Where My Friend ADM Harvey USN (ret) Landed.

ADM John C Harvey, USN (ret) will head Virginia's Commission on Military Installations and Defense Activities.

ADM Harvey, who recently retired after 40 years in the US Navy is the Virginia resident tapped by Governor McDonnell to help lead Virginia through the aftermath of sequestration and the budget cuts.

The executive order McDonnell signed creating the Commission can be found here.

Well, he couldn't have found a better person for the job, could he?

ADM Harvey hasn't exactly been sitting around since his retirement, between last fall and now, he has been a guest lecturer for UVA's Darden School of Business.

You can view a new interview with ADM Harvey about DoD cuts and BRAC here.

Happy 100th Mama Kelley!

My mother's mother, a woman who was a huge influence in my life, was born 100 years ago today.

She went to go and join my grandfather in Heaven years ago, yet she is a presence in my life still.

I quote her so often that once, five years after she passed a work colleague told me she was confused, was Mama dead or alive.  That's how much she is still with me.

There was a time when the pain of losing her was so fresh I couldn't see today for what it always was and always will be - a celebration!

To celebrate I will go visit her on this beautiful sunny day.

This is my favorite pic of Mama & Papa dancing at my Uncle Frank's wedding.

We'll talk about the new Pope the Church has announced.  They picked a great day!  Normally you know that I would be glued to Twitter for such an event.  But I have a prior committment - see you soon Mama.

Time/Date Problems

The problem with not working is not realizing what day of the week it is.  As the Dowager Countess of Grantham says "What is a week end?"   Except for doctor's appointments there is very little in my life which requires any precision timing.

But this "floating" through life has it's downside.  Like yesterday when I ate a burger for lunch and hours later realized it was a Friday in Lent.  Today when I realized to late to get there, I am going to  miss "Isaac Hull in Love".  It begins at 2 pm and I would need more than 90 minutes to get there.  I was always dashing somewhere at the last minute when I was living in Charlestown.  Hull takes more planning......not my strong suit.

Of course, there is still time for you to get to the USS Constitution Museum in the Charlestown Navy Yard by 2 pm.  And you should, the Museum, does a good job with presenting these historic moments and making them relevant today.  Their Bicentennial Lecture Series keeps The War of 1812 from fading into the mists of history.

Happy Birthday Commodore Isaac Hull, born March 9, 1773;

Lost In the #Filibuster, #Filiblizzard

....and getting blindsided by the real snow storm.  Yesterday was all rain and wind as I played only reading politics.  I had watched nearly ten of the twelve plus hours of the recent filibuster, tagged #Filiblizzard.

And I've been reading about the Conclave of course.

So imagine my surprise when I woke up a couple of hours ago.  What happened???  They are now talking about 2 feet!  I was teasing Jonn Lilyea about his snow.  "Yeah, it's still winter, boyo!"  Joke's on me!!

So I jumped in the shower, trying to catch the 11 o'clock shuttle.  While I dressed and packed, I fielded phone calls.

During one call Frankie said something I jumped on impatiently.  "Chill out, Gunsmoke!" he responded.

What?  I could only burst out laughing.  "Do you even know what 'Gunsmoke' is?"

I  missed the shuttle and I am trying again at noon.

I'm hoping to get back by Sunday.  There is supposedly one spot in this building that is "better" than mine.  Apparently it's rarely available and few besides the landlords have seen it.  Such moves go by seniority and I am low man on the totem pole.  But the viewing is Sunday and I at least want a peek.

Why Google Is Dangerous For People With ADHD

This happens to me more times than I can say.

I should be going to bed at a reasonable hour.  I'm thinking about spring.  I want a bike.  Let's Google this.  Just this and then I'll stop.  That Schwinn looks good.  Is Schwinn made in America?  Let's check.  Real quick.  No clue on their website.  Let's ask them on Twitter.  Just that and nothing else.  Oh, look, there's a tweet from - fill in the blank - and he linked to something.

And two hours later, I'm still reading.

