So saturday I didn't have any plans really, I got up with my wife, took her to work, came home, fell asleep in the chair I'm in right now then when I woke up the sun was working on creeping over the mountains peeking into the valley and I went for a 3 mile run. I got home from that, helped my mom-in-law by helping my dad-in-law move a large tub from just outside the stable in the back into the back of the suburban then helped move a several-hundred-pound-bench over so it was by a stable wall 30 feet away from where it was sitting... dad-in-law couldn't lift one end by himself so he refused that I move it by myself though I was moving it just fine by lifting one end, rotating that end to being further over and repeating the process. So, he intervened, so we lifted an end together (really it felt to me like I was lifting the same as before so I'm not sure how much he was helping but it made him feel better so whatever...) then began again the process I'd previously started...but under his direction.
By the time we'd finished with that it was nearly 11, I still needed to shower then I was going to try to play catch (with a football) with one of my niece's who'd asked me to a few days prior before catching G.I. Joe with a nephew (wifey was working so I could go to a movie she was apprehensive about going to previously....) and the movie turned out to be much more awesome and impressive than I'd been expecting, I was very happy with it and can't wait to buy it on BluRay as I expect nothing less than complete awesomeness from it... :)
During the movie I missed two phone calls, I checked the voicemails when I got out, one was my wife letting me know they were going to have her work two more extra hours beyond the 8 extra that she was working that day, the other voice mail was my nephews mother asking me to help fix her car when I got back, the universal belt had died on her minivan and needed replacing. Well, when I got there I realized it hadn't died but it had shredded half way through and had also slipped off the pullies. Within two minutes of being there my sister-in-law told me that she was taking my car to pick up her daughter (who was at tennis practice and I had passed by where she was when I was on my way over to their place coming back from the movie) and that she'd buy a new universal belt on the way back. She came back (still not having asked to use my car) with the windows down and locked the doors but left the windows down and kept MY keys! (mind you there's a several-hundred-dollar CD player in the car with a USB Jump drive attached to it with 9 gigs of my music on it, not to mention a not-cheap mp3 player in the center console as well as other items like a Flip recorder, my indestructible point and shoot camera and some other items I'd like to not lose at a thiefs whim)..... I didn't know she'd left the windows down as I was laying under her minivan trying to figure out the configuration of how the belt goes on the pulleys with the old-broken belt.
5 months ago I replaced the positive power wire (which had been roughly attached when it had broken nearly 6 months prior but had completely been forgotten about) and we'd searched high and low for where the starter motor was so I wouldn't have to trace the power wire all the way through the engine compartment.... We couldn't find it though so I ended up having to cut through 8 feet of wire wrapping to open up where the power wire was (bundled up with more than a dozen other wires courtesy of Plymouth thereby making it impossible to trace without cutting open the wrapping no less than every six inches). After I found how to put the belt on, assuming there was only one configuration that would leave little to no slack in the line, but without knowing how to create enough slack in the line to actually put the belt on the pulleys it was impossible to complete the job. Total time at this point was 3 hours. The previous time working on the power wire took 8 hours because of having to find for myself exactly how everything went...and jump starting the car because the battery had died... not to mention I did this in the dark, though the sun was still out the whole time I was working on it most recently, Very, VERrrrry fortunately.
So this time I start to send my sister-in-law out to pick up a Chilton's manual for the minivan so that I can have the mechanics-advice I need without going to a mechanic and paying to get it done... While she starts looking (including trying to call her husband who's out in Georgia at the moment) my wife calls asking me to pick her up (I still haven't remotely finished with the universal belt, nor have I gotten my keys back though they'd been back on the premises for 45 minutes at this point) so I told her to call our sister-in-law to pick her up in Our car (when she picked my wife up she didn't relinquish the drivers seat to my wife which ticked us both off that much more....). Just before she left to pick my wife up though she found the manual her husband had bought for the 98 plymouth minivan some 8-9 years prior, low and behold it's the very brand I was hoping for, Chilton. So within minutes of looking in it I've located the diagram for the universal belt on the pulleys and confirmed they're to be in the same configuration I had deduced while under the van (remember I couldn't just look at it when I first got there to find out how it was done because the belt had fully fallen off...) and the only pulley that could possibly have a pivot (which I'd gone as far to trying to move as putting a rod against it and pushing until I was lifting myself off the ground...) was the very same pulley that's supposed to pivot, clockwise (like I'd deduced) only they said to "turn it clockwise to release dynamic tension".
To me a statement like "turn pulley clockwise to release dynamic tension" means spin the blasted thing to the right and it'll open up the tension so you can put the belt on... No, turns out it means get a wrench on the bolt (like I thought we were going to have to do but I don't know where tools are at their place and I haven't had tools in my car for a year and a half now...) and pull it toward the bumper as hard as you can while someone not physically strained from holding the dynamic tension back puts the belt in to place... This is where you find out it Does matter which pulley gets the belt on it last as some Rrrrrreallllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy don't want to get it last, but a few tries (12 or 20 is more like it) later we've got the belt on, moments before we get the belt on though my sister-in-law says to me and her son (that I'd gone to the movie with earlier, he's been helping me this whole time) that we should just stop and she'll take it in to a mechanic on monday... (next time tell me "hey the van broke can you pick up my daughter and I'll get the van fixed monday...? lol) but we got it finished, she started up the engine and it didn't even slip off! I just had black arms. from fingernail to beyond my elbows was literally black on almost every square inch.......... Apparently (as I found out while i was under there) they're burning oil, leaking oil, leaking anti-freeze and haven't had an undercarriage wash in Years, their spacing is off on their spark plugs so oil is leaking out of those sockets and overall they need a tune-up on their van.
But we got it done
I didn't swear
And my nephew got a chance to learn how to fix a car, and realized why he doesn't want a vehicle that has no space to manuever his hands in while working on them... All in all a good 3.5 hours spent. :)
plus we got a full tank of gas, dinner, and a loaf of banana chocolate-chip bread, which combined to all equalize the other issues faced while trying to fix the blasted thing, lol.
So when you hear your vehicle have a slapping sound coming from the engine of your car, pull over immediately, cut the shredded parts off, and MEMORIZE how the belt goes over the pulleys, go to the nearest auto parts store and buy the best belt you can for your vehicle (the better you get the less likely you'll replace it again soon) and if you don't have a Chilton manual for your vehicle pick it up while you're at the parts store... Haynes will do too but Chilton seems to do a better and more in-depth job of taking your car apart and putting it back together... Then go home and use a wrench and loosen the line, remove the old belt, put the new one, and if you do it the right way with the right instructions and don't have to wait for parts to arrive or a spare hand then it should only take 20-30 minutes, including wash up... fun fun fun!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Advice for Navy Recruits pre-bootcamp
Get to the front of the line when you get off the bus. Getting there last and being on P-hold because your division isnt full sucks. Big time.
When they tell you to take your debit card, money and ID out of your wallet and put it in your sock - KEEP the wallet. its ok. especially if your voided check (for pay) is in it. Just put the wallet in the sock.
Make sure your shoes fit. Dont just deal with it if they dont fit right. You'll regret it.
Try to get a leadership role. Theres a lot, even just a section leader - And excel at it. It helps stand out in a good way.
BE QUIET! talking about anything ill get you IT
Actually... Ballard said it best. Do what your told and dont talk and you'll do fine. He's right.
Dont go to the Dr unless you have to. you miss a lot each time and too many times you could get set back. But dont not go if you're really sick. Go. just use it wisely.
Run 1.5mils w/o stopping NO - before you get to bc. DONT WALK. Actually get used to running 20 mins w/o stopping too. trust me.
Learn to march now. Seriously.
Get used to drinking at least 8 liters of water a day. Now. The more the better.
The food is surprisingly good. Its easy to over eat. Once your out of P-days dont let yourself overeat. No one wants to see it later.
Showers/toilet are community. get used to it.
Be Positive.
Dont take things too personally. Even if you're yelled at for something you didnt do. One team, one fight.
SLEEP. ok fine... sneak writing a quick 30min letter then SLEEP. Sleep Sleep SLEEP. dont stay up all night chatting with the guys.
Practice shaving in 2mins or less
Practice standing absolutely still now... for at least an hour
Dont lock your knees.
Stop talking ith your hands NOW
I know the training guide is big and boring but for the love of everything you value STUDY it.
When they tell you to take your debit card, money and ID out of your wallet and put it in your sock - KEEP the wallet. its ok. especially if your voided check (for pay) is in it. Just put the wallet in the sock.
