Pay Back Your Student Loans

I can forgive the high school students a little bit.  Every teacher they've ever had has been a college graduate, and thus the mantra students hear from the first day of school is that they must go to college.  If they choose to do something else they're met with the consternation of screwing up the first adult decision they have to make.

College students, though?  They're supposed to be smart enough to figure this stuff out, and to be wise enough to look beyond just their nose:

According to Fidelity’s College Savings & Student Debt study, six in 10 high school students say they won’t be able to afford college without the help of student loans, and more than one-third (36%) don’t know how long it will take to pay them back.

Additionally, the study results reveal 65% of college students taking advantage of the current federal payment pause say they have no idea how they’re going to start repaying their loans once the emergency pause is lifted this fall.

"These findings are not as much a surprise as they are a concern," says Jesse Moore, head of student debt at Fidelity Investments. "This October will be the first time in over three years that most federal borrowers make a student loan payment, and a lot has changed in three years. These people have bought homes, started families, changed jobs and all have felt the impacts of inflation."

They bought homes without considering how they'd afford the homes in addition to their previous debts?  Are you serious?  I don't have a lot of sympathy for such people.

I applied to 4 universities back in the '82-'83 school year.  Two were military academies, two were public universities.  I got accepted into one of the military academies and both of the public universities, but couldn't afford UCLA or Purdue.  Before I got the acceptance documents from West Point, and being financially responsible even at that young age, I considered postponing college for a few years; the plan was to join the military, then get a degree using the GI Bill.  

Some might say that the GI Bill route and West Point both required someone else to pay for my schooling, and that would be correct.  It would also be irrelevant.  In both cases I agreed to work for the government in order to get my education.  There was an agreement, not an abdication of my own responsibility.  I worked within the system, I didn't expect the system to accommodate my whims as those mentioned above have done.

As for the high school students, I encounter too many for whom a community college is beneath them.  It costs a lot to be housed and fed--just ask any parent!--so yes, going off to college is going to be an expensive proposition.  I'm forced to ask:  what are you doing to mitigate this cost?  Anything?

Having a sense of personal responsibility can be a heavy burden in today's society, as we look in awe at those who have no such sense and wonder how they can be so shameless in their sense of entitlement.

After You've Taken One Objective, Advance To The Next

From Students For Fair Admissions, the group that brought the end of affirmative action in higher education:

Were you rejected from West Point?
Or the Naval Academy or the Air Force Academy?

It may be because you’re the wrong race.

Or are you a high school senior and plan to apply to any of these service academies?

Gaining admission to West Point is tough. Not only must an applicant have superior academic accomplishments, one must be in excellent physical shape, and receive an appointment from most often a U.S. senator or member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

But West Point, as well as the Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy, uses an applicant’s race and ethnicity as a factor in admissions. That’s unfair and unconstitutional.

We are Students for Fair Admissions—the membership group that recently won a major Supreme Court victory in our lawsuits against Harvard and the University of North Carolina. You can read our press release about the Supreme Court opinion here.

We are committed to ending these practices at America’s military service academies.  link

The Harvard/UNC ruling specifically exempts the military academies from the prohibition against affirmative action.

Which Way Is Cambodia's New Leader Going To Go?

Cambodia doesn't have a long history of peaceful democratic-style government, will their new leader offer a new start?

Hun Sen has been Cambodia’s autocratic prime minister for nearly four decades, during which the opposition has been stifled and the country has grown increasingly close to China.

With his Cambodian People’s Party virtually guaranteed another landslide victory in this Sunday’s election, it’s hard to imagine dramatic change on the horizon. But the 70-year-old former communist Khmer Rouge fighter and Asia's longest-serving leader says he is ready to hand the premiership to his oldest son, Hun Manet, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point who heads the country's army...

Many in the crowd spoke of Hun Manet's education — his bachelor's at West Point being followed by a master's at New York University and a doctorate in economics from Britain's Bristol University.

His background has given rise to hope from some in the West that he might bring political change, but it will still take work to regain influence in the Southeast Asian country of 16.5 million, given China's strategic and economic importance, said John Bradford, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

“A Cambodia led by Hun Manet might very well be a stronger U.S. ally, but the U.S.-Cambodia relationship can only thrive if it is built on strong fundamentals of common benefit and mutual respect,” Bradford said. “U.S. diplomats should focus on these things.”

