Cold Spaghetti

Welcome to the October Just Posts!  This monthly roundtable features blog posts written on personal blogs on issues of social justice.  Alejna and I are host to the JPs and encourage anyone to participate by writing and nominating posts.  All participants are encouraged to use the Just Posts button on their own websites.

Thank you to all this month’s participants!

• Alejna, at Collecting Tokens, with: Celebrating 5+ Years of Marriage in Massachusetts
• Em, at Social Justice Soapbox, with: Venting
• Emily, at Wheels on the Bus, with: Glamorous
• Erika, at Be Gay About It, with: Stuffings or No Stuffings, We’re Getting Some Kids and President Obama Fierce Advocate of Rousing Speeches and the Status Quo
• Fatboyfat, at Make Lard History, with: Inverted Reality
• flutter, at by flutter, with: forgiveness
• GirlGriot, at If You Want Kin You Must Plant Kin, with: Tall and Tan, Young and Lovely and Attention White Folks
• Hedgie, at Princess Hedgehog Chronicles, guestposting at Talkin’ with the Teenie, with: The Unbearable Tenderness of Boys
• Holly, at Cold Spaghetti, with: October Awareness and Get It? Got It? Good.
• Kitty, at The Show Must Go On, with: Working the Cracks
• Kristina, at Everyday Public Relations, with: Does Sensationalism Help or Hurt Conservation?
• Magpie, at Magpie Musings, with: Meat
• Mary, at the Eleventh, with: Ma: Little Bigot On the Prairie
• Mary Beth, at Cats…Books…Life is Good, with: Are We Losing Our Humanity?
• Meagan, at Hades Arrow, with Frozen
• Megan, at Missing in Iraq, with: Uncensored II
• thordora, at Spin Me I Pulsate, with: In Health there is Freedom, Health is the First of all Liberities

Nominators:

• Alejna
• Emily
• Holly
• Meagan

Be sure to send love to Alejna, who has a great history of making music in her JPs!

The last featured sailor on our Navy Week series is Johanna Mudge, who is the only female in this collection.  It made me wonder how many women were active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces.  Here is what I found.

Based on this, showcasing 1 woman out of 5 sailors in this week’s feature is a very realistic sample from the U.S. Navy, where approximately 15% of active duty personnel is female.

Happy Navy Week, New Orleans!

Petty Officer Third Class Johanna M. Mudge

As an air traffic controller for the Navy, Petty Officer Mudge guides planes and helicopters to safety on the runway. A native of Belle Chasse, La., she’s proud to be helping celebrate Navy Week in her hometown of New Orleans from November 2-7. Here are some of her thoughts on being a Sailor and what Navy Week means to her:

Where it all began:

“ I joined the Navy to see the world.  I also felt the need to do my time and serve my country.  I’m proud of the United States of America.  We live in the best country there is!”

Most memorable experience in uniform:

“At the 2009 N’awlins air show a small boy approached me and we talked about planes and what his favorites were. Near the end of the conversation, I asked him if he wanted to meet the Blue Angels. I introduced him to pilot #7, and he lit up like a Christmas tree. This small moment made my 10-hour day enjoyable and worth it.”

Personal definition of “Navy Week”:

“For me, Navy Week is more than just a few days, it’s a 24/7 job. My Shipmates are like family to me, and I look out for them as if they were my own. Navy week is every week in that sense.”

For more information on Navy Week, and to learn about events where you can meet Sailors like Petty Officer Mudge, visit: www.navyweek.org/neworleans. You can also become a Navy Weeks fan on Facebook. Just search “Navy Weeks” or follow this link.

Today there was a terrible tragedy at Fort Hood, a massive Army base in Texas that serves as a deployment point for overseas tours.  As with any situation where there is injury and loss of life, I hope that we provide the services, support, and care needed to those who were impacted.  We’ve been ‘at war’ so long now, over 8 years.  It has become such a normal aspect of our daily news that it can be easy to forget the stress on families who have experienced multiple deployments to conflict zones, who are faced with long separations, and asked to prepare to leave as if they were never coming back (preparing wills, writing ‘last’ letters, assigning next of kin are all standard pre-deployment activities).  Regardless of how you feel about the armed services, we all should be able to agree that appropriate care of families faced with these situations should be standard, high-quality, and well-supported.

