The Food Poll

The new poll is a result of several people, both Corps and Civilian, bringing this to my attention.

One case was an engineering student trying to get from class to lab to work, but couldn't utilize the grab 'n' go option because of the line of rooks out the door, up the road, and beyond.

Another was a Corps cadre member noting that there's nothing preventing the rooks from using that option to get out of going to mess and dealing with what might be the only annoying part left of their freshman year (slackers).



For once, I'm completely neutral since I pretty much gave up eating in general. I have been in the "chow hall" exactly five times this year, having abandoned Sodehxo entirely, as I predicted earlier.

If it's really impacting you, vote away. Someone might give a shit eventually.

Stories? Leave in the comments section for this post.

This entry was inspired by the Norwich University Corps of Cadets, created by your favorite WebMistress, and as always, designed for hungry viewers like you.

Two Cents Tuesday

IMHO, people who talk about news, issues, problems, or even other people that they don't know a thing about are naive at best and elitist at worst. Yes, this includes casual conversation, and here's why:

Even statements beginning with "I think ..." are subject to scrutiny, because honestly, what you think may be completely wrong, idiotic, and deserving of incessant abuse. You are entitled to think all the wrong things you like, but don't expect to be free from criticism. For example,

"I think the world is flat."

"I think we never really went to the moon."

"I think I'll vote for John Kerry." (ooo ... zinger to the liberals)

Even just,

"I think."

For some of you, those two words alone are a flat out lie. You can think what you want, you can say what you want, and you can have your own opinion ... but if you can't back it up with any substance, who's going to listen to you? Perhaps your family or close friends humor you, or you can always try a chat room, but most creatures with opposable thumbs will see right through you.

That's my Two Cents for Today on:

People that are missing the filter between brain and mouth.

Four Famous Words ... and Stories

This entry is to clarify (for the underclassmen), refresh (for the departed), and explain (for the outsiders) two important Norwich rules.

One, is the truth around the four infamous words that result in the most havoc, chaos, and hilarity on campus. These four words ... any guesses?

"You won't do it."

The response: "WHO won't do it?!"

The requirement (upon clairfication, "YOU won't do it."): following the utterance of those words, the person targeted MUST perform whatever was challenged. There are no excuses for danger or embarrassment, but a case may be made if the challenger is an idiot. Disputes are settles by popular vote of group present.

The result: (IMPORTANT!) Any and ALL consequences, credit, blame, damage or otherwise that occurs as a result is inflicted upon the person who said, "You won't do it." It is important to adhere to the direct, unconditional, and immediate transfer of responsibility, just as it is important that the challenged not back down.

Those are simple, steadfast, and well-tested rules. If you have any pictures or videos that were the direct result of those four words, send them over and I'll post them.



Second is the mystery and intrigue of an Official Norwich Story. What makes it Official?

Fine, I'll tell you - it's how you start it off.

The requirement: All Norwich stories, to be Official, must begin with the words, "So there I was ..."

This is often expanded to, "So there I was, knee/balls deep in [whatever] ..."

You get the idea.

Official Norwich stories often end in either (in the case of the anti-climactic)

"And then I found 20 bucks!"

or,

"And that's how you make great pancakes."




Comments? Leave 'em.

This post was compiled for your viewing pleasure by the Norwich University Corps of Cadets, your favorite WebMistress, and as always, by viewers like you.

Official Safety Brief

Since it's already Tuesday, and everyone's had sufficient time to misbehave, I will now give the resident student population the Official NU Daily Classic Norwich University Safety Brief.

"Don't Do Stupid Shit. It's stupid."

"Don't Do Anything Your Cadre Will Read About in the News."

"Don't add to or subtract from the population at large."


And from last Thursday's Jackman speech,

"It's called drinking after driving. Don't Do It." (Thank you: VSM/SGM)

Funny, I thought it was the other way around ...

