<p>I swear it wasn't me. I'm back. I got caught watching my Plebe sleeping. Seriously, I think there are way too many people out there who just don't get what these kids are about and start throwing around their rhetoric to blame them for some behaviour they think is going on that they don't agree with. Prayerful mom's son was once verbally attacked by being called an unpleasant name from the "Nam Era". It was shameful. I'm still sore about it. Confused's views that he posted here weren't debatable to me. It was more of an attack by a teenaged mutant and I only responded in like. Couldn't take the guy seriously. Glad the little goober is gone so we can go back to talking about peanuts & underwear. No need to solve the world's problems with a teen who hasn't lived life yet. I'd rather that job go to our up & coming leaders. Ya gotta hand it to him though. He had some kind of guts to venture in here with his particular views. What is that saying? If you don't stand for something, then you'll fall for anything. Or sumthin' like that. Maybe he'll be ok out there in real life. Oh well. Back to the sleep watching. Maybe I can bribe him up with pizza for lunch.</p>
<p>Jamzmom....you just made my day with your..."talking about underwear and peanuts" post...really a good one!</p>
<p>And truly, good riddance to you know who, rather brazen for a 17 year old (but then again maybe NOT!).</p>
<p>OK....I'm trying to deal with my son not wanting to go back....so I was relieved to read here and other posts that this may be normal...right?</p>
<p>The Long Island All Academy Ball was held on December 26th, at the Swan Club in Roslyn Harbor, NY. It was well attended by all the academies (400 to 500 would be a good guess with the Navy making up the largest and wildest contingent), and we had a great time. All our sons and daughters looked teriffic in their full dress uniforms (my wife and I agreed that USMMA uniform was a close 2nd to the USMA full dress grays). Each academy has its own room. We were in the USMA room. (My wife is VP of the parent club) After the cocktail hour, several cadets opened the night making toasts to the President, the USA (my son did that one), the Army, USMA, the Supe & the USMA Class of 2006. Next came a ceremony honoring the MIA and POW soldiers that could not be with us on this night. An empty table is set up in a place of honor in the room. A solemn reminder of the business our sons and daughters have chosen. Dinner was served next, and I had an excellent prime rib. After dinner the DJ got things cranked up, and the dancing began. About this time I wandered over to the Navy room. I observed several midshipmen dancing on tables accompanied by their dates. Ah, to be young again...</p>
<p>As the evening progressed members of the Naval Academy came to our room to toast our cadets. After some good natured ribbing about how all members of the USNA Class of 2006 should be given brooms representing the 4-year sweep by their football team, a Midshipman (a young man who will be joining the Marines) toasted the USMA
Class of 2006, seriously stating that they would probably be fighting side by side in Iraq or Afghanistan. Dancing resumed and raffle prize winners were announced (a fund raiser for the parent club). It was now the USMA's turn to make their rounds to toast the other academies. I followed at a distance with my camera. Their first stop was the Naval Academy room. The Firstie Cadet started his toast to the "Toughest Academy" (got a pretty good laugh) and then went on to congratulate the Naval Academy Class of 2006. Next stop was the Coast Guard, Merchant Marine, Air Force combined room. A toast also was made to their graduating classes. </p>
<p>We returned to our room to have coffee & dessert and more dancing & raffles. Sadly, the evening - another milestone during this 4-year journey - came to an end.</p>
<p>Good posts everyone - Thanks cobia for that great play-by-play of the NY ball. That was a big crowd - JM, How many were at the SC ball??</p>
<p>Also, about that "goober" (haha JM!) who was on here before, the sad fact is he'll probably perpetuate those same beliefs in college, given the liberal predisposition of most colleges these days. Did you see the quote in Brainwashing 101 where the prof said "Anyone who blows up the Pentagon has my vote"! Incredible!</p>
<p>Man, this place is busy today. Peanuts & underwear. Its where its at. Cobia, you guys had a huge ball! Ours was only about 150 people. No fair WP gets white gloves. Makes it hard for me to call a favorite uniform. They did have such a good time it sounds like. I love your last sentence even though it made me frown.</p>
<p>Jamzmom - I forgot to mention that when the Midshipman from the USMMA gave his toast he invited us all to come visit his academy. My son reminded me of this when we passed the KP exit on the LIE returning to WP yesterday. The Merchant Marine Academy is only about 35 miles from my house. I pass it several times a year by boat when I fish that area for the spring striped bass run in that section of the LI Sound. WP 100 miles. </p>
<p>Jamzmom - Does KP have visitation open to the public? I will check their website. I definitely want to take a tour.</p>
<p><em>with the Navy making up the largest and wildest contingent</em> of course!</p>
<p>Thanks so much for posting! I almost feel as if I had attended! And I loved bz's reference to the goober, he was definitely boilded! And Jamzmom~The sign was written on an old board and stood propped up against an old 50 gallon drum on the side of the road. Yes, they will make signs out of everything!</p>
<p>Hey, this morning we took our son to the airport to begin his long journey across this country and he qued up in line right behind a plebe! I know that this plebe's parents must have thought we were nuts, we were laughing and joking having stayed up all night goofing around! We actually talked about the All Academies Ball (they had attended) and it sounds as if ours turned out pretty well, too! Of course, nowhere near the turnout of cobia's (about 200 in all), and only 6 mids in attendance, but apparently a good time was had by all. </p>
<p>I really need to remove the exclamation point key from the computer.</p>
