Troops ‘Punished’ for Skipping Concert

Troops ‘Punished’ for Skipping Concert


August 21, 2010

Associated Press


RICHMOND, Va. - The Army said Friday it was investigating a claim that dozens of soldiers who refused to attend a Christian band's concert at a Virginia military base were banished to their barracks and told to clean them up.

Fort Eustis spokesman Rick Haverinen told The Associated Press he couldn't comment on the specifics of the investigation. At the Pentagon, Army spokesman Col. Thomas Collins said the military shouldn't impose religious views on soldiers.

"If something like that were to have happened, it would be contrary to Army policy," Collins said.

Pvt. Anthony Smith said he and other soldiers felt pressured to attend the May concert while stationed at the Newport News base, home of the Army's Transportation Corps.

"My whole issue was I don't need to be preached at," Smith said in a phone interview from Phoenix, where he is stationed with the National Guard. "That's not what I signed up for."

Smith, 21, was stationed in Virginia for nearly seven months for helicopter electrician training when the Christian rock group BarlowGirl played as part of the "Commanding General's Spiritual Fitness Concerts."

Smith said a staff sergeant told 200 men in their barracks they could either attend or remain in their barracks. Eighty to 100 decided not to attend, he said.

"Instead of being released to our personal time, we were locked down," Smith said. "It seemed very much like a punishment."

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation first reported on the Christian concert. The foundation said it was approached by soldiers who were punished for not attending or offended by the religious theme of the event.

The group's president, Mikey Weinstein, claims Christian-themed events are "ubiquitous" throughout the military, and he credited the soldiers for stepping forward.

"Whenever we see this egregious, unconstitutional religious tyranny our job is to fight it," he said.

Smith said he and the other soldiers were told not to use their cell phones or personal computers and ordered to clean up the barracks.

About 20 of the men, including several Muslims, refused to attend the concert based on their religious beliefs, he said.

Smith said he went up the chain of command and traced the concert edict to a captain, who said he simply wanted to "show support for those kind of events that bring soldiers together."

While not accepting blame, the officer apologized to the soldiers who refused to attend the concert and said it was not his intent to proselytize, he said.

"But once you get in there, you realize it's evangelization," Smith said.
© Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Remember the guy that wouldn't...

I received this at work - (yes, I am a civil servant working for DOD) and have taken the blatantly Christian overtones out (as they really don't apply to the story) , but the story of a 90-year-old who shows his love for his Country is worth repeating - Medal of Honor winners are few and far between - we need to appreciate them because more often than not - the effort that earns the MoH results in posthumous awards.
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I am not sending this along because of the possibility   (though total unlikelyhood)  of anyone,  "Kicking"  any of my body parts.....but because I think we need to make up our minds---before we HAVE to,  that we are going to take a stand to honor our Country....even if no one stands with us.  Reading this shows....we won't be standing alone.  (The threat at the end of the story does not need to be heeded - just included to show the originator's mind bent.)
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On June 15, 1919, Van T. Barfoot was born in Edinburg -- probably didn't make much news back then.

Twenty-five years later, on May 23, 1944, near Carano, Italy, Van T. Barfoot, who had enlisted in the Army in 1940, set out to flank German machine gun positions from which fire was coming down on his fellow soldiers. He advanced through a minefield, took out three enemy machine gun positions and returned with 17 prisoners of war.

If that wasn't enough for a day's work, he later took on and destroyed three German tanks sent to retake the machine gun positions.

That probably didn't make much news either, given the scope of the war, but it did earn Van T. Barfoot, who retired as a colonel after also serving in Korea and Vietnam, a Congressional Medal of Honor.

clipping   --------------------------

What did make news last week was a neighborhood association's quibble with how the 90-year-old veteran chose to fly the American flag outside his suburban Virginia home. Seems the rules said a flag could be flown on a house-mounted bracket, but,  for decorum, items such as Barfoot's 21-foot flagpole were unsuitable.

He had been denied a permit for the pole, erected it anyway and was facing court action if he didn't take it down. Since the story made national TV, the neighborhood association has rethought its position and agreed to indulge this old hero who dwells among them.

"In the time I have left I plan to continue to fly the American flag without interference," Barfoot told The Associated Press.  As well he should.  And if any of his neighbors still takes a notion to contest him, they might want to read his Medal of Honor citation.  It indicates he's not real good at backing down.

