Mary Brotherton

My first speaking role was in Fragile House, a short film by Dale Metz and Jennifer East.

A “first film” for some cast and crew, two young actresses earned Crystal Awards from the Florida Motion Picture and Television Association for their work on Fragile House. Anna , for best female voice over and Grace was named best adolescent actor by the Florida Motion Picture and Television Association for their work on this the emotional story of the cycle of love, tormented by abuse and dementia.

Walk the red carpet with us and please share the link.

Sailors who will have completed at least 15 years of active service as
of Sept. 1, 2012, and who were not selected for retention by the ERB,
will be eligible for early retirement benefits under TERA.

Eligible Sailors who desire early retirement under TERA must submit an
application. As TERA is not an entitlement, all eligible members must
apply to receive benefits, and all applications may not necessarily be
approved. Detailed application procedures will be promulgated in a
future NAVADMIN. Eligible Sailors who wish to apply for TERA will have
their ERB results held in abeyance to facilitate their application for
voluntary retirement.

Sailors whose TERA application is approved will be retired voluntarily
no later than Sept. 1, 2012, and will not be entitled to involuntary
separation pay (ISP). However, Sailors will remain qualified for
enhanced ERB transition benefits until their retirement date.

I, and many others, have some very serious and legitimate concerns about SOPA, the way it is written, and its broad implications. Intended or not, the implications of SOPA as it was introduced in the House can be far beyond what its advocates say is the intent. SOPA needs to be subject to extensive Congressional hearings so that all of
its implications can be fully understood by everyone. This is a perfect
example of why legislation should not be rushed through Congress. . . .

SOPA was introduced out of a concern that an
increasing number of overseas-based websites are selling or making
available pirated intellectual property, which is a violation of U.S.
intellectual property laws. There are already processes in place to
handle U.S. based websites that violate intellectual property rights.
But if these websites are operating overseas, U.S. individuals and
companies who are having their property stolen and misused do not have
judicial recourse to shut them down or force them to pay back the
profits they’ve made off of the stolen property. Movies are one example
of property that is often stolen and then streamed from an overseas
location. I think we need to continue to look at how this concern might
be addressed, but SOPA as introduced in the
House went far beyond addressing that issue and created a host of
problems, even for inadvertent violations.

As you may be aware, on May 12, 2011, Senator Patrick Leahy
(VT) introduced the Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property
Act of 2011 (PROTECT IP/ PIPA, S. 968), which is meant to curb the online theft of intellectual property,
much of which is occurring through rogue websites overseas in China. As a senator from Florida, a state
with a large presence of artists, creators and businesses connected to the creation of intellectual property,
I have a strong interest in stopping online piracy that costs Florida jobs. It
was with this in mind that I was previously a co-sponsor of the PROTECT IP Act. I believe it’s important
to protect American ingenuity, ideas and jobs from being stolen through Internet piracy. However, we
must do this while simultaneously promoting an open, dynamic Internet environment that is ripe for innovation
and can promote new technologies.

 

Last summer, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the bill
unanimously and without controversy. Since then, I’ve heard from a number of Floridians who have raised
legitimate concerns about the impact this bill could have on Internet access, as well as a potentially
unreasonable expansion of the federal government’s authority to impact the Internet. Congress should
listen and avoid rushing through a bill that could have many unintended consequences.

 

Therefore, I have decided to withdraw my support for the
PROTECT IP Act. Furthermore, I have encouraged Majority Reid to abandon his plan to rush the bill to
the floor. Instead, we should take more time to address the concerns raised by all sides, and come up
with new legislation that addresses Internet piracy while protecting free and open access to the Internet.
Please know that I will remain mindful of your concerns should this, or similar legislation, such as
the Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA, H.R. 3261), come before the Senate for consideration.

My final gift (for this week) arrives tomorrow in the form of  the online debut of Fragile House.

Tonight, I signed another online petition, this one is on Google and addresses two bills before Congress.

Google, Wikipedia and other sites, as well as individuals have chosen to black out their sites for a day. Fight for the Future is the largest online protest in the history of the Internet.

According to Google:

Millions of Americans oppose SOPA and PIPA because these bills would censor the Internet and slow economic growth in the U.S.

Two bills before Congress, known as the Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House, would censor the Web and impose harmful regulations on American business. Millions of Internet users and entrepreneurs already oppose SOPA and PIPA.

The Senate will begin voting on January 24th. Please let them know how you feel. Sign this petition urging Congress to vote NO on PIPA and SOPA before it is too late.