So the other night I promise myself that I am just going to take a quick look at my email.  There is a link from a local political source about Cardinal O'Malley.  Well just a peek.  Cause I don't like O'Malley and I never have.  It's a blog called Boston Catholic Insider.  In the comments some people mention some terms I am not familiar with.  So I Google them.

Two hours later I can barely keep my eyes open as I read about anti-popes and this alternate Catholic reality.

It's never, ever just a quick peek.

Funniest part was the next morning I was telling Tommy and he knew all about it already.

Last Saturday - 24nd Annual Maritime Symposium

Last Saturday the place to be was Boston University's College of Communication.  That is where Navy League of the United States, Massachusetts Bay Council presented the "24th Annual Maritime Symposium".

So, of course, that's where I was!  My first war game!

I was an observer, allowed to go from room to room.  Here's how it works.  Participants (all college ROTC I think) are divided up into teams.  I think there were 80 or so kids from more than a dozen New England colleges and universities.  Efforts are made to break the participants up so you aren't hanging with your friends.  They ideally want to form teams of strangers, coming together for the first time.  

Groups are given some materials and sent off to different rooms.  Each group has a moderator.  Generally the moderators are people with military experience who are there to keep participants on track.

1st- The scenario.  It was prepared, as was the whole program by LtCol Mark Stanovich, USMCR.  Mark was not there in his Marine Reserve capacity, but you can't help but note it because he is the USMC exemplar. The situation, while put together months ago, is something that has heated up lately - Territorial disputes in the East China Sea in 2015.  I feel that since going over all the suggested reading and the background stuff which we got in the email invitation weeks ago, all I see/hear is about China and territory disputes.

I heard this described as "The Spratly Surprise", though I don't remember reading that anywhere.  The specific territory described in the 3 move political/military scenario were the Spratly Islands.  Indeed the only difference between the 2015 situation and real life today is that the territory in dispute are the Senkaku Islands

Participants are briefed on the "situation" and told they have been convened to advise the President for his response on the matter.

I went into about half the rooms and talked in between sessions to participants in the hall.  I tweeted until the phone started dying (off-topic, I need some super battery).

First off, probably one quarter had not read any background or seemingly studied much history or geography (in the sense I studied geography in school) in general.  There were some silly facts and misinformation tossed out by students that Mark Stanovich (who was also roaming room to room) would appear and correct.  Teams were guided to keep on the path by their moderators and the controllers who were rating/grading as the game proceeded.

After everyone worked through the 3 moves with their team, presenting began.  First teams presented to other teams.

I pegged the winning team just after lunch, although I am sure others saw it earlier.  They were moderated by Col. Robert LaBriola, USMCR, who I had by coincidence met at EPIIC the day before.  This team presented to the whole Symposium, as the "U.S. Briefing Team" and took questions from their fellow participants.

This is a learning experience for the participants.  They are being introduced to the concept of problem solving/teamwork in a seminar with time constraints.  Participants were routinely prompted "The President's waiting" while it was acknowledged that there were "unknowns" and quickly changing "facts".

And for young people who didn't have the benefit of nuns in their education, they did pretty good!

Two things I observed; teams with young women were more concerned with world opinion, and there was a universal belief in the lure of capitalism for the Chinese.  Obviously no "Occupier" think here.  Which is funny, because I don't think that trade sanctions, blockades etc would weigh as heavily to the real life Chinese government.

The hardest part was keeping quiet!  There were things said by teams that I almost had to put my hand over my mouth to keep from jumping on, lol.  But maybe when they are as old as I am.....they'll be this smart.

So, how did I round off this day?  Fabulous dinner in the North End with My Marine.  That was after I kinda sort made him drive nearly to the edge of the map (Route 128, if you're playing at home) by not paying attention as we drove out of the parking lot.  Criminy, we were only at BU.  I don't dare confess how much time I spent out there in the past.  I had the bombolotti di zucca at Gennaro's and it was delish.  While his chicken parm was apparently.....orgasmic....lol!

Anyway, between this and EPIIC the previous day, it was a helluva weekend.  i slept for days.