Van T. Barfoot's Medal of Honor citation:

   Medal of Honor
This 1944 Medal of Honor citation, listed with the National Medal of Honor Society, is for Second Lieutenant Van T. Barfoot, 157th Infantry, 45th Infantry:

"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty on 23 May 1944, near Carano, Italy. With his platoon heavily engaged during an assault against forces well entrenched on commanding ground, 2d Lt. Barfoot moved off alone upon the enemy left flank. He crawled to the proximity of 1 machinegun nest and made a direct hit on it with a hand grenade, killing 2 and wounding 3 Germans. He continued along the German defense line to another machinegun emplacement, and with his tommygun killed 2 and captured 3 soldiers. Members of another enemy machinegun crew then abandoned their position and gave themselves up to Sgt. Barfoot. Leaving the prisoners for his support squad to pick up, he proceeded to mop up positions in the immediate area, capturing more prisoners and bringing his total count to 17. Later that day, after he had reorganized his men and consolidated the newly captured ground, the enemy launched a fierce armored counterattack directly at his platoon positions. Securing a bazooka, Sgt. Barfoot took up an exposed position directly in front of 3 advancing Mark VI tanks. From a distance of 75 yards his first shot destroyed the track of the leading tank, effectively disabling it, while the other 2 changed direction toward the flank. As the crew of the disabled tank dismounted, Sgt. Barfoot killed 3 of them with his tommygun. He continued onward into enemy terrain and destroyed a recently abandoned German fieldpiece with a demolition charge placed in the breech. While returning to his platoon position, Sgt. Barfoot, though greatly fatigued by his Herculean efforts, assisted 2 of his seriously wounded men 1,700 yards to a position of safety.
Sgt. Barfoot's extraordinary heroism, demonstration of magnificent valor, and aggressive determination in the face of point blank fire are a perpetual inspiration to his fellow soldiers."

Col. Van T. Barfoot
If you got this email and didn't pass it on - guess what - you deserve to get your butt kicked! I sent this to you, because I didn't want to get MY butt kicked.

New Countertops at Hof Dorn

Finally another milepost has been reached in the long running drama that is my kitchen rebuild - the kitchen countertops were installed today!

Now I just need to figure out how to post the pictures - OK, Picassa Web album is my friend here -

From top to bottom, Small counter next to range. end of counter next to refrigerator, corner, sink and over the dishwasher.  Didn't have a dishwasher in the kitchen previously (except me, when I felt like it ).  

So faucet selection, installation and completion of the plumbing will conclude the Hof Dorn kitchen remake.  There still other changes to come at Hof Dorn, but this has been a major one.

Issac Bonewits Passes - August 12th 2010

There was a story broadcast Friday on NPR's "All Things Considered" - You may listen to the story at the link below:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129182786

May he be welcomed by his friends and family - Leslie Dauterman had hosted him in the past, I would like to think that she welcomed him to the Afterlife. Elric Morningstar and Lord Spam would be there as well as the neo-Pagan host that have preceded him.

Mini Rice-Cake Stack | Lifescript.com

Mini Rice-Cake Stack | Lifescript.com

For my girlfriend who is always looking for gluten-free snacks!

Try other nut butters in this crunchy snack.

Ingredients:

* 8 mini apple-cinnamon rice cakes
* 1-1/2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
* 4 banana slices

Preparation:

1. Spread 4 rice cakes with peanut butter; top each with a banana slice and the remaining rice cakes.

Nutritional Information:

Per serving
Calories 297 kcal
Calories From Protein -
Calories From Carbs -
Calories From Fat -
Carbohydrates 40 g
Dietary Fiber 4 g
Fat 13 g
Saturated Fat 2 g
Monosaturated Fat -
Polysaturated Fat -
Protein 8 g
Potassium 293 mg
Sodium 91 mg
Iron -
Cholesterol 0 mg
Folic Acid -

Deep-Dish Apple Pie | Lifescript.com

Deep-Dish Apple Pie | Lifescript.com

With all that delicious fruit an apple pie should be healthy, but the truth is a slice can have as much as 750 calories and 30 grams of fat. For the most part, the culprit is the crust. We use whole-wheat pastry flour to add fiber and lower the saturated fat by replacing some of the butter with canola oil. The brown sugar-sweetened filling in this pie is made with two kinds of apples for the perfect balance. A slice has half the calories of a typical version and only 10 grams of fat - sweet!