<p>Anyway, a rare appearance is being made by the sun and I need to get my vitamin D fix for the day. :) Thanks, again, for all the posts! You all are great!</p>
<p>(Dang it!)</p>
<p>Cobia, you truly must go for a visit. They do have visiting procedures and its listed on the web site. If you can't find it, let me know & I'll post it here. Your son can shadow one of the Mids just like the other academies. If you go, please let us know what differences you find since you have a son at WP. It would be so interesting to get your take on things as my only knowledge of the other academies is through everyone here and the web. USMMA's biggest pull is in being able to go into any service branch either active or reserves when they graduate. Alot of choices. My kid says that the Coast Guard has one of the prettiest grounds he's ever seen but I believe him to be biased :) </p>
<p>Too funny about the signs in SC guys. I thought I was the only one out there who got a giggle out of them. To add to the "wildest contingent" at our ball, the USMMA boys outlasted everyone and had to be asked to leave so they could lock up. My son bragged on being the last dogs to die. Sigh.. Competes till the end. I know he must sit around up there in Delano Hall and say, "Hey, I bet I can drink my milk faster than you". </p>
<p>Well, he's packed and has gone out to guess what? compete in the batting cages. Didn't want to discuss much about going back. Good old Dad tried to give a motivational speech on the way to get a Fred Flintstone sized T-Bone and he said he'd just rather talk about normal stuff until he gets up tomorrow and has to put his game day face back on. So he talked Dad into a fishing charter in Charleston on spring break if he gets to come home. I bet I've posted 15 times today and you guys are chatty too. Gotta be nerves ;) </p>
<p>Momof1! Put on your sunscreen! I love your weather reports because they freak me out. LOL You & your exclamations & me & my :D</p>
<p>P.S. Cobia - The admissions guy at USMMA was in admissions at WP for years. You may know him. Robert Johnson? Wouldn't hurt to give a call to let him know of your interests.</p>
<p>bz2010 - I really enjoyed your video links...watched all three...Thanks!</p>
<p>Here is a fresh story on similar hypocracy of a key liberal educational institution's administration/corporation.</p>
<p>"Magna Cum Saudi"
<a href="http://www.investors.com/editorial/IBDArticles.asp?artsec=20&artnum=2&issue=20051229%5B/url%5D">http://www.investors.com/editorial/IBDArticles.asp?artsec=20&artnum=2&issue=20051229</a></p>
<p>Enjoyed your article too d2b. Thanks for posting. Amazing how liberal some of our colleges & universities are getting - it wouldn't be so bad if they weren't shoving those views down the students' throats. Let them decide for themselves - isn't that what college is supposed to be about? d2d, you're a dedicated viewer if you watched all of Brainwashing 101 - that's a long video!</p>
<p>cobia210: Kings Point is open to the general public, much like the other academies, and there is a tour schedule you can take advantage of (although more limited and less formal than what is done at WP and USNA). A great way to "visit" is to attend any of the football games in the fall, or better yet, the lacrosse games in the spring! The USMMA has also hosted at least the quarter-finals for the high school lacrosse tournaments for the past several years- usually in early june- a great time to visit and see the Throggs Neck from a totally different perspective!</p>
<p>
[quote]
you're a dedicated viewer if you watched all of Brainwashing 101 - that's a long video!
[/quote]
Yeah...It was a little slow, but I kept wanting to see the next example.</p>
<p>The pendulum will eventually swing the other way...It may have already reversed direction, but we'll have to keep on top of it for sure! The world would probably be better off if we could reduce the arc of that damn pendulum.</p>
<p>usna09mom..
so sorry...the description of female mids in SDB's was USMMA ladies NOT USNA, wearing white skirts and short dress uniform jackets. I understand that is what they are required to wear to the "All Academy Ball".</p>
<p>Cobia210: the swan club is lovely- if I read your post correctly, was there really that many there to fill up a room for each academy? I had no idea there were that many from Long Island!</p>
<p>Navy2010 - out of our 150 attending in SC, 32 of them were academy kids. LOL Mom's, Dads, siblings, dates, a few Grandparents in tow. I would guess it was much the same for NY? Three to five people attached to their Mid/Cadet. You better start shopping for your dress now! Its such fun playing dress up for those few hours. DO NOT let them rook you into sitting at registration tables other than your own. You'll never live it down.</p>
<p>I should probably add out of the 400 - 500 people in attendance - my best guess would be that there were nearly 100 cadets and midshipmen at our ball.</p>
<p>My wife wanted me to mention that each of the USMA Class of 2006 ( 16 firsties) were presented with flags that had flown over the Capital.</p>
<p>I saw the pix of JM and if I may say so she looked, dare I say it...HOT!</p>
<p>Wow! I had been a bit disappointed in our attendance . . . but now, reading these posts, I am proud to say that we had 82 cadets/mids [total crowd of about 325] in attendance at ours.</p>
<p>Next year, South Texas is holding their ball onboard the U.S.S. Lexington, berthed in Corpus Christi; should be interesting.</p>
<p>Bill, the USS Lexington! What a brilliant idea. Wonder what kind of hoops the Parent's assoc. had to jump through to secure that location. Very cool indeed. </p>
<p>Boss, if you post pix of me, you die! I live in an all male world. Sons, brothers, Uncles.... Even the dogs are boys. No female instruction to teach me to walk in those crazy heels. Almost got a nose bleed. I missed my hiking boots and my Cub's hat when I was forced to get up and walk around. People didn't know who I was either which kinda told me something..... And thanks for the compliment. I think. I really will have to get that wart removed if I'm to top it next year. :D</p>