#army recruitment news

[post-it-notes7]

Please tell me this will be a happy ending

dearest anon, only time will tell

[newyorkthegoldenage]

New Yorkers enlist at an army recruiting station on January 15, 1942.

Photo: Associated Press

[nerissalmao]

The Sexualization of Octolings

Hey y’all! My friend Ray suggested this lil thread essay post whatever it’s called, and I figured it would make perfect sense to do. I’ve never really made an in-depth Splatoon post before, but I’m not afraid to try. Today’s topic is.. the sexualization of Octolings.

We all know Octolings. We all think they’re cute and fun and cool, but they’re just so.. you know.. sexy. That’s not a bad thing, but it seems like it’s their whole entire species which is literally sexualized and shown in midriff-baring, skimpy outfits. I mean, come on guys. When Callie, the most wholesome Inkling around, briefly joins the Octo Party, she’s suddenly turned into the hottest dominatrix-looking rigid icon ever (a number of my friends started to crush on her after that).

It’s definitely not just Callie. We all know Marina, guys. I don’t even have to show you images to prove what she looks like, her and her love for crop tops. And Marina, as we all know, is an ex-member of the Octarian army, like all Octolings.. like Agent 8, whose Octo Expansion outfit was on the sexy side with a crop top and high-heeled little booties. And who later in Side Order wears a form-fitting bodysuit that shows off their midriff and causes several Splatoon players to meme the fact that their backside seems to be lookin’ large to death. Why is it that Marina and Eight, who used to be in the army, have sexualized attire even now? And when Callie linked up with them, she too was wearing a shirt that in certain poses accentuates her chest, and pants so loose-fitting you can see her actual underwear.

Have you seen the enemy Octoling’s outfits? Yes, they’ve got on armor, but it’s stylized as crop tops and short shorts. Not to mention that most of the enemy Octolings present as or resemble females, and their armor has the age-old shoddy trope of having extra panels for their breasts. They’ve got little booties too and look more like a dancing glam squad or sexualized warrior cosplay than actual warriors, but this is just a design choice and doesn’t affect the way they fight. A pretty weird design choice for a game like Splatoon if you ask me.

I find this very bizarre and random. Because it seems that the entire Octoling enemy brigade has some level of sexiness to them, especially the females. Every single one. But wait on a second. There’s two Octolings we haven’t covered yet. Shiver, an Octoling, has an outfit no more racier than Frye, her Inkling co-star’s. And Acht’s outfit may have a questionable thigh slit, but that’s nowhere near the typical belly-button-bearing short shorts of the Octarian army. That seems to make my theory seem dumb, huh?

Not in the slightest. See, Acht was never in the Octarian army’s fighting unit with the rest of the girlies (they were in the army and wore the same uniform, but as they were never on the front lines they seemed to be able to wear it differently, tilting it so their midriff wasn’t easily seen and wearing a bracelet instead of those tight gloves). As for Shiver, she was born into a clan of Octolings long separated from the other Octarians. Agent 8 on the other hand was once an Octarian warrior, as was Marina (she was later promoted though, but even so along with other enemy Octoling warriors was there during Octavio’s fight with Agent 3), and Callie was turned into one briefly, or something like one, despite her being an Inkling. It seems all the sexualized Octolings were once on the front lines strutting their stuff while fighting. So why is this?

Well, here’s my theory added onto another random semi-theory that I am here to share with you all. You see, in Japanese, the enemy Octolings, preferably the ones you fight, are called “Octo-Amazons”, and the Amazons are legendary female warriors. So perhaps DJ Octavio knew what he was doing with this, and it’s a sort of empowerment move that perhaps the masculine Octolings work on maintenance jobs or something given we never see them, whereas most feminine Octolings are fighters with their female-ness put on blatant display, waggling their little hips as they jump in to do battle with the Inklings. And this practice is so well-known among Octolings that those formerly in the army still tend to gravitate towards more revealing clothes even when they are free. Just a penny for your thoughts, Splatoon community.

[dykedvonte]

I dislike takes that Danse would be just as conservative in modernized aus when it's clearly shown his staunch views of things come from his time in the Brotherhood and his deep-rooted desire to belong to something with a greater purpose.

Not to mention lines that show much more open-mindedness that get overlooked for his harsher sentiments when you first meet him. Like the oppurtunity to be a part of something is why Danse fell so far into Brotherhood dogma and it doesn't negate the offense things he does but I feel like it's just lazy to be like "hmmm he'd def be racist" just so it aligns to his BoS beliefs.

