Dissent21

I'm working on a book right now, and I was wondering what some of the major positions on a US cruiser would be, especially for command staff, things like the nav officer, weapons officer, etc.

I'm not too familiar with the structure of personnel on a naval vessel is, so anything related to this would be a help, really.

I'm currently in the process of talking about joining with my recruiter, and Cavalry Scout is the MOS I'm interested. As luck would have it, my recruiter is a Cav Scout, who also happens to be someone who absolutely freaking loves his job. He has a lot of great things to say about it, but I'd like to see multiple opinions.

I'm looking into joining the Army, and 35M was one MOS I was considering. Obviously, as it's an Intelligence MOS, I can't get any really specific examples, but if anyone has a rough idea of what kind of work they do, where they go, how they do it, etc, I'd appreciate that.

I'm looking for a little more than the paragraph blurbs that the Army puts out.

Everywhere there was any hair lacks all feeling. I cannot feel pressure, and it takes a rather extreme change of temperature to notice that (~10 degrees). I can feel sharp pokes and prods, but only when they go deep (past a few layers of epidermis). What's up with this?

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/04/18/nkorea...

To summarize the above article, North Korea has stated that ANY negative sanctions or pressure in response to their missile launch a week or so back would be tantamount to a declaration of war.

This is after they threatened war on anyone who was going to interfere with the launch in any way. It seems like they're just looking for more and more reasons to declare war on everybody.

They probably think they could get away with retaking South Korea, or something crazy like that.

I'm currently trying to work out which MOS I'd like to enlist as for the Army. My father was a FISTer in his day, (which was about 10 years ago), and said "If you want to go out and play soldier, I think this one would be best for you. I think in a normal combat role, with your intelligence, you would master everything there is in about 2-3 years, and then get bored. With 13F, you are frequently changing what type of unit you are attached to, meaning you are constantly forced to learn new things."

Now, I totally respect his opinion, and think he raises a perfectly valid point. However, I have also heard some rumblings about this MOS. Such as 'It may soon be phased out', 'They spend a lot of time back at the OP, these days," and other assorted "It's changed a lot" sort of concepts.

So, to someone who is currently a FISTer. What is your job like? Are you moving with units a lot? Are you working radio's? Are you assigned to a new unit every few years? Any input would be great, so shoot if you've got something.

I've just started talking to my Army recruiter today. I outlined a few possibilities, one of which (with my 88 AFQT ASVAB Score) was Intel. However, I didn't push it too hard, as I don't really know much about it. I know I could have asked my recruiter more, but, frankly, he was an MP, so any experience he has will be second hand, anyways. I also took a look at the GoArmy website, but, anyone who's visited it before knows that the information is as good as second hand. Is there anyone currently in the Intel Field who could give me some insight? I'd prefer to operate on the tactical level, rather than strategic, as the concept of sitting behind a desk for years at of time gives me nightmares. Any input would be great, whatever it is.

I'm trying to decide what MOS I want. I'm going to talk to a recruiter for the first time tomorrow, and I still can't really funnel down what I want. I get the impression that there is a good deal of similarities between the two MOS's, as they both operate on or beyond front lines, are often getting eyes on, but not engaging targets, etc. But, of course, I'm not in, so I don't know.

My dad was a 13F, which has probably tainted my view on the MOS a bit, but the main impression I got was, there's a lot of math, a lot of maps, computers, and more math, a fair bit of learning to sneak past things, and at the end of the day, you blow the crap out of something.

Cav Scout, (in my understanding) has a lot of maps, a lot of riding in vehicles, and looking at maps, a fair bit of learning to sneak past things, radioing in things you snuck past on maps, and you shoot the crap out of things from time to time.

As for what I want, I'd like to take several specialty schools, (Pathfinder, Jump School, etc) and maybe even try to go Sniper later on (but then, so does everyone else). Once again, I have some experience with the army, but pretty much just enough to do more harm than good. So, any suggestions, advice, or personal experience would be greatly appreciated.

I could really use some advice. I am in a very awkward position. I was raised in a military family, specifically, army. This has sort of bred in me a distinct love of the Army, and a very, very strong desire to join. My father was in the Army for 20 years, went to Iraq in '91, and he has said he will support me in whatever I choose to do. Then, there's my mother.