Leave your favorite safety brief advice imparted to you (or invented by you) in the comments section. Everyone's cadre had some good ones ...

These safety brief excerpts were collected from the past four years of stellar Norwich University leadership, the Norwich University Corps of Cadets, your favorite WebMistress, and of course, by viewers like you.

On Recognition

Pictures to be posted at a later date. Expect the entries to be light on photos for a while ... long story.

To the freshmen:

Congratulations. You are the newest cadets here. Today is your first chance to show the Corps, yourselves, and anyone else that you came here for a reason. This is when you show us that it means something. This is when we see if it was the right decision. Remember that military customs and courtesies are not for Rookies alone, and she that giveth can also taketh away.

The the sophomores and juniors:

Quit whining about the fact that they're recognized in November. Quite frankly, no one wants to hear it. It isn't about the recognition date itself, but their progression into functioning members of the Corps. If that's not happening, address that issue. Piss and moan about the lack of training, discipline, whatever ... but stop splitting hairs about the date. They don't have so many privileges that they'll be wreaking havoc in mass ... hopefully.

To the seniors:

If they really can't handle it, they'll be kicked back in the gutter. It's that simple. There is no impact on our daily life resulting from recognition. If there is ... that's a sign of a serious problem which would need immediate attention.


To the CDT Staff:

Good planning and execution on the part of the ceremony. (Yes, that's a real compliment)


To All:

It's a fact of life that the Corps gets easier every year. The alums from the "Old Corps" had it harsher than this generation, who trained more than the recent alums. The young alums had more difficult accomplishments than this year's seniors. Our seniors had it harder than the juniors, who did more than the sophomores who had it rougher than the freshmen. This year's freshmen get to complain about the recruits next year having a cakewalk. It is the nature of the beast. The Powers that Be are afraid of training injuries and lawsuits, the freshmen are more out of shape, and to quote the only thing I remember from any CSM meeting freshman year,

"We can't make up for 18 years of bad parenting."

Blame it on Society. ;o)

This entry brought to you by Norwich University's newest cadets, a group of rowdy upperclassmen, ie: the Norwich University Corps of Cadets, myself, and by viewers like you.

Blame it on Society

This is the one you've been waiting for: Collective Action, Electronic Rights, and apparently, the Future of the Corps at Norwich.

The main points of this post were drawn from my observations at the Open Forum held last Friday. I went prepared to defend the honor of this publication ... a message that never needed to be delivered, surprisingly enough. I said not a single word (shocking as that may seem ... I was afraid to open my mouth to the effect it might not shut for a while). While there was no angry mob attempting to undermine my online witticism, there were several interesting topics. The best of which follow ...

Facebook, Jackman, and Collective Action: The Breakdown

First, YES - Jackman is all about reading Stalkerbook and SpySpace. Come now, it is public domain after all...

If you'll kindly flip to page 50 of the Glossary of the NUCC R+R (that's Rules and Regulations), you'll find the following:

"Collective action. Collective resistance to a system of discipline is far more serious than resistance by an individual and will not be tolerated. Participants will be subject to disciplinary action to include dismissal. A student will not enter into any written or oral agreement to violate or evade the Norwich University Rules and Regulations. A student will not conspire to or join with others in any act contrary to the rules of good order.
Note: It is not collective action for a student to respectfully raise an issue or ask a question or attend or participate in any University sponsored event, club, forum, or meeting on campus."

Now, besides needing some grammatical attention, the first two words of that little paragraph are spoken in hushed tones. Rightly so, with the word DISMISSAL in the same sentence. There have been rumors flying left and right about Facebook groups, websites like this one, and the general parameters of the above.

Conclusion? Unless I was posting a 10-Step Manual on the Storming of Jackman Hall, or rallying troops for a coup d'etat, then it's good-to-go. This may raise riots issues, but everything is spelled properly and written with a degree of respect to the individuals involved, and especially to the beloved institution.

PS - the Take Back the UP group was mentioned as an example, and given the "OK" by the brass ...

