Eclipse's 20,000th Forum Post

[FlyTiger77]

Based on publicly-available information, Mr. Eclipse should surpass 20,000 posts sometime today.

I believe this calls for some sort of forum party.

[Майор Хаткевич]

Someone run some challenge coins to commemorate the event!

[a2capt]

How many of those posts are one word?

Where's the Beef?

[EMT-83]

Seems like only yesterday it was 7,000 and Too Much Free Time was born.

[Eclipse]

How many of those posts are one word?

Seems like only yesterday it was 7,000 and Too Much Free Time was born.

Seriously.

[NIN]

Seems like only yesterday it was 7,000 and Too Much Free Time was born.

Seriously.

The magic number is "17"

[Luis R. Ramos]

So come on everyone! Help him.

What year did you start posting?



Flyer

[JeffDG]

So come on everyone! Help him.

What year did you start posting?



Flyer

If he needed help, we wouldn't be here.   

[Eclipse]

2005.

By my 6th post I had already called out WIWG and Whatevah.

Live and learn.

[Майор Хаткевич]

2005.

By my 6th post I had already called out WIWG and Whatevah.

Live and learn.

I went to look that up...saw that this is your "actual" post count: 20131

[Eclipse]

Interesting - I know there's a few whole threads that were unpublished over the years...

[RogueLeader]

Probably a few in the Test Board, know know as the Forum Support as well.

[Майор Хаткевич]

Interesting - I know there's a few whole threads that were unpublished over the years...

Man, I really love Spring Encampment. So many good memories/times/stories from those.

It's a shame I wasn't around for "Mass Casualties", because that's a gut buster!

[Luis R. Ramos]

How does the board acknowledge posts? It does not seem to be in "real time," as Eclipse's count for the last three posts were 19.988.

Flyer

[Eclipse]

Interesting - I know there's a few whole threads that were unpublished over the years...

Man, I really love Spring Encampment. So many good memories/times/stories from those.

It's a shame I wasn't around for "Mass Casualties", because that's a gut buster!

Definitely my best CAP memory and while I hope to be involved more in the future, like
anything else you can never repeat your "first time".  It is nice to see that my successors
have kept things moving in the same direction.

I was just this morning looking at GEarth historical imagery at how much the base grew and changed
during my tenure.

[a2capt]

It is realtime. That number will show what the current published post count is when the thread is loaded.

[Майор Хаткевич]

It is realtime. That number will show what the current published post count is when the thread is loaded.

+1.

10 more to go! Maybe there needs to be a new title besides TMFTA?

Fun Facts:
a2capt got the 300,000th post (people assumed Eclipse would).
After the fact, it was deducted I hold the 200,000th post (people assumed Eclipse had).
Eclipse missed 100,000th by ONE post:
http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=5214.msg100000#msg100000 (Hawk200)
http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=5214.msg100001#msg100001 (Eclipse)

[Flying Pig]

I think Eclipse needs to be placed into protective custody until the 20,000th post is reached.  I couldnt go on if anything happened to him at 19,999!!

[jeders]

I couldnt go on if anything happened to him at 19,999!!

It would be a truly sad day. Though if something does happen, I'm calling dibs on the rights to all eClipseco Mining and Heavy Machinery Consortium trademarks.

[Storm Chaser]

Wait for it... wait for it...

Wow, this feels like the countdown for New Year's! 

[Luis R. Ramos]

Aw come on! Now he is hiding! Last-minute shyness?

Flyer

[Eclipse]

Aw come on! Now he is hiding! Last-minute shyness?

Flyer

Trying to get my !@#$%! pool put away.

[Майор Хаткевич]

More hassle than they are worth.

[Luis R. Ramos]

Good one!

:clap:

I am now teaching intermediate students. Whenever any of them drop the F bomb, I tell them "I can cuss in two languages but do not say anything in front of you, please don't do so..."

Does not work, of course, but I continue telling them so...

Since you are not a student, I will not tell ya anything...



Flyer

[vento]

So, is Eclipse buying everybody who posted on this thread a juicy steak dinner? 20,000 doesn't mean anything if we don't read it. 

[Майор Хаткевич]

I bet he's going to go dark for a while just to mess with us.

[MacGruff]

Aw... Just pretend to be a new cadet asking a question that's listed in the regulations. Better yet, impersonate a cadet asking a question about uniform wear!

That should get his creative juices flowing and we'll be watching him pass 30,000 in no time!

[Panache]

"Can I wear the ABU's that my parents bought me to CAP?"

[NIN]

"Can I wear the ABU's that my parents bought me to CAP?"

"And this boonie hat?"

[FlyTiger77]

19,993 and holding. Putting away the swimming pool may have gotten the best of him!

[JeffDG]

19,993 and holding. Putting away the swimming pool may have gotten the best of him!

Can we get a search mission out of this?

[Panache]

19,993 and holding. Putting away the swimming pool may have gotten the best of him!

Can we get a search mission out of this?

Let me try this...

"I just got promoted to 2nd Lieutenant!  I can't wait to go to the local Air Force base and make people salute me!"

[JeffDG]

19,993 and holding. Putting away the swimming pool may have gotten the best of him!

Can we get a search mission out of this?

Let me try this...

"I just got promoted to 2nd Lieutenant!  I can't wait to go to the local Air Force base and make people salute me!"

[NIN]

You know RM got banned....

