What did you want to be as a kid

Post Reply New Topic

hmmmm, with his singular mind departed from us, the world may never know.

________________________________________________________________________________________

but there is no objective method of measuring "stupidity".

yes you got IQ tests. and the theory of multiple intelligences.

but, just b/c you cannot reliably and accurately and physically measure IQ score, does not follow that everyone is "smart".

yeah.

in my time in the army, we daily measured stupidity to a high science.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

earlier this week, President Trump said that he was going to get rid of trans military members. it was not clear if the trans military members currently serving will get discharged. or what kind of discharges.

yeah in 2003, seriously considered joining the military. after flunking out Structural Engineering. so glad i did not.

but at that time, i did not have the following MEPS disqualifications:

autism, obsessive compulsive disorder, irritable bowel syndrome, 5 (out of 10) other personality disorders officially diagnosed, over six months of counseling, clinical depression, diagnosed anxiety.

and counting

b/c no psychologist ever systematically went looking for diagnosis that i fulfilled the job skills for.

besides that, i am academically stupid, vocationally incompetent, emotionally fragile and socially awkward. and rapidly getting much worse.

and yeah i could not imagine the sleep deprivation. quite frankly if i haven't slept eight consecutive hours i function even worse than usual.

so i could not imagine doing firewatch.

nor could i imagine getting yelled at like that.

furthermore i could not imagine having o iron my clothes. or waste all that time cleaning things.

anyways i would be paranoid about the hazing. getting raped.

oh well. army, navy, marines, coast guard, air force. active duty. reserves. cisgender, trans. enlisted, officer. career, four year enlistment. deployment. Meals ready to Eat.

pretty confident that if i were to have joined the military, would've gotten a Dishonorable Discharge by now. sent to the brig.

then in the civilian world, would've had an even harder time finding a job.
_______________________________________________________________________________________


so

anyways, when you were in the Army, what did they do to measure stupidity?

one example, is how we made as many of our military occupational specialties as idiot-proof as we could make them, so that the average IQ recruit could reliably be recruited to do those often dirty but essential jobs. because the jobs would, as a result, often get boring, we added a bunch of picayune $#!+ duties piled on top of our jobs to keep us suitably too busy to be distracted by wandering thoughts. but many GIs still managed to phuq up somehow and still get into trouble. so by that definition, if you phuqed up, you passed the stupid test and were either sent to be a jailbird or bulletstoppers or cashiered altogether.

By "respect," I only meant treating them as if they're living beings just like us, since, well, they are. I mean people who neglect their animals, or who would look at the price of a procedure and want the animal put down instead, where they would probably want to do whatever was necessary to save a human in the same position. People who really shouldn't have pets in the first place, I think. I feel very strongly that it's important to treat every living thing with a certain amount of respect, be it human or not, and I tend to react strongly when other people don't.

Doing something like hitting a dog with a stick to get it to stop attacking is one thing, because that can be a matter of life or death. Hitting a dog for something little, like having an accident in the house or not sitting when it's told to, is another. And part of being a responsible dog owner is making sure other people have no reason to feel unsafe around your dog. I have a service dog, and I know that if someone seemed afraid of him, I would do whatever I could to make them feel comfortable. If the dog does bite (things can happen that might make even the best trained dog in the world bite), the owner is responsible for it. That's also part of being a dog owner.

one example, is how we made as many of our military occupational specialties as idiot-proof as we could make them, so that the average IQ recruit could reliably be recruited to do those often dirty but essential jobs. because the jobs would, as a result, often get boring, we added a bunch of picayune $#!+ duties piled on top of our jobs to keep us suitably too busy to be distracted by wandering thoughts. but many GIs still managed to phuq up somehow and still get into trouble. so by that definition, if you phuqed up, you passed the stupid test and were either sent to be a jailbird or bulletstoppers or cashiered altogether.
________________________________________________________________________________________

"bulletstoppers"? infantry? some articles claim that a lot of recruits request Infantry, and instead get assigned as Intel, Motor T, and Medic.

if they got sent to Infantry, did they have to go to the School of Infantry? Advanced Individual Training again?