Not everyone aboard the USS New Orleans is from New Orleans.  It is not uncommon for families to move to accommodate a job, but a unique feature of being in a Navy family is that even moving to that location doesn’t mean you are with your loved one.  You become part of a supportive “home” for your service man or woman and are faced to build a life in their wake.  Tours of duty can last months.  Even when in port, there are drills and exercises that last for several days.  It is somewhat ironic that living within a military system full of rigor, that the military family has little of what a civilian family might call stability.  Everyone learns to sacrifice and is taught to understand that ultimately your sacrifices, both personal and collective, are contributing towards a common good.  I feel that people who have served or grew up in a service family are some of the most naturally giving people — being flexible, making changes, altering your own plans to accommodate others is just part of the reality.

Command Master Chief Jeffrey Kozlik

As Command Master Chief and Senior Enlisted Advisor on the USS New Orleans, Jeffery Kozlik is a direct link between enlisted members and the ship’s commanding officer. He makes sure things run smoothly, by monitoring crew morale, welfare and job satisfaction, and managing discipline and training for the many Sailors under his guidance. Though born, in Massachusetts, Command Master Chief Kozlik feels a strong tie to the city for which his ship is named. He’s glad to have a chance to give back to New Orleans during Navy Week (November 2-7). Here are some of his thoughts on service and community.

Where it all began:

“I grew up in a small town in Massachusetts and was looking to get away and find something more exciting to do. The Navy seemed like a good choice that would allow me to travel. I can honestly say that is was the best decision I’ve ever made.”

Most memorable experience in uniform:

“Having been in the Navy for over 25 years, it is hard to isolate one particular experience. Without doubt, one of the proudest is the day that I was promoted to Chief Petty Officer and had the CPO anchors pinned to my uniform by my wife. Another memory that will never leave me is walking down the pier to go onboard the New Orleans for the first time. Knowing that I was going to be the command master chief of such a beautiful ship and be able to lead and work alongside its great crew, was overwhelming.”

What Navy Week means to me:

“Navy Week allows us to give back to the community for which our ship was named. I’ve been to New Orleans once early in my career and absolutely love the city and its people.”

For more information on Navy Week, and to learn about events where you can meet Sailors like Command Master Chief Kozlik, visit: www.navyweek.org/neworleans. You can also become a fan of Navy Weeks on Facebook. Just search “Navy Weeks” or follow this link.

Kate has had a huge growth spurt.  She weighs almost 30 pounds and is about 35 inches tall. She is finally into size 3T (for most things).

But she can still go to the store with her Daddy.

In the grocery bag.

You should see the look on people’s faces when her head pops up in produce.

Continuing our ‘meet a USS New Orleans Sailor’ posts, here is a (very recent) graduate of Tulane University.

My son will be his age before I can blink.  I can picture Will making a photo like this, something to reflect a fun-loving personality, sense of humor, and willingness to push the envelope.

Ensign Timothy Gressett

For Ensign Gressett, a graduate of Tulane University whose time as an undergrad was punctuated by Hurricane Katrina, serving on the USS New Orleans has a special meaning. For New Orleans Navy Week (November 2-7), he’s returning to the city where he spent so many years as a student and is thrilled to be participating in events throughout the week. As an auxiliaries officer on the ship, his days are focused on managing maintenance and repairs on anything that’s “hydraulic, mechanical, operates wire rope or is in the galley.” During New Orleans Navy Week, he’ll get to spend some well-earned time on dry land, reconnecting with the city and culture he loves. Here are some of his thoughts on what Navy Week in New Orleans means to him:

Where it all began:

“Both my father and my mother were in the Navy, as well as both my grandfathers, so it’s a big tradition to my family. I am the first to be commissioned as an Officer on both sides.”

Most memorable experience in uniform:

“I distinctly remember riding into San Diego harbor in a small inflated boat – with the wind and sea spray in my hair and the sun on my face – following an arduous three-week underway training period. That was a great feeling of satisfaction.”