The last question in this topic was responsibility. Are the creators of blogs or facebook groups responsible for comments left by others on them? The answer was a clear, "No, unless the owner claims responsibility themselves from the beginning." A stupid move when throwing college kids and keyboards the ability to type on the internet ...

On Spelling ...

Apparently I'm not the only one to cringe at comma splices and homonym mix-ups. A professor at the forum would not let this point die, however, going to far as to suggest some sort of ... sanction ... ?

Yes ... excellent idea! Four direct tours for spelling errors; only two for misuse of semi-colons. CC for starting sentences with 'but' or 'and.' Harsher penalties for those using "all of the sudden" and "per say." *shiver*

Hey, I don't like the middle school grammar either ... but that earned my award of the week. (which is impressive considering I watched the MSII's bumble around the woods all weekend and saw some GOOD ones ...)

Spellcheck, sir, will not fix the problem of admitting dumb students. I can tell you from being in the lab during mandatory sports teams' study hall (read as: internet games and chat rooms) and feeling the room's net IQ drop considerably, that you're admitting dumb people.

Maybe only dumb people are applying, and imposing stricter admission standards would put a squash on the expansion plan. Lesser of two evils, is it? Perhaps more targeted advertising? If you appeal to the masses, that's exactly what you will get.

I'm no admissions counselor ... maybe the entire college-age population "faled inglish." What do I know?

NEXT!

Cadillians ... Our Future?

The rest of it was a big headache. It rattled on about Corps and Civilian tension with a "why can't we all just get along" undertone to it.

The biggest bomb dropped was a civilian claiming, "there's no difference between the Corps kids and the civilian students ..."

"There is definitely an inherent difference between students that choose the Corps and those that become civilian students. If there wasn't, there would be no reason for the Corps to exist," responded one cadet with what I consider the best remark of the evening. (congrats)

The best civilian suggestion? Educate incoming civi freshmen about the Corps ... first-hand. ;o)

And I get along with a ton of Civi's ...

My take? Cohabitation & coexistence will never equate to assimilation. F#ck the melting pot. The more Mexicans that jump the border doesn't make me want to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. We can live together, but you're not going to blur a divide that's, in someone else's wise words, inherent.

One seventh of one-percent attend a senior military college ... 65% of the college-age population is enrolled in higher education. (email me for questions of validity of calculations)

My advice for paving the road to a civil two-party system is to level the playing field. You'll never ease embedded tension until UNIVERSITY POLICY (note: that says "student," not just "Corps") is enforced UNIVERSITY-WIDE. Don't even try to tell me it is, because it is not. That is common knowledge on both sides of campus. The alcohol policy, Honor Code, and even common issues of respect like spitting on the UP or removing your doo-rags damn hats in the mess hall aren't addressed in equal force ... or even close. True story, no bullshit.

It's views like that which will kill the Corps. I'll address the Rook training in another entry, because that's the other thing contributing ... or maybe it really is just society producing less of "us."



NEXT!

For That Guy!

This is for that guy who thought he was cool bringing a printed copy of this publication and never confronting me directly. The guy that accused me of speaking on behalf of the Army and possibly causing all sorts of trouble. For someone who printed it out, it's disappointing that you didn't even read the TOP part! I clearly and explicitly state that I am not speaking on behalf of the Army, right at the top. That being said, any statement beginning with "I think ..." (such as, "I think Kerry is a raging moron") is entirely within my scope of abilities to say, provided I am off-duty, out of uniform, and not violating OPSEC. Yes, I had those classes out of the Skill Level 1 manual, too! Apparently, I paid more attention. ;o)

Army doesn't like blogs? Hmm ...

This entry brought to you by various representatives of Jackman Hall, forum attendees, the Grammar Police, Norwich University Corps of Cadets, your humble WebMistress, my imaginary underground militia and by viewers like you.

This Is Not a Blog

Wait ... WHAT?!

