New Testingstan

[REDACTED] Given my already shit-tastic self-esteem getting rejected would hurt quite a bit.

Aaron wrote:

Oxymoron wrote:Exactly.

Also, I love that map :

Now why would they be nervous, look at all the freedom around them!

why is iran blue

what a shitty map

Didn't you know that the U.S. is THE EVIL EMPIREtm and the bad guys are always in red?

Because it's propaganda, obviously (I'm no joking).

That's a thing we learned in geography : maps are never neutral. The way you present information is at least or even more important than the information itself.


Here, by choosing the color blue ("traditionally" associated with the Good Guys in the collective unconscious since the Cold War at least), and the surrounding country in Red (the color of the Bad Guys), the map's author intent is clearly to portray Iran as the Good Guy, the Underdog (which is reinforced by the effect of showing how the country is "surrounded" by american military bases, even if I'm sure most of them couldn't be used in a war against Iran for one reason or another.


Basically, I love it because it's a very effective piece of propaganda, if maybe pretty unsubtle.

hey dude admitting to a plan to commit fraud in a public forum is probably a poor decision

Aaron wrote:Not really, no. You may be from Toronto but your not that dumb.

Somebody's a little late to the party.

Losonti Tokash wrote:hey dude admitting to a plan to commit fraud in a public forum is probably a poor decision

agreed.

EDIT: I'm actually kidding about the lying thing. I want to join, and honestly hope I don't get rejected, but I'm not about to commit a felony to do it.

Darksi4190 wrote:Ok, Aaron, I have to ask. When you were on Effexor, did you ever have any trouble sleeping? I've asked my neurologist and she doesn't think that's what's doing it, but lately it seems like I can't stay asleep for more than four hours at a time.

I'm not Aaron, but I was on Efexor for a few years. My main sleeping trouble was that I would have terrifying nightmares one night, and be unable to sleep for the next night.

That kinda blew.

I've never had nightmares, but there are some nights where I have very vivid dreams, and that's something that's never happened before.

Also Gands, do you play Killing Floor? I was in a game last weekend with a guy whose Steam ID was exactly the same as your username.

Nope, not me at all.

ah, well he sucked anyways. I'm sure you'd be better at it.

Darksider
In terms of value to society, teaching is up there with medicine, right at the top of the ladder. Now, while you could argue that nations will always need a certain size of army for self-defence, in the modern day soldiering is pretty low down in terms of usefulness to society. And that's not taking into account the damage it does to people in other places.

Also, it seems like a large part of you wanting to join is peer pressure, which is never a good sign.

at the very least pick something that will teach you a skill you can use after you leave, like working with generators or languages

and your recruiter is a liar

i don't need to know what he said, he's lying about it

do not let him try to bullshit you about a job in rocket artillery having any relevance to civilian life whatsoever

Infantry is fun, but there is no relevance to civilian life at all. Literally any other trade is better, at least arty teaches you to drive something large and heavy. Infantry teaches you to kill, and clean.

I knew a guy who went right from an MP MOS to cleaning airplanes for a quarter above minimum wage with a wife and a kid.

I'm in the City of Brotherly Love, and it's a beautiful night.

Losonti Tokash wrote:at the very least pick something that will teach you a skill you can use after you leave, like working with generators or languages

How hard is it to qualify for those jobs on the ASVAB? Don't you already have to have some sort of mechanical or computer knowledge to get them?

There going to train you anyways. It depends on what you score, and more importantly, what is open.

The last part is the kicker.

Jake said that with the draw-down after Iraq and the withdrawal from germany, recruitment isn't being pushed as hard as it was even a year ago. You can't choose what post you end up at anymore, and there are no more enlistment bonuses.

Funny story that I think i've mentioned before, when Dave enlisted, he was promised a bonus, but then the regs changed so they couldn't give it to him. They actually offered him a sort of "get out of the army free" card, but he decided to finish basic anyways.

matt, the last time i took the asvab, i didn't know how to check the oil in my car and still got a 99

and let dave be a cautionary tale, get any promises IN WRITING

if his contract had promised him a bonus they wouldn't have been able to pull that shit, but he likely took his recruiter (a liar, remember) at his word

Thanks for the input guys, but I haven't even started talking to a recruiter yet. I've mostly just started checking the "career" section of the army's web site.

If I walked my fat ass into a recruiting office right now, the guy inside would laugh me right out. That's one good thing i'll be getting out of this, whether I qualify to Enlist or not, it's finally convinced me to get into shape.

Not even my cardiologist was able to do that.

If you really want to get in shape the best thing you can do is cardio. Nevermind push-ups, start hitting the bikes and elliptical machines.

it depends, a lot will be willing to either exercise with you or set you up with a group of servicemen who who don't mind having a newbie along