I graduated!
We left Fort Leonard Wood without looking back and some friends of mine were kind enough to drop me off at the airport. We had some trouble finding it at first, so I got to see the St Louis Arch for the first time.
Staying at the USO, there were Privates everywhere, and a whole lot of Marines (some training at FLW like Engineer School and MP school all services come to train on) and they were telling me Marine Boot Camp horror stories from Parris Island. Don't know if they were embellishing a bit, they may have been, but I've always had a lot of respect for Jarheads and they were asking me and a couple of my buddies a lot of questions trying to get a comparison of how the Army and the Marines differ. Depending on where you go to Basic, whether you are in an all Male Unit or a Co-Ed unit, or if you're at Jackson, Leonard Wood, Benning, Sill or Knox, I get the impression it differs a bit from location to location. The training is the same, but how they get the message across may be a bit different.
DSS was a lot easier then I expected it to be, and a part of me wonders how I would have done if it had been harder (I'm not as young as I was when I was a private, obviously). I'm still frustrated about my stupid Sciatic Nerve, as I still can't fully step out on that leg when running so my run time completely sucks, but I'm feeling better and hopefully it will be alright by tomorrow. When I fly around some more.
I got a ton of pictures that the DSL's took while at training, I'll see about posting a few of them.
A blog about a girl who speaks her mind and talks about whatever she wants. So its a blog about everything, and absolutely nothing, all at the same time. . .
10.17.2007
10.12.2007
The Hat is Mine
PX. Saturday. 1300.
Bring your hat and badge.
But no, seriously, we were specifically told not to go to the PX and bait privates this weekend as we are not officially Drill Sergeants until Tuesday at 1400. So other then the brief moment we got to put on our hat and badge to take a class photo, we are not allowed to wear them out and about post.
We have been encouraged to wear them in our rooms and specifically get used to putting them on a certain way because when we graduate, there is a certain method of doing it that requires some practice so we are all uniform and don't look jacked the hell up.
I'm still getting used to the hat. But I think the Australian Bush style really suits me. Some of the females don't like them and expressed that they would rather have the Montana Peak that the guys wear, but I'm fine one way or the other. I'm just glad that after Tuesday, I don't have to wear the beret again until BNCOC.
Bring your hat and badge.
But no, seriously, we were specifically told not to go to the PX and bait privates this weekend as we are not officially Drill Sergeants until Tuesday at 1400. So other then the brief moment we got to put on our hat and badge to take a class photo, we are not allowed to wear them out and about post.
We have been encouraged to wear them in our rooms and specifically get used to putting them on a certain way because when we graduate, there is a certain method of doing it that requires some practice so we are all uniform and don't look jacked the hell up.
I'm still getting used to the hat. But I think the Australian Bush style really suits me. Some of the females don't like them and expressed that they would rather have the Montana Peak that the guys wear, but I'm fine one way or the other. I'm just glad that after Tuesday, I don't have to wear the beret again until BNCOC.
10.11.2007
Only a few days left!
So, what do I have planned for this weekend?
For one, I plan to sleep in until at least 9 on Saturday. This week has been exhaustive (though fun!) and I just need to recooperate and prepare for a lot of flying next week which will land me somewhere in South Carolina for a couple of weeks of non stop work doing what I came here to do, train privates!
Our training is complete (hallelujah!) all we have left to do is turn in all of the crap they've issued us, pray that CIF (central issue facility) accepts it, get issued some headgear, pack everything else, offer our constructive criticism, rehearse graduation, and graduate! Then I can yell at people for failing to call me Drill Sergeant!
I'll probably only enforce the Drill Sergeant bit with IET privates and DS Candidates though.
I feel like I've been repeatedly punched in the head for some reason.
For one, I plan to sleep in until at least 9 on Saturday. This week has been exhaustive (though fun!) and I just need to recooperate and prepare for a lot of flying next week which will land me somewhere in South Carolina for a couple of weeks of non stop work doing what I came here to do, train privates!
Our training is complete (hallelujah!) all we have left to do is turn in all of the crap they've issued us, pray that CIF (central issue facility) accepts it, get issued some headgear, pack everything else, offer our constructive criticism, rehearse graduation, and graduate! Then I can yell at people for failing to call me Drill Sergeant!
I'll probably only enforce the Drill Sergeant bit with IET privates and DS Candidates though.
I feel like I've been repeatedly punched in the head for some reason.
10.06.2007
Combatives R Us
So the update, for those who are curious.
My back still hurts. But I've sucked it up with the help of Motrin. Some days I don't notice it to much and other days I get really grumpy because my back feels like crap. But I can do most things I'm required to do except for run really.
Today we started Combatives. This was actually a lot of rolling around on a mat trying to get the dominant position and learning about chokes and such. I can now say I've been choked by a Drill Sergeant (he was allowed to for instructional purposes). Not fun. But good information to know, so me and my battle buddy went about doing blood chokes on each other and tapping out. That will take you down REAL quick.
But combatives was a lot of fun! Though not very good for my back.
In other news (waiting on the pictures which I will post) I got promoted! I'm now officially a Staff Sergeant!
The NCOER that I have commented about a couple of times just delayed it a bit, so I'm not to worried about having to Appeal it because I'll stay right here at Staff Sergeant for a few years and I'm just fine with that. I'm not ready to take that next jump to Sergeant First Class for a long while.
Just combatives all next week and I get my hat on Friday. :)
My back still hurts. But I've sucked it up with the help of Motrin. Some days I don't notice it to much and other days I get really grumpy because my back feels like crap. But I can do most things I'm required to do except for run really.
Today we started Combatives. This was actually a lot of rolling around on a mat trying to get the dominant position and learning about chokes and such. I can now say I've been choked by a Drill Sergeant (he was allowed to for instructional purposes). Not fun. But good information to know, so me and my battle buddy went about doing blood chokes on each other and tapping out. That will take you down REAL quick.
But combatives was a lot of fun! Though not very good for my back.
In other news (waiting on the pictures which I will post) I got promoted! I'm now officially a Staff Sergeant!
The NCOER that I have commented about a couple of times just delayed it a bit, so I'm not to worried about having to Appeal it because I'll stay right here at Staff Sergeant for a few years and I'm just fine with that. I'm not ready to take that next jump to Sergeant First Class for a long while.
Just combatives all next week and I get my hat on Friday. :)
9.29.2007
A Minor Rant About a Minor Injury
So, I've discovered I really like to rant. That was one of the reasons why I started a blog in the first place, it was a public area where I could just say what I wanted to and anybody who wished to read it could read it, and if they didn't want to read it, so what?
I just got off of a profile, and in my military career I've only been on a profile a handful of times, once I was ordered to go to sick call by my drill sergeants after smashing my face against the carrying handle of my M16 and started bleeding everywhere. Thus was my no Camouflage profile which was the only profile I held during Basic.
I didn't really want to go on profile this time, but I was having a strange pain in my back that really only bothered me when I tried to march or run. I wanted to suck it up and drive on as I thought it would go away but after a day and a half I decided I needed to get it looked at to make sure it wasn't anything to serious. Or if it wasn't, that it wouldn't develop into something more serious.
Turns out its a pinched nerve, the sciatic nerve going into my right hip. Its actually something I can handle, but they put me on a run/march/jump at your own pace profile just so I can rest it and get it back up. So I've been taking advantage of this and walking when I can and avoiding running when I can.
The problem is, my profile says seven days, and technically I'm not supposed to be on profile for longer then 72 hours or I risk being kicked out of the school, even though this does not hinder my ability to do the training, I just avoid running for a couple of days, thats all. But because it says 7 days, I have to tear up the profile and pretend it doesn't exist. So I guess that's what I'm going to do.
I think the army has this mentality of toughness to suck it up if you are hurt and just keep driving on. While that's ok for the most part, especially if you know its just a bruise or a minor injury, it's also ok to check something out if you need to, your body uses pain as a way of telling you that something is wrong. So I went to sick call and checked out my back to make sure it was nothing serious, and to get it documented just in case it was and it turns out it isn't a big deal. But now I feel like I'm being told that I'm dogshit by my Senior Drill Sergeant because I didn't just suck it up and take it, instead getting a profile.
I don't know much about the sciatic nerve or the injury I got, but I was told that if I didn't rest it that it could get worse so I took advantage of the last couple of days and rested myself as much as I could. So sue me, if I don't feel better by Monday, then I'll suck it up then. I didn't miss any training to utilize sick call, I made sure training was done for the day before I asked to go.
More went into this issue with this little chat I had with the Senior, with which I won't discuss here, but we'll say I didn't gain any more respect for the person because of it.
I just got off of a profile, and in my military career I've only been on a profile a handful of times, once I was ordered to go to sick call by my drill sergeants after smashing my face against the carrying handle of my M16 and started bleeding everywhere. Thus was my no Camouflage profile which was the only profile I held during Basic.
I didn't really want to go on profile this time, but I was having a strange pain in my back that really only bothered me when I tried to march or run. I wanted to suck it up and drive on as I thought it would go away but after a day and a half I decided I needed to get it looked at to make sure it wasn't anything to serious. Or if it wasn't, that it wouldn't develop into something more serious.
Turns out its a pinched nerve, the sciatic nerve going into my right hip. Its actually something I can handle, but they put me on a run/march/jump at your own pace profile just so I can rest it and get it back up. So I've been taking advantage of this and walking when I can and avoiding running when I can.
The problem is, my profile says seven days, and technically I'm not supposed to be on profile for longer then 72 hours or I risk being kicked out of the school, even though this does not hinder my ability to do the training, I just avoid running for a couple of days, thats all. But because it says 7 days, I have to tear up the profile and pretend it doesn't exist. So I guess that's what I'm going to do.
I think the army has this mentality of toughness to suck it up if you are hurt and just keep driving on. While that's ok for the most part, especially if you know its just a bruise or a minor injury, it's also ok to check something out if you need to, your body uses pain as a way of telling you that something is wrong. So I went to sick call and checked out my back to make sure it was nothing serious, and to get it documented just in case it was and it turns out it isn't a big deal. But now I feel like I'm being told that I'm dogshit by my Senior Drill Sergeant because I didn't just suck it up and take it, instead getting a profile.
I don't know much about the sciatic nerve or the injury I got, but I was told that if I didn't rest it that it could get worse so I took advantage of the last couple of days and rested myself as much as I could. So sue me, if I don't feel better by Monday, then I'll suck it up then. I didn't miss any training to utilize sick call, I made sure training was done for the day before I asked to go.
More went into this issue with this little chat I had with the Senior, with which I won't discuss here, but we'll say I didn't gain any more respect for the person because of it.
9.28.2007
Why Haven't the Bush Twins Enlisted?
Ok, in the Blame Bush category, everybody harps on how Bush is this major war hawk and how he went into Iraq under false pretenses and is over stretching the army and all of this mumbo jumbo and then they claim that they need to inact the draft starting with the Bush twins, as if Bush is so eager to go to War, he should send his daughters there first.
Ok, this logic is kind of twisted in several ways. For one, it is somewhat impractical for Jenna or Barbara to enlist. Furthermore, you know how many women enlist in the army in the first place? Not very many. In a country of 300 million people, there is something like 1.5 million people serving in our armed forces at any given time(that number may or may not be correct, but there abouts, bare with me). I think the demographic of women to men is that 15% of the military is female (again, an estimate, bare with me). If they inact the draft, they aren't going to draft women right away because women are barred from the combat arms and that's what they are primarily going to be drafting for most likely if they need a draft. Yes, they will need to fill other positions in the service support branches, but the first target is males.
Regardless, back to the original statement, a very small percentage of women in the US are even in the military. True, there are many who have served at some point and have gotten out but even with those into consideration, so giving a very liberal estimation, we'll say that 5% of American women have served in the US Military at some point in their lives. My point? So what if Jenna and Barbara Bush haven't joined the military to serve their country? There are a lot of people who haven't. It doesn't make them any more or less American. Everybody who gives me the BS statement that if you support the war, why aren't you or your kids serving in the military and fighting it? Well, there are a lot of Americans in this country, some support the war and some don't. But going back to the small percentage of Americans who are actually in the military, it stands to reason that some people who support the war have a family member serving and others do not.
Guess what? The Army is not for everybody. There are plenty of people out there that have no business being in the military because their personality or issues they may or may not have are incompatible with it. Maybe they are just scared of being shot at. Joining the Army is not a small matter, it takes a special kind of person to gather that much courage to think about enlisting, and yes, there are people out there who join the army because they don't know what else to do. It doesn't make them any less of a person and they can become better for it.
And besides, if Jenna and Barbara Bush did join the army, can you think of the secret service mess that would cause? Would it even be logical for them to join? Specifically enlist? I mean, seriously, how many children of Presidents enlisted in times of war? I could see them possibly becoming officers if the desire struck them to do that instead, but really. . .
Using this argument against Bush is actually kind of dumb. I wish people would stop muttering about how hypocritical he was for sending our men and women of the armed forces to war when he doesn't have his own daughters serving.
I can just imagine the nightmare that would be for the Drill Sergeants who would have to train them if they did decide to do such a thing.
Case in point, shut up about it already. Its not a big deal that the Bush Twins have never served in the military. Members of the Bush family have served in the past and I bet their might be a cousin or another relative serving now.
*yes, a rant, saw some special on one of the cable news networks interviewing Jenna on why she hadn't enlisted yet and I thought it was ridiculous.*
Ok, this logic is kind of twisted in several ways. For one, it is somewhat impractical for Jenna or Barbara to enlist. Furthermore, you know how many women enlist in the army in the first place? Not very many. In a country of 300 million people, there is something like 1.5 million people serving in our armed forces at any given time(that number may or may not be correct, but there abouts, bare with me). I think the demographic of women to men is that 15% of the military is female (again, an estimate, bare with me). If they inact the draft, they aren't going to draft women right away because women are barred from the combat arms and that's what they are primarily going to be drafting for most likely if they need a draft. Yes, they will need to fill other positions in the service support branches, but the first target is males.
Regardless, back to the original statement, a very small percentage of women in the US are even in the military. True, there are many who have served at some point and have gotten out but even with those into consideration, so giving a very liberal estimation, we'll say that 5% of American women have served in the US Military at some point in their lives. My point? So what if Jenna and Barbara Bush haven't joined the military to serve their country? There are a lot of people who haven't. It doesn't make them any more or less American. Everybody who gives me the BS statement that if you support the war, why aren't you or your kids serving in the military and fighting it? Well, there are a lot of Americans in this country, some support the war and some don't. But going back to the small percentage of Americans who are actually in the military, it stands to reason that some people who support the war have a family member serving and others do not.
Guess what? The Army is not for everybody. There are plenty of people out there that have no business being in the military because their personality or issues they may or may not have are incompatible with it. Maybe they are just scared of being shot at. Joining the Army is not a small matter, it takes a special kind of person to gather that much courage to think about enlisting, and yes, there are people out there who join the army because they don't know what else to do. It doesn't make them any less of a person and they can become better for it.
And besides, if Jenna and Barbara Bush did join the army, can you think of the secret service mess that would cause? Would it even be logical for them to join? Specifically enlist? I mean, seriously, how many children of Presidents enlisted in times of war? I could see them possibly becoming officers if the desire struck them to do that instead, but really. . .
Using this argument against Bush is actually kind of dumb. I wish people would stop muttering about how hypocritical he was for sending our men and women of the armed forces to war when he doesn't have his own daughters serving.
I can just imagine the nightmare that would be for the Drill Sergeants who would have to train them if they did decide to do such a thing.
Case in point, shut up about it already. Its not a big deal that the Bush Twins have never served in the military. Members of the Bush family have served in the past and I bet their might be a cousin or another relative serving now.
*yes, a rant, saw some special on one of the cable news networks interviewing Jenna on why she hadn't enlisted yet and I thought it was ridiculous.*
9.24.2007
Running and an Update on Army Life
I'm quite pleased with myself, though truthfully when I first came here I was hoping to do better, but there is only so much you can expect from yourself.
I came here with far from stellar PT scores on my Army Physical Fitness Test. In fact, I came to this school on a Failed Run. So I have had to work my butt off to get back into shape so that I could do ok when I got here.
So I ran my ass off before coming to this school, every day before I left I ran at least one mile, sometimes sprinting sections of it, taking a quarter mile and trying to get it to as close to two minutes as I could get (easy the first time, harder as I did it more and more) so that when I got to school, I had shaved two minutes off my run time in two weeks.
I was pumped about that, and then the second phase was shaving more time off so that I would get in the 90s in each event.
I'll be honest, the PT here isn't entirely difficult and I don't feel like its pushing me, but I do see a lot of improvement. I'm 3 pushups away from my 90, i'm two situps away from 100, and if I can shave 16 seconds off my run time for another 90, I'll be eligable for commandants list when I got to BNCOC. Commandants list was a goal of mine here too, but my performance hasn't been satisfactory considering I am very inexperienced for the caliber of soldiers that are here (but I'm not the worst off by any means). I wanted to get 90 in each event while I was here, but I'm not upset, far from it, I was pumped to get the scores I did as it shows how much I have improved physically since I have been here.
