Write on the Right

Defense Cuts: Military Retirees In the Crosshairs Again

2012-01-27T18:01:00.002-05:00

As our military faces deep, possibly crippling cuts, those that have spent the better part of their adult lives serving our nation are, once again, being targeted.

SecDef Leon Panetta outlined his plan for saving dollars and many are concerned that it will adversely affect our defense capabilities and readiness. He centered on the fact that draw-downs would keep our forces above pre-9/11 levels, but not by much.

In addition, "the Pentagon recommended an increase in health care fees, co-pays and deductibles for retired military members." Really? I'm sure that a few stuffed suits will argue that this is smart business because it won't have any effect on readiness. I disagree, and here's why: Retirement benefits are incentives that directly affect long term retention of quality personnel. If retention suffers, readiness will suffer. Get it?

It's not rocket science, but this sort of thing sure seems to be beyond the grasp of those holding the purse strings.
Article here

Wikipedia to Go Dark. Who Cares?

2012-01-17T11:48:00.001-05:00

I came across an article that informed me of Wikipedia's intent to "blackout" for a day in protest of some pending asinine legislation that many search engines and online providers of various media are in opposition to. To this announcement I say, "Well then, I guess lazy students and bloggers everywhere will have to use real references and sources for a day!" (article here) Perhaps I'm missing out on the significance of this event, but I think the sun will still rise tomorrow without this glorified social media site being up and running. Well, there could be some entertainment value to this; we'll see...

UPDATE: It seems that our elected tormentors have had a brief moment of clarity and have abandoned (for now) their efforts to pass idiotic and freedom-stomping SOPA legislation (article here). I do, however, doubt that Wikipedia is the source of this rare dose of common sense. There are far better ways to get the word out than by adopting an "I'll show you! I'll take my ball and go home!" approach. Other, more realistically managed, websites simply encouraged patrons to contact their legislators. THAT is what got the attention of our slimy politicians. Hollyweird's tantrums bore no fruit...this time.

Comments on Marines Urinating on Taliban Bodies

2012-01-15T12:17:00.000-05:00

I watched the video that allegedly shows Marines urinating on dead Taliban bodies. My initial reaction was, "You guys are idiots; I can't believe you filmed that crap." What those Marines did was wrong, but the words "mountain" and "mole hill" come to mind right now. The incident is being investigated, and those responsible will be punished accordingly.

The emotion-based condemnation of these Marines is off the mark. Representative Allen West weighed in and I agree with him on a couple of points (article here). He initially states in his letter that what the Marines did was wrong; I agree with that. He also points out that there is a double standard in the media (and D.C.) by asking where all of the outrage was when American bodies were mutilated by our enemies; I agree with him on that, but I don't believe that the blatant media bias in any way lessens what has been done.

What do I think should be done about the incident? First off, let me say that the actions of these Marines is not in keeping with the high standards that we set for members of our Corps. Beyond that, I say let their command handle the situation with appropriate punishment and let's get our eye back on the ball.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T11:06:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! It's a beautiful fall day here in North Carolina, and I'll be frying a big ole bird soon.

Relocating to The South

2011-11-04T20:20:00.000-04:00

My family and I have just relocated from Okinawa, Japan, to Eastern North Carolina. We spent some time on leave in California in order to visit family, followed by a circuitous drive across the nation. I've made some interesting observations during our transition. I used to think that people in America were very rude compared to the people of Okinawa; that belief was effectively dashed upon driving through and settling back into The South.

Folks on the coast of California met my expectations: Rude, impatient, and linguistically challenged (family and friends didn't seem to fall into this category). As we worked our way eastward, we met more folks that made me ashamed of the fact that I'm from California.

When we got to The South, we were reminded of why we liked it here so much in the past; the people are really that much nicer. If you look at someone on the sidewalk, they say hello. If you slow down and ask someone for directions, they help you out, and might even give you directions to their competition's place of business. The folks in the restaurants don't care that you sound different; they go out of their way to help you and make your meal pleasant. Many of the things I've seen here would be met with anger or violence on the Left Coast. It made me thankful that my parents raised me the way that they did (Neither of them are from California).

I have to say that our moving to North Carolina has reinforced my belief that California is a terrible place to live. Even with a huge hurricane on the way, this place is just so pleasant that it sneaks up on you. Coming from the jungles of Okinawa, the bugs here aren't even that bad.

I typed this out when we first got here, and it holds true today.

Typhoon Damage Stuff

2011-05-29T06:14:00.001-04:00

Here's a few shots of the damage from the typhoon...Luckily, we escaped any damage to our home. We watched a few patio covers get torn away and, as you can see above, there's a few trees uprooted and broken.

Okinawa Typhoon Season

2011-05-27T19:26:00.000-04:00

Here's a picture of the super typhoon that is heading our way. The island of Okinawa is circled in red. This storm comes at a perfect time, as we are in the process of moving out of our house. No need to clean the outside of our home, the storm will scour it for us! It does put a bit of a damper on our Memorial Day weekend.

"Deuce Gear" AKA: Supply Issued Field Gear

2011-05-20T23:39:00.000-04:00

Washin' the junk

In the earlier days of our Corps, our supply section was run entirely by Marines, and they were in charge of issuing out our field equipment (packs, helmets, tents, etc). We called it "782 gear," or, "deuce gear," for short. This was because you typically signed for the gear on a NAVMC 782 form.

Those days are long gone. Now, the gear is maintained and issued at a "Consolidated Issue Facility," run by...you guessed it, civilians. They're a bit nazi-like when it comes to cleanliness of the gear upon turn in. The ironic part is that most of my junk is obsolete and will be simply thrown away. I still have to scrub it with soapy water and basically waste a day of my life getting any dust or stains off of it.

It gets me one step closer to getting out of here though...

You know you have a tolerant wife when she doesn't complain about body armor hanging in her bathroom.

Moving Day is Approaching

2011-05-16T03:24:00.000-04:00

My wife and I have been keeping busy by preparing for our upcoming move. I tell myself that this is the longest we've been in one spot, but we've actually moved two times since arriving here in Okinawa. After almost twenty years in this gun club, we should be old pros at moving by now, right?

We know enough to get ourselves from point "A" to point "B," but it sure seems like this doesn't get any easier over time. I do sort of like going through some of the closets and such and finding things that I know I've looked for in the past: "Oh! That's where this was!"

Another fun fact is that summer is the busiest time for moving in the military; it's often referred to as "PCS Season." With that, everyone around us seems to be getting ready to move. In the past, if we were preparing for a move, we could count on giving away stuff to our neighbors. For example, the movers won't pack up cleaning supplies or liquids of any kind; this is the perfect stuff to hand off to a neighbor, but not if they're getting ready to move too!

It will be interesting to see how much our household goods weigh after the movers pack it up. I'll dig out the paperwork from when we moved here and compare notes! Perhaps I should make a small wager with my wife over how much junk we have accumulated since moving here.

Common Sense in the Military

2011-05-15T00:40:00.001-04:00

Having recently received orders back to the good ol' U.S., I now get to go through the time-honored hell known as "checking out." Any time a military member gets orders to PCS (permanent change of station) to a new location, he or she must check out of various agencies at their current location.

I've always looked upon the check out process with disdain, but I was truly blown away when I got my check out sheet this time. Each location that I must go to is represented with a little spot for some representative to initial or stamp the sheet, which is two pages long! Some of the agencies and such that are listed on this sheet are just absurd.

I like the Chaplain (the last one I actually met anyway), and think he's a great guy, but I cannot figure out why on earth I need to go see him in order to move to a new duty station. The Red Cross? Are you kidding me?

Not only do I need to visit offices that I really have no need to visit, but they have certain hours (and days) for checking in and out. Far be it from me to inconvenience these various support agencies...You would think that I'm here to support them, instead of it being the other way around.

This entire process will involve me driving all over the island (all the offices are certainly not located on the same base) and wasting many hours that could be spent doing something useful. At the end of it all, some disinterested PFC will glance at my checkout sheet and trade me a set of plane tickets for it, followed immediately by throwing the check out sheet in the trash can. Brilliant!

Movie Review: The King's Speech

2011-04-23T02:16:00.001-04:00

Bottom line up front: This is a great flick, but you should watch it during the day.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, despite it being a bit of a slow starter. The subtle humor wasn't so subtle that I didn't get it, and it was a moving piece with true historical significance.

Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush did a wonderful job, and they are to be lauded for their portrayals of difficult characters.

I found myself rooting for the main character throughout, and was emotionally moved at the end.

This movie is not action-packed, so don't expect it to be. It is, however, interesting and worthwhile. I found this flick to be worth my time and would recommend it with enthusiasm as a daytime or early evening diversion.

Book Review: In the Company of Heroes by Michael Durant

2011-04-15T04:11:00.000-04:00

Chief Warrant Officer Michael Durant was piloting a Special Operations Blackhawk helicopter over Somalia when he was shot down on October 3rd, 1993 and subsequently captured by the forces of Somali warlord Mohamed Aidid. This book is Durant's recounting of his time in hell.

This book impressed me with it's accuracy and with Durant's modest writing style. He doesn't praise himself nearly enough, which is refreshing. He does, however, sing the praises of those that he served with, especially those that gave their lives trying to save him.

This is a powerful story, and the book is very well done. It sheds a small sliver of light onto the dark world of special operations, and it illustrates the bonds that warriors have. Durant's memories and notes come alive in ways that will make you cringe one moment, and laugh the next. He's got a talent for telling a story.

I recommend this book with enthusiasm; it's well worth your time.

Movie Review: Hereafter

2011-04-09T05:02:00.000-04:00

Bottom line up front: Yawn. This one is a sleeper.

I'd love to tell you how this movie ends, but I cannot. Neither my wife, nor I, could stomach this one to the end. We turned the damned thing off and watched the Discovery Channel for a while before going to bed. It was that boring, really.

I kept waiting for something remarkable to happen with the plot, but it just didn't materialize. This movie is boring with a capital B.

Don't waste your money or time on this one. Perhaps when it is on cable, you can watch it before bedtime. It would certainly help you sleep.

Government Shutdown and the Military

2011-04-08T07:02:00.002-04:00

The potential government "shutdown" is a disgrace. It's embarrassing as hell. Each side blames the other for what should never have happened in the first place.

Let us backtrack a bit. When was the budget originally supposed to be finalized? I'll give you a hint: It's due to be implemented before the start of the new fiscal year. Still confused? Try October 1st, 2010. Who was in charge of (had a majority in) both chambers of Congress then? Just thought I'd throw that out there.

Now we find out that our military will stop getting paid. Does anyone else see the absurdity of this? Members of Congress must get paid; it's in the Constitution. Our military does not have that protection, despite the protection that the military provides to those same members of Congress.

Luckily, I have enough savings set aside to get through this mess (for a while anyway), but many young families do not. Many families that signed on for the sacrifices that come with military service are going to be left short. They probably thought that they could rely upon our government to hold up their end of the bargain.

Please write to your representatives, and even your unresponsive Senators, and tell them that they need to get off of their collective asses and do the job that we hired them to do.

Life Lessons, Good and Bad

2011-04-02T02:46:00.002-04:00

I had a neat experience at work yesterday: I sat on a panel of Marines that were charged with trying to explain to a young Corporal why his unprofessional Facebook post was a bad idea. I won't go into specifics, but let's just say that the lad had tactlessly whined about a certain group of Marines, and we assembled a panel of senior Marines that closely reflected that same grouping...poor guy.

It was an excellent time to explain to him something that I occasionally lose sight of: Every human being represents an opportunity to learn a lesson, be it good or bad. Time for me to wax philosophical again...

I've mentioned before that my wife is an amazing woman; I'll go ahead and echo that again here. She's an optimist, and I admire that. I'm woefully short of optimism most of the time, as a result of my more "realist" approach to life (that's the code word for pessimist). She tends to see the good in people at times when I cannot. That leads me into the nucleus of this post, which is that we should value even that which we know is bad; it serves a useful purpose.

We often spend enormous amounts of time griping and whining about those that we disagree with or don't like; that's human nature in its basest form. We don't seem to be very good at stopping and realizing that we should look to the advantage that those people bring us. Instead of saying that you have to work or live with so-and-so, you should be saying that you get to work with them; it's an opportunity to learn.

Some people spend their entire lives as a negative lesson, or an example of what not to do. You've undoubtedly seen the demotivational posters about that, right? Why spend your time complaining about that? Why not spend your time learning from it? So what if you've got a crappy boss; use that as a lesson on how not to lead when you get promoted into his or her position!

