<p>Looks like we got a bit more snow than you--we're in a different mtn range in CO...</p>
<p>Any other pictures UN?</p>
<p>Here's a link to the picture I look less than an hour ago: <a href="http://noordinarymoments.myphotoalb...id=DSCN1121_JPG%5B/url%5D">http://noordinarymoments.myphotoalb...id=DSCN1121_JPG</a></p>
<p>...i want to be there so badly right now...</p>
<p>What about AIM on computers? A friend of mine said that since it is a government network AIM cannot be used but it is not strictly enforced at the academy. People just change the port AIM uses to a more commonly cleared one.</p>
<p>Snow! We had snow for the first time last year. One day only. I will be shocked when I get to a school with it.</p>
<p>"Any other pictures UN?"</p>
<p>Pictures of the snow or other stuff? if other stuff, what other stuff?</p>
<p>"What about AIM on computers? A friend of mine said that since it is a government network AIM cannot be used but it is not strictly enforced at the academy. People just change the port AIM uses to a more commonly cleared one."</p>
<p>You are not supposed to have it (a new rule this year), but the rest of what you said is true. People are trying to get it overturned as it does serve a purpose toward the "mission" (for instance, talking with classmates to discuss an uncoming briefing or to quickly ask someone what the reading assignment in a certain class was). Also, it's a link for a lot of people to keep in touch with people ouside the black fence (like family and friends).</p>
<p>There is a facebook group for AFA called "You can have my AIM when you pry it from my cold dead fingers" and it seems like a group of zommies helping others get it to work. Again it seems like simple port changing works. I even was testing it last night to get it to work on FTP port 21. I even got it to work on HTTP port 80 but i accidentally clicked internet explorer and both programms asploded.</p>
<p>Also considering i talk with a cadet from the academy once or twice a week and i see them online all the time, doesnt look like its a problem. Again, they say it is not strictly enforced. </p>
<p>However i heard at another service academy they brought in a private ISP for the cadets to use. They had to pay for it but were given free reign. Any legal activity would be handled by them. Not sure how accurate that is but seems like a viable alternative.</p>
<p>everyday life... any pictures just reinforce our decision to apply/accept our appts.!</p>
<p>Yes, regular everyday pictures would be cool to look at, just to see the Academy during the academic year (if you have time--sounds like you're pretty busy right now). Thanks!</p>
<p>Ive been speaking with a cadet at the academy (sister of a friend of my graduating class). Shes been really busy but has a digital camera and said that she would take some pictures of the area, the rooms, classes etc.</p>
<p>I cant wait. I havent been reminding her (mentioned it once) since shes been so busy and is always doing homework.</p>
<p>Ill post them, with her permission, if she sends them.</p>
<p>I can take pictures at some point if necessary. This week's just been ridiculously busy; I've averaged an hour and a half of sleep per night since Sunday.</p>
<p>::scared::
.....</p>
<p>Well Im not Shines, but maybe I can shed some light on the subject of four degree weekends (that was a funny pun, get it?). My weekends have been changing a lot over the course of the school year. For the first month before Parents Weekend, no four degrees were allowed to sign out in the entire wing, after that, our squad was still not allowed out for another four weeks or more. On a side note, perhaps you already know that many things here depend on your squadron. The training officer (like UNcynical for his squad) has the most direct influence over what the 4 degrees are and are not allowed to do, of course, even this may be different in other squads where the higher ups (cadet squadron commander, AOC, etc.) might not give the training officer free reign over the smacks. Back to the point, our first two months or more were spent in the dorms, which was fine with us because we were still comparing our new lives to the relative worseness (is that a word?) of BCT. When we finally could get out, we didnt leave much for a while because none of us had cars and we were still too scared to ask our evil upperclassmen. </p>
<p>Depending on how well we had performed that week, we might be granted any combination of privileges, such as being allowed to wear PT gear instead of blues, ordering out pizza, watching group movies in the squadron TV room and watching movies on our own laptops. That may not sound like much, but you begin to appreciate the small things. On Saturday and Sunday, morning details have to be done before 9am, if not, bad things happen. Other than that, we are pretty much on our own to do homework, go to church or whatever. </p>
<p>Every squad is required to allow its cadets at least one pass to go to church off base per week. There are different systems for working this, but the bottom line is that everyone is allowed to go to church off base at least once a week. Other than that, you have to have adequate passes to leave base. Depending on squadron performance (as a whole, not just the 4 degrees), 4 degrees are authorized anywhere between no passes at all and up to 3 day passes and 3 night passes per Go (about a month). Night passes basically let you be gone from the day you sign out until the next evening. Day passes are good until that evening (usually taps, or about 1:30 in the morning on a weekend night or Academic Call to Quarters (ACQ) at 7:00 on a Sunday or week night.) </p>
<p>We hardly ever get restricted anymore, but we still dont get out much. This entire semester has been full of silver training weekends. In addition, some weekends you may simply have too much homework, although as a four degree you should be able to plan well enough that this doesnt happen. Also, transportation can be hard to come by. All these factors along with whatever other random things pop up tend to limit your weekends away to once a month or less. </p>
<p>That said, Cadets tend to take great advantage of the time they have. I can remember at the civilian college I went to for a year before coming here that most weekends everyone sat around and did nothing interesting, with the exception of the occasional run to White Castle (the only food most could afford) and generally hanging out and being college students. We took our time and freedom for granted. Here, we plan out our even just three-day weekends weeks in advance. Many even go home or fly their girlfriends in. No guaranteed time off goes wasted. </p>
<p>Tomorrow, Im planning on going snowboarding. Ive been planning this trip since Thanksgiving and had to cancel it last weekend because I had two GRs coming up. Not five minutes ago though, I found out the sign-out logs are closed to four degrees until further notice. Rumor has it this is because too many cadets have missed the mandatory flu mist shots. Ive also heard that that someone has chicken pox so they shut down the entire base haha, I dont know what to believe anymore. Oh, and now my AMT (a sergeant under the AOC in charge of the squad) just walked in and told me to tell my roommate that he needs to go get a chickenpox shot in Mitchs (why the chow hall??!) ASAP. OMG, whats going on?? Well, this is a great example of the randomness I mentioned earlier that can end a good weekend. I swear, if I dont get to go snowboarding...</p>
<p>"like UNcynical for his squad"</p>
<p>her* ;)</p>
<p>Although I'm extremely busy this semetser, not only with a fairly big course load but my squad job, I've loved it. Clases had a lot of projects, but they were mostly relate to my major so they were enjoyable. As for being training officer, I've really enjoyed working with the fourth class cadets in my squadron; it's been challenging but very rewarding too (from an intrinsic standpoint).</p>
<p>Hm...I can give you guys some pics of snow and such...It'll take a little while though...</p>
<p>Enjoy...Also, AIM isn't working right now, and however much the computers may be ours, they download stuff onto them all the time...I wouldn't be surprised if AIM just got wiped out. :)</p>
<p><a href="http://photobucket.com/albums/d60/US_AFA/%5B/url%5D">http://photobucket.com/albums/d60/US_AFA/</a></p>
<p>You'll be staring at that plate quite a bit...</p>
<p>Thanks for the pics, Shines! It sure looked like a dreary rainy day in that one picture...pretty wet.</p>
<p>It was snow actually, but it does look like rain. It doesn't rain very much here at all.</p>
<p>Is it too dry there to rain much? I noticed during Summer Sci that my skin was a lot drier than it usually is, so could the altitude have something to do with the lack of "wet" mositure in the air? But that wouldn't explain the snow...oh well, still dome dreary looking weather. Thanks again.</p>