Tag: education

Geekcode

A very long time ago there was an online means to identify yourself online with a short abstracted code that resembled a PGP email signature, at that time I identified as:


-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 3.12
Created: 1999/02/02
GCS/IT d-(++@) s+:+ a- c++ UL++(++++$) P+++$ L+ E W+++$
N++ o++++ K w+++ O M V PS+ PE++ Y++ PGP+++ t+ 5 X++ R(-)
tv+ b+ DI+++ D+ G++ e++ h(-) r>++ y++*
-----END GEEK CODE BLOCK-----

REFERENCES:

G.I. Bill 2008

On June 30th, 2008, President Bush signed the new GI Bill into law, marking the end of a year and a half long struggle to ensure today’s veterans get the benefits they have earned.

Being a veteran of the first Gulf War, my benefits were much smaller. To compare, here are the benefits I received:

  • $1200 buy in, this amounted to $100/month for the first 12 months of my enlistment in the Navy. (As an E-1 or E-2, this was a fairly large amount of the monthly paycheck).

In 1995-1998 while I was in college, I received the following:

  • 10 years to use benefits from time of separation from service.
  • 36 months receiving $340-430/month as a check (it raised each year as “Cost of Living” increases, the most significant only 2 months before completing school).
  • No Housing Allowance, though rent in Chicago area was apx. $700/month
  • No additional amount for books.
  • No ability to transfer unused benefits to spouse and siblings. (especially as I used every cent).

The new bill represents a significant change in benefits, I applaud all groups and individuals that made it happen, I’m only saddened that I could not take advantage of this new plan as school left me with lots of debt that took years to repay.

Cheers!