If only we could follow that advice, right? That's where my wife comes into play; she's far better than me (and most people I think) at seeing the silver lining in a grey cloud.

I just have to keep reminding myself that every negative person I meet is not a detractor to my life, but a useful addition. Here's to hoping that we can all get a little better at following this simple lesson.

Stupid--Don't Get it On You

2011-01-21T20:24:00.000-05:00

I was browsing through some of the stuff that people post on a particular social networking site, and came across yet another case of terminal stupidity. Dumbassery just doesn't go away these days, since there are endless barriers in place to protect the stupid people from themselves (lawsuits for hot coffee being hot is a prime example).

So a certain person posted something on their site about drivers flicking cigarette butts out of their car windows and how much they are annoyed by that. The original poster's friend then posted a comment stating that we should all call 911 to report these offenders for littering when we see it...Really? 911?

That person votes, breeds, and drives. Comforting, isn't it?

Things I'll Miss About Okinawa

2010-12-31T03:02:00.001-05:00

Having written about what I miss in America (and dislike about Okinawa), I suppose it's only fair that I write a bit about what's good about Okinawa. Don't mistake my eagerness to return to the States as disgust toward Okinawa. While there's certainly things that I dislike about this place, there are also many things that I like. Here's the short list:

Low crime rate. There's not much crime here, and the little bit there is can mostly be classified as petty. Okinawans have no worries about letting their small children walk the streets, day or night. Criminal behavior brings dishonor to a person's family, so it just simply isn't done (for the most part). The locals are peaceful, by nature, and very polite. It's not uncommon to see cars and homes left unlocked here, with no real worries of theft. I would worry more about theft on base than out in town. There is a nice display of ancient urns (the type that hold a decedent's ashes) outside of a nearby museum, and they're simply left sitting there unguarded. I remarked to my wife that if they were left out like that in America, they would be stolen or vandalized.

Polite people. The people here are very polite, and quite helpful. I'm not saying that there are no polite Americans, but let's be honest; if you go to any city in America, you are bound to encounter rude people. That's not the case here; the only rude people you are likely to encounter here are Americans. It's sort of embarrassing actually; we're perpetuating our own stereotype.

Great local cuisine. There are a couple of restaurants that I'll certainly miss when I leave here.   One place is a little izakaya near our house (like a neighborhood bar and grill) that serves a variety of Okinawan and Japanese cuisine. If you want good sushi, there's no substitute for being in Japan! I'll also miss the "sushi-go-round" restaurants when we leave; they have little plates of individual pieces of sushi circulating the entire restaurant on a little conveyor belt. You can just reach out and grab the dishes as they pass by your table. That way, you only have to purchase one piece at a time; if you don't like what you grabbed, you've only spent a couple of bucks on one small dish.

Amazing scenery. I'm living on a tropical island; the scenery here, particularly the beaches, doesn't get much better. The towns and cities are appalling, but the rural areas and beaches are absolutely beautiful. I'm talking postcard perfect tropical views. The buildings here ruin many views, since they're all drab concrete structures (even the smallest houses are concrete), but that's the price you pay when you live in typhoon alley.

Living here has been a positive experience in many ways, and I'm glad that my family and I have had this opportunity. I'm particularly thankful that my kids have had this experience. I am, however, more than ready to head to my homeland.

Things We Take for Granted in America

2010-12-04T00:25:00.001-05:00

Having spent the last six years living in Okinawa, Japan, I have been compiling a list of things in America that I miss. The amazing thing about my list is that so many of the items on it are things that I took for granted while living in our great nation. Now that I'm in a place where I cannot have or experience these things, I truly miss them. How many of these things would you miss if you couldn't have them for a while?

One of the most overlooked luxuries in our country is the wide open space that we enjoy. Living on an island teaches you the value of space in a big way (pun intended). Everything here is small: the roads, the cars, the houses, the stores, the people, the towns...The list is endless. Most of the people on this island cannot fathom looking across a never-ending landscape with land from one horizon to another. Don't get me started on the tiny roads and ridiculously low speed limits! I can't wait to hit a truly "open" road again, or see the mountains, deserts, and plains. Here's a few more items from my list:

-Food and restaurants. I never thought I'd say that I miss various fast food joints, but I can't wait to get back and get me some Arby's and Carl's Jr. Good Mexican food? It's non-existent here. Real barbecue? Forget about that in Okinawa. A decent steak? Nope. Fresh ingredients that are actually recognizable? Not here. Well, that's not entirely true, but for the most part, you cannot find fresh produce like you can stateside, and the meat here sucks too. The fresh stuff out in town is ok, but the selection is very limited and quite expensive. I will say, however, that the farmers' markets in town are MUCH cheaper than on base! We just have to go on the internet to try and figure out what some of the produce is.

-Considerate drivers...I know what you're thinking, and you're wrong. Keep in mind that there's a difference between being rude, and being inconsiderate. American drivers might be rude, but they're not nearly as inconsiderate as Okinawans. Okinawan drivers are not only disgustingly unskilled, they are the most inconsiderate drivers I've ever encountered. They are completely oblivious to other vehicles. It's routine to see a little bongo truck puttering along the highway at 30kph (about 20 mph) with 20 or 30 vehicles lined up behind it, unable to pass. Pull over? Nope, not here. Okinawans are very polite, but they are not considerate of others. They might smile and wave, but they'll do it right before they pull out in front of you, stop in the middle of the road, or take half a day to turn through an intersection. I'll take rude American drivers over this in a heartbeat. That punk American kid might flip you the bird, but he'll at least get down the road at a reasonable speed.

-Reliable and speedy mail or shipping. In America, we gripe if we order something online and it takes longer than two days to get to us. Over here, it's not a matter of days, but more like weeks (or even months) before that small package from Old Navy gets here. If a company ships via UPS, forget about it. Letters and packages to and from family are a crap shoot.

-Digital cable, and high definition broadcasting. I was blown away when I visited my parents and saw HD programming on their television. The crappy, snowy picture on our TV here is downright annoying. Old VHS tapes play a better picture than our cable company does. I don't watch much television, but it sure would be nice to count on a real schedule, and be able to make out all of the details of a sporting event. I'm also looking forward to enjoying the football season again; I just can't bring myself to get up at 2 AM on Monday morning to watch the games on my crappy cable here.

-Shopping choices. My wife and I have become real pros at shopping online; this has grown out of necessity, not choice. We pretty much have one place we can shop, and that's the base exchange. Shops out in town are interesting, but not of much use. Neither my wife nor I can fit into the clothing that is sold out in town, and we wouldn't really want to anyway (they'll slap Hello Kitty on anything over here).

-Vehicles that don't feel like they'll crumple in a strong breeze. Vehicles that meet American safety standards will be nice to experience again. Our tiny little cars here were a novelty when we first arrived, but now they're just crap. You can't even find a pickup truck here. What kind of country doesn't have pickup trucks? I know what you're thinking, but Toyota seems to only market their pickups to other nations. The 4Runner is what's popular here (called a Hilux Surf here).

-More than one radio station. We have exactly one radio station that broadcasts in English, and that is AFN, or Armed Forces Network. Depending on the day of the week, or time of day, they might be playing rock, country, or R&B. There are no other choices for radio programming that can be understood. There aren't even any decent Okinawan stations. There's a couple of Okinawan AM stations that seem to be talk radio, but that's about it.

There are certainly more things that I miss about America, but this is the short list. If you think your neighborhood sucks, or that you don't have much to choose from where you're at, try doing without all of it for a couple of years!

Blue Angels--More Great Video

2010-11-26T08:22:00.000-05:00

I can't get enough of watching these guys do these amazing things; the F-18s are quite bitchin' too.

Veteran's Day-- A Time for Thanks

2010-11-12T00:01:00.000-05:00

I hope that everyone I know is enjoying a long weekend. This weekend is very special, and I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to those that have served our nation in one of the most demanding ways possible. If you get the chance this weekend, thank a veteran for their service.

I have read and received a few messages of thanks for my own service, and they are warmly appreciated. I cannot, however, neglect to say thank you to those that have supported me in my own endeavors over the years.

I have to give a warm thanks to my wife and kids. They have put up with so much over the years that there is no quantity or value that can really be placed on that. Their sacrifice has been real, and I want them to know that I appreciate it. The love and support that they have given me is immeasurably important. I don't know how I could have made it as far as I have without them. My wife has been a rock of support over the years, and her patience, love, understanding, and sacrifices have been truly noteworthy.

To my parents, I say thank you for everything. I don't have enough room to write a complete list of the things they have done for me, but they certainly did a great job of raising me. Despite my faults and stupidity over the years, I think I turned out pretty good. Thanks Mom and Dad; you've always been there for me in many ways. I also must say thank you to my dad for his service during the Korean War. Yep; he's a vet too.

To my sister, I say thanks and remind you that you are an amazing woman. I've not stayed in touch with all of my fellow Marines that I fought alongside during the war, but I have vivid memories of many of them saying things like, "Hey guys, staff sergeant's sister sent another box!" She even put special things in there that she knew my driver liked; he didn't smile much, but she brought a smile to his face during some particularly dark times. She's a good friend, and I'm lucky to have her as family.

To the rest of my family and friends, I say thank you for being there. There is no good way to quantify the love and support that I've been blessed to receive over the years. Just getting a nice email, a letter, or even a phone call can often make a bad day forgettable, or help the push toward getting the job done. You never know how much somebody might appreciate your efforts. Thank you all.

Hell Yeah USMC FTW

2010-11-11T10:00:00.001-05:00

When in doubt, call in Close Air Support (CAS); those guys freakin' ROCK!

Click here to see them ROCK.

And here too for some A-10 action.

Woes of a Teacher

2010-11-06T07:59:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite cousins is a teacher. I think being a teacher is one of the most thankless jobs that you could possibly have. To make matters worse, she actually cares about the kids that she's teaching. Can you place a dollar amount on that?

She expressed some distress about the fact that a couple of her kids wouldn't stand up during the Pledge of Allegiance. She then went on to express her distress over the school's focus on nothing but test scores. Don't get me started! I admire her patience for not smacking those kids or, more appropriately, their parents.

I don't have ANY sympathy for a school district that focuses more on test scores than it does on the kids and teachers in their charge. My cousin sarcastically asked something along the lines of, "You don't do your homework or study for anything but I'm held accountable for your test scores?" I shout a hearty WTF on that one!

I shake my head in disgust at the piss-poor excuses for parents that keep sending their offspring into our government de-tuned schools. I feel bad for the teachers that care; they get shat upon on a daily basis. To my cousin: Hang in there and keep making a difference!

Road Runner Sports Is a Class Act

2010-10-14T00:55:00.000-04:00

Since I've been spending a lot more time running lately, I've made a couple of purchases from some specialized stores. One of them is Road Runner Sports, out of California. They specialize in gear and clothing for runners. I was initially disappointed to discover that they didn't offer shipping via Priority Mail (USPS), since that's about the only method that works worth a damn for overseas military. I decided that the wait couldn't possibly be too terribly long with UPS, only to find out that it really can be.

I made a purchase from Road Runner in August, and it still isn't here. I contacted the folks at Road Runner Sports and let them know that I haven't received my order. I also suggested that they offer Priority Mail as an option in the future, since they undoubtedly have more than a few overseas military customers. I received an immediate response to my email informing me that they were sending me a free replacement order via Priority Mail, and apologizing for the slow shipping. Wow! Finally, a company that stands behind their products and provides top-shelf customer service! That seems to be a rarity these days.

I think that in the future, I'll simply phone in my order and ask for Priority Mail shipping (if they don't begin offering it on their website). Either way, it's a pleasant surprise to come across a company that truly values their customers, and goes out of their way to show it. I believe that they've just earned a repeat customer.

Week in Review October 2nd

2010-10-02T00:46:00.000-04:00

This past week was pretty routine, but I need to remind myself that what I find routine, others may (for some strange reason) find interesting. I think it's, perhaps, because I'm a little strange that others may find my goings on interesting. In the past, people would politely refer to that sort of strangeness as being "eccentric." Oh well, such is life.