Now I need to maintain my physical fitness, which will probably mean doing PT with the Privates when I hit the trail in October. Maintaining my physical fitness level will probably be the toughest thing to do once I get back home but my health is worth it. It will be a great snowboarding season, I feel like I'm in the best shape I've been in in a long time.
Run Times for the two Mile
AUG 4 - 20:26 (yikes!)
AUG 17 - 18:20
SEP 7 - 17:59
SEP 24 - 16:52 (best runtime I've had in years!)
My goal is to get that runtime under 16 minutes, which is doable if I keep at it. If I do time on the trail, I have learned that there are opportunities to go to schools that I have always wanted to attend (like Airborne). I will not volunteer for that school unless I know I can handle the run and if my run is under 16 minutes, I know I can do it. Next year might be a crazy year for me if I end up doing this full time. It's still a maybe, barring other opportunities prevent me from volunteering to train soldiers as a full time job, but if I'm motivated and feel like I know what I'm doing and have a desire to be there, I know I can do it.
Once upon a time when I joined the army, I had this deep motivation to get as much crap on my uniform as possible, I wanted to be a drill sergeant, I wanted to have a huge stack with Airborne and Air Assault and all of those gung-ho schools and everything. I think I suffer from Combat Patch envy, and knowing that I probably won't have one is kind of a bummer especially with a school such as this, but now that I'm here, as long as I can stay motivated, these last three weeks should be a breeze. It will be tough, and I'll probably get the snot kicked out of me during combatives, but I'm ready for it!
I came here with far from stellar PT scores on my Army Physical Fitness Test. In fact, I came to this school on a Failed Run. So I have had to work my butt off to get back into shape so that I could do ok when I got here.
So I ran my ass off before coming to this school, every day before I left I ran at least one mile, sometimes sprinting sections of it, taking a quarter mile and trying to get it to as close to two minutes as I could get (easy the first time, harder as I did it more and more) so that when I got to school, I had shaved two minutes off my run time in two weeks.
I was pumped about that, and then the second phase was shaving more time off so that I would get in the 90s in each event.
I'll be honest, the PT here isn't entirely difficult and I don't feel like its pushing me, but I do see a lot of improvement. I'm 3 pushups away from my 90, i'm two situps away from 100, and if I can shave 16 seconds off my run time for another 90, I'll be eligable for commandants list when I got to BNCOC. Commandants list was a goal of mine here too, but my performance hasn't been satisfactory considering I am very inexperienced for the caliber of soldiers that are here (but I'm not the worst off by any means). I wanted to get 90 in each event while I was here, but I'm not upset, far from it, I was pumped to get the scores I did as it shows how much I have improved physically since I have been here.
Now I need to maintain my physical fitness, which will probably mean doing PT with the Privates when I hit the trail in October. Maintaining my physical fitness level will probably be the toughest thing to do once I get back home but my health is worth it. It will be a great snowboarding season, I feel like I'm in the best shape I've been in in a long time.
Run Times for the two Mile
AUG 4 - 20:26 (yikes!)
AUG 17 - 18:20
SEP 7 - 17:59
SEP 24 - 16:52 (best runtime I've had in years!)
My goal is to get that runtime under 16 minutes, which is doable if I keep at it. If I do time on the trail, I have learned that there are opportunities to go to schools that I have always wanted to attend (like Airborne). I will not volunteer for that school unless I know I can handle the run and if my run is under 16 minutes, I know I can do it. Next year might be a crazy year for me if I end up doing this full time. It's still a maybe, barring other opportunities prevent me from volunteering to train soldiers as a full time job, but if I'm motivated and feel like I know what I'm doing and have a desire to be there, I know I can do it.
Once upon a time when I joined the army, I had this deep motivation to get as much crap on my uniform as possible, I wanted to be a drill sergeant, I wanted to have a huge stack with Airborne and Air Assault and all of those gung-ho schools and everything. I think I suffer from Combat Patch envy, and knowing that I probably won't have one is kind of a bummer especially with a school such as this, but now that I'm here, as long as I can stay motivated, these last three weeks should be a breeze. It will be tough, and I'll probably get the snot kicked out of me during combatives, but I'm ready for it!
9.23.2007
So. . .
So, I'm still hanging in here. Things are going smoothly on some days, and others I have the intense desire to do bodily harm on some of the people surrounding me. But I have contained my destructive urges and have endured the school for the most part. But I do understand now why Drill Sergeants are so angry all of the time. This school doesn't help matters.
So, a few things have happened since I last blogged, and actually since before then. If all goes well and I get my hat (which it is a 99% chance I get it unless I completely screw up and get a DUI or something dumb like that) I will be hitting the trail right away for at least two weeks, option to extend longer if I want to once I'm there, and I think I'll take them up on that as any experience I get on the trail will make me better at this job as that's what I really need, experience.
Funny thing happened to me today. I ran into somebody at church today who had read my blog from apparently my 'Not Sorry' days. Good thing I was in church clothes because if I had been in uniform I would have dropped him :P.
Ok, probably not, but if I get any privates in my company who mention anything about knowing my internet persona, I think I will drop them.
So, a few things have happened since I last blogged, and actually since before then. If all goes well and I get my hat (which it is a 99% chance I get it unless I completely screw up and get a DUI or something dumb like that) I will be hitting the trail right away for at least two weeks, option to extend longer if I want to once I'm there, and I think I'll take them up on that as any experience I get on the trail will make me better at this job as that's what I really need, experience.
Funny thing happened to me today. I ran into somebody at church today who had read my blog from apparently my 'Not Sorry' days. Good thing I was in church clothes because if I had been in uniform I would have dropped him :P.
Ok, probably not, but if I get any privates in my company who mention anything about knowing my internet persona, I think I will drop them.
Heroes
So, I found Heroes S1 in my possession and watched it this weekend (I had a little free time) and I'm hooked.
I knew this would happen, it was bound to happen, it looked like a tv series that I would get hooked on and indeed I did.
Season 2 premiers tomorrow. Not sure if I will watch it or not but I can attest that this is one tv series that is very addictive. Highly recommended, unless you don't have time like myself to be watching a tv series, and therefore, if that is the case, stay FAR AWAY!
If I have time tomorrow after work and I'm not overwhelmed with other things, I think I might try to catch it. Otherwise, well, I might just wait until season 2 comes out on dvd sometime next year.
I knew this would happen, it was bound to happen, it looked like a tv series that I would get hooked on and indeed I did.
Season 2 premiers tomorrow. Not sure if I will watch it or not but I can attest that this is one tv series that is very addictive. Highly recommended, unless you don't have time like myself to be watching a tv series, and therefore, if that is the case, stay FAR AWAY!
If I have time tomorrow after work and I'm not overwhelmed with other things, I think I might try to catch it. Otherwise, well, I might just wait until season 2 comes out on dvd sometime next year.
9.14.2007
What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?
Somebody showed this to me and I looked into it and this is what popped out. Hmm. I think I need to take it again because I have a tendency to be somewhat vague with my answers.
Since I'm constantly wondering to myself what should I do with my life, I found it to be beneficial information.
1. Go to http://www.careercruising.com/.
2. Put in Username: nycareers, Password: landmark.
3. Take their "Career Matchmaker" questions.
4. Post the top twenty results (in order).
Number 40 was Infantry. I find that amusing.
1.Horse Trainer
2.Professor
3.Horticulturist
4.Kinesiologist
5.Zookeeper
6.Website Designer
7.ESL Teacher
8.Foreign Language Instructor
9.Desktop Publisher
10.Animal Trainer
11.Animal Caretaker
12.Shipping and Receiving Clerk
13.Music Teacher / Instructor
14.Industrial Designer
15.Computer Trainer
16.Corporate Trainer
17.Animator
18.Cartoonist / Comic Illustrator
19.Criminologist
20.Interior Designer
Horse Trainer was the number one pick, which is interesting because when I was a girl of 12 and a complete horse nut, that's what I wanted to do. Obviously I love animals and everything. Art Teacher didn't come up, but Music Teacher did, considering my musical skills are limited this was amusing to me.
I should take it again in a few days, see if something else comes up.
See if I can't get Drill Sergeant in there.
Since I'm constantly wondering to myself what should I do with my life, I found it to be beneficial information.
1. Go to http://www.careercruising.com/.
2. Put in Username: nycareers, Password: landmark.
3. Take their "Career Matchmaker" questions.
4. Post the top twenty results (in order).
Number 40 was Infantry. I find that amusing.
1.Horse Trainer
2.Professor
3.Horticulturist
4.Kinesiologist
5.Zookeeper
6.Website Designer
7.ESL Teacher
8.Foreign Language Instructor
9.Desktop Publisher
10.Animal Trainer
11.Animal Caretaker
12.Shipping and Receiving Clerk
13.Music Teacher / Instructor
14.Industrial Designer
15.Computer Trainer
16.Corporate Trainer
17.Animator
18.Cartoonist / Comic Illustrator
19.Criminologist
20.Interior Designer
Horse Trainer was the number one pick, which is interesting because when I was a girl of 12 and a complete horse nut, that's what I wanted to do. Obviously I love animals and everything. Art Teacher didn't come up, but Music Teacher did, considering my musical skills are limited this was amusing to me.
I should take it again in a few days, see if something else comes up.
See if I can't get Drill Sergeant in there.
9.13.2007
Strengths and Weaknesses
So, how am I doing?
As you can see, I've kind of toned down my blogging, mostly because I've been busy. And I'm doing a lot better. I had a bad week in there, unfortunately it was the week I was rated for Leadership and so I got bad marks on my Leadership skills, probably partly due to the fact that I let my bad mood get in the way.
You live and learn. I know I'm weak on Leadership, its hard when you haven't had consistent leadership in the past. But it is an area I'm aware I'm weak in so that means I can work on improving in that area. In fact, this school is highlighting a lot of my weak areas, which unfortunately are standing out more so then my strengths, because I have the mentality of a Specialist in a lot of ways and haven't had a lot of Joes to take care of, and in this school, its not a mentality I should have. I have to get into that Sergeant mode. I know I have it in me, I just have to get immersed in it, and I'll have a lot of time to do just that.
So Saturday is roughly the halfway point (I may have mentioned last week that it was the halfway point then but I was wrong, grr) and the Drills have lightened up and now things are going a lot smoother. Now that I look back and recall Basic, my first few weeks there were no walk in the park too, and I think it was for a lot of the same reasons, basically because of the type of personality I have and the person I am. I am very motivated when I'm doing something I enjoy and now that we are getting into the hands on stuff, I'm enjoying myself. This is a hard job, I can see that I can't get into my lazy moments if I want to do this (and I have plenty of those) but I can also see the rewarding factors with it as well. I think once I get out on the trail, if I have battle buddies on the trail with me worth their weight, I can have a really satisfying experience out there on the trail.
I just need to work on leadership, teamwork and delegation. And a few other things.
I need to update my Milblog, I've been so busy and my schedules been so crazy I haven't been able to touch it.
As you can see, I've kind of toned down my blogging, mostly because I've been busy. And I'm doing a lot better. I had a bad week in there, unfortunately it was the week I was rated for Leadership and so I got bad marks on my Leadership skills, probably partly due to the fact that I let my bad mood get in the way.
You live and learn. I know I'm weak on Leadership, its hard when you haven't had consistent leadership in the past. But it is an area I'm aware I'm weak in so that means I can work on improving in that area. In fact, this school is highlighting a lot of my weak areas, which unfortunately are standing out more so then my strengths, because I have the mentality of a Specialist in a lot of ways and haven't had a lot of Joes to take care of, and in this school, its not a mentality I should have. I have to get into that Sergeant mode. I know I have it in me, I just have to get immersed in it, and I'll have a lot of time to do just that.
So Saturday is roughly the halfway point (I may have mentioned last week that it was the halfway point then but I was wrong, grr) and the Drills have lightened up and now things are going a lot smoother. Now that I look back and recall Basic, my first few weeks there were no walk in the park too, and I think it was for a lot of the same reasons, basically because of the type of personality I have and the person I am. I am very motivated when I'm doing something I enjoy and now that we are getting into the hands on stuff, I'm enjoying myself. This is a hard job, I can see that I can't get into my lazy moments if I want to do this (and I have plenty of those) but I can also see the rewarding factors with it as well. I think once I get out on the trail, if I have battle buddies on the trail with me worth their weight, I can have a really satisfying experience out there on the trail.
I just need to work on leadership, teamwork and delegation. And a few other things.
I need to update my Milblog, I've been so busy and my schedules been so crazy I haven't been able to touch it.
Gossip
Alright, I have a confession to make.
I read Perez Hilton
What got me started on Perez Hilton was the whole Britney Spears shaving her head debacle. I found this gossip website that is no holds barred and I was all "dude, this guy is funny!" It didn't help matters when they made me Magazine Girl at my work and I kept pretty current on all the gossip rags there too. I couldn't resist, my life was far from extremely exciting at the time and some of this stuff is stranger then fiction!
Case in point, Britney Spears. Lindsay Lohan is another interesting cookie that I admit when she first came out as a child actor in Parent Trap I really liked. I don't like her much more, though I've never really liked Britney Spears but these people dig their own graves.
So, I guess the question is, why does society get caught up in the lives of spoiled and pampered super celebrities that are in the middle of career suicide? Why don't we get concerned with the important events of today like War and Poverty and Hunger and Disease and all of these issues that affect millions of people and become more aware of what is happening in Government, etc etc? Really, people are always harping on those that follow gossip rags about how they don't know anything about what's going on in the world other then the fact that Britney went out without underwear again.
To tell you the honest truth, I personally don't see a problem with getting caught up in the gossip. Why? Because it is something to do! Yes, it is important to stay in tune to current events but the problem with war and hunger and all of those things is that the only way to bring people's attention back to it is to shock them with it, and you can only shock a person so many times with this stuff until they move on to something else. People in general have a short attention span, you can only go on about a subject for so long before they grow tired and look towards something else to catch their attention. The War was big in a lot of people's minds back in 2001 and 2002, but as it drags on, news of what is happening over in the sandbox becomes routine for society that when they see it on the cover of their newspaper, they shrug their shoulders and turn the page to see what else is going on. It's sad, but the fact remains, people are going to be drawn to news that is fresh and different then the same old routine unless you can change it up a bit. People don't get appalled when you spout of statistics about the AIDS Epidemic in Africa because its been harped about for years that it doesn't catch interest anymore, even if it is important.
No, what they want is to be entertained, and unfortunately, the people who entertain is people like Britney Spears and her mess of a personal life. I'm sure she loves the attention, why else would she make such a spectacle of herself?
As long as they are entertaining, yes, I'll keep reading the gossip rags and websites like Perez Hilton.
I read Perez Hilton
What got me started on Perez Hilton was the whole Britney Spears shaving her head debacle. I found this gossip website that is no holds barred and I was all "dude, this guy is funny!" It didn't help matters when they made me Magazine Girl at my work and I kept pretty current on all the gossip rags there too. I couldn't resist, my life was far from extremely exciting at the time and some of this stuff is stranger then fiction!
Case in point, Britney Spears. Lindsay Lohan is another interesting cookie that I admit when she first came out as a child actor in Parent Trap I really liked. I don't like her much more, though I've never really liked Britney Spears but these people dig their own graves.
So, I guess the question is, why does society get caught up in the lives of spoiled and pampered super celebrities that are in the middle of career suicide? Why don't we get concerned with the important events of today like War and Poverty and Hunger and Disease and all of these issues that affect millions of people and become more aware of what is happening in Government, etc etc? Really, people are always harping on those that follow gossip rags about how they don't know anything about what's going on in the world other then the fact that Britney went out without underwear again.
To tell you the honest truth, I personally don't see a problem with getting caught up in the gossip. Why? Because it is something to do! Yes, it is important to stay in tune to current events but the problem with war and hunger and all of those things is that the only way to bring people's attention back to it is to shock them with it, and you can only shock a person so many times with this stuff until they move on to something else. People in general have a short attention span, you can only go on about a subject for so long before they grow tired and look towards something else to catch their attention. The War was big in a lot of people's minds back in 2001 and 2002, but as it drags on, news of what is happening over in the sandbox becomes routine for society that when they see it on the cover of their newspaper, they shrug their shoulders and turn the page to see what else is going on. It's sad, but the fact remains, people are going to be drawn to news that is fresh and different then the same old routine unless you can change it up a bit. People don't get appalled when you spout of statistics about the AIDS Epidemic in Africa because its been harped about for years that it doesn't catch interest anymore, even if it is important.
No, what they want is to be entertained, and unfortunately, the people who entertain is people like Britney Spears and her mess of a personal life. I'm sure she loves the attention, why else would she make such a spectacle of herself?
As long as they are entertaining, yes, I'll keep reading the gossip rags and websites like Perez Hilton.
9.05.2007
What Makes a Drill Sergeant?
So, what makes a Real Drill Sergeant?
I don't know, but as long as I go through the freakin' active duty school and get my hat and badge, I guess that will officially make me a Drill Sergeant, until I do something stupid like sleep with a private or trainee abuse and get it taken away. Which I don't intend to do.