Make sure your shoes fit. Dont just deal with it if they dont fit right. You'll regret it.
Try to get a leadership role. Theres a lot, even just a section leader - And excel at it. It helps stand out in a good way.
BE QUIET! talking about anything ill get you IT
Actually... Ballard said it best. Do what your told and dont talk and you'll do fine. He's right.
Dont go to the Dr unless you have to. you miss a lot each time and too many times you could get set back. But dont not go if you're really sick. Go. just use it wisely.
Run 1.5mils w/o stopping NO - before you get to bc. DONT WALK. Actually get used to running 20 mins w/o stopping too. trust me.
Learn to march now. Seriously.
Get used to drinking at least 8 liters of water a day. Now. The more the better.
The food is surprisingly good. Its easy to over eat. Once your out of P-days dont let yourself overeat. No one wants to see it later.
Showers/toilet are community. get used to it.
Be Positive.
Dont take things too personally. Even if you're yelled at for something you didnt do. One team, one fight.
SLEEP. ok fine... sneak writing a quick 30min letter then SLEEP. Sleep Sleep SLEEP. dont stay up all night chatting with the guys.
Practice shaving in 2mins or less
Practice standing absolutely still now... for at least an hour
Dont lock your knees.
Stop talking ith your hands NOW
I know the training guide is big and boring but for the love of everything you value STUDY it.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
DAR dar dar dar
A DAR is a form used to process a DEPper (a person in the Delayed Entry Program) from their current rate and ship date in to either an earlier ship date or an earlier ship date with a different rating. They come in very handy as many people in 2009 are finding themselves entering the armed forces and not going to Bootcamp right away but being able to get in under the banner of a position they don't want to hold, the DAR allows them to hopefully escape that before their first ship date approaches.
I found myself in the same shoes. Starting the process of going to MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) Salt Lake (West Valley really....) back in March of 2009 I found that though my recruiter found me to be within weight range the doc's there didn't. It was May before I was able to go back up but when I Was able to be there again at the start of May I was found to be within tolerance to join the Navy, not necessarily the body fat percent required by the time I left bootcamp, but good enough to join. I was able to join that day, due to an influx of people trying to enter that day I was left entering a job field I didn't want and later than I really wanted, scheduled to enter RTC (Recruit Training Center, aka bootcamp) and was scheduled to leave in March 2010.
I applied my DAR with one recruiter, the paper work stayed on the desk, not to be completed but passed on to another. It seemed to take months, though days were only passing while I waited for something to be done. We realized there was other paperwork that could be done that would allow for the hopeful ensurance of a security clearance. Well, the paperwork was done but it still felt like everything was taking forever. By the time June had come and past I was beginning to lose hope in being sent out as anything other than Corpsman. Before August was ended it would seem that despite two chances of being shipped out luck was not to be in my favor and the waiting process remained, though by now there was time that my paperwork had been rushed through, my DAR had been processed, and if there were openings I would have had one.
Finally it seemed there was hope, after the Chief Selects (Petty Officer First Class's that were selected to be ranked up to Chief Petty Officer) had their pinning ceremony in Denver (for the local region) the current Chiefs serving at MEPS (who had all gone for part of the process of the Chief Selects process of ranking up) all came back on Thursday just last week, though they didn't go back to work until the next day. Oddly enough that was when I got my phone call. Four phone calls to be precise. Operations Specialist leaving November 4th.
The real point of the post....
I went to the temple that night with my wife as we'd planned to do that day, we went and as we entered my wife asked me if we should do Sealings, we'd not done it for a while and it also just Felt right, so we did. We proceded through the sealings, there was quite a group, 5 couples in a small room, we'd been one of two or three groups that actually had to wait before there was an availability to perform the sealings as there'd been a large amount of people who went to the temple that night. While others were performing ordinances my thoughts began to process all that had gone on in the prior months, all that I'd hoped to have happen, and all that would transpire.
It occured to me while I was sitting there, that those on the other side to some degree are very much in the same state that I was in from March through just this past week. Waiting for paperwork to process, hoping to have it done before the end of the week, hoping to receive their phone call, and hoping that their recruiters were still doing their work (in this case the recruiters are you and I, performing ancestral work in all its forms as well as vicarious work for those who've passed on before us) so far away from where they were, praying to not be forgotten.
I found myself in the same shoes. Starting the process of going to MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) Salt Lake (West Valley really....) back in March of 2009 I found that though my recruiter found me to be within weight range the doc's there didn't. It was May before I was able to go back up but when I Was able to be there again at the start of May I was found to be within tolerance to join the Navy, not necessarily the body fat percent required by the time I left bootcamp, but good enough to join. I was able to join that day, due to an influx of people trying to enter that day I was left entering a job field I didn't want and later than I really wanted, scheduled to enter RTC (Recruit Training Center, aka bootcamp) and was scheduled to leave in March 2010.
I applied my DAR with one recruiter, the paper work stayed on the desk, not to be completed but passed on to another. It seemed to take months, though days were only passing while I waited for something to be done. We realized there was other paperwork that could be done that would allow for the hopeful ensurance of a security clearance. Well, the paperwork was done but it still felt like everything was taking forever. By the time June had come and past I was beginning to lose hope in being sent out as anything other than Corpsman. Before August was ended it would seem that despite two chances of being shipped out luck was not to be in my favor and the waiting process remained, though by now there was time that my paperwork had been rushed through, my DAR had been processed, and if there were openings I would have had one.
Finally it seemed there was hope, after the Chief Selects (Petty Officer First Class's that were selected to be ranked up to Chief Petty Officer) had their pinning ceremony in Denver (for the local region) the current Chiefs serving at MEPS (who had all gone for part of the process of the Chief Selects process of ranking up) all came back on Thursday just last week, though they didn't go back to work until the next day. Oddly enough that was when I got my phone call. Four phone calls to be precise. Operations Specialist leaving November 4th.
The real point of the post....
I went to the temple that night with my wife as we'd planned to do that day, we went and as we entered my wife asked me if we should do Sealings, we'd not done it for a while and it also just Felt right, so we did. We proceded through the sealings, there was quite a group, 5 couples in a small room, we'd been one of two or three groups that actually had to wait before there was an availability to perform the sealings as there'd been a large amount of people who went to the temple that night. While others were performing ordinances my thoughts began to process all that had gone on in the prior months, all that I'd hoped to have happen, and all that would transpire.
It occured to me while I was sitting there, that those on the other side to some degree are very much in the same state that I was in from March through just this past week. Waiting for paperwork to process, hoping to have it done before the end of the week, hoping to receive their phone call, and hoping that their recruiters were still doing their work (in this case the recruiters are you and I, performing ancestral work in all its forms as well as vicarious work for those who've passed on before us) so far away from where they were, praying to not be forgotten.
moldable
To be like a potters clay.
Have you ever worked with it? Felt it's stickiness holding to the creases in your skin, it's pliableness is there though it fights to some degree with rigidity as you mold a handle, or decorative piece for a side of a pot or dish. It resists in order to keep structure and it's ability to keep shape when formed allows it to become the finished product that is so desired by the sculptor.
The trick.
A potters wheel turns blindingly fast. Have you ever ridden on a merri-go-round? Most parks have had them removed long years past, but riding on them gives a sense of thrill and delight to the point of losing your breakfast as you spin controllably uncontrolled in a concentric circle, with bars to hold on to you can keep your form but at the same time the world feels as though it's spinning wildly out of control.
In order for the clay to be formed in to the desired shape it must first be spun wildly, although the clay thinks the world is spinning around it out of control and blindingly fast in the hands of the potter the clay moves slowly comparative and is easily molded, trimming up the sides shaping the odd shaped blob transfiguring it from it's earthly form and in to a shape more comely, refined, and cleansed. The process continues as the desired shape takes form, soon the process of trimming unwanted deformities or over thicknesses will ensue bringing with it a slightly slower pace betimes, then speeding back up and entering the process of smoothing, an abrasive (water) is applied to perfect both the outside and inside of the form, allowing for it to be fully removed of impurities so as to be prepared to dried, then dry fired, then to have a glaze applied to ultiumately reveal it's new found completeness.
If you should ever find yourself spinning wildly out of control just stop and think and ponder about which step in the process in your life you're at, and maybe it'll allow you to take a step back and observe yourself like the potter in your own process to the kiln.
