Eclipse's 20,000th Forum Post

[Brad]

[vento]

It's about time we start another pot, this time we shall guess when Eclipse will resume posting. 

[Flying Pig]

darn him.... darn him to heck!!

[a2capt]

Big deal.
It's probably the one of the longest silent periods. He's probably drafting a ton of replies, and will hit them all at once.

[Garibaldi]

Big deal.
It's probably the one of the longest silent periods. He's probably drafting a ton of replies, and will hit them all at once.

And at that point, we can all say:

"You maniac! You blew it up*! Darn you! Darn you all to heck!"

*the forum and/or the internet with his massive amount of replies

[Fubar]

He probably joined Facebook.

[Майор Хаткевич]

That's it. If he doesn't post tomorrow before noon, I'm self launching in full CAP regalia on a search mission. Good thing I get to drive through his town on the way home.

[Storm Chaser]

He's just playing hard to get. 

[jeders]

1 away.

[Майор Хаткевич]

That's it, it must be a manifesto, or it's the most overblown event since the iPhone 4S.

[Al Sayre]

That's it. If he doesn't post tomorrow before noon, I'm self launching in full CAP regalia on a search mission. Good thing I get to drive through his town on the way home.

It'll only work if you wear a boonie hat with your mess dress...

[UH60guy]

I thought he wasn't posting number 20k just to prove everyone else wrong about reaching it.

[Eclipse]

What is there to be said that >hasn't< been said in 20,000 posts?

The truth is that I was up stalking SARKID in his home state,


exploring this weird house...


and an old hole in the ground...


As my posts got into the 990s, I started thinking about what, if anything, I should write to try and nail 20K,
but then as the interest grew, I had more fun watching you guys haul out all the CAP memes and hot buttons. That
was way more fun then anything I could come up with.

The fact is that we are whining arguing about discussing essentially the same 10 things today as 8 years ago, with little
progress at the national level, nor organizational change.  As an organization we've allowed ourselves
to become distracted by bad actors, regulatory minutia, meaningless uniform items and awards, etc., etc.,
while the only time it seems we're able to actually get something done expediently is when the lawyers, actuaries,
or society forces the change upon us. 

As an organizational culture, CAP is the antithesis of "proactive" - far more concerned with status quo and fiefdoms
then the disruptive change most of us accept is necessary to remain relevent into the next decade and beyond.
Semper Schadenfreude^® could well be considered an unofficial motto the way we respond sometimes, this poster included.

We have no strategic vision, no organizational identity, live and die by the whim of our parent organization(s),
and no apparent interest in changing this.  Self-actualization is the only mandate.

Obviously it's not all "onions and rutabagas^®" - no one would stay a member if it was.  We have occasional and
anecdotal success on a local level due primarily to the brute-force efforts of overworked volunteers who could have a
much more pleasant experience if less of their time was spent arguing with people who "know better" or re-learning, again,
the same thing, over and over, because there is no culture or expectation of performance, contingency, or continuity planning,
transition, or even the personal growth of "moving up and out to let the next guy have a shot..." Things are "done" because
either "that is the way they are done", or "they must be done", with little thought to the larger picture, if for no
reason then the larger picture looks like a stereogram, where the image only becomes apparent after a lot of effort,
and for many remains a perpetual mystery.



I've gotten my share of grief over some of my posts, official and otherwise, but I feel privileged to have a voice in
what appears to be the most relevent and active conversation about CAP on a national level.  I also continue to find it amusing that
many new users here, especially those with "creative" ideas about CAP, regularly say they were "warned" about CAPTalk. 

Maybe that's appropriate, if for no other reason then CAPTalk is one of the few CAP places left where fools are not
suffered.  A bad idea is a bad idea, and an incorrect interpretation or activity that violates regulations isn't going
to suddenly become "good" just because a poster types increasingly dense, grammatically incorrect text.  If you spend
enough time here, it becomes quickly obvious how unevenly CAP is executed on a national level, and that many members and staff
are just as inclined to accept a wive's-tale as to actually look something up.

The art of avoiding uncomfortable conversations, to the detriment of the organization, and sometimes even the respective member,
is another skill we possess at an Olympic level.

It's one thing to argue gray areas and self-conflicting regulations - there's plenty of that to find in CAP - but it's a whole
'nother beast to be presented with clear verbiage and then stand firm because "my commander said" or "I know better".  How much
of CAP's annual churn is due to either new members being sold something that doesn't exist, or current members taking an
inappropriate stand on something they ultimately don't understand?  For extra credit are staffers who propagate the "culture of 'no'^®" simply because they can.

I personally appreciate being kept honest, as I think the other active posters here do.  Yes, we argue about trivialities,
gray areas, and opinions, but I think we are all just being straight, and speaking in the same way we would in person.
I know that I am.

Ultimately, probably my biggest disappointment is the fact that my CAP career looks a >lot< like the brochures, and
that isn't the case for everyone.  I've had the opportunity to command units and large activities, participate in a meaningful
way during times of crisis and disaster, including national-level response, received a few decorations for the effort,
and ultimately been able to rise to the highest level the average member will achieve.  When I've been in the position to
make the changes, I've always tried to open doors for others and leave things "better then I found them" for the next guy,
but there are only so many hours in the day and there's a lot of inertia in that status quo. "You can't, I won't, you can't make me..."
is a powerful force.

A lot of my posts make me sound like a CAP cheerleader because I know what can be done when everyone is on the same page
and working as a team.  I've seen it and done it, more then once, and I wish we could get the pieces in place so
that success and excellence is an expectation, not a "welcome change".

Here's hoping the next 20K will include less about uniform choices, telling tales out of school, and correcting grammar,
and much more about "managing our exponential growth", "training for our new missions and role", and "continuing our position
as a leader in the development of American youth"




"Semper Schadenfreude^®", "onions and rutabagas^®", & "culture of 'no'^®" are registered trademarks of eClipseco Mining and Heavy Machinery Consortium.  All Rights Reserved.  Let eClipseco service all of your rhetoric and propaganda needs!

(For those keeping score at home, this was my 20,000th post.)

[Flying Pig]

I have made the first post after the 20,000th Eclipse post!!! I shall forever be immortalized in CAPTalk folklore riding his coat tails!

[RiverAux]

Cite please
   

[Panache]

I have the sudden urge to go all Wayne and Garth with "We're not worthy!  We're not worthy!"

[PHall]

I have the sudden urge to go all Wayne and Garth with "We're not worthy!  We're not worthy!"

You're not worthy, but I am!

[Critical AOA]

You go quiet for a few days, keep everyone in suspense and when you finally post # 20,000; that is the best you can do? 

[Майор Хаткевич]

Don't know. A good reflection.

[Brad]

"Semper Schadenfreude^®", "onions and rutabagas^®", & "culture of 'no'^®" are registered trademarks of eClipseco Mining and Heavy Machinery Consortium.  All Rights Reserved.  Let eClipseco service all of your rhetoric and propaganda needs!

Now my question to you is is there a corporation on EVE Online called eClipseco, lol!