Best thing about New Orleans:

“The best thing about going to school in New Orleans is the culture. New Orleans is one of the most colorful – literally, colorful – cities I’ve ever been to. I’ll walk down the street and see a house painted purple. It’s like someone gave a child a coloring book and said, ‘Have at it!’”

Personal definition of “Navy Week”:

“Navy Week is an opportunity to show a little bit of what the Navy does to non-Navy folks. It’s a pleasure to be a part of this event.”

For more information on Navy Week, and to learn about events where you can meet Sailors like Ensign Gressett, visit: www.navyweek.org/neworleans. You can also become a Navy Weeks fan on Facebook. Just search “Navy Weeks” or follow this link.

Seaman Devon S. Dejoie

If it’s on the deck of the USS New Orleans, Seaman Dejoie, a New Orleans native, has it covered. As a Deck Seaman he maintains equipment, operates a crane to lower small boats into the water and hoists stores and supplies onto the ship. He joined the Navy to travel, but he’s very glad to be coming home to New Orleans, where he will take part in Navy Week from November 2-7. Here are some of his thoughts on his military career and his hometown.

Where it all began:

“I have wanted to join the military since I was a small child. I chose the Navy for the travel experience and better quality of military life.”

Most memorable experience in uniform:

“In December of 2008 I traveled to New Orleans on leave to visit family for the Christmas holiday. While visiting, I went to my old elementary school in uniform and talked to the kids there about the Navy.”

What Navy Week means to me:

“I am always proud to be a U.S. Navy Sailor, but to go back to the place I am from and get a chance to represent the Navy and the USS New Orleans is a huge honor for me. I believe it will be one of my proudest moments.

For more information on Navy Week, and to learn about events where you can meet Sailors like Seaman Dejoie, visit: www.navyweek.org/neworleans. You can also become a fan of Navy Weeks on Facebook. Just search “Navy Weeks” or follow this link.

Will’s book, “What I Like About Fall.”  Order emphasized by Will, who reads each picture.

Page One.  TRICK or TREATING.

Page Two.  Carving a JACK O LANTERN.

Page Three.  TAKING a NAP.

Page Four.  Wearing JACKETS.

—–

Will’s drawings of THINGS IMPORTANT IN HALLOWEEN.  (Drawn on Will and Kate’s daily chore chart.  The strange fairy on the first picture and the X-wing on the second picture were done by me.  Will decided to seasonally enhance them.)

Of note.

Ghosts.  “They say BOO.”

Skeletons.

Pumpkins. Jack o’Lanterns. “That’s what they’re called when they have faces.”

Witches.  “They ride brooms.”

And Zombies. “They go ‘uuuuuuuhhhhhhh uuuuuhhhh.'”   (Sound notated by “W W W W.”)

“Will, what is falling off of the Zombies?”

“They are wet and they drip when they walk.”

“Why are their arms out in front of them?”

“Because they need to feel where they go or they’ll fall.”

Happy Fall!

Photos.

With a few notes.

I drew a face, Will and Paul carved a pumpkin.  (I don’t dig out pumpkins because the uncooked innards of squash and pumpkin make my hands swell up like big red mitts.)  Our pumpkin is the one beside the kids on the stairs in the picture below.  I drew the left eye over too far because I didn’t think enough about the curve of the pumpkin.

We ate veggie chili, pumpkin seeds (my first time making), and lentil soup with friends over seasonal colored lights.  And tricked or treated.  At one point, the group of kids and adults went into the range of 50+ people… “candy locusts” according to Paul.

Will finished first with a house and ran ahead the group.  We saw him climbing around the big base of an oak tree near the sidewalk.  At least we thought.  Conversations about appropriate bathroom spots for men followed.

Kate had to be rushed back for a potty break.

A house ran out of candy and started to give out books.  Will spent the rest of the night “reading” his book, page by page, while I held his candy bag.  The book?  MADAME BOVARY.

Happy Halloween!

(The very last picture is my favorite.)

Alejna and I are rounding up the JUST POSTS for October. In case you’re new to Just Posts, they are a monthly roundtable of posts written on personal blogs that reflect or inform others on social justice issues. You can read more about them here or here.