"jailbird"? brig? didn't they have to get court martialled?

if they got "cashiered", what kind of discharge did they get?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________



By "respect," I only meant treating them as if they're living beings just like us, since, well, they are. I mean people who neglect their animals, or who would look at the price of a procedure and want the animal put down instead, where they would probably want to do whatever was necessary to save a human in the same position. People who really shouldn't have pets in the first place, I think. I feel very strongly that it's important to treat every living thing with a certain amount of respect, be it human or not, and I tend to react strongly when other people don't.

Doing something like hitting a dog with a stick to get it to stop attacking is one thing, because that can be a matter of life or death. Hitting a dog for something little, like having an accident in the house or not sitting when it's told to, is another. And part of being a responsible dog owner is making sure other people have no reason to feel unsafe around your dog. I have a service dog, and I know that if someone seemed afraid of him, I would do whatever I could to make them feel comfortable. If the dog does bite (things can happen that might make even the best trained dog in the world bite), the owner is responsible for it. That's also part of being a dog owner.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

the pet is worth a certain amount of money financially. the pet is not worth an unlimited amount of money. the owner does not necessarily have enough money to pay for the pet's medical bills. the owner has to pay for other bills, such as room and board. some things have to take precedence over a pet's medical bills. that is not to say that the pet does not matter whatsoever to the owner. it is only to say that sometimes the owner can't financially pay for everything, so something has to take priority.

the dog bite victim could win a civil lawsuit against the dog owner.

however, the plaintiff does not always win.

and some lawyers charge 500 dollars per billable hour. and some lawsuits take 2 years.

in the United States, anyone can sue anyone for anything. legal or illegal.

one tv show claimed that one man earned 40,000 dollars a year by winning civil lawsuits. the man won a civil lawsuit against an airlines, when it allegedly brought him the wrong meal.

so, legally, the dog owner is responsible for the dog bite victim's medical bills. but only of the dog bite victim wins the lawsuit. the plaintiff does not always win the lawsuit.

also it does not make sense to sue someone that does not have money.

dog owners, unlike car owners, are not legally required to get insurance.

yeah that's exactly it. if someone filed a civil lawsuit or criminal charges against me, b/c i allegedly ran someone over with a car, then i could not blame the car. if the brakes did not work, that's my fault.

but with a dog owner, it's different.

it ain't the dog owner's fault, b/c he did not personally bite me. his off leash dog bit me.

and the dog is just a dog. the dog truly believed his/her ("its") vocational duty was to bite someone. some dogs have huge egos and truly believe they are on duty, professional guard dogs. and they go barking at everyone that passes by. and chasing.

while the owners stand there with an innocent smile saying the meaningless words "hey hey". instead, she (they) should've told me "i apologize for letting my dog bark at and lunge at you. my dog thinks he/she is earning minimum wage to scare away intruders. but you are not an intruder. and he is not earning minimum wage. if mental illness diagnoses applied to dogs, my dog would qualify for some sort of delusional disorder.".

the other thing though is that just b/c the precious lil dog might not have bitten me, that does not mean the dog did not "hurt" me. the dog barked at and chased me. skyrocketing my blood pressure. could've had a stroke or fainted or something.

then what?

precious lil dog owners truly believe they are entitled to do whatever they want without consequence. almost all dog owners i have ever encountered treat their dogs as much better than they treat me.

seriously

we all were trained in basic, in elementary infantry, the ones whose GT/QT scores precluded them from consideration from other MOS would get sent to basic infantry school in [Advanced Individual Training or AIT], AKA 11B10 [what it was called back a few decades, they may use a different nomenclature nowadays]. discharges don't necessarily require a court-martial, some are administrative, at company level. at least it useta be like that back when. discharges fall under different chapters of UCMJ, a common one was failure to adapt to military life. that would be a general under honorable conditions for the most part. I was given an honorable discharge even though they did NOT want me to re-up.