I'm currently training for a half marathon that I will run later this month. I know I could go out and run the 13.1 miles, but I also know that if I train for it, I'll do much better and not find it unpleasant. I'm enjoying spending more hours on the road, since I find running to be one of the most peaceful things that I can possibly do. When I'm running, my phone will not ring, nobody will walk into my office to ask a stupid question, no idiot driver will pull out in front of my vehicle, etc. With Fridays being my "long run day," I put another 12 miles on my running shoes to start the last workday of the week.

I finished reading a book titled Tai-Pan, by James Clavell. I highly recommend it. Clavell is the author of Shogun, which was wildly popular in the past, and is still a great read. Tai-Pan is based on the history of Hong Kong, and the settlement there of English traders and colonists. I read Shogun some while back, and wanted to read Clavell's other works. The amount of research that he did for his novels is impressive.

My son went to his school's homecoming game last night, and he's heading to the dance tonight. I know that at least one of my occasional readers also lists Kubasaki High School as their alma mater. I wonder how much it has changed since then.

After dropping our son off at the dance, my wife, daughter and I are going to dinner at a place called Sauce Live. We've sampled the food there before and find it quite tasty. Good barbecue with some Southern sides makes for a pleasant meal.

The above picture is unrelated, but I thought it was amusing, albeit a little sad. How was your week?

A Somber Anniversary on 9-11

2010-09-11T01:15:00.000-04:00

I'm at a loss as to what I could possibly say on this anniversary of one of our nation's dark moments. I'm sure there will be plenty of "remember when" moments over this.

I have a few more questions to add to the many: Where is the outrage when December 7th rolls around? Is there less outrage because the sneak attack was directed, mostly, toward military targets? Is there less outrage because a lack of current memory has dimmed the vile spirit of the attack? Do our citizens not care because most media outlets don't tell them to?

On this anniversary of the largest attack on our nation's homeland since 1941, I haven't lost my anger over the one that happened before my birth. I doubt that I'll lose my anger over the newer attack, despite what hollyweird and news outlets tell me to do.

This is not an occasion for celebration, but it is an important day. Where are those flags that were flying on almost every house nine years ago? Put 'em back up!

Underestimated Sources of Amusement

2010-08-07T19:59:00.000-04:00

What do you find amusing? Are there things that you routinely come across that always bring a smile or a laugh to you? While some things almost always work, there's a few things that I probably take for granted, but still find amusing. Here's a couple of sources of my amusement.

Stupid people in public. Humans provide an endless source of amusement for me. Sometimes they are frustrating, and I find that I have no desire to hang out with crowds of people. There are, however, always enough folks around that do incredibly stupid things in public. How about those people that will walk up to a strange dog and attempt to pet it? Let's think about this one: Hmmmm. Large, potentially dangerous animal that I don't know...I wonder what will happen if I stick my hand in its face?

Flashy junk on cars. You've seen the car I'm talking about. You know that 1983 clunker that parked next to you in the Wally World parking lot? The one with a blue book value of about 200 bucks, but has 2,000 dollars in junk from J.C. Whitney bolted onto it? Yep. That's the one. I love seeing the beat up old cars with the silly accessories from some mail order catalog hanging all over them. Thinking about who drives these cars is sort of like trying to picture what the radio DJ looks like, based on the sound of their voice.

Text Speak. I know that some people are addicted to sending text messages from their mobile phones. As this feature blossomed over the last few years, people began establishing shortcuts for many words (LOL, IDK, etc). People still use these shortcuts, despite the advent of full QWERTY keyboard features for modern mobile devices, and commonly refer to this form of typing as text speak. Some people will use this text speak stuff when typing at their home computer, or even at work. Have you ever received an e-mail from someone that was full of the text speak stuff, and you knew that they sent it from their computer? Have you caught yourself doing it? How many kids today are growing up with this trend, and how many of them will be incapable of writing a clearly worded document?

Clothing. I don't even know where to begin on this one...Some of the garbage that is being sold as high fashion is amusing to me. I saw a couple of shirts at the PX that looked like they were pulled from the bottom of a trash pile; they were pure junk, and looked like hell. Perhaps they contained gold within the fabric, because the price was through the roof. Some of the stuff I see people wearing causes me to giggle a little, and I have to watch them for a few minutes to determine whether or not they meant it as a joke. I'm not just talking about kids; there's no shortage of adults wearing whatever some dim-witted celebrity tells them is cool. Another thing about clothing that is amusing is that some styles today seem eerily familiar. Some of the stuff that was popular in my childhood seems to be coming back around. Does that mean that we got it right when I was a kid?

Piercing. This one is a huge source of amusement. Have you seen some of the crap that people are now shoving through their ears, noses, lips, etc? I wonder if they ever get that stuff caught on things.

Vacation at Okuma

2010-07-18T09:14:00.000-04:00

Not much to say about this one; it was simply amazing. Here's a few pictures.

Mattis Chosen to Head U.S. Central Command

2010-07-09T04:19:00.001-04:00

General James Mattis, the blunt yet brilliant four star, has been chosen to head CENTCOM, or U.S. Central Command. This will place him in charge of all U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, effectively making him General Petraeus' boss. (Article here)

Mattis is, hands down, my favorite General. He is a warrior first, politician last, and doesn't bother to sugar-coat anything. Here's one of my favorite quotes (to Iraqi tribal leaders):

"I come in peace; I didn't bring artillery. But I'm pleading with you with tears in my eyes: If you fu*k with me, I'll kill you all."

Some would argue that Mattis is a little rough and unrefined; I disagree with that description. He is mentally sharp, well educated, articulate, and aggressive. He's well suited to take the fight to the enemy, which is exactly what our nation is crying out for.

Congratulations to General Mattis; may much kicking of ass follow the appointment.

Independence Day

2010-07-03T01:27:00.001-04:00

Happy 4th of July to everyone that stumbles across this little blog. It is my sincerest wish that all Americans take a moment to remember exactly what this holiday is all about.

Here is a link that every American should be forced to click: Declaration of Independence.
The text of this historic document is eerily poignant in this day and age. What's worse is that there are U.S. citizens that vote, and have no idea what this document says. There are also citizens that pay no attention to the origin of this holiday.

Our nation is not old; it is a child in comparison to many others. We do, however, have the best one on the planet. Some politicians, nay most politicians, are trying to change that. Far too many elected servants are trying to turn our nation into the very thing that we declared our independence from!

Like every other Marine, I have written a blank check to all of you. I have agreed to defend your right to do just about whatever you want, even incredibly stupid things. The amount of that check will be filled in whenever I get done serving in this gun club. I've agreed to pay up to, and including, my very life. I really do feel that strongly about our nation, and its origins.

A group of patriots that met in Philadelphia in 1776 felt just as strongly as I do. I wish that more people would remember their pledge and sacrifices on the occasion of this annual celebration. Enjoy your cookouts and camping trips.

Soccer Popularity Strangely Absent--How Not Shocked Am I?

2010-06-19T01:23:00.000-04:00

Soccer is not as popular in the United States as it is in other nations; this is not disputed by any rational adults. Some people are horribly vexed by this dilemma, while others are able to easily list the reasons why. Here's my couple of cents' worth.

A gentleman by the name of Steve McCarthy once wrote that soccer often gives the people of various nations hope, and presents realistic goals of achievement to youth everywhere (except our nation, of course). Americans are culturally different in that regard. Which sports do our kids fantasize about the most? Basketball? Baseball? Football? The feel-good piece by McCarthy sings the praises of soccer, and does it well. It doesn't really explain why we, as a nation, don't really care about soccer.

A soccer blogger wrote about his exterminator not being interested in soccer because the U.S. doesn't excel at it. He goes on to state that this is the norm:

Americans are extremely competitive and always want to excel in everything they do. So, rather than watch a sport where the US will not succeed, the exterminator (and presumably countless other Americans) want to watch something else, something they can win.

I think this guy is horribly misguided. His bug guy might not be articulate enough to say that he just doesn't give a damn about what many of us find uninteresting, but that doesn't equate to "presumably" countless Americans only being uninterested because we're no good at it as a nation. The failed logic of that one is glaring!

Another gentleman, by the name of Todd Pheifer writes about America's fascination with violence; I think he may be on to something, but I question some of the associations with European soccer clubs; what's the first thing you think of when someone mentions soccer in England? Does the word start with an "h?" It does for me. American football is indeed violent by nature; is that the source of attraction? I don't know, but I think not. I know that there have been some amazing games that I've enjoyed that had no real "highlight reel" hits. The level of competition between the teams, the dueling between the QB, WRs and opposing defenses, the ballet-like abilities of the RBs, these are the things that inspire football fans! The big hits will always make web gems, but they won't create new NFL fans.

American culture is different than most other nations in the world; this fact needs to be acknowledged by those that puzzle over things like soccer. Why is NASCAR so popular? What about baseball? There's no real mystery over what's going to happen during a NASCAR race; the drivers are probably going to turn left. If they turned right on some of those oval tracks, I'd probably tune in to that race (yes, I already know that they race on road courses once in a while). Baseball? It's slow, and only punctuated by brief moments of exciting action. Watching a pitcher that puts away a large number of high BA players is fun for me. Why? Does my playing of baseball as a child cause me to be interested? Do all NASCAR fans have a deep-seeded fantasy revolving around driving fast?

To me, it's not a mystery that soccer is not popular. I suspect that as youth soccer programs grow and more of those youth reach adulthood (or something close to it), soccer will continue to grow in popularity in our nation. Just please stop claiming that because I lack interest in a certain sport, I must hate it. Don't claim that because the U.S. doesn't perform well at it that I must not be interested for that reason; my football team doesn't do very well these days, but I'd still enjoy seeing a live Raiders game! Stop telling me that I must refer to soccer as "futbol," "football," or whatever somebody is calling it this week; I just don't care. You can call it hamster ranching, and I'll still not care to watch it.

A Bold Statement about Our Society

2010-06-16T21:55:00.000-04:00

I was poking around a social networking site today and saw someone's link about an upcoming "documentary" on ESPN. Now, while I enjoy watching certain sporting events, I would hardly consider professional sports to be the nucleus, or center of gravity of our nation. Some folks believe differently.

A friend of mine mentioned the date, which is the title of the film, mentioned O.J., and stated that he still remembers where he was that day. I can vaguely recall thinking, why are people so fascinated with this?

Why indeed? Why are so many people obsessed with the woes of celebrities? Where is the outcry over being cheated? By cheated, I mean that a large number of folks looked up to O.J. as some sort of role model; they then proclaimed that he cannot possibly be a murderer because he was quite good at playing football. This reminds me of the heated cries of support for a wacko child predator; he couldn't possibly be a bad guy because he was once pretty darned good at singing and dancing.

These public displays of misplaced loyalty and admiration are a disturbing indicator.

Memorial Day 2010

2010-05-30T21:04:00.002-04:00

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.

Memorial Day was first proclaimed on 5 May, 1868 by General John Logan. Pictured below is a remembrance ceremony that took place at Belleau Wood, site of a bloody, yet famous battle between German soldiers and United States Marines during World War I.

Please take a few moments on this day to remember what this long weekend is about. (Source article)

Movie Review: Daybreakers

2010-05-22T00:23:00.003-04:00

Bottom line up front: Don't waste your time or money.

I sat through most of this movie, and ended up giving in to an overwhelming desire to walk out of the room. It's predictable, the acting is lukewarm at best, and Willem Dafoe actually disappoints in this one. Sad; I like him in almost all of his previous works.

The movie has a neat concept behind the plot, but it's so poorly done that it left me shaking my head. Avoid this one if you can.

Chuck Taliano- We Don't Promise You a Rose Garden

2010-05-14T05:04:00.005-04:00

One of the most famous Marine Corps Drill Instructors in history, by virtue of a captured moment of intensity, is feeling a bit under the weather. I'd ask that you offer your prayers and kind thoughts for him and his family.

Chuck Taliano was the subject of the above poster, and I have an autographed copy of it. I remember doing my best to be just as intense as him when I was wearing the big hat.

Chuck has been an icon, and a very generous individual. When I was doing my tour at Parris Island, he was at the museum quite a bit, and would autograph copies of the poster. It was sold there to raise money for the museum. I don't think he got anything out of the deal, except the satisfaction of helping the museum out.

Semper Fidelis Chuck; you'll always be a source of inspiration for Marines everywhere.

Chuck in 2004

Google Ranking and Other Search Engines

2010-05-07T19:47:00.007-04:00

Have you ever wondered how Google ranks the results that you get when you search for something? What about other search engines; how do they work? The mechanics of search engine rankings (particularly Google) may surprise you.

