Die for your Country Metal frEEk !

[lonewolf]

There was a time when most of you were still swimming around in your daddy's nutsack, that most young men would have appreciated the freedom to walk away from a military recruiter. Instead, they got to play in a lottery. Everybody got lottery tickets, and the "lucky" winners had their choice of induction, prison or Canada.

1970 "recruiter": "What's that you said? You have a what? A gig? next Saturday? Recruit, there's a war on, now you get on that bus and get your ass down to Parris Island pdq or it will be in a sling."

Compared to then, 2005 America is Utopia.

[lonewolf]

Psychology has never and will never be a science. Even in the most successful result, there is no scientific ending or completely understood beginning. It’s a lot of guessing and theorizing, really.

I don't see how it's guessing. It follows the scientific method with the intent of producing results that can be empirically verified. Obviously some branches are psuedo-science (anything that comes out of Anthony Robbin's mouth) or proto-science (psycho-analysis). Neurology and behaviorism are definatley true sciences.

I think what Bert has in mind is that its not an exact science. Everything is based on statistical correlation and very rarely, if ever, is any theory 100% proven by the results. More than anything, psychology is an application of mathematical statistical analysis where perception & behaviour can be predicted to a certain extent. As an engineer, I kind of view it as human quality control with bell curves & std deviation, etc.

[Bert|Evil]

Psychology has never and will never be a science. Even in the most successful result, there is no scientific ending or completely understood beginning. It’s a lot of guessing and theorizing, really.

I don't see how it's guessing. It follows the scientific method with the intent of producing results that can be empirically verified. Obviously some branches are psuedo-science (anything that comes out of Anthony Robbin's mouth) or proto-science (psycho-analysis). Neurology and behaviorism are definatley true sciences.

I think what Bert has in mind is that its not an exact science. Everything is based on statistical correlation and very rarely, if ever, is any theory 100% proven by the results. More than anything, psychology is an application of mathematical statistical analysis where perception & behaviour can be predicted to a certain extent. As an engineer, I kind of view it as human quality control with bell curves & std deviation, etc.

You’re right!! I use it in that way. However, you’ll never hear me say, “now, that’s an exact science” or “the nape of my neck”. In the last 10 years or so, words like “experimental” and “theoretical” started to appear in the definition of the word “science”, perhaps as an attempt for some pedagogies to have some wiggle room, or simply to have room for error.

The study of psychology and medicine is a continuous regiment of guessing, or applying technology to question marks that results in bigger question marks or maybe a bandage to mask issue. Can you give me an example of when a cure was developed in psychology that solved a problem without creating another? When you last went to the doctor and said, ”my _____ hurts”, he either scratched his head in an attempt to muster a solution or referred you to a specialist on the matter who will scratch his head, as well. Ultimately, were at the mercy of that person’s schooling, which is less scientific than the ways that our cars are fixed.

[Bert|Evil]

[ Neurology and behaviorism are definatley true sciences.

I’d argue both, but I definitely can’t see behaviorism as a science!

Life is a meritocracy… get used to it!

I disagree with the claim that life is a meritocracy due to the reasons I already stated in my nepotism rant from last week. I think that America should be more of a meritocracy than what it is. I still think that the cream will eventually rise to the top, but I wish we could hasten the process.

…which is exactly why you’re going to school… to get that piece of paper and reference it of a resume!! You’re in the process of joining a meritocracy, if you haven’t already.

When was Rambo III released?

1988 according to the IMDB. First Blood II is still my favorite from the trilogy.

Yes, that’s about a year after Al Gore found humor in Ollie North’s $60 K security system. Yes, it certainly is interesting how history unfolds. On a side note, Fawn Hall still gives me wood!

[Bert|Evil]

On a somewhat related issue, did any of you hear that the Army released the records of Jimi Hendrix. As it turns out, he didn't injure himself parachuting. He told his superiors on a daily basis that he had a "thing" for his bunkmates, and was eventually released.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,164231,00.html

[bassist_25]

…which is exactly why you’re going to school… to get that piece of paper and reference it of a resume!! You’re in the process of joining a meritocracy, if you haven’t already.

I'll try not to be redundant, but I'm earning the piece of paper to compete in a market that often times rewards peope not because of what they are but because of who they are. As I stated previously, I have it tougher than some people because I actually do have to rely on my skills, talent and hard work. I have a cousin who is studying the same thing that I am. He's a bright kid: I won't take that away from him. But his father is a magistrate. When searching for a job, he'll never have to work as hard as I will because he comes from an affluent family. I'm not bitching about that; I've accepted it. But I'm just stating a fact of reality. Life's a meritocracy if you're inventing the next great piece of technology, but it's not always when you're simply looking for a job. Avilable positions are based on supply and demand, not pure ability. That's why a brilliant Jazz guitarist who holds an MA from Berklee will probaly never see the same financial reward as a three chord Pop-Punk band.

[Bert|Evil]

…which is exactly why you’re going to school… to get that piece of paper and reference it of a resume!! You’re in the process of joining a meritocracy, if you haven’t already.