She joined the army reserves early '01. She was mental health specialist, and ended up going to Iraq in '03. Obviously, as a mental health specialist, she saw the darkest possible side of the military, war, and those who cannot handle the reality of conflict. She is terrified that I will become one of those 18-19 year olds, who never really get to live, because their minds have been destroyed by war, etc. (she hasn't ever said this, specifically, but, hey, reading people runs in the family). Now, my mother is an incredibly intelligent person, and I respect her opinion, but, well, I disagree with her on the situation.

The problem is, I also really don't feel comfortable about doing something that would worry and hurt her this much. I'm kind of at a loss for what to do. I've begun looking into the coast guard, as she is all right with that, but I just feel like I'm settling. Sure, I think I will enjoy the Coast Guard, but it's just not what I really want to do. Can anyone give me any advice? I know that the gut answer is "You have to do what you have to do for YOU" but, honestly, I care about my mother, also, and it would be bad for me to upset her like that.

Hey all. I have been considering joining a service for some time (thanks military upbringing), and have been seriously considering the Coast Guard for some time now. I was wondering if I could get some advice on choosing a rate to go for.

I am 18, in good health, and have no outstanding medical conditions. The last time I took a practice ASVAB, I scored in the 82nd percentile, I believe.

Now, I'm looking for what would be considered a more exciting rate. I've seen the spectacular videos of 47' foot boats, storming into massive swells, and a part of me is just awestruck, and strognly wants to be there, on the boat. Originally, I was looking at GM, but as I read into it, I began to see that a lot of it was also mechanical work, and gun maintenance. Despite my interest in firearms, a large part of me is terrified at being stuck doing dull maintenance work for the next 4 years, or more. I was also, obviously, considering rescue swimmer, but I am aware that that is an incredibly difficult rate to join, and I want to keep my options open. Any advice on a good rate, or admonishment for being silly about chasing a thrill, would be greatly appreciated.

Then why are we only hearing vague implications from extreme right hand groups, that always make sure to say at the end of their ad's that McCain did not approve the message. The fact is, McCain is a decent person, and isn't willing to lie to trash his opponent.

If Obama REALLY was such a huge threat, or he wasn't born here in the states, and they had ANYTHING that indicated he was such an extreme threat, someone would have done something about it, and I DEFINITELY think that McCain would have been mentioning it more. Instead, he says Obama is a good person, deserves respect, and more.

So, to all of you people out there who keep saying these things about Obama; to the old lady who told McCain Obama was an Arab; to the women who wouldn't give Halloween candy to Obama supporters, because she didn't give candy to "liars and tricksters". I ask you... please, just grow up. Stop buying into the fear, and look at the candidates and the issues equally and fairly. We have two excellent candidates, with two very different points of view, and two very different plans for the country. Look at that, not this silly ****.

That's what I'm doing, that's what my generation is doing, and frankly, we're disappointed in you. McCarthyism is over. Be adults. Stop being childish. It's time to stop being controlled by fear.

I'm so disappointed in all of you.

I'm gonna cheat a little, and answer my own question, here.

Now, I'm sure most of you have heard the accusations against her intelligence, which most supporters will debate. And then there's the argument about how she reads the bible literally. And there are quite a few more issues people can bring up. Now, I am going to ignore ALL of them. There is only one point I need to bring up, to provide a viable, and reasonable explanation. That point is as follows.

"I am willing to go to war with Russia, to protect our NATO Allies."

That is a direct quote of Palin. I saw it myself, so whether or not it is real is not up for debate. She DID say it.

Now then, there are HUGE ramifications behind that statement. Obviously, she is unaware of our military situation, seeing as we are so stretched thin in Iraq that we have the Coast Guard defending the Mexican border. She also seems to be unaware of world issues, since, at the time she made that statement (only a few weeks after her ticket position was announced) Russia was, economically, far more stable than we were, and even on the fast track to surpass us. They still have more pull, thanks to the large natural gas reserves they hold, and sell to most of the European Union.

