Zenister

there is always the option that your son has simply developed better masks than you can perceive. The apt student will eventually pass the teacher. I'm not bitter towards my father at all, he is a very large part of who I am, and in many ways 'made me to well'. I grew beyond his expectations faster than he imagined I would when I applied the 'question everything' mentality (one he taught me) even to him, and was perfectly willing to accept the consequences of my actions when he expected me to bow to his will. The reality is more than he did not feel we were equals, that I should remain subservient to his will and POV and did not give me the respect that was my due, but demanded it from me. At that point we parted ways. I dont regret it at all, but I know for fact (from many sources including him) that he does. There were enough events in both of our lives in the time we were not speaking that the confrontation he forced could have easily been the last words we had together. Of the two of us, I'm the only one who still wouldn't change my decision. All actions have consequences, I learned that directly from my father. Self reliance and 'sink or swim' are a few of his maxims. However few are those capable of seeing ALL the consequences and parents can be just as blinded by their 'superior, been there done that' perspective. In respect to my life with my father, he certainly didn't imagine I would chose a path (and its consequence) that he could not have at my age. Parents like to believe they really 'know' their children and what is going on inside their heads and lives, (and your post well illustrates you share that belief) but rarely is it an accurate one. I am in no way judging you or your family situation based on the limited information posted here, I'm simply attempting to offer the perspective that there is ALWAYS more going on than is perceived from the parental POV by using examples from my own life. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

Perhaps you should address this from the otherside. The majority of 'homework' assignments are mere regurgitation of that which (from his test scores) he has already learned. Remember that the school system is designed for the lowest common denominator. Your son sounds (much like me) like he is learning faster than he peers and is bored. (a common problem with bright ADHD kids) Rather than ask him to slave himself to a flawed system see if he teachers will become more adaptable to his needs (and increase what he learns while he plods through a flawed system) by giving him 'homework' assignments that are not regurgitation, but require him to learn something new. I continually got A's in classes were the teachers cared enough to challenge me and C's in the classes were 'regurgitation' remained 50% of the grade (and wasted time that you can never get back) In the end my total GPA suffered, but I learned significantly more than my peers who 'played by the system'. I'll take real knowledge over 'playing the system for a grade' any day. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

I think there is some self delusion going on here. More likely he has learned that there are somethings you simply WILL NOT HEAR, and therefore he will not tell you them, he will wear the mask he knows you will accept, keeping his real thoughts to himself and in doing so, close off a portion of who he really is because he hasn't learned(yet) he doesn't require your support or acceptance. My father knows (far to well I imagine) I will tell him exactly what I think, feel and believe in no uncertain terms on any subject (exactly as he taught me to do to others not expecting it might come back to haunt him) and that 'grandstanding' will not accomplish anything towards real communication. the ugly truth is more reliable than the pretty lie. Parents want to hear (and are more often told) the pretty lie about what is really going on in their children's lives. Grandstanding only encourages the lies and the liars get better at their craft. Its easy to lie to people when you stop caring what they think. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

If you're under 18 then there's nothing wrong with this. I was 17 when I walked out. He drew a line in the sand he wasn't expecting me to cross. I called his bluff. We didnt speak for years, until my aunt (his sister) pushed it. It was the day I became my own man and not the man may father 'wished' me to be. you cant live your child's life for them, nor make or prevent their own mistakes. All you can do it accept that you have done you best and live with the outcomes. My father would have been part of a good deal more of my life if he had trusted me. He broke that trust and will likely never regain what he could have had. I'm more aware of everything I put in my body than most people on the planet. (including my father who didnt quit smoking until i ran circles around him backwards to prove a point) when you resort to 'third party testing' over accepting the word of your blood you have already lost the most important value you could have taught. a few critical points. 'right' is not determined by what society says is 'right' in relation to the decisions made by an individual, it is the internal decision that matters not the external. Drugs that 'help you fit into the nice square hole' are ok, (as long as someone is making money off them) but any other means is unacceptable? The ACT is a joke.. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

please do.. I stole it from another who I'm sure stole it from someone else... its occasionally nice to recognize a 'kindred soul' by the cringe and shiver they have when the bar band kicks into a lame song.. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