Google page ranking is actually big business. It used to be bigger, and here's why: Web-based companies used to make money by simply offering to optimize a web site for search engines, and some still do. They banked on the myth that page ranking is some sort of mystery--It's not (at least not any more). The one thing that remains a secret is the exact algorithm that Google uses to rank pages.

Google works in a complicated way, but it's really not as complicated as some folks make it out to be. Google routinely "crawls," or examines web pages for content. In other words, if you publish a web page, Google will eventually examine it, and then index it for search results. If you have any type of site monitoring application, like Sitemeter, installed, you will regularly find page hits (visits), from "googlebot." This is not a person visiting your page, but Google's automated crawler; it's examining, or crawling, your page in order to index it. It's looking for some particular things, and it uses a mathematical algorithm to rank your page, based on those things.

The debate over which things on your page will sway the almighty googlebot is intense; some argue that incoming text links weigh pretty heavy, while others simply stick to the old-fashioned key word content. Here's what those are in a nutshell: If I type a word in this post, and then make it a link to a site (like this: Write on the Right), I've created an incoming text link to that site. The more of those a page or site has, the higher it will be ranked by Google. In addition, if I include certain key words in my blog post (like search engine, Google, SEO, etc), Google will index my site based on those words. The more relevant key words I have in my content, the higher the ranking.

Someone recently said to me that they don't understand how Google can continue to offer such effective search results for free. Well, it isn't really free. Google makes money the same way television stations do, by advertising. How many ads have you come across that link to a Google search result? Probably more than you've really kept track of. Companies also pay good money to get their pages ranked higher in Google search results; that's big bucks for Google too. Also, Google has its fingers in much more than search results; they have their own browser, and many other applications (like Blogger). I wouldn't be surprised if Google fielded its own operating system soon.

One more thing that is often overlooked is the power of blog posts for search engine ranking. My blog, for example, gives every post its own unique URL. Try hovering your mouse pointer over the title of this blog post; you'll see that the post has its own web address. Since the web page for this post also includes a link to my home page (Write on the Right), every blog post that I publish will serve to slightly increase my blog's search engine ranking by creating more incoming links to the home page. Who's confused? In other words, more posts equals more links to everything that I link to on the home page, and the home page itself.

Here's another bit of trivia: Text links work better than image links. What that means is, the text links that I have on a page will cause the target site to be ranked higher (based on what the text link says), while a banner or image isn't as effective in ranking. Google will index and rank images, but it doesn't do a great job of associating key words with them.

Other search engines, like Yahoo, Ask.com, and Bing, use essentially the same concepts, but Google continues to be the heavy hitter. There are also search engines that are topic specific, such as medical and job search tools. All of this helps to make things easier for us when we need to find information, but it tends to dilute the effectiveness of optimizing your site for search engines.

Here's the bottom line: Links and keywords help ensure that people can find the web content that they search for. The next time you view a professional web page, try looking for the key word content that is intentionally placed there; you might be surprised how much you find.

Leavin' On a Jet Plane

2010-04-09T03:02:00.002-04:00

It's that time again: I'm goin' to be a ramblin' man.

I'm heading out tomorrow on that wonderful flight from Okinawa to the land of real Mexican food, Southern California. It's a two week course that I have to attend, and I get a week of leave on the back end of it.

While I'm looking forward to the trip, I'm not looking forward to the trip. Traveling is, by its very nature, a pain in the ass. Some folks love living out of a suitcase, and shuffling through airports; most don't. I'm with the majority on this one. There is certainly a part of me that loves the adventure of the journey, otherwise I wouldn't be in this line of work. Mostly, though, international business travel is a hassle.

I will, however, get to see family, and even a friend or two. That will be nice. I enjoy the scenery of coastal California, as well. I'll miss my wife and kids, but that's part of the package.

See you on the other side.

Endless Supply of WTF

2010-04-02T04:51:00.006-04:00

Some of us have the luxury of observing things and asking, "WTF?" It's easy to overlook the fact that other folks have to actually participate in the WTF. The sheer stupidity of the WTF often overshadows the plight of those subjected to it.

Here's an example: Shortly before Christmas last year, I saw a unit running down the road in formation, with every Marine wearing a Santa hat. They were wearing typical "green on green" PT clothing, with the addition of a freakin' Santa hat. They all looked absolutely miserable, except for the CO, who was leading the parade of WTF. This was a fine example of epic WTF that I was able to observe, while others had to actually participate in it.

There are many WTF moments in the Marine Corps; that's just the nature of this line of work. I believe this is the result of a couple of factors. First, stupid people get promoted too. Some guys, and gals, get promoted for reasons other than their leadership abilities; there's no denying that. They can be complete idiots, but because they score high on the PFT, they get selected over a peer for promotion (or they excel in some other particular area other than leadership). Instant WTF generator! Imagine the dumbest kid in your high school class, and then imagine him or her in charge of 100 employees. Can you imagine the WTF moments that would ensue?

Next, some leaders, particularly in the officer ranks, don't give a flying f^ck about the Marines in their charge. They spend their entire careers trying to generate comments for their own fitness reports, and scurrying to cover their asses. When something bad happens in their unit, they implement the most idiotic and useless measures, just so they can say, "This is what I did to fix the unfixable." If they can generate enough items to put on their fitness reports, they get selected for promotion. Yet another WTF generator.

Don't get me wrong; there's no shortage of great leaders in the Corps, but there's also a growing supply of bad examples. This is saddening in the worst kind of way.

A Friend in Need

2010-03-31T05:52:00.002-04:00

A buddy of mine over at Improvise Adapt and Overcome has suffered a family tragedy; his daughters' house burned down.

His ex wife and his kids have lost everything. If you have the time, stop by his blog and offer a word or two of support; he could certainly use it during these tough times.

Week in Review 14 to 21 March

2010-03-21T19:48:00.003-04:00

Thankfully, my wife made it back to Okinawa on Saturday night. She's glad to be "home," and I'm glad she's here. I think that my kids were growing weary of my cooking, if you can really call it that. My greatest culinary success was probably the night I went to Taco Bell.

My son had two track meets this week. On Friday he ran the 3,000 meter, and Saturday morning he ran the 1,500 and the 800. He did well in all three events. He wasn't first, but he wasn't last. He worked hard, and he improved over his times from last week. It's good to see him getting better.

We had a power outage at work, and I had to move my class to the officer's club for the morning. We set up a projector and screen, and I used my laptop to give a presentation on, of all things, public speaking. By the time I was done with my presentation, it was PT time. Big, big fun.

I took this morning off of work to get some administrative tasks accomplished today. With my personnel office being located on an entirely different base than where I work (or live), it creates some logistical hassles when it comes time to handle such things as travel claims or pay problems. I guess there is a silver lining though: I get to have lunch with my wife today.

How was your week?

Mr. Mom and Week In Review

2010-03-13T07:06:00.003-05:00

I guess this is a "two for one special." I didn't update last week, and much has happened. My wife had to fly back Stateside for a family emergency. I am now "Mr. Mom." In addition to missing my wife, I also have the pleasure of trying to do her job; I'm not as good at it as she is.

My son had his first track meet today. I dropped him off at 0800, went and got a cup of coffee at the PX, and got over to the field by about 0900 (when the meet was supposed to start). At 1420, he was finally done with his last event, and I was sufficiently sunburned. Since I was wearing sunglasses, I now have that stupid raccoon look.

My sis had a speaking engagement, and it sounds like she hit it out of the park. Way to go.

I had to drop one of my students for unprofessional conduct. It's disappointing when that happens, but the sheer odds of somebody doing something stupid almost guarantee that it will happen again someday. I hate to say it, but maybe some folks just need to pack their trash and find another line of work. I say that one moment, and then remember how we used to handle such matters several years ago; things have certainly changed.

I took my students on a little "intro run" around the base. Some of them are here from other locations (Korea, main island of Japan, etc), and they are unfamiliar with the layout of the base. I made sure to run by the chapel, the chow hall, the medical clinic, etc. I had my Garmin Forerunner watch on, and when the smoke settled, we had covered 7.1 miles. I felt great and wanted to keep going, but the students were not feeling it. It was good to get them out there and challenge them. Most of them are unaccustomed to running more than about four miles, and this was a good "welcome aboard" moment for them. They can curse me at their leisure.

How was your week(s)?

Week In Review 22 Feb to 28 Feb

2010-02-26T04:43:00.005-05:00

I think that the words for the week are, "What the hell."

I tried to renew my family members' passports today, and that was a cluster f^&k. There is a form that I didn't fill out properly, and the reference even states that my command is supposed to fill that sucker out. What a shock. How about if the folks that are in charge of such things publish the instructions somewhere?

I had a nice day off with my wife yesterday, and we went to a neat park. The park even has a pond, and the fish in there think that anything with a heartbeat will provide them with food. Sweet.

My son needs special track shoes for his high school track team stuff. Super. More money to spend.

It could all be worse. I have a roof over my head, my kids are healthy, and we have food in the fridge.

Update: We were shaken out of bed by a 7.0 earthquake this morning at 0530. I guess it was time to get up anyway. The loudspeakers in the area were broadcasting some sort of announcement, but it must not have been important enough to wake up the bilingual person, since it was only in Japanese. If I were a betting man, I would have put money on it having something to do with "tsunami," but that's just a guess.

Movie Review: Gamer

2010-02-15T02:51:00.004-05:00

The previews for this movie looked interesting, and the idea is pretty neat, albeit unoriginal. The movie is set in the near future, and stars Gerard Butler as a convict being "played" in a video game. Gamers have the ability to control real people in combat, with our hero being a wrongly convicted soldier, fighting for his life.

The only real star of the movie is Michael C. Hall, known for his role in the hit series, "Dexter," on Showtime. He plays an excellent psychopath, but the whole thing just stinks. I almost fell asleep a couple of times, and there's just too many points in the movie where I asked, "Why in the hell are they doing that?" There's even a creepy song and dance number near the end that just seemed way too silly for the mood of the film.

Overall, this was 95 minutes of my life that was completely wasted. Don't spend money on this movie. Poor plot, poor acting (with the exception of Hall), and a predictable ending. This one should be renamed, "Lamer."

Phishing and Other Scams

2010-02-13T03:28:00.004-05:00

I get email updates from a site called, Lifehacker. They currently have an interesting piece that points out the above pictured flow chart, with a link to a previous article about phishing attacks.

It never fails to amaze me how some folks, who seem to be fairly intelligent people, can get taken by scam artists. The guy emailing you from Nigeria with a subject line of "Dear blessed friend," probably doesn't really have 50 million bucks to share with you!

Here's a few tips that I hope are not new for anyone, but the recent article on Lifehacker tells me that some people just don't see the runaway dump truck heading for them:

-If a strange email has an attachment, avoid it! Only open attachments from trusted sources, and when in doubt, send a separate email to that source and ask them if they meant to send you a file, what it is, etc. I doubt if your freind or relative will cry too terribly hard if you don't watch the video they sent you of some kid crashing his bike into a porta-pottie.

-If you get an email from a company that you do business with, and the email asks you for personal information, report the email to the real company, because they won't do that! Popular methods for this scam include asking you to "update" your info, due to some sort of security "alert." A real email from a reputable company will ask you to simply go to their website, or call them. No reputable company will ask you for your personal information in an email.

-If an email sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Emails telling you that you have won something, and then asking you to send them a fee of some sort, are scams. Don't do it! If an email asks you for your bank account number and routing information, avoid it.

-Thanks! If an email thanks you for a recent contribution to a charity (these are popular after natural disasters, like the Haiti earthquake), and asks you to confirm your credit card number, and you don't hear alarm bells, you should get your hearing checked. Don't send your credit card information, or any other financial info, via email.

-Never give your email password to third party applications, or anybody else for that matter. I know that some sites ask for your email username and password, so that they can more efficiently provide you with some sort of functionality. Don't do it! There used to be some reputable sites that use this feature, and I think that a certain social networking site does the same thing ("help us invite all of your contacts!").

This list is not all-inclusive, but it hits some of the wavetops. If you're unsure, avoid the urge to click with that mouse button. There's more info out there, so do your homework, and don't get taken to the cleaners by an email/online scam.

Week In Review 1-7 February

2010-02-07T05:03:00.003-05:00

It seems like I blinked, and my weekend is over. It's Sunday evening here, and I just finished up some school work, enjoyed a plate of pork curry, and now I'm browsing some of my favorite websites. What a wild life I lead, right?

