Old Threads

[micky]

It may be so if we're kidnapped, we can call the police with the cradle button.

[gregz]

I can use pulse on my comcast hookup. I can dial out using the switch hook.

Greg

[rchrdprss]

Whitworth... That's an old thread.

[The Daring Dufas]

Um, wuts a "black and while"? Is that something that happens while being black? o_O

TDD

[Stormin Mormon]

I'm out of IBM punch cards.

[philoÂÂ]

+1

[micky]

While we're on the subject, 2 or 3 years ago they (NASA, I guess) somehow concluded that it was a blip in the transmission that made it sound like he said "That's one small step for man" and that he actually said "That's one small step for a man", as intended.

[micky]

I spent some time yesterday laughing, when I read this. Just like the recruiter told me.

I took a day to think of something important to say, but haven't found much. After I talked to the recruiter, I talked to my uncle, in the only time he ever tried to help me in the 10 years since my father had died, and he told me not to enlist. It might have been a mistake.

OTOH, if I didn't lie, I probably coudn't have passed the physical, and if I did lie, I'd probably have dislocated one or both shoulders in basic training, and they would have kicked me out anyhow.

Later I had a summer job with a lot of hard work, and improved my muscles and the shoulders stopped coming out for a few years.

I can see that.

Wow. I thought they meant I'd sit in an office looking at dials. You had your own missile launcher and could have driven around until you found something to blow up. Or to impress girls.

For a while you had to be in the top 10% (50%?) of your class to avoid getting drafted. But then students in tough schools complained that being 75% from the top in their school took as much work as being 10% from the top in an easy school. This is not just engineering but everything. So they came up with a test, like the SAT if I recall it correctly, to decide who was smart, I think (although they were supposed to decide who was working hard and I don't think the test did that) and they gave it, at no charge, to millions of college students (and maybe trade schools too? although I didnt' think about that until now. ) But then they didn't use the test results at all, I'm sure of that, and just got rid of college deferments, iirc. If I'm right, they would have drafted you a year or two later anyhow.

I think so.

Hopefully, that will teach them not to start any more wars.

[Stormin Mormon]

English, do I remember? Yes, not as common in use, now days.

[philoÂÂ]

Yep. The Army did make some attempt to give people who enlisted what they actually signed up for. There were a few people in my unit who were told that if they enlisted they would not have to go to Vietnam.

X

//

Air-defense units are "field" units. The only folks who get to launch missiles from indoors are those who launch the nukes. I did not want anything to do with that.

Yes. I went to MSOE. In a regular college one would need about 120 credits to graduate, but at MSOE 216 credits were required. They used the "quarter" system rather than semester so it's hard to equate ...but if translated into semesters it would have been about 144 credits. I was taking what at another college would have been considered a full load.

The long story is that I actually did appeal but was voted down 3 -1. However since there was one person who took my side I was entitled to re-appeal...but I said "the hell with it".

Then, this happened:

MSOE is in Milwaukee but I was living in Madison when I turned 18...so when I got the draft notice I was supposed to report to the bus station in Madison to be transported to the induction center in Milwaukee which was literally within walking distance of where I lived.

Assuming it would be futile, I contacted the draft board and asked if I could just report directly to the induction center. To my surprise they said "yes" and informed to to discard my draft notice and they'd re-issue a new one.

I withdrew from school, quit my summer job, gave up my apartment and broke up with my girlfriend and spent all my money. Guess what? The new drafty notice never came...so I reported to the induction center without a notice and asked them if they could take me. They replied nnnnweeellllyes. So technically I volunteered for the draft.

Germany may not start any more wars for a while but there seems to be no shortage of wars though.

[Ralph Mowery]

In the late 60's a friend joined the Air Force and was promised an assignment in electronics. Saw him several years later and he told me he was shipped to Alaska at a radar site. He painted the radar antenna towers.

He said he went to the base commander and complained about painting towers. The commander pulled out a book and under the heading of electronics was radar, then radar towers , and then painting of the radar towers, so he was in electronics. Then the commander said "son get your ass back out there and start painting the towers."

[philoÂÂ]

Yep, that's the reason my father talked me out of enlisting in the Navy when I graduated from HS.

[Stormin Mormon]

That's got to be fun to be so close to the action. I think Dufas and I are going to have to give you some trouble about your signature line, you call me (or call yourself?) N-word and tell me to have a good day.

[Stormin Mormon]

Wonder how true that is? Sure would be one of the biggest faux pas in the history of communication. Real bleeper blooper.