well its ok, but it (that song) is not my 'Blues thing' at all.. for me its prime example of the guitar being in the spot light to much, the entire song is built around one riff and its frills that dont really add anything to the song for me. Basic riff is ok but it doesnt go anywhere. I'm much more a fan of the next song on his site 'Drowning Blues' where the guitar is definitely still there, but is 'singing the song' as much as he is. While it also has its 'solo sections' but they link the verses nicely imo and make for a better 'complete song' for me. I'm a huge fan of Albert King ,Gary Moore style blues which he is definitely in, but I prefer my Blues/Rock to be a bit more separated I guess. Kind of what I think Jack is referring to.. the 'Rock Blues' has been done to death alot lately and I can see where its starts to all sound the same. I tend to prefer the stripped down 'Blues' when I want that mood and the more aggressive Rock/Metal when I want something heavier/more lively. Those who blur the line to much (and so stand in the shadow of SRV) dont do so much for me lately.. edit to put Albert King first as he was there first ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

I'd say i've seen more infantry completely screw up a sensitive situation than have handled it well. Every mistake an 11B makes, every 'wrong' door kicked in and every family disrupted creates enemies that we dont want and didnt need to have. Infantry take objectives. Properly Trained Police forces wouldnt have to use the means Infantry does to do the same job, as they assess the situation faster are part of the culture (and so dont make the basic daily mistakes an Infantry man does and will by perceiving everyone as a possible threat to his life), can identify and focus on the real threats immediately. Excessive use of force ALWAYS causes more problems than it solves, and we were excessive in to many places for to long before adapting the 'culturally aware' approach. The damage is done, and it is a deeper wound to repair now than it could have been. I'm not saying Soldiers are not doing the best they can, however they very much lack the real skills and training needed for the actual task in Iraq, and will never have the time or luxury to acquire them. Sure you can use a sword as a hammer, but it is not good for the sword or the object you are trying to build. It is inefficient in both effort required and time invested nor will it ever achieve the refined outcome desired. * note referring specifically to 11 series and other 'warfighting MOS' I'm sure you are very aware there is a distinct difference in the level and intensity of training your basic infantry soldier/officer receives vs that given to a SF/SO soldier in both language, operations and cultural understanding. 'Ad hoc' training just doesnt cut it. Current we have some 200k total forces who are PRIMARILY trained in Warfighting, not in Police actions and the details and understanding given to the more specialized (and less numerous) roles. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

No. Unless Bill was breaking even more rules she was largely unaware of most of the major factors in many of the situations he was briefed on and decisions he had to make. While I cant be entirely certain I'm pretty sure 'First Spouse' does not qualify as 'need to know' in addition there is a great distance between a legislative position and an executive one, arguing for a position is not the same as making a decision. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

I dont know if I agree with that.. i just think there are to many 'rock guitar bluesmen' living in the shadow of SRV Blues as a genre has a lot to offer particularly when you take the guitar out of the spot light and make it part of the song again. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

my father wonders why I didnt talk to him for many years.. this is why.. "my way or the highway, my house my rules." "ok its the highway then, and I wont live in your house any longer." Trust MUST go both ways if it is to mean anything. Drug testing your kids is not trusting them. would you rather have a drug free son who refuses to speak to you at all? Think about it, you cant get yesterday back... what do you want the last conversation you have with him to be about? ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

QFT. America is entirely to uptight about nudity thank god i was raised in Europe where you can see breasts in grocery store (on soap boxes) and shower commercials. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

will second the Dune series (original) and add Gene Wolfe "Book of the New Sun" Series and the completion "Urth of the New Sun" also Susan Cooper's "Dark is Rising Series" (recently a movie no idea how good it was) is excellent and far less preaching than CS Lewis. on the light comedy side Tim Dorsey's 'Serge' (character dont think the series has an official name or i dont know it) Orange Crush, Cadillac Beach and Triggerfish Twist are a few off the top of my head) books are amazingly funny. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

...falls in love.... ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

i've always like the 'misheard' version.. FIVE little girls with Bad intent there is a very real reason why Metallica lost out on their first grammy (who really cares tbh 'Enter Sandman' and the entire album really was shit) to Jethro Tull's Crest of a Knave, and even they (Metallica) knew it was the better album. None of the old Classic Rock bands would pass the American Idle [sic] ' fluff test' it started MTV when image became more important than musical substance. Witness Whitesnake and Coverdale firing the real musicians for pretty boy 'video rock stars' Zen goes to put Broadsword on the Stereo. "Heavy Metal" is and always was as much about attitude and lyrics as much as the mere 'sound'. Much of what passes as Metal today is only Aluminum. It may be Metal but is sure isnt Heavy. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

noticed the same thing... cant seem to make it work again with or without quotes hmm moving it below my colored line worked for some reason.. i guessing there was a background code change ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

think of it this way.. sure you can get just as drunk and enjoy yourself with pale watery beer instead of well crafted microbrews, but why would you if you had the choice? with modern high speed tunnels popping up everywhere in the world why bother with the last generations substitutes? ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