I did a "run-swim-run" workout on Friday, and it was a good time. I was able to beat most of my students to the finish point, and that was a good feeling. I expected to be sore Saturday morning, but it just never materialized. Next time I guess I need to push myself harder, right?

My wife and her friend went to a local Okinawan salon to get pedicures. I don't personally get the fascination with it, but it seems like "nail art" is all the rage here. With the low prices and large number of businesses that provide that service, it's rare to see a woman walking around here without something creative painted on her toes. My wife got cherry blossoms, given the time of year that it is.

It has been raining all week, all weekend, and is supposed to clear up in time to go back to work tomorrow. Isn't that how it usually works? We had planned a trip to the city of Nago to go check out all of the blossoming cherry trees, but the weather has been far too poor for that. Maybe we'll luck out next weekend.

At work, I have a bunch of staff sergeants as students, and one of the current batch is a prior recruit of mine. In other words, I was his drill instructor. It's very interesting to discuss his experiences with him, and learn about my time as a DI from the "customer's" perspective. I think he is exaggerating some of his memories, since I don't recall being quite as mean as he describes.

Comment Help

2010-01-31T04:23:00.000-05:00

I have to admit that I've been remiss in providing the necessary usage instructions to my horde of readers. I just had another person inform me that it took them a few visits here to discover exactly how to leave a comment--Sorry about that. With this layout, it is indeed a different interface for the commenting system (on the main page anyway).

To comment, simply click on the number in the small square icon in the top right of each blog post (see red arrow in the above picture). The icon looks a little like a computer monitor with a number on it. If there's no number in the little square, comments are unavailable for that post. Once you click on the number in that little square, the standard Blogger comment app will open in a different window/tab.

Favorite Sites

2010-01-31T00:22:00.002-05:00

As I continue to make changes to the chaos that is my blog, I find more and more things that I just can't help but reorganize.

I removed all of my links to other blogs. I put them in my favorites instead. My list of links will now simply be websites that I frequent or find useful. Blogs that I find amusing will be periodically highlighted with blog posts, but I don't need yet another list of links when my bookmarks/favorites and my RSS feeds all work just fine.

If you had a link in my sidebar, rest easy; I'll still visit.

Week In Review

2010-01-24T04:28:00.003-05:00

This week was a little more relaxed, with one exception: I had a final exam in my economics class. I think I aced it.

My wife and I went out to dinner to celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary. I guess this means that we're serious about each other, right?

We ate at a place called Sauce Live (website here). The food was wonderful. The theme is southern soul, and the menu is dominated by barbecue and traditional southern sides. We both had the ribs and chicken dinner, which came with fried potatoes, an amazing coleslaw, and a soft drink. Since this was our first visit, the owner brought us a complimentary order of hot wings to start us off. They were not like most "buffalo" wings, as Sauce Live has their very own hot sauce. Those wings were great, and I wish the place was closer to our house!

On Saturday, I took my wife and daughter to a local Okinawan optometrist to get new glasses. Going out in town is much less expensive than trying to buy glasses at the place on base (gotta love AAFES). The Okinawan couple that run the shop we went to are really nice, and their English is excellent.

A pretty slow week, but Friday's dinner with my wife was nice. How was your week?

Book Review: Windows 7 Inside Out

2010-01-23T03:10:00.001-05:00

I've been diving into this book, and it has turned out to be a treasure trove of information. Want to know how to set up custom file sharing settings? How about all of those crazy questions about wireless printing? This book will answer those questions, and even give you details about the tech stuff inside of Windows 7.

Windows 7 is turning out to be a winner. It works well, doesn't give me a ton of popup messages, and does what it's supposed to do. I still have questions about it, and want to know more about tweaking and tuning it, and Windows 7 Inside Out answers those questions.

The authors, Bott, Siechert, and Stinson, are experts in their field, and were privy to insider information during the development of the operating system, or OS. They know what they're talking about. They also had almost unlimited access to Microsoft for tech research, and they ironed out the details. The accuracy of the text is uncanny. If the book says to "click here for X," you can count on clicking there for "X."

The thickness of the book is daunting, but don't let that fool you. The book is well laid out, and the table of contents makes sense. I have no trouble finding the information that I want.

I particularly like chapter 8, "Organizing Files and Information." This is a must-read for anyone using, or thinking about using, Windows 7. Chapter eight goes over the layout of Windows Explorer, and the features that you can now have mucho control over (in a much more intuitive way than in the past). The authors even cover what to be careful about, and where to use caution. They go into greater detail in later chapters.

The chapter on security is something that I wish previous versions of Windows came with! If you set up a home network, you should read this chapter before you go "live." This book will also walk you through the actual setup of your home network. Want to plug your computer into your modem, your router, or go wireless? "Inside and Out" will walk you through it.

Throughout the text, there are little "windows" of text that are labeled as "Inside Out," like the title of the book. These are snippets of insight into the actual workings of the OS. They explain what Windows is really doing when you click on something, or choose a certain menu option. These little gems make the text more palatable, and add a touch of realism.

The book covers so much, that it would be unreasonable to expect a full account here. There is ten tons of info there, and it even includes a fully searchable electronic version on CD, with a few extras.

In a nutshell, this text will help anyone that is wanting to learn the ins and outs of Windows 7. The table of contents will guide you toward your target, and the information is spot on. This book is a keeper.

Sleep Talkin' Man

2010-01-18T00:52:00.001-05:00

This one is funny. An enterprising lady decided to record the wacky things that her husband says in his sleep, and then blog about it.

See it here: Sleep Talkin' Man (Language warning, some of it is not suitable for the youngin's).

Week In Review

2010-01-16T00:31:00.004-05:00

The past week seems to have been a busy one, with work being what it is, and school getting close to crunch time. I have a new batch of students at work, and they are a lively bunch.

I got some great news from back home this week. I won't go into detail, but suffice it to say that I'm greatly relieved, and I'm sure the rest of my family is too.

A new combined enlisted and Staff Non-commissioned Officer club opened on Camp Foster here recently. My wife and I tried it out for lunch today, and they were serving what appeared to be their Sunday brunch buffet (it's Saturday here). The food was plentiful and pretty fresh. I was somewhat impressed, since most buffet food is barely warm and of questionable freshness. Since it was not Sunday, the price was much better than expected. They sure built a beautiful club, and I hope it gets plenty of use.

My dog knows what the word "cookie" means, and she can even recognize that word when we spell it. I think we've created a cookie monster, but she's not blue.

Windows 7 seems to be working out great for me. My computer seems faster with this OS, I get far fewer popup warning messages, and I'm having fun discovering all of the features that are packed into this version. I get a kick out of the people who tell me that, "Linux can do that!" Super. Enjoy yourself.

I was reminded of the phrase, "Excuses are like a$$holes; everyone has one, and they all stink." I stopped a young Marine in the PX today who was wearing sweat pants. PT gear, or what most folks would call athletic wear, is not authorized for wear on leave or liberty, except when conducting PT, sports, working out at the gym, etc. It's never been authorized for wear in the PX. When I asked the young man if he thought his attire would be considered PT gear, he responded with, "I just got here." I'm not real sure what that has to do with anything, but I guess he thought it was pertinent to the topic. I know I've offered up my own share of excuses in the past, and maybe I just notice it more now.

A buddy at work finally tried making bacon wrapped little smokies, and he quickly realized just what I was talking about after Thanksgiving. I have known for a while now that bacon is one of the greatest foods on the planet, but these little babies sealed the deal for me when my wife made them a few weeks back. They really do taste far better than you think they would. I wouldn't advise anyone to make these if they have an addictive personality. If we made these on a regular basis, I think my waist line would have its own zip code.

Some of you already know about my addiction to gadgets. I have a watch that has a built-in GPS receiver. I've had this little gem for about five months now. It's a Garmin Forerunner 205, and it gives me more information than I thought possible. It even hooks up to my computer, and the included software helps me manage my runs, monitor my performance, and set up future routes. It tells me distance, pace, elapsed time, elevation changes, and all kinds of other stuff. I can set the display up to show me whatever information I want it to, and keep track of my pace while on the go. With a half marathon in my future, this sucker is pretty useful. It also comes in handy when I lead my students on a PT run at work. I can set a steady pace, and work toward increasing that pace as the course progresses. The 205 is a bit on the bulky side, but the usefulness makes it worth it. I don't wear it as an every day time piece, but I've put a bunch of miles on it so far while running. I would recommend this product to others. There are newer versions out there that do other stuff (heart rate monitors, blue tooth updates to your computer, etc), but they cost a lot more money.

That's my week in a nutshell; how was yours?

Yellow Box Okinawa--They Just Don't Give a Damn

2010-01-14T03:19:00.003-05:00

My wife and I visited the Yellow Box Furniture store today. Yellow Box is a well known fixture here on Okinawa. Unfortunately, they seem to have let their success go to their head.

We stopped by the small shop that they have at our local military exchange. I don't know how that deal was worked out, but Yellow Box can sell furniture at our PX. Anyway, we have been on the lookout for a television stand. Not necessarily a stand really, nor an entertainment center, but a small, simple cabinet. We saw the perfect item at the Yellow Box, and decided to get it.

When we went in to talk to the young lady behind the counter, we asked if we could purchase that very item that was on display. She said that if she had them "in stock," she could not sell us the display model. Fair enough. She got on the phone and spoke to an unknown person, and informed us that they were indeed "in stock." Ok, so where are these "in stock" items?

"Well, they said they can have it there at our main store in two days, or deliver it, which I can set up a date for," she said.

How does that equate to being "in stock?" Sounds to me like the item is "in stock" in some far away place, not here at the store I'm standing in.

Because of that policy, Yellow Box lost a sale. Unfortunately, they don't seem to give a damn about such things. They make plenty of money, due to the fact that they'll extend credit to any service member with a pulse. Is their success the reason that they don't care? Probably. A few young married couples with little or no disposable income are probably lining up to finance a new bedroom set as I type this.

I suppose that this lack of customer service is pretty much the norm everywhere these days.

New Look, Same Great Taste

2010-01-10T04:26:00.003-05:00

Well, I did it. I filed my old template in the "round file," and started from scratch. Unfortunately, all of my old comments were deleted, as were my links.

I'll have to manually add all of my links back in my sidebar, so please be patient if I had a link to your site or blog. As for comments, it's not a tragedy.

Thankfully, third party comment software is now gone. Blogger will have to suffice until something that works comes along.

If you're interested in a snappy new template, try Theme Craft. They have some really neat ones.

Intense Debate is a Football Bat

2010-01-08T02:18:00.004-05:00

Have you ever heard the expression, "You're about as f^c&ed up as a football bat!"? That's about how the comment system on this blog is working out.

Since Haloscan decided to screw its loyal users, and this "Intense Debate" system doesn't work for crap, I have no comment system that I can count on. The XML code on my blog is so screwed up, I don't think it can be repaired. I'm about to scrap it all, and start over with a new template, sans third party comment systems.

I know what you're thinking: "Why didn't you back up your template before you installed (whatever)?" I did. My template, however, has migrated from the old Blogger, to the new Blogger. During the migration, I already had the Haloscan system on there (like a freakin' virus). That's the problem. I have no "clean" version of my template that will work with the new Blogger.

My apologies to the readers that do leave an occasional comment. I wish this new comment system had worked. I don't recommend "Intense Debate" to anyone, in any capacity. It seems amateurish, at best, and completely FUBAR at present. Their own developers, or whatever they are, couldn't even make it work right (after I emailed them a copy of my template code). That just sends me the wrong message.

In the mean time, here's a picture of a monkey riding a dog!

Cover Me; I'm Going In

2009-12-30T04:11:00.004-05:00

With the wariness of a Marine going into a building in downtown Baghdad, I'm entering into the unknown territory of Windows 7. I'll be taking the time this weekend to install the much-lauded version of Windows that I received for free.

I enter into this fight with a little bit of comfort--I have an install disc that was designed for my computer, and I have an install "helper" file from the manufacturer. It's all supposed to be a breeze..."It's just a simple update."

I have made the recovery DVDs for my laptop, and I am backing up EVERYTHING. I hope that my backups will be unnecessary, but their existence is almost as comforting as extra ammunition.

What I really don't look forward to is the attempted migration of my software applications. There are so many things that I had to renew, update, reinstall, etc, when I got this new computer. Will I have to mess with all of that again after the update? According to my computer's manufacturer (and that evil bastard known as Microsoft), I will have a smooth migration of that stuff. I don't believe it for a second.

