Boot camps? / Rain

Boot camps?

"Boot camp" is a very common term here in USA. It means doing something very intensively, having someone else control the schedule, sleeping little, and in essence giving up one's own control over one's life/thoughts/actions for some time. Of course, the idea comes from military, where they use it (I assume) in breaking up the will of recruits (and in making them exercise enough to get fit).
Since the whole society is rather militarist (as measured by military metaphors, naked admiration of soldiers, imitation of leadership (and submission) methods from the military), boot camps are springing up like mushrooms in the rain. Today's Wall Street Journal runs a story of a new fitness boot camp for busy Wall Street executives. The camp is run by Iraq-veterans. They pick the participants/clients from their homes at 5am, take them somewhere where the clients are forced to exercise. If they fail to do something, they are shouted at, curses at, etc, just like in the real army. If a client skips a session (like hiding in a closet when the soldiers come in the morning), the soldiers will appear at the workplace and require an explanation (and, of course, shout and curse while doing so).
According to one client/participant : " I cannot imagine anything more motivating than having a soldier shout at me." People are different: I read somewhere that the BSDM dungeons also draw their clientele from executive circles.
But there are boot camps for unemployed white-collar people as well. Barbara Ehrenreich tells a story about them in her new book Bait and switch. The idea is the same: not even unemployed should enjoy free time. It is much better to have a boss even when not having a job.
You can read the article on-line by registering for a free trial at WSJ.

Rain

It has been raining for 24 or more hours continuosly. Some people have even died in floods in New Jersey. New York's Central Park has received 31 cm rain during the last 7 days.

Alun perin julkaistu kuukausikoosteessa "Blogs October 2005".