1/21    Remember I was talking about my O'Reilly watching younger brother who
        was thinking of joining the National Guard?  He signed up a couple days
        ago:  Six years active duty, two years reserve, requested duty is
        Infantry.  (Could've signed for less, but he thought, why not?)
        He's shipping out to Ft. Benning March 1.
        I also think Starship Troopers (the book) played a big role in his
        decision.
        \_ Hmm.  Your little brother doesn't sound mature enough to have been
           making decisions like that.
           \_ He also said most of the people there were 18-19 year old
              jittery chain smokers. (not to disagree with you)
              And it was also true he was a lot brighter than the average
              recruit.  He did qualify for pretty much anything on his exams.
              He also said they told him requesting Infantry is rare.
              \_ Yah.  I completely believe that.  As for 18-19 year old, etc,
                 well...that's the best age for the army to get 'em, when
                 they're still young and programmable.
              \_ I know a guy who scored in the 99th percentile on the army
                 intelligence test and requested... infantry.  He said he
                 wanted something to toughen him up.  As luck would have it he
                 spent a year in Hawaii and the last 2 in a quiet corner of
                 Afghanistan.
                 \_ What is it with these guys?  I know somone who did exactly
                    what you described.  He spent four years driving humvees,
                    and standing around guarding stuff in various god forsaken
                    countries...and now he has a JD from a top ten law school.
                    \_ Do they teach you to drive?
                       He can't drive yet, even though he's 26.
                       \_ uhhh...I guess if this is a contest to see who's
                          army infantry friend is more eccentric, I just
                          lost.  Yes, he could drive.
        \_ GOOD. If he gets killed, that's one less Reddie voting.
           \_ You just told someone you hope their little brother gets killed.
              I assume this is some sort of parody.
              \_ Nah, it's just a friendly troll.  I took it in full humor. -op
                 \_ Of course it's a friendly call Dimitri!  Of course I like
                    to call and say hello!
                    \_ sowings, I presume.
                       \_ Hi paolo!
        \_ I wish your brother good luck in his assignments. When he realizes
           that he doesn't want to be another statistic, remind him to take as
           many tests as he can-- the higher rank he gets, the less likely he
           is to end up in a bad place.
           \_ He says if he gets promoted he wants to deserve it -- because
              he may be in charge of people who die.  Under this reasoning,
              he didn't bother to submit proof of college credit for the
              automatic pay grade increase.
        \_ Tell your brother that at least one sodan wishes him the best,
           thanks him for his service, and understands that he's fighting for
           the freedom I enjoy.
           \_ I actually want to tell him his commander-in-chief is a moron,
              and it isn't very noble to die or come back maimed under a
              moron's leadership, even with the best of intentions.
              Instead, I told him his family would support him no matter what.
              I won't tell him what you asked me to tell him, since I think
              he needs to understand the more important point.
              \_ Yes, it's much more important to be a self-absorbed prick
                 trying to 'teach' people 'lessons' then actually conveying
                 a genuine show of support from people.  Btw, I wish him
                 the best also, and thank him for volunteering. -- ilyas
                 \_ What part of me telling him his family would support him
                    no matter what is not conveying a show of support from
                    people?  What part of not telling him my true feelings
                    that he is going in for the wrong reasons is trying
                    to "teach" people "lessons"?  I think you are assuming
                    a lot.  And I think you are much too rash in calling
                    me a self-absorbed prick. -op
                    \_ I think it's the 'I think he needs to understand
                       the more important point' phrasing that set me off.
                       I don't think you are in any position to be
                       teaching this guy anything, certainly not 'life lessons,'
                       but that's my opinion.  -- ilyas
                       \_ ilyas, I think you're much too emotional right
                          now to think clearly.  This is also his problem.
        \_ Here's what I don't understand. If you liberals hate Fox News
           so much, why don't you ask why liberal media anchormen don't
           look as good as say, Sean Hannity and Brit Hume? I mean,
           everytime I think about liberals, I think about this fat guy
           wearing shorts and sandles and baseball cap shouting for
           social reform or green power or something like that.
           \_ What liberal media anchormen are you talking about?
           \_ Because it's not PC to have good-looking people to appear on TV.
        \_ Your brother is a hero.  You should be proud.
           \_ Actually, I'm not proud at all.  I'm more disappointed that
              perhaps I didn't argue with him more.
              Then again he did not relent in shouting down everyone when
              the family was watching the Democratic National Convention
              as much as my mom and I said, "If you don't want to listen, don't
              watch", but he kept on yelling.  Yeah, my mom and I weren't
              saying anything at all -- we just wanted to watch, but that
              wasn't possible.
              And he still thinks there's WMDs, because he knows "how the
              world works", even though I told him everything in the Kay
              and Duelfer report, and the reasons why Saddam wanted to play
              "Yes I have it, but you can't actually prove I do."
        \_ I hope your brother survives, and wakes up.  The whole thing of not
           submitting college credit to forgo the pay increase... He's got a
           misplaced sense of nobility.  I hope he survives and doesn't see
           too much.  And I hope if he does see too much, that the VA can
           actually get itself more funds so they can help him.
           Does he know that O'Reilly didn't serve?