Originally Posted By: Joe V
What type of IT work did you do? It's a little ironic that you didn't more quickly become a Band-in-a-box technical geek.[\quote]

I was a networking guy. I strung a lot of wire under the floor, did a lot of router configuration back in the days when you did such things with DIP switches on cards. And I ALWAYS managed to forget that the first number is 0, not 1. So I often finished configuring a card and then having to go back to the first set of dips and start over, changing port 1 from 1 to 0, port 2 to 1... binary math calls for concentration. Ask most people what teh first 10 numers are. They will say 1-2-3...10. And that's wrong. 10 is not a number. It is a combination of TWO numbers, a 1 and a 0. The first 10 numbers are 0 thru 9. Now to configure a router you just connect from somewhere in the world and do it all in software.

[quote]Thank you for your service, and I'm sorry about your troubles from the army experience. Though I am very anti-war and absolutely hate the people that send many Americans for needless wars to protect oil fields, I do realize that some wars are necessary and unavoidable. And regardless of how I feel about particular wars or wars in general, I respect every single American that serves in the military and have extreme respect and gratitude toward them.


At the time, it was a kid doing his civic duty, as well as a kid who had very few options. The politics of it never occurred to me. I actually took a 3rd year to specify Germany so I didn't have to go to Vietnam. Then my entire battalion was sent over. However, that time I spent over there was key to my moving from boy to man, so while it sucked then, it mattered later in life. One of the lines in that song is "They sent me off to Vietnam to fight the Asian war, but never really did explain what I was fighting for." While there I went from E-3 (PFC) through E-4 and reached E-5 (sergeant). Between E-5 pay, hazardous duty pay and jump pay (I was airborne, jumping only the minimum amount I had to to stay eligible) I made a lot of money over there. I also used to lend money to the druggies. The standard thing was I would lend them 20 and they paid me back 30. I stood at the end of the pay line and collected as they left. Everybody knew, and nobody cared. I made as much as $200 a month doing that. Kept my cash in the company safe, and when I got paid back I bought a money order and sent it home. So while I didn't like the potential that any given day could be the end of the ride, I enjoyed the freedom from a lot of rules (Shave, don't shave, whatever. No need to shine boots. No saluting...) so I stayed over there an extra 6 months. Unlike Larry I was not out where the shooting was. I was in the motor pool on a base camp. By the end of my time I actually ran it. When I got back I went to Lawton Oklahoma, Ft Sill, and for the next however long I was there I hated every moment of my life. Back to haircuts, shaving, shined shoes, yes sir nonsense.... I have to call some punk who made lieutenant by going to West Point "sir"?? He should be calling ME sir! So I was a bit of a loose cannon and discipline problem. Some 2nd lieutenant came into my motor pool, which was clearly empty, and banged his fist on my desk DEMANDING "You find me something to ride NOW!!!" I stood up, threw a broom in his face and side "Ride this MF!" He came around the desk and I decked him with a right cross. I had 2 of my guys drag him out of my office (he was blocking to doorway and the AC was on) and when he came to he came in threatening me. I just smiled and said "I have another hand here for you." So I got a 3 step reduction in grade to E-3 and a 50 dollar fine. When the hearing was over the Major asked me "Off the record would you do it again?" I said "For just 50 bucks, yep!" and he said "I don't blame you." 10 weeks later I had a promotion hearing back to E-4, and they made me acting Sgt so I still ran the motor pool. The next time that guy came in he apologized and offered to pay me back the 50 bucks. LOL!!

But seriously, I have been to the Vietnam Memorial wall in DC and paid my respects to the guys who were truly the heroes of that whole mess. It was difficult when I found the names of people I knew, but I had to do it. I also went back to Ft Sill about 6 years ago and that was really closure for me.

As to IQ and such, I never regarded that as meaning who is smart and who isn't. It is just your "quotient", your ability to learn. It's what you do with that ability that matters. This generation is generally stupid because they waste brain cells playing video games instead of reading books. When "content creator" is considered a job....