Results tagged “military”

The Messenger starts with loss, as Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) has one last bittersweet meeting with his girlfriend, who met another man while he was off to war. It's a gentle way of ushering the audience into a movie that is all about loss on a larger scale. For soon after his return from the war, with injuries that nearly took away an eye and his ability to walk, Montgomery is assigned to the Army's Casualty Notification service, bringing news of the deaths of soldiers in the field to their families back home.

We had to read through this article from Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail three times before we decided it wasn't necessarily an elaborate prank. According to reporter Paul Koring, it seems that during a two-day military conference set to convene at the Embassy of Canada in Washington Sept. 23-24, Canadian officials plan to stage a mock Afghan village in the courtyard of the embassy, in which they will set off a series of fake explosions. The pyrotechnical spectacle is apparently intended as a demonstration of Canadian military might, and especially their troops' activities in Afghanistan. The paper reports that American military officials, U.S. Congressmen and Afghan experts are expected to attend the conference. Here's what they'll be treated to:

The mock village, complete with a small souk and peopled by nearly a dozen Afghan actors, will be created in the courtyard of the Canadian embassy, halfway between the Capitol and the White House. A handful of Canadian soldiers and, Col. Martin hopes, U.S. Marines will arrive to "see the village leader" just as the IED blows up, "critically injuring" at least one Afghan, who will get immediate first aid from a Canadian medic.

Continue reading "Canadian Embassy in D.C. Plans to Stage Mock Explosions"

Since 1990, Burma’s rightful Prime Minister – and only hope for democracy – has been a political prisoner under a military dictatorship built on a foundation of violence and intimidation. Thus, struggle is nothing new for the Burmese people as civil unrest has become analogous to the country for nearly half a century. For this, one can’t help but hope for better fortune for the people of Burma, be it in their native land or right here in D.C., like the success of a small, unassuming restaurant simply called Burma. Whether owner John Tinpe realizes it or not, the decision to christen his 2nd floor establishment after the country’s unofficial title is a strong testimony to his people’s continuous fight for democracy (Burma was officially renamed Myanmar in 1989 but pro-democracy advocates refuse to acknowledge the change).

>> The Yes! Organic Market in Brookland was robbed just after All Hands on Deck ended over the weekend. [Free Ride] >> Don't be alarmed if you see and hear a lot of military flights at odd hours today and tonight. [WTOP] >> Progress on the O Street Market development. [Fifth and Oh] >> "What's next? The Lucky Lemur? The Gray Chinchilla?" [metrocurean] Photo by soleil1016...

If you're down on the National Mall this weekend and see, oh, 12,000 flags stuck in the ground, don't be alarmed. The Federal Government hasn't started an experimental flag farm, nor is the display an effort of the area's squirrels to show their patriotism. The flags have been planted to represent the 12,000 members of the United States military who have been discharged under the practice of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." The policy, which governs...

>> One of the funniest comedic performers out there today, Amy Sedaris is at the Historic Sixth and I Synagogue tonight to promote her recent book, I Like You, at 8 p.m. Advance tickets are no longer available, but a few seats can apparently still be had at the door for $25 -- a small price to pay to be entertained by the woman who brought us the wonder that is Jerri Blank. >>...

Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine are two filmmakers who call D.C. home. They've made a name for themselves as writers, producers, and directors of documentary films, often for National Geographic and television, but their latest project has raised their profile far beyond the recognition of their previous work. War/Dance, for which the pair take joint directorial credit, has earned the couple a mantle's worth of awards this year, including the documentary directing prize at...

The rush to get out of D.C. to family Thanksgiving celebrations has already begun, but if you're still reading DCist, you're probably still at work and planning on leaving within the next 72 hours. Whether opening up that military airspace will really make a difference at Washington area airports remains to be seen, but WMATA has announced a special Thanksgiving weekend schedule that could stand to help out many of you trying to take public...

Before the curtain of the second performance of Washington National Opera's new production of Mozart's Don Giovanni on Monday night, conductor Plácido Domingo made an announcement. Happily, it was not to announce a cast change, but to draw the audience's attention to the fact that it was the 220th anniversary of the opera's first performance in Prague (October 29, 1787). This production is not likely to rank high on anyone's list of noteworthy versions of...