To sum it all up, she has NO IDEA what she was saying. To go to war with Russia is pretty much as serious an intention as it was during the height of the cold war. And, I know that we're supposed to be voting for the president, and not the Vice-president. But, honestly, I don't really care who the politicians are at this point. I might even vote Bush back in before I allow that failure of a politician to get anywhere NEAR Washington. She can stay in Alaska, for all I care.

Now then, any rebuttals, or opinions?

I installed Vista Ultimate a few months back, and decided to try out some of the Ultimate Extras. However, when I go into Windows Update, click on Ultimate Extras, and click Download Windows Ultimate Extras, it just takes me right back to the Windows Update screen. No download info, no selection screen, nada. Any suggestions?

I was looking at a link someone posted in a response to an earlier question of mine. It was a site intending to prove that evolution didn't really occur, and it contained a highly captivating, if far-fetched thesis of some pre-existing civilization. When he began tying it into religion and the bible, my skepticism kicked in. And in that moment, I truly understood.

Quite simply, we are all wrong. The religious madly grasp their faith, lamely attempting to give their lives meaning, and the scientists hold high evolution, struggling to give the world some logic, some order. But all these ideas presented, all these plans, these laws, these gods. They are nothing. Religion plays on emotion the same way evolution plays on logic, and the fact is, we are no where near being capable of discovering the truth.

How many times have religions led to wars, and wholesale slaughter, or the deception and control of millions?

And how many times has 'official' science been proven to be horribly wrong? I need only point to alchemy as an example.

So yes, we are all wrong, and no, we are not going to find the answers any times soon. So tone it back. Stop DEDICATING your life to god. Stop basing your ENTIRE LIFE on rules and laws that, in the end, wind up being mere theory and hypotheses. Use those things to supplement true living; having families, loving, and enjoying a starry night sky for it's beauty, rather than wondering if god, or aliens, are up there staring back.

Because it just may well be.

I have a very simple question, and I apologize if I am misinformed about something.

Why do you believe in a god, who has seemingly created you simply for the purpose of worshiping him?

I have seen plenty of people in the "Christ faiths" talking about how much love god has, and yet he sets all these rules, requires frequent worship, demands obedience... The only possible explanation is that, somewhere along the way, humans misconstrued something. Yet every time I pose that as a possibility, the inevitable response is, "The Bible is the word of God"

So, I finally have a response to that. The bible is the word of God, as understood by humans. A common argument is that "God's will is inscrutable, and we cannot understand him". Well, then how on earth did they manage to accurately write a bible?

I'm sorry, I guess my simple question turned into several complicated ones. Feel free to answer any of them, and I apologize if I offended anyone. This was all intended as a curious, open-minded question.

Hello again, philosophers. I'm back to pose another question to you all.

I am part of generation x. To clarify, generation x is the current generation, raised on this age of internet access, 2000 channel television, and a MASSIVE lack of faith in the government. I've done some thought on the subject, and I see it as this:

The world is going to face a monumental change. There is no avoiding it. Whereas most end-times theories are based on one single current event, we face, today, a multitude. We see an environmental catastrophe on the horizon, we are risking a second cold war with Russia, the economy is faltering, the US government is shuddering, and is likely to take a large portion of the world with it if it should collapse. The question is no longer if, but HOW. So, how does this apply to Generation X? Well, it's simple. We're the ones left to pick up the pieces. However, like most generations, we have a huge rift, between those who follow the status quo, and those who are thinking, creating, and coming up with new, better ideas.

But, unlike most generations, for once, it is NOT the open-minded new-wave generation that is the majority. This time, we have an overwhelming majority in favor of the MTV section. Most of my generation is oblivious to world events, content to suck on jamba juice while they dance to soljah boy on their iPod. Which isn't doing much to solve our current problems.

Additionally, the smaller half, the one who is supposed to advance everything? Well, like me, they are so cynical and detached from the whole process, that, at this point, we're willing to ride the world into oblivion, and pick up the pieces once it shatters.

The good news is, it's not all grim. I do still believe there is a very, very, VERY slim chance that, should we have an outstanding leader step forward, and organize Generation X, we might still be able to avert the numerous disasters the previous generations discovered.

Here's hoping.