The way I see it, a pet is a living being, not simply a possession. If you are going to get a pet, you should have some money set aside for unexpected vet bills, just like you should have money set aside for any unexpected medical bills you might have. I wouldn't be too upset with someone who couldn't pay the bills, though I would make every effort in that case to make sure that somehow the animal could get the care it needs. What I was really talking about are people who simply won't pay the bills, because they don't think the animal is worth that much money. Would you let your child die because you thought they weren't worth the price of the medical bills? Then why would you do so for a pet?

Actually it is the dog owner's fault if an off-leash dog bites someone, because they did not have proper control of their dog when they should have. A dog on a leash can probably at least be pulled away from situations where it might hurt a person or another animal. In that case, it's like saying you're not at fault for running someone over because you weren't touching the steering wheel of your car, which of course wouldn't go over well in court.

I confess I may have stated how things should be instead of the way they are. It shouldn't require a lawsuit for the dog owner to cover any damages caused by their dog, because in taking the dog on as a pet, they become responsible for the dog's actions. A dog can't pay for medical bills after biting someone, so the owner takes on that responsibility. And the effects of being frightened by a dog even if it didn't actually touch you is exactly why I think measures should be taken to ensure that people feel safe around a dog. Again, this is just what I think, not necessarily what society thinks. In my opinion, if you aren't willing to take on these responsibilities, you shouldn't get a dog.

I wanted to be an adult. I wanted to be in control of my life.

The way I see it, a pet is a living being, not simply a possession. If you are going to get a pet, you should have some money set aside for unexpected vet bills, just like you should have money set aside for any unexpected medical bills you might have. I wouldn't be too upset with someone who couldn't pay the bills, though I would make every effort in that case to make sure that somehow the animal could get the care it needs. What I was really talking about are people who simply won't pay the bills, because they don't think the animal is worth that much money. Would you let your child die because you thought they weren't worth the price of the medical bills? Then why would you do so for a pet?

Actually it is the dog owner's fault if an off-leash dog bites someone, because they did not have proper control of their dog when they should have. A dog on a leash can probably at least be pulled away from situations where it might hurt a person or another animal. In that case, it's like saying you're not at fault for running someone over because you weren't touching the steering wheel of your car, which of course wouldn't go over well in court.

I confess I may have stated how things should be instead of the way they are. It shouldn't require a lawsuit for the dog owner to cover any damages caused by their dog, because in taking the dog on as a pet, they become responsible for the dog's actions. A dog can't pay for medical bills after biting someone, so the owner takes on that responsibility. And the effects of being frightened by a dog even if it didn't actually touch you is exactly why I think measures should be taken to ensure that people feel safe around a dog. Again, this is just what I think, not necessarily what society thinks. In my opinion, if you aren't willing to take on these responsibilities, you shouldn't get a dog.
________________________________________________________________________________

according to some articles, in the united states, public hospitals cannot legally reject patients at the emergency room, just b/c the patient does not have insurance or $$ to pay.

however, that private hospitals are different. nonemergencies are different.

in some cases, medical bills just cost too much. and many medical costs are not absolutely essential to survival.

right now i am 34 years old and have never had children or pets. nor do i plan to do so. the medical bills for some diseases are extremely high. and, in some conditions, the doctor tells the patient that the patient's prognosis. chances for recovery. to quasinormal. are extremely low.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/as-economy- ... ns-thrive/

debtors prisons

it is easier to stop or prevent an on leash dog from physically attacking or competing with a human or another pet, than it is to do likewise to an off leash dog. (fine). however, many owners take extended leashes. the leashes are so long, that it does not help that much. and, no matter how short the leash is, on many sidewalks there is not even enough room for an owner and his dog, & a third party, to walk on the sidewalk at the same time.

furthermore, many owners find their precious lil dogs cute, awesome, and important and can't be bothered to control their on leash dog or off leash dog.

the dog bite medical bills could cost a lot of $$. the owners are not required to get dog medical insurance or dog bite insurance. many homeless have dogs. there is no income requirement to get a dog.

Like I said, not being able to pay the bills is different from simply not wanting to pay the bills because you don't think the animal is worth that much money. Oftentimes, veterinary clinics will also have ways to work with clients who aren't able to cover their pet's medical bills. I know I would go so far as paying for the animal's medical care myself or performing a procedure for free, though that might go against the rules of the practice and get me fired (which is one of the reasons I'm not going to be a vet). I couldn't just let an animal die when it could be easily saved with treatment, if only the owner could afford it.

