Link Me Up, Scotty - All Aretha Edition

Today's Link Me Up is dedicated entirely to Aretha Franklin's rendition of (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, which she performed at the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors last night to honor Carole King, who co-wrote the song.

Go full screen, crank it up, and enjoy. Awesome. 

Link Me Up, Scotty - Peace on Earth Edition

Kenyan Muslims protect Christians during a terrorist attack. Because when they're willing to kill your brother, it's only a matter of time until they come for you.

H/T Brother Seth
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28 pictures that prove that 2015 wasn't a completely terrible year. 22 is my favorite, as the young man was having trouble with his tie until the woman directed her husband to help him. For some reason, this warms the cockles of my black, black heart.
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A woman with three children had her husband, a tattoo artist, depict their kids in her tattoos over ten years ago. All of them have needed touching up over the years, but when their daughter made the decision to transition to his male self, Dad took up the needle once again. I love this so much.
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Random shopper mistaken for Santa, jumps in with both feet. Because he's AWESOME.
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Christmas photos to warm the cockles of your black, black heart.
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If you're financially literate, then do your friends and family a favor and share your knowledge. 
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Video of my Heart: The Christmas Story as told by children. My favorite part: "We have nothing to WEAR."

Link Me Up, Scotty - Humanity Edition

Photos of the human race.
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Zen Pencils with a quote from RFK on the Mindless Menace of Violence.
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What is means to be young, talented, and black. A pictorial essay of Hillside High School’s award-winning marching band. 
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A conversation between a father and son on what it means to look at a woman, and the responsibilities of being a man. The money quote:

There are two views regarding a woman’s dress code that you will be pressured to buy into. One view will say that women need to dress to get the attention of men. The other view will say women need to dress to protect men from themselves. Son, you are better than both of these. A woman, or any human being, should not have to dress to get your attention. You should give them the full attention they deserve simply because they are a fellow human being. On the other side, a woman should not have to feel like she needs to protect you from you. You need to be in control of you.

 H/T Brother Steve 
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Shipmate and friend Jim Wright describes the job interview process he wishes were in place for Presidential candidates and why the GOP debates are basically semantically null shitstorms. ________

Video of my Heart: The U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard and Drill Team perform in Oslo, Norway in 2009, taking first place in the Tattoo competition. Those are my Shippies, right there.

H/T Dottie

Sea Change

 

On December 3rd, the Secretary of Defense announced that the Armed Forces would begin offering all jobs, including ground combat positions, to qualified women. This announcement includes the various Special Forces units, such as the Navy SEALS, Army Special Forces, etc.:

“There will be no exceptions,” Carter said. “This means that, as long as they qualify and meet the standards, women will now be able to contribute to our mission in ways they could not before.”

Naturally, this announcement stirred up a shitstorm. Will the standards be lowered to accommodate women? Will women's inclusion in combat units negatively affect unit cohesion? Will women now be subject to Selective Service? Will PMS play a role in women's effectiveness in combat?*

These are all concerns that need to be addressed. Well, except for that last one. Several people have asked me my thoughts, so here they are. Please note I have a tendency to use Navy-centric terminology because of my background, but I'm quite sure the same points apply to the other branches, as well.

Will the Special Forces lower their standards to accomodate women? 

I sure as hell hope not. The standards are there for a reason, and people's lives depend on their shipmates being able to meet them. Will maintaining them mean that fewer women will be able to qualify for these jobs? Damn straight. The same way they weed out men who are not fit enough, strong enough, or agile enough to meet them. Men have been washing out of BUD/S for decades, and no one ever suggested the Navy lower their standards so more of these poor, delicate snowflakes could be included in the program. What's the difference? A woman (like a man) who applies to be a SEAL isn't really interested in being protected. 

Will women's inclusion in combat units negatively affect unit cohesion?

Meh. I’m not going to be baited on this one. This is the same nonsense we went through when women were first assigned overseas, assigned to support ships, allowed to serve at all. Integration won’t be easy, but the cultural shift will occur, just as it's done for every other sea change in the military. As my friend Sarah brought up, we have always fought, and attempts to rewrite history to downplay women's roles doesn't change that. 

Will women now be subject to the draft in the same way men are?

I think the better question here is why the hell aren't they now? Here's the thing about wanting "equal opportunity." To achieve true equality, to be considered truly equal in the eyes of your peers, you MUST accept equal responsibility and equal risk. During my early years in the Navy, I was not afforded the same responsibility as my male peers. I couldn't serve on combat vessels, and in fact many women completed their entire careers without serving on Auxiliary ships, either. I was not subject to the selective service. And yet, I received the same pay and benefits as my male peers with similar rank and years of service. No wonder women weren't treated as equals - in the eyes of many men, we had all the perqs and none of the risk. The fact that these circumstances weren't my fault or my choice didn't make my male shipmates feel any differently about it.

