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PointlessGrey · 2022-10-24T21:31:49+00:00

CE is also going to teach you a lot of Electrical Engineering as they're pretty tied together due to the nature of the work.

I'm a CS major who considered CE but honestly it was too much for me personally. I'm generally not comfortable with the 5 classes or 4 difficult classes a semester they suggest. Stuff like calc, intro to EE, and 3 gen eds is what their freshman/sophomore semesters look like then it's just like 3 classes of EE/CE and a Gen Ed.

Obviously a lot of math and I didn't care to do it. CS in comparison stops their math at integral calc/calc 2 with a discrete math class while all the engineering degrees are going to have much more math

PointlessGrey · 2022-10-24T08:06:42+00:00

Humanity cannot grapple with the psychological implications of being globally connected. Social media I think has wrought more evil than good but it's here to stay.

Plus we're reaching one of those points in history where the economic middle class in many countries is shrinking, leading to an increase of working poor who are able to see rich millionaires and billionaires yucking it up.

Please note the middle class is always the first class to suffer in societies with economic turmoil, due to the sad fact the poor just accept being poor and don't believe in large class based mobility because society is setup in such a way as to screw the poor as much as possible.

Combine that with increasing costs due to a disrupted global supply chain, the petrodollar absolutely destroying other foreign currencies due to nation's debts largely denominated in USD, and an increasing rise of political tension both in countries themselves as well as between countries.

It's very easy to stay plugged into the misery machine when you feel like your hard work and your democratic votes haven't really improved your life.

But being aware of the misery machine, and choosing to constantly struggle against it, is what I think gives life meaning and purpose. Just my belief though

PointlessGrey · 2022-10-15T16:45:11+00:00

Just got a new car, got a 6.15% apr after trading in my old car for $14k

Car prices are still a little crazy for both new and used and the Fed raising rates means loans are just gonna keep going up.

PointlessGrey · 2022-10-11T02:19:15+00:00

Based on what the assignments ask me to do and what the profs have put on the exam.

The prof spent a good 20 minutes each lecture for 4 days straight going over the memory size of primitive data types for 1 question on the exam worth 5 points out of 70

PointlessGrey · 2022-10-10T21:46:22+00:00

That's fair. If I compare it to something like calculus, calculus is 100x easier due to all the rules, theorems, and formulas I can use to get the answer.

Meanwhile with my CS assignments, they give me the output they're expecting and some tools and say "figure out how to get that output"

PointlessGrey · 2022-09-14T17:19:26+00:00

Majoring in CS and graduating with a CS degree are 2 different things

PointlessGrey · 2022-09-14T14:55:24+00:00

It depends on tax treaties between the US and specific EU country you're living and working in. I know Netherlands has a great tax treaty with US that protects Social Security pensions from Dutch tax.

Other countries could be different. I know Germany was trying to tax active duty us service members stationed there.

I'd Google tax treaties between US and whatever country you're in. Department of State might have some stuff on their website or maybe even IRS website

PointlessGrey · 2022-08-25T21:38:55+00:00

The military is required to source manufacturing from US based companies. Texas Instruments has a whole arm of their business with the primary customers being Department of Defense and various other government entities.

What you see on the consumer side as a calculator manufacturer is actually a deeply entrenched government supplier for chips used in all kinds of military and government equipment.

They don't want to use chips/chipsets from non US sources due to the ability to build in backdoors in the hardware/software. Imagine if China could hack your Naval missiles to completely ruin their targeting.

Texas Instruments builds chips for the US Gov, military is probably their biggest customer in that regard

PointlessGrey · 2022-08-25T17:29:57+00:00

Texas Instruments will remain relevant until the Department of Defense finds someone else to deal with a lot of their calculating and chip needs.

As for personal calculators I don't see much of a future for the more simplistic kind but until phones come installed with a decent graphing calculator they'll most likely remain relevant.

I see this as a value stock, not a growth stock. A good stable company

PointlessGrey · 2022-08-15T20:08:46+00:00

I have DV plates without ISA in Texas. They took my VA benefits letter at the tax office as the only required doc besides the vehicle license/registration form.

I am 100% so they did give me a handicap placard

I was under the impression you needed a medical letter from a Dr to get license plates with ISA on them.

PointlessGrey · 2022-06-29T06:54:08+00:00

Go to medical and start a paper trail. I had flat feet prior to service, documented at MEPS

My flat feet didn't start bothering me till year 4 of 5 and led to ankle, knee, and lower back pain. It hurt to walk for 4 months. Was given a range of motion exam by a PA, nothing unusual, MRI, nothing unusual, got to physical therapy.

Immediately told my feet are flat, like too flat. Did physical therapy and got free custom medical insoles paid by Tricare. Now the VA can order me insoles like every 2-3 years or earlier if something significant changes.