I copied this and sent it to my elected officials:

 

Fighting online piracy is important. The most effective way to shut down pirate websites is through targeted legislation that cuts off their funding. There’s no need to make American social networks, blogs and search engines censor the Internet or undermine the existing laws that have enabled the Web to thrive, creating millions of U.S. jobs.

Too much is at stake – please vote NO on PIPA and SOPA

Here is where I found the email addresses for my representatives and senators.

In 2007 Snopes debunked the idea that online petitions were worth the time it took to forward an email.

A misdirected petition is of no more use than an undirected one – though the voices it contains may be shouting, they won’t be heard.

According to Snopes.com, the average e-petition isn’t worth the pixels used to create it, but stated the popularity of online petitions comes from the instant sense of relief for people who otherwise feel helpless to impact the world or its policy makers.

A popular online petition site is change.org. It addresses concerns about the validity and potency of online petitions this way:

…what if you started to receive emails from each of your neighbors asking you to mow your lawn more often? Or, what if your company received thousands of emails from valued customers asking you to use a different supplier for your parts? How quickly would you act? That’s the unique thing about creating an online petition on Change.org: when you specify an email address for your target, each time a supporter signs your petition, an email is automatically sent directly to that person. Governments, companies and individuals value their reputations and feel accountable to their neighbors, constituents and customers. When hundreds or even thousands of emails arrive in their inboxes, the message is very hard to ignore.

iPetitions.com states:

Online petitions can be a very effective way of gathering support for a cause you care about and drawing attention to that cause. Many of our petition hosts have gathered tens and even hundreds of thousands of signatures on their petitions—petition recipients have had to stand up and take notice! To be truly effective in creating change, however, you need to be actively involved in promoting your petition.

Both sites emphasize the need for the petitioner to move beyond creating the document. If the petition is not promoted and promoted and promoted, it truly is worth no more than the pixels from which it came. Email, social networks and word of mouth are all necessary to make a petition take precedence when the emails do reach the inbox of the person working on behalf of the organization targeted for action. The sites also stress the importance of reaching out to officials through personal emails and even postal mail – yes, the old fashioned kind of mail that is written on paper and sent through the USPS inside an envelope, paid for with a postage stamp. Phone calls are also effective. If you wish to reach someone and draw attention to your concern, don’t stop until you have exhausted all of your options.

The beauty of online petitions is that sometimes, the media picks up on these issues and runs a story. Sometimes, the media runs a story that leads to the petition. Often, if the issue affects enough people, these events run simultaneously.

Such is the case with the United States Navy and its enlisted personnel. Media knows, the sailors know and now, thanks to online petitioning and social networking, many more civilians know that during the final months of 2011, two enlisted retention boards evaluated nearly 15,386 sailors ranked E-4 through E-8, who have served between seven and 15 years in 31 overmanned ratings. The week after Thanksgiving, 2,947 sailors learned they will be involuntarily separated from the Navy on Sept. 1, 2012.

Some have resigned themselves to finishing out their broken contracts, but many are outraged. They had planned their lives around retiring from the Navy after serving 20 years. Some bought homes after their most recent re-enlistments, certain they would retire and settle down in their current locations and expecting to receive military pensions and continued benefits for life. Instead, during the height of the holiday season, they discovered they have until the end of August to adjust to the idea of being a civilian , through the summer to attend classes and transition to a new way of life – and look for employment.

Sailors Against ERB is a Facebook community page that decided to create petitions online at change.org and on the WhiteHouse.gov site, hoping to impact the policy makers at what sailors call “Big Navy” and within our government. The group is taking the petitions straight to the Commander in Chief. The group is also encouraging the thousand or so members to share the word, spread the word, and talk the words to their families, friends, colleagues and elected officials. It even has links to the House of Representatives and Congress, as do I in a previous post.

Whether or not you believe in the cause of Sailors Against ERB, whether or not you believe in the power of online petitions and whether or not you decide to sign a petition, I urge you to find that within you that makes you want to take action and do so. Find a cause worth supporting and support it with all your being. Seek out that which brings you joy or riles you. Take steps to spread the joy or soothe the anger. Do something. Let people know where you stand. If you’re not sure, come stand beside me. I tend to get things done!

While the Colts are trying to decide what to do with Peyton Manning’s $28 million payment and when or if the team should trade the injured quarterback, 2,947 sailors are trying to decide what they will do with their lives after Sept. 1, 2012.

Many are outraged and feel betrayed by the Navy that has been home and livelihood for much of their lives.