By forcing women to participate in Selective Service in the same way men are, we are acknowledging that we are equal partners in citizenship with our male fellows. We accept the same privileges, as well as the same responsibilities and risks, as everyone else who's allowed to vote in this country. On a moral level, this is only right and fair.

Will PMS play a role in women's effectiveness in combat?

Really? THAT'S the question you think deserves the most consideration in this integration effort? Get the fuck out of here - adults are talking.
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I have no doubt that after the current generation of service members retire, the integration of women into these roles will be complete and with the exception of a few neanderthal hold-outs, people in uniform will wonder what all the fuss was about. In the meantime, professional Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Guardsmen will continue to do what needs to be done, and let the pearl-clutchers and hand-wringers burn themselves out. They always do.


*I wish to fuck I was making that last one up.

Link Me Up, Scotty - Racists and Joy Edition

The end of the year is approaching, so it's time for the annual "best of" lists. First up: The best Boston Globe photographs of 2015.
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Also from the Boston Globe, a pictorial essay of a family's struggle with homelessness and abuse. This broke my heart, especially since I know there are many, many more families who struggle in this way.
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Bowe Bergdahl is facing Court Martial on the charges of desertion and endangering troops. I recall there was a lot of controversy about the government's decision to retrieve SGT Bergdahl from the Taliban, but I have to say that this turn of events is exactly correct. We don't leave our own - no matter what they've done - to the enemy. We take care of our own, in every sense of that statement. Honor demands no less.
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The newest, most marvelous Facebook page: Spellcheck a Racist. You're welcome.

H/T Not-My-Terry
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Man reunites with a woman who saved him from the Holocaust 70 years ago. THERE'S SOMETHING IN MY EYE.

H/T Brother Vince
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Yet another incident of Trump supporters attacking an African American at one of his rallies. These fucking people. Really? Nazi rhetoric? THAT'S the way you want to go?

H/T Brother Paul
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Video of my Heart: Pentatonix performs The First Noel. Still fan-girling on their bass (Avi Kaplan) who is featured in this song, but I'm starting to think their countertenor, Mitch, needs to eat a sammich.

Link Me Up, Scotty - Being Human Edition

New information on how teens grow into adulthood, and how identity and emotion will guide them to the people they will become.
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How do you get boys to go to a class on treating girls with respect? Make attendance a point of pride and prestige in the community.
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Since that ignoramus Donald Trump couldn't name any Muslim athletes, here's a list of 38 graciously provided via that technological marvel otherwise known as "Google."
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Exercise really is the most amazing thing. Sedentary people often don't understand its significance, and don't get what a difference it can make in your life.
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I've been appalled to discover how much rent costs here in the Denver metro area. Here's a comparison of what $1,000 a month will get you in various parts of the country.
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Professional photographer Dave Sandford captures Lake Erie in all its power and fury. Amazing.

H/T Brother Seth
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White Supremacists love the Donald Trump campaign. And in other news, water is wet. I would warn those who think Trump is anything other than an ignorant bigot: You're going to be judged by the company you keep.
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Navy Dad photobombs his kids' Christmas photo after a year long deployment.
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A Muslim judge chooses to use the Q'uran when taking her oath of office, and so conservative whackadoos predictably lose their collective shit. Clearly these people have a failure to understand what an oath is, or why someone who is not a Christian should not swear one on a Bible.
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Video of my heart: Disturbed's cover of Simon and Garfunkel's Sound of Silence. I love this song, and I have to admit this is probably my new favorite version.

Link Me Up, Scotty - Short Form Edition

An essay on the dangers of not taking the campaign if Donald Trump seriously enough. I agree with what Steve says in principle, and I can tell you that if Donald Trump wins the Republican nomination for President, I will be more politically active than I've been in any other election. I never thought I'd be a "door-knocker" for politics, but the idea of President Trump scares me sufficiently that I'll change my mind.
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Brother Eric on those asinine douchenozzles in Texas who intend to do some sort of performance art get together to prove that a "good guy with a gun" is the right resolution to a nutjob with a gun. The obtuseness of these yokels is exceeded only by their poor taste. As Eric notes, fuck 'em.
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Young Saudi women use video games to expand their horizons and social circles. Fascinating.

H/T Brother Steve
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Companies with women on their boards do better. Shocked, shocked I am that diverse teams are higher performing than homogeneous ones.
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A photo essay of some of the members of the Somali diaspora, currently residing in Minnesota. I find it endlessly fascinating how more traditional cultures manage to preserve their heritage and still embrace modern life.
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Arizona Republican Senator Jeff Flake attended services with his family at a local Mosque. His comments were ones of solidarity and support. Bravo, Senator.
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Los Angeles company Meathead Movers offers free moving services to the victims of domestic violence. I love this so much. You never know when a simple act of corporate charity will change someone else's life in a profound way.