[kaidanalenkosprmanager]

THE BEST OF PRIORITY: SUR'KESH

Featuring: Cmdr. Sophie Shepard, Lt. James Vega, EDI, and Urdnot Wrex With: Lt. Steve Cortez, Dr. Mordin Solus, Major Kirrahe, and Urdnot Bakara And a Special Guest Appearance by: Adm. Steven Hackett Alliance R&D has officially begun construction on the Prothean device. The team has dubbed it: "Project Crucible". We're throwing everybody who knows how to throw a hammer at it. This is gonna be the most ambitious undertaking in human history. I'm not saying it won't be a challenge- but we can do this, Shepard. You can do this. Never doubt that. Mass Effect 3: Legendary Edition (2021)

+BONUS (the smirk™️)

[hannah-heartstrings]

Local Rule

Some of the Cheydinhal Guards explain an unusual rule to a new recruit.

@druidx @babyblueetbaemonster @inkysqueed

---------

            Stepping out of the barracks and into the dim morning light, Fairwyn crossed the courtyard where Garrus was already talking to a young redguard.

            “You’ll be joining my second in command to patrol the town, to help you get to know Cheydinhal.” Hearing steps, he glanced back. “Ah, here she is now. Fairwyn, this is the new recruit, Atticus.”

            With a wide smile, he saluted her. “I’m at your command, ma’am.”

            “Sir,” Garrus corrected.

            “Sorry, sir,” he looked nervous.

            She remained stoic. “At ease.”

            He dropped his hand.

            “I can take it from here,” she looked to Garrus.

            His voice softened. “Just go easy on him?”

            “I only whip into shape when necessary, sir.”

            “Thank you.”

            She gave a quick smile before he walked away.

            “So,” Atticus looked eager, “where to first?”

            She held up a finger as she watched Garrus disappear down the path.

            He looked confused.

            Marcus slid up beside Fairwyn. “Is he gone?”

            “He’s gone,” she turned back to the recruit who was now scared. “There’s something you’re going to need to know, that they wouldn’t have told you in the Imperial City, a… local rule. It’s important that you know it but also that you don’t tell the captain about it.”

            He raised a brow.

            “There’s a girl who comes around every so often, Lecrinn.”

            “A Hero of Kvatch,” Marcus added.

            “We’ll point her out to you when we see her, but whenever we do see her we have to make sure the captain is off duty.”

            “Wha-” his lips pursed in confusion, “why?”

            Marcus smirked. “Well, she’ll make sure he is either way, it’s easiest if you’re on her side, like how you don’t sail against a storm.”

            “And if we do, he’s less stressed and she closes more Oblivion gates,” she said plainly, Marcus adding, “But mostly we’ve just all gotten attached to the two of them.”

            His gaze shifted from one to the other. “Are you two hazing me?”

            He narrowed his eyes, annoyed. “She won’t let me haze you.”

            “I assure you we are being completely serious; it’ll make sense when you meet her.”

            Atticus looked uneasy at that.

            “I’ll brief you on the procedures later but I wanted you to know about it in case she shows up before I get to.”

            “There…” his worried confusion grew, “are procedures?”

            “Well of course, you can’t just rearrange shifts at random,” she flicked a glance at Marcus, “that’s chaos.”

            “Hey, I had to get him to stop working somehow, and she was right there offering, so.”

            She turned to him with a flat glare. “It was a security risk.”

            “So was he! I thought the man was going to spontaneously combust!”

            “You left the castle gate unguarded for thirty minutes.”

            “Nothing happened.”

            “How would you know?” Her shoulders rose as she leaned towards him. “No one was guarding it!”

            Atticus slowly raised a hand. “Um…”

            They looked at him.

            He waved the hand nervously. “Aren’t we not guarding right now?”

            Straightening, Fairwyn quickly regained her composure. “Technically our shift doesn’t start till the bell rings, which I’d say is in another…” squinting, she glanced up, “7 minutes.”

            Marcus lowered his brows, tone flattening. “She has it all figured out, trust me, you can’t get away with anything with her around.”

            Her lips curled slightly in subtle pride.

            Atticus gave a slow nod, still nervous. “May I ask a question?”

            “Of course,” she said, “I appreciate questions from new recruits.”

            “How has the captain not noticed you’re all doing this?”

            Marcus smirked. “For that he’d have to be able to see anything else when she was around.”