I'll try not to be redundant, but I'm earning the piece of paper to compete in a market that often times rewards peope not because of what they are but because of who they are. As I stated previously, I have it tougher than some people because I actually do have to rely on my skills, talent and hard work. I have a cousin who is studying the same thing that I am. He's a bright kid: I won't take that away from him. But his father is a magistrate. When searching for a job, he'll never have to work as hard as I will because he comes from an affluent family. I'm not bitching about that; I've accepted it. But I'm just stating a fact of reality. Life's a meritocracy if you're inventing the next great piece of technology, but it's not always when you're simply looking for a job. Avilable positions are based on supply and demand, not pure ability. That's why a brilliant Jazz guitarist who holds an MA from Berklee will probaly never see the same financial reward as a three chord Pop-Punk band.

I just had a chat with someone “back home” about some recent higher scale nepotism, and I couldn’t help but think about what you’ve been saying. A Cambria County school district, to which I will keep nameless, sought to hire three new teachers about three years ago who just happened to be related to the board of directors. Knowing that the taxpayers would flip out, they made a point to hire these three teachers on the same day with the rationale that “we’ll hear much less complaining if we hire them on the same day”. Sure enough, approximately 2.5 years later, the locals learned to shut up about it UNTIL the Superintendent’s son got in trouble with the law AGAIN, who happens to be one of the three teachers mentioned earlier.

Is this right? Hell no! Especially, when you consider that the teacher/ son was never disciplined or fired. They say that school teachers in PA are screwed if they have a drinking offense on their record before or after they’ve achieved certification, but this example dismisses that (because you have two before certification and one after). Worse yet, I know that they turned much better applicants away when they pulled of the heavy nepotism.

[bassist_25]

That's been exactly my point all along.

I came from a small high school, and nepotism runs rampant there (with both the students and faculty).

I assume that more densely populated areas don't have the same nepotism/politics problems as small towns. Am I correct?

[Bert|Evil]

That's been exactly my point all along.

I came from a small high school, and nepotism runs rampant there (with both the students and faculty).

I assume that more densely populated areas don't have the same nepotism/politics problems as small towns. Am I correct?

Interestingly enough, when I went to this school, there were probably 5 to 10 teachers with the same last name. And, have you noticed that there are “good names” and “bad names” in some areas? I was involved in a court case last year in one of PA’s extremely rural counties, and an attorney said to me:
“you don’t have any relatives out this way do you? Because it will make a difference, trust me! What your relatives are capable of directly impacts your credibility”.

So, any county in PA could look up information on me, but this court will settle on my last name? It wasn’t a big deal, as the name issue wasn’t an issue, but I was amazed at how such an old way of categorizing people is still so abundant in the hinterlands of Western and Central PA.

Yes, when you get to more populated areas, you’ll find that this is next to a non-issue. Perhaps I was alarmed when you said that you need the right last name to get a job at McDonalds.

[bassist_25]

I don't know if I said you couldn't get a job at McDonald's without the right last name. I was turned down for a job at WalMart before though. I was an experienced IT guy before I applied. When I went in for my second interview, they told me that they couldn't get ahold of my references. That could have very well been true. Since they have about a million applications from people wanting to fulfill menial unskilled positions, I guess they aren't going to waste to much time trying to reach my references.

I dodged a bullet there anyways. After a friend told me what my starting pay would be, I laughed my ass off. I was gigging at the time, and I knew I could make more by playing on a weekend than what I'd take home after working at Wally World (and that's not taking gas into consideration). It would have gotten in the way when I started school. I'm definatley not disappointed about not getting hired at WalMart. *LMFAO*

[YankeeRose]

bassist_25, you may not be disappointed you weren't hired at Wally World and I can fully understand the reasoning for that; however, is it possible that you're suffering from "Separation Anxiety", due to the bench being removed?

[bassist_25]

"The Bench" is part of Houtzdale history. Well actually, the original "Bench" that use to sit up by the newspaper office is the bench with all of the history.

I guess that we don't need a bench as long as we have foldable lawn chairs.

Did you see the fight at Houtzdale Days this past Friday? I felt like an episode of Jerry Springer was happening right in front of my eyes.

[YankeeRose]

Ah, so you're paying homage to "the bench". I did some time at Houtzdale Days Thursday night until almost 10, at a table with teenagers. Friday through Sunday it was right outside my front door, but I'd had enough. Every year it's the same thing, an exercise in futility...the fight you saw was probably one of the most entertaining things to hit Houtzdale Days in years...although I did hear real, live rock and roll wafting through the air as I was leaving the one night, possibly Friday, shocking!!! Years ago, I was looking forward to going to a male revue show for a girls' night out with a friend and neighbor. I've never been to one and it was to be at Electric Avenue...well, it was cancelled, because the "local Ministerium" was up in arms about it. STRANGE town..."the bench", being another prime example and yes, have lawn chairs, will loiter!