Let's hope for positive change.

How The Mess Hall Feeds Over 4000 West Point Cadets

Pay Your Own Damn Debts

There is no logic at all behind the "pay off my student loans for me" argument, especially since I have no doubt that there is significant overlap between the "I didn't understand what I was getting into when I took out loans as an adult and now can't pay off my debts" crowd and the "12-year olds are mature enough to decide what sex they want to be" crowd.

You'd think FoxNews would be the last place you'd hear sympathy for the "pay off my loans for me" crowd, but you'd be wrong:

The U.S. Supreme Court has struck down the Biden administration's $400 billion student loan bailout in response to a legal challenge by Job Creators Network Foundation. This ruling sets the stage for long-overdue bipartisan action to address the underlying reason for this debt crisis: unaccountable colleges that have raised tuition by more than double the inflation rate over the last generation...

Broader reforms such as requiring colleges to take over some responsibility for making student loans will incentivize them to ensure students don't take on too much debt and graduate with skills to succeed. Talk about a win-win.

Win-win?  Uh, no. 

Universities are not job training sites, they're institutions of higher learning.  No one is going to make a lot of money with a degree in Medieval Uzbeki Film Studies, but if someone wants to study it and a university is capable of teaching it, why not?  

There are plenty of degrees out there that don't lead to many high-paying jobs, Aggrieved Victim Studies being one such field.  Still, that doesn't mean that the courses shouldn't be offered if they're academically rigorous and someone wants to take them.  It's not a university's place to determine what any individual might earn or to say "no, you can't afford that course/major."

Yes, tuition has increased much faster than inflation over the last couple decades.  But let's be honest, a good part of that happens at public universities--in other words, government institutions.  And who do most people get student loans from?  Government!  Notice a similarity there?

Perhaps government should get out of the student loan business, and put lending money back in the hands of institutions that know about lending money.  If that means a poor black kid can't get a loan to go to USC to study art, well, a poor white kid won't be able to get a loan to go to USC to study art, either!  No one has a right to go to USC, any more than they have a right to fly first class or a right to own a Tesla.  I have to believe that my proposed policy would exert a downward pressure on tuition, as I can't see at all how it could possibly be inflationary.

I do think that incoming students should better understand loans and interest, and should probably have some idea of how much they'll earn to determine how much they'll be able to pay.  I can't understand how any adult could take out such loans without that information, but apparently many have done so!

Under the status quo, where the federal government backs all student loans, there's little check on such college profligacy. Yet smart reforms can reverse runaway college tuition and spending.  

Recent legislation introduced by Senate Republicans helps get to the root of the problem by imposing student loan transparency and eliminating inflationary Graduate PLUS loans, but more needs to be done.

That seems far more reasonable than holding colleges and universities "accountable" for loans they aren't even making:

Biden can’t forgive student loan debt, so it’s time for Congress to hold colleges accountable

What, exactly, are they to be held accountable for?  Why aren't the adults who took out the loans held accountable?

Let's now take a trip to the other side of the media's ideological spectrum, to CNN:

For my whole adult life, debt and financial hardship has dictated my path, first through a cycle of generational poverty and now in the form of student debt. With Friday’s Supreme Court decision, it looks as if I have many years ahead of student loan repayment. It could take, quite literally, the rest of my working life before my student loans are paid off. 

Why did you assume such loans?  Why is it my responsibility, along with the 2/3 of Americans who don't even have a degree, to pay off loans that you voluntary took out?  There is no logic in such an appeal, only emotion--which is what most leftie arguments are based on.  Note the title of this article:

Opinion: It’s hard to break free of generational poverty. The Supreme Court just made it harder

Why is it the Supreme Court's responsibility to make your life easier?  Answer:  it's not.  It's their job to determine what is constitutional and lawful, regardless of who the decision helps or hurts.

 

The author, Rachel, opens with her family story and about how she got loans to enter college.  She made some poor choices (imnsho) and didn't understand financial aid, but she made good economic decisions once she graduated, right?

After college, I took a position as a teacher at a non-profit preschool in my community, where I was employed for the first decade of my working life. I then got a job as a classroom teacher and eventually moved into the role of studio arts teacher at the same school.

The school where I worked was an incredible community of dedicated and innovative educators, hardworking, curious children and committed families. I felt lucky to be working with them. As a community, we came together to problem-solve around societal issues like the abysmally low pay for teachers, the lack of government support for early childhood education and insufficient health care options for school staff.