Please send in your nominations!

It’s Navy Week in New Orleans.  Who knew?  I didn’t, until a representative from the U.S. Navy sent me an email.  Here’s an excerpt:

I’m writing on behalf of the U.S. Navy about Navy Weeks. As you may know, Navy Weeks are events hosted by Sailors in cities across the country as a way to spread the word about what the Navy does and to thank communities for their support.  After reading some of your blog posts that mention growing up in a Navy family, I thought you might be interested in learning more about the upcoming New Orleans Navy Week, which will take place from November 2-7, 2009.

The New Orleans Navy Week events, including Navy Band performances and Blue Angels F/A-18 Flight Simulator, will give the public a personal look at the men and women of the Navy serving throughout the world in different roles.  The involvement of Sailors will also be a major part of the week, including quite a few from the crew of the USS New Orleans. More about New Orleans Navy Week can be found here.

As part of the week’s events, a Joint Color Guard and 25 Sailors will unfurl the American Flat in the New Orleans Saints Military Appreciation game on tonight’s football game (Saints vs. Falcons).

See, I told you cheering for the Saints was patriotic!  Go Navy! Beat Atlanta!  Or something like that.

Here is my take on Navy Week and why I think it’s worth talking about.  I’ve not hid that I am from a military family, tend to run extremely left, and have pursued intellectual professions.  Sometimes, folks confuse these things, thinking that one can’t be liberal and supportive of the military.  Intellectuals (to my great frustration) tend to either ignore the military as some sort of unwashed mass or look down upon them as uneducated brutes.  But here is the reality: serving in the United States armed forces is one of the most honorable things a person can do.  Those who give the themselves and their families to duties that ask more than many of us (me included) can even imagine often do so for reasons based within the class, race, and socio-economic distinctions that divide and subdivide our country.  It’s important to talk about the sacrifices of service men and women — and the sacrifices of their families — so that we can be clear that taking care of those who give that much is a national priority.  It hasn’t always been, even by the most conservative of governments.

To give others a hint of what it is like to be a part of the service, each day this week I am going to post short interviews with various Navy Servicemen and Servicewomen.   The interviews come from the Navy (full disclosure) and feature individuals who are part of this week’s celebrations in New Orleans.  It’s hard to describe what being a part of a Military family is like without experiencing it first hand, but maybe reading a few profiles will help.  To that end, I give you:

Petty Officer First Class Tomas Davila

Petty Officer First Class is a “plank owner” of the USS New Orleans, meaning he was a part of the ship’s crew even before the vessel was officially commissioned. This strong affinity for the ship extends to its namesake, the city of New Orleans. Davila called the city home for a short time while serving in the Navy and ever since has had a fondness for the place he calls the “Queen of the South.” He currently manages 13 technicians onboard the USS New Orleans but will get a break from troubleshooting computers and repairing navigation system on November 2-7, when he takes part in Navy Week. Here are some of his thoughts on Navy service and New Orleans:

Connection to New Orleans:

“I had the opportunity to live in New Orleans for a short time while at the pre-commissioning detachment. While there, I was amazed at the city’s charm and the hospitable nature of her people. I consider New Orleans as the Queen of the South and will always keep her close to my heart.”

Most memorable experience in uniform:

“The day I came home after my tour in Iraq; the sounds of my mother’s tears and my father’s joy will always stick with me. That day my dad, a Vietnam veteran, told me how proud he was of me and opened up for the first time about his times in the Army. Our relationship has only grown stronger since.”

What Navy Week means to me:

“Navy Week is a great opportunity for me to show others what it means to be in the Navy. To demonstrate how our core values – honor, courage and commitment – are not solely military terms but life values for anyone. Additionally, these events give communities a chance to see firsthand what we do and allow Sailors to express our appreciation for their support.”

For more information on Navy Week, and to learn about events where you can meet Sailors like Petty Officer First Class Davila, visit: www.navyweek.org/neworleans. You can also become a fan of Navy Weeks on Facebook. Just search “Navy Weeks” or follow this link.