I'm already angry about the chaos that represents the comments on this blog; this is just another cog in that wheel. If it doesn't work, I hope that I can backtrack, and not give in to the desire to go chew out the manufacturer rep at the local PX.

UPDATE: All of this information is based on an upgrade from Vista Home Premium (64 bit OS), to Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit). My laptop has an Intel dual core processor and 4Gb of RAM.:

After utilizing my computer manufacturer's update assistant, it appears that Windows 7 has installed properly and, so far, everything looks shiny and new. In addition, the update assistant seems to have successfully salvaged all of my software, documents, settings, etc. It forewarned me that it would download the newest drivers for hardware, and uninstall various features prior to the update. It spent the night downloading updates, and then I began the actual installation of Windows this morning. It took a couple of hours today, but it didn't seem to encounter any problems.

There appears to be a few utilities on Microsoft's website that will test your computer, and give you a list of software that must be uninstalled prior to upgrading. It will also tell you which version of Windows 7 your computer will support (Basic, Home Premium, Pro, Ultimate, 32 bit or 64). Toshiba's upgrade assistant feature seems to have done that pretty seamlessly. I have not yet encountered anything that doesn't work, but I will compile a list if I do make such discoveries.

Using Toshiba's upgrade assistant provided me with the ability to automatically use the manufacturer's own updating system to install the newest, Windows 7 compatible drivers for my computer's hardware, but it also brought all of the notorious "crapware" with it. You know all of those gadgets and whistles that come with a new computer? Crapware. Windows 7 gave me the option of checking for the newest updates, but I was instructed to not select that feature.

The procedures for upgrading were pretty simple, but I did have to write down a couple of instructions before the process, since there are a couple of choices to be made during the install. Selecting the "upgrade" option, instead of the "clean install," made things a little easier. The clean installation would have wiped the HDD, and I would have been without all of my existing applications, documents, media, etc.

Hats off to Toshiba for providing me with an upgrade utility that worked (so far). I felt a little like the guys on the original Apollo Project must have felt..."I hope this sucker makes it, and doesn't blow up."

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T02:51:00.004-05:00

Merry Christmas to all, and I hope you get to spend it with friends and family!

Life's Great Mysteries

2009-12-23T22:37:00.005-05:00

As I was sitting here pulling my hair out over the failed commenting features of my blog, puzzling over the complexities of XML, and hating the person that invented Cascading Style Sheets, I asked myself one of the many questions that revolve around life's greatest mysteries: Why do I even have a blog?

There are so many unanswered questions in life--What is the meaning of life? Is the universe infinite? Is that guy down the street really as crazy as I think he is? We may never know, or agree on these things, but they bring to mind similar conundrums.

This blog is not my first one. I had a blog in the past that was actually pretty popular. It got a ton of traffic, garnered many comments, and propelled me into blogging stardom. Ok; not really stardom, but maybe mediocrity. I gave it up, deleted the entire blog, and even deleted my entire "Blogger" account. I ended up regretting that a little. While many of the posts on that blog were political in nature, and were the result of my anger and lack of satisfaction with our elected tormentors, there were some pieces on it that I would have enjoyed reading again. A couple of select readers even suggested the same thing.

This brings about an answer to the current question of why I even have a blog. While comments are a nifty feature, they're not the real reason I write this silly stuff. I enjoy going back through it and reading about what I was pondering at different times. It's sort of fun to read a post about trips to a Japanese hardware store, or the comical ineptitude of local drivers. I almost forgot about the guy in my class that wrote, "green," for the size, style and quantity of PT shirts that he wanted to order. These are the intangible, hard-to-put-a-finger-on type of answers that we usually get from the tough questions.

I might not ever know, or care, if the universe is infinite, but I know why I blog.

Okinawan Drivers

2009-12-16T03:41:00.001-05:00

I don't even have to ask; I already know that there is a 99% chance that the driver of this vehicle is Okinawan.

see more Epic Fails

Intrusive Child Development

2009-12-12T22:11:00.004-05:00

In my current line of work, it has grown quite popular to discuss, "intrusive leadership." While the concept is not new, calling it something so catchy might be. The idea is, of course, that a leader should be actively involved with his or her subordinates, and know what is going on in their lives away from work. Is that young Marine having problems at home with his wife? Money trouble? Something else that might affect his or her performance? Have you taken the time to get involved with that young Marine?

Thinking about this idea, and even talking about childhood memories with my wife, reminded me of an incident from my childhood, and makes me wonder how intrusive many parents are these days. I also wonder how intrusive, or even concerned, most adults are as a whole.

I think I was about six years old, or maybe a year or so younger, during a particular trip with my mom to the grocery store. This particular store had a couple of the large bins of Brach's candy. It was sold in bulk, or by weight, and to a young kid, it was very odd to see large quantities of candy just laying about within easy reach. Isn't candy supposed to be in packages? Instead of asking my mom about it, I did what seemed natural at the time and just grabbed a piece.

Do you remember when you were a little kid? Do you ever think about how smart you thought you were, and how stupid you thought adults were? I don't think this is a conscious thought process, but what do you suppose I was thinking when I later tried to eat the piece of candy, and my mom asked me where I got it? Can you guess what my panicked response to that question was?

"I don't know."

Think she bought it? Not for a second. A swat to the hindquarters might have been in order, but Mom didn't spank me. Instead, she drove me back to the grocery store, and made me tell the manager of the store what I had done. There was even a policeman in the store that day! Can you imagine how terrified a young kid would be when given a "stern talking to" by that store manager? I remember that the policeman's belt was the style that actually had bullets stored in the little loops of it, and that they looked like pencil erasers.

How many managers of large grocery stores would take the time to do that today? How many parents?

This is what I would call intrusive child development. It would be so much easier to simply punish a child, spank them, take away a privilege, or do something else that would cost us less time or effort. I'm willing to bet that many store managers today would simply inform the parent that they owe X dollars, or simply refer the matter to the proper authorities. Simpler and faster, right?

Are the days of commonplace intrusive child development gone, or is it simply less noticeable? If you practice, or have practiced this type of teaching, do you feel like you are the exception, or the rule? Got any similar stories from your own past?

Young at Heart

2009-11-26T22:02:00.003-05:00

Are you familiar with the phrase, "Young at heart?" Are you as young as you feel? Are you older than you feel? I hope so. Here's to hoping that you feel about 20 years younger than you are! When I examine the idea of being young at heart, I'm reminded of a great song.

Most of us spend our lives ignoring our own mortality, and we spend our early years convincing ourselves that we're going to live forever. Occasionally, we encounter things that give us stark reminders of our own impending doom. Ever have a close call? Have you ever looked back on an incident in your life and thought, "Wow. I'm lucky!"? Our ability to ignore these things helps us perpetuate our contentment. Any psychology majors out there want to chime in?

It's amusing how we look forward to various milestones in our youth (becoming a teenager, driving, voting, drinking/gambling) and then the newness wears off as each box is checked. The pendulum of reality begins swinging in the opposite direction at some point, and we begin to dread new milestones (30, 40, and more). I disagree with this idea, to some degree.

I often tell my father that I'm still a punk kid. I feel like a punk kid on most days, and I occasionally act like it too. Some days I feel really old, older than I have a right to. Most days, I surprise myself. It's a neat feeling to say, "I'm 40 and I still feel 20." Does that make me young at heart? What really leads to that feeling? What sparks the imagination and keeps us arguing with our own mortality?

I know that we have a natural defense mechanism that allows us to degrade bad memories. The bad things that tell us we're going to die, or that a fire is hot, tend to get a little less bad over time. Some things don't. Some memories are so vivid that a mere smell or sound can bring them back as strong, or even stronger, than they once were. How does our brain sort these things out? If we can't get over bad things, most women probably wouldn't have more than one child! Just a guess on that one, but my wife agrees with that theory wholeheartedly.

What sparks your imagination? Do you feel young at heart? What keeps you that way? What makes you wake up one day and say, "This is an awesome day?" Is it knowing that people care about you? Is it knowing that there are more things out there to discover? Is it a hobby? A passion? What gets you fired up like that? What keeps you feeling younger than you are? What keeps you carrying moonbeams home in a jar? I know we've all had those moments, days, weeks, or even months and years. Or would you rather be a fish?

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T23:16:00.006-05:00

A hearty wish of a warm, safe, and happy Thanksgiving goes out to all who stop by here. I hope that you have a great weekend, and that your turkey is moist, tender, and cooks fast enough to allow for maximum football viewing!

In regards to the photo above: Dear Mr. Bush, It's not a dog, and it won't fetch a tennis ball.

Sorry; I just had to do it. That picture is just a wee bit too inviting like that. Politicians make such easy targets.

Big Cities and Crime

2009-11-24T06:02:00.002-05:00

I was recently thinking about how much I dislike big cities. I've visited several of them, and they all seem to have a few things in common. Some are worse than others (Paris comes to mind on the bottom end), but most are crime infested, crowded, loud, ugly, and smell bad. A co-worker was argumentative toward my assertion about crime, and I had to point out that crime is indeed worse in urban areas than in rural. One only need consult the DOJ or FBI for the data to support that. My co-worker had an interesting time browsing their websites.

This one is a no-brainer, and I even laughed when I saw a comment in response to a blog post on violence that countered with, "but we live in a diverse urban community." That should be your first clue that your neighborhood is plagued by violence!

Our DOJ routinely publishes crime data, often in conjunction with the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports. It's absolutely no surprise that crime rates are higher (in number of crimes per 100K) in urban areas than in rural or small towns. I would love to hear your speculation as to why in the comments section. I know what you're thinking, and I ask that you give practical reasons, not emotional leaps to conclusion. Writing that, "there's more idiots in cities than in the country," doesn't explain anything (although I would agree).

Is it the draw of more social handouts in urban centers? Is it greater restrictions on gun ownership? Is it the lack of community cohesiveness? What say you?

Death, Taxes and Change

2009-11-20T23:10:00.003-05:00

As I forced myself to take a break from my economics homework (I didn't have to try very hard), I tried to remember how old I was when I first heard the comparison of death and taxes to reliability; I was unable to come up with an age, but I think I was pretty young.

It's ironic that we use two universally disliked items or ideas (the connotation of these terms almost oozes out into your lap) to describe something as being reliable. Yes, we can always count on death, and we know that there will always be taxes (politicians should be a separate species from the rest of us humans). Shouldn't reliability be a positive thing?

I submit that there is another item in our world that we can always count on: Change. It has been said before that the only real constant in this world is change. A certain politician even ran on a mere promise of change...What sort of person buys into that, when all they have to do is sit back and wait for inevitable changes? I like to call that the "shiny trinket effect," and it works well with voters. Change is indeed a constant, and it isn't always good.

I have a friend that joined the Marine Corps a few years before I did, and left active duty as a Sergeant. When talking to him one time, I mentioned what an interesting twist of fate it would be if he had stayed in and I ended up working for him in some capacity. Not that he works for me, but our roles would probably be much different if he had become my First Sergeant, or Sergeant Major. It then dawned on me that his departure from our Corps may have been a good thing, because he wouldn't like the changes that have taken place. It's odd that one of the more prominent challenges that a career Marine faces is being patient enough to put up with "progress."

I have often said to peers and subordinates that the job of the Corps continues to get more difficult as society continues down its path of degradation. As the morals and standards of our youth (and even adults) decline, the standards of the Corps remain the same. Our job of bringing young adults to our way of thinking, nurturing strong morals, and enforcing higher standards, gets harder every day. I often wonder if it's all really worth it, and then I see a young Lance Corporal or PFC that is just as excited about being a Marine as I ever was. It's like hooking myself up to some sort of emotional battery charger; it reminds me that the patience is well worth it. What about these various forms of progress?

It's now acceptable for Marines to wear flip flops as "appropriate civilian attire." Really. In addition, just try asking a 17 year old Marine if he knows what those loops on the waist of his jeans are really for! This type of thing probably sounds very trivial to some people, but the level of discipline that we demand of our subordinates carries over into many realms other than mode of dress. This is, however, not a new concept.

There is a quotation that I'm fond of using in one of the classes that I teach, and it brings things back into perspective a bit:

"I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on the frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words. When I was a boy, we were taught to be discrete and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise and impatient of restraint."