The Enlisted Retention Board reviewed 15,386 sailors in “overmanned” rates who have served 7-15 years. Some were given the opportunity to convert to other jobs, but none were allowed the opportunity to retire early. They are, in essence being traded for new recruits with less experience, fewer skills and far less leadership. These new recruits are coming into the same over-manned slots, eventually or else the jobs won’t be done to the current high standards. At any rate, there are nearly 3,000 sailors who will soon be entering the unemployment lines.

The Navy is offering some help with the transition to civilian life.

Perhaps the most help is that which the sailors and their families can provide for themselves.

Anyone can visit The White House site and sign a petition requesting our Commander in Chief review the process which has resulted in this massive layoff from the Navy.

Likewise, they can visit Change Dot Org to sign this petition.

As in all things important, citizens may want to visit the site for the House of Representatives or The Senate to address their concerns directly to their elected officials.

Let your voice be heard. If you don’t know what to say, Sailors Against ERB can provide you with a template for your letters.

According to a petition to The White House:

The US Navy created an Enlisted Retention Board (ERB) in response to military downsizing. ERB reviewed service records of 15,386 sailors in “overmanned” rates with 7-15 years served and made decisions to involuntarily separate 2,947. These sailors need the respect they deserve and their contracts upheld by the government. Before involuntarily separating sailors the Navy should ask for volunteers who want to separate with a severance package, stop recruiting new sailors and let sailors cross-rate before breaching contracts with mid-career sailors.The severance package for the sailors is based on time served and doesn’t include the time on remaining contract. Worst case, let them complete the remainder of their contract and early retire them so they can receive the benefits they earned.

Sailors and their families are outraged. Please sign the petition to show your support for our military.

If you are uncomfortable signing a petition at WhiteHouse.gov, you can also sign at Change.org. Good sailors always have a backup plan.

What the Navy is doing would be like hearing the Broncos tore up Tim Tebow’s contract because there was another player they could hire for less with the promise of taking over Tebow’s position. It’s just not right!

My father joined the Army Air Corps at the height of World War II and served a single four-year term. He had no interest in a military career. Fortunate that he never had to serve in the trenches, he felt he could provide for his family better as a civilian. Eventually, eight children called him Daddy, spread out over much of the boomer generation, so it was no surprise that his oldest and youngest sons also joined the ranks of military personnel.

My oldest brother, in his own words:

GRADUATED FROM MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT BOOT CAMP ON PARRIS ISLAND, PLATOON 264 IN APRIL 1966. I SERVED ON ACTIVE DUTY IN THE MARINE CORPS FOR JUST OVER FOUR YEARS; OR MORE PRECISELY, 1,569 DAYS. 387 DAYS OF THAT WERE SPENT IN VIETNAM WITH ECHO (105 HOWITZER artillery) BATTERY, 2ND BATTALION, 12TH MARINES, 3RD MARINE DIVISION (LESS THE 7 DAYS ON R&R IN HONG KONG). AT LEAST HALF OF THAT 387 DAYS, I WAS IN THE BOONIES WITH 2ND BATTALION/9TH MARINES WHICH I AM PROUD TO CLAIM MEMBERSHIP IN.

I WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED AS AN AIRBORNE, SCUBA DIVING, RADIO OPERATING, PATHFINDING, CONNIVING AND RECONNOITERING PLATOON SERGEANT WHILE SERVING WITH 2ND FORCE RECON AT CAMP GEIGER, N.C.

At the opposite end of the generation, my youngest brother enlisted into the National Guard before deciding to make the military life his way of life. He joined the Navy full time and retired after an honorable career that included service during Desert Storm. He currently boasts that half of his six children are in the military (his oldest daughter is an Army Wife) and he expects the other three will follow this path.

My sister’s husband and many cousins have retired from military careers or served single terms.

Our children’s generation also made sacrifices, joining the ranks of millions who have served before them. Young men and women swore oaths and signed documents promising and expecting certain things from their contracts with the military.

In November, more than 15,000 sailors and their families were outraged when they learned from the Enlisted Retention Board that they were being “involuntarily separated from the United States Navy.”

It hurts when dreams are dashed and plans are thwarted by down-sizing, regardless of the organization making the changes. Any time a hard-working, dedicated employee is laid off, there is a sense of betrayal and despair. When the employee is a member of the United States Navy who is suddenly told, “We no longer require your services,” despite a strong service record, the betrayal and despair turns to anger and frustration. With broken contracts, these sailors must now break promises they have made to their families.