Have you ever worked with it? Felt it's stickiness holding to the creases in your skin, it's pliableness is there though it fights to some degree with rigidity as you mold a handle, or decorative piece for a side of a pot or dish. It resists in order to keep structure and it's ability to keep shape when formed allows it to become the finished product that is so desired by the sculptor.
The trick.
A potters wheel turns blindingly fast. Have you ever ridden on a merri-go-round? Most parks have had them removed long years past, but riding on them gives a sense of thrill and delight to the point of losing your breakfast as you spin controllably uncontrolled in a concentric circle, with bars to hold on to you can keep your form but at the same time the world feels as though it's spinning wildly out of control.
In order for the clay to be formed in to the desired shape it must first be spun wildly, although the clay thinks the world is spinning around it out of control and blindingly fast in the hands of the potter the clay moves slowly comparative and is easily molded, trimming up the sides shaping the odd shaped blob transfiguring it from it's earthly form and in to a shape more comely, refined, and cleansed. The process continues as the desired shape takes form, soon the process of trimming unwanted deformities or over thicknesses will ensue bringing with it a slightly slower pace betimes, then speeding back up and entering the process of smoothing, an abrasive (water) is applied to perfect both the outside and inside of the form, allowing for it to be fully removed of impurities so as to be prepared to dried, then dry fired, then to have a glaze applied to ultiumately reveal it's new found completeness.
If you should ever find yourself spinning wildly out of control just stop and think and ponder about which step in the process in your life you're at, and maybe it'll allow you to take a step back and observe yourself like the potter in your own process to the kiln.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Interestingly boring paradox, simplly complex.
http://answers.yahoo.com/q2Y2t1c212BF9TAzIxMTUzMDA5ODgEc2VjA2ZwBHNsawN0b2RheXE-?qid=20090625164520AAgNZ4A
is where I found this, here is the paradox, below it is my response and below that is the response of the person who was chosen as the "best" answer so far as the person asking the question is concerned.
The Paradox: There is a village where the barber shaves all those and only those who do not shave themselves. Who shaves the barber?
My answer. Given the answer below I must say that One (of seemingly few) answer to this would be that the barber must have his body shave him however someone else must control the movements of his body so that in some sense it was someone else shaving him and in some other sense he was the only person who was allowed to shave those who couldn't shave themselves while still not shaving those who could. Because it would be someone elses motions in shaving him it wouldn't be his motions shaving him but because it was his hand and He Could shave it was therefore possible for someone else to use Their muscles to control His body while he involuntarily was shaved by his own self, ish. So, does it give a perfect solution? No, but in my opinion it isn't something worth making a paradox over, if a barber only shaved the people who didn't shave themselves (as opposed to couldn't) it would make it real-life as such no one would have Ever asked such a redundantly moronic question. Yes, I hope someone with a thesis who Wrote his/her thesis on this paradox reads this and is offended! =)
The response chosen on that particular site.
OK. take a deep breath and read this slowly, because it is very tricky. First two definitions:
def 1) All and only those who shave themselves = S
def 2) All people in the village, including the barber, are either members of S or members of not-S. there is no one in the village that is a member of both.
If the barber shaved himself then he would be a member of S.
If the barber does not shave himself then he would be a member of not-S.
A barber who must shave all and only not-S can not shave any S
The barber can not shave himself, because he would be shaving a member of S
if the barber is not a self shaver then he is a member of not-S
The barber must shave himself because he must shave all members of not-S
Thus he must both shave and not shave himself
This is the paradox.
No one else in the village can shave the barber because only the barber can shave members of not-S.
This is a variation of Russel's paradox, and there are several ways to solve, or attempts, to solve this depending on how it is interpreted. I'm not even going to attempt a solution here. Someone could, and probably has, written a doctoral thesis on the subject.
is where I found this, here is the paradox, below it is my response and below that is the response of the person who was chosen as the "best" answer so far as the person asking the question is concerned.
The Paradox: There is a village where the barber shaves all those and only those who do not shave themselves. Who shaves the barber?
My answer. Given the answer below I must say that One (of seemingly few) answer to this would be that the barber must have his body shave him however someone else must control the movements of his body so that in some sense it was someone else shaving him and in some other sense he was the only person who was allowed to shave those who couldn't shave themselves while still not shaving those who could. Because it would be someone elses motions in shaving him it wouldn't be his motions shaving him but because it was his hand and He Could shave it was therefore possible for someone else to use Their muscles to control His body while he involuntarily was shaved by his own self, ish. So, does it give a perfect solution? No, but in my opinion it isn't something worth making a paradox over, if a barber only shaved the people who didn't shave themselves (as opposed to couldn't) it would make it real-life as such no one would have Ever asked such a redundantly moronic question. Yes, I hope someone with a thesis who Wrote his/her thesis on this paradox reads this and is offended! =)
The response chosen on that particular site.
OK. take a deep breath and read this slowly, because it is very tricky. First two definitions:
def 1) All and only those who shave themselves = S
def 2) All people in the village, including the barber, are either members of S or members of not-S. there is no one in the village that is a member of both.
If the barber shaved himself then he would be a member of S.
If the barber does not shave himself then he would be a member of not-S.
A barber who must shave all and only not-S can not shave any S
The barber can not shave himself, because he would be shaving a member of S
if the barber is not a self shaver then he is a member of not-S
The barber must shave himself because he must shave all members of not-S
Thus he must both shave and not shave himself
This is the paradox.
No one else in the village can shave the barber because only the barber can shave members of not-S.
This is a variation of Russel's paradox, and there are several ways to solve, or attempts, to solve this depending on how it is interpreted. I'm not even going to attempt a solution here. Someone could, and probably has, written a doctoral thesis on the subject.
Monday, July 6, 2009
laws of physics: the ever changing?
From a senior level Chrysler person: Monday morning I attended a breakfast meeting where the speaker/guest was David E. Cole, Chairman of the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), an Engineer with 40+ years automotive experience, full Professor at the Univ. of Michigan. You have all likely heard CAR quoted, or referred to in the auto industry news lately. Mr. Cole told many stories of the difficulty of working with the folks that the Obama administration has sent to save the auto industry. There have been many meetings where this very experienced automotive expert has had to listen to a newcomer to the industry; someone with zero manufacturing experience, zero auto industry experience, zero business experience, zero finance experience, zero engineering experience, and apparently zero brains tell them how to run their business. Mr. Cole's favorite story is as follows: There was a team of Obama people speaking to Mr. Cole. They were explaining to Mr. Cole that the auto companies needed to make a car that was electric and liquid natural gas (LNG) with enough combined fuel to go 500 miles, so we wouldn't "need" so many gas stations (A whole other topic). They were quoting BTU's of LNG and battery life they had looked up on some website. Mr. Cole explained that to do this you would need a trunk FULL of batteries, and a LNG tank as big as a car to make that happen. And that there were problems related to the laws of physics that prevented them from... The Obama person interrupted and said (and I am quoting here), "These laws of physics? Whose rules are those? We need to change that (while others wrote down the name of the law so they could look it up). We have the Congress, and the administration. We can repeal that law, amend it, or use an executive order to get rid of that problem. That's why we are here, to fix these sort of issues."
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Eggless Eggrolls
Confucious
Chicken
Egg Rolls
12 Count
here's the kicker
Wal-mart.
And they actually taste really good.
Egg Roll Filling: Cabbage, Chicken, Carrot, celery, onion, seasonings [soy flour, sugar, salt, dextrin, autolyzed yeast extract, hydrolyzed soy protein, dextrose, sesame oil, spice, soybean oil, sherry wine powder [(maltodextrin, sherry wine solids, sulfur dioxide), corn syrup solids], garlic powder, chicken flavor, fermented soybeans, wheat, lemon powder, mushroom powder, ginger, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate]. NO MSG ADDED - except for the small amount found naturally occuring in autolyzed yeast extract.
Crust: Enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, salt, corn starch, potato starch, vinegar, soy lecithin, less than 0.1% sodium benzoate as preservative.
Fried in Vegetable oil.
I think certain people with allergies to eggs might just find they enjoy the egg rolls. ;)
Chicken
Egg Rolls
12 Count
here's the kicker
Wal-mart.
And they actually taste really good.
Egg Roll Filling: Cabbage, Chicken, Carrot, celery, onion, seasonings [soy flour, sugar, salt, dextrin, autolyzed yeast extract, hydrolyzed soy protein, dextrose, sesame oil, spice, soybean oil, sherry wine powder [(maltodextrin, sherry wine solids, sulfur dioxide), corn syrup solids], garlic powder, chicken flavor, fermented soybeans, wheat, lemon powder, mushroom powder, ginger, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate]. NO MSG ADDED - except for the small amount found naturally occuring in autolyzed yeast extract.