This quotation is not nearly as effective if you are unaware of when it was originally stated. This was first penned by Hesiod (often considered the father of Greek didactic poetry) in approximately 700 B.C. See? Nothing new here.

Every generation of Marine eventually reaches a level of maturity and wisdom that they feel grants them inclusion in an elite club: "Old Corps." How many retired Marines out there (or those that are no longer on active duty) have said the words, "When I came in the Corps...?" Yes; I know--We can't boil water in our helmets like you could. Noted.

My point is simple: Change will always happen, and we can't do much about it. Luckily, we have the wisdom to usually hang onto those things that we know we should not change. Today's young Marines have the same fighting spirit, drive to succeed, and esprit de corps that any previous generation had. I know that when I hang up my cover for the last time, I'll be passing the baton to an equally talented (even more so in many ways) and capable Corps of warriors.

Death and taxes indeed...

WTF For Sale

2009-11-13T02:53:00.002-05:00

I came across this ad on a local website:

"Looking to buy a Goat. Anyone know where I can buy a goat? I have some grass i need cut and I don't feel like cutting it. I also hear goats make good golf caddies. Thanks for your time only serious sellers only please..."

(link to ad here)

2009 USMC Birthday Message

2009-11-10T23:13:00.003-05:00

I shamelessly stole this from Eric.

This is one of the best birthday videos that the Corps has made to date. Well done.

Happy 234th Birthday Marines!

2009-11-10T20:35:00.003-05:00

To my fellow Marines, including those no longer on active duty, I say, "Happy Birthday."

Here's a bit of the trivia from Marines dot com:

"During the American Revolution, many important political discussions took place in the inns and taverns of Philadelphia, including the founding of the Marine Corps.

A committee of the Continental Congress met at Tun Tavern to draft a resolution calling for two battalions of Marines able to fight for independence at sea and on shore.

The resolution was approved on November 10, 1775, officially forming the Continental Marines.

As the first order of business, Samuel Nicholas became Commandant of the newly formed Marines. Tun Tavern’s owner and popular patriot, Robert Mullan, became his first captain and recruiter. They began gathering support and were ready for action by early 1776.

Each year, the Marine Corps marks November 10th with a celebration of the brave spirit which compelled these men and thousands since to defend our country as United States Marines."

A great post about our heritage can be read by visiting Taco's blog here.

D.C. Sniper To Be Executed

2009-11-10T18:00:00.003-05:00

John Allen Williams (who later changed his name to the more appropriate "Muhammad") is set to be executed today. To this I say, "It's about damned time." This one is a no-brainer.

One of the pinheads that likes to spend their time milling about outside the prison walls at execution time said,

"The greater metro area and the citizens of Virginia have been safe from this crime for seven years," Panilaitis said. "Incarceration has worked and life without the possibility of parole has and will continue to keep the people of Virginia safe."

I have a couple of questions for the starry-eyed protester--Does your crystal ball use batteries, or is it powered by fairy dust? By what other means are you predicting the future? How many people should go ahead and bet their lives on your assurances that monsters like this one will never get out of prison? In the mean time, I'll rely on the method that absolutely guarantees that the offender will never repeat their wicked crimes.

Story here.

Pew Research Data About Fox News Channel

2009-10-12T17:16:00.006-04:00

So, the pros can see through the b.s.:

"...a study by the Pew Research Center showed that 40 percent of Fox News stories on Obama in the last six weeks of the campaign were negative. Similarly, 40 percent of Fox News' stories on Obama's Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain, were negative.
On CNN, by contrast, there was a 22-point disparity in the percentage of negative stories on Obama (39 percent) and McCain (61 percent). The disparity was even greater at MSNBC, according to Pew, where just 14 percent of Obama stories were negative, compared to a whopping 73 percent of McCain stories -- a spread of 59 points. "

This was discussed in an article on Fox (click here) about how a D.C. appointee has labeled Fox News a "wing of the Republican Party." I suppose that's in opposition to a few other news channels being rabid pawns of the Democrats. Can you imagine the response of CNN if that cesspool known as Chicago HAD been given the nod for the Olympic Games? How many reporters would have been peeing themselves in glee over that debacle?

Fox also dared to air some news about ACORN, and other untidy subjects (how much coverage did that get on CNN?). For this, a D.C. stuffed suit claimed that Fox is not a news channel, "...the way CNN is."

Maybe Fox should Reuter a few photos; would that do the trick for the D.C. crowd? Perhaps they could distribute a few pictures that a cabinet member personally, and professionally requests that they shelve; would that put them in the same league as the AP? Perhaps they could get Dan Rather to air some forged documents about the president's employment history; would that make them a "real" news channel?

Career politicians continue to disgust me.

Dissent Equals Racism?

2009-09-11T23:27:00.003-04:00

The hoopla over Rep. Wilson's outburst during the president's address to a joint session of Congress is amusing. Where was the uproar over Hillary's insolent eye rolling, pouting, and blatant disrespect of President Bush immediately following 9/11? I'm no Bush fan, but you would think these whiners would try to at least pretend to be consistent.

In an absurd episode of pot versus kettle, the chairman of the National Newspaper Publisher's Association has declared that Wilson's cry of, "You lie!" is racist. That's right; you cannot claim that a president is lying to Congress (Clinton already made that okay) without being racist.

A tool named Danny Bakewell stated,

"Rep. Wilson's remarks were racist, disrespectful, and a disingenuous violation -- not only of President Obama -- but to the institution of the presidency and only solidified our position and the importance in not spending black dollars where black people are not respected."

Black dollars? I haven't seen those. I wonder if this guy realizes what a racist nutjob he sounds like?

Story here.

9/11 Remembered

2009-09-11T05:29:00.003-04:00

A day that will also live in infamy.

Associated Press to family of fallen Marine: Screw you

2009-09-04T19:47:00.003-04:00

The Associated Press, in all of their journalistic charm, decided against the pleas of, well, everyone, and distributed a graphic photograph of a maimed, dying Marine. The father of young Lance Corporal Joshua Bernard, and even the Secretary of Defense, personally asked the AP to not publish the photo.

The AP decided that they are somehow classier by distributing the photo of the dying Marine.

"The story and photos are in themselves a respectful treatment and recognition of sacrifice," said AP senior managing editor John Daniszewski.

"Respectful treatment?" Are you kidding me? I hope that Mr Daniszewski dies on the shitter, and a photo of the event is published nationwide, in order to give the death a proper and "respectful treatment."

Original story here (among other places).

Career politicians---Hard at work

2009-09-03T04:54:00.001-04:00

And some people still don't understand why I'm not a big fan of punching a chad for someone, simply because they're the incumbent....

see more Fail Blog

The News Sucks

2009-08-29T21:49:00.002-04:00

I've been trying my best to ignore the ongoing disposal of "The Swimmer," tubby Teddy. Luckily, I don't watch a lot of television, but even the news sites are infested with that crap. Why so much hoopla over the death of yet another career creep?

I guess that because that entire clan has such a reputation for being slimy crooks, above the law, and somehow better than YOU, the lamestream media feels the need to try and make The Swimmer's corpse more important than it really is. Just dump that sucker in the ground already!

Mary Jo Kopechne unavailable for comment...

Today's Youth and Leadership

2009-08-28T07:15:00.003-04:00

Some of today's military leaders have been promoted on the merits of things other than their own potential. Ask any military man if this is true, and you will get a universal answer: Stupid and incapable people get promoted too. Call it a "good ol' boy network," or whatever you want; it happens.

The sad part of this situation is that the entire Marine Corps suffers as a result of a stupid, or incapable, Marine getting selected for an advanced leadership position. Leaders influence subordinates, in both positive and negative ways.

Today, I had a Gunnery Sergeant brief me on an incident that occurred, and it caused much head shaking, and a true sense of disgust. My Gunny (we'll call him Gunny Smith) was driving on base, and saw a young Marine that was in direct violation of our uniform regulations. My Gunny parked his car, and walked over to where the young Marine was, then proceeded to say, "Hey! Come here Marine!"

Nothing wrong here, yet.

The young Marine then rolled his eyes, slacked his shoulders, sighed heavily, sucked spit through his teeth, and spewed a belligerent attitude through every pore of his skin. My Gunny got a little upset at his insubordinate action. Gunny Smith proceeded to chew the young Marine's a$$, and threw a couple of colorful expletives in for good measure. This is par for the course when you draw the attention of a Gunny in a negative way.

Enter Gunny Boone. Gunny Boone happened to see Gunny Smith (my subordinate) chewing the young Marine's a$$, and went over to investigate. Gunny Smith was done correcting the young Marine by the time Gunny Boone arrived, but Gunny Boone was adamant about finding out why some "strange SNCO" would be yelling at one of his Marines. He proceeded to take the side of the young Marine. He later called Gunny Smith at work, and tried to argue his point. He insisted that the young Marine had done nothing wrong.

Let's back things up a bit...Can you imagine a United States Marine, in uniform, riding in a tactical vehicle, with pink earphones plugged into his head? Me neither. Not only is it a direct violation of a Marine Corps Order, but it's also a safety issue. "Gunny Boone" saw nothing wrong with this, and insisted that the young Marine did nothing wrong. Pink earphones? WTF?

I let the telephone conversation, that I could only hear one side of, go on to completion. Gunny Smith briefed me, which he should have, because he thought there was a chance that Gunny Boone would pull a chicken $shit move and go crying to his command. Gunny Boone even emailed Gunny Smith, and tried to argue against the Marine Corps Order on uniform regulations. This idiot even quoted the part of the order that the young Marine was in violation of! This guy shouldn't be allowed to breed, let alone get promoted! This situation should have ended with the a$$ chewing that Gunny Smith provided for the young Marine.

I decided to intervene. Not only was my Gunny doing the right thing by correcting the young Marine, but Gunny Boone needed to be corrected too. I hated to do it, but I contacted Gunny Boone. The issue ended, I think, with that correspondence, but the guy is still a Gunny. He still has influence on young Marines. He's helping to raise a generation of "sea lawyers." This is disturbing.

When you reach a certain rank in the Corps; you really need to stop offering PFC answers for the shortcomings of others (and yourself). This guy makes me want to vomit, and I hope that he leaves the Corps very soon. I also hope that he doesn't influence many young Marines.

That's my rant for the day.

Semper Fidelis.

The Gunny-- An Old Joke

2009-08-21T20:44:00.003-04:00

This is an old joke that I remember, but it still gives me a giggle now and then:

One sunny day in the desert "paradise" of 29 Palms, California, an old crusty Gunnery Sergeant (aka: Gunny) decided to award two of his young squad leaders, both Corporals, by treating them to lunch at the USO.

After an uncomplicated meal that was slightly better than the fare at the chow hall, the three were walking back to the company area when one of the Corporals nearly tripped over a piece of brass sticking up out of the sand. Upon closer inspection (initially thinking it was an old piece of UXO), the piece of brass turned out to be the handle of an antique lamp. Pulling the lamp out of the sand, the first Corporal rubbed the dirt off with the sleeve of his uniform. This was met with a look of disdain from the old Gunny. "Drop that old piece of junk in the $hit-can over there, and let's get going," said Gunny.

The Corporal was about to comply when smoke started coming out of the brass lamp. He dropped the lamp and, a moment later, a genie, who looked a bit haggard and disheveled, appeared before the three Marines. "I've been trapped in that lamp for thousands of years. I'll reward the three of you by granting you each one wish. Choose wisely," said the genie.

The first Corporal thought for a moment, wiped the summer sweat from his brow, and said, "I wish I was relaxing on a beach in Hawaii with swimsuit models serving me cold beers."

"Done!" said the genie, and the young Marine disappeared with an audible 'poof.'

The second Corporal liked the wish of the first and said, "I wish I was relaxing on a beach in the Bahamas with swimsuit models serving me cold beers."

"Granted!" said the genie, and the second young NCO disappeared with an audible 'poof.'

The genie turned to the crusty old Gunny, and said, "Well, what would you like me to grant you?"

The salty old Gunny offered a wry smile and said, "Chow time is almost over; I want those two sumbitches back at the company office by 1300."

The moral of the story: If you ever encounter a genie, let the Gunny choose first.

