Letters to the Editor
fondlementalist
Published Letters: 22 Editor's Choice: 2
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LW, your country needs you
[Read the article: I'm completely irresponsible and I live at home mooching off my parents]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]What you need to do is simple. Join the Army. Tomorrow. I don't care if you don't agree with the war.. I don't either. You still support the troops, right? The best way to do that is in their ranks. They need you. Sign up for two years. Just two. Got that? Two. You will spend about six months in basic and advanced individual training and one of those years in Iraq. Don't worry. Chances are it won't kill you. (Chances are really, really good it won't kill you if you pick the right job. Hint: pick combat service support not combat arms if you're not a gambling man.) That gets you out of the house tomorrow.. which is where you need to be.
Your parents are babying you, and they don't respect you and likely won't until you take a stand. (And frankly, you haven't done much to earn their respect yet anyway.) Anyways, if they had problems with you taking a job, I'm sure they are going to have HUGE problems with you joining the Army. Now, there are many ways to take a stand, why the Army? Well because after two very short years, and believe me, those years will be very short, you'll be in a great position to get back on track with school on your terms, paying your own way, saying look mom and dad, no hands. I got this. No stairwell dwellings for you. You will have money in the bank, equity built up by your service.
The GI Bill will get you your degree.. and if Webb's bill kicks in it will do even more for you. Meanwhile, tomorrow, you're a man. You have a paycheck which can support you and probably several thousand dollars in carrying around money for a signing a bonus, which, if I were you, I'd use to buy my own vehicle. I'd give dad back his truck and say thanks so much for all you've done.. I'll take it from here.
Don't bother shopping the services. The Army is the only one that's going to give you a two-year hitch option. Go for two. Don't do three, four, or god forbid five or six (which the better jobs will require). You're not trying to make this a career. Go for two. Twenty four short little months and you're back.
Most importantly, there's still a war going on. You're a 21-year-old able bodied man. Go do your part. It's disgusting that the only people being forced to risk life and limb are those who don't have a comfortably middle class mommy and daddy. Your country needs you, and you'll feel really good about the entire thing I guarantee.. just as soon as you get your honorable discharge papers. Oh, and don't sweat the Individual Ready Reserves after you're out. Just don't show up for muster if called. They don't track or penalize anyone for not showing up .. never have. Stop loss could get you, but that's already in the rear view.. it's not going to be an issue in 2010.
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Soldier on
[Read the article: I'm a mom who needs more solitude]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]As the father of a six-year-old, I agree with those who are mentioning that six is a turning point toward independence in the life of a child. I have never heard of this before, but I am living it. About three months ago, our daughter began hanging out at friends' houses more than here. I didn't expect this to come so soon, but it did. Ditto to the poster who said that a child's attention begins to switch from parents to peers at this age. Those who present parenthood as a sort of 18-year-long purgatory are oversimplifying. Parenthood changes and develops along with the child. Kids need different things at different stages. If you hate one stage, you may still enjoy another. Don't give up on the whole affair or say you aren't cut out for it so soon.
To the LW, you sound a lot like my wife. She gets over stimulated and drained easily, and motherhood can be a drag on her resources. My advice to you echoes that of others -- seek pratical solutions to your problems -- don't gaze at the stars or your navel; you aren't going to find anything worthwhile there (at least in regards to this dilemma).
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Don't give up the ghost just yet
[Read the article: Frist: "Democrats win landslide victory"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I've noticed this general despair amongst the Republicans for awhile now.. they are pretty much convinced that they can't win, and yet, as a Democrat, I think they have pretty good chances of pulling it off. I feel like telling them, there, there little guys, don't forget the American public voted for Bush in 2004... even though he was so crippled intellectually and emotionally, he was vetting his audiences to make sure no non-true- believers came to his campaign events (this from THE PRESIDENT, the supposed leader of the entire United States). Take heart, GOP -- the conservative ideology is still the default mode of thinking for a thin majority of the American public, despite its obvious flaws and the ineptitude of the politicians who espouse it. They aren't quite hip to your con yet. There is still damage left to do!
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Work
[Read the article: What should we do with our $3 million?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]That's the important thing. Set some goal and work toward it.. work toward it with the peace of mind of knowing you're not totally beholden to the boss/organization/industry/system because you have some nice investments to fall back on. Enjoy your life. Remember enjoyment is finding the right ratio of challenge and leisure.
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@Electro
[Read the article: What should we do with our $3 million?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Eighty-eight percent white European ancestry, you say? Well if that doesn't recommend a place .. (you cretin)