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electric_blue68

(14,912 posts)

37. Interesting stuff. In one parallel Earth I might have been a Russian linguist...

Fri Mar 11, 2022, 07:10 PM

Mar 2022

Last edited Fri Mar 11, 2022, 09:07 PM - Edit history (1)

In '67 I was in JHS in NYC. I was in gifted/talented in grade school. We'd had a French teacher who I didn't like.

So I didn't want to take French in JHS, nor Spanish. But, ah, we had a third option...

Russian.

My dad was 1st Gen Ukrainian-American. I thought (English was his first language) well I could try talking to him.
I didn't really yet know about the emnity between Ukrainians, and the Soviet Govt.
Despite the 3 "genders", and a whole new Cyrillic Alphabet I got an 85. 👍

However the specialized HS (Music, Art) I went to didn't have it while my local HS did. So that was the end of that. And, boy, did I struggle through Spanish!

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My Experience with Military Intelligence Was Over 50 Years Ago, [View all] MineralMan Mar 2022 OP

Why do you always talk such uncommon sense, Mineral Man? Hekate Mar 2022 #1

I can do no other. MineralMan Mar 2022 #2

Heh. I actually had a splendid history professor in my first year of college. He made it live. Hekate Mar 2022 #4

Yeah, I figured you know that one. MineralMan Mar 2022 #6

100% agreed relayerbob Mar 2022 #3

I just hope they have a way to get supplies to those surrounded cities everyonematters Mar 2022 #5

Yes, I hope so, too. MineralMan Mar 2022 #8

Agreed. But selective declassification of what we know about Russia has helped us keep Walleye Mar 2022 #7

Oh, there is sharing among allies, for sure. MineralMan Mar 2022 #10

Yes. I am slightly encouraged by the way they are working together, seemingly Walleye Mar 2022 #11

I'm actually happy that I'm confused about what we are / are not doing. lagomorph777 Mar 2022 #9

Mine ended 55 years ago and like you it was before the end of the Soviet Union. marie999 Mar 2022 #12

I've never needed anything but my DD-214. MineralMan Mar 2022 #14

I have been able to tell them about one document I translated. marie999 Mar 2022 #15

LOL! I don't have one like that. MineralMan Mar 2022 #16

Interesting stuff. In one parallel Earth I might have been a Russian linguist... electric_blue68 Mar 2022 #37

I know the old joke is that military intelligence is an oxymoron but that really is just a joke. sdfernando Mar 2022 #13

Yeah, we took it all pretty seriously. MineralMan Mar 2022 #17

Dad was career army but not intelligence per se... sdfernando Mar 2022 #28

In my day nitpicker Mar 2022 #18

Keep the circle small alfredo Mar 2022 #19

Exactly! MineralMan Mar 2022 #26

USASA 65-69 alfredo Mar 2022 #41

Same years USAFSS. MineralMan Mar 2022 #42

Ever pass through Asmara alfredo Mar 2022 #43

Nope. MineralMan Mar 2022 #44

Lovely city. Google it. alfredo Mar 2022 #45

I never went in that direction from Samsun. Looks like it's located MineralMan Mar 2022 #46

Sinop would have been my base if sent to Turkey. alfredo Mar 2022 #47

Yup. That's where the Army was. MineralMan Mar 2022 #48

I have a name that ends in ian, an indicator of Armenian origin. alfredo Mar 2022 #50

That's a very touchy issue in Turkey and in the Armenian community. MineralMan Mar 2022 #51

That was why I was happy to get Kagnew Station. Stayed there for three years. alfredo Mar 2022 #52

Exactly! greblach Mar 2022 #20

Excellent thread, gab13by13 Mar 2022 #21

Thanks. MineralMan Mar 2022 #27

Some of the projects I worked on produced reports that I couldn't see after submittal. erronis Mar 2022 #22

Yeah, me too. MineralMan Mar 2022 #30

+1 ChazII Mar 2022 #49

Anything we citizens can know Putin could know. BlueIdaho Mar 2022 #23

Yes. Of course, sometimes things that appear to be true MineralMan Mar 2022 #31

Thanks for a bit of sanity orwell Mar 2022 #24

I'll second that motion... bluboid Mar 2022 #25

I try to increase the sanity all the time. MineralMan Mar 2022 #32

Great thread! Silver Gaia Mar 2022 #29

Thanks so much! MineralMan Mar 2022 #33

Exactly. niyad Mar 2022 #34

I had an intelligence classification 50+ years ago. hay rick Mar 2022 #35

Need to know or not, our intelligence apparatus has been caught flat footed more than once Warpy Mar 2022 #36

Oh, the intelligence agencies were not surprised by the collapse MineralMan Mar 2022 #53

True, through interpreters in both Congress and the White House Warpy Mar 2022 #55

We talk about what we do know and our opinions regarding what is we know. boston bean Mar 2022 #38

OK... MineralMan Mar 2022 #39

Thank you. It has served me well my entire life. boston bean Mar 2022 #40

Wait... wasn't it the fact that W/his peeps ignored certain warning memos?... electric_blue68 Mar 2022 #56

Read the 911 report. boston bean Mar 2022 #57

As a veteran of MI, I understand the visceral reaction when alfredo Mar 2022 #54