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Police Academy, 13 and three-quarters.
Once again the PM newsletter brightens my day:
"Just been to stock up on a super strong coffee. I could be crashing by 5, but at least Channel 4 will put me in a documentary if I do."
::giggle:: But that has nothing to do with what I'm up to, but it goes on;
"News just in puts the US military death toll in Iraq in May at its highest monthly figure. We may talk about that. But among our plans already in motion: we'll talk about the number of police officers who manage to avoid getting speeding fines..."
Which is of interest to me in the light of my next TS story, which concerns the police in a good-cop, bad-cop sort of a way, involving police corruption and the (cue organ chord, thunder clap) Academy.
I've been reseraching, looking at various US police academy websites, and I have to say, I'm more than a little stunned by what I'm seeing...
"The Academy is paramilitary in nature, and requires military discipline
(marching, saluting, etc.) They day begins at 5:30 am, with an exercise
program to strengthen the body and improve endurance..."
"Discipline is similar to boot camp. You’ll also be inspected daily for
creases in your uniform..."
"Military Bearing. Cadets are required to walk, stand, and sit in a
military manner at all times. Cadets shall give way and come to
attention whenever they are approached by someone recognized as a State
Police Officer. ..."
"Cadets will maintain correct military bearing at all times. The
position of attention will be assumed while marching to and from class
and standing in the chow line. The group will move as a single close
spaced unit marching single file."
"Cadets shall be neat and clean in appearance and dress. All uniforms
and equipment are to be in serviceable condition at all times. During
the training program, cadets shall wear their hair in the following
manner. Male cadets shall keep their hair cut in a "burr" and it
shall be no longer than one-half (1/2) inch in length. Sideburns shall
not be longer than an imaginary line drawn from the corner of the eye to
the top of the middle earlobe. The haircut on the neck shall be a
tapered style, blending a shaven area gradually into the longer *hair*.
Squared, "blocked" *hair* cuts and Military style "high" and "tight" are
*not* acceptable. No evidence of a beard or mustache will be acceptable.
A clean- appearance shall be presented at all times."
Which is wonderfully more than I was expecting! (hee!) I mean, I'm not complaining because it fits rather nicely with the story I have planned, but it's a whole lot more than I'd imagined.
Is this really what it's like? I mean, I have to assume so, because why else would they put it on their websites? But I'm intrigued - there anyone out there with actual, real Academy experience they can share?
"Just been to stock up on a super strong coffee. I could be crashing by 5, but at least Channel 4 will put me in a documentary if I do."
::giggle:: But that has nothing to do with what I'm up to, but it goes on;
"News just in puts the US military death toll in Iraq in May at its highest monthly figure. We may talk about that. But among our plans already in motion: we'll talk about the number of police officers who manage to avoid getting speeding fines..."
Which is of interest to me in the light of my next TS story, which concerns the police in a good-cop, bad-cop sort of a way, involving police corruption and the (cue organ chord, thunder clap) Academy.
I've been reseraching, looking at various US police academy websites, and I have to say, I'm more than a little stunned by what I'm seeing...
"The Academy is paramilitary in nature, and requires military discipline
(marching, saluting, etc.) They day begins at 5:30 am, with an exercise
program to strengthen the body and improve endurance..."
"Discipline is similar to boot camp. You’ll also be inspected daily for
creases in your uniform..."
"Military Bearing. Cadets are required to walk, stand, and sit in a
military manner at all times. Cadets shall give way and come to
attention whenever they are approached by someone recognized as a State
Police Officer. ..."
"Cadets will maintain correct military bearing at all times. The
position of attention will be assumed while marching to and from class
and standing in the chow line. The group will move as a single close
spaced unit marching single file."
"Cadets shall be neat and clean in appearance and dress. All uniforms
and equipment are to be in serviceable condition at all times. During
the training program, cadets shall wear their hair in the following
manner. Male cadets shall keep their hair cut in a "burr" and it
shall be no longer than one-half (1/2) inch in length. Sideburns shall
not be longer than an imaginary line drawn from the corner of the eye to
the top of the middle earlobe. The haircut on the neck shall be a
tapered style, blending a shaven area gradually into the longer *hair*.