Now granted, I doubt I'll be winning any drill sergeant of the cycle awards or anything like that, as I'm far from a subject matter expert on all things military, but I can learn, and if I'm motivated, I can do the right thing.
I can get into a pessimistic attitude, but the only thing I have to remember is this is a game and when it's all said and done, I'll have a hat and badge and will hopefully be competent enough to train soldiers on how to fight a war. I can bring the mean on if I need to. I know deep down I can do this job. And if I do it, I'll probably be doing it for the next five years.
And there are all sorts of drill sergeants in the army. There are some outstanding ones and there are some lackluster ones and there are some that have no business training privates. The army says they need to fill a slot so there they are.
There are a few soldiers in this school that I can't picture being Drill Sergeants. And there are others that are going to make outstanding Drill Sergeants. I should have come to this school more prepared then I was but now that I'm here, I'm going to try to push myself and be a better NCO because of it. I already know this school is going to make me a better NCO, and I want that hat and badge.
So upon graduation, I may not be the best Drill Sergeant this army has to offer, but with time and hard work, I intend to at least be a good one.
I don't know, but as long as I go through the freakin' active duty school and get my hat and badge, I guess that will officially make me a Drill Sergeant, until I do something stupid like sleep with a private or trainee abuse and get it taken away. Which I don't intend to do.
Now granted, I doubt I'll be winning any drill sergeant of the cycle awards or anything like that, as I'm far from a subject matter expert on all things military, but I can learn, and if I'm motivated, I can do the right thing.
I can get into a pessimistic attitude, but the only thing I have to remember is this is a game and when it's all said and done, I'll have a hat and badge and will hopefully be competent enough to train soldiers on how to fight a war. I can bring the mean on if I need to. I know deep down I can do this job. And if I do it, I'll probably be doing it for the next five years.
And there are all sorts of drill sergeants in the army. There are some outstanding ones and there are some lackluster ones and there are some that have no business training privates. The army says they need to fill a slot so there they are.
There are a few soldiers in this school that I can't picture being Drill Sergeants. And there are others that are going to make outstanding Drill Sergeants. I should have come to this school more prepared then I was but now that I'm here, I'm going to try to push myself and be a better NCO because of it. I already know this school is going to make me a better NCO, and I want that hat and badge.
So upon graduation, I may not be the best Drill Sergeant this army has to offer, but with time and hard work, I intend to at least be a good one.
One Day at a Time
So, that's my new motto. Just take it one day at a time.
We're out of the classroom and doing more field work, and I admit that in basic training my weak area was the class room, because I was prone to the zzz monster there. Here I've gained enough discipline not to conk out into a full blown coma every day so now that we're out of the classroom, well, we're doing ranges now. Ranges is what I like, heck, this is why I wanted to become a drill sergeant.
Yesterday was a not so good day, and I was frustrated with myself and just grumpy and overall not a happy ball of sunshine. I've noticed that PT in the mornings generally start the mood off right. If I stay out of the drill sergeant's radar for pt, I usually do ok. Often times, even if I think I'm doing the right thing, and I get yelled at, it just puts me in a freakin' grump fest for the rest of the day. Like yesterday.
Today was different. One, well, PT went nice and smoothly. And two, bayonet.
The bayonet course is one of those things in the army that they really don't use anymore. I mean seriously, can you imagine soldiers fixing bayonets and fighting with them in Iraq? If you have to fix bayonets, then you're screwed. The whole reason for the bayonet course in basic is to motivate soldiers, because it's an army thing and it's fun!
The Bayonet course was one of my favorite things about basic training initially, and its partly the mood of the course, where you yell 'kill' at random and growl, hiss, spit and make menacing gestures to your opponent (another soldier or a figure made out of old tires). Its a course that is purely about motivation.
When you go through these courses as a Drill Sergeant rather then a private, I notice they go a lot faster though.
Anyway, for the next couple weeks I'll probably be saying 'kill' at random moments. I let off a lot of steam and just felt good after ramming a bayonet into a tire a few dozen times while screaming myself hoarse. One of the drill sergeants got a picture of me in full bayonet i wanna kill somebody mode and I kind of want to get a copy of that picture (or pictures, depending on how many she took) but it was a freakin' fun course! One of those things that gets you motivated to be a drill sergeant again and to do this job.
So I'm motivated again. And I'm just going to focus on this one day at a time. Some days are going to be awesome, other days are just going to suck. Fortunately, we have maybe five more days in the class room before the end of the class so I just have to behave myself, say 'yes drill sergeant' and 'no drill sergeant' and all questions that are asked of me that are not able to be answered by a simple yes or no are purely rhetorical and therefore I just need to remain silent. (unless they genuinely want an answer)
We are getting to mingle more and more with the privates. The privates are kind of fun, in a panicky snap to parade rest because they have a deep fear of you sort of way.
We're out of the classroom and doing more field work, and I admit that in basic training my weak area was the class room, because I was prone to the zzz monster there. Here I've gained enough discipline not to conk out into a full blown coma every day so now that we're out of the classroom, well, we're doing ranges now. Ranges is what I like, heck, this is why I wanted to become a drill sergeant.
Yesterday was a not so good day, and I was frustrated with myself and just grumpy and overall not a happy ball of sunshine. I've noticed that PT in the mornings generally start the mood off right. If I stay out of the drill sergeant's radar for pt, I usually do ok. Often times, even if I think I'm doing the right thing, and I get yelled at, it just puts me in a freakin' grump fest for the rest of the day. Like yesterday.
Today was different. One, well, PT went nice and smoothly. And two, bayonet.
The bayonet course is one of those things in the army that they really don't use anymore. I mean seriously, can you imagine soldiers fixing bayonets and fighting with them in Iraq? If you have to fix bayonets, then you're screwed. The whole reason for the bayonet course in basic is to motivate soldiers, because it's an army thing and it's fun!
The Bayonet course was one of my favorite things about basic training initially, and its partly the mood of the course, where you yell 'kill' at random and growl, hiss, spit and make menacing gestures to your opponent (another soldier or a figure made out of old tires). Its a course that is purely about motivation.
When you go through these courses as a Drill Sergeant rather then a private, I notice they go a lot faster though.
Anyway, for the next couple weeks I'll probably be saying 'kill' at random moments. I let off a lot of steam and just felt good after ramming a bayonet into a tire a few dozen times while screaming myself hoarse. One of the drill sergeants got a picture of me in full bayonet i wanna kill somebody mode and I kind of want to get a copy of that picture (or pictures, depending on how many she took) but it was a freakin' fun course! One of those things that gets you motivated to be a drill sergeant again and to do this job.
So I'm motivated again. And I'm just going to focus on this one day at a time. Some days are going to be awesome, other days are just going to suck. Fortunately, we have maybe five more days in the class room before the end of the class so I just have to behave myself, say 'yes drill sergeant' and 'no drill sergeant' and all questions that are asked of me that are not able to be answered by a simple yes or no are purely rhetorical and therefore I just need to remain silent. (unless they genuinely want an answer)
We are getting to mingle more and more with the privates. The privates are kind of fun, in a panicky snap to parade rest because they have a deep fear of you sort of way.
9.04.2007
Still Training
I've run into a problem while I've been here at Fort Leonard Wood.
I've got a double whammy going against me. I'm female, and I'm a reservist.
Now, normally, I wouldn't want to use that as an excuse, but it is my own lame excuse for how I'm feeling right now. Females are automatically treated differently in this environment, and because females are the weaker sex and have to prove themselves in a male dominated environment like this. Now if I was an active duty soldier, I don't think this would be such an issue, because I would be more used to it and I could buck it up and do what I have to do.
But I'm not. I'm a reservist. Meaning I play this game one weekend a month. And when I'm not going to the drill hall playing soldier, I work a part time job at a retail gig and I go to school full time. I have a life (yeah, a lame one, but one none the less) outside of the army. I'm an independent thinker. I have to know what's going on and why. And often times, especially from being screwed over by former NCOICs in the past (namely one) I feel the need to constantly defend myself and my actions. Which is precisely not the mindset one needs to have in a school like this.
What am I getting at? Well, as much as I would like to say I'm a gung-ho, badass, super soldier, I'm not. This school is trying me at every turn and I've discovered since I've been here that I'm not the same person I was when I was a 19 year old private entering basic combat training. This was the kind of thing I wanted to do back then. I'm discovering that it isn't so much what I want to do now.
My goal is to get my hat and go back to my unit. If things start looking up or I can get a complete change of attitude, I might volunteer for a year deployment downrange, but right now, I don't think its something I want to do. I do know that I have to get my hat, this is not an option. I have to get it so I'm going to keep going with this school whether I have a change of heart or not. I just got to keep a level head and try to get my motivation back.
We're in week four now. This school has definitely had its ups and downs. Unfortunately, more downs then ups. Not a cake walk. I was hoping it would be a little more fun.
I remember getting a kick out of basic training, and that is not considered easy training either. I'm still trying to pinpoint exactly what is different this time around then before but I think it has more to do with ignorance as a private and knowing and expecting more as a sergeant.
Six more weeks.
I've got a double whammy going against me. I'm female, and I'm a reservist.
Now, normally, I wouldn't want to use that as an excuse, but it is my own lame excuse for how I'm feeling right now. Females are automatically treated differently in this environment, and because females are the weaker sex and have to prove themselves in a male dominated environment like this. Now if I was an active duty soldier, I don't think this would be such an issue, because I would be more used to it and I could buck it up and do what I have to do.
But I'm not. I'm a reservist. Meaning I play this game one weekend a month. And when I'm not going to the drill hall playing soldier, I work a part time job at a retail gig and I go to school full time. I have a life (yeah, a lame one, but one none the less) outside of the army. I'm an independent thinker. I have to know what's going on and why. And often times, especially from being screwed over by former NCOICs in the past (namely one) I feel the need to constantly defend myself and my actions. Which is precisely not the mindset one needs to have in a school like this.
What am I getting at? Well, as much as I would like to say I'm a gung-ho, badass, super soldier, I'm not. This school is trying me at every turn and I've discovered since I've been here that I'm not the same person I was when I was a 19 year old private entering basic combat training. This was the kind of thing I wanted to do back then. I'm discovering that it isn't so much what I want to do now.
My goal is to get my hat and go back to my unit. If things start looking up or I can get a complete change of attitude, I might volunteer for a year deployment downrange, but right now, I don't think its something I want to do. I do know that I have to get my hat, this is not an option. I have to get it so I'm going to keep going with this school whether I have a change of heart or not. I just got to keep a level head and try to get my motivation back.
We're in week four now. This school has definitely had its ups and downs. Unfortunately, more downs then ups. Not a cake walk. I was hoping it would be a little more fun.
I remember getting a kick out of basic training, and that is not considered easy training either. I'm still trying to pinpoint exactly what is different this time around then before but I think it has more to do with ignorance as a private and knowing and expecting more as a sergeant.
Six more weeks.
8.25.2007
News Shouldn't Be Bothered to Get It Right, Should They?
I just ran into a bit of hilarity in the blogosphere from the Dissident Frogman about an article in the AFP (French Press) that released an article with an Iraqi woman who is displaying two bullets that hit her house by coalition forces.
The problem is, well, see for yourself.
Definitely worth reading the article and viewing the video. This guy is great. Got to love the stupidity of the press to gobble up anything that makes America look bad.
The problem is, well, see for yourself.
Definitely worth reading the article and viewing the video. This guy is great. Got to love the stupidity of the press to gobble up anything that makes America look bad.
8.16.2007
Still Alive
So, I thought I would update on the events of Fort Leonard Wood Missouri and how I'm hanging in here.
For more information, the Milblog is updating.
First off, I can't go into a ton of detail about my training here because, well, I can tell the training is meant for the Drill Sergeant to protect them and I wouldn't want to give initial entry trainees any extra ammo against me and my battle buddies.
Furthermore, I've got really long days and tomorrow I'm going to have to wake up at Oh-Way-To-Freakin'-Early to take a bloody PT test. This is my main hurdle, but I'm confident I can pass it because I've been running. Everywhere. If I fail it, it's on account of the humidity here. But I ran the first day I got here (on a full stomach, so I only ran a mile) but if I can keep that same pace, I've shaved a good two minutes off of my two mile run. We'll see tomorrow.
I'm going to be in shape after this school. But whatever the case, I'm enjoying myself and everything is going well.
This blog will likely go to a weekends only posting pattern, because I really don't have a lot of personal time in the evenings to devote to updating it. I've got a lot of things to do, a lot of places to be, and a lot of crap to memorize.
For more information, the Milblog is updating.
First off, I can't go into a ton of detail about my training here because, well, I can tell the training is meant for the Drill Sergeant to protect them and I wouldn't want to give initial entry trainees any extra ammo against me and my battle buddies.
Furthermore, I've got really long days and tomorrow I'm going to have to wake up at Oh-Way-To-Freakin'-Early to take a bloody PT test. This is my main hurdle, but I'm confident I can pass it because I've been running. Everywhere. If I fail it, it's on account of the humidity here. But I ran the first day I got here (on a full stomach, so I only ran a mile) but if I can keep that same pace, I've shaved a good two minutes off of my two mile run. We'll see tomorrow.
I'm going to be in shape after this school. But whatever the case, I'm enjoying myself and everything is going well.
This blog will likely go to a weekends only posting pattern, because I really don't have a lot of personal time in the evenings to devote to updating it. I've got a lot of things to do, a lot of places to be, and a lot of crap to memorize.
8.13.2007
Traveling Trials
I've learned when traveling through airports that you just have to go with the flow and take it as it comes to you.
I got to St Louis in one piece with all of my luggage in tact, except I left a few vital pieces in the luggage I decided not to take. Like personal hygiene items (I managed to grab a few at least) Fortunately it is something I can replace when I get to FLW, but in the meantime, well, I will have to purchase some heavy duty hair gell, some clips and some hair bands to make sure my hair is squared away for duty tomorrow.
So the first task I ran into was having one piece of luggage to many, and not wanting to pay the fee to have the army reimburse me later.
As soon as I walked through the security, they did a random check on my shoes, and my shoes caused an alarm so they had to pat me down. The best way to handle these situations is to cooperate as best as you can.
When I got to Denver, the plane was overbooked, as I had mentioned previously, but I had time to get to my destination so I volunteered up my seat and had a four hour layover in Denver with a detour to St Louis through Chicago with a carrier change.
I forgot how big O'Hare airport is. And moving from United to American Airlines meant I had to leave one terminal and hit another. I wasn't scheduled to get to St Louis until around 10:30 but I decided to work on getting Standby for the two St Louis flights leaving before my scheduled flight. So I asked for standby at the ticket counter and without anything to check, apparently I came up as suspicious and with a heightened threat level, when I went through security, I got patted down and my stuff was swabbed as an extra precaution. Again, the only thing you can do is cooperate and be as pleasant as possible.
Fortunately, I got cleared to leave on a flight an hour before the one I was scheduled to take was to leave. But in the meantime, now I'm waiting for my busride to FLW.
I remember this thing being free the last time I came through here. Oh well, another expense to add to my Travel Voucher. I'll be sure to hang onto the reciept.
I got to St Louis in one piece with all of my luggage in tact, except I left a few vital pieces in the luggage I decided not to take. Like personal hygiene items (I managed to grab a few at least) Fortunately it is something I can replace when I get to FLW, but in the meantime, well, I will have to purchase some heavy duty hair gell, some clips and some hair bands to make sure my hair is squared away for duty tomorrow.
So the first task I ran into was having one piece of luggage to many, and not wanting to pay the fee to have the army reimburse me later.
As soon as I walked through the security, they did a random check on my shoes, and my shoes caused an alarm so they had to pat me down. The best way to handle these situations is to cooperate as best as you can.
When I got to Denver, the plane was overbooked, as I had mentioned previously, but I had time to get to my destination so I volunteered up my seat and had a four hour layover in Denver with a detour to St Louis through Chicago with a carrier change.
I forgot how big O'Hare airport is. And moving from United to American Airlines meant I had to leave one terminal and hit another. I wasn't scheduled to get to St Louis until around 10:30 but I decided to work on getting Standby for the two St Louis flights leaving before my scheduled flight. So I asked for standby at the ticket counter and without anything to check, apparently I came up as suspicious and with a heightened threat level, when I went through security, I got patted down and my stuff was swabbed as an extra precaution. Again, the only thing you can do is cooperate and be as pleasant as possible.
Fortunately, I got cleared to leave on a flight an hour before the one I was scheduled to take was to leave. But in the meantime, now I'm waiting for my busride to FLW.
I remember this thing being free the last time I came through here. Oh well, another expense to add to my Travel Voucher. I'll be sure to hang onto the reciept.
8.12.2007
Meet Me in St Louis
I did mention I love the USO, right?
Well now that I finally made it to St Louis, I'm holed up in the USO for the night and will catch a bus to Fort Lost in the Woods tomorrow. I was wondering if I had gotten sent a little early to this school but turns out everything has worked out well. I'll get to Leonard Wood by around noon tomorrow and it will help me get settled in and give me time to get whatever I need like personal hygiene items and all that jazz(I had to leave a bag at home).
I had somebody ask me how long I had been in and when I said three months shy of eight years, they flat out told me I didn't look old enough to have been in that long. I don't feel like I've been in that long.
This USO is exactly the same as I remember it from that time, except more computers and the Television is more current. But the layout is the same.
I'm going to go pass out for the night now.
Well now that I finally made it to St Louis, I'm holed up in the USO for the night and will catch a bus to Fort Lost in the Woods tomorrow. I was wondering if I had gotten sent a little early to this school but turns out everything has worked out well. I'll get to Leonard Wood by around noon tomorrow and it will help me get settled in and give me time to get whatever I need like personal hygiene items and all that jazz(I had to leave a bag at home).
I had somebody ask me how long I had been in and when I said three months shy of eight years, they flat out told me I didn't look old enough to have been in that long. I don't feel like I've been in that long.
This USO is exactly the same as I remember it from that time, except more computers and the Television is more current. But the layout is the same.
I'm going to go pass out for the night now.
Who Loves the USO?
I do! I do!
I think the USO at the Denver Airport is one of the nicest I have ever seen. Apparently the Presidential Club offered some space for soldiers to relax and I'm currently kicked back in a leather recliner watching a big screen TV. It's nice!
I actually should have been on my way to St Louis, but they changed planes from the original plane and asked for volunteers to give up their seats in exchange for a free round trip ticket to be used in the next year.
Now usually, I can't do this when flying on military orders and ethically keep the ticket. Except I'm not actually being paid for my travel days and don't belong to the army until Tuesday, so technically I can do anything I want so long as I'm in Fort Leonard Wood by tomorrow evening, to play it safe. I also had to make sure my luggage would be all right. Nothing like showing up in St Louis to find that my bags were on the baggage claim for anybody to take. But they promised that my bags would be pulled and waiting for me. Ok, that's a relief. I'll take the ticket and get to St Louis sometime tonight.
If I get mobilization orders after I get my hat, that free plane ticket will come in handy.
I think the USO at the Denver Airport is one of the nicest I have ever seen. Apparently the Presidential Club offered some space for soldiers to relax and I'm currently kicked back in a leather recliner watching a big screen TV. It's nice!
I actually should have been on my way to St Louis, but they changed planes from the original plane and asked for volunteers to give up their seats in exchange for a free round trip ticket to be used in the next year.
Now usually, I can't do this when flying on military orders and ethically keep the ticket. Except I'm not actually being paid for my travel days and don't belong to the army until Tuesday, so technically I can do anything I want so long as I'm in Fort Leonard Wood by tomorrow evening, to play it safe. I also had to make sure my luggage would be all right. Nothing like showing up in St Louis to find that my bags were on the baggage claim for anybody to take. But they promised that my bags would be pulled and waiting for me. Ok, that's a relief. I'll take the ticket and get to St Louis sometime tonight.
If I get mobilization orders after I get my hat, that free plane ticket will come in handy.
About To Leave, and Can't Sleep
It's nearly one in the morning, and my mind is racing a mile a minute. I seriously can't sleep.
Maybe I'll catch some zzz's on the plane ride, but I'm supposed to be at the airport in three hours. I have a feeling I'll be a bit out of it all day today, not to mention I have trouble waking up in the morning and I'm losing two hours in the time change.
Fort Leonard Wood, here I come.
Milblog will be active again. I hope. Please refer there for any information in regards to Drill Sergeant School, at least when I post. This blog will update sporadically based on other thoughts or whatever, if I get the opportunity to post. Considering Fort Leonard Wood is in the middle of nowhere, I'm pretty much counting on not having much of a social life on my time off, nor am I really counting on time off. But, well, just in case.
Now I think I'll try to see if I can catch a couple hours of sleep before I have to leave for the airport.
My car has never been cleaner in the time I've owned it. I will miss it for the next two months.
Maybe I'll catch some zzz's on the plane ride, but I'm supposed to be at the airport in three hours. I have a feeling I'll be a bit out of it all day today, not to mention I have trouble waking up in the morning and I'm losing two hours in the time change.
Fort Leonard Wood, here I come.
Milblog will be active again. I hope. Please refer there for any information in regards to Drill Sergeant School, at least when I post. This blog will update sporadically based on other thoughts or whatever, if I get the opportunity to post. Considering Fort Leonard Wood is in the middle of nowhere, I'm pretty much counting on not having much of a social life on my time off, nor am I really counting on time off. But, well, just in case.
Now I think I'll try to see if I can catch a couple hours of sleep before I have to leave for the airport.
My car has never been cleaner in the time I've owned it. I will miss it for the next two months.
8.10.2007
IncoherAnt Ramblings
Some people take my blog way to seriously, or don't realize that I don't take myself seriously at all.
My blog has a lot of stuff on it, and some of it is old as dirt. I don't get around to reading a lot of blog replies until after the fact, so a lot of things I miss.
But I do love trolls. They scream obscenities at me and call me stupid for whatever reason because apparently they can't think straight otherwise.
Click here to read the comments for yourself.
So anyway, I get a lot of people posting things still because they look at me for whatever reason and call me ugly or whatever they damn well want too. I never remove Trolls. They amuse me.
So I get ripped on for my spelling mistakes and grammar, oh, and by the way, I plead the fifth, I'm usually pretty decent with my spelling and grammar, well, better then a lot of people anyway, I tend to type really fast and spelling and grammar get caught up by the wayside. You should hear me talk, I mispronounce things all the time. Bush has Bushisms right? Well I have Kamisms. My family will never let me forget how I pronounce Lattice as lah-TEESE and called Shingles Shindles. Recently I made a little video where I pronounced Nova Scotia as Nova SCO-TEE-AH. Her her, oh, whoops?
Another thing I plead the fifth on is the lack of a combat patch. I will admit that this topic does leave me a bit glum, because now that I'm training to be a drill sergeant, I'll be one of the few without that patch which leads to extra credentials as a Drill. I was supposed to deploy a half dozen times to a combat zone and my orders got revoked by the army and not because I made an effort to get out of deploying. The army told me you're not going. And I've tried to volunteer to deploy to combat zones, and told I couldn't go. It was my crummy MOS. My crummy MOS that I don't feel I'm very good at and have no business deploying to a combat zone under has led to another catch 22. I was up for Reenlistment, I had to find a job I liked in a unit I liked, if I went active duty, they would have activated me under my MOS because it's understrength and retraining to a job that I feel I would be good at was not an option. But I found a job where I don't have to reclassify my MOS that I love and that's Drill Sergeant. Unfortunately, mobilizing to a combat zone as a drill sergeant doesn't happen very often, unless i find myself able to volunteer as a grunt for a mission. I still may. But don't tell my parents that.
Yeah, I deployed. I got to go to Kosovo with an ate up sergeant.
As for the whole Bush is a loser thing and why in the hell did I vote for him, well, to tell you the honest truth, even in 2000, I was not impressed with Bush. But there are some things I like about the man and when I assessed the two candidates side by side, John Kerry and George W Bush (because, let's face it, they were the only two options) I decided that Bush was the better man for the job. So I voted for him. End of story.
If you disagree with my decision to vote for Bush, ok. And your point? You can claim that Kerry was a better alternative but until you discover an alternative reality that exists where Kerry won the election in 2004 and we can see how the country is doing under his leadership then we will never know for sure, will we? Besides, I don't think Bush is doing as bad a job as the left lament he is. Sure, he could be doing a BETTER job, I don't agree with everything he's done and by all means he is probably not the best man for the position, but that's what we had, wasn't it?
For the record, I'm still not sorry.
My blog has a lot of stuff on it, and some of it is old as dirt. I don't get around to reading a lot of blog replies until after the fact, so a lot of things I miss.
But I do love trolls. They scream obscenities at me and call me stupid for whatever reason because apparently they can't think straight otherwise.
Click here to read the comments for yourself.
So anyway, I get a lot of people posting things still because they look at me for whatever reason and call me ugly or whatever they damn well want too. I never remove Trolls. They amuse me.
So I get ripped on for my spelling mistakes and grammar, oh, and by the way, I plead the fifth, I'm usually pretty decent with my spelling and grammar, well, better then a lot of people anyway, I tend to type really fast and spelling and grammar get caught up by the wayside. You should hear me talk, I mispronounce things all the time. Bush has Bushisms right? Well I have Kamisms. My family will never let me forget how I pronounce Lattice as lah-TEESE and called Shingles Shindles. Recently I made a little video where I pronounced Nova Scotia as Nova SCO-TEE-AH. Her her, oh, whoops?
Another thing I plead the fifth on is the lack of a combat patch. I will admit that this topic does leave me a bit glum, because now that I'm training to be a drill sergeant, I'll be one of the few without that patch which leads to extra credentials as a Drill. I was supposed to deploy a half dozen times to a combat zone and my orders got revoked by the army and not because I made an effort to get out of deploying. The army told me you're not going. And I've tried to volunteer to deploy to combat zones, and told I couldn't go. It was my crummy MOS. My crummy MOS that I don't feel I'm very good at and have no business deploying to a combat zone under has led to another catch 22. I was up for Reenlistment, I had to find a job I liked in a unit I liked, if I went active duty, they would have activated me under my MOS because it's understrength and retraining to a job that I feel I would be good at was not an option. But I found a job where I don't have to reclassify my MOS that I love and that's Drill Sergeant. Unfortunately, mobilizing to a combat zone as a drill sergeant doesn't happen very often, unless i find myself able to volunteer as a grunt for a mission. I still may. But don't tell my parents that.
Yeah, I deployed. I got to go to Kosovo with an ate up sergeant.
As for the whole Bush is a loser thing and why in the hell did I vote for him, well, to tell you the honest truth, even in 2000, I was not impressed with Bush. But there are some things I like about the man and when I assessed the two candidates side by side, John Kerry and George W Bush (because, let's face it, they were the only two options) I decided that Bush was the better man for the job. So I voted for him. End of story.
If you disagree with my decision to vote for Bush, ok. And your point? You can claim that Kerry was a better alternative but until you discover an alternative reality that exists where Kerry won the election in 2004 and we can see how the country is doing under his leadership then we will never know for sure, will we? Besides, I don't think Bush is doing as bad a job as the left lament he is. Sure, he could be doing a BETTER job, I don't agree with everything he's done and by all means he is probably not the best man for the position, but that's what we had, wasn't it?
For the record, I'm still not sorry.
The Beat Goes On
So, last weekend I may have mentioned was a Drill Weekend. Not a whole lot happened except for a couple of drill sergeant stories that amused me to no end (I'm taking notes) and a PT (physical training) test that I did, well, abysmally at.
I passed my pushups and situps just fine (though my pushups could use some sprucing up and smoothing out, yikes!), it's my run that got me.
I don't know what is going on, becuase I feel like I'm running and giving it my all and I never remember running being this hard. I hate growing old and being short because my pace is not the pace I need it to be to really pull out a strong run time on my PT test.
So in order to combat this, I've been running every day this week to improve my run time, and yesterday I ran two miles (give or take, it was on a high school running track so the mileage is off by a little) and I found that I shaved a good minute and a half of my run time by running every day. However I have to shave another thirty seconds off of it before I hit Fort Leonard Wood to get a solid 70 points in that event. My goal is to get 70 in each even when I get there, at the very least. 70 won't be great, but it would be better then just barely passing, which is what I don't want to do.
Fortunately, I do have a few things going for me.
When I do run the PT test for DSS, I will be running with other soldiers and if I'm lucky, there will be another female there who can help me get a good pace. Pacing helps me a lot. Just as long as she's not slower then me. I just hope I don't slow her down!
Leonard Wood is a lot closer to sea level then home is. The Elevation does impact your breathing when running, and right now my breathing is my biggest concern for the run.
My motivation should be in full gear at that point.
I don't know when I will be doing my initial PT test, but I intend to run on Monday to give myself an idea of where I'm at and how well I run the course. I fully expect to run into a Drill Sergeant and get treated like a private when I first get there, and get barked at by asking who my drill sergeants are, what unit I'm with and where the hell is my battle buddy.
Should be fun.
Meanwhile, back on the homefront, I'm trying to get everything in order so that I'm ready to high tail it to training and I won't have to worry about anything back home. This includes my car, my bills, my stuff, my rent, my fish, so on and so forth. However, my First Sergeant has told me to bring my Laptop along, so I am somewhat confident that I will have a little more freedom then I did when I initially went to Basic Training some seven years ago.
I haven't been to Fort Leonard Wood in seven years. Before it was as a E-nothing brand spankin' new to the US Army private. This time it is as a slightly more matured buck sergeant hoping to earn an extra shiny for my uniform (as I don't have near enough).
I should be getting promoted at some point through training. We'll see how that goes.
I passed my pushups and situps just fine (though my pushups could use some sprucing up and smoothing out, yikes!), it's my run that got me.
I don't know what is going on, becuase I feel like I'm running and giving it my all and I never remember running being this hard. I hate growing old and being short because my pace is not the pace I need it to be to really pull out a strong run time on my PT test.
So in order to combat this, I've been running every day this week to improve my run time, and yesterday I ran two miles (give or take, it was on a high school running track so the mileage is off by a little) and I found that I shaved a good minute and a half of my run time by running every day. However I have to shave another thirty seconds off of it before I hit Fort Leonard Wood to get a solid 70 points in that event. My goal is to get 70 in each even when I get there, at the very least. 70 won't be great, but it would be better then just barely passing, which is what I don't want to do.
Fortunately, I do have a few things going for me.
When I do run the PT test for DSS, I will be running with other soldiers and if I'm lucky, there will be another female there who can help me get a good pace. Pacing helps me a lot. Just as long as she's not slower then me. I just hope I don't slow her down!
Leonard Wood is a lot closer to sea level then home is. The Elevation does impact your breathing when running, and right now my breathing is my biggest concern for the run.
My motivation should be in full gear at that point.
I don't know when I will be doing my initial PT test, but I intend to run on Monday to give myself an idea of where I'm at and how well I run the course. I fully expect to run into a Drill Sergeant and get treated like a private when I first get there, and get barked at by asking who my drill sergeants are, what unit I'm with and where the hell is my battle buddy.
Should be fun.
Meanwhile, back on the homefront, I'm trying to get everything in order so that I'm ready to high tail it to training and I won't have to worry about anything back home. This includes my car, my bills, my stuff, my rent, my fish, so on and so forth. However, my First Sergeant has told me to bring my Laptop along, so I am somewhat confident that I will have a little more freedom then I did when I initially went to Basic Training some seven years ago.
I haven't been to Fort Leonard Wood in seven years. Before it was as a E-nothing brand spankin' new to the US Army private. This time it is as a slightly more matured buck sergeant hoping to earn an extra shiny for my uniform (as I don't have near enough).
I should be getting promoted at some point through training. We'll see how that goes.
8.07.2007
Summer Movies, 2007
I've been in a very big movie watching phase this summer and have seen a lot of movies compared to previous years. My movie watching will soon come to an abrupt halt however when I leave in a bit.
So I wanted to kind of give some mini reviews of some movies I've seen that came out this summer. They are listed in order of how much money they have taken in, because that's the order I'm reading them.
Spiderman 3 - I really like how the Spiderman franchise has been done, maybe its because I'm a big Sam Raimi fan. When I initially saw Spiderman 3, I liked it, mostly because I think I'm drawn to the good guy in conflict with himself and the storyline of Venom. However, when I look back on it, I realize how campy and cheesy the series can be sometimes, and although there is a lot of villains in this particular installment, it probably would have run more smoothly if the villains were cut down to two instead, especially since Venom is such a popular character in the franchise, I think the storyline let them down in favor of appealing to a general audience.
Still, it can't have been that bad, seeing as it's the highest grossing movie this year. ***
Pirates of the Carribean: At Worlds End - I was so impressed with the first Priates movie that it was a given I would watch the two sequals. However, it seems like they didn't necessarily plan out the sequals as well as they did the original. Like they made the first one with the hopes that it would do well enough to make a series to it and when it turned into a major blockbuster they were all scrambling to come up with an idea on how to milk as much money out of this thing as possible. So in the end, though entertaining, Pirates 3 is a bit of a mess and at times a little hard to follow, like there isn't a real coherent plot. **1/2
Transformers - Being an animation major, I loved this movie. But it is not without it's pitfalls as well. There was a couple of scenes that could have been left out, and most people's biffs with the movie is it focuses more on the humans and less on the transformers. Other then Bumblebee and Optimus Prime, none of the Transformers are really developed in this movie to help you sympathize with them. And they could have left off the scene where Bumblebee 'pees' on the special agent and the masterbation discussion scenes were unnecessary and makes this a movie that you don't wish to take young children too. Great action though, but not enough character development in some parts. ***1/2
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - I have come to see the movies of Harry Potter a little seperate from the books. Some characters I picture in my head differently in appearance on screen vs their book counterparts. And Order of the Phoenix is a large book, so I was somewhat forgiving in how much they had to cut out, as long as they stayed true to the source. And they did, to a certain degree, though I would have loved to see more of some of the scenes, such as the Weasley twins, and its a shame they had to cut out the source of their funding from the previous movie, but all in all, this has been an enjoyable franchise that has been done well. Ironically enough, the longest book has become the shortest movie. ***1/2
Knocked Up - I wanted to see this movie the moment I saw the previews, it just looked so freakin' hilarious. That, and I'm a huge fan of the tv show Freaks and Geeks. However it is incredibly raunchy so not for the faint of heart. Well acted, great story, and lot's of fun. Despite its R rating, its a keeper and probably my favorite comedy of the summer. ****
Live Free or Die Hard - I didn't really expect to see this movie in theaters, but when you are stuck somewhere with nothing to do, going to see a movie seems like the logical choice, and this one was a great choice. This thing is action packed and it does not let up. Pure testosterone on the screen, even if some of the scenes are a wee bit unbelievable, but you just have to turn off your brain and enjoy the movie with a big tub of popcorn. ***1/2
The Invisible - This movie's previews are very misleading. It makes it out to be a thriller, instead its one big drama. Not bad, but not great when its completely different from what you expected. **
Next - This one completely bombed in the theater. I can see why. I wasn't impressed with it, and Nicholas Cage, for all his merits, doesn't come off as an attractive character in this film. In fact, he doesn't have a lot going for him other then his unexplainable ability to see into the future. So he comes off as a bit of an obsessive guy who just keeps reliving the same moment hoping to say just the right thing so he can get into Jessica Biel's pants. I was disappointed. *
There are a few other movies I've seen, but I've either seen them on DVD or before May, like Bridge to Terabithia, TMNT, Hot Fuzz, and 300.
There are a few movies that I do want to see however, whether it is in the theater or on DVD doesn't matter, but it will likely wait until DVD at this point.
Here are the movies I am avoiding simply because i have absolutely zero desire to see them. In no particular order, and most of them should be self explanatory.
Er, that covers it for now. I think I'm going to call work and see if any Magazines came in.
So I wanted to kind of give some mini reviews of some movies I've seen that came out this summer. They are listed in order of how much money they have taken in, because that's the order I'm reading them.
Spiderman 3 - I really like how the Spiderman franchise has been done, maybe its because I'm a big Sam Raimi fan. When I initially saw Spiderman 3, I liked it, mostly because I think I'm drawn to the good guy in conflict with himself and the storyline of Venom. However, when I look back on it, I realize how campy and cheesy the series can be sometimes, and although there is a lot of villains in this particular installment, it probably would have run more smoothly if the villains were cut down to two instead, especially since Venom is such a popular character in the franchise, I think the storyline let them down in favor of appealing to a general audience.
Still, it can't have been that bad, seeing as it's the highest grossing movie this year. ***
Pirates of the Carribean: At Worlds End - I was so impressed with the first Priates movie that it was a given I would watch the two sequals. However, it seems like they didn't necessarily plan out the sequals as well as they did the original. Like they made the first one with the hopes that it would do well enough to make a series to it and when it turned into a major blockbuster they were all scrambling to come up with an idea on how to milk as much money out of this thing as possible. So in the end, though entertaining, Pirates 3 is a bit of a mess and at times a little hard to follow, like there isn't a real coherent plot. **1/2
Transformers - Being an animation major, I loved this movie. But it is not without it's pitfalls as well. There was a couple of scenes that could have been left out, and most people's biffs with the movie is it focuses more on the humans and less on the transformers. Other then Bumblebee and Optimus Prime, none of the Transformers are really developed in this movie to help you sympathize with them. And they could have left off the scene where Bumblebee 'pees' on the special agent and the masterbation discussion scenes were unnecessary and makes this a movie that you don't wish to take young children too. Great action though, but not enough character development in some parts. ***1/2
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - I have come to see the movies of Harry Potter a little seperate from the books. Some characters I picture in my head differently in appearance on screen vs their book counterparts. And Order of the Phoenix is a large book, so I was somewhat forgiving in how much they had to cut out, as long as they stayed true to the source. And they did, to a certain degree, though I would have loved to see more of some of the scenes, such as the Weasley twins, and its a shame they had to cut out the source of their funding from the previous movie, but all in all, this has been an enjoyable franchise that has been done well. Ironically enough, the longest book has become the shortest movie. ***1/2
Knocked Up - I wanted to see this movie the moment I saw the previews, it just looked so freakin' hilarious. That, and I'm a huge fan of the tv show Freaks and Geeks. However it is incredibly raunchy so not for the faint of heart. Well acted, great story, and lot's of fun. Despite its R rating, its a keeper and probably my favorite comedy of the summer. ****
Live Free or Die Hard - I didn't really expect to see this movie in theaters, but when you are stuck somewhere with nothing to do, going to see a movie seems like the logical choice, and this one was a great choice. This thing is action packed and it does not let up. Pure testosterone on the screen, even if some of the scenes are a wee bit unbelievable, but you just have to turn off your brain and enjoy the movie with a big tub of popcorn. ***1/2
The Invisible - This movie's previews are very misleading. It makes it out to be a thriller, instead its one big drama. Not bad, but not great when its completely different from what you expected. **
Next - This one completely bombed in the theater. I can see why. I wasn't impressed with it, and Nicholas Cage, for all his merits, doesn't come off as an attractive character in this film. In fact, he doesn't have a lot going for him other then his unexplainable ability to see into the future. So he comes off as a bit of an obsessive guy who just keeps reliving the same moment hoping to say just the right thing so he can get into Jessica Biel's pants. I was disappointed. *
There are a few other movies I've seen, but I've either seen them on DVD or before May, like Bridge to Terabithia, TMNT, Hot Fuzz, and 300.
There are a few movies that I do want to see however, whether it is in the theater or on DVD doesn't matter, but it will likely wait until DVD at this point.
- Rattatouille - looks insanely cute, but I haven't gotten around to seeing it in the theater. Will likely be a DVD venture for me. Besides, its got Janeane Gerofalo and I don't really like her at all, so I tend to boycott her movies these days by simply refusing to watch them.
- Shrek the Third - I like the Shrek series well enough, but not so much that I think it is deserving of the major blockbuster status it has recieved. That said, I tend to watch animated features on principal. This will likely be a DVD feature for me.
- 1408 - I just want to see it.
- I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry - For a while I wanted to see this one in the theaters, it looked amusing. But I think I can wait for it to come out on DVD.
- HairSpray - Just looks hilarious.
- Stardust - Comes out this weekend. Might be the last movie I see before I head out.
- Superbad - Another 'knocked up' style humor type film.
- Bourne Ultimatum - Actually, I haven't seen Supremecy yet, even though it came for free on HDDVD with my Desk Top.
- Balls of Fury - I've been wanting to see this for some time. Looks like a riot.
Here are the movies I am avoiding simply because i have absolutely zero desire to see them. In no particular order, and most of them should be self explanatory.
- Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer - I thought the first one sucked so much I never finished watching it all the way through.
- Evan Almighty - I love Steve Carrell, but this has never looked that appealing to me and I thought Bruce Almighty was way overhyped.
- Sicko - Well, its a Micheal Moore movie. I try not to watch propaganda to much, and despite the message of needing to fix US healthcare, I don't think following Micheal Moore's suggestion is the way to do it.
Er, that covers it for now. I think I'm going to call work and see if any Magazines came in.
8.06.2007
School's out for the rest of the Year
So I'm done with school, for now.
This is a relief. However when I get done with my Drill Sergeant School, I'm not sure what is going to happen in regards to regular school. Whatever the case, I don't think I can come back until January term. And I might be cutting my workload to only one class a term, depending on where I am at during that time.
Anyway, my final project for 3D animation was creating an architectural structure. I admit, I completely shammed this piece, but I like how it turned out in the long run. I was doing something a lot more complex originally and that thing went to complete shambles. So although I would like this to look better then this, I'm ok with it.
There are some flaws, like the fire having a shadow, but I don't know how to do fire yet so I was compromising. And the exterior looks like it belongs on a model trainset or something. Still, I like this part of modeling better then character modeling, which will take me a long time to get the hang of. Meanwhile, I think I'm getting a better grasp of things so when I do come back to school, I don't think I'm going to be entirely in over my head.
This is a relief. However when I get done with my Drill Sergeant School, I'm not sure what is going to happen in regards to regular school. Whatever the case, I don't think I can come back until January term. And I might be cutting my workload to only one class a term, depending on where I am at during that time.
Anyway, my final project for 3D animation was creating an architectural structure. I admit, I completely shammed this piece, but I like how it turned out in the long run. I was doing something a lot more complex originally and that thing went to complete shambles. So although I would like this to look better then this, I'm ok with it.
There are some flaws, like the fire having a shadow, but I don't know how to do fire yet so I was compromising. And the exterior looks like it belongs on a model trainset or something. Still, I like this part of modeling better then character modeling, which will take me a long time to get the hang of. Meanwhile, I think I'm getting a better grasp of things so when I do come back to school, I don't think I'm going to be entirely in over my head.
More on the HorseBack Riding
I found a new picture for my blog's sidebar.
I was on vacation last week in the little town of Seaside Oregon (this picture was taken just north of there on Del Ray beach). I had to arrive a little late because I was working on homework trying to get that done and all (will post the finished works in a minute)
So anyway, I got there Saturday night when everyone else had gotten there on Thursday and I was struck with a realization that I really really REALLY wanted to run a horse on a beach, in fact this is something I have always wanted to do. So I shopped around for a place that would let me lope a horse on the beach and found Small World Farm. They offered the best deal and they actually let me run the horse on the beach, while the owner took a lot of pictures for me. He was very kind and this was one of those opportunities I couldn't pass up.
The horse I'm on is named Thor, he was a great little Arab, he loved to run and I got the impression he could go all day. He didn't like to run in the water so much, which is a shame because I really wanted to run in the surf, but after riding on the sand I realized how difficult this would be for some horses as the sand along the surf is really soft and horses tend to shy a bit when they come across water.
There were people along the beach with us, but I went early so I could avoid to much crowding. I told the owner I would probably post these pictures on the web and that I would give him a shout out, so if you are going to find yourself in Seaside Oregon anytime in the near future and you want to take a horseback ride along the beach (it is a lot of fun!) I would recommend giving him a call.
I had so much fun on the beach that I took my nieces for a trail ride later. I didn't enjoy it as much, mainly because I spent a good portion of last summer walking horses on trail rides so that experience has lost the novelty of it. But the trail had some good views as well, and also some photo worthy moments.
The beach ride was worth every penny I paid.
If I make it down to Seaside in the future, I'm pretty sure I would go again.
I was on vacation last week in the little town of Seaside Oregon (this picture was taken just north of there on Del Ray beach). I had to arrive a little late because I was working on homework trying to get that done and all (will post the finished works in a minute)
So anyway, I got there Saturday night when everyone else had gotten there on Thursday and I was struck with a realization that I really really REALLY wanted to run a horse on a beach, in fact this is something I have always wanted to do. So I shopped around for a place that would let me lope a horse on the beach and found Small World Farm. They offered the best deal and they actually let me run the horse on the beach, while the owner took a lot of pictures for me. He was very kind and this was one of those opportunities I couldn't pass up.
The horse I'm on is named Thor, he was a great little Arab, he loved to run and I got the impression he could go all day. He didn't like to run in the water so much, which is a shame because I really wanted to run in the surf, but after riding on the sand I realized how difficult this would be for some horses as the sand along the surf is really soft and horses tend to shy a bit when they come across water.
There were people along the beach with us, but I went early so I could avoid to much crowding. I told the owner I would probably post these pictures on the web and that I would give him a shout out, so if you are going to find yourself in Seaside Oregon anytime in the near future and you want to take a horseback ride along the beach (it is a lot of fun!) I would recommend giving him a call.
I had so much fun on the beach that I took my nieces for a trail ride later. I didn't enjoy it as much, mainly because I spent a good portion of last summer walking horses on trail rides so that experience has lost the novelty of it. But the trail had some good views as well, and also some photo worthy moments.
The beach ride was worth every penny I paid.
If I make it down to Seaside in the future, I'm pretty sure I would go again.
8.04.2007
Horseback Riding on the Beach
So I've been quiet for a bit, and I'll probably remain quiet for another couple days as its a drill weekend and I'm busy and I should be in bed by now.
Anyway, here is a glimpse of me in my latest adventure.
I just got back from vacation, and one of the things I have always wanted to do was run a horse on the beach. I had to find the right place that would let me do it, and this little private stable let me do whatever I wanted to (well, within reason).
I will write more later, but I have to say that I had a blast!
Anyway, here is a glimpse of me in my latest adventure.
I just got back from vacation, and one of the things I have always wanted to do was run a horse on the beach. I had to find the right place that would let me do it, and this little private stable let me do whatever I wanted to (well, within reason).
I will write more later, but I have to say that I had a blast!
7.27.2007
Go Yellow!
Well, in honor of the new Simpsons movie, Burger King has teamed up with Matt Groening and they have put together a website where you can simpsonize yourself.
Granted, it looks really nothing like me, but it's still pretty fun messing with your simpson self.
My laptop has lost its Print Screen Function. This is really annoying.
Granted, it looks really nothing like me, but it's still pretty fun messing with your simpson self.
My laptop has lost its Print Screen Function. This is really annoying.
7.22.2007
Harry Potter - A Look Back
So I picked up Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone back in the summer of '99. I had just graduated High School but I had found that kids books were fun and an easy read, and I kept hearing about this series of books. The hype was just beginning to start.
I actually just picked up the paperback version of one because I didn't expect to really get into it so much that I would want to buy the hardback of two, but I was instantly hooked. Sure, the series has a few weak points, like Sirius Black accessing the school through the Floo Network which makes me wonder why Voldemort doesn't just do it, but overall I was enthralled, read all three of the first books within a week of each other and was pleasantly entertained by the prospect of reading the next four over what I assumed would be a couple of years.
Its kind of odd to think that I didn't like the idea of them making these books into a movie, as I had a pretty set idea of what the characters and school looked like in my head and didn't want it to get ruined like Hollywood has a habit of doing.
Strange, as the series progressed, it gained in popularity to what can be percieved as quite explosive. This series of books is hugely popular to a point that has never been seen by anything that I know about. I mean, has there been anything in pop culture that has spawned something like this that you can think of? I guess in music there was Beatlemania, and movies have Star Wars, but really, I don't think I've seen a book series this popular before.
Well, I have read all seven books, buying Deathly Hallows right at Midnight and cracking that badboy open and reading all night. I took a break at around five am for sleep, and was back up by 830 to read some more. I was done by five that afternoon.
I cried. I laughed. I sniffled. I cried some more. I am engrossed, and I'm pretty sure that Severus Snape is quite possibly one of the best characters in the book because he's got so many layers to him, most of which we never see as the book takes place from Harry's viewpoint. We always see things from Harry's angle.
Whatever the case, without spoiling the book, which is excellent, I do have a biff with the Epilogue, and I've discovered I'm not alone. JK Rowling could have left it off and the book would have been fine. In fact, the Epilogue raises even more questions instead of bringing closure to the series, like it only tells of some characters, and introduces some that I personally don't care about. It was a bit of a disappointment.
Well, nix the epilogue chapter, and the series went out with a bang.
So, now what?
I actually just picked up the paperback version of one because I didn't expect to really get into it so much that I would want to buy the hardback of two, but I was instantly hooked. Sure, the series has a few weak points, like Sirius Black accessing the school through the Floo Network which makes me wonder why Voldemort doesn't just do it, but overall I was enthralled, read all three of the first books within a week of each other and was pleasantly entertained by the prospect of reading the next four over what I assumed would be a couple of years.
Its kind of odd to think that I didn't like the idea of them making these books into a movie, as I had a pretty set idea of what the characters and school looked like in my head and didn't want it to get ruined like Hollywood has a habit of doing.
Strange, as the series progressed, it gained in popularity to what can be percieved as quite explosive. This series of books is hugely popular to a point that has never been seen by anything that I know about. I mean, has there been anything in pop culture that has spawned something like this that you can think of? I guess in music there was Beatlemania, and movies have Star Wars, but really, I don't think I've seen a book series this popular before.
Well, I have read all seven books, buying Deathly Hallows right at Midnight and cracking that badboy open and reading all night. I took a break at around five am for sleep, and was back up by 830 to read some more. I was done by five that afternoon.
I cried. I laughed. I sniffled. I cried some more. I am engrossed, and I'm pretty sure that Severus Snape is quite possibly one of the best characters in the book because he's got so many layers to him, most of which we never see as the book takes place from Harry's viewpoint. We always see things from Harry's angle.
Whatever the case, without spoiling the book, which is excellent, I do have a biff with the Epilogue, and I've discovered I'm not alone. JK Rowling could have left it off and the book would have been fine. In fact, the Epilogue raises even more questions instead of bringing closure to the series, like it only tells of some characters, and introduces some that I personally don't care about. It was a bit of a disappointment.
Well, nix the epilogue chapter, and the series went out with a bang.
So, now what?
7.19.2007
The Ferrets Are Gone
So, due to the fact that I'm going to go on vacation next week with the family, and shortly thereafter I go to drill sergeant school for two months, there was a little problem with a couple of my pets.
My brother did not want to look after the ferrets. In fact, he's been saying for a few months now that the ferrets needed to go. It is his house, and though I kept them for as long as I could, I begrudgingly gave them up today, giving them back to the place I had adopted them from. They are in a good place, and I was told that they would likely be kept together. If it is at all possible, I would love to readopt them later, but I don't see that as happening so I can rest assured that my two little fuzzbutts will be in a good place.
And hopefully Blaine won't be eating anymore earplugs.
So long my little carpet sharks, you will be missed *sighs*
My brother did not want to look after the ferrets. In fact, he's been saying for a few months now that the ferrets needed to go. It is his house, and though I kept them for as long as I could, I begrudgingly gave them up today, giving them back to the place I had adopted them from. They are in a good place, and I was told that they would likely be kept together. If it is at all possible, I would love to readopt them later, but I don't see that as happening so I can rest assured that my two little fuzzbutts will be in a good place.
And hopefully Blaine won't be eating anymore earplugs.
So long my little carpet sharks, you will be missed *sighs*
7.18.2007
Animation Woes
So my current major is 3D Animation. And I've been having issues with my 3D modeling class this quarter. One of the main reasons being that I discovered that I'm not to fond of modeling.
The good news is that the industry generally doesn't have one person do all aspects of the process. You generally focus on one area and work on that and when you're done you turn it over to somebody else. For instance, in character animation, you'll have somebody model the character, then that character will probably go to a materialist who gives it a certain look (this might be the same person in fact). Then you have a rigger, who puts a skeletol structure in the character and skins it so certain areas of the model are affected by certain bones (kind of like giving a 3d character muscles so to speak). Once all that is said and done, you have an animator who goes in and animates the character to do action poses and so on. And then there are other aspects, like background modelers and animators, lighting specialists, camera animators and so on.
I discovered i like animating, and I get materials, lighting and cameras. I could focus on any of these four areas in the animation process and be all happy. But I think once I get the hang of it, the modeling process might grow on me as well.
I just don't get skinning. At all.
The good news is that the industry generally doesn't have one person do all aspects of the process. You generally focus on one area and work on that and when you're done you turn it over to somebody else. For instance, in character animation, you'll have somebody model the character, then that character will probably go to a materialist who gives it a certain look (this might be the same person in fact). Then you have a rigger, who puts a skeletol structure in the character and skins it so certain areas of the model are affected by certain bones (kind of like giving a 3d character muscles so to speak). Once all that is said and done, you have an animator who goes in and animates the character to do action poses and so on. And then there are other aspects, like background modelers and animators, lighting specialists, camera animators and so on.
I discovered i like animating, and I get materials, lighting and cameras. I could focus on any of these four areas in the animation process and be all happy. But I think once I get the hang of it, the modeling process might grow on me as well.
I just don't get skinning. At all.
Army Mental Health
so, more on the mental health thing.
The airforce base is currently limited to one psychiatrist and you can't get in to see them until October, so I had to go to Fort Lewis for the day with two other guys. We flew in the morning and flew back at night. I got home about fifteen minutes ago.
that's probably some of the easiest money I've ever made with the army, though it was the first time I had ever flown in uniform. We got a lot of handshakes and people telling us how much they appreciated what we are doing. Warm fuzzies were shared by all.
It was strange, when I got back from Kosovo I didn't really know what to say to this, because I genuinely didn't feel like I did anything and really didn't deserve to be thanked for sitting on my ass picking my nose for a year. Now that I feel like I'm actually doing something worthwhile, I can give them a thanks for their support without thinking twice about it.
The mental health questionare had some, well, interesting questions on it, some of which had definite delusions of schizophrenia and paranoia, about people stealing your thoughts and being able to read your mind. My favorite completely random and at first appearances pointless but probably has some abstract purpose was 'Your favorite sport to watch is the High Jump." My assumption leads me to believe that this question is thrown on there to make sure you are not flubbing the health exam but whatever the case, i answered false on that one.
The evaluation went great, I am not insane, the only real red flag that came up was my Dysthemia which hasn't been a problem.
I don't know why we had such a late flight back, but because we had traveled in uniform and didn't bring a change of close (we've decided to rectify this in the future in case a scenerio like this should arise again) once we were done with the eval, we had to figure out how to waste the rest of our time until our flight left.
We chose to see a movie. Life Free or Die Hard, which I will include in an upcoming summer movie post. But we got some funny looks coming out of the theater, like 'what are they doing here? is this our tax dollars at waste?' We were considering going to Seattle, but walking around Pikes Street Market in uniform didn't exactly appeal to us. That and Seattle traffic just plain sucks.
But Seatac is not an airport you wait for the last minute to arrive at. I'm just thankful there is such a place as the USO, which offers free wireless internet and a forum to post my previous rant because that was very fresh in my mind. Still, I wish it wasn't a case of flying all the way to Fort Lewis for a 2 hour examination. But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
I need a new set of ACUs. I washed a set with a pen in the pocket. Gah!
The airforce base is currently limited to one psychiatrist and you can't get in to see them until October, so I had to go to Fort Lewis for the day with two other guys. We flew in the morning and flew back at night. I got home about fifteen minutes ago.
that's probably some of the easiest money I've ever made with the army, though it was the first time I had ever flown in uniform. We got a lot of handshakes and people telling us how much they appreciated what we are doing. Warm fuzzies were shared by all.
It was strange, when I got back from Kosovo I didn't really know what to say to this, because I genuinely didn't feel like I did anything and really didn't deserve to be thanked for sitting on my ass picking my nose for a year. Now that I feel like I'm actually doing something worthwhile, I can give them a thanks for their support without thinking twice about it.
The mental health questionare had some, well, interesting questions on it, some of which had definite delusions of schizophrenia and paranoia, about people stealing your thoughts and being able to read your mind. My favorite completely random and at first appearances pointless but probably has some abstract purpose was 'Your favorite sport to watch is the High Jump." My assumption leads me to believe that this question is thrown on there to make sure you are not flubbing the health exam but whatever the case, i answered false on that one.
The evaluation went great, I am not insane, the only real red flag that came up was my Dysthemia which hasn't been a problem.
I don't know why we had such a late flight back, but because we had traveled in uniform and didn't bring a change of close (we've decided to rectify this in the future in case a scenerio like this should arise again) once we were done with the eval, we had to figure out how to waste the rest of our time until our flight left.
We chose to see a movie. Life Free or Die Hard, which I will include in an upcoming summer movie post. But we got some funny looks coming out of the theater, like 'what are they doing here? is this our tax dollars at waste?' We were considering going to Seattle, but walking around Pikes Street Market in uniform didn't exactly appeal to us. That and Seattle traffic just plain sucks.
But Seatac is not an airport you wait for the last minute to arrive at. I'm just thankful there is such a place as the USO, which offers free wireless internet and a forum to post my previous rant because that was very fresh in my mind. Still, I wish it wasn't a case of flying all the way to Fort Lewis for a 2 hour examination. But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
I need a new set of ACUs. I washed a set with a pen in the pocket. Gah!
7.17.2007
Dysthemics and Narcissists Shouldn't Mingle
Ok, I have a confession to make. I've let something bother me longer then I should have. And I've discovered today that I have had every reason to be bothered. Warning, this is a rant, and it's been a long time coming. And after this post is over, this topic is officially dead. Unless I write an update on my NCOER, which might cause it to resurface.
If any of you have been following my blog for the last few years, you know I deployed to Kosovo for the duration of 2005. And my deployment was anything but smooth. And it wasn't the stress of actually being in Kosovo that made it thus, because a deployment to Kosovo is a cake walk, basically a paid yearlong vacation.
It was the fact that I put up with a major asshole for the duration of the deployment. Yes you narcissist son of a bitch, I'm talking about you. And yes, despite the fact that you outrank me by one lousy paygrade, you know, you decided to look past the fact that the United States Army entrusted me with the rank fo E5, not you who treated me like a PFC (his own words), I'm going to consider the fact that you have no business leading troops and you were an E6, not a non commissioned officer. There is a difference. Therefore, kiss my ass. I don't respect your rank because you sure in hell didn't respect mine. Your job was to mentor me, great job on doing that. Hell, I learned more about what not to be in a leader from you then how to be a leader.
There, I said it. Though I doubt SSG Dipshit no longer reads my blog (I would definitely not put it past him though), I can now get over the fact that I am officially over that whole incident. I've let it eat away at me for to long and I gave him the benefit of the doubt for bothering me for as long as he did. I can take comfort though, that I got to him too. I know I did. How he treated me when we demobilized back to the states confirms that. That bastard was on his guard, and he knew I was just waiting for him to cross the line because I would have been all over his sorry self.
Well, maybe I should start at the beginning. Being a Drill Sergeant Candidate that leaves for school in less then a month, I had to take a Behavioral Health Evaluation to be sure I was fit for training troops. I wanted to be honest with it because I had some issues where I was worried with how I behaved during my deployment.
My psychiatrist was great. I've been diagnosed as a dysthemic, though I haven't had any real issues since my deployment, just the usual mood swings that accompany hormones, and in my case, it will probably help me as a Drill Sergeant. Drill Sergeants (especially females) are supposed to be pissy. She looked at my mental health evaluation and pegged me as a dysthemic right away. Being a dysthemic does not bar me from drill sergeant school. See, I've got a clean record. I've had some mental health issues like depression before, but I've never truly acted on it other then at times crying my eyes out. And the last time I had a real break down was in Kosovo. I've looked back and have realized that I've never had issues like that before with other commanders and NCOICs. Just the one. And its because of him that I needed to be medicated there when I've never needed it at any other time in my life, before or since.
The psychiatrist pegged him right away as a narcissist, and told me that having those feelings and how I acted was completely appropriate for the situation. In fact, she told me the best idea for dealing with narcissists is to avoid them completely. And how do you peg a narcissist? She told me a great way. If you run into somebody that makes you feel like you're stupid, get away from them. Believe it or not, he did that to me. I know I'm not stupid, heck, I was an A student in high school and did awesome on that ASVAB, having the pick of any non combat MOS I wanted. Why oh why did I pick preventive medicine to this day I do not know. But I remember feeling like an idiot when I was around him. And it wasn't that he was really that intelligent (in his eyes he surely thought he was the world's smartest person and knew more then General Schoomaker) but he did make you feel like a dumbass. That is one way to peg a narcissist. She described a narcissist to me and I thought 'holy hell that's him!'
There are some other feelings I had towards him that I won't discuss in detail, but imply what you will, and she said those were appropriate too. And I think those feelings was what made me dwell on it for so long, that I had the capability of actually thinking that. The important thing was though I had the thoughts (it is not uncommon for people to have these types of thoughts at some point in their life), it was the fact that I did not act upon them and kept my reason. Good thing, I wouldn't want to end up in FT Leavonworth because of his pathetic ass, he wouldn't be worth it.
I hope that guy turned in his 20 year letter, because he has no business deploying in a real hostile environment. He has no business being in the military during war, he'll get his soldiers and himself killed. And for himself, it would likely not come from enemy fire.
This topic is dead, this is my one last rant about it. I'm in a kick ass unit now that I love, with people who give me a hard time (what do you expect, they're drill sergeants!) that I can actually respect. When they get on my case, I truly deserve it. And instead of hanging me out to dry by explaining in detail how I'm being punished, they actually tell me what I need to do to correct it.
PS - Everyone that has looked at my NCOER since coming off my deployment has told me that one ate up as hell NCO wrote it. And they don't even have to hear my side of the story to make that assessment.
If any of you have been following my blog for the last few years, you know I deployed to Kosovo for the duration of 2005. And my deployment was anything but smooth. And it wasn't the stress of actually being in Kosovo that made it thus, because a deployment to Kosovo is a cake walk, basically a paid yearlong vacation.
It was the fact that I put up with a major asshole for the duration of the deployment. Yes you narcissist son of a bitch, I'm talking about you. And yes, despite the fact that you outrank me by one lousy paygrade, you know, you decided to look past the fact that the United States Army entrusted me with the rank fo E5, not you who treated me like a PFC (his own words), I'm going to consider the fact that you have no business leading troops and you were an E6, not a non commissioned officer. There is a difference. Therefore, kiss my ass. I don't respect your rank because you sure in hell didn't respect mine. Your job was to mentor me, great job on doing that. Hell, I learned more about what not to be in a leader from you then how to be a leader.
There, I said it. Though I doubt SSG Dipshit no longer reads my blog (I would definitely not put it past him though), I can now get over the fact that I am officially over that whole incident. I've let it eat away at me for to long and I gave him the benefit of the doubt for bothering me for as long as he did. I can take comfort though, that I got to him too. I know I did. How he treated me when we demobilized back to the states confirms that. That bastard was on his guard, and he knew I was just waiting for him to cross the line because I would have been all over his sorry self.
Well, maybe I should start at the beginning. Being a Drill Sergeant Candidate that leaves for school in less then a month, I had to take a Behavioral Health Evaluation to be sure I was fit for training troops. I wanted to be honest with it because I had some issues where I was worried with how I behaved during my deployment.
My psychiatrist was great. I've been diagnosed as a dysthemic, though I haven't had any real issues since my deployment, just the usual mood swings that accompany hormones, and in my case, it will probably help me as a Drill Sergeant. Drill Sergeants (especially females) are supposed to be pissy. She looked at my mental health evaluation and pegged me as a dysthemic right away. Being a dysthemic does not bar me from drill sergeant school. See, I've got a clean record. I've had some mental health issues like depression before, but I've never truly acted on it other then at times crying my eyes out. And the last time I had a real break down was in Kosovo. I've looked back and have realized that I've never had issues like that before with other commanders and NCOICs. Just the one. And its because of him that I needed to be medicated there when I've never needed it at any other time in my life, before or since.
The psychiatrist pegged him right away as a narcissist, and told me that having those feelings and how I acted was completely appropriate for the situation. In fact, she told me the best idea for dealing with narcissists is to avoid them completely. And how do you peg a narcissist? She told me a great way. If you run into somebody that makes you feel like you're stupid, get away from them. Believe it or not, he did that to me. I know I'm not stupid, heck, I was an A student in high school and did awesome on that ASVAB, having the pick of any non combat MOS I wanted. Why oh why did I pick preventive medicine to this day I do not know. But I remember feeling like an idiot when I was around him. And it wasn't that he was really that intelligent (in his eyes he surely thought he was the world's smartest person and knew more then General Schoomaker) but he did make you feel like a dumbass. That is one way to peg a narcissist. She described a narcissist to me and I thought 'holy hell that's him!'
There are some other feelings I had towards him that I won't discuss in detail, but imply what you will, and she said those were appropriate too. And I think those feelings was what made me dwell on it for so long, that I had the capability of actually thinking that. The important thing was though I had the thoughts (it is not uncommon for people to have these types of thoughts at some point in their life), it was the fact that I did not act upon them and kept my reason. Good thing, I wouldn't want to end up in FT Leavonworth because of his pathetic ass, he wouldn't be worth it.
I hope that guy turned in his 20 year letter, because he has no business deploying in a real hostile environment. He has no business being in the military during war, he'll get his soldiers and himself killed. And for himself, it would likely not come from enemy fire.
This topic is dead, this is my one last rant about it. I'm in a kick ass unit now that I love, with people who give me a hard time (what do you expect, they're drill sergeants!) that I can actually respect. When they get on my case, I truly deserve it. And instead of hanging me out to dry by explaining in detail how I'm being punished, they actually tell me what I need to do to correct it.
PS - Everyone that has looked at my NCOER since coming off my deployment has told me that one ate up as hell NCO wrote it. And they don't even have to hear my side of the story to make that assessment.
7.15.2007
3D Animations To Share
So, I uploaded my animations onto YouTube to share. No, they are nothing fancy. At all.
I don't know why they uploaded weird like they did, but the first moment is kind of weird looking.
They are all really quick, only a couple of seconds. And yes, the meshes aren't right, hes not skinned properly, and he has no eyes. But the character works for me.
The first one is a walk run excercise, where I had to do my character walking or running. He's running. I've only got one cycle though, I can't figure out how to loop it yet.
Here he is pulling on a box. This one may have come out most successfully.
And here he is pushing on a box. More fun.
His arms look like puddy at times and the mesh isn't exactly perfect, but I'm very excited to be able to understand how to do this now, I just have to iron out the details. Now that i know what I'm doing *sort of* I feel better about the software. THere is a lot of it I understand, like lighting *sort of* and cameras and now animation and all of that. Now I got to figure out the modelign and skinning better.
I don't know why they uploaded weird like they did, but the first moment is kind of weird looking.
They are all really quick, only a couple of seconds. And yes, the meshes aren't right, hes not skinned properly, and he has no eyes. But the character works for me.
The first one is a walk run excercise, where I had to do my character walking or running. He's running. I've only got one cycle though, I can't figure out how to loop it yet.
Here he is pulling on a box. This one may have come out most successfully.
And here he is pushing on a box. More fun.
His arms look like puddy at times and the mesh isn't exactly perfect, but I'm very excited to be able to understand how to do this now, I just have to iron out the details. Now that i know what I'm doing *sort of* I feel better about the software. THere is a lot of it I understand, like lighting *sort of* and cameras and now animation and all of that. Now I got to figure out the modelign and skinning better.
7.14.2007
3ds Max is driving me insane, but I am getting it finally
I forgot to mention how I learned how to drive a boat last weekend. Good fun was had by all.
I'm starting to pick up on 3DS max, and I can tell you that after playing with this software, I have a lot of respect for people who can do this. It's tough! You have to get the timing just right and well, the meshes are more then enough to try to figure out without having your animation just blow up on you when everything is tweaked completely out of proportions. Eegh.
But besides the Mesh, I'm figuring this out and it's making me happy now. If I can play around with it some more maybe I will actually want to do this. And knowledge of the software will get me into the career field I want to get into I think.
Although I'm not sure I want to be a character animator anymore. It appealed to me once upon a time but holy hell it's tedious! I could probably do it if somebody else wants to model and skin the character for me. There is just so much to know.
My teacher mentioned that 3DS Max is capable of about 80,000,000 functions, or something insane like that. Meaning that I will never entirely understand this software. But good news, I'm in a better spot TODAY then I was yesterday.
Now, if only I can get those meshes to look right.
I'm starting to pick up on 3DS max, and I can tell you that after playing with this software, I have a lot of respect for people who can do this. It's tough! You have to get the timing just right and well, the meshes are more then enough to try to figure out without having your animation just blow up on you when everything is tweaked completely out of proportions. Eegh.
But besides the Mesh, I'm figuring this out and it's making me happy now. If I can play around with it some more maybe I will actually want to do this. And knowledge of the software will get me into the career field I want to get into I think.
Although I'm not sure I want to be a character animator anymore. It appealed to me once upon a time but holy hell it's tedious! I could probably do it if somebody else wants to model and skin the character for me. There is just so much to know.
My teacher mentioned that 3DS Max is capable of about 80,000,000 functions, or something insane like that. Meaning that I will never entirely understand this software. But good news, I'm in a better spot TODAY then I was yesterday.
Now, if only I can get those meshes to look right.
7.07.2007
Fun with New Recruits
This weekend is a drill weekend.
I'm thinking that a few of my readers probably wonder what goes on in the quest to become a drill sergeant and are probably disappointed that I don't write more about my drill weekends.
To tell you the truth, most weekends aren't all that exciting. I take a PT test every month (I passed my run this time by 2 seconds, which means that I need to run a LOT more) and most of the time I sit in a class room and modulate on the Position of Attention and the Rest Positions while at the halt. I can also modulate the hand salute. Sometimes we march each other around to familiarize ourselves and we also do a lot of PT. But it is usually very routine and often times boring to discuss later.
I'm very eager to get my hat, because I want to be done with this and actually do Drill Sergeant type stuff. Well, they let us have a little practice today by bringing in some fresh recruits, none of which have been to basic yet.
The recruiters brought these new troops in to give them an idea of what they will be facing when they go to basic training as well as give them a leg up by providing some training in basic Drill and Ceremony (D&C) and some other training that they will encounter when they hit the ground at their basic training unit. Today it was Mout training, although I didn't get to help out with that. But I got to do the D&C training, with about six drill sergeants backing me up in full drill sergeant mode. Oh the fun to be had! Some of these troops were shaking, you could see the terror in their faces as they tried to do as they were told.
This weekend confirmed to me that this is what I want to do, I had so much fun training these troops standard D&C such as Rest Positions at the Halt and walking along and making corrections as somebody else made adjustments. I think most of them thought I was just a little older then them doing this (most of these were kids right out of highschool) and when they found out I've been in the army just shy of eight years they looked surprised. A couple of them thought I was maybe 20 or 22 at the most.
I wrote a little bit more about this experience on my Milblog, but it did get me geared up for the fact that I leave for Drill Sergeant School next month and now I'm all motivated to go there and kick butt.
Now, all I really need to do is work on that run time. It would also be nice if I can shave of two minutes or so.
I'm thinking that a few of my readers probably wonder what goes on in the quest to become a drill sergeant and are probably disappointed that I don't write more about my drill weekends.
To tell you the truth, most weekends aren't all that exciting. I take a PT test every month (I passed my run this time by 2 seconds, which means that I need to run a LOT more) and most of the time I sit in a class room and modulate on the Position of Attention and the Rest Positions while at the halt. I can also modulate the hand salute. Sometimes we march each other around to familiarize ourselves and we also do a lot of PT. But it is usually very routine and often times boring to discuss later.
I'm very eager to get my hat, because I want to be done with this and actually do Drill Sergeant type stuff. Well, they let us have a little practice today by bringing in some fresh recruits, none of which have been to basic yet.
The recruiters brought these new troops in to give them an idea of what they will be facing when they go to basic training as well as give them a leg up by providing some training in basic Drill and Ceremony (D&C) and some other training that they will encounter when they hit the ground at their basic training unit. Today it was Mout training, although I didn't get to help out with that. But I got to do the D&C training, with about six drill sergeants backing me up in full drill sergeant mode. Oh the fun to be had! Some of these troops were shaking, you could see the terror in their faces as they tried to do as they were told.
This weekend confirmed to me that this is what I want to do, I had so much fun training these troops standard D&C such as Rest Positions at the Halt and walking along and making corrections as somebody else made adjustments. I think most of them thought I was just a little older then them doing this (most of these were kids right out of highschool) and when they found out I've been in the army just shy of eight years they looked surprised. A couple of them thought I was maybe 20 or 22 at the most.
I wrote a little bit more about this experience on my Milblog, but it did get me geared up for the fact that I leave for Drill Sergeant School next month and now I'm all motivated to go there and kick butt.
Now, all I really need to do is work on that run time. It would also be nice if I can shave of two minutes or so.
7.06.2007
Aesop's Fables
So I mentioned that I'm learning Flash, and I had to do a 'fairy tale', with it being animated and everything. Well, my drawing tablet is on the glitch at the moment and I hate my voice, but I chose to do an Aesop's fable, the man, the boy and the donkey, and this is what came out.
No, the art is not that great, but seeing as I had a lot to do and only a short time to do it, I got it done and my teacher liked it anyway.
Some people should honestly take note. Let's just say that I'm sick of it now and will now just share it amidst my readers for them to decide.
The donkey is my favorite character in the whole thing.
No, the art is not that great, but seeing as I had a lot to do and only a short time to do it, I got it done and my teacher liked it anyway.
Some people should honestly take note. Let's just say that I'm sick of it now and will now just share it amidst my readers for them to decide.
The donkey is my favorite character in the whole thing.
7.02.2007
More then Meets the Eye
I had an issue with trying to think of what to get my nephew Cody for his fifth birthday, when it kind of jumped at me while I was at work. I mean, I liked playing with them when I was a kid and now that there is a new movie out, they're making a come back.
Yeah, I got him a couple of transformers. I don't think he really knew what they were when he opened them up, as he was to caught up with his nerf toys, but hopefully when he gets them out of their packaging and realizes that they turn into robots he'll have a better appreciation for them.
But anyway, I might jump onto the bandwagon and get into a Transformers kick myself, because I'm a geek at heart and I'm all for things that bring on a nastalgic feeling in me. And holy crap, that movie is friggen awesome!
I think Transformers will be making a comeback this summer becuase I can predict that this movie is going to do well. I went and caught the first showing at 8 pm (strange time for a first showing) and was amazed at the level of animation. I'm an animation major, I can now appreciate the detail and tweaking that goes into modeling all those little parts and for them to shift and transform from a Chevy Camaro to a giant robot. I was amazed at this alone.
It was also amusing to sit in a theater with a bunch of twenty to thirty somethings who grew up on these things and were hooting and howling when Optimus Prime made his debut. They even had a couple people dressed up as Transformers in cardboard boxes running around at the front of the theater before the show started. Lot's of fandom and hollering going on, I shouldn't have expected anything less from a first showing.
The story is a little fast paced, but I didn't mind because it is VERY action oriented. And violent. There is lot's of stuff blowing up. I do recommend it however, to anybody who likes heavy action that features giant robots that turn into different kinds of vehicles and proceed to blow each other up.
Good old fashioned fun. I'll have to see if I can pick up some of the older cartoons just to see the difference, kind of like doing a comparison between old and new ninja turtles. That's always fun.
Yeah, I got him a couple of transformers. I don't think he really knew what they were when he opened them up, as he was to caught up with his nerf toys, but hopefully when he gets them out of their packaging and realizes that they turn into robots he'll have a better appreciation for them.
But anyway, I might jump onto the bandwagon and get into a Transformers kick myself, because I'm a geek at heart and I'm all for things that bring on a nastalgic feeling in me. And holy crap, that movie is friggen awesome!
I think Transformers will be making a comeback this summer becuase I can predict that this movie is going to do well. I went and caught the first showing at 8 pm (strange time for a first showing) and was amazed at the level of animation. I'm an animation major, I can now appreciate the detail and tweaking that goes into modeling all those little parts and for them to shift and transform from a Chevy Camaro to a giant robot. I was amazed at this alone.
It was also amusing to sit in a theater with a bunch of twenty to thirty somethings who grew up on these things and were hooting and howling when Optimus Prime made his debut. They even had a couple people dressed up as Transformers in cardboard boxes running around at the front of the theater before the show started. Lot's of fandom and hollering going on, I shouldn't have expected anything less from a first showing.
The story is a little fast paced, but I didn't mind because it is VERY action oriented. And violent. There is lot's of stuff blowing up. I do recommend it however, to anybody who likes heavy action that features giant robots that turn into different kinds of vehicles and proceed to blow each other up.
Good old fashioned fun. I'll have to see if I can pick up some of the older cartoons just to see the difference, kind of like doing a comparison between old and new ninja turtles. That's always fun.
7.01.2007
I Hate My Voice
I don't know what it is about it, but I think everyone hates the sound of their own voice.
I'm certainly no exception to this. I've gotten used to it, but I feel like I sound different then how I hear myself. Why do you suppose your voice does this? Its like you hear somebody else when you speak then what everyone else hears.
Aside from that paragraph making absolutely no sense, I just wanted to reiterate that I can't stand the sound of my voice.
And though I'm getting a grip on Flash, my animations aren't that great as of yet. Heck, their a blooming mess.
I should have my next animation up here soon, I like the story, but it is really painful to watch and quite frankly, I'm getting sick of watching and listening to it, as I'm narrating.
I'm certainly no exception to this. I've gotten used to it, but I feel like I sound different then how I hear myself. Why do you suppose your voice does this? Its like you hear somebody else when you speak then what everyone else hears.
Aside from that paragraph making absolutely no sense, I just wanted to reiterate that I can't stand the sound of my voice.
And though I'm getting a grip on Flash, my animations aren't that great as of yet. Heck, their a blooming mess.
I should have my next animation up here soon, I like the story, but it is really painful to watch and quite frankly, I'm getting sick of watching and listening to it, as I'm narrating.
6.29.2007
New Movie Out
So, a certain 'documentary' film maker released a new movie today, a movie that I will refuse to pay for to watch.
I'm sure he makes some good points in it, he does make a point or two in his previous forays. The thing about it is as far as I'm concerned, he has no credibility as a documentary film maker because he skews facts to mislead his viewers into seeing things the way he sees it. The fiasco with his latest film, in which he took rescue workers from 9/11 to Cuba to get medical treatment, backfired. What I find amusing was how he seemed to try to shift the blame of him doing somethign illegal to the fact that it was the government trying to shut his film up.
Well, apparently in Cuba's superior health care system, if you are a regular citizen, you have to provide your own soap and bedsheets. Hmm, sign me up now!
I also find the fact that this man decided that he needed to put a copy of his film in a safety deposit box outside of the country in his fear that the government would try to confiscate it was equally amusing. This shows the paranoia he faces, or rather, I think he stated it to get attention, and it obviously worked. Hey, even I heard about it, which gives the movie publicity, even though it is highly unlikely that anybody in the government would actualy confiscate the thing. Of course, with such a vocal figure, the government would be stupid to confiscate his movie, but I doubt that would stop him from making up a story that the government tried to.
All the guy does is lie to meet his means.
This is a fascinating article. I highly recommend reading it.
New York Post review of Sicko
Also check out Moore Watch.
I'm sure he makes some good points in it, he does make a point or two in his previous forays. The thing about it is as far as I'm concerned, he has no credibility as a documentary film maker because he skews facts to mislead his viewers into seeing things the way he sees it. The fiasco with his latest film, in which he took rescue workers from 9/11 to Cuba to get medical treatment, backfired. What I find amusing was how he seemed to try to shift the blame of him doing somethign illegal to the fact that it was the government trying to shut his film up.
Well, apparently in Cuba's superior health care system, if you are a regular citizen, you have to provide your own soap and bedsheets. Hmm, sign me up now!
I also find the fact that this man decided that he needed to put a copy of his film in a safety deposit box outside of the country in his fear that the government would try to confiscate it was equally amusing. This shows the paranoia he faces, or rather, I think he stated it to get attention, and it obviously worked. Hey, even I heard about it, which gives the movie publicity, even though it is highly unlikely that anybody in the government would actualy confiscate the thing. Of course, with such a vocal figure, the government would be stupid to confiscate his movie, but I doubt that would stop him from making up a story that the government tried to.
All the guy does is lie to meet his means.
This is a fascinating article. I highly recommend reading it.
New York Post review of Sicko
Also check out Moore Watch.
Journalism???
Wow, there really are journalists out there who want to cover something other then Paris Hilton. I haven't laughed this hard at a news program for some time.
I have to agree with Perez Hilton. Priceless.
I have to agree with Perez Hilton. Priceless.
Flash Stuffs
So yes, I have made a few more flash animation type thingees, and I can definitely say that these will become more and more frequent upon my blog and other various ideas on the internet.
Bloody hell, I feel like I'm twelve again. Everything I do seems to surround a horse or horse like creature (with an occasional ferret jumping in and stealing the show now and then.)
So you have a horse, and you can dress him up, granted if you know what's going on here. The assignment was called "Ms Potato Head" and the example was a potato with a bunch of body parts, kind of akin to, well, the potato head toys. You were supposed to be somewhat original with this game, but I didn't know what to do really so I decided to draw up a horse and give him a bunch of tack that you can put on him. You can even mix and match a bit. Hmm, I probably should have done more mix and matching. But whatever the case, here he is, though yeah, not to exciting but the fact that I can do this is just cool to me. I'm going to do a lot more with it later.
Flash is awesome and I'm totally getting it (most of the time). I'm still completley lost on 3ds Max.
Bloody hell, I feel like I'm twelve again. Everything I do seems to surround a horse or horse like creature (with an occasional ferret jumping in and stealing the show now and then.)
So you have a horse, and you can dress him up, granted if you know what's going on here. The assignment was called "Ms Potato Head" and the example was a potato with a bunch of body parts, kind of akin to, well, the potato head toys. You were supposed to be somewhat original with this game, but I didn't know what to do really so I decided to draw up a horse and give him a bunch of tack that you can put on him. You can even mix and match a bit. Hmm, I probably should have done more mix and matching. But whatever the case, here he is, though yeah, not to exciting but the fact that I can do this is just cool to me. I'm going to do a lot more with it later.
Flash is awesome and I'm totally getting it (most of the time). I'm still completley lost on 3ds Max.
6.27.2007
This Sums Everything Up Nicely
Six Chix
My parents saw this and immediately thought of me. They say it even looks like me.
Right now, it is a true statement. I don't have a life.
At all.
And I have discovered that I can't model anythign in 3ds Max.
6.22.2007
More Issues
So I've been having more technical difficulties with my blog over the last week, in that for some reason I couldn't log into my account to post. Hmm. . .
I just got back from a friend's wedding who lives on the rainy side of the state, and there were a few other friends over there that I hadn't seen in a while as well. It was good seeing those friends, I haven't seen them in about three years. And roadtrips are always fun.
But anyway, now that my blog appears to be working again, I'll post more about it later. First I need to get some sleep. I pulled a bit of an all nighter to get home.
I just got back from a friend's wedding who lives on the rainy side of the state, and there were a few other friends over there that I hadn't seen in a while as well. It was good seeing those friends, I haven't seen them in about three years. And roadtrips are always fun.
But anyway, now that my blog appears to be working again, I'll post more about it later. First I need to get some sleep. I pulled a bit of an all nighter to get home.
6.11.2007
Email Issues
So apparently my email sucks. I've only had that specific account for about 8 years now. Mostly spam gets through. Everything else seems to be thrown into the spam folder or I just never see it.
I'm in the process of getting a new email. Any suggestions?
Edit: I resuscitated my Gmail account that I set up two years ago and then never used. My alias at Gmail is the email (leaving it vague because of the spambots which suck). Of course, I'll leave my yahoo account open, that's the email most people know how to get a hold of me, though kami(a)risawn.com is junk and overflowing with spam, so don't email me there. I don't think I even get emails through that account (which forwards to my yahoo account) because its such a mess.
I'm in the process of getting a new email. Any suggestions?
Edit: I resuscitated my Gmail account that I set up two years ago and then never used. My alias at Gmail is the email (leaving it vague because of the spambots which suck). Of course, I'll leave my yahoo account open, that's the email most people know how to get a hold of me, though kami(a)risawn.com is junk and overflowing with spam, so don't email me there. I don't think I even get emails through that account (which forwards to my yahoo account) because its such a mess.