            Fairwyn’s serious demeanor finally broke with a barely held laugh.

[lesbijkas]

my package from @shsl-box-split came!! the new Touko's + all of them together; very happy with my little collection

[warriorled]

i don't always agree with the comics, but sokkas alter ego, wang fire, getting a whole ass memorial and being remembered for his heroic death ― that's canon

[ladykenken]

I was showing my partner pictures of FE Engage characters and they said:

"Why do they all look like vtubers?"

I had to pause for a full minute because I took psychic damage.

It's the first time someone pointed it out to me and now it's all I can see orz

[roccondil]

Funny that last gif... Much as I love LOTR, the Lord of the Rings was actually one of the movies that pioneered using crowd simulation technology for their battle scenes. They did have lots of extras for many of the scenes, but especially in the Battle of Pelennor Fields, the majority of the armies were simulated using the Massive software.

[townpostin]

Azad Samaj Party and Bhim Army Protest SC Reservation Elimination in Jharkhand

Statewide protest against elimination of SC reservation in chowkidar recruitment and minimal representation in forest officer appointments. Azad Samaj Party and Bhim Army staged a statewide protest against the Jharkhand government’s decision to eliminate SC reservation in chowkidar recruitment and appoint only one SC candidate among 170 forest officers. JAMSHEDPUR – Azad Samaj Party and Bhim Army…

[manasastuff-blog]

Indian Army Agniveer Selection Process 2024

Manasa Defence Academy is proud to offer the best Army training programs, including the NDA Crash Course (6 Months) and NDA Advance Course (1 Year). In this blog post, we will explore the Indian Army Agniveer Selection Process for 2024, highlighting the various stages involved and the key aspects to consider. Whether you aspire to don the uniform or are simply curious about the selection process, this article aims to provide you with valuable insights.

The Indian Army Agniveer Selection Process

The Indian Army Agniveer Selection Process is known for its rigorous nature, aiming to select the best candidates for the highly esteemed institution. It consists of the following stages:

Stage 1: Written Examination

 This examination is designed to assess the candidate's knowledge, aptitude, and general awareness. It consists of multiple-choice questions covering various subjects such as Mathematics, General Ability, and English. It is crucial for aspiring candidates to prepare thoroughly and familiarize themselves with the exam pattern and syllabus to increase their chances of success.

Stage 2: Physical Fitness Test

Physical fitness is of utmost importance in the Indian Army, and therefore, the second stage of the selection process focuses on assessing the candidates' physical capabilities. The Physical Fitness Test includes tasks such as running, long jump, high jump, and push-ups. It is essential for candidates to maintain a regular fitness regimen and work on improving their endurance, strength, and agility to excel in this stage.

Stage 3: Medical Examination

The medical examination is a crucial aspect of the selection process, ensuring that the candidates are physically and mentally fit to serve in the Indian Army. A panel of medical professionals thoroughly examines each candidate, checking for any medical conditions or disabilities that may hinder their performance. It is essential for candidates to maintain a healthy lifestyle and take care of their physical and mental well-being to pass this stage successfully.

Stage 4: Personal Interview

This interview aims to assess the candidate's personality traits, communication skills, leadership qualities, and overall suitability for a career in the Indian Army. It is crucial for candidates to prepare for this stage by researching about the Indian Army, its values, and current affairs to be able to confidently face the interview panel.

Manasa Defence Academy: Providing the Best Army Training

When it comes to preparing for the Indian Army Agniveer Selection Process, Manasa Defence Academy stands out as a reliable and renowned training institute. With our NDA Crash Course (6 Months) and NDA Advance Course (1 Year), we offer comprehensive training programs that equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills to excel in the selection process.

Our experienced faculty members, who themselves have served in the Indian Army, provide expert guidance and support to aspiring candidates. We focus not only on academic excellence but also on physical fitness training and personality development. Our holistic approach ensures that students are well-prepared for all stages of the selection process.

At Manasa Defence Academy, we understand that each individual is unique and has different strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, personalized attention, regular mock tests, and individual feedback are integral parts of our training programs. We believe in nurturing the potential of each student and providing them with the tools they need to succeed.

Conclusion

The Indian Army Agniveer Selection Process for 2024 is a rigorous and comprehensive procedure designed to select the best candidates for the Indian Army. It encompasses written examinations, physical fitness tests, medical examinations, and personal interviews. Aspiring candidates should focus on all these stages and prepare diligently to increase their chances of success.

