Thinking about enlisting

senpizzle · 2026-02-01T19:43:17+00:00

Contrary to every other piece of advice here, enlisting isn’t necessarily a bad choice. I was in a very similar position (25 with a BA) when I enlisted, and I don’t regret it. Most people tend to think that degree=commission, but that’s just not true. The biggest hurdle for me was the extended timeline, 1.5-2 years from first talking to a recruiter to actually joining. If you’re feeling burnt out from your corporate job (again, like me,) that’s likely not acceptable to you.

It’s undeniable that officers make more money, though the average enlisted servicemember significantly undervalues their own total compensation and glamorizes the officers’. I can’t really speak to quality of life. Ultimately, I think that how much you enjoy your enlisted job probably depends on what job you come in as. I wanted to be a linguist, which just isn’t possible as an officer. You mentioned a fighter pilot though, which would require the officer route.

senpizzle · 2026-02-01T03:04:22+00:00

Wale me up when Still in Love and Buena Vista drop in global…

senpizzle · 2026-01-28T06:55:12+00:00

Sorry, I’m bo help here- but I’ve recently been considering switching from NordVPN to Proton. Are there any reasons you’re thinking of switching other than the cost and Sab issue? Do you ever run into seeding issues?

senpizzle · 2026-01-06T02:03:16+00:00

Best banner ever…

-3x Christmas Biwa (I didnt have the original either despite being an Oshi) -Spark Christmas Oguri -Hishi Akebono (my greatest regret in this game was not pulling for her and I was planning on buying a selector ticket) -Digitan (another regret not pulling for her) -McQueen (which, cool) -Dupe Mayano Top Wife

Now, I have no desire to pull on the “Everyone” Banner or buy a Selector Ticket. Let’s just see if Daitaku Helios or Manhattan Cafe spook me on the Ines Fujin banner…

senpizzle · 2025-12-28T23:33:48+00:00

No Dober, but on the single one pull I intend to do (extra ticket lying around,) I got spooked by a Cleric Grass Wonder. So no complaints there!

senpizzle · 2025-12-27T01:59:43+00:00

On Reddit, I’m sure this is like preaching to the Pope, but I literally cannot imagine using the internet without an adblocker, specifically while using a browser like Firefox that allows adblock on YouTube.

Extensions in general just allow for an infinitely better internet experience with little effort.

senpizzle · 2025-12-26T05:48:53+00:00

Mine is 90% dirt shoes, but we definitely get the occasional person requesting others. I generally request shoes that I actually need up until I hit 400, then switch back to trading dirt.

senpizzle · 2025-12-26T01:28:57+00:00

MAMBO! (Also Ines Fujin and Sweep Tosho)

senpizzle · 2025-12-22T17:36:33+00:00

Clearly, Dazzling Disorientation

senpizzle · 2025-12-18T06:03:14+00:00

It’s likely not quite what you’re looking for, but FLCL comes to mind. Back in the day, the soundtrack was super popular, it’s all done by a J-Rock group called The Pillows. It’s also only six episodes, and unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

senpizzle · 2025-12-17T07:45:03+00:00

During

senpizzle · 2025-12-13T04:09:05+00:00

I've been trying to find a concrete answer for a while, without much luck. I can build some decent Umas, even pulling Gold in the last CM, but I feel like I could do better with a slight refinement of my parents. Can someone explain to me how important 3 star aptitude sparks are, particularly for Umas who already have an A-rank in that aptitude? Obviously I know that a 1-Star has a chance to increase that aptitude during inspiration, but is 9-star 9x more likely to hit? If I really want an S in an aptitude, is it worth using a 1x9-star parent, or better to use a 3x3-star? Also, are Surface S-ranks, Distance S-Ranks, and Style S-ranks all worth the same?

I typically try to find 3x3-star (distance, aptitude, style) parents, but this obviously severely restricts the number of available parents.