New-Klee-Ah

It's Nuclear not New-Q-La

Yes the nickname is Nuke.  Yes.  But you wouldn't call my son Frank, Frank-sis.  It's Francis.

Work with me here people.  I am trying to listen to your opinions, but once you say "New-Q-La" all I hear is "hee-haw, n'yuck, n'yuck".

Help Me With This

Mel Gibson, who made "The Passion of the Christ"  says some incredibly awful, anti-Semitic things.

Hollywood and the media come down on Gibson like a lead weight.

Chuck Hagel, repeatedly and supposedly in control of his faculties, says incredibly anti-Semitic things.

Hagel was just confirmed as SecDef.

Day One Of EPIIC----#Fail

I love going to the EPIIC Symposium.  I couldn't go the year of the transplant and last year I was in the midst of the whole Grave's disease nonsense.

But this year...........I was going! Thursday through Sunday, four days of panels and discussions.

This year's topic "2013 EPIIC Symposium: Global Health and Security at Tufts

Well first off, My Marine is making me go to a different symposium all day Saturday.  The 24th Annual New England College Symposium at Boston University

Ok, there was still Thursday, Friday and Sunday....right?

Well Frankie called, we hung out.  And talked and had supper and talked.

Thursday night's lecture "Food Insecurity: Hunger, the Environment, and Conflict"...., missed.

Wish my luck on getting to Tuft's Braker Lecture Hall by 9:30 am tomorrow's "Bystanders, Perpetrators and survivors: A Global Health Perspective on Sexual Violence".

Why Am I Awake?

Because the guy who lives upstairs decided it would be a good idea to arrange some furniture, lol!

You just know when a noise is wrong.  The wind has howled all night, but I slept right through.  And that could be dangerous with my bed hopping!  The other day someone stumbled on the stairs and I jumped up and started running for the......window?  Then I realized I was in Hull and not Charlestown.  So it was ok that there was a window where the door should be......and that person on the stairs wasn't my Dad.

My bed's made.  My teeth are brushed & face washed.  I'd get a jump on the gym, but I left my sneakers in Charlestown yesterday.  I was there to shovel the "minor" snowfall of 5".  Nothing compared to last Sunday.

So, I guess, I'll get some breakfast and head into Boston to reclaim my sneaks.

I Almost Sweated Them Off, But I Got My Ashes!

I made it to St. Francis with time to spare.  I like the ferry!  But when I left Mass to go down the hill to my parent's house, there was an unpleasant surprise waiting for me.

Let's back up a tiny bit.  I have a friend who spent the storm this past weekend in the hospital.  He asked my Frankie to keep his house shoveled.  No problem!  Frankie was spending the weekend in the room I got for Tommy's trip.  The blizzard cancelled the trip, (I was sooooo bummed) but you can't cancel hotel rooms you "Name Your Own Price" for.

So Monday, Frank went back down to his place and we were all set, right?

Wrong, some plow guy dumped a huge, and really I mean HUGE amount of snow where he had shoveled.  It blocked the storm drain.  It covered the handicap ramp from the sidewalk to the street.  It made me MAD!

So, I got my Dad's shovel and ice pick and rock salt.  I went back up the hill, took off the jacket and got to work.  I flagged a DPW worker who happened to be driving by.  I rarely suffer alone.

So, now it's all set, but a couple of times, I almost wiped my ashes off as I was sweating!

But, then I got a nice surprise.  My Dad made baked, stuffed haddock for lunch and it was delicious.

Later in the Walmart parking lot, some guy stopped me.  "Everywhere I've been today, people have had that." and he gestured at my forehead.  So I explained about Ash Wednesday.  He was grateful for the answer, but not impressed.  Then I explained that this was the point of Mardi Gras.  People partying hard leading up to Ash Wednesday and the forty days of Lent.  "Ahhh!" he got it!

I'm Awake!

In order to be at St. Francis for the 7:30 am Ash Wednesday service.....I'm awake & dressed at 5:30.
I will catch the shuttle up to Pemberton Point & board the 6 am ferry to Boston.  Much faster than going arrrrrround Hingham, Weymouth, Quincy.