This.. at least it makes no pretense at being 'real' all the others fail because of it. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

Depends on genetics really.. I have a couple of friends with several cats all from the same father years ago. Even those breed with the Persians are LARGE.. 30lb+ (and know how to knock you sideways when you are carrying food to get a dropped bit... i've been mugged before One likes to climb the curtains and 'pounce' on things on floor.. a 30 lb cat 12' over your head in free fall is a scary sight. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

what is the GGLF? ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

no for many reasons 1. I'm far from 'squeaky clean' 2. I'm not electable as I pretty much say exactly what I mean and damn the consequences. Politicians need to prefer the 'pretty lie' over the 'ugly truth' and I've never been that person (much to the detriment of a few relationships) 3. I dont believe in compromise for political reasons as opposed to taking the 'best path' no matter what the short term costs (in lives or money) I'd take the role of Emperor, but never that of President. A real leader should have the ability to say STFU when necessary and not have to suffer fools. We have largely lacked real leaders in my life time. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

while they are doing that perhaps they could refer to the (less taught) portions that explain exactly what the shelf life is of various agents, what conditions are required to maintain that shelf life, and what was Iraq's ability to create/maintain those conditions in the years following Desert Storm??? NBC is no doubt some ugly shit in any form, no question and the means the US trains it soldiers to deal with exposure are little more than holding actions so they can accomplish their mission prior to expiring (a fact often neglected in soldier training) However that said using it as a scare tactic when the the real intelligence estimate indicates that anything they may have had is far past its useful shelf life is simply outright fraud, the shadow of fear raised when the public needs to be frightened into convenient acceptance. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

if there is one thing in regard to military strategy to learned from Iraq then it is that the involvement in Iraq is NOT a police action. That was the perception of the "Rumsfeld doctrine" to occupy a country of 20+Mio with light forces at less than a third of troop strength that is conventionally asked for to establish law and order in country this size. Promptly US military lost control right from the beginning with the widespread looting, sharp rise in common crime, and start of religiously/ethnically motivate crimes. The lawlessness right from the start was quoted by former Al Qaeda people as the one thing that helped them most to establish themselves. So essentially AQ in Iraq owes their existence to the "Rumsfeld doctrine". Apart from AQ the disintegration of public order and safety also led later to the tribe wars, ethnic cleansing, violence against women, and murders of common crime. The idea that you can occupy a country such as Iraq as a matter of a police action has cost huge amounts of lives and will have repercussion for decades to come. Aside from the humanitarian cost it entailed the obviously substandard occupational force is also a violation of basic international law which puts the responsibility of providing for the safety and public order for ordinary people on the occupier - to do what is required within "industry standards". What you are talking about is simply a lack of adequate density on the ground in each region/city , which still doesn't change the fact that the mission in Iraq is more inline with basic law enforcement and tasks common to 'Policing' than it is "Warfighting" The fundamental flaw with expecting 11B's to be able to control any area in Iraq is they simply dont have the training, cultural awareness or language skills to do so properly. Soldiers shouldn't need those skills however they are fundamental to a Police Force. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

not nice, not nice at all to give one these sorts of images... ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

sounds more like an excuse to explain how the dog died from mushroom poisoning ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

I read LTC Yinglings article. IMO, he lacks understanding necessary to successfully lead an army into combat... Willful ignorance? there is a distinct difference between making hard decisions out of military necessity and accepting bad decisions for political appeasement. I'm not sure if speaking the truth as you see it qualifies as 'sucking up' and there are few in the military who are NOT looking to be promoted. One can only hope he avoids the lobotomy. Here is an interview click on access this item (pdf) that illustrates some of his points. Many thing ARE working in Iraq, however the man power required to do them on a large scale has never been present, and it has taken years of the 'wrong approach' (war fighting what the army is trained for) to get to the point where 'more humane' (cultural understanding) approach was applied. Years we created as many new enemies by our methods as the existing ones we captured/removed. ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.