Attitudes about early childhood education are such that most workers in the field know they will never be paid what they truly deserve.

So she took on debt she didn't understand (but should have), and instead of prioritizing paying off that debt, she went to work in a "non-profit preschool" knowing about the low pay.  Sorry, Rachel, you can follow your bliss, but you're not entitled to do so on my dime.

The rest of her article is in the same vein--no logic or principle to what she says, just "pay off my loans so I can envision a better financial future for myself in spite of my choices".  I'm not as hard-hearted as I sound, I do have sympathy for her plight, but I don't accept any moral or financial responsibility for that plight.

Let me share with you my own experience from 40 years ago.  I was estranged from my mother, and my dad made just enough to support his family but not enough to put me through college even at the relative bargain it was compared to today.  I was accepted into three of the four schools I applied to (I never received a nomination to the Air Force Academy), but in 1983 there were no scholarships for a poor, smart, white kid.  I was arrogant and hadn't even applied for an ROTC scholarship.  I had to give up on UCLA and Purdue.  West Point offered me early admission in November but I turned it down because it was my last choice and I was still counting on Air Force; come March, West Point was the only school I had any chance of attending.  Doors were closing fast in the spring and I ended up with only 2 options:  either West Point offers me regular admission, or I enlist in the Army and go to school later on the GI Bill.  It was a big day, in Mrs. Gordon's 4th period class, when I got a note from the office:  "Call home, thick envelope from West Point."

As you can see, I made some bad decisions, too.  But nowhere in those decisions was there a thought that someone owed me anything I hadn't earned, I made plans that would allow me to get an education despite my financial situation.  Of course, no one should have to join the military in order to go to college, but it's certainly one option.  Going to a community college would be another.  Getting a job that has higher education benefits (a la Starbucks and the University of Arizona) is another.  My point is this:  take responsibility for yourself.  Make good decisions.  Accept the consequences of your actions.

Mine is the dad-like, toughlove approach that conservatives tend to favor.  Anyone want to guess Rachel's political leanings?

Giving Up The 'Bone

Army football is giving up the option offense, a scheme the service academies have used since the 80s:

Over Christmas break, Monken instructed his position coaches to phone their players and tell them something they would have considered unfathomable when they were recruited here. The Black Knights would relinquish the flexbone triple option, a scheme detractors consider archaic and one that rarely features downfield passing to control the clock and limit opposing offensive possessions. Army, Navy and Air Force all held on to a version of the system as a way to cope with the rigors of recruiting against schools that did not require its graduates to complete at least four years of military service after graduation or wake up at ungodly hours in the morning to march in formation.

Army was unsuccessful without the option in the early 2000's but went back to it, but now is giving up the option because of an NCAA rules change:

But two days before its 2022 spring game, an NCAA ruling forced the Black Knights’ hand.

Monken found out via email that the organization’s playing rules oversight panel approved a proposal banning players from blocking below the waist outside the tackle box, allowing only lineman and stationary backs to do so inside the box on their initial blocking movement. The panel cited player safety as a reason, but Monken wonders whether that was the real reason and says tackles below the waist are much more dangerous that blocks, and there’s no way you’d outlaw them.

“People don’t want to have to defend it,” Monken says. “They don’t want to have to teach the cut block. It eliminates having to teach that fundamental skill. It eliminates them having to defend the offense because it’s going to be really difficult to run this offense the way we ran it without being able to block below the waist and those linebackers in the box that are screaming to the perimeter that you can’t cut-block anymore.” 

Would this rule have changed if Texas, Georgia, Clemson and Ohio State ran the flexbone? It’s doubtful college football’s biggest fish would have been O.K. with that, but the rule affects only a small percentage of FBS’s 133 schools.

Monken says he was surprised at how much the new rules limited the offense.

“You can’t use a tackle and loop them and cut [defenders],” Monken says. “You can’t run the fullback out of the back field and cut. You can’t use the slot back and load them and cut them. All those blocks were effective from keeping the linebackers from getting out there, and everything we do is full flow under center.”

Monken had to go back to the drawing board....

Army changed to the wishbone offense in the 1984 season, and in one season went from a 2-9 team to an 8-3-1 team.  I hope this current change is as productive and that this season we get to hear, so many times, the two prettiest words in the English language,  TOUCHDOWN ARMY!