Crust: Enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, salt, corn starch, potato starch, vinegar, soy lecithin, less than 0.1% sodium benzoate as preservative.
Fried in Vegetable oil.
I think certain people with allergies to eggs might just find they enjoy the egg rolls. ;)
Friday, May 22, 2009
Honest Paul
Stories within stories, wrapped around an idea in my head, and joys of memories and personal growths over the years.
I was working asphalt when I was given the nickname "honest paul". strike that, it was 7th grade P.E., I can recall being called that by my coach/instructor as he was asking if we'd done our stretches and push-ups/sit-ups, the kid who was supposed to get us doing it came out maybe a minute before the coach came out and got us into position. Coach came out and asked us if we'd stretched, etc., and everyone said yes except me. I said no, we hadn't. Needless to say he wasn't happy with everyone else, they weren't happy with me, but I was able to sleept that night.
Some years later, post high school and my second season into asphalt repair my foreman told me to tell the owner if asked that we had gassed up the night before and that we were already on the road to the job site. As we'd just pulled up I was gassing up while he went in to the gas station to grab some food, a drink, etc. The owner called, and I told him the truth, the foreman had asked me to lie and we hadn't done anything like we'd been instructed to and were more than an hour behind the schedule he thought we were on, which is the schedule our day was planned out with. Again I was called "Honest Paul" by the foreman with more than a hint of disdain during the remainder of my time with that company.
Can I lie? Yes, do I try not to? Yes. Especially when my honor is at stake.
"When men sin in silence when men should protest makes cowards of men." ~Abraham Lincoln
As a teen I was found to be both obnoxious and hot headed. Well, I'm still a little of both, but by and large there's dramatic improvement from my personal starting point, I say this from word of others, I'm still not happy with myself 100% but I know I'm closer than I've ever been in my adult life. My behavior drove people away. I thought it was because they didn't like Me, but the definition of a person goes beyond who they are and in to how they respond, and how they communicate (both transmitting and receiving).
It turned out I wasn't communicating what I really wanted to communicate. I would lash out, over react, and be furious over the dumbest things. I knew I wasn't happy but couldn't quite figure out why or how to change it. Perhaps I'm a tough love kind of guy, but I seem to recall mom saying to me that people didn't Want to be around me because of how I responded, because of how upset I would get, how I would respond, and that yes over all I was a good person but (this is my own metaphor following) even chocolate covered in enough cockroaches would drive Any person away. She was honest. Brutally and totally honest. Did it hurt? Yes. Absolutely. Was she right? Well, mothers aren't always right (No imperfect person is) but this time she hit the nail on the head, and it felt like it was hit by a sledge hammer. It hurt. Partly because how blunt she was about it, and more so because she was right, and there was no ifs ands or buts about it, she was right and the only way I could make things different would be if I changed. I had to change because I wanted to, because I had a drive a motivation leading me on to become something I wanted to see in the mirror, because I wanted to be able to fall asleep peacefully at night without quams or thoughts running through my head of what I'd done wrong and how to fix it, as with all things that aren't broken, if it ain't broken it don't need no fixin'. Yes, grammar issues intentional, and for your enjoyment, cause some times it's just more fun to say things the fun way.
Did I change? Well, I still am. It's an ongoing process, it always is and always will be until I don't have to think about it any more and it's just natural to respond in a calm collected manner when naturally I may want to scream and shout. It took someone being bitingly blunt, and my willingness to not only ask for help from those around me, but to accept that help as well and internalize the reality of fixing a real problem was my sole responsibility, and I was the one who would be accountable when all was said and done.
I was working asphalt when I was given the nickname "honest paul". strike that, it was 7th grade P.E., I can recall being called that by my coach/instructor as he was asking if we'd done our stretches and push-ups/sit-ups, the kid who was supposed to get us doing it came out maybe a minute before the coach came out and got us into position. Coach came out and asked us if we'd stretched, etc., and everyone said yes except me. I said no, we hadn't. Needless to say he wasn't happy with everyone else, they weren't happy with me, but I was able to sleept that night.
Some years later, post high school and my second season into asphalt repair my foreman told me to tell the owner if asked that we had gassed up the night before and that we were already on the road to the job site. As we'd just pulled up I was gassing up while he went in to the gas station to grab some food, a drink, etc. The owner called, and I told him the truth, the foreman had asked me to lie and we hadn't done anything like we'd been instructed to and were more than an hour behind the schedule he thought we were on, which is the schedule our day was planned out with. Again I was called "Honest Paul" by the foreman with more than a hint of disdain during the remainder of my time with that company.
Can I lie? Yes, do I try not to? Yes. Especially when my honor is at stake.
"When men sin in silence when men should protest makes cowards of men." ~Abraham Lincoln
As a teen I was found to be both obnoxious and hot headed. Well, I'm still a little of both, but by and large there's dramatic improvement from my personal starting point, I say this from word of others, I'm still not happy with myself 100% but I know I'm closer than I've ever been in my adult life. My behavior drove people away. I thought it was because they didn't like Me, but the definition of a person goes beyond who they are and in to how they respond, and how they communicate (both transmitting and receiving).
It turned out I wasn't communicating what I really wanted to communicate. I would lash out, over react, and be furious over the dumbest things. I knew I wasn't happy but couldn't quite figure out why or how to change it. Perhaps I'm a tough love kind of guy, but I seem to recall mom saying to me that people didn't Want to be around me because of how I responded, because of how upset I would get, how I would respond, and that yes over all I was a good person but (this is my own metaphor following) even chocolate covered in enough cockroaches would drive Any person away. She was honest. Brutally and totally honest. Did it hurt? Yes. Absolutely. Was she right? Well, mothers aren't always right (No imperfect person is) but this time she hit the nail on the head, and it felt like it was hit by a sledge hammer. It hurt. Partly because how blunt she was about it, and more so because she was right, and there was no ifs ands or buts about it, she was right and the only way I could make things different would be if I changed. I had to change because I wanted to, because I had a drive a motivation leading me on to become something I wanted to see in the mirror, because I wanted to be able to fall asleep peacefully at night without quams or thoughts running through my head of what I'd done wrong and how to fix it, as with all things that aren't broken, if it ain't broken it don't need no fixin'. Yes, grammar issues intentional, and for your enjoyment, cause some times it's just more fun to say things the fun way.
Did I change? Well, I still am. It's an ongoing process, it always is and always will be until I don't have to think about it any more and it's just natural to respond in a calm collected manner when naturally I may want to scream and shout. It took someone being bitingly blunt, and my willingness to not only ask for help from those around me, but to accept that help as well and internalize the reality of fixing a real problem was my sole responsibility, and I was the one who would be accountable when all was said and done.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
So I said to him, "Barack, I know Abe Lincoln, and you ain't Abe Lincoln."
You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence.
You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves.
......Abraham Lincoln
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence.
You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves.
......Abraham Lincoln
Saturday, May 16, 2009
11 General Orders
1. To take charge of this post and all government property in view.
2. To walk my post in a military manner, keeping always on the alert, and observing everything that takes place within sight or hearing.
3. To report all violations of orders I am instructed to enforce.
4. To repeat all calls from posts more distant from the guard house than my own.
5. To quit my post only when porperly relieved.
6. To receive, obey and pass on to the sentry who relieves me, all orders from the Commanding Officer, Command Duty Officer, Officer of the Deck, and Officers and Petty Officers of the Watch only.
7. To talk to no one except in the line of duty.
8. To give the alarm in case of fire or disorder.
9. To call the Officer of the Deck in any case not covered by instructions.
10. To salute all officers and all colors and standards not cased.
11. To be especially watchful at night, and, during the time for challenging, to challenge all persons on or near my post and to allow no one to pass without proper authority.
2. To walk my post in a military manner, keeping always on the alert, and observing everything that takes place within sight or hearing.
3. To report all violations of orders I am instructed to enforce.
4. To repeat all calls from posts more distant from the guard house than my own.
5. To quit my post only when porperly relieved.
6. To receive, obey and pass on to the sentry who relieves me, all orders from the Commanding Officer, Command Duty Officer, Officer of the Deck, and Officers and Petty Officers of the Watch only.
