Comedy Gold

So at lunch today I was sitting with a Marine and a SEAL and we were discussing height/weight standards in the different services and fitness standards. I've been annoyed at the lack of carrots and sticks I can bring to bear in the ANG on people letting their PT slide. I learned the Navy also makes a mockery of PT standards.

The Marines, of course, put the height/weight standards first. Nevermind if you can pass the fitness test. You can score excellent, but if you are too big for your height based on a the official chart (which I was assured was made by some guy in an office in Quantico who has 4% bodyfat because he has nothing to do all day but press his uniforms, work out, and let the good idea fairy make magical rules), then you are in trouble.

So we all have our issues. Nothing is perfect. We discussed this quite passionately over ice cream deserts.

It was good. But yes, I'm going to gym after I finish writing this.

On our way out of the chow hall, the Marine saw a younger Marine junior enlisted walking in. He stopped her to ask where she worked since he hadn't seen her before and likes to know where the other Marines are at. She, being confronted by an unknown senior NCO, was very nervous and answered everything while standing at parade rest. This is after he told her to relax, he was just checking on things, she hadn't done anything wrong. As we walked back to the JOC the Marine declared that she, the scared witless young enlisted troop, looks to him as a father figure.

The SEAL and I looked at him for a minute. He kept a straight face. We could not. It's hard to explain, but the combination of her utter terror at thinking she was in trouble just by virtue of him saying hi, and his self-assured announcement was really really hysterical.

Yes, it was a joke.

And since the hits keep on coming, we got an email today that declared tomorrow would be "Casual Sunday." In that email it specified that no shorts, tanktops, or open-toed shoes were allowed--casual civilian attire. This, of course, necessitated a second email explaining that no shorts, tanktops, or open-toed shoes would be allowed.

Last year, Casual Sundays were cancelled because they went from casual to very very casual very very quickly.

So I guess UDT shorts and flip flops are out.

Personally, I'm just gonna stick with my uniform. It's very simple, really quite comfortable, and less trouble then figuring out what they mean by casual. Casual may require a collar or something. In uniform, I can take the jacket off and chill in my (merino wool) T-shirt and uniform pants.

Like jumping out of planes and scuba diving, the military manages to take something fun and relaxing like Casual Friday and kill it.

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And as a follow up, for Patent Bar prep, I chose the Longacre program. It seems well tailored. It is very conveniently portable. The price was right too.

At the JOC we called it the really expensive iPod option since the lectures come preloaded on an iPod.

Just think, last time I was in this country I had no iPod. This time I'll be coming home with two.