>> The ticketing level of Dulles airport was briefly evacuated this afternoon due to a suspicious package. The area has already been given an all-clear, but flight delays are expected to continue throughout tonight. [NBC4] >> Police arrested dozens of anti-war protesters on Captiol Hill this morning, making your morning commute craptastic. [WaPo] >> The U.S. Air Force and the Maryland wing of the Civil Air Patrol are conducting training drills over Washington through Wednesday,...

"The trouble with radicals,” goes a quote widely attributed to early 20th century economist Thomas Nixon Carver, “is that they only read radical literature, and the trouble with conservatives is that they don’t read anything.” That both sides of the political spectrum have proven that to be a lie will be apparent tomorrow tonight at the Trover Shop on Capitol Hill, which is hosting The Hill’s Sixth Annual Political Book Fair. Participating authors include current...

MONDAY: Atlantic Monthly correspondent Robert D. Kaplan will be at Politics and Prose to discuss his latest book, Hog Pilots, Blue Water Grunts. According to Kaplan, journalists are too quick to report on the negative aspects of the military. Commence with bickering over the Iraq war ... now. 7 p.m. TUESDAY: Blogger Diane Vadino will be at Olsson's in Dupont Circle to read from her first novel, Smart Girls Like Me. 7 p.m. She'll also...

>> Looking to practice your Spanish comprehension? The Permanent Mission of Guatemala to the OAS is hosting an interesting free movie screening tonight at the Art Museum of the Americas -- but be warned, the film does not have English subtitles. Donde Acaban Los Caminos is based on the autobiographical novel by Mario Monteforte Toledo, about a young man who arrives in San Pedro La Laguna during the military dictatorship in the first decades of...

Written by DCist Contributor Fredo Alvarez In a 60-39 cloture vote, the U.S. Senate barely passed the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 (S 1105) today as an amendment to the FY 2008 Defense Authorization Bill (HR 1585). The measure would expand protection against hate crimes to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, and would enable the Federal government to provide assistance in the investigation or prosecution of...

Although 192 protesters were arrested Saturday during the March to End the War and competing counter-protest by the Gathering of Eagles, by most measures turnout was low. The Post's Marc Fisher notes in his column that the small numbers of people who marched over the weekend is more a measure of a lack of enthusiasm for protesting in this country, rather than a lack of strong feelings against the war -- just visit any popular...

Via PreservationNation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has started a campaign to save the original Tomb of the Unknowns, or Tomb of the Unknown Soldier as it's commonly called, at Arlington National Cemetery. Who would want to mess with the tomb? According to the National Trust, it's the folks who run Arlington National Cemetery themselves, as well as Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) -- perhaps one of the senate's most famous military veterans and fathers...

Months after a fire gutted the interior of Eastern Market's South Hall and almost destroyed the District landmark, vendors will be back in business tomorrow in a temporary structure built across the street. The structure, which looks like a big white tent, cost $1.5 million and will be used while $25 million in repairs are completed on the South Hall, a process that could take up to two years. We're happy to see things slowly...

Last month we got a letter from reader Christine, who related the follwing story and asked us to look into it. I recently moved to Fairfax, VA to live with my parents until my marriage next month to a marine who is stationed at 8th and I Marine Barracks in SE. After their Friday evening parade, many of the guys like to grab a beer or two. This Friday, myself, my fiancee, and five others...

Good Monday morning to you, Washington. We can officially declare that the dog days of August have arrived today, now that the House has finally, finally adjourned for their summer break. News junkies will want to note that before heading home they passed a modified version of the defense budget, which will increase spending for defense health care and military housing, among a list of other expenditures. Of course what Washingtonians really care about is...

"Listen, not a year goes by, not a year, that I don't hear about some escalator accident involving some bastard kid which could have easily been avoided had some parent — I don't care which one — but some parent conditioned him to fear and respect that escalator." —Brodie, Mallrats I was conditioned perhaps a little too heavily to fear and respect the escalator. While I had no trouble riding up, getting on from the...