7. To talk to no one except in the line of duty.
8. To give the alarm in case of fire or disorder.
9. To call the Officer of the Deck in any case not covered by instructions.
10. To salute all officers and all colors and standards not cased.
11. To be especially watchful at night, and, during the time for challenging, to challenge all persons on or near my post and to allow no one to pass without proper authority.
Anchors Aweigh
(verse one)
Stand, Navy, out to sea, Fight our battle cry;
We'll never change our course, So vicious foe steer shy-y-y.
Roll out the TNT, Anchors Aweigh. Sail on to victory
And sink their bones to Davy Jones, hooray!
(verse two)
Anchors Aweigh, my boys, Anchors Aweigh,
Farewell to college joys, we sail at break of day-ay-y.
Through our last night on shore, drink to the foam,
Until we meet once more. Here's wishing you a happy voyage home.
Stand, Navy, out to sea, Fight our battle cry;
We'll never change our course, So vicious foe steer shy-y-y.
Roll out the TNT, Anchors Aweigh. Sail on to victory
And sink their bones to Davy Jones, hooray!
(verse two)
Anchors Aweigh, my boys, Anchors Aweigh,
Farewell to college joys, we sail at break of day-ay-y.
Through our last night on shore, drink to the foam,
Until we meet once more. Here's wishing you a happy voyage home.
The Sailor's Creed
I am a United States sailor.
I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America and I will obey the orders of those appointed over me.
I represent the fighting spirit of the Navy and those who have gone before me to defend freedom and democracy around the world.
I proudly serve my country's Navy combat team with Honor, Courage and Commitment.
I am committed to excellence and the fair treatment of all.
I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America and I will obey the orders of those appointed over me.
I represent the fighting spirit of the Navy and those who have gone before me to defend freedom and democracy around the world.
I proudly serve my country's Navy combat team with Honor, Courage and Commitment.
I am committed to excellence and the fair treatment of all.
Navy Mission
The mission of the United States Navy is to protect and defend the right of the United States and our allies to move freely on the oceans and to protect our country against her enemies.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
There has been doubt as of recent
I thought I would relinquish the doubt...
Does God get angry?
Is he the type of person with whom you may shudder and fear?
Does he get upset?
think on this and how often you may hear this reading the new testament...
"With whom I the Lord am well pleased"
What does that say about the people he's not "well pleased" with?
Well, by it self not much, but if you're LDS or have an LDS bible on hand turn to the topical guide and look up "please"
In it you'll find listings upon listings of "please" and times when the Lord was pleased with people and maybe 25% of them are times when he Isn't well pleased. Leave it to modern revelation to remove any doubt from what is meant by that.
D&C (Doctrine & Covenants) 63:11 reads:
"Yea, signs come by faith, unto mighty works, for without faith no man pleaseth God; and with whom God is angry he is not well pleased; wherefore, unto such he showeth no signs, only in wrath unto their condemnation."
"with whom God is ANGRY he is NOT WELL PLEASED..."
Does that mean he is angry with anyone he is not well pleased with? Not necessarily perhaps, but it does mean he does get angry.
Enough to the point that like Laman and Lemuel experienced he will allow a person to have visions and manifestations to their condemnation. What happens when a person has visions and manifestations of to that degree and they still turn away? outter darkness anyone?
Does God get angry?
Is he the type of person with whom you may shudder and fear?
Does he get upset?
think on this and how often you may hear this reading the new testament...
"With whom I the Lord am well pleased"
What does that say about the people he's not "well pleased" with?
Well, by it self not much, but if you're LDS or have an LDS bible on hand turn to the topical guide and look up "please"
In it you'll find listings upon listings of "please" and times when the Lord was pleased with people and maybe 25% of them are times when he Isn't well pleased. Leave it to modern revelation to remove any doubt from what is meant by that.
D&C (Doctrine & Covenants) 63:11 reads:
"Yea, signs come by faith, unto mighty works, for without faith no man pleaseth God; and with whom God is angry he is not well pleased; wherefore, unto such he showeth no signs, only in wrath unto their condemnation."
"with whom God is ANGRY he is NOT WELL PLEASED..."
Does that mean he is angry with anyone he is not well pleased with? Not necessarily perhaps, but it does mean he does get angry.
Enough to the point that like Laman and Lemuel experienced he will allow a person to have visions and manifestations to their condemnation. What happens when a person has visions and manifestations of to that degree and they still turn away? outter darkness anyone?
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Curioser...
There are some things in life I appreciate that I think make me odd, and some things in life that absolutely drive me nuts and I don't care what others think about how those things drive me nuts.
I appreciate people who do things well, whatever it is they're trained in if they do it well then I have a great appreciation for them, assuming it's a positive thing that they do.
I disdain those who try to do something because they're intrested in it and play it off like they're professional in it.
Canon does extremely well at making cameras, Nikon as well (yeah, bet you didn't expect me to put a plug in for a camera I prefer not shooting on but honestly I'd rather shoot on a Nikon than an olympus and a canon rather than a nikon and a mamiya over a canon and a linhof over a mamiya).
These two companies along with their uppers do very good at making cameras that do so much and make the life of the photographer much easier. The trouble is that it makes it so easy that some people who think they have the abilities of a good photographer but really don't, well, it makes them think they're professional. There are several people I know who have companies and extremely expensive gear and absolutely no education in photography, I returned a camera to someone and had used it in Manual when the person is used to using it in an automated mode...The person wasn't sure what to do with it really.
Photographers with companies who don't know what a histogram is, how to meter, how to expose, how to adjust depth of field, how to google "salt prints", aren't photographers, they're people with expensive cameras. A camera is no more a photographer than a person is a photographer, software isn't a photographer, neither is film (digital or analog). A photographer is someone with a creative eye and a scientific side that bends light to their own wants and needs. A photographer is someone who sees something how it could be, makes it that, and then makes it look even better (IN CAMERA!) than people thought it could look and then does very minor adjustments in either the digital or analog darkroom (for those who are still scratching their heads a digital dark room is photoshop, an analog dark room is what Ansel Adams worked in laboring for hours and days, at times even weeks before getting the one perfect print from a particular negative).
Those who photograph and charge for their photography and have no education in it and show no level of professionalism in the realm of the quality of their original captured images down the names of photographers that deserve better recognition from having earned it and flood the market with photographs that are undeserving of the price attached.
Sorry
That's been building for a while.
I appreciate people who do things well, whatever it is they're trained in if they do it well then I have a great appreciation for them, assuming it's a positive thing that they do.
I disdain those who try to do something because they're intrested in it and play it off like they're professional in it.
Canon does extremely well at making cameras, Nikon as well (yeah, bet you didn't expect me to put a plug in for a camera I prefer not shooting on but honestly I'd rather shoot on a Nikon than an olympus and a canon rather than a nikon and a mamiya over a canon and a linhof over a mamiya).
These two companies along with their uppers do very good at making cameras that do so much and make the life of the photographer much easier. The trouble is that it makes it so easy that some people who think they have the abilities of a good photographer but really don't, well, it makes them think they're professional. There are several people I know who have companies and extremely expensive gear and absolutely no education in photography, I returned a camera to someone and had used it in Manual when the person is used to using it in an automated mode...The person wasn't sure what to do with it really.
Photographers with companies who don't know what a histogram is, how to meter, how to expose, how to adjust depth of field, how to google "salt prints", aren't photographers, they're people with expensive cameras. A camera is no more a photographer than a person is a photographer, software isn't a photographer, neither is film (digital or analog). A photographer is someone with a creative eye and a scientific side that bends light to their own wants and needs. A photographer is someone who sees something how it could be, makes it that, and then makes it look even better (IN CAMERA!) than people thought it could look and then does very minor adjustments in either the digital or analog darkroom (for those who are still scratching their heads a digital dark room is photoshop, an analog dark room is what Ansel Adams worked in laboring for hours and days, at times even weeks before getting the one perfect print from a particular negative).
Those who photograph and charge for their photography and have no education in it and show no level of professionalism in the realm of the quality of their original captured images down the names of photographers that deserve better recognition from having earned it and flood the market with photographs that are undeserving of the price attached.
Sorry
That's been building for a while.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
I wish against wish
I hope against hope
that people would drop the AirForce bit and let me focus on Navy, it's still what feels right and no amount of persuasion will change the fact of what my prayers have led me to...
Unfortunately no one getting this is one of the people I'm referring to and I can't mention it to the people who I'm thinking of because there's a strong possibility we might be able to clear up the issue with my lack ot security clearance if I can play along with them for a bit.
Oh the politics of family life.
that people would drop the AirForce bit and let me focus on Navy, it's still what feels right and no amount of persuasion will change the fact of what my prayers have led me to...