Veteran Apprenticeship Programs

Two West Point classmates who made it to Congress – one Republican and one Democrat – are teaming up on a bill aimed at expanding opportunities for veterans to pursue non-college educational opportunities with their GI Bill benefits. 

Reps. John James, R-Mich., and Pat Ryan, D-N.Y., are leading the legislation, which would target pre-apprenticeship programs that aren't currently covered for those leaving the service. Those programs can help veterans get skills they need for formal apprenticeships that can lead to good-paying jobs. 

"What this bill does is, it helps on the very ground level to help with housing, to help with tuition, to make it more affordable for veterans to have a smooth dovetail into apprenticeship programs," James said in an interview with Fox News. 

"This expands the options for vets who may say, I don't need to go to college," Ryan added. "This lets them use the benefits they've earned to do that."

link

Stanley Cup and West Point

Interesting news from the Alma Mater:

Two teams are left standing at the pinnacle of success, ready to battle it out for the most coveted trophy in ice hockey—the Stanley Cup. As the Stanley Cup Finals approach, hockey fans around the world eagerly anticipate the clash between the Florida Panthers and the Vegas Golden Knights. Both teams have defied the odds, showcasing their exceptional skill, teamwork, and resilience throughout the playoffs. The good news for West Point NHL fans is we can’t lose, since both teams share a unique connection to the United States Military Academy, adding an extra layer of significance to each teams’ journey to the finals...

The Florida Panthers have a notable link to the United States Military Academy at West Point in their owner, Vinnie Viola ’77...

The Vegas Golden Knights also have a unique West Point connection through their owner Bill Foley ’67...

As these two teams battle for hockey’s ultimate prize, the West Point bond serves as a reminder of the enduring values that drive excellence in sports and beyond. And let us note—Navy isn’t writing this article. Go Army!

West Point's Graduation Speaker

When I graduated from West Point 36 years ago, our graduation speaker was the retiring Chief of Staff of the Army, General Wickham.  I'm sure I'm not alone in failing to remember a single word of the wisdom he shared with us.

This year's graduation speaker will be Kamala Harris.  Given her demonstrated public speaking abilities, I'm sure every graduating cadet, as well as every family member in the audience, will have their phones out while she speaks in order to have their very own, personalized copy of whatever she says that will become that day's meme and set YouTube on fire.

Congratulations, Class of 2023!

I have to believe that the superintendent, a 3-star general, was demonstrating that discretion is the better part of valor when he published this sentiment:

"We are honored to have the Vice President as our commencement speaker," West Point's superintendent, Lt. Gen. Steven W. Gilland, said in a statement provided by the White House. "As an accomplished leader who has achieved significant milestones throughout her career, we look forward to her inspiring remarks to our cadets."

President Reagan was slated to be our class' speaker, but then some scheduling conflict arose.  If I remember correctly, we were actually surveyed to find out if we'd be ok with graduating a day or two earlier or later (probably later), but given all the travel plans and hotel reservations that would have to have been changed by our families, our graduation day was kept as scheduled and General Wickham spoke.

The Coronation (part 2)

I did in fact get up at 2 a.m. to watch King Charles' coronation, and as expected, the British didn't disappoint with ceremony and pageantry.  I was struck by 3 words that were repeated throughout the service:  law, justice, and mercy.

Those few times Charles himself spoke, I noticed that he pronounced "serve" as "sehrve", just as Mrs. Hughes did on Downton Abbey.  :-)

After the coronation itself there was a large parade of UK and commonwealth soldiers, sailors, and airmen.  The news people kept repeating the phrase "4000 troops" as if to emphasize how big this parade was.  Clearly they've never been to West Point, where a parade of the Corps of Cadets has about 4000 troops and happens all the time!

Speaking of news people, perhaps for the next coronation they'll shut up for a bit.  Gawd, they just kept talking and talking, let us watch the ceremony and hear what the participants are doing.  I don't need to know each piece of trivia.  When one would start talking I'd switch to a different network, and would stay there until their talking heads started talking, at which time I'd switch to another.  I was tuned in to watch the ceremony, not to listen to them.