I see an early bedtime in my future.

While there, I will pray for God to forgive me all the harsh thoughts I had about Mia Farrow & her ilk talking about the Pope and his retirement.  My thoughts were pretty mean, this may be a lot to ask.

"What Difference Does It Make?"

How stupid is this????

Picture this -

A major building in a major city burns down.  MONTHS later the Fire Marshal says, indignantly, mind you -

 "Was it because of faulty wiring or an arsonist?  What difference, at this point, does it make?"

Would you accept that?  Would it make any sense at all with the next sentence -

"It is our job to figure out what happened and do everything we can to prevent it from ever happening again."

First off, it's contradictory.  The cause doesn't matter, but now we need to "...figure out what happened..."

Well which is it dipshit?  We need to figure it out or it doesn't matter?  Pick one.

If you wouldn't accept it from my fictitious fire Marshal, why would you accept it from the Secretary of State regarding Benghazi.

In typical understatement My Bad Boyfriend said to the SecState "“frankly, the answers that you’ve given this morning are not satisfying to me.”

Yeah.

"We Are Tied To The Ocean"

That's what JFK said in Newport in 1962.  I find it very true as I sit here, next to my open window, the sea roaring beneath.

All of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea -- whether it is to sail or to watch it -- we are going back from whence we came.

John F Kennedy's speech in Newport the America's Cup Races, September 1962

I woke up at no particular time.  That is my favorite time to wake up, lol.  Mass was less crowded and boisterous.  I had a yummy broccoli, cheese, bacon omelet at the Saltwater Diner that I couldn't finish - should have brought backup.  I have a delicious half moon from Weinberg's Bakery and white milk for MIDRATs, new today on blog talk radio.

And for now, I am reading a guilty pleasure, "The Pulse of Allah" by James Knight.  I am a sucker for the post-apocalypse, EMP, end of the WAWKI books.  But tomorrow I will get to Heinlein, since I started a storm on FaceBook about it.

It Was Almost Like It Wasn't Meant To Be...

But I made it to my parent's house.

The bus runs down the main drag once an hour.  So I plan accordingly.

I got up just before ten, so that bus is out.

I was organizing some stuff and lost track of time, so the eleven was out.

I paid attention and was up there early for the noon bus.  There is an awesome pastry shop here, Weinberg's.  I dawdled too long picking out stuff to bring to Charlestown.  I came out just in time to see the bus go right by me.

Again I paid attention to the time and got there early.  And I waited.  And I waited.  Then I checked the schedule.  Every hour.  On the hour.  Except 1 pm.

I caught the two o'clock.  Pastry was a little shook up, but still delish.

Good Job, "Les Miserables"

I am miserable alright.

I hit the gym and ran a few errands.  Guess what was at Stop & Shop??

Mini Eggs!!

Oh yeah.  It almost made up for that interminable movie.  Afterwards I remembered, I didn't like the book either. Should have gotten on the bus right after I got the Mini Eggs.

Going To Mass in Hull

Alternate title: Gee, Maggie is such a snob.

Yeah, yeah I am.

So, I have been sleeping really well here at the new place.  I know it's the ocean.  So I was up and showered and dressed in plenty of time to walk to the local Church.  It has pews on three sides and is more wood than stone.  So it doesn't resemble St. Francis.  I know, not every Church can be St. Francis.

I was born into St. Mary's Parish in Charlestown and all I remember about it was how strongly it smelled of incense.  It was nearly overwhelming. I like that smell and it was too much even for me.  Then when I was four, almost five we moved into St. Franics de Sales Parish.  For the next sixteen years, it was my Church.  It was where I learned how to act in Church.

Then I got married and moved to Beachmont, a section of Revere.  I remember the first time I went to Our Lady of Lourdes at the bottom of the hill.  I was wearing a very conservative royal blue wool dress.  Everyone was in black, I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb!  LOL! And Mass was in Italian.  I filled in the blanks with the Latin I had learned at Pope John..... and it was back to St. Francis.