[reasonsforhope]

"With Donald Trump set to take office after a fear-mongering campaign that reignited concerns about his desire to become a dictator, a reasonable question comes up: Can nonviolent struggle defeat a tyrant?

There are many great resources that answer this question, but the one that’s been on my mind lately is the Global Nonviolent Action Database, or GNAD, built by the Peace Studies department at Swarthmore College. Freely accessible to the public, this database — which launched under my direction in 2011 — contains over 1,400 cases of nonviolent struggle from over a hundred countries, with more cases continually being added by student researchers.  

At quick glance, the database details at least 40 cases of dictators who were overthrown by the use of nonviolent struggle, dating back to 1920. These cases — which include some of the largest nations in the world, spanning Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America — contradict the widespread assumption that a dictator can only be overcome by violence. What’s more, in each of these cases, the dictator had the desire to stay, and possessed violent means for defense. Ultimately, though, they just couldn’t overcome the power of mass nonviolent struggle.  

In a number of countries, the dictator had been embedded for years at the time they were pushed out. Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak, for example, had ruled for over 29 years. In the 1990s, citizens usually whispered his name for fear of reprisal. Mubarak legalized a “state of emergency,” which meant censorship, expanded police powers and limits on the news media. Later, he “loosened” his rule, putting only 10 times as many police as the number of protesters at each demonstration.  

The GNAD case study describes how Egyptians grew their democracy movement despite repression, and finally won in 2011. However, gaining a measure of freedom doesn’t guarantee keeping it. As Egypt has shown in the years since, continued vigilance is needed, as is pro-active campaigning to deepen the degree of freedom won.  

Some countries repeated the feat of nonviolently deposing a ruler: In Chile, the people nonviolently threw out a dictator in 1931 and then deposed a new dictator in 1988. South Koreans also did it twice, once in 1960 and again in 1987. (They also just stopped their current president from seizing dictatorial powers, but that’s not yet in the database.)  

In each case people had to act without knowing what the reprisals would be...

It’s striking that in many of the cases I looked at, the movement avoided merely symbolic marches and rallies and instead focused on tactics that impose a cost on the regime. As Donald Trump wrestles to bring the armed forces under his control, for example, I can imagine picketing army recruiting offices with signs, “Don’t join a dictator’s army.”  

Another important takeaway: Occasional actions that simply protest a particular policy or egregious action aren’t enough. They may relieve an individual’s conscience for a moment, but, ultimately, episodic actions, even large ones, don’t assert enough power. Over and over, the Global Nonviolent Action Database shows that positive results come from a series of escalating, connected actions called a campaign...

-via Waging Nonviolence, January 8, 2025. Article continues below.

East Germany’s peaceful revolution

When East Germans began their revolt against the German Democratic Republic in 1988, they knew that their dictatorship of 43 years was backed by the Soviet Union, which might stage a deadly invasion. They nevertheless acted for freedom, which they gained and kept.

Researcher Hanna King tells us that East Germans began their successful campaign in January 1988 by taking a traditional annual memorial march and turning it into a full-scale demonstration for human rights and democracy. They followed up by taking advantage of a weekly prayer for peace at a church in Leipzig to organize rallies and protests. Lutheran pastors helped protect the organizers from retaliation and groups in other cities began to stage their own “Monday night demonstrations.”  

The few hundred initial protesters quickly became 70,000, then 120,000, then 320,000, all participating in the weekly demonstrations. Organizers published a pamphlet outlining their vision for a unified German democracy and turned it into a petition. Prisoners of conscience began hunger strikes in solidarity.

By November 1988, a million people gathered in East Berlin, chanting, singing and waving banners calling for the dictatorship’s end. The government, hoping to ease the pressure, announced the opening of the border to West Germany. Citizens took sledgehammers to the hated Berlin Wall and broke it down. Political officials resigned to protest the continued rigidity of the ruling party and the party itself disintegrated. By March 1990 — a bit over two years after the campaign was launched — the first multi-party, democratic elections were held.

Students lead the way in Pakistan

In Pakistan, it was university students (rather than religious clerics) who launched the 1968-69 uprising that forced Ayub Khan out of office after his decade as a dictator. Case researcher Aileen Eisenberg tells us that the campaign later required multiple sectors of society to join together to achieve critical mass, especially workers. 

It was the students, though, who took the initiative — and the initial risks. In 1968, they declared that the government’s declaration of a “decade of development” was a fraud, protesting nonviolently in major cities. They sang and marched to their own song called “The Decade of Sadness.” 