One of the things I enjoy about the pageantry is the uniforms.  Being a former soldier I love the uniforms, and there were so many different types on display today!  But the best-dressed person there wasn't wearing a uniform.  OK, I just have to say it.  I don't usually care what types of suits and dresses people wear, but the Princess of Wales looked awesome in her Britannia-themed attire.  Sure, Princes William and Andrew and Princess Anne looked resplendent in their robes and uniforms, but that red, white, and blue outfit of Princess Catherine's was darned impressive.

OK, it's almost 7 a.m. and I've been up for 5 hours.  I'm going to go get a couple hours more sleep now....

2023 Thayer Award Winner

From Wikipedia, the fount of all knowledge and wisdom:

The Sylvanus Thayer Award is an honor given annually by the United States Military Academy at West Point to an individual whose character and accomplishments exemplifies the motto of West Point. The award is named after the 'Father of the Military Academy,' Colonel Sylvanus Thayer. The awardee is selected by, and the award is endowed by, a committee formed from the West Point Association of Graduates. It has been awarded annually since 1958 and is the closest recognition West Point has to granting an honorary degree. 

That leads us to an announcement in the most recent issue of the alumni magazine:

WPAOG is pleased to announce that the Honorable Elizabeth Dole, who has spent nearly six decades of her life serving the public in both the executive and legislative branches at the federal level as well as leading both national and international non-profit organizations, will receive the 2023 Sylvanus Thayer Award.  The award will be presented on September 21, 2023, during ceremonies hosted by Lieutenant General Steven W. Gilland, Class of 1990, 61st Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Another Army Football Player Goes To The Pros

I am against this policy that lets academy athletes play professional sports instead of serving as lieutenants, but then again, no one asked for my opinion when crafting that policy.  Looks like at least one Army football player from this year's class will be in the NFL, perhaps more:

Army linebacker Andre Carter II went undrafted but ended up signing a free agent deal with the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday night.

The edge rusher did not have his name called through seven rounds and 259 selections in the three-day NFL Draft, hosted in Kansas City. Touted by some as a late first-round or second-round choice, Carter signed a free agent deal with the Vikings within an hour of the draft's conclusion...

Army has five other NFL-eligible players, some of whom may get signed as free agents in the coming days: defensive back Marquel Broughton; defensive lineman Kwabena Bonsu; defensive wide receiver Braheam Murphy; cornerback Isaiah Morris; and, running back Maurice Bellan. Carter and his teammates participated in a Pro Day at West Point on March 16, when 32 NFL scouts from 27 teams were on hand.

Army has four active NFL players, all of whom were undrafted free agents: Seahawks linebacker Jon Rhattigan; Chiefs linebacker Cole Christiansen; Steelers defensive back Elijah Riley; and, Eagles offensive lineman Brett Roth.

Cool Recruiting Letter

Sure, I'll post it.

AN OPEN LETTER TO HIGH-ACHIEVING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

July 6, 2017

|

West Point Admissions

 

Dear High-Achieving High School Students,

 

Hi. My name is West Point. I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself, because my name often gets lost among the myriad of colleges vying for your affection and tuition. Ivy Leagues like Harvard, Yale and Stanford; Public schools like Alabama, Clemson and Penn State. These are all great schools, and no matter where you end up, if you’re willing to work hard, you’ll go far. But before you make your final decision, I’d suggest you add one more name to the list.

 

Mine.

 

It’s true, I’m not an Ivy League. But I consistently rank among the nation’s top colleges, and to be frank, I’m even more selective than the Ivies. In addition to being academically competitive, qualified applicants must be physically fit, have leadership experience, acquire a congressional nomination and pass a rigorous medical exam just to be considered for admission. So if you’re into history, prestige, academic rigor and competitiveness, then I’ve got what you’re looking for.

 

If you’re attracted to State Schools, then you’re in luck. I’m a state school, only my state is the entire United States. Of America. Our traditions and school spirit rivals any public school in the nation.  We’ve got dozens of NCAA Division I athletic teams, and the fiercest rivalry in college sports (Go Army. Beat Navy.). Beyond that, my Long Gray Line of graduates includes presidents, generals, governors, astronauts, CEOs, and captains of industry. As members of that close-knit circle of people, my students are instantly connected to the countless numbers of graduates who are shaping our nation’s future.

 

It’s possible that you heard about me in your history class. (My location was kind of a big deal during the Revolutionary War. A couple of guys—George Washington and Thomas Jefferson—scouted me out as an essential defensive position against the British.) Yes I’m a military school and yes my students wear uniforms. So I understand that some people might assume I’m uptight or stuffy. I get that a lot.