When I lived in Kingston and my children were young I too a stab at St. Joseph's, but so many things seemed "off".

I just gave up and attended Mass in Charlestown.    It was so much easier.  Plus I just feel so at peace sitting there in my usual pew, eight rows from the front.

But there is no public transportation here in Hull on Sundays.  Well in the winter anyway.  We'll see what happens in the summer.  So, I walked down to the local Church.

First, I know it's picky and I should shut it out,  but once people enter the church, I think they should be quiet.  If you must speak, it should be in hushed tones.  The mood is supposed to be contemplative.  Be courteous to others.

But people were yakking away.

Then during Mass people who were late were marching from the back door on the left, passing the altar on their way to a pew on the right.  Or right up the center and then over to the side.  Now listen there is no one who understands being tardy like yours truly.  But seat yourself at the back unobtrusively.

So I guess I am going to have to switch from Sunday morning Mass to Saturday afternoon vigil.....so I can get to St. Francis.

Piers Morgan

I don't know what's more aggravating - the fact that this twit, Morgan thinks it's ok to talk smack about gun owners rights in a country not his own; or the fact that so many of my fellow citizens don't seem to understand what the 1st Amendment to the Constitution says.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Ok, there's the text.  Where does it say that your free speech is free from criticism, rebuttal, or ridicule by actual citizens of this country?  That's right, nowhere.  It says that the GOVERNMENT can't interfere.  But you see, I can carp all I want and so can 100,000 of my fellow citizens on a petition.  Everyone knows that Morgan isn't going to get deported.  Calm down Beevis, the President agrees with him.

The signatories are just following the principle that Dr. Suess laid out in "Horton Hears A Who".  We are coming together with our individual voices to amplify our message.  After all Morgan, who is not an American is criticizing gun owners for exercising their 2nd amendment rights from his CNN bully pulpit.

First off, isn't there shit happening in England that British citizens should clean up before they come poking their noses over here?

Next, anyone who reads this blog knows how tribal and clannish I am.  Sure I may have a problem with my fellow citizens, but if an outsider wants to pick on them, he's going to have to go through me.

Anyone who wants to argue about Piers Morgan's 1st amendment rights being infringed had better look again.  Even if a 100,000,000 sign that stupid petition the 1st amendment wouldn't come into play.  The government isn't stopping Morgan from speaking.  No one is.

No one stopped Morgan from speaking.  He said what he had to say and he continues to do so.  What, pray tell, has happened to him?  Has he been imprisoned?  Has he been physically harmed?  No, he's still wandering around spewing crap.

The 1st Amendment guarantees your right to express your opinion, not the ability to speak it unchallenged.

I Giggled Through Both Sets of Comments

CHick-fil-A’s latest horrorThe controversial fast-food chain publishes a children's book loaded with half-truths about farms and animals
BY DAVID SIROTA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jonah Goldberg linked the story above, noting it's "Not a Parody".

If you don't want to follow the link, I'll give you a quick recap.  Sirota's son has a book called "The Jolly Barnyard".  It's a Golden Book, if you have kids you know these are short little stories for the 2 - 5 year old set.  Tommy  had "Poky Little Puppy", then we moved on to Time magazine because he was smarter than me.  Anyway, apparently Chick-fil-A has put their logo on a republication and they are giving them away.  The kid loves the book and demands it be read every night.

What's the problem?  Well, the Sirota family are vegetarians and Sirota doesn't know how the book got in the house and he hates the book and he's mad he has to read it.

So Sirota threw it away?  Umm, no.  He gives in to the two year old and keeps reading.

So Sirota blames????????  Dan Cathy of Chick-fil-A and takes a swipe at Cathy's views on gay marriage.  He also rails that Cathy shouldn't be lying to children?  What?  You think they should write a truthful book about where the chicken comes from????  You're killing me!

The best comment on Goldberg's post reads in part -
Good grief, Sirota!

