I've Solved the Deficit

[Elok]

Nice. Pay soldiers less so less people sign up so the US military has a shortage of talent. Nice.

What exactly do we need all that "talent" for? I mean, my brother's in the army, and he's talented, but he's doing cyber-warfare stuff. We don't need tons and tons of people doing that. The war in Iraq was flagrantly unnecessary, and the war in Afghanistan failed its stated objective and is now dragging on for ages and accomplishing nothing. Whom are we going to go to war with?

Also, I understand it's mostly the great insurance coverage (his wife is seriously asthmatic) that he loves. I don't discuss his finances with him, but between the insurance and free housing it would seem he's in all-right shape even if the pay isn't spectacular. 'Course, that's anecdotal evidence, but I'm just saying, he's hella talented and he's sticking around for a while.

[Al B. Sure!]

Elok, so you think he gets paid too much and should have his pay reduced?

Pay and VA benefits are two areas of military spending that have no business being reduced.

[Hauldren Collider]

What the **** do you do with all your ****ing time, albie? Play video games? Browse the web for 12 hours a day?

He's self-stimulating the economy through unemployment thereby increasing the size of the job market

[KrazyHorse]

Elok, so you think he gets paid too much and should have his pay reduced?

Pay and VA benefits are two areas of military spending that have no business being reduced.

Continuing to state something doesn't make it true.

If we lower the pay & bennies enough, standards will go down so far that even you might stand a chance of joining.

[Hauldren Collider]

KH, you're mean....

funny but mean.

[Kuciwalker]

"but"?

[DriXnaK]

Damn, you're pretty ****ing harsh KH. I don't think even I was that harsh on him.

[KrazyHorse]

I don't think your "long-term plan" makes any more sense.

[DriXnaK]

Ok, hit me. I'm interested in hearing what you think.

[KrazyHorse]

The thought that you're going to build a career in one area, then turn around and get a PhD in a completely different area is ridiculous. You're already 28 years old. Why the **** do you think you have so much to contribute to biochemistry that it's worthwhile to spend a decade bringing you up to speed when almost all of your useful life as a researcher will already be gone?

[DriXnaK]

Because it interests me and I like having goals that are viewed as unachievable and pointless. Also, it's more for my own needs and satisfaction than because I feel I'm going to find some big discovery that changes humanity. The reality is that I probably won't end up doing it, but the thought of it gives me something big to look forward to. I will probably end up staying in my field and going as far as I can with it. Problem is I'm not someone that ever really wants to retire. I also don't want to stay in the same industry forever. Do you have a better idea?

[KrazyHorse]

Dude, you have no idea how terrible academic research is. You work on small problems that nobody on Earth cares about for years at a time. The entire time you're trying to outpace the one other guy who's busy solving the same problem you are. I got scooped TWICE while doing my doctoral research, and the worst part is, in ten years nobody's going to give a **** about the problems I was trying to solve.

The only people who enjoy research are sociopaths and other emotional dysfunctionals.

[Egbert]

A goal is the reference point to select actions to get closer to that goal. Pointless goals thus lead straight to pointless behaviour. If the goal is unachivable it doesn't really matter what you do because you have no hope of getting there anyway.

[DriXnaK]

My sister is actually finishing up her PhD in international business. I use the word "finishing" loosely since she has been "finishing" it for 5 years now. When I think of getting a PhD in genetic engineering or something I don't think of working in a University like she obviously will be. Honestly, I can probably learn all I want to know about those areas with books that are available to satisfy my needs. I just thought I'd get the PhD as a nice long term challenge and goal. I need things that push me to my limit. Also, this wouldn't have been put into action for at least several years so the reality is that I'd probably end up changing my mind. I have a real emotional and psychological need to take on goals that last for years, so it was natural for me to gravitate towards a PhD in an area that interests me.

Honestly, once I get a job I bet my view on the future will change a lot. Part of my desire to push so hard is because I lost so much time dicking around as a tennis instructor and I kept waiting for the day I could get out.

[Hauldren Collider]

Now I really don't want to get a PhD...and my friends keep telling me grad school is where it's at

As if they know anything about it...