I meant general you, by the way, not specific you - as if I were talking to a person who didn't want to pay their pet's medical bills. Sorry if that wasn't clear. Generally, people would be horrified if someone had the money to pay for a child's life-saving, or significantly life-improving, medical bills but chose not to because they didn't think the child was worth the expense, so I don't see why it should be any different for a pet. They're also living beings that a person has taken responsibility for, usually voluntarily.

I didn't know people can be imprisoned for not being able to pay things like medical bills and court fines. That doesn't make sense to me, because if a person is stuck in prison, how are they supposed to earn the money to pay off their debts? I can sort of see adding an additional charge for the inconvenience of the money not being paid right when it was needed, although that only makes it harder for the person to pay the debt.

Granted, this might be harder in a more urban area, but when I'm walking my dog, I will walk in the grass if someone is coming, to keep him from being able to get to them. He has never bitten anyone in the time that I've had him, but as I mentioned before, I know things can happen that might make even the best-trained, most people-loving dog in the world feel the need to defend themselves, and he does have a tendency to bark or jump at people, or especially other dogs. Because I know him and can read his body language, I know he only wants to play, but I understand that someone who doesn't know him and might not be very familiar with canine body language might not know that, so I keep him at a distance whenever I can.

Yes, some people don't control their dogs, and those people are poor dog owners. I'm sorry you've had so much experience with people who don't understand how to handle their dogs properly to keep everyone as safe and happy as possible, or who simply can't be bothered. All I can do is assure you that not all dog owners are like that. I know if my dog did manage to jump on someone or felt the need to attack, I would first get him calmed down so he would stop the inappropriate behavior, and then, if the person was still there (every time he's barked or growled at someone, they've just kept walking and are gone by the time I get him settled), I would apologize profusely, make sure the person was okay, and if not, do whatever I could to help. And my dog is always leashed if he isn't in my house or my fenced backyard, even if I'm just taking him out in the unfenced front yard for a quick potty. It is true, as you mentioned before, that he sometimes thinks his job is to scare away people he thinks are threatening, or that he's trying to show that he wants to play, but he is perfectly capable of learning that it isn't appropriate to do that kind of thing to people he doesn't know, and that's something we're working on.

The way I see it, getting a dog, or any pet, is a choice. If someone can't afford to pay what could be expected for average vet bills, or can't afford to set money aside for emergencies like a sudden health issue or a dog biting someone, they should wait to get a dog until they do have the money, just like people should wait to try to have kids if they don't have the money to provide the care the child would probably need. There is nothing preventing someone who has the money to buy a dog, or who doesn't but finds a stray dog, from having one, but to me, it just makes sense not to have a pet if you're not sure you can put a significant amount of money aside for things like this. Unfortunately, not everyone thinks of that before getting a pet, which then causes problems when unexpected things do happen.

Astronaut..obs..lol

Like I said, not being able to pay the bills is different from simply not wanting to pay the bills because you don't think the animal is worth that much money. Oftentimes, veterinary clinics will also have ways to work with clients who aren't able to cover their pet's medical bills. I know I would go so far as paying for the animal's medical care myself or performing a procedure for free, though that might go against the rules of the practice and get me fired (which is one of the reasons I'm not going to be a vet). I couldn't just let an animal die when it could be easily saved with treatment, if only the owner could afford it.

I meant general you, by the way, not specific you - as if I were talking to a person who didn't want to pay their pet's medical bills. Sorry if that wasn't clear. Generally, people would be horrified if someone had the money to pay for a child's life-saving, or significantly life-improving, medical bills but chose not to because they didn't think the child was worth the expense, so I don't see why it should be any different for a pet. They're also living beings that a person has taken responsibility for, usually voluntarily.

I didn't know people can be imprisoned for not being able to pay things like medical bills and court fines. That doesn't make sense to me, because if a person is stuck in prison, how are they supposed to earn the money to pay off their debts? I can sort of see adding an additional charge for the inconvenience of the money not being paid right when it was needed, although that only makes it harder for the person to pay the debt.