Unfortunately no one getting this is one of the people I'm referring to and I can't mention it to the people who I'm thinking of because there's a strong possibility we might be able to clear up the issue with my lack ot security clearance if I can play along with them for a bit.
Oh the politics of family life.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
Math does work out after all
So, two of the smartest people I know couldn't figure it out, but it's ok they're better with english anyway ;)
I figured it out though. You do need both the weight and the volume to figure it out.
First each gallon weighs 7 lbs, so you take 42 gallons and multiply it by 7lbs. = 294lbs
The tricky part is that it says each cubic foot is 52lbs. They're trying to trick you into associating cubic feet with lbs, but really they're two different variables being used for a conversion from one way of measuring a material like converting a persons pay check into hours and hourly rate over the course of a large time frame (large time frame being the 42 gallon barrel).
So, what's this mean? A 42 gallon barrel weighs 294lbs, but it's cubic feet is a percentage of that weight. 294/52, as it takes 52 lbs of material to compose 1 cu ft the correct answer is 5.7 as the math turns out the whole number is: 5.653846153846153846153846153846(infinitely in the 153846 pattern)
and because they rounded up the correct answer is A, 5.7.
I figured it out though. You do need both the weight and the volume to figure it out.
First each gallon weighs 7 lbs, so you take 42 gallons and multiply it by 7lbs. = 294lbs
The tricky part is that it says each cubic foot is 52lbs. They're trying to trick you into associating cubic feet with lbs, but really they're two different variables being used for a conversion from one way of measuring a material like converting a persons pay check into hours and hourly rate over the course of a large time frame (large time frame being the 42 gallon barrel).
So, what's this mean? A 42 gallon barrel weighs 294lbs, but it's cubic feet is a percentage of that weight. 294/52, as it takes 52 lbs of material to compose 1 cu ft the correct answer is 5.7 as the math turns out the whole number is: 5.653846153846153846153846153846(infinitely in the 153846 pattern)
and because they rounded up the correct answer is A, 5.7.
does this math seem wrong to you??!
One type of lubricating oil weighs approximately 52 pounds per cubic foot, or 7 pounds per gallon. A 42-gallon barrel will hold approximately how many cubic feet of such oil?
5.7
6.0
7.4
10.8
29.5
tell me if I'm doing this wrong.
7 pounds per gallon = 52 pounds per cubic foot.
42 gallons = 294 pounds and also = 2184 pounds per cubic foot....
I figured they got 6.0 as their answer by dividing 42 by 7, but that doesn't seem like the right answer in light of the given information, unless somewhere when they were talking about cubic feet they meant cubic inches...
5.7
6.0
7.4
10.8
29.5
tell me if I'm doing this wrong.
7 pounds per gallon = 52 pounds per cubic foot.
42 gallons = 294 pounds and also = 2184 pounds per cubic foot....
I figured they got 6.0 as their answer by dividing 42 by 7, but that doesn't seem like the right answer in light of the given information, unless somewhere when they were talking about cubic feet they meant cubic inches...
new toy i found
Canon is releasing a new toy on the amateur photographers market
Canon EOS Rebel T1i Digital SLR Camera (Camera Body
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/613611-REG/Canon_3818B001_EOS_Rebel_T1i_Digital.html#Memory
cool things about it?
shoots 1080p video. =) yup, the good stuff. It also shoots stills, 15.4mp per raw file.
Downsides? SD and SDHC only, no CF card compatability, CF is still faster and has larger sizes available than SD and SDHC, it also has a better success/failure rate than SD/SDHC has been known to have.
It is going to be released in May some time. So, technically right now it might be available since it's like 1:15 am on May 1st!
Oh, other cool thing? $799 new for the body. It's comparable to the xti/xsi for when they came out but it blows them away in both features and mp's.
Canon EOS Rebel T1i Digital SLR Camera (Camera Body
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/613611-REG/Canon_3818B001_EOS_Rebel_T1i_Digital.html#Memory
cool things about it?
shoots 1080p video. =) yup, the good stuff. It also shoots stills, 15.4mp per raw file.
Downsides? SD and SDHC only, no CF card compatability, CF is still faster and has larger sizes available than SD and SDHC, it also has a better success/failure rate than SD/SDHC has been known to have.
It is going to be released in May some time. So, technically right now it might be available since it's like 1:15 am on May 1st!
Oh, other cool thing? $799 new for the body. It's comparable to the xti/xsi for when they came out but it blows them away in both features and mp's.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
ASVAB
if you were curious... There's been some discussion as to what scores translate to... I've gotten a bit confused describing my AFQT score as Tom thinks it's one thing other people thinks it's something else, so here I'll put in my line scores for the whole bit and see if we can't clear some things up. :)
The AFQT score is a percentile score, 99 is the highest possible percent one can receive on the ASVAB and I got a 94, hence all jobs open to new enlistments are potentially available to me assuming I get security clearance...
That breaks my standard scores down to:
General Science: 59
Arithmetic Reasoning:62
Word Kmowledge:64
Paragraph Comprehension:61
Mathematic Knowledge:62
Electronics Information:65
Auto & Shop information:61
Mechanical Comprehension:67
Assembly of Objects:64
VE (summary of word knowledge and paragraph comprehension):64
Coding Speed:60
Those are the general catagories of the ASVAB, assuming you get 60 on each of those you get pretty much anything open to you, such is my situation.
Army breaks it down into these catagories, and Army as well as others afterwards I don't know what the abbreviations stand for, though you can probably find it on www.about.com
GT:128
CL:130
CO:132
EL:132
FA:132
GM:131
MM:131
OF:132
SC:132
ST:131
Air Force has the following
M:97
A:94
G:94
E:92
Navy/Coast Guard has the following:
GT:126
EL:248
BEE:245
ENG:123
MEC:190
MEC2:193
NUC:255 (nuclear, notice I tested highest in this)
OPS:252
HM:185
ADM:126
Marines have the following:
MM:132
GT:132
EL:128
CL:128
I understand for certain positions there are more tests involved, such is the case with intelligence positions and I think nuclear (though I'm not sure with nuclear, or other branches of the military). What I do know is I haven't seen a "qt" though I have seen "gt"s.
For those who are interested in the actual numbers here they are, from what I understand the Air Force basis their scoring out of 99 possible. Positions in the Navy are based off of combining scores from different line items, to go Nuc you need something like a 320 when combining your AFQT and Nuc, combining those with mine I have a 349. I'm not sure what the line items are out of with army, marines, navy, and coast guard as they're all above 100 in my case and some are well over 200. My father-in-law is calling an old friend he served with, he was a 2-star stationed here at Hill AFB and he's gonna see if he can't weasel some things around for me, if he can more power to him, and if he can't that's ok because I wasn't too thrilled about the Air Force though a lot of people say they're the ones who get pampered. (they go up in multi million dollar planes, they have to be pampered cause if they fall asleep at the wheel aint no one wanna pay the insurance premium hikes!)...
The AFQT score is a percentile score, 99 is the highest possible percent one can receive on the ASVAB and I got a 94, hence all jobs open to new enlistments are potentially available to me assuming I get security clearance...
That breaks my standard scores down to:
General Science: 59
Arithmetic Reasoning:62
Word Kmowledge:64
Paragraph Comprehension:61
Mathematic Knowledge:62
Electronics Information:65
Auto & Shop information:61
Mechanical Comprehension:67
Assembly of Objects:64
VE (summary of word knowledge and paragraph comprehension):64
Coding Speed:60
Those are the general catagories of the ASVAB, assuming you get 60 on each of those you get pretty much anything open to you, such is my situation.
Army breaks it down into these catagories, and Army as well as others afterwards I don't know what the abbreviations stand for, though you can probably find it on www.about.com
GT:128
CL:130
CO:132
EL:132
FA:132
GM:131
MM:131
OF:132
SC:132
ST:131
Air Force has the following
M:97
A:94
G:94
E:92
Navy/Coast Guard has the following:
GT:126
EL:248
BEE:245
ENG:123
MEC:190
MEC2:193
NUC:255 (nuclear, notice I tested highest in this)
OPS:252
HM:185
ADM:126
Marines have the following:
MM:132
GT:132
EL:128
CL:128
I understand for certain positions there are more tests involved, such is the case with intelligence positions and I think nuclear (though I'm not sure with nuclear, or other branches of the military). What I do know is I haven't seen a "qt" though I have seen "gt"s.