Squared, "blocked" *hair* cuts and Military style "high" and "tight" are
*not* acceptable. No evidence of a beard or mustache will be acceptable.
A clean- appearance shall be presented at all times."
Which is wonderfully more than I was expecting! (hee!) I mean, I'm not complaining because it fits rather nicely with the story I have planned, but it's a whole lot more than I'd imagined.
Is this really what it's like? I mean, I have to assume so, because why else would they put it on their websites? But I'm intrigued - there anyone out there with actual, real Academy experience they can share?
no subject
I shall save him from evil boot camp, do not fear - but not till the lad's had a taste of the lash (not that one) heh heh heh!
I had assumed that the police academy would be more... searching for the right words; not academic, exactly, but a learning environment, only with a lot more gym and guns. I'm pretty stunned at the tone of the websites.
I mean, can you see Blair going for this, really? I'm having a hard time imagining it, myself.
"Meanwhile, I am very, very excited at the prospect"
::chortle:: You are The Evil.
no subject
No, I can't. *g* What I *can* see is Blair going for what comes *after* this. *ggg*
PatK
:-)
no subject
How'd you mean? You mean the police?? In which case I will have to politely disagree! I have a *massive* aversion to 'cop Blair'!
no subject
With the "solution" canon provided I would think that no, he wouldn't really long to go to the academy, but he might try to do it for the sake of getting a permanent partnership with Jim. But then, canon didn't really require him to take the full academy curses. *g*
You know, I *do* know that in reality there wouldn't be a chance in hell that the canon-provided solution would work. Perfectly clear to me. But I simply take it as canon that the "solution" - complete firearms training and come on board in Cascade City and in the TS-reality *would* work. *ggg*
Somehow saying "it's unreal, it would never work this way" strikes me as saying "Harry Potter would never be able to work magic. There is no magic in real life, it's unreal". I'm not talking specifically of you, Gilly. :-) More in the general.
In Harry Potter's universe, there *is* magic, period. It's canon for Harry Potter.
For TS I take the viewpoint of "In the city of Cascade, in the TS-reality, there *is* a possibility, a perfectly fine procedure, that allows Simon's suggestion to work." The man isn't captain for nothing, he would have made sure of that before he made promises. :-)
And we shouldn't forget, Simon never said, Blair had to become a "cop". All he said was, that Jim was looking for a permanent partner after Blair had the necessary firearms training completed.
The conclusion that he would *have* to become a cop most likely comes from the badge that was thrown at Blair, which looks like a detective's badge. But what this badge really means, whether it was meant as a symbol, whether it was a badge meant for a special position... *shrugs* I guess we can interpret this every way we want. :-)
And politely disagree? *g* Man, Gilly you can disagree with me in any shape and form at any time and as much as you want. ;-) Imagine how boring it would be if nobody would ever disagree with anybody. ;-)
PatK
:-)
no subject
I really don't like Blair as a cop and few stories in which he is attract me; they're very - to the point of virtual non-existence - rare in my favourites file.
I'm all for Blair as Jim's permanent partner, but I prefer that to be in a voluntary capacity, rather than an official one - it's something they choose to do, together. But cop Blair is, to me, a cop out - it's so boring and un-imaginative! There are many, many more roads their partnership could take. I mean, why must Jim stay a cop? there seems to be a prevailing view that this is somehow, Jim's 'path' - but he was in the army before he was in the police; there must be many more roads Jim can follow, too. When they're both cops, what have you got? The groovy, streetwise cop and his clightly more up-tight partner? That's Starsky and Hutch, isn't it? It lacks imagination, imo.
I tend to prefer stories that emphasise Blair's supernatural role - Shaman Blair, if you like. I think, if the show had been prepared to go this route it could have gone on a lot longer - it gives Blair a reason to still be there beyond the diss, makes them more equal partners and just adds spice, t=rather than taking it out.
Most of all, I like academic Blair - it seems to me, the only times we see real passion from Blair is when he's talking about his work and as a former academic, I can understand that. i still get a massive thrill when someone is talking about my field and start seriously regretting I ever left. There's no reason Blair can't still get his doctorate, then link up with Jim in some capacity that doesn't involve guns, kevlar and short hair. (o: