Sounds like it came out of left field, but I realized the other day that it's been lurking in the back of my mind since I was in high school. I never took it seriously, but I think because of that attitude, it was easier for me to learn about it. Sci fi shows play into that too-- Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate, Firefly, ANY spacefaring shows really, and World of Warcraft (a game I play). They all use military terms and ranks (largely naval, although I feel a good look at NASA is in order, since our real space programs are linked largely with the Air Force instead!), and I would look to see how they lined up, then get wrapped up in the real world stuff. My online reading habits are a spiral of sorts. I read one thing, find something related, and keep going on like that. Here are some things I learned:
- The oldest you can be to initially enlist in the Army is 42
- The oldest you can be to initially enlist in the Marines is 28 (29 for the Reserves)
- The Air Force (generally) allows the fewest medical waivers of the military branches, followed by the Marines, while the Army allows the most (National Guard policies vary from state-to-state)
- The most common enlisted pay grade is E-4, the highest rank based on service time (usually at least 24 months)
- UN peacekeeping forces are made up of volunteer military personnel. Out of the thousands of soldiers in blue UN helmets, about twelve people are American.
- The Michigan Militia is nowhere near "well-armed" or organized enough to be what they say they are.
Am I considering service? Not realistically. Unless my asthma disappears in the next four years, even my mildest daydreams couldn't come true. So here's my Crazy Aspiration of the Week: be in better shape than the recruitment tests can score.
Wouldn't that be a kick? I'm taking each branch into account, so I basically have four things to work on: push ups, crunches (I'm counting sit ups in there, since they're closely related), running, and pull ups. Notice a pattern? If you didn't click the links, each one led to a regimented plan for people who DON'T do those exercises to START doing them. Slowly at first, and much more eventually. The biggest problem I have is with running. I started that program once already in the fall, and I stopped after week 2 when my feet hurt like crazy. Legs were fine, feet in agony. I have crappy shoes for running, and that's an easily solved problem... If I felt like spending $200 on running shoes >_<. But I have friends who used to be in track, and one of them said they'd go with me to help find shoes, so I have hope this time. Another reason I'm keen on getting some exercise is that yet another family member was diagnosed with some form of diabetes. My mom came home the other day with meds and a diagnosis of pre-diabetes. So, that being the FOURTH blood relative with it, I regretfully give up Coca-cola FOREVER. I love it, oh, how I love it. But I have to have Diet or Zero now. *sigh* It doesn't matter which tastes better... you'll never be able to remove the taste of LIES. It's not real Coke!!!!! AUUUUUUGH!!!!! But weight loss is the answer to soooo much. Diabetic prevention, asthma, high blood pressure and several other cardiac issues... Weight loss, man. I realize my aunt and uncle are not morbidly obese people with diabetes, and that losing weight isn't a cure-all, but in some cases (like mine, I imagine), it's a step in the right direction. And I need to get serious about this stuff. My maternal grandfather having it wasn't a huge thing, since no one else had it. It was just "family history" then. My reaction to Marian's was along the lines of "Hmmm, that's on the other side..." When I heard Alan was on meds for it, I had a Scooby Doo "Ruh roh!" moment. And finally my mom. I -know- I have to take steps to protect myself, but I'm not -feeling- any urgency, ya know? Even now, as I finish a can of Coke, I can tell myself I'm slowly committing suicide, and it's not sinking in. I hate that. I don't want to have to convince myself, it'd be much less hassle if I felt the fear of self-inflicted, possibly lethal damage, instead of just some vague proto-shame drifting around the edges of my mind (which is more of a weight-related issue than any concern of diabetes).
About a year ago, I volunteered to be a part of a study of "men's relationships." I was paid $50, and agreed for a follow-up interview. That time has come, except now I'll be paid $60. Not bad. But the interview I did the first time was bullshit. It was computerized, but the questions felt like they were leading me instead of asking, and it turned out so ass-backward, I wouldn't be surprised if the first question this time would be "So! How's life been as a murdering rapist since the last interview?" I don't even know what I could have POSSIBLY said for them to ask me some of these questions!! I would be more surprised if it WERE actually about "men's relationships" instead of a bullshit cover for "How Men are Always Sexually Aggressive Apes." Absolute worst case scenario, I breeze past some terrible question and I later have to call an ex-girlfriend to ask if she'll testify in court to the fact that I did not rape, mutilate, or kill her. If there's any truth to this study and what these douchebags at U of M (U of M of all places giving me all this hell!), I hope they meant it when they said it'd be confidential, and that they only kept a record of my name to contact me. That way I can just click a whole bunch of random answers and still get sixty bucks without any trouble.
The day after that happens, I'm going to be a co-chairman of the election inspector team in district 25 of Redford for some small-time vote. I don't even know what it's for, but this guy I know sits as the chairman for practically every election now, and asked me to co-chair. I've been an election inspector three or four times before, for the primaries and other things, so it's not a big deal, and I think as a co-chair, I'll get something like ten bucks more =). It takes ALL DAY, but in a small vote, it's virtually a hundred and five dollars to sit on your ass all day. I'm not gonna argue with that. Especially not with a hundred and fifteen =D.
Hey, maybe I'll buy a decent pair of running shoes.
Sean
AHHHH, POSTSCRIPT!
Dad: I said I read that the games for the DSi (not the DS itself, but the ones dependent on the brand newest features of the DSi) were boring. I didn't realize how it sounded when I said it, but I wasn't trying to rag on the DS. In fact, after a year or so of Japanese studies, I will probably buy one, since there are games in Japanese to help students learn to read and write the kanji--- not the basic letters, but the 2000+ single characters that mean entire words and phrases.
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