Movies | 'Agora': Rachel Weisz shines as a heroine caught in an orbit of hate | Seattle Times Newspaper

Movies | 'Agora': Rachel Weisz shines as a heroine caught in an orbit of hate | Seattle Times Newspaper

"Agora," cowritten and directed by Alejandro Amenábar ("The Sea Inside"), is a riveting drama starring Rachel Weisz as Hypatia, a fourth-century philosopher and mathematician trying to navigate religious conflict in Alexandria, Egypt.

By Tom Keogh

Special to The Seattle Times

PREV of NEXT

Rachel Weisz stars in "Agora" as Hypatia, a fourth-century philosopher and mathematician trying to navigate religious upheaval when conflict in the streets of Alexandria spills into the city's famous library, trapping her inside.
Enlarge this photo

TERESA ISASI

Rachel Weisz stars in "Agora" as Hypatia, a fourth-century philosopher and mathematician trying to navigate religious upheaval when conflict in the streets of Alexandria spills into the city's famous library, trapping her inside.

'Agora,' with Rachel Weisz, Oscar Isaac, Michael Lonsdale, Max Minghella. Directed by Alejandro Amenábar, from a screenplay by Amenábar and Mateo Gil. 127 minutes. Not rated, for mature audiences (contains brief nudity and violence). Guild 45th.

"There is more that unites us than divides us," says Hypatia (Rachel Weisz), a fourth-century scholar in Alexandria, Egypt, who teaches Christian and pagan students alike in the bold, mesmerizing "Agora."

A real-life astronomer, mathematician and philosopher who ran a Platonist school during an age of religious strife, Hypatia is usually associated with the famously lost, great library of Alexandria, destroyed during a siege by militant Christians.

Weisz portrays her as a frayed yet luminous idealist, preoccupied with unanswered questions about planetary orbits, gravity and relativity while faith-based riots bloody her city's streets. Throughout, Hypatia insists her male students remain brothers in spirit, above the fray despite potentially volatile differences.

Sadly, history has other ideas. "Agora" co-writer and director Alejandro Amenábar ("The Sea Inside") offers a savage vision of Alexandria as one long conflict between early Christians — free to worship openly during this chapter of the Roman Empire — and pagans and Jews.

Against this angry backdrop, Hypatia's students inevitably follow different callings, even after finding sanctuary together during a brutal battle.

Yet Hypatia's influence never wanes — it just comes back drenched in irony in the film's second act. "There is more that unites us than divides us," echoes Orestes (Oscar Isaac), a well-meaning but largely feckless Roman prefect trying to forge a truce between raging Christians and Jews in the film's second act.

A former student of Hypatia as well as her would-be lover, Orestes is one of the film's most fascinating figures: an enlightened politician during a very bad time. Increasingly squeezed by compromises of principle, this very likable character (even more likable for remaining Hypatia's ally years after enduring her humiliating rejection) must inevitably abandon so much that is important to him.

He's not the only one. "Agora," from one angle, is a story about all the men in Hypatia's orbit who soften their principles. Among them is her father, Theon (Michael Lonsdale), a mathematician who raised her to remain free and independent, yet whips his slaves and is partially responsible for ratcheting up the street violence.

Then there is Davus (Max Minghella), a slave who pines for his mistress Hypatia and converts to Christianity in despair, ultimately muddling his loyalties everywhere.

It's no wonder Hypatia is engrossed in determining the center of the cosmos, a nice metaphor for her own, increasingly doomed position as a woman used to having the ear and respect of men from all stations. As if racing against a growing shadow, she struggles with understanding the motions of heavenly bodies and the workings of gravity, her determination pure and timeless in an era of madness.

Amenábar is similarly caught up in the bracing forces that make "Agora" a strikingly physical as well as thoughtful drama. There are many moments in the film's ferocious yet exhilarating first half when you expect Charlton Heston to show up, such is the familiar, epic vitality Amenábar brings to this widescreen, sword-and-sandal drama.

At the same time, the director, like Hypatia, yearns to transcend the earthbound, to see larger patterns and understand the relationship between the particular and infinite. Amenábar employs a couple of visual refrains, including several looks at Egypt from outer space and overhead views of rioters that make them look like scampering ants. (Just to underscore the point, he throws in a close-up shot of real scampering ants.)

There might not be anything subtle about such images. But in a film featuring a heroine trying to know the seemingly unknowable through logic and deduction, one can't help but wonder what measurable equations or distinctive forms could be culled from a heavenly observation of so much fear and hate.

Tom Keogh: tomwkeogh@yahoo.com