Time Traveler's Wife: Movie vs. Book

 So, opinions from any on the list who have read the book, watched the movie or both - Is it worth getting?

 I found a pretty nifty breakdown of the differences here.  I'm still uncertain.  It seems like they took out some of the parts of the book I enjoyed, especially changing the ending (although the book ending probably wouldn't have worked).  I'm also having a hard time picturing Ron Livingston as Gomez.

ETA: Just realized it's not very clear - I have read the book, and was wondering about whether to bother getting the movie.  That's what I get for posting too late!

 DV

Time for Some More Fun with Army Times Letters

 So, I finally managed to read this week's edition of the Times, and lo and behold, another letter related to the SPC Hutchinson issue.

 The original letter (and my initial response) is here.

 The letter I sent in (with the actual published bits in bold) is here.

 The letter that made me want to strangle someone yesterday:

PREGNANCY IS NO EXCUSE

I am writing in response to the Charge or Discharge article in which I saw an opinion from the field.

A SFC made a comment that it wasn't easy to deploy and leave your child in someone else's care.  I will agree that it is tougher for a single parent facing a deployment, but the fact of the matter is this: You know what you're doing when you sign the paperwork, and no one is immune from deployment.

If you refuse to honor the commitment that you swore to honor, there is no "charge or discharge" about it, you are to be held accountable for your actions. 

I am fairly sure her unit was given more than enough notice about the upcoming deployment.

 I'm not sure if they somehow got this from my letter or not, but what really annoys me is that I addressed this issue in my reply, and it was cut out for my letter to essentially teach Pregnancy in the Army 101.  I mean, I actually agreed with this writer that we're all deployable, and we all need to have a plan, but we know what happened to the letter.

 Hutchinson joined the Army.  She got pregnant at some point after that, and had a child.  She did not opt to get out while pregnant, and she HAD a family care plan that failed.  I can't speak to whether she actually planned to not deploy or not - the news stories tend to slant one direction or the other, and I'm sure none of them tell the whole story.  She is being charged with appropriate charges (missed movement for one).  Honestly, I think she should be chaptered out.  

 The Family Care Plan is a necessity.  Single parents (and dual-military couples) have to have one, because the job has requirements that are beyond what a civilian job has.  I drop my daughter off before five in the morning, and I pick her up after seven at night.  (She's in a in-home daycare.)  Sometimes, I'm going to have to work weekend days, or night shift, or be in the field for a week or more.  I have to have a backup plan.  Honestly, having a good back up plan means less stress for me.

 DV