Granted, this might be harder in a more urban area, but when I'm walking my dog, I will walk in the grass if someone is coming, to keep him from being able to get to them. He has never bitten anyone in the time that I've had him, but as I mentioned before, I know things can happen that might make even the best-trained, most people-loving dog in the world feel the need to defend themselves, and he does have a tendency to bark or jump at people, or especially other dogs. Because I know him and can read his body language, I know he only wants to play, but I understand that someone who doesn't know him and might not be very familiar with canine body language might not know that, so I keep him at a distance whenever I can.

Yes, some people don't control their dogs, and those people are poor dog owners. I'm sorry you've had so much experience with people who don't understand how to handle their dogs properly to keep everyone as safe and happy as possible, or who simply can't be bothered. All I can do is assure you that not all dog owners are like that. I know if my dog did manage to jump on someone or felt the need to attack, I would first get him calmed down so he would stop the inappropriate behavior, and then, if the person was still there (every time he's barked or growled at someone, they've just kept walking and are gone by the time I get him settled), I would apologize profusely, make sure the person was okay, and if not, do whatever I could to help. And my dog is always leashed if he isn't in my house or my fenced backyard, even if I'm just taking him out in the unfenced front yard for a quick potty. It is true, as you mentioned before, that he sometimes thinks his job is to scare away people he thinks are threatening, or that he's trying to show that he wants to play, but he is perfectly capable of learning that it isn't appropriate to do that kind of thing to people he doesn't know, and that's something we're working on.

The way I see it, getting a dog, or any pet, is a choice. If someone can't afford to pay what could be expected for average vet bills, or can't afford to set money aside for emergencies like a sudden health issue or a dog biting someone, they should wait to get a dog until they do have the money, just like people should wait to try to have kids if they don't have the money to provide the care the child would probably need. There is nothing preventing someone who has the money to buy a dog, or who doesn't but finds a stray dog, from having one, but to me, it just makes sense not to have a pet if you're not sure you can put a significant amount of money aside for things like this. Unfortunately, not everyone thinks of that before getting a pet, which then causes problems when unexpected things do happen.
________________________________________________________________________________________

when someone is in debtor's prison, someone does not have an opportunity to waste any more $$.

jail has a program called work furlough . in that program, inmates go to work during the day and go to jail at night. however, the inmate has to first have a job. furthermore, the inmate has to financially pay the jail, to participate in that program.

taxpayers pay money, through taxes, to financially provide for inmates locked in jail.

this is the United States. even if someone has large debts, the debtor still has certain legal rights. if all else fails, the debtor could file bankrupcy. Chapter 11.

not all dog owners sit around grinning like the Cheshire Cat, while their precious lil dogs bark at, charge at, and physically touch any which passerby. however, many of them do. that is not within your control. thus it ain't your fault.

thank you very much for answering.

however, not all dog owners act as responsible as you do. and sure, there are some responsible ones. but, keep walking a couple blocks and there's some off leash precious lil dog charging at me.

I wanted to be a marine biologist as a kid. I didn't even have the stereotypical fantasies of swimming with dolphins and the like; I genuinely wanted to work in a lab, and still do, even if my interests have swung away from living organisms to natural systems and dead things.
The day that I get that lab job - if ever - will be the happiest in my life, but I'm still a long way away.

After flunking out Structural engineer in, it took over five years to get over it

And now I have a profound and pervasive fear of failure

And many times I am pretty lazy

Lazy lazy lazy

But hey whatever

Part of the reason why I wanted to do Structural engineering was because (@the time I thought that it) matched my then undiagnosed autism spectrum symptoms

Another part was humanities and social sciences majors often end up unemployed or working at Starbucks as baristas

But hey

I am too stupid to get a job that matches my autism symptoms

And too socially awkward to work at customer service

And (it does not appear to be) much alternative

And sooner or later I might have to prostitute, panhandle, or recycling cans

And sooner or later might end up homeless

And to think my precious lil "parents" made me start studying for the SAT in third grade and take it in seventh grade

And a "partridge in a pear tree"

Now I fear failure and social rejection