6.10.2007
Ron Paul for President
Ok, I don't know a whole lot about Ron Paul to tell you the honest truth. He seemed to be a minor candidate in the overpowering field of Republicans (and Democrats for that matter)
I think I need to do a little more research on him and see exactly where he stands, but based on this video, I really like him. He seems to be a true conservative and I agree with most of his view points. Before seeing this video, to tell you the truth, I wasn't really impressed with much of anyone running for President.
I did a rundown on my personal knowledge of the Democratic Candidates about a month or so ago. I need to do one on the Republicans.
Ninja Turtles on eBay
So, anybody interested in buying a bunch of ninja turtle comics?
I've been collecting them for the last couple months and then listed a bunch of extras I acquired on eBay.
I need to sell them. I would sell them in conjunction with the movie coming out on DVD when demand sparked for them again, but unfortunately it doesn't coincide well with my life, as I leave for Drill Sergeant School a week afterwards. So I decided to just go ahead and list them now and hope that if I post enough about them, people might actually buy them.
I hope.
eBay is good for the soul. And bad for the bank account.
I've been collecting them for the last couple months and then listed a bunch of extras I acquired on eBay.
I need to sell them. I would sell them in conjunction with the movie coming out on DVD when demand sparked for them again, but unfortunately it doesn't coincide well with my life, as I leave for Drill Sergeant School a week afterwards. So I decided to just go ahead and list them now and hope that if I post enough about them, people might actually buy them.
I hope.
eBay is good for the soul. And bad for the bank account.
Bush and Kosovo
Bush Recieves Heroes Welcome in Albania
I found this article to be rather interesting in regards to the update on Kosovo and Bush's stance on it. It doesn't surprise me that Albania greeted Bush with great enthusiasm, as Albanians love Americans, (There is a street named after Bill Clinton in Kosovo, and his image is plastered on a sky scraper in Pristina) and I wonder if he stopped by Camp Bondsteel and said hi to the troops (I'm sure they would appreciate the support as most people forget we are even still in Kosovo) but I found his stance interesting. Bush is taking a Pro Albanian stance on the issue that is Kosovo and declaring independence. To tell you the honest truth, that seems to be the best thing for the war torn international protectorate. Though the Albanian majority and Serbian minority need to learn to get along and live with each other.
I don't know how successful such arrangement will be, but it would be nice to see some resolution to this ongoing conflict.
I found this article to be rather interesting in regards to the update on Kosovo and Bush's stance on it. It doesn't surprise me that Albania greeted Bush with great enthusiasm, as Albanians love Americans, (There is a street named after Bill Clinton in Kosovo, and his image is plastered on a sky scraper in Pristina) and I wonder if he stopped by Camp Bondsteel and said hi to the troops (I'm sure they would appreciate the support as most people forget we are even still in Kosovo) but I found his stance interesting. Bush is taking a Pro Albanian stance on the issue that is Kosovo and declaring independence. To tell you the honest truth, that seems to be the best thing for the war torn international protectorate. Though the Albanian majority and Serbian minority need to learn to get along and live with each other.
I don't know how successful such arrangement will be, but it would be nice to see some resolution to this ongoing conflict.
6.09.2007
More Fun with Flash
It can be educational too!
This is a slideshow persentation of Spots on Horses. Although Paint markings aren't generally thought of as spots so to speak, but I don't care, I'll call it whatever I want. So, Paint and Appaloosa Marking, for those who don't know what they are.
I got the images all over the net, so if you are perusing my website and recognize one of the horses as your own and are upset with me, I apologize but do take note that I make no money off this website.
I felt like I had to go back again and again to make sure my Tovero example was in fact a Tovero. I might be wrong and it is actually an Overo, so if you know spots and horses and you see something on my presentation as incorrect, please enlighten me.
I can definitely see using this program more in the future.
This is a slideshow persentation of Spots on Horses. Although Paint markings aren't generally thought of as spots so to speak, but I don't care, I'll call it whatever I want. So, Paint and Appaloosa Marking, for those who don't know what they are.
I got the images all over the net, so if you are perusing my website and recognize one of the horses as your own and are upset with me, I apologize but do take note that I make no money off this website.
I felt like I had to go back again and again to make sure my Tovero example was in fact a Tovero. I might be wrong and it is actually an Overo, so if you know spots and horses and you see something on my presentation as incorrect, please enlighten me.
I can definitely see using this program more in the future.
6.08.2007
Legend Of Zelda
So, as I mentioned before, I got a Wii.
And I managed to get a copy of Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
The rating may change, but right now this is my favorite Zelda game ever, right after Ocarina of Time. And Ocarina of Time was my favorite video game.
However, I haven't finished Twilight Princess yet. So until the story concludes, I'm not going to confirm that this game is my favorite ever.
All I can say is the Japanese know how to make a kickbutt video game.
And the Wii remotes can make you look like a total idiot when playing video games.
And I managed to get a copy of Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
The rating may change, but right now this is my favorite Zelda game ever, right after Ocarina of Time. And Ocarina of Time was my favorite video game.
However, I haven't finished Twilight Princess yet. So until the story concludes, I'm not going to confirm that this game is my favorite ever.
All I can say is the Japanese know how to make a kickbutt video game.
And the Wii remotes can make you look like a total idiot when playing video games.
Could You Do Time?
In light of the Paris Hilton and Jail talk, I have often thought about what it would be like to be in Jail, or worse even, Prison.
The thing is, Jail is not meant to be a fun time. Its meant to be uncomfortable and boring and a place you don't want to be, to encourage you to behave so you don't go back.
So Paris apparently can't handle three days in jail. Now the question I ask, could I?
Well, the thing is, I try to behave for the most part so I don't land in jail. For instance, I don't shoplift, I don't do drugs, I generally leave people alone if they bug me instead of assaulting them. And I also don't drink and drive. Heck, I don't even drink. In other words, I try to live my life as a model US citizen so I don't have to go to jail.
The thought has crossed my mind though, if something happened and I found myself in jail. An incident happened a few years ago where I saw a car stopped at an intersection and without really thinking about it, I swerved around it (on the right side, stupid of me) and as I passed I realized why the car was stopped. The driver was waving a girl across the intersection. Obviously the girl had seen me because she had waited, but if she hadn't seen me, I could have very well hit her. When I realized what was happening, and how I broke the law, I could have sworn my life flashed before my eyes as I realized how everything could have changed if that girl had been in that intersection, because I would have undoubtedly hit her. And because I was breaking the law, if something had happened to her, I would have undoubtedly served some time for it.
Something stupid and careless on my part, I'm glad she was paying attention, but I never forgot that.
So the question returns, could I serve time in jail without bursting into tears ala Paris Hilton? Well, I guess I might be a little emotional on account of it, but I think I could suck it up and serve if I had to. Without using some lame medical excuse to try to get out of it.
For one, well, I'm in the army. Being in the army is almost like doing time. Except you're armed.
Yeah, if I had to, I think I could survive a stint in jail.
But to be on the safe side, I really don't want to find out if I can, so I'll continue to try not to land myself in jail.
The thing is, Jail is not meant to be a fun time. Its meant to be uncomfortable and boring and a place you don't want to be, to encourage you to behave so you don't go back.
So Paris apparently can't handle three days in jail. Now the question I ask, could I?
Well, the thing is, I try to behave for the most part so I don't land in jail. For instance, I don't shoplift, I don't do drugs, I generally leave people alone if they bug me instead of assaulting them. And I also don't drink and drive. Heck, I don't even drink. In other words, I try to live my life as a model US citizen so I don't have to go to jail.
The thought has crossed my mind though, if something happened and I found myself in jail. An incident happened a few years ago where I saw a car stopped at an intersection and without really thinking about it, I swerved around it (on the right side, stupid of me) and as I passed I realized why the car was stopped. The driver was waving a girl across the intersection. Obviously the girl had seen me because she had waited, but if she hadn't seen me, I could have very well hit her. When I realized what was happening, and how I broke the law, I could have sworn my life flashed before my eyes as I realized how everything could have changed if that girl had been in that intersection, because I would have undoubtedly hit her. And because I was breaking the law, if something had happened to her, I would have undoubtedly served some time for it.
Something stupid and careless on my part, I'm glad she was paying attention, but I never forgot that.
So the question returns, could I serve time in jail without bursting into tears ala Paris Hilton? Well, I guess I might be a little emotional on account of it, but I think I could suck it up and serve if I had to. Without using some lame medical excuse to try to get out of it.
For one, well, I'm in the army. Being in the army is almost like doing time. Except you're armed.
Yeah, if I had to, I think I could survive a stint in jail.
But to be on the safe side, I really don't want to find out if I can, so I'll continue to try not to land myself in jail.
Paris Goes Back to Jail
Ok, I don't know why, but I've been drawn to celebrity gossip lately.
This might be related to the fact that I'm the official magazine person at my work now. See, I'm responsible for the magazine section at work now so I stay pretty current with the gossip rags. Whether it be Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, or Paris Hilton.
Not being one for gossiping much on my blog, or at least I try not to, I couldn't help but jump on this one. See, you have this filthy rich brat, who is famous for being famous. What's more, I look at this chick and wonder about what could possibly be going on in her head.
When I heard about her originally going to jail, I thought it was a fair punishment, due to the fact that she had been caught driving with a suspended license TWICE. Its not as if she has a roommate. When I heard that she was released early from jail yesterday, I like the rest of the US, was appalled by the fact that this appeared to be a severe breakdown of the judicial system.
When I heard that it was due to a medical condition, I found this even more appalling. Ok, so how many inmates do you think are in jail (or prison for that matter) that have a medical condition? I don't know what the deal is with Paris Hilton, but if its psychological I bet its due to her being pampered her entire life and having everything handed to her on a silver platter. Whatever the case, there is no reason why she can't be treated for her 'condition' by the system. And furthermore, if it is psychological, doing a major PSYCH! on her by telling her "guess what, you can go home for the rest of your sentance. Just kidding!" is probably not helping matters.
Actually, in that regard, I kind of feel sorry for her. That probably wasn't her fault, but rather the fault of the idiot sherrif who decided to go ahead and send her home when she discovered she couldn't take life in a jail cell. It would have been a lot less cruel just to leave her in the jail cell and make her 'suck it up' rather then to tell her that she could go home and then turn around and send her back 24 hours later.
But the fact that she thought she could talk to the judge via conferance call? Ok, now she's showing her colors again. The fact that they picked her escorted her in the back of a police car in handcuffs is priceless. The look on her face is priceless too.
Why don't you actually LEARN SOMETHING from this!
Maybe some of the other celebs can learn something from this as well.
Maybe, but highly unlikely.
This might be related to the fact that I'm the official magazine person at my work now. See, I'm responsible for the magazine section at work now so I stay pretty current with the gossip rags. Whether it be Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, or Paris Hilton.
Not being one for gossiping much on my blog, or at least I try not to, I couldn't help but jump on this one. See, you have this filthy rich brat, who is famous for being famous. What's more, I look at this chick and wonder about what could possibly be going on in her head.
When I heard about her originally going to jail, I thought it was a fair punishment, due to the fact that she had been caught driving with a suspended license TWICE. Its not as if she has a roommate. When I heard that she was released early from jail yesterday, I like the rest of the US, was appalled by the fact that this appeared to be a severe breakdown of the judicial system.
When I heard that it was due to a medical condition, I found this even more appalling. Ok, so how many inmates do you think are in jail (or prison for that matter) that have a medical condition? I don't know what the deal is with Paris Hilton, but if its psychological I bet its due to her being pampered her entire life and having everything handed to her on a silver platter. Whatever the case, there is no reason why she can't be treated for her 'condition' by the system. And furthermore, if it is psychological, doing a major PSYCH! on her by telling her "guess what, you can go home for the rest of your sentance. Just kidding!" is probably not helping matters.
Actually, in that regard, I kind of feel sorry for her. That probably wasn't her fault, but rather the fault of the idiot sherrif who decided to go ahead and send her home when she discovered she couldn't take life in a jail cell. It would have been a lot less cruel just to leave her in the jail cell and make her 'suck it up' rather then to tell her that she could go home and then turn around and send her back 24 hours later.
But the fact that she thought she could talk to the judge via conferance call? Ok, now she's showing her colors again. The fact that they picked her escorted her in the back of a police car in handcuffs is priceless. The look on her face is priceless too.
Why don't you actually LEARN SOMETHING from this!
Maybe some of the other celebs can learn something from this as well.
Maybe, but highly unlikely.
6.05.2007
My First Flash Animation
Yes, I am currently learning how to use Flash, however there are still quite a few things that I still need to learn about it. Like how to embed files so that they look exactly how I want them to look.
This file is VERY rough, as I ignored artistic talent in favor of actually making something that was animated. If you use Netscape, I'm sorry but I'm still trying to figure out how to embed objects for Netscape browsers and I can't test it to make sure it works, so you might not be able to see it. Also, you will need a Flash Player.
I call it Running Ferret. I can foresee using Flash a lot more in the future. It is lot's of fun!
This file is VERY rough, as I ignored artistic talent in favor of actually making something that was animated. If you use Netscape, I'm sorry but I'm still trying to figure out how to embed objects for Netscape browsers and I can't test it to make sure it works, so you might not be able to see it. Also, you will need a Flash Player.
I call it Running Ferret. I can foresee using Flash a lot more in the future. It is lot's of fun!
6.03.2007
Gotta Love eBay
Alright, so I put a bid in on an auction on eBay right? And it was kind of last minute so I took a chance and went ahead and bid on it with my end bid only a dollar more then the beginning price.
So I won the auction. Thing is, I bid on it at around midnight and I wasn't going to be able to watch the auction throughout the day because it was a Drill Weekend. I did have a question about it, but I couldn't ask and get an answer in time to make it worht my while.
The question was, how much is shipping? See, no shipping charges are put anywhere on the auction. I took a look at the lot and thought to myself 'this will easily fit into a flat rate box' and I was thinking maybe a $10 shipping fee. At most.
So I come home and find the invoice in my inbox and it costs $20 to ship this thing. I'm going, what the hell?
So I email the guy, asking him how he got to that amount and the fact that this could easily fit into a flat rate box, and why it wasn't posted anywhere on the auction (because I sure in hell wouldn't have bid on it if I knew that the auction was that much, because the lot isn't worth that much to me).
So this is his response.
Delivery confirmation I can understand, most people on ebay charge for delivery confirmation. How much does delivery confirmation cost though? Fifty cents? Maybe more. But here's the thing. Insurance is usually optional on the part of the buyer. They specify whether or not they want insurance, and nothing in this auction is worth insuring for me. But furthermore, when I got my email stating I won the auction, it specifically stated that Insurance wasn't offered.
You know the beauty of flat rate? The post office will actually give you the box! And it self seals! So you don't have to use tape! You just have to provide a pen to write the address onto the package! I know, I'm a pro at Flat rate, I got used to sending home a lot of crap via flat rate when I was deployed.
This is a case of a guy putting up an auction and not getting as much money as he wanted for it. So he decided to make a little more money back by charging extra in shipping.
I sent him a link to eBay's Excessive Shipping Charges policy and hope he got the hint. I still want the auction, but I don't want it bad enough to pay $7.00 more for shipping then the auction itself cost.
So I won the auction. Thing is, I bid on it at around midnight and I wasn't going to be able to watch the auction throughout the day because it was a Drill Weekend. I did have a question about it, but I couldn't ask and get an answer in time to make it worht my while.
The question was, how much is shipping? See, no shipping charges are put anywhere on the auction. I took a look at the lot and thought to myself 'this will easily fit into a flat rate box' and I was thinking maybe a $10 shipping fee. At most.
So I come home and find the invoice in my inbox and it costs $20 to ship this thing. I'm going, what the hell?
So I email the guy, asking him how he got to that amount and the fact that this could easily fit into a flat rate box, and why it wasn't posted anywhere on the auction (because I sure in hell wouldn't have bid on it if I knew that the auction was that much, because the lot isn't worth that much to me).
So this is his response.
Shipping was not listed because it varies by location. It is based on weight, location, including shipping material costs and insurance and delivery confirmation. I can take insurance off which would decrease it a little if you want.
Delivery confirmation I can understand, most people on ebay charge for delivery confirmation. How much does delivery confirmation cost though? Fifty cents? Maybe more. But here's the thing. Insurance is usually optional on the part of the buyer. They specify whether or not they want insurance, and nothing in this auction is worth insuring for me. But furthermore, when I got my email stating I won the auction, it specifically stated that Insurance wasn't offered.
You know the beauty of flat rate? The post office will actually give you the box! And it self seals! So you don't have to use tape! You just have to provide a pen to write the address onto the package! I know, I'm a pro at Flat rate, I got used to sending home a lot of crap via flat rate when I was deployed.
This is a case of a guy putting up an auction and not getting as much money as he wanted for it. So he decided to make a little more money back by charging extra in shipping.
I sent him a link to eBay's Excessive Shipping Charges policy and hope he got the hint. I still want the auction, but I don't want it bad enough to pay $7.00 more for shipping then the auction itself cost.
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