Police opened fire on one of the demonstrations, killing several students. In reaction the movement expanded, in numbers and demands. Boycotts grew, with masses of people refusing to pay the bus and railway fares on the government-run transportation system. Industrial workers joined the movement and practiced encirclement of factories and mills. An escalation of government repression followed, including more killings. 

As the campaign expanded from urban to rural parts of Pakistan, the movement’s songs and political theater thrived. Khan responded with more violence, which intensified the determination among a critical mass of Pakistanis that it was time for him to go.

After months of growing direct action met by repressive violence, the army decided its own reputation was being degraded by their orders from the president, and they demanded his resignation. He complied and an election was scheduled for 1970 — the first since Pakistan’s independence in 1947.

Why use nonviolent struggle?

The campaigns in East Germany and Pakistan are typical of all 40 cases in their lack of a pacifist ideology, although some individuals active in the movements had that foundation. What the cases do seem to have in common is that the organizers saw the strategic value of nonviolent action, since they were up against an opponent likely to use violent repression. Their commitment to nonviolence would then rally the masses to their side. 

That encourages me. There’s hardly time in the U.S. during Trump’s regime to convert enough people to an ideological commitment to nonviolence, but there is time to persuade people of the strategic value of a nonviolent discipline. 

It’s striking that in many of the cases I looked at, the movement avoided merely symbolic marches and rallies and instead focused on tactics that impose a cost on the regime. As Donald Trump wrestles to bring the armed forces under his control, for example, I can imagine picketing army recruiting offices with signs, “Don’t join a dictator’s army.”  

Another important takeaway: Occasional actions that simply protest a particular policy or egregious action aren’t enough. They may relieve an individual’s conscience for a moment, but, ultimately, episodic actions, even large ones, don’t assert enough power. Over and over, the Global Nonviolent Action Database shows that positive results come from a series of escalating, connected actions called a campaign — the importance of which is also outlined in my book “How We Win.”  

As research seminar students at Swarthmore continue to wade through history finding new cases, they are digging up details on struggles that go beyond democracy. The 1,400 already-published cases include campaigns for furthering environmental justice, racial and economic justice, and more. They are a resource for tactical ideas and strategy considerations, encouraging us to remember that even long-established dictators have been stopped by the power of nonviolent campaigns.

-via Waging Nonviolence, January 8, 2025.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"Army Recruits Go to Training Centres," Windsor Star. January 8, 1943. Page 5. --- ANOTHER large draft of new recruits for the Canadian Army left St. Luke Road Barracks today for basic training centres at Chatham, Listowel and Ipperwash. Some of the men, new in Canadian khaki, are shown boarding the train. The soldiers were enlisted, equipped and received initial training at the barracks. They were taught the first fundamentals of soldiering by the staff of competent instructors at the barracks.

[aphroditesblues]

shadow of war is enjoyable and pissing me off in equal measure

[asynca]

This man messaged me on Twitter asking me to reblog his fundraiser and I saw he had a new account, so I was a bit suspicious, and asked him to write my name in the sand outside the front of the tent he had in his photo to prove he was real and in Gaza. I didn't expect to hear anything else.

He did it. And in the recording he sent with it, you can hear the warplanes/drones overhead. He is in Gaza, he's real and he needs our help.

Here's his story:

I went from being a digital marketing student to an ice cream vendor due to the lack of job opportunities, then to a prisoner in the hands of the Israeli occupation forces. My name is Abdulrahman Mushtaha, a 21-year-old from Rafah city in southern Gaza Strip, where the Israeli occupation sent me after more than 25 days of detention. This might be just a number to you, but during this time, I experienced some of the worst forms of torture and humiliation from soldiers and recruits not older than twenty. All of this because of my nationality. Maybe I would have stayed in northern Gaza, enduring 100 days without seeing my mother's face, kissing my father's hand, or playing with my two-year-old nephew. 100 days without hugging my sister Heba, who is starving in northern Gaza due to the occupation army besieging their house for more than 50 days. Now, Abdulrahman is without university, without a job at the ice cream shop, and without shelter. Perhaps with your simple help, I can return to life? Perhaps your simple donation could be a chance for me to survive, if life remains, maybe with your help, I can save my mother, father, my nephew, and whoever is left of my family. Help me rebuild my life at my beautiful city that the occupation has turned into a ghost town.:

If you've got some spare money, send it his way. It'll go to someone who really needs it.