one more miracle

This post has a case of whiplash! But I think both of these things are worth sharing, so here we go.

A Very Modern Military Partnership - An adorable article about a Lance Corporal in the British Army who married his boyfriend with the full support and witness of his fellow soldiers. The reception was held in a regimental barracks. The whole thing put hearts in my eyes. Make sure to check out the pictures - they're so cute! Anytime anyone talks about how repealing DADT would cause chaos and tension, I want to whip out this article and be like IN YOUR FUCKING FACE, DUMBASS. ...ahem. They're so cute! >.>

On the flip side of the coin (i.e. America...), while not the same issue, still something deeply horrifying:

When the Army uses 'Enhanced Interrogation' on an American Soldier - A truly heartrending short piece about a very upsetting practice. Some soldiers, when they receive a serious injury in combat, are forced to agree to a discharge claiming they had "personality disorder" (wtf is that?), a pre-existing condition that is the cause of all their problems, and therefore the Army has no obligation to give them medical support or any other support for the rest of their lives.

WHAT. THE. FUCK.

The sheer gall of this bald-faced lie is simply shocking and appalling. No person with a brain in their skull would ever believe it for any of these poor soldiers, and yet it's happening, to thousands upon thousands of young men and women. They are discarded by the government they served for, that they gave their physical well-being for. I just - it makes me want to SCREAM. First we have this totally unjustified war, and then we have all these soldiers, many of whom just wanted to do what was right, who are falling victim and suffering for the rest of their lives. It's a travesty. Veterans should be treated with the utmost respect, not like so much garbage. It's a ringing condemnation of our society - even beyond this specific instance, veterans are given no social support. Right now, with all the negative opinions about the war itself, that anger is misplaced onto the soldiers themselves.

I obviously can't help but think about GenKill when I read about stuff like this. Think about this happening to sweet little Walt, or about Doc Bryan receiving the order to diagnose one of his men with "personality disorder" just so no one has to spend the money. It hurts my heart.

:(

You know, it's really uncomfortable to have to sit through a verbal reaming that is not targeted at you. We have group meetings for our lab on Monday mornings, and today my boss decided she had several things to get off her chest, including rants about how her students never meet deadlines and how none of them have plans for publications and if they don't get publications they won't get their PhDs. It was all rather melodramatic - somewhat necessary, but I felt it could have been handled in a rather more measured fashion. Meanwhile, because I am but a rotation student and will be leaving within a month, I just sat there meekly and tried not to look at people. Awkward!

On the other hand, during this same meeting I met the eyes of the Hot Guy who works in the lab I think... 2 or 3 times across the table. He was looking at me! He's so pretty, you guys. He's got tattoos on every limb and wears Tool sweatshirts but is also a nerd. I am very fond. I may or may not work up the balls to ask him out for coffee when I leave the lab - we'll see.

Health care reform passed! Amazing! All the biggest stuff comes into effect in 2014, which is just about the time I'll be graduating with my PhD and therefore losing my grad care health insurance - A+ timing! But more than that, of course, I think this will actually do really good things for a lot of normal Americans. I'm very happy. I also wish that this would shock some sense into the Republican party - not a single one of them voted for this historic victory. The party is so petty, selfish, hateful, and vicious - and they don't see any of these things as a problem. I'm sad that we still have to deal with this legitimized fanaticism, but at least we squeaked something around their obstreperousness. (Yes, my "political" icon is Obama with a small child. Don't judge.)

Man, Mondays suck even more now that I have to spend the whole day bouncing and waiting until I can LEAVE and watch The Pacific! I watched about 15 minutes while I ate breakfast this morning, and ahahah - so not a good idea. I just love a little gore and death with my morning yogurt, don't you? :P

Lalala that's it! Science time!

Ahhhh Bones! Every time I see an episode I feel like flapping at you all. I think this is a good sign :D

( Bones 1x04 The Man in the Bear )

On an entirely different note, UGH, FUCK YOU AHMADINEJAD. I was so hopeful for Mousavi to pull an Obama-like victory, but something really stinks. Ughhh.

What the fuck is up with humanity?

First I see the video of the "Naked Wizard" being tased at Coachella in Philly. The Huffington Post blurb seems to give it a humorous cast, but I see nothing but a harmless man being forcibly held to the ground by two policemen and then tased into submission.

Then there's the even more disturbing footage from the We The Kings show in Philly last night. One of the supporting bands parked their van somewhere they shouldn't, so the police felt the need to shove around some young guys until one of their heads left a large pool of blood on the stage.

What. The actual. Fuck.

On top of all this, I'm in the middle of reading "We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families," the riveting and wrenching account of the Rwandan genocide by Philip Gourevitch. I'm learning so much that is so important to know, but it's killing my soul piece by piece. The book includes the story of one man who just did what he thought was right (I think his story was the inspiration for the movie Hotel Rwanda), and he's so innocently and genuinely baffled by the fact that there weren't more people like him in the country. He protected thousands in his hotel, with no selfish intent, just doing what's right. And he was the startling anomaly in a country gone collectively insane, where priests gunned down their own congregations and police murdered schoolchildren.

The story is so enormous and horrible that the mind truly struggles to wrap around it. Neighbor truly turned on neighbor, in the most literal and horrifying of ways. Meanwhile, the international community actively tried to avoid intervening. The US (Madeleine Albright and Bill Clinton specifically) did verbal gymnastics to avoid classifying it as a genocide and thus obligating their own response. France was the only power to involve themselves, and they did so by bolstering and aiding the genocidal regime.

Afterwards, as the RPF (the opposition to the Hutu Power government that had organized the genocide) swept across the country reclaiming it, the Hutu Power leaders scared everyone remaining in the country into fleeing ahead of the RPF because it claimed they would slaughter everyone (not true). A million refugees settled in Goma, Zaire, and were immediately showered with international humanitarian aid efforts.

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK.

I just. I can't deal.

IT'S BARTLETT AND JOSH OBAMA AND RAHM IN THE OVAL OFFICE!!!!

:D :D :D

ETA:


MY FACE IS RIDICULOUS RIGHT NOW :D :D :D :D