That's right. This is not a blog. This is a web presence.

"Semantics!" you cry, "Synonyms!"

Hear me out. This is my effort to separate myself and this publication from the mainstream, stereotyped "blogger-ess" and "blog:"


Bad Poetry - and I mean heinous.

Pointless Details on one's daily life - no one cares that you had cheerios for breakfast because the cornflakes were stale ... unless they're stalking you. In which case they'll just crawl in your window and read your non-digital secret diary anyway, right?

You're the next Socrates? Philoso-bloggers. (Yes, I made that up)

ALL of the Above!?

Cheap Advertising - and by cheap I mean free.

The 'Tortured-Soul-Gothic-Princess-Emo' rubbish - someone wake up on the wrong side of the coffin today?

Dribble on Pets, Kids, or hobbies. A photo-pile, usually.

Your Vacation - umm ... yay?

The LinkDump - 'nuff said.

Oh, and apparently Cult Meetings. I found this one while looking for another category ...


I'm not bashing personal sites! I have several favorite bookmarks of other people's ramblings. The quality of any site is directly proportional to the writing itself. I, too, have a personal blog. Entries are limited to personal experiences that I presume to be amusing. Might as well let the public share a laugh at my expense. However, I can accept the fact that my life is not nearly interesting enough to warrant a daily log of its events ... but the campus on the other hand ... IS!

NU Daily - not a blog about "my life at Norwich."

~*~ More Interesting than CliC and Better Grammar Than the Guidon ~*~

This entry brought to you by the various bloggers in cyberspace (sorry to make an example out of you - I'm sure you have lots of fans, really ...), the Norwich University Corps of Cadets, and myself - the humble Editor.

Even CNN Can't Spin It ..

Kerry told a college crowd Monday: "You know education, if you make the most of it, and you study hard, and you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq." - USA

Video - from the most liberal site out there



I imagine he has a hard time with serviceacademy nominations. What, wrecking those poor students' lives like that...


As all of you know, I tend to keep my own politics off this site. However, this being a MILITARY school ... and given the phone conversation I had this evening with someone who is in Iraq right now:

Him: What did you put as your duty station?
Me: Heh, does it matter? All roads lead to Iraq, right? It's just a place to PCS out of ...
Him: Yeah, you're not kidding ...

Shortly after that, the phone cut out. Not unusual in such circumstances, as I'm sure many of you know.

You've heard the quote, 'There are two types of soldiers in the Army today: those that have already been to Iraq and those waiting to go.' (couldn't find link)

Sorry, all the soldiers I know aren't/weren't in Iraq because they "didn't do their homework."

Someone tell Kerry that our military isn't a dumping ground for the illiterate (that's the Guidon! ... ooo ... just kidding, guys!)

While you're at it, teach him about run-on sentences.

Not everyone here is seeking a commission. Those of us that are, apparently ... well ... draw your own conclusions because my ranting will not do much for those that far into stupidity's grip.

As for the "botched joke" defense ...

"Kerry was supposed to say, "I can't overstress the importance of a great education. Do you know where you end up if you don't study, if you aren't smart, if you're intellectually lazy? You end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq." CNN

... does that not make Kerry look dumber? Oh, Zinger! Good one, except you landed the punch line on the entire US Armed Forces dedicated to protecting your dumb ass trying to insult the Commander in Chief. Yeesh.

I know someone he can hire to write jokes for him ... about causing hurricanes an' stuff ;o)

I am not ashamed to be from Massachusetts.

I am ashamed that HE is representing Massachusetts.

As a soldier (yes, I earned that title), as a student, and as an American - those three do go together - someone tell him that.

This entry brought to you by the Commie News Network, a group of witty Marines, USA Today Yesterday, and myself - the humble Editor. Notice here that all statements were made from linked/documented news facts, personal experiences, and opinions noted as exactly that. My opinion has always been that Kerry is a raging dumbass. Formulate your own.