 

But I promise you this: look beyond the brass, the buttons, and the saluting, and you’ll be amazed.

 

For starters, my campus looks like Hogwarts, only nothing about me is make believe. My facilities are world-class and my students are on the forefront of cyber technology, international politics, and engineering. They travel the world—not just to Snapchat from Paris, but to study, meet with foreign Ambassadors, become fluent in other languages, or to train with counterparts in other nations. Defense Against the Dark Arts? Yeah. We teach that. My students jump out of planes, shoot targets, climb ropes, forge through rivers, build bridges, explode things, and they have fun while they’re doing it.

 

All kidding aside, what happens here may look like magic, but it’s a product of more than two hundred years of excellence. I’ve been around since 1802, and I was built specifically for people who want to get the most out of life and be the best they can be. People like you.

 

No one who comes to me leaves the same as when they arrived. While most colleges exist to convince their students that they’re already the best—I do things differently. I help America’s best students achieve more than they could imagine; I exist to make them better. Around my campus, being better means being a better leader. To me, leadership means putting yourself last and others first.

 

I know, this isn’t what most people teach about leadership, but like I said, I do things differently.

 

No, I’m not what you would call a “normal” school. But what is “normal” anyway? And who wants “normal” when you can have exceptional?

 

When it comes to tuition, my price is steep, but I won’t cost a penny of your money. Tuition here is fully funded—that means free room, board, full medical and dental, and I pay a monthly salary to my students too. But I require a lot in return: I require mental toughness. I require students to reach their physical limits, and then go a step more. I require dedication, determination, and selfless service. And in exchange for all this—a free education and priceless leadership training—my students serve for five years in a career that matters, as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army.

 

I know that you have a lot of options for where to go to college. And no matter where you go, if you’re destined to be a leader, you will find a way to be one. I know that’s true.

I also know that I may not be the one for you. And that’s okay if that’s the case. But I would hate for you to miss out on a chance of a lifetime, simply because you didn’t take a second look. So before you decide—before your life changes forever—consider adding my name to your list of options.

 

What do you have to lose?

 

 

Very Respectfully,

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point

In Defense of a Broad Liberal Arts Education

Too many people today consider universities to be employment training grounds (in addition to 4-year resorts, of course), but I'm still of the belief that a university education should open your mind, broaden the scope of your thoughts:

The ideas you encounter, consider, and adopt shape the kind of person you become. Liberal education is not about helping you sound impressive at snooty parties. It’s about you becoming a particular kind of person: reflective, analytical, and capable of sound evaluation and sound judgment. To this end, college means a few years marinating in the best that has ever been thought and written by the greatest minds our species has produced...

As Russell Roberts points out in his excellent book How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life, the story’s endurance suggests that it addresses transcendent questions about what it means to live well. That we’re still reading it suggests we don’t have a perfect answer. Furthermore, reading the classics helps us see how our original questions, new insights, and unique issues … aren’t. The existential questions that seem so unique to our day and age are questions people have wrestled with for millennia. There is nothing new under the sun...

It is said that you are the average of the five people with whom you spend the most time, so we need to choose wisely. In the English Standard Version, 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.’” The New International Version says, “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’” The King James Version puts it this way: “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” You’re reading Plutarch, Dostoevsky, Eliot, and Shakespeare not because they will teach you specific technical skills useful for the job someday, but because they’re good company—the kind of company that will come to your aid and offer wise counsel every time you have an important decision to make.

It's not just the reading, either, although in required classes at West Point we read Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, Kant, Mill, and even Marx.

It was a lot of work, up to 21 units per semester, but I'm very grateful for the broad education I received at West Point.  Not just math, history, and literature, but engineering, philosophy, sociology, and sciences.  Our education was designed to give us a wide view so that we would better be able to adapt to different environments.  I have found it useful more times than I can remember.

Sic Semper Thieves

I still believe in West Point's honor code regarding lying, cheating, and stealing.  All three are equally bad, but I think stealing is more equal than the others.  The guy who made this video doesn't like stealing much:

He might be my new hero.

It Can't Start Any More Even Than This

 

Beat Navy!

Update:  I don't know that I've ever seen a worse half of Army football, at least as far as offense goes.  Only 33 total yards, one first down, and less than 8 minutes of possession.  Remarkably, defense has held Navy to 3 points, and a blocked punt by special teams resulted in an Army touchdown.  So, defense and special teams showed up for this game, where is the offense?  At halftime it's Army 7, Navy 3.

