat.
I don't want to unfairly speculate about Olbermann's familiarity with military bases, but based on that statement, I would have to surmise that there's not much familiarity to speak of. At least 90% of the people walking around on ANY military base are unarmed at any given time, and that's not to mention that if even they all were, homicidal-suicidal maniacs with grenades and heavy weapons could still probably kill dozens of soldiers (let's say they hit a PT formation) before being *neutralized* themselves.
Also, for the record, just because one of the Newburgh Four apparently suffered from mental problems doesn't mitigate that threat, either. It's like, if someone was trying to rape and kill my family, I wouldn't necessarily feel any safer or reassured after finding out he was a schizophrenic.
Remember George Carlin's bit about that?
Every time someone goes nuts, the local TV news always interviews the neighbors, and everyone says what a "quiet" and "unassuming" guy he was.
Inevitably, someone watching with you will turn to you and say, "It's always the quiet ones."
...And in comes the Great Carlin's rebuttal -- "F--- that! I'm worried about the LOUD ONES!!!"
Call me paranoid, but someone who hatches detailed plots to blow up synagogues, shoot down military aircraft, and ambush people on a base qualifies as a "loud one."
And I reserve the right to be worried.
Fair enough. That's his viewpoint. I'm no bigger a fan of our previous Vice President as I am of the current one, which is to say, not very much of one. What I am a fan of, though, is the First Amendment, so I'm all about Keith Olbermann's right to rant about anything he wants to.
But that same document means I can rant back.
During his diatribe about fear-mongering, Mr. Olbermann completely downplayed the threat once posed by the Fort Dix Six, men who stated a goal of killing as many servicemembers as possible on an Army base in New Jersey (Fort Dix, by the way, is a regional training hub for all deploying reservists from the northeast, so chances are you know someone who could've been affected by this had it been carried out).
Olbermann said something to the effect of "What could a bunch of pizza deliveryman have done by shooting at people on a base where everyone is armed anyway?" I found that pretty crass and offensive. I could say I don't care what people think, or that I never get upset, but: a) neither statement is true (see previous entry), and; b) the fact is that I got pretty upset about what Keith Olbermann seems to think about the Fort Dix Six threat.
I don't want to unfairly speculate about Olbermann's familiarity with military bases, but based on that statement, I would have to surmise that there's not much familiarity to speak of. At least 90% of the people walking around on ANY military base are unarmed at any given time, and that's not to mention that if even they all were, homicidal-suicidal maniacs with grenades and heavy weapons could still probably kill dozens of soldiers (let's say they hit a PT formation) before being *neutralized* themselves.
Also, for the record, just because one of the Newburgh Four apparently suffered from mental problems doesn't mitigate that threat, either. It's like, if someone was trying to rape and kill my family, I wouldn't necessarily feel any safer or reassured after finding out he was a schizophrenic.
Remember George Carlin's bit about that?
Every time someone goes nuts, the local TV news always interviews the neighbors, and everyone says what a "quiet" and "unassuming" guy he was.
Inevitably, someone watching with you will turn to you and say, "It's always the quiet ones."
...And in comes the Great Carlin's rebuttal -- "F--- that! I'm worried about the LOUD ONES!!!"
Call me paranoid, but someone who hatches detailed plots to blow up synagogues, shoot down military aircraft, and ambush people on a base qualifies as a "loud one."
And I reserve the right to be worried.
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