For those who are interested in the actual numbers here they are, from what I understand the Air Force basis their scoring out of 99 possible. Positions in the Navy are based off of combining scores from different line items, to go Nuc you need something like a 320 when combining your AFQT and Nuc, combining those with mine I have a 349. I'm not sure what the line items are out of with army, marines, navy, and coast guard as they're all above 100 in my case and some are well over 200. My father-in-law is calling an old friend he served with, he was a 2-star stationed here at Hill AFB and he's gonna see if he can't weasel some things around for me, if he can more power to him, and if he can't that's ok because I wasn't too thrilled about the Air Force though a lot of people say they're the ones who get pampered. (they go up in multi million dollar planes, they have to be pampered cause if they fall asleep at the wheel aint no one wanna pay the insurance premium hikes!)...
Monday, April 27, 2009
Meanderings
Honey thinks she might be pregnant...
Her period didn't ever come... She's cramping when she shouldn't be... Nausea... Spotting...
Yeah... Dunno. Last time we thought this she was lactating and we found she had a tumor...
Honestly though, if she is....
The kids nickname is gonna be "oops!" lol
jk I wouldn't say that
outloud
Her period didn't ever come... She's cramping when she shouldn't be... Nausea... Spotting...
Yeah... Dunno. Last time we thought this she was lactating and we found she had a tumor...
Honestly though, if she is....
The kids nickname is gonna be "oops!" lol
jk I wouldn't say that
outloud
Don't ask me how my day went
Just don't.
Yes, I made tape. I wasn't terribly worried about it. It's funny though, they got my height last time at 67 inches, at the recruiters it's at 67 1/2 inches, and today they figured me to be 66 1/2 inches. Somewhere and some how I'm shrinking I suppose. They figured my neck to be 17 1/2, funny, it's been measuring 18 and 18 1/2 for a month now. Go figure. My belly measured 40 inches, which is what they've been measuring me at there at the recruiters office. Long and short of all this information? I came in at 24%, which for now is close enough.
In previous posts I've said how I did on the ASVAB, my AFQT (general overall score, highest possible is 99) was a 94. Not bad. I attribute this to an affinity for useless information combined with 4 years of schooling under my belt. The issue of getting such a high score is that it's cost me in student loans, the government doesn't like it's employees having debt upon entering. The general cut off for security clearance is around 25k. I have right around 20k in student loans. Add what we owe on our car and that puts me over. Add what we owe on credit cards, and well, good night. So, clearance isn't an option for me, and won't likely be for at least two years. All the speeding tickets when I was younger aren't helping, neither was having my large speeding ticket go to collections right before I paid it off (it was retrieved from collections but that doesn't matter, high debt with a history of something going to collections is a bad combination with the military).
So, that cuts out 75% of the jobs I'm interested in, Intel, Nuclear, and much of the like. Are there positions open for other things that don't require clearance? Yes, the soonest opening is for a corpsman. Honestly I'm not sure if I'm even remotely interested in that though. A corpsman is just this side of a Dr., and can be assigned to ships, medical ships, batallions, and marine groups, etc. The issue? I'm not so sure I like blood, or needles. Sure there's the possibility of doing really well in my "A" school and making it as a radiologist type, but I'm still not sure.
What to do
what to do
?what to do!
Friday is when new postings for May (first of the month) might be opened up, if not then the following week. They're going to call me if there's another opening that I might be interested that opens up. The debt thing is the same across the board with all the other services so it doesn't really matter who I try with, I won't be able to get clearance with any of them for a while yet. So, for now, and until further notice I hurry up and wait.
Yes, I made tape. I wasn't terribly worried about it. It's funny though, they got my height last time at 67 inches, at the recruiters it's at 67 1/2 inches, and today they figured me to be 66 1/2 inches. Somewhere and some how I'm shrinking I suppose. They figured my neck to be 17 1/2, funny, it's been measuring 18 and 18 1/2 for a month now. Go figure. My belly measured 40 inches, which is what they've been measuring me at there at the recruiters office. Long and short of all this information? I came in at 24%, which for now is close enough.
In previous posts I've said how I did on the ASVAB, my AFQT (general overall score, highest possible is 99) was a 94. Not bad. I attribute this to an affinity for useless information combined with 4 years of schooling under my belt. The issue of getting such a high score is that it's cost me in student loans, the government doesn't like it's employees having debt upon entering. The general cut off for security clearance is around 25k. I have right around 20k in student loans. Add what we owe on our car and that puts me over. Add what we owe on credit cards, and well, good night. So, clearance isn't an option for me, and won't likely be for at least two years. All the speeding tickets when I was younger aren't helping, neither was having my large speeding ticket go to collections right before I paid it off (it was retrieved from collections but that doesn't matter, high debt with a history of something going to collections is a bad combination with the military).
So, that cuts out 75% of the jobs I'm interested in, Intel, Nuclear, and much of the like. Are there positions open for other things that don't require clearance? Yes, the soonest opening is for a corpsman. Honestly I'm not sure if I'm even remotely interested in that though. A corpsman is just this side of a Dr., and can be assigned to ships, medical ships, batallions, and marine groups, etc. The issue? I'm not so sure I like blood, or needles. Sure there's the possibility of doing really well in my "A" school and making it as a radiologist type, but I'm still not sure.
What to do
what to do
?what to do!
Friday is when new postings for May (first of the month) might be opened up, if not then the following week. They're going to call me if there's another opening that I might be interested that opens up. The debt thing is the same across the board with all the other services so it doesn't really matter who I try with, I won't be able to get clearance with any of them for a while yet. So, for now, and until further notice I hurry up and wait.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Wowzers! I'm blogging again, I had to pick my wife up off the floor as she saw me blogging and passed out! ;) jk
It's been forever since I've updated this... So, what's happened recently?
My next older brother got married, I borrowed a friends camera and shot over 2000 images of their wedding for them. It was a lot of fun. Maybe it was because I was shooting a camera that really maximized my abilities (obviously it wasn't something I can afford, as what I Can afford doesn't match what I can do very well most times...), maybe it was because the people were listening to me when I was giving directions (other weddings I've shot people ignored me, thereby adding to the frustrations as shots don't happen unless people listen and do, as anyone who was there could tell you, if everyone listens it can all be over Very quickly, it was so nice), maybe it was because I've had more experience doing other things and where everyone listened so well (possibly because I'm older, bolder, and have a much better idea having more experience in photography and having been married myself now too), no matter how you look at it I really enjoyed it. The first time I've ever enjoyed it like that. I was kind of dreading the wedding part of shooting it before hand (engagements are always fun though it's the weddings I've dreaded in times past) but when it came to it, well, it was just fun. The day was long, I passed out long before midnight, which for me is nothing shy of a miracle lately.
My next older sister is officially legally d'd from her ex. It was an exciting day friday when the mass text was sent out. There were people sighing sighs of relief across the country. =)
I lost 16 pounds. Not all of it was this month, but in the last 2 I've lost 16 pounds and about 3 inches from my waist. Which is a good thing too as I'm going into the Navy. Speaking of which. Tomorrow, sunday, I'm going up to the recruiters so I can be taken up to MEPS and get taped. I'd already gone up previously but couldn't be accepted as I was over weight, my body fat percent was up to 28 and it needs to be at 25 or below, but by the time I'm done in RTC it needs to be down to 22 or lower. For those who don't know... MEPS- Military Entrance Processing Station. RTC - Recruit Training Center. So, monday I'll be going from the hotel over to MEPS where they'll tape me, and then I'll be able to pick my career. I've been considering a Nuclear field, but I'm pretty sure if there's a Media opening I'll be taking it. When I go into RTC will be dependent on what field I take and when they have an opening in that field. So, I'm not sure when that will be, but I'm sure it'll be easier for me to put another blog monday night that has all the info people are wanting to know.