[Майор Хаткевич]

You know RM got banned....

I figured MIKE or Whatevah would be cruel and Ban Eclipse at 19,999.

[lordmonar]

Well...you got four more to go!  What's the problem?   

[Flying Pig]

GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY DEMAND!!!  POST IT POST IT POST IT :clap:

[Luis R. Ramos]

GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY DEMAND!!!  POST IT THEM POST IT THEM POST IT THEM :clap:

FTFY



Sorry but I always wanted to do that!

Flyer

[Майор Хаткевич]

Three more. The anticipation is killing me. What if we hit P20K, the servers overload, and blow up? The whole of the internet will be impacted with improper uniform wear, blue berets, whistles, orange hats, BDU boonies, TPUs, and so many other things...it would be the end of the Internet as we know it.

[RiverAux]

No one said a word when I busted 10K   

[FlyTiger77]

And then there were two!

I wonder if the seminal post, which may change CAPTalk forever (or not), will be pithy or prophetic or...well, something else...

[FlyTiger77]

No one said a word when I busted 10K   

Sorry, but I am just one man!!!

[jeders]

And then there were two!

I wonder if the seminal post, which may change CAPTalk forever (or not), will be pithy or prophetic or...well, something else...

My bet is on something like +1. Although I wouldn't be surprised if it were a long manifesto on why Google/Android is better than Apple/iOS.

[Майор Хаткевич]

Watch him post a 32 bit 2147483648.

[lordmonar]

No one said a word when I busted 10K   

No one likes you River.   

[Critical AOA]

No one said a word when I busted 10K   

No one likes you River.   

But everyone loves Eclipse.   

[Garibaldi]

No one said a word when I busted 10K   

No one likes you River.   

But everyone loves Eclipse.   

Heresy...

[Майор Хаткевич]

No one said a word when I busted 10K   

No one likes you River.   

But everyone loves Eclipse.   

Heresy...

Uh guys...Eclipse pulled a crazy move. On his Facebook it said that he is deleting it, and leaving the web grid due to the NSA.

[Alaric]

No one said a word when I busted 10K   

No one likes you River.   

But everyone loves Eclipse.   

Heresy...

Uh guys...Eclipse pulled a crazy move. On his Facebook it said that he is deleting it, and leaving the web grid due to the NSA.

Interesting but Eclipse doesn't have a Facebook page

[a2capt]

Interesting but Eclipse doesn't have a Facebook page

Not anymore 

See, I'd expect a moderator to sit there and hide one post at a time, so he never hits 20K.

.. and this isn't 1-April.

[SunDog]

I was considering replacing ORM with a pair of dice, eliminating GT, and all new MPs should be promoted to Major. Only pilots can be commanders, and petetion congress to stand CAP up indpendent of USAF.

Also, I want to wear my rank on my baseball CAP, go to a self-release system for all flights, and replace Wing command and management with two Regions, North, and West.  Maxwell should be closed, plowed under, and replaced with a Navy rec center. All searches flown at night, on NVGs, nap-of-the-earth, inverted, bottom of the white arc.

And that goofy woodland camo has to go. . .

That should draw him out. . .although I was serious about the hat. . .and the dice.

[Critical AOA]

I don't know if you'll draw Eclipse out or not but you probably sent everyone else scrambling for cover.

[Private Investigator]

Also, I want to wear my rank on my baseball CAP, ...

When I was coaching girls softball, my team was the "G.I. Janes". The team captain got to wear captain bars on her cap. The player of the game for the previous game got to wear a 1st Lt bar. One year we were 3rd in the state. BTW I wore my rank on my CAP cap too   

[SunDog]

Cool! That's all I'm saying!

[Private Investigator]

Someone run some challenge coins to commemorate the event!

I am creating a patch for 'the event'   

[Flying Pig]

Seriously!   Im gone for the night and I come back to 19998!!??  That it..... BAN HIM-BAN HIM-BAN HIM!

I take comfort in knowing that not posting is killing him far more than its killing any of us!   

[Flying Pig]

Did I ever mention that I do not think volunteers are required to be professional?  They should only have to do what interests them.  You cant make them do anything either.  If I dont want to be here.... Ill just leave and you cant do anything about it.   If you arent a paid employee, its impossible to be professional.  You're just a volunteer.


That should do the trick

[NIN]

No one said a word when I busted 10K   

No one likes you River.   

But everyone loves Eclipse.   

Heresy...

Heretical like Copernicus.

[vento]

Hey Eclipse, the whole wide world REALLY think that iOS devices are generations ahead of any Droid devices. I don't even have to cite because it is the FACT!

That should do the trick

[a2capt]

He's never been so quiet.

[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!

[Private Investigator]

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

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

Nice .. Thanks for sharing   :clap:

[SunDog]

Really not bad; a touch bitter, a little bit martyr, but not too self indulgent. Maybe not the most probing of self examination revealed, either. But good stuff on our meandering, somewhat rudderless direction, corporate inertia, and the rest of you bums not doing it right.

Full credit for participation, for sure - probably thousands of hours devoted to CAP by now. One of the water carriers, and so worthy of attention. . .

I give it an A-, willing to upgrade it to a solid A if he does extra credit paragraphs on 1. OODA loop, 2. Manuvering Speed, 3. CRM

[MacGruff]

What's this SunDog? No credit for ORM???

[SunDog]

Shoot. I forgot it again.