According to the Bureau of Naval Personnel:

UNPRECEDENTED RETENTION AND REDUCED ATTRITION RATES ACROSS THE NAVY HAVE RESULTED IN A REQUIREMENT TO REBALANCE THE FORCE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOARD IS TO REDUCE OVERMANNING IN RATINGS PROJECTED TO BE OVER 103% MANNED IN FY-12. REBALANCING OUR MANNING WILL IMPROVE ADVANCEMENT RATES AND INCREASE OPPORTUNITY FOR HIGH PERFORMING SAILORS TO RECEIVE IN-RATE REENLISTMENT QUOTAS BY REDUCING THE STRAIN ON PERFORM TO SERVE.

The document states that personnel chosen for early separation are encouraged to apply for conversion to an undermanned rating.

SAILORS SELECTED FOR CONVERSION WILL RECEIVE PCS ORDERS TO TRANSFER TO A-SCHOOL OR TO FILL A VACANCY IN THEIR NEW RATING BY THE END OF FY -12. APPLICATIONS FOR CONVERSION MUST BE RECEIVED BY 15 JUNE 2011 TO BE CONSIDERED.

These sailors are also encouraged to “affiliate with the Navy Reserve,” according to the document; this is little relief to those sailors who joined the Navy with plans to retire with benefits after 20 years.

SAILORS SEPARATED BY THIS BOARD WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THE NAVY’S TRANSITION ASSISTANCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (TAMP), PER REF L, WHICH PROVIDES EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE, RELOCATION ASSISTANCE FOR SEPARATING MEMBERS STATIONED OVERSEAS, AND OTHER BENEFITS FOR MEMBERS WHO ARE INVOLUNTARILY SEPARATED. SAILORS INTERESTED IN AFFILIATING WITH THE RESERVES MAY ALSO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE the Bureau of Naval Personell the Bureau of Naval Personell SERVICES OFFERED BY THE CAREER TRANSITION OFFICE.

This knowledge is of little comfort to the families of sailors who will now have to join the hundreds of thousands of other unemployed people in a world of jobs that have already scaled back and are working skeletal crews.

THE DECISION TO CONDUCT THIS BOARD WAS MADE AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF ALL OPTIONS FOR REBALANCING THE FORCE. WE ARE COMMITTED TO RETAINING OUR VERY BEST SAILORS WITH THE PROPER BALANCE OF SKILLS, SENIORITY AND EXPERIENCE TO MEET THE NAVY CHALLENGES OF THE FUTURE. LEADERS AT ALL LEVELS MUST BE ENGAGED TO ASSIST SAILORS WITH CONVERSION AND TRANSITION OPTIONS.

Emily Anelli, a Proud Navy Wife insists It’s Not Over for her sailor.

Why is it 2,947 sailors serving more than 7 and less than 15 years are suddenly being pushed out?

She’s not the first Navy Wife to complain that her husband, halfway to retirement, is being denied that for which he has dutifully and faithfully sacrificed and proudly served.

I agree with Mrs. Anelli when she pleads,

It is only fair to let the 2,947 sailors finish their contracts. Honor the benefits they have worked so hard for, respect the work they have done and uphold the contract between the government and these sailors.”

Mrs. Anelli states that her husband was approved for reenlistment December 2010 with a ceremony in January 2011. A year later, he learned that he would be released from the Navy. What changed? Why is it that the government suddenly finds him redundant? Why not allow him to complete his contract? If he had decided to opt out of his end of the contract he might be considered AWOL. She insists he does not fit the criteria outlined by the Navy for early dismissal.

Can’t we hold the government to the same standards to which it expects its personnel? If the military chooses to dismiss members in the same way a corporation might dismiss employees during a downsize, what recourse do those members have when a contract is broken?

Our sailors deserve better. Let those who want to retire, do so. Give them their benefits, not a severance slip.

Today, nearly 6,000 members of the United States Navy who have been deployed on the USS George H W Bush for the past seven months have come to their home port in Norfolk, Virginia.
Hampton Roads Pilot Online’s Mike Hixenbaugh reports:

Nearly 6,000 sailors returned home to Norfolk Naval Station today to cheers and hugs after a seven-month deployment to the Middle East.

People began gathering pierside before 6 a.m., hours ahead of the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush’s arrival. “I thought if we came out here, time would go by faster,” said Julie Martin as she waited for her husband.

People jumped and cheered as the ship appeared at the horizon. Pam Moore wiped a tear from her eyes. Moore and her family had flown in from Texas to welcome her son home. “I’m so proud of him.”

Patriotic music blared as the ship approached.

Petty Officer Derrick Chavez was among the first sailors off the ship. He smiled as he hugged his wife and held his 6-month-old daughter for the first time.”I’m speechless,” he said.

Loved ones hoisted each other on their shoulders and waved signs as the sailors filed onto the pier.

Airman Robert Frary found his girlfriend and immediately dropped to a knee and held out a ring. She jumped into his arms and screamed, “yes!”