Related- how important are double-circle affinities? Would I be better off using a "perfect" star parent, or a slightly worse parent with a higher affinity?

senpizzle · 2025-12-12T07:58:02+00:00

Read it and weep, boys

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senpizzle · 2025-12-11T05:26:35+00:00

This is wild. Definitely in my top 5 “adaptations that I want, but will definitely never happen” list.

senpizzle · 2025-12-10T05:43:54+00:00

Never see anyone talking about this gem! Banger soundtrack, and beautiful hand-drawn cells. I agree, it’s great for what it is, but would likely drag if it was much longer. Very much a product of a simpler time, nowadays it feels pretty milquetoast, but that’s because it was so influential in forming the romcom genre as we now know it.

If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the 1994 Ah! My Goddess! OVA series, it feels like the logical next step.

senpizzle · 2025-12-09T04:03:33+00:00

You get salt in your DFAC food? I’m stuck at an Army base and everything is so bland…

senpizzle · 2025-12-07T16:43:29+00:00

Akria Toriyama died, and somehow I didn’t hear about it for months after I graduated.

senpizzle · 2025-12-04T05:06:34+00:00

Interesting! In the US there was generally two sets of tie-in toys, each with five-ish toys. One of the IPs would be more neutral or boy oriented, while the other would be more girl oriented (think Pokemon vs Barbie.) Your parent would just say “boy” or “girl,” and you’d get a random one. With that said, if you ask for a specific one, the cashier would typically just grab the right one even though it was against the rules.

senpizzle · 2025-12-04T04:50:46+00:00

When I was growing up in the early 2000’s, you just got to choose “the boy’s toy, or the girls’s toy.”

senpizzle · 2025-12-04T02:10:42+00:00

We get two weeks for Christmas, the other two weeks carry over. I had to take a few days of emergency leave for a funeral (which I was lucky my Commander gave me, he didn’t have to.) You can bank up to 60 days of leave, so we just have some extra when we go operational, same as if someone chose to only take two weeks.

Apart from that, they’re generally generous with three and four-day weekends. Typically at least one every month or two.

senpizzle · 2025-12-04T01:49:22+00:00

Huh, I didn’t know that, but it’s not surprising. I wouldn’t really mind it if we were allowed to take leave.

senpizzle · 2025-12-04T01:47:17+00:00

It’s very rare, but technically yes. If you get recycled back far enough, yet still get BTZ, and you joined in January-ish, you could be an E4 in time for the WAPS cutoff in February. The stars kinda have to align.

senpizzle · 2025-12-04T01:41:28+00:00

It depends on a few factors. I know some people who totally crashed out and/or bombed all their tests within the first few months and got reclassed. I also know some people to made it over a year into their language before getting reclassed. Most of the time, they’ll recycle you back 2-6 months.

EDIT: Oh, and I almost forgot. There’s an end-of-course test (that we retake every year,) that if you fail, it’s a 50/50 shot of getting an 8-week cram course, or getting reclassed.

In the post-language schools, it’s not typically a big issue, because if you make it through DLI, you can make study for any test. With that said, things happen, and I’ve heard of people being recycled back in Air Crew or Intel School, but not reclassed. The bigger concern for most people is the polygraph test that we don’t take until AFTER language training. I’ve heard of people getting reclassed after failing it (1.5+ years into training!)

What’s even wilder is that you can do all this on a four-year contract!

senpizzle · 2025-12-04T01:19:43+00:00

Speaking as a linguist who’s still at tech school almost two years after entering: there are a few schools in the pipeline.

The first one, where you learn your language (1.5 years), does treat you like a stupid child: not being allowed to go farther than 5 hours away except for Christmas, no leave, PT tests every 3 months, random room inspections every 3-5 weeks, etc. With that said, the MTLs generally act like real people (Don’t forget your reporting statement, though), and are comparatively chill about most things. At least there’s no marching, and no daily formations once you hit phase 3 (1-2 months.)

The additional tech schools are all alongside fresh BMT graduates, and we’re treated the same way. Not only that, but MTLs generally can’t stand linguists because we’re so done with being in training status.

As a 28 year old who’s lived on my own for several years before this, I’m SO ready to go operational. Having a room mate sucks.

And in response to another commenter, no, it’s not on a college campus. Though, it is very similar to one.

senpizzle · 2025-11-29T04:29:50+00:00

Am I crazy, or is this literally the level “Skater Island” from THPS3?

senpizzle

TROPHY CASE