My oldest sister just moved into an apartment. Well, her whole family is moving up from a ways away and they're looking for a house up here but they had to move out of their old house because it already sold and the people buying it will be moving in fairly shortly, so, today we helped them with that. Last week we helped them move a bunch of stuff into a storage unit. Funny thing is that I thought the truck last week was big. I was wrong. The one today was HUGE! Well, bigger than last weeks and all in all it was a lot of fun, her hubby has a pretty cool brother that I had some fun conversations with, and for the time they're in the place I think they've got a pretty decent deal. They were really nice in how they did it, they got gift cards and gave them to everyone who helped them move. Today I picked an Itunes card, sadly when I got the info inputed into my computer at home it wasn't 10 minutes later that I'd used the card all up, but I got a bunch of songs I've been wanting to get! :) THANK YOU! Oh, and the cool thing, the music I downloaded was then immediately available in my ZUNE software, and when I connected my Zune it was instantly uploaded it to it, unlike previous versions where you'd have to burn a CD then rip it in order to get it onto a non-"i" product. Mac-in-crap is finally realizing they get more business when they work with other products. I wonder when they'll figure out how to configure their permissions issues so that macs and pc's can work together on a network properly, as it is mac's see pc's just fine and adjusting "permissions" on a pc is so simple and flawless that it's easy to let macs in, but macs don't let pc's read them at all in my experience, most of which has occured at work over the last 9 months.
What else has gone on? My Oldest brother had another baby, well, his wife did. Oddly it was on my next older brothers wedding day/night that she was induced.
My middle older brother is moving, they'd just come up for the wedding and it was nice to see them again, for the first time I remember I saw him in his class A uniform, I even got some pics of him. It was good to see them, like so many of my siblings they live "far" away and I don't get to see them as often as I'd like, I suppose two have lived fairly close all along, but three have lived further away and it's been hard. Oddly enough I'm saying this right before joining the navy and who knows where I'll be when I finish RTC and "A" School.
So, what's going on in my life? Oh, nothing much. lol
My old best friend got married just about 6 months ago... His wife is due in september.
My next older brother got married, I borrowed a friends camera and shot over 2000 images of their wedding for them. It was a lot of fun. Maybe it was because I was shooting a camera that really maximized my abilities (obviously it wasn't something I can afford, as what I Can afford doesn't match what I can do very well most times...), maybe it was because the people were listening to me when I was giving directions (other weddings I've shot people ignored me, thereby adding to the frustrations as shots don't happen unless people listen and do, as anyone who was there could tell you, if everyone listens it can all be over Very quickly, it was so nice), maybe it was because I've had more experience doing other things and where everyone listened so well (possibly because I'm older, bolder, and have a much better idea having more experience in photography and having been married myself now too), no matter how you look at it I really enjoyed it. The first time I've ever enjoyed it like that. I was kind of dreading the wedding part of shooting it before hand (engagements are always fun though it's the weddings I've dreaded in times past) but when it came to it, well, it was just fun. The day was long, I passed out long before midnight, which for me is nothing shy of a miracle lately.
My next older sister is officially legally d'd from her ex. It was an exciting day friday when the mass text was sent out. There were people sighing sighs of relief across the country. =)
I lost 16 pounds. Not all of it was this month, but in the last 2 I've lost 16 pounds and about 3 inches from my waist. Which is a good thing too as I'm going into the Navy. Speaking of which. Tomorrow, sunday, I'm going up to the recruiters so I can be taken up to MEPS and get taped. I'd already gone up previously but couldn't be accepted as I was over weight, my body fat percent was up to 28 and it needs to be at 25 or below, but by the time I'm done in RTC it needs to be down to 22 or lower. For those who don't know... MEPS- Military Entrance Processing Station. RTC - Recruit Training Center. So, monday I'll be going from the hotel over to MEPS where they'll tape me, and then I'll be able to pick my career. I've been considering a Nuclear field, but I'm pretty sure if there's a Media opening I'll be taking it. When I go into RTC will be dependent on what field I take and when they have an opening in that field. So, I'm not sure when that will be, but I'm sure it'll be easier for me to put another blog monday night that has all the info people are wanting to know.
My oldest sister just moved into an apartment. Well, her whole family is moving up from a ways away and they're looking for a house up here but they had to move out of their old house because it already sold and the people buying it will be moving in fairly shortly, so, today we helped them with that. Last week we helped them move a bunch of stuff into a storage unit. Funny thing is that I thought the truck last week was big. I was wrong. The one today was HUGE! Well, bigger than last weeks and all in all it was a lot of fun, her hubby has a pretty cool brother that I had some fun conversations with, and for the time they're in the place I think they've got a pretty decent deal. They were really nice in how they did it, they got gift cards and gave them to everyone who helped them move. Today I picked an Itunes card, sadly when I got the info inputed into my computer at home it wasn't 10 minutes later that I'd used the card all up, but I got a bunch of songs I've been wanting to get! :) THANK YOU! Oh, and the cool thing, the music I downloaded was then immediately available in my ZUNE software, and when I connected my Zune it was instantly uploaded it to it, unlike previous versions where you'd have to burn a CD then rip it in order to get it onto a non-"i" product. Mac-in-crap is finally realizing they get more business when they work with other products. I wonder when they'll figure out how to configure their permissions issues so that macs and pc's can work together on a network properly, as it is mac's see pc's just fine and adjusting "permissions" on a pc is so simple and flawless that it's easy to let macs in, but macs don't let pc's read them at all in my experience, most of which has occured at work over the last 9 months.
What else has gone on? My Oldest brother had another baby, well, his wife did. Oddly it was on my next older brothers wedding day/night that she was induced.
My middle older brother is moving, they'd just come up for the wedding and it was nice to see them again, for the first time I remember I saw him in his class A uniform, I even got some pics of him. It was good to see them, like so many of my siblings they live "far" away and I don't get to see them as often as I'd like, I suppose two have lived fairly close all along, but three have lived further away and it's been hard. Oddly enough I'm saying this right before joining the navy and who knows where I'll be when I finish RTC and "A" School.
So, what's going on in my life? Oh, nothing much. lol
My old best friend got married just about 6 months ago... His wife is due in september.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Chocolate Chip Cookies
I remember
I remember a time when I made a double batch of cookies. They were my favorite recipe of chocolate chip cookies. Meaning it was the recipe from the bag of the brand of chocolate chips that I really liked. I was making them for my brother before he was leaving for Arkansas, he was going to be there for a couple years with minimal opportunities to contact us. This was when e-mail was just really starting, we were on dial up, I think I had an e-mail account with Juno at the time (an account I haven't used for years at this point)... Anyway, I knew he was going to be traveling with a lot of people, so I wanted them to go as far as possible, which meant I couldn't just make a few big ones (like I would have liked to have eaten myself....lol) but instead I made a TON of little ones, so many in fact I think it took one or two bread bags to hold them. Yes, he carried them on the airplane in bread bags. We also were able to see him off at the terminal at that time. (If you haven't flown in the last ten years you might not know that you can't get through security without working at the airport, on an airplane, or unless you have a ticket, some exceptions....but not many....apply).
With that in mind.
I'm making cookies. Chocolate chip cookies. And I'm making some that are really tiny. Now I call them diet cookies. One of these little cookies can satisfy a grown man on a diet for a day. They're kind of like Lembas bread for those with a sweet tooth.
Unfortunately I'm more like a Hobbit, so they're going to be taken in to work so that my diet doesn't get destroyed by 'eating one, then sneaking 20 more....' lol.
The funniest part, they're oatmeal chocolate chip, but I didn't have a full bag so half of them are oatmeal cookies while others are oatmeal chocolate chip cookies...
:)
I remember a time when I made a double batch of cookies. They were my favorite recipe of chocolate chip cookies. Meaning it was the recipe from the bag of the brand of chocolate chips that I really liked. I was making them for my brother before he was leaving for Arkansas, he was going to be there for a couple years with minimal opportunities to contact us. This was when e-mail was just really starting, we were on dial up, I think I had an e-mail account with Juno at the time (an account I haven't used for years at this point)... Anyway, I knew he was going to be traveling with a lot of people, so I wanted them to go as far as possible, which meant I couldn't just make a few big ones (like I would have liked to have eaten myself....lol) but instead I made a TON of little ones, so many in fact I think it took one or two bread bags to hold them. Yes, he carried them on the airplane in bread bags. We also were able to see him off at the terminal at that time. (If you haven't flown in the last ten years you might not know that you can't get through security without working at the airport, on an airplane, or unless you have a ticket, some exceptions....but not many....apply).
With that in mind.
I'm making cookies. Chocolate chip cookies. And I'm making some that are really tiny. Now I call them diet cookies. One of these little cookies can satisfy a grown man on a diet for a day. They're kind of like Lembas bread for those with a sweet tooth.
Unfortunately I'm more like a Hobbit, so they're going to be taken in to work so that my diet doesn't get destroyed by 'eating one, then sneaking 20 more....' lol.
The funniest part, they're oatmeal chocolate chip, but I didn't have a full bag so half of them are oatmeal cookies while others are oatmeal chocolate chip cookies...
:)
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