19 MAY 2010 Blog Response: Blog About Whatever

Today, at 3:30pm, I will be getting ready to leave for Fort Dix in Burlington County. I will be staying at the hotel there, and in the morning, I will be taking my physical to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. I'll be waking up at 0400hrs on Thursday morning. This is a big step for me in my life. I still find myself trying to take in the fact that I'm actually doing this. I'm excited beyond belief, but at the same time, more nervous than you can imagine. The only unfortunate part, is that Thursday is only the qualification part of the enlistment. I can't swear in until the 1st of July. They couldn't enlist me now, even if they wanted to because they're so backed up with recruits. My boot-camp date is looking to be around mid-December. That's fine with me, I wouldn't want to be in South Carolina during the summer...way too hot for me! I just hope everything goes well. I really can't wait to see myself in that Marine Corps uniform. I'm still not sure how many years I wish to stay in for. I guess it all depends on how well I like it. I want to at least make Staff Sergeant (E-6) before I retire.

5 MAY 2010 Blog Response: Job-Seeking Skills

I will be enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. By the time I'm 25-years-old, I'm assuming I'll be a Sergeant. The Marine Corps is one of the best options to go for. Along with the training, the disicpline, the leadership, and the motivation, the biggest perk is job security. Once you have a job, nothing is guaranteed that you will keep that job for long. Not in today's world, at least. In the Marine Corps, you're not going anywhere unless you really mess up and do something bad. With the Marine Corps comes a sense of pride, but there's certain skills that are needed to be successful in this job.

1. Listening to others: From the second you enter bootcamp and on, you will always receive orders from someone higher in ranks than you. The key is how well you can listen to nd understand those orders.
2. Becoming actively involved: You won't get anywhere in the Marine Corps if you slack off. Get involved.
3. Taking personal reponsibility: You're going to make mistakes. We all do. However, you have to learn how to take personal reponsibility for your own actions. It shows that you are willing to accept what you did wrong, and are willing to correct it.
4. Maintain emotional control under stress: During boot camp, you'll be away from home for 3 months. Then you'll go to job training, and after that get shipped overseas. You'll also be screamed at by instructors. This can cause a lot of stress. But you have to keep strong. You have to keep your composure, and be able to do the job the very best that you can.
5. Confronting other people: You'll eventually be put in charge of a group of people. They too, will make mistakes. You're going to have to confront them and explain to them what they did wrong. It doesn't always have to be a mean confrontation, but it still needs to be done.
6. Being thorough: A lot of training goes into being a Marine. When explaining something to another, you have to be very straight-forward and very detailed.
7. Enduring long hours: This isn't your average "9 to 5" job. This isn't just enduring long hours. Try enduring long months. Basic training itself is 3 months long. After that you'll be gone for at least 15 months at a time. Patience is key.
8. Motivating others: This is a real key factor. This job is tough. A lot of stress builds up. You need to motivate yourself and others to do the best that they can even when the times get tough.
9. Thinking in a logical manner: You have to be smart when doing what you're doing. There's no room for stupidity in the Marine Corps. Use your head.
10. Recommending courses of action: If something isn't right, look for an alternative. Look at your options and choose what you feel is best suited to get the job done right.

28 APR 2010 Blog Response: Polonius, Hamlet, and Privacy

The boundaries of privacy is a very shaky topic. No one can really say what's right or wrong, because everyone has their own opinion about it. My opinion is, you should only go through privacy if there is a "need to know." If what you are doing is so imporant that it requires some information, then you should have the right to get that information. If not, then you do not have the right to know. If you're suspecting someone of doing something wrong, make sure you look more into it and gather as much information as possible before taking on other measure that involve going through personal belongings and such.