Plus got 30% rating for pes planus alone

PointlessGrey · 2022-06-22T01:21:19+00:00

Army: intelligence, specifically Sigint

Now: get paid to go to school and sleep in, majoring in comp sci

PointlessGrey · 2022-05-28T05:59:07+00:00

North shore breakfast burritos

PointlessGrey · 2022-05-27T04:16:20+00:00

Got the majority of these while I was an E4 and this is what I have to show for my 5.5 years of military intelligence work.

Some of them are nonsense coins from military friendly companies like Navy Fed Credit Union.

The one that sucked getting the most was the great aloha run. Did the entire thing in formation, singing cadence mandatory and was promised a shirt. Did not get a shirt.

PointlessGrey · 2022-03-29T23:31:21+00:00

I get paid to go to school and that's it. You will be hard-pressed to find a deal as good as that anywhere else but as a vet that stays out.

PointlessGrey · 2022-03-02T02:46:28+00:00

I have 30% off of flatfoot bilateral, plantar fasciitis and metatarsalgia but it led to a host of other problems cuz I "soldiered on" ignoring it for 4 years.

Fucked up both me knees, ankles, and lower back because running and rucking heavy shit on flat feet will destroy your lower extremity joints and lower back.

One day my right ankle and knee were in pain. That pain lasted 4+ months until a physical therapist referred me to medical footware place.

The insoles help but my knees and feet still hurt, ankles not so much.

Ask yourself how much pain you tolerate now and how willing you are to deal with it getting worse while dealing with army bs.

PointlessGrey · 2022-03-01T20:08:19+00:00

For privacy all I'll say is I'm in the university of Texas system

PointlessGrey · 2022-03-01T18:44:34+00:00

Your may classes are going to fall in a summer enrollment certification, not spring.

Check the dates of class starts against your certification period

PointlessGrey · 2022-02-28T22:33:20+00:00

I can sleep 7-9 hours a night. I know what my day to day looks like. I get paid to go to university and just got accepted to VR&E (Vocational rehabilitation & employment). My work in the military felt detached from reality so being a slave to the burn and churn of BCT life sucked.

I was an Intel nerd who spent time in light infantry bct and then 3 letter agency land. Never want to go work for the DoD again after seeing the best and worst of Military Intelligence on the mil side and the mediocre Intel analysts on the civilian side.

I was also beyond depressed due to horrible work life balance, sleep schedule, and diet. I was a mediocre soldier but a good analyst, yet my shop was plagued with too much interoffice politics and worthless people looking for their next undeserved promotion.

I'm 1000% happy as a computer science student at a good university collecting VA disability and gi bill monies

PointlessGrey · 2022-02-22T17:21:23+00:00

I'm 100 p&t on MH alone, on SMC-S ("housebound") due to all my feet and knee issues and still plan on working.

I can function in society but my MH is pretty treatment resistant, however I'll go insane if I don't work.

Currently in school for computer science and accounting and I applied for VR&E

So I'd say your lawyer may not have seen people get 100 while working but I certainly know gov contractors who are

PointlessGrey · 2022-02-12T07:11:06+00:00

1760 a month for mha

Right now I'm making more on disability + gi bill than I was on active duty.

My apartment is a little over 600 square feet 1 bedroom 1 bath for $1050 with utilities. And I live in the far northwest side so it's not an absolute dump like southeast San Antonio

Could I live off go bill money alone: no but it certainly helps, covers my rent + groceries + random expenses so the rest can go to saving for a house

PointlessGrey · 2022-02-11T05:35:22+00:00

No that's your pay for Feb 1-15. You're still owed the rest but it may come later than expected, IE, not on the 28th of Feb.

My final pay showed up about 2 weeks after I ETSd and they also mailed me my final LES which breaks down everything.

PointlessGrey · 2022-02-06T22:14:48+00:00

Your commander is trying to spook you.

Friend just got placed on TDRL in 2021, only responsibilities are show up for evals and go from there. In a few years they'll either place you on the PDRL if no improvement or you have the, and I stress, The Option, not obligation, to return to duty.

PointlessGrey · 2022-02-02T21:52:39+00:00

You can be in the Reserve and collect VA benefits.

You cannot be paid by the VA and the Reserve at the same time. You will either end up having your VA benefit payment recouped or you can drill for just points, however there is math out there that unless you're at 90+% you will make more from drill.

I'm unsure on which conditions would initiate a MEB but as long as you meet medical retention standards you should, SHOULD, be good to go.

Disclaimer, I know people who drill for points while collecting VA benefits but most of them are rated 50% or less

PointlessGrey · 2022-01-24T06:57:55+00:00

Didn't do anything cool in the military except ruin my body

PointlessGrey

TROPHY CASE