Update #2:  It was a squeaker.  Army tied it 10-10 in regulation inside of 2 minutes, taking the game to overtime.  Army's first play from scrimmage was a touchdown, and Navy answered with their first completed pass of the game for a touchdown.  Navy got the ball first in 2OT and the Army defense caused a fumble at the goal line.  Army played it safe for their possession and won with a field goal.

Army didn't score an offensive touchdown in regulation but still won the game 20-17 in 2OT.  I'd rather win ugly than lose pretty, and that was as ugly as I can recall seeing Army's offense play.

Here's what ESPN shows, and take my word for it, as bad as it looks, it looked a lot worse for Army at the end of the first half.

Beat Navy!

Another Sad Day For Me

When I was young and a celebrity died, I often wondered why people got so upset.  After all, they didn't really know this person, why get bent out of shape over their passing?

When Tom Petty died five years ago I understood, writing this in my memorial blog post, "Petty's music brought me a lot of joy in life, and did so over several decades.  I'm sorry to see him go." 

I followed two groups religiously when I was in high school, Tom Petty and Fleetwood Mac, and today I got word that Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac has died.  I "believe in the five", but the five are no more.

You Make Lovin' Fun was my favorite song of hers.  I got to see her at the end of my freshman year at West Point, when she performed at Eisenhower Hall on a tour promoting her solo album, and again when I saw Fleetwood Mac in 2014.  Her music brought me a lot of joy in life, and did so over several decades.  I'm sorry to see her go.

A Good Weekend

Except for the last Army drive, with less than 2 minutes to go, ending in an interception--and the subsequent 13-7 loss--it was a great 35th class reunion.  I got to see people I knew and share fun memories, that's always nice.  One classmate shared a flattering memory of me--it's good that he remembered it because I sure don't!  Of all the roommates I had at West Point over 4 years, more than half of them were there.

I was able to get decent video of the national anthem followed by the fly-over, and the pilots and crews of the aircraft were introduced inside the stadium in the 3rd quarter and thus got to see the rest of the game from ground level :-)  I saw my former student up on the Jumbotron when all the pilots were welcomed into the stadium during the 3rd quarter, but there's no way I could've gotten over there to say hello before he'd have moved to a seat.  I'm sure his mother told him I was there.

I'm very not happy with the Army Athletics ticket office.  My class had a section in the stadium reserved for us and I paid over $100 for the game ticket, and we were stuck behind the north end zone.  Geez, after 35 years and a lot of money you'd think we'd get better seats than that!  There was an upper deck overhang above my seat such that I couldn't see the open dome from my seat, and neither could I see if a kick was any good unless the ball barely inched over the cross bar of the goal post--I went and sat closer to the front of the section, with friends, so that I would have a somewhat better view of things.

My classmates who organized and planned the reunion did a spectacular job.  I'm very impressed with how smoothly the reunion went.  I don't know if I'll go to another one any time soon, but I'm glad I went to this one.

Our Country We Strengthen.  '87.

Go Army, Beat Air Force!

You can follow the stats here.  I'm at the game, having posted this in advance :-)

Last year members of my class had such a good time at the game that we voted to center our 35th reunion around the game this year.

35 years.  Holy crap.

It'll Be An Early Day Tomorrow and Saturday

This morning I received a text message from the mother of a former student.  This student graduated from our school in 2011 and four years later from the Air Force Academy.  He is currently a fighter pilot.  Anyway, here's the text of the message:

Hi Darren!  Wanted to let you know--this Saturday is the AF/Army game (televised on CBS).  <name redacted!> will be flying the F-35 for the flyover.

My reply was simple:

I'll wave from inside the stadium :-)

Yes, I'm taking tomorrow off work to fly to Texas for the Army-Air Force game.  My class is having our 35th reunion this weekend, centering on the game.  Sadly, I'm not as confident in our chances of victory this year as I was last year, but I still expect to have plenty of opportunities to hear the two sweetest words in the English language:  TOUCHDOWN, ARMY!

Kickoff is at 11:30 Eastern, 8:30 Pacific.  Physically I'll be in the Central Time Zone but my body will still be on Pacific Time.  At least I'll get an extra hour of sleep Saturday night when we change the clocks back.