Would you prefer that precious toddler be reading "Fun at the Fowl Factory"? "Punky and the Poultry Processors"? Perhaps "Abby Goes to the Abbatoir"?

Sirota is as asinine as the vegetarian neighbor I had who wanted me to discipline my son for an action he hadn't taken, but might have.  He told me this while his limp children watched.  He walked toward me as he spoke.  He was taller, I am sure I was supposed to be intimidated.  I walked right back at him laughing.  Later he secretly asked a neighbor when my husband was returning from a business trip.  I was hugely insulted!  When his wife told me later he didn't mean it.  I told her I didn't care and he shouldn't be worried about John so much as he should worry about  me, lol.

Anyway, Mr. Sirota, don't blame Dan Cathy or Ed Harris (he also hates that his son knows the jingle for the "orange monster", Home Depot) for your massive shortcomings as a parent.  Get rid of the book, shut of the TV.  How did your son even hear a commercial?  Are you watching/listening to something other than PBS & NPR?  For shame!

What???? I've Been Busy

My parents have decided to sell and I am going to land in......Hull.  Is it the greatest?  Is it the biggest?  Was it the cheapest?  No, but it is on the water, and I mean, building; one lane road; dune.  I am on the ocean side of the building and it has hardwood floors and a reasonable closet.  For my birthday I might be asking for those hurricane shutters......lol.

So I've been sorting and packing and discovering the joy of "Air Bags" and throwing things away.  Today I threw away a feather pillow that I bought in 1982.  It was beat to hell and it was in a box of other bedding.  What was I going to do with it?  Is there a "feather pillow reviving" place?  Anyway.

Frank and I made a quick New York trip.  Didn't get much done but we ate off of street carts and lived to tell the tale.  I asked William Shatner to handle the hotel for me and we got.....Andaz on Wall Street, it's on the Conde Nast Gold list.  Just lovely.  It was good recon for when I go back in a few months.

I've been holding my tongue on a lot of the Newtown/gun control/mental health debate because some people's ignorance is so appalling.  If I started, it would end with the Secret Service on my doorstep.

Let me just say that I am surprised at how many act like this is the epitome of evil.  Newtown was awful and I grieve with my fellow Americans, but it was not so long ago that Islamic Chechnyan terrorists killed 185 children in Beslan.  One of the things people rightfully point out about Americans is that we are rather self-centered.  WBCN used to have a DJ who joked about a chart that measured American lives against foreign lives.  This is a perfect example.

Lots of people point to European models when talking healthcare or social services.  Well, let's look there now. People who advocate for gun control categorize Russian gun laws as "Restrictive" but as I said guns killed 380 people there including 185 children.  How about Norway?  Another "restrictive" country, yet Anders Breivik managed to kill 77 people there, 50 of whom were 18 & younger.  So my question is, where will more gun control get you?

So you're upset that children are dead?  Well then you must have backed US action in Afghanistan where we were helping to educate people and rebuild the infrastructure.  After all, what better way to make inroads against the nearly 20% child mortality rate there.  Lot's of children waiting to be saved in Afghanistan.

Oh, no?  It's American children you care about?  Well then, you must be out there advocating better car seats & safer driving because the leading cause of death in American children 5 to 14 is motor vehicle accidents.

More children in gun owning households die from gun accidents.  Yeah and more children in two story house die of falls than in one story houses.  More children in homes with pools drown than those without.  More children on farms die in machinery accidents than city kids.  What's your point?

But really, that's not what this is all about is it?  It's just an opportunity to attack the 2nd Amendment.  Like Rahm Emmanuel said, "Never let a crisis go to waste.".  If you bought Obama's tears at that press conference then I don't know what to say to you.  If you don't understand that the 2nd Amendment is an important check in our system of checks and balances, then I don't know what to say to you.  If you don't understand that Newtown is more of an indictment of our mental health system than the 2nd Amendment, then I don't know what to say to you.

Newtown, like Beslan and Norway, was an evil thing.  It's not a lesson or an opportunity.  It's just evil and evil exists and will never be stopped.