Was Ben Franklin a playa, and Thomas Jefferson a great lover? Was the route to independence from Britain wrought with as much inner political wrangling as any of today’s Congressional machinations? Should our national bird really have been the turkey? 1776, Keegan Theater's take on one of America’s most clever and underrated musicals, attempts to answer these questions through vividly imagined depictions of our founding fathers, and smart, lyrical songs; you have to love a...

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner are in town today, thanks to Affleck having agreed to be the commencement speaker at Falls Church High School. The WaPo explains that the actor agreed to lend an unusual amount of starpower to the high school graduation ceremony thanks to his friendship with Falls Church senior Joe Kindregan. Kindregan and Affleck met when the actor was filming 1998's Forces of Nature at Dulles Airport. Kindregan has ataxia-telangiectasia, a rare...

FRIDAY: >> We told you all about the Buzzlife White Party at Five yesterday, so follow the link for more details. >> ArtOutlet presents its first ever Flash animation film festival, called Flick, at Warehouse. Tim Bracken opens the event with an alt-country set at 7 p.m., with screenings from selected artists beginning at 8. $5 suggested donation, also Saturday. SATURDAY: >> Like we mentioned in this week's music agenda, the artwork of Mingering Mike,...

With military recruitment numbers continuing to spiral downward, this week's quote of the week got us thinking. All the military really needs is better marketing. You can't really envy their task in trying to get people to sign up for an unpopular war. Maybe they need to play down the grim realities. Play up the softer side of the military. Use things like the volleyball montage from Top Gun to show that doing your duty...

"Martin O'Malley signed the nation's first living wage law on Tuesday," read the Post this morning. Seems a little unfair, seeing as how the District passed its own living wage legislation back in January of 2006, a law which mandated that any firm receiving a District government contract in excess of $100,000 must pay its employees a minimum of $11.75 an hour. The Maryland law is similar; state contractors are required to pay workers $11.30 per hour in metropolitan areas such as Baltimore and D.C. and $8.50 per hour elsewhere. Governor O'Malley also happened to be a member of the Baltimore City Council back in 1994, when the city passed a landmark living wage law.

The park in downtown Washington, D.C. named for John "Black Jack" Pershing tends not to do justice to the man who achieved the highest rank of any person ever to serve in the United States military. In 1919, in recognition of his remarkable career and service in the Great War, Congress elected to promote General Pershing to the rank of General of the Armies—a position created especially for him. These days his namesake park, located...

On Friday, Deborah Jeane Palfrey made her much-hyped prime time television debut on 20/20, chatting with Brian Ross about her D.C. escort business but saying her "gals" didn't engage in illegal activities. Ross was a bit incredulous that she actually believed no sex was taking place, but Palfrey quickly confirmed that said face was indeed straight, pointing to a contract her escorts signed saying they would be fired if any criminal activity took place. While...

It's only 36 hours until Deborah Jeane Palfrey makes her national television debut on ABC's 20/20, and we're once again torn between hope and disappointment. You'll remember our yawns at the leak identifying Harlan "Shock and Awe" Ullman as a former client of Palfrey's escort service, Pamela Martin and Associates. The alleged madam then kicked up her media blitz by releasing a page of phone records and promising that her high profile customer list included "a Bush administration economist, the head of a conservative think tank, a prominent CEO, several lobbyists and a handful of military officials." It looked like we had a full-blown sex scandal on our hands. This morning, though, the guys over at Yeas & Nays are calling the story "a bust". Why?

Yesterday, alleged madam Deborah Jeane Palfrey asked the media to "put aside the titillation of the 'Who's Who' list -- at least in part -- and instead investigate the disturbing genesis, the confounding evolution and the equally alarming continuation of this matter." In response, the entire press corps found a litter of adorable puppies and reported live throughout the night. Well, not exactly. ABC News, which obtained Palfrey's client list and an exclusive interview, discussed...

>> Metrobus driver and five passengers injured in bus crash. No charges filed. [NBC4]