So, I ask you. What is Generation X?

Salvation, or Reparation?

I have grown in a fairy tale.

I grew up with the understanding, from my wholly optimistic mother, that people were generally good. This, I find to be false.

I have heard people say, Men are savages, with no cares for any but himself. This, I find to be false.

I have found this. Men are Animals. You cannot deny it, hide it or lie about it, without an equal and valid counterpoint being made. That's the truth. We contain goodness, we contain evil; we contain greatness, we contain savagery; we contain valour, and we contain greed.

Another thing known to be true. Animals will compete for land. And the less available, the more vicious, dirty, and savage that competition becomes. What happens when we have too many people? We have ceased living. Instead of finding joy in our work, and living for love, life, and family, we have live for our work, and find joy in love, life, and family. We work to make money to live, and keep going. Work is not supposed to be a center of our lives, it is supposed to be an attachment, something added on to make more possible in our lives. Instead millions of people trudge off every day to jobs they hate, for pay they dislike, and time away from the truly important things in life.

Evolution is nature, yet men have ceased to evolve. This man is overweight? Here, have a liposuction. That man stuck his head in a cannon to get a nickel, oh, well, pull him out, and make it illegal to own cannons. At a certain point, you have to wonder, is a sense of "decency" causing the general downfall of the rest of us? We try to fend off cancer, aids, polio, and more, rather than becoming immune as a species.

I can feel it in my bones, something is wrong with the world as it is today. It doesn't matter how many times you put a monkey in a suit, he still wants to climb trees, eat bananas, and throw his ****. And yet, here we stand, wearing suits, running around, and every time someone grabs a banana, we scold him, call him strange, avoid him, or ignore him. People aren't meant to live the way we do. Look at America, the pinnacle of "civilization", yet we suffer obesity, ignorance... we have become sheep. I wonder, am I a sheep, a shepherd, or a wolf.

And then it occurs to me. What if it's the wolves in shepherd's clothing?

First off, I'll admit it right here, I am an extreme pessimist. Now that that's out of the way...

Our economy is PLUNGING, our military is stretched far beyond it's bounds, we are facing international pressure, and competition like we haven't seen since the cold war, even our allies have become standoffish, we are spending almost as much time squabbling within our own borders as we do on a global level... besides the immense parallels to the fall of Rome, it isn't a stretch for someone like me to latch on to those details and see the end in sight.

Now, I'm not even suggesting it will be any time soon.. maybe not for 50 or more years.. but personally, I feel that we are watching the sunset of America, and we're slowly coming to a grinding halt, much as Rome did so many hundreds of years ago.

Also, if it matters, I am myself an American.

http://www.freewebs.com/coasting/index.html

I found it amidst the massive pile that is the internet. Looks like it's half finished, but it seems like there are some nice intentions...

Let me give you all some insight. I am an army brat, which may serve as an explanation for many of my substantial differences.

I don't connect with people. I'm not saying that I dislike people, or don't feel any empathy... but, it's as if everyone I meet is "a friend I just hang out with". (sorry for the creative descriptions, I'm a bit short on words at the moment). This same feeling extends even to my immediate family, whom I do love on some level, but I just.. don't feel all that strongly for them... I'll miss them when they die, to an extent, and I care about what happens to them.. but I can just as easily walk away from them. I've had crushes on people, but eventually found them to be just as easily described as childish infatuation. I have never found a single person who I can honestly say I feel a deep connection with, and truly understands me, and vice versa.

Now, as for day to day interactions, I find myself in a sort of... split identity... on the one hand, there is a deeply creative, intuitive, and philosophical person. One whom often is forced to hide, because, honestly, any attempts to bring that side of myself to the surface end with, at worst, ostracization, and at best, confused looks, and a changing of the subject. Which leaves me frequently reverting to persona 2, who is an immaculate actor, reader of people and situations, and copy-cat. I usually spend most of my days mingling perfectly with whomever I happen to be with, and know how to keep myself in good graces. All the while, the "smarter" part of me, keeps running, thinking and recording anything that might be of value, like a tiny, crazy little computer.

This seems like enough for you guys to work with... If necessary, I'll add on info as it becomes relevant/needed