“We’ve got a lot to celebrate,” he said.

The arrivals include four ships as part of the group: the aircraft carrier Bush, the guided-missile destroyers Truxtun and Mitscher and the cruiser Anzio. They left Hampton Roads in May.

The deployment was the first for the Bush, skippered by Capt. Brian Luther. It also marked the first time that a woman, Rear Adm. Nora Tyson, commanded a carrier strike group.

The ships and nine squadrons of aircraft that make up Carrier Air Wing Eight supported U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and conducted security operations in the Mediterranean and Arabian seas. The air wing returned home earlier this week.

The Navy made LiveStream available through several outlets, including Facebook so that family and friends who could not attend the homecoming in person could still “be there” sort of.

Pre-recorded earlier today:

Scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. EST and run until 1 p.m. with chat options in LiveStream, Facebook and Twitter, it promised to be a fully interactive experience, but some people voiced great disappointment in the execution.

I spent hours last night tweeting and sending the link to family and friends and slept like a child on Christmas Eve.

I woke early and paced, waiting until it was time to view the feed. I expected a few glitches and yet, knowing the technology that is available to our Navy, I also expected state-of-the art video that I hoped would blow my mind.

Instead, I found a black screen for 19 minutes, a day-old slide show for 18 minutes and about 3 seconds of live feed that showed the ship already moored, sailors standing at attention in their dress blues around the ship. I’d missed the grandeur of watching the tugboat help maneuver the massive ship to port.

I maintained vigilance and waited three hours to see if I might see my own sailor. I did see small clips of happy reunions. Meanwhile I tried to engage in the three chats available but mostly found others complaining about the LiveStream feed.

I have to agree: a military as mighty as ours, a Navy capable of creating remote control drones and a country capable of sending manned spacecraft to the moon and the International Space Station should be able to provide a fully functional video on LiveStream, right?

There were some people who expressed the same opinion I had – that of gratitude. We were grateful to know that the Navy cared enough about the sailors’ families and friends to offer an option to flying or driving to Norfolk or waiting for the news releases. Thank you!

Others voiced frustration that the feed wasn’t better. I was frustrated, too.

One thing the feed did provide was enough audio for me to recognize when disembarkation had begun and when it was almost over. That afforded me with a window in which to call my sailor, who was still working on board the ship. We had a brief moment for me to say, “Welcome home!”

Despite the glitches and the comments over how skillful the camera person was (or wasn’t) and despite the moments of blackout and the 15-minute early timeout, I have to say Bravo Zulu to those who made the effort to make the LiveStream possible.Hopefully skill and technology will merge for the next homecoming.

Saturday 10 November 2011 10 a.m. the USS George H.W. Bush returns to homeport in Norfolk, VA. The Navy LiveStream Channel takes family and friends who cannot attend the joyous reunion in person with them through technology.

The Official Website of the United States Navy reports:

When the nearly 6,000 Sailors of the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (GHWB CSG) return from a seven month deployment to their homeport of Norfolk Dec. 10, Navy friends and families will be able to see it live on the internet.

To enhance the homecoming experience, the Navy is using social media to allow individuals to participate virtually, while encouraging those present to share their experience from the pier.

Navy family, friends and fans may view the homecoming of USS George H.W. Bush live via the U.S. Navy Facebook  page  or on the Navy Livestream channel directly  on Saturday beginning at 10 am EST.

Livestream is a web based platform that the Navy and other government agencies use for real time audience engagement by streaming live video and chat over their social media properties. The Navy has found this type of technology useful in sharing events and experiences predominantly located near the coast with interested viewers who are unable to attend in person.

A Foursquare event entitled “George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group Homecoming” has also been created for in-person attendees to “check-in” to. Foursquare, is a location-based social networking site for mobile devices where users “check-in” at events or venues by selecting from a list the program locates nearby. The Navy intends to use this type of engagement platform for fleet events like deployments and homecomings as well as community outreach events like Navy and Fleet Weeks during its upcoming bicentennial commemoration of the War of 1812.

The homecoming, as well as the seven-month deployment supporting operations with the U.S. Navy’s 5th and 6th Fleets, will be highlighted and discussed on Navy and command specific Facebook and Twitter accounts as well. The Twitter hashtag for this event will be #GHWBCSG.

For news regarding GHWB CSG’s deployment, log onto cvn77 or visit the ship’s Facebook page.

To join the conversation and learn more about America’s Navy go to USA Navy

The words belong to the Navy. The hyperlinks, I set up for your convenience.

I will be glued to my Internet tomorrow!