Health Care Bill Facts

2009-08-21T04:17:00.009-04:00

Here's just a couple of little facts about the 1k+ page bill that most of our lawmakers haven't even read:

1 The bill will cost the average person $460 more in premiums each year.1

2 As many as 114 million Americans may lose their current coverage if the bill passes.2

3 Up to 5.5 million jobs may be lost, according to a model developed by President Obama’s own chief economic advisor.3

4 While the Congressional Budget Office claims the bill will cost $1.28 trillion, it will actually cost $9.2 trillion over the next 75 years.4

5 The bill contains $820 billion in tax increases, the largest tax increase in history.5

6 Companies that do not provide their employees with a government-approved health insurance plan will be taxed at 8%, forcing many employers to drop coverage for their employees.6

7 Individuals that do not obtain a government-approved health insurance plan will be taxed an additional 2.5% of their income, or $1,000 for every $40,000 they earn.7

8 After increased income taxes on those making $350,000 or more, the top tax rate in 39 states will be more than 50%; the highest wage earners in New York will be taxed at 58%, more than any country in the world, including Sweden.8

9 A family of four with an income of $88,200 will qualify for taxpayer-funded subsidies.9

10 Even after the plan takes effect, 34% of the estimated uninsured will still lack coverage.10

This analysis is not designed to endorse or oppose this or any other proposed legislation. Its sole purpose is to discuss the bill’s components in the context of the Center’s research into the topic. The statistics cited herein are current as of August 19, 2009, but are subject to change due to amendments made to H.R. 3200.

1 Robert E. Moffit, Ph.D., “The House Health Care Bill: A Blueprint for Federal Control,” Heritage Foundation.
2 “Analysis of the July 15 draft of The American Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009,” The Lewin Group.
.
3 Rep. John Boehner & Gov. Tim Pawlenty, “Capital Malpractice: How the Washington Takeover of Healthcare Will Hurt States,” p. 5.
4 “Financing Health Care Expansion with ‘Surtaxes’ on High Incomes,” Joint Congressional Economic Committee. July 20, 2009.
5 Chuck Blahous, “Plan still $820 billion above target,” Politico.com, July 29, 2009.
6 H.R. 3200, 111th Cong. § 412.
7 H.R. 3200, 111th Cong. § 401.
8 “If Health Surtax is 5.4 Percent, Taxpayers in 39 States Would Pay a Top Tax Rate Over 50%,” Tax Foundation, July 2009, No. 178.
9 H.R. 3200, 111th Cong.
10 Lewin study.

This is courtesy of the Tennessee Center for Policy Research. This is the real "inconvenient" truth that the left ignores.

Put as much lipstick on this pig as you want, it will still stink. Our fat, bloated government has a sick sort of Midas Touch; everything it touches turns to crap, and health care will be no different. Just look at medicare, medicaid, USPS, Social Security, and any other program that they've messed with over the years. You can't deny it, no matter how loudly you shout, "hope and change." Wanting something very badly won't make it so.

The actual bill (HR 3200) can be read here: click link to read the bill

Facts and link to TCPR shamelessly stolen from Ol' Broad.

The Sweatshirt Story

2009-08-08T21:48:00.009-04:00

Have you ever gone out and done the exact opposite of what you should have done, and then tried like hell to "fix" it? You too?

When I was stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, my unit would go up to Fort Pickett, Virginia every winter for gunnery. The ranges at Lejeune were not capable of supporting the weapon systems that we used, so we turned to the Army for support. What we got for support was the use of a decrepit old base that had almost zero infrastructure in place. It was perfect! Who needs all of those luxuries like hot food, a base exchange, or real medical care? We had our own field mess to serve us up some heated "k-rats" on a daily basis, and our Corpsmen to identify the cause of death. In a sense, it was just like a deployment, and it suited us just fine.

There was a skeleton crew of civilians on base there, and they kept the electricity on, and that's about it. One thing that they did have, and our (the Marines) first order of business was to inquire about it, was an enlisted club. We didn't have the opportunity to visit the club the first week or so that we were there, but the green flag finally came on a cold Friday afternoon. We were all instructed, very clearly, that we needed to be on our best behavior, and that any "incidents" would result in our unit being banned from the club. Hell, what could go wrong?

My immediate circle of buddies consisted of a Sergeant (Sgt) who thought everyone was plotting against him (this was when he was sober), and a Corporal (Cpl) that was a state champion wrestler with a bad temper. Oh, the wrestler was also a really mean drunk. I donned some jeans and a sweatshirt for what I thought would be a pretty tame night at the local beer joint. Sgt Winn, Cpl Patterson, and I headed for the club at 1700 on a chilly Friday evening. We were in good spirits, and were looking forward to finally drinking some beer, feeding some quarters into the juke box, and maybe shooting some pool. I reminded both of them that we needed to not get out of hand, or it would be our only night out while we were here; both of my companions were in agreement.

We walked through the frozen mud between the old movie theater and the enlisted club, and discovered that the club was actually pretty nice, in an old, battered, campy kind of way. The jukebox was fairly loud, they had a couple of pool tables, and there were plenty of tables around the ample bar. They also had a very well stocked bar, run by a pleasant man with an older woman helping out.

We sat down at a table and ordered a couple of beers, and then put some money on the pool table. We ended up playing a few games of nine ball with some mortarmen from one of the battalion's line companies. This was our first bad move. The mortarmen didn't share our desire to stay out of trouble, and they were on a mission to get as drunk as possible. They began ordering shots for all of us, and I did what came naturally: I downed shot after shot of cheap tequila. I felt great! I didn't want these shots to interfere with my beer drinking, so I swaggered over to the bar and took up station close to the taps.

I ordered a beer, and struck up a conversation with the bartender. I have no idea what it was about, but I think it involved horses. I was doing just fine with my beer when mortarman number one brought me two more shots of tequila and said, "You're falling way behind, Devil Dog. Get on it." Well, hell. I'm not going to be made a mockery of for turning down free tequila.

Fast forward about 15 minutes, and the same mortarman is back with another couple of shots. I can't remember if the idea that this might end badly ever crossed my mind, but I certainly didn't put up much of a fight.

A few minutes later, I discovered that bar napkins will completely dissolve if you slop enough beer on them. The bartender wasn't nearly as impressed as I was. He still brought me another beer though. Cue the mortarman with another couple of shots.

Mortarboy comes back yet again, and I told him that we needed to stop meeting like this. He laughed and said, "Don't be such a wuss; these shots aren't going to drink themselves!"

I'm now invincible, and have decided to tell anyone within ear shot that I can drink more liquor than any of them! Cpl Patterson, the mean, short tempered wrestler, says, "What? Bullshit! It's on now motherf#^&er." He orders more shots for all of us, and moves the entire party over to the bar, where it's much more convenient for me to indulge in the debauchery.

I'm unsure of how many shots I did after that, or how many beers I drank. Suffice it to say that I consumed far more alcohol than I should have. I found myself sitting (sort of) at the bar, alone, and drunk as I could possibly be while still remaining conscious. For the uninitiated, that's pretty drunk. Then, as if being drunker than the town whino at a wine tasting festival wasn't enough, I soon realized that I was going to vomit. I didn't think I was going to vomit, I knew I was going to vomit. I also knew that I probably couldn't walk very well. This all happened in the span of what seemed like half a second, and before I knew it, I had spewed chunky puke all over the top of the bar.

Now, remember, I was supposed to be on my best behavior, so that we didn't get banned from this bar. I somehow doubt that spraying the bar top with slimy vomit would be considered good form. The Marine in me came through. I had enough of a sense of mission accomplishment and Esprit de Corps to know that I had to somehow fix this social misstep.

I stretched the bottom portion of my sweatshirt out in front of me, just under the edge of the bar (just as if I was going to scrape a few crumbs from a table). I then reached out my other arm and began swiping all of this puke off the edge of the bar, into my sweatshirt. I vaguely remember a warm sensation in my lap, as the liquid portion made it through the sweatshirt. To my credit, I cleaned the top of that bar off so well, the bartender never said a damned thing about me puking on it (he was otherwise occupied dealing with mortarman #1 and Cpl Patterson in the other end of the room at the time; Cpl Patterson had reached "mean drunk" condition). I then hobbled over to a large plastic trash barrel in the corner, and emptied the contents of my sweatshirt into it. It felt like I was carrying a wet bowling ball in my sweatshirt! I tried to scrape the chunks off as best I could, remarked to a passerby that, "We had chili-mac tonight, and I ate a shitload of that slop!" and then headed toward the restroom to try and finish the cleanup effort.

I don't remember much after that, but I know I made it back to the barracks, and so did paranoid Sgt and mean wrestler Cpl. The Army contacted our CO the next day and said that they didn't appreciate the mayhem that ensued. Our CO placated the Army liaison enough that we weren't banned, yet, from the club. What a sense of relief that I felt! I was so worried that I would be the one to get us thrown out! Now it would surely be someone else...Maybe.

Twitter Down, Earth Keeps Rotating

2009-08-06T20:44:00.005-04:00

I yawned as I read a small news story about Twitter being down. I checked and, unbelievably, the sun did indeed come up this morning, despite no updates from twits, twats, tweets, whatever, telling it to do so.

This came on the heels of Wired reporting that the Marine Corps has finally issued a policy statement about not using such crap as Twitter and Myspace on government networked computers. Is that really tech news? A good friend sent me an email about it, and his email in response was actually read during a podcast by a couple of allegedly tech savvy folks during their show. The story on Wired is a bit poor, in that it tries to make it sound like we Leathernecks cannot access social networking sites, while the only restrictions are actually to the government networks. We can still access all of the stupid sites that we want to from our "homes," barracks, even the USO. Yep; rest assured that your young PFC can still do a search for "midget wookie porn" and probably view such crap from the relative privacy of his shared barracks room...Go ahead and shudder along with me on that one! Those of us that are a part of this gun club have known about this since Chesty was around. I guess they've simply issued a policy statement about it. Did anyone twit that on Tweeter/Twitter/Whatever?

I just have to ask, where is your "I don't give a damn" line drawn on such things? Do you care if your friend had a few beers and is watching the sun come up? Are you concerned if an acquaintance cannot access their bank account from their cell phone? Do you need to know about it while sitting on the toilet?

I've always sort of thought that Twitter was a bit silly, but this just seals the deal for me. I'm trying to come up with a way to quantify how much I don't care about Twitter's epic fail, but I guess there's no terminology yet. Does my blog post indicate that I really do care? If someone were to ask me how much I don't care, and I replied, "toaster oven," would that do the trick?

Perhaps we need a new language for these things...

Burial At Sea

2009-08-01T19:18:00.001-04:00

A fellow Marine by the name of Taco has posted a link to a very moving story, and re-printed it on his blog. I strongly suggest you read it.

You can find it here: Click this link

Michael Jackson...Really?

2009-06-26T19:19:00.003-04:00

Loving father...

Is it just another publicity stunt? I guess not; Michael Jackson actually died. His entourage stated that it was possibly a heart attack (not drugs?), but I don't really give a damn how he died, as long as he didn't take somebody else with him.

I keep seeing all of this hoopla and crap on the news about it. Why? I don't normally speak ill of the now-decomposing, but I will certainly speak ill of the idiots that are fawning all over his long-dead career. This guy, for quite some time now, has only been famous for being a child predator, and acting moderately insane. "But John, he was acquitted!" So was OJ.

All of these idiots that are saying crap like, "Oh Michael; You'll be missed!" piss me the hell off. What kind of dope are they smoking? How can he be missed when he hasn't done anything worthwhile in more years than most of his fans can count? Some people have some seriously screwed up priorities. The guy was a creep; get over it.

Same Old Song In California?

2009-06-15T17:47:00.002-04:00

Do you know what happened 159 years ago this Fall… back in 1850?

California became a state.
The people had no electricity.
The state had no money.
Almost everyone spoke Spanish.
There were gunfights in the streets.

So basically, nothing has changed except the women had real boobs and the men didn’t hold hands.

(Shamelessly stolen from Wirecutter)

Movie Review

2009-06-12T06:10:00.003-04:00

I just watched the movie, "Gran Torino," with Clint Eastwood. He did a fine job of portraying the character, and the movie was touching and funny (in parts).

The plot was predictable, and I knew what was going to happen before I was halfway through the movie. He tried to put a bit of a twist on the ending, but it wasn't much. Some of the plot elements were a little weak and unrealistic, but it was still an entertaining picture show.

I'm glad I watched the movie, but I didn't agree with all of the hype over it. I'd say it's a good choice for couples to watch (it has the chick flicky element to it).

Vintage Gunny

2009-06-06T05:21:00.003-04:00

I was digging through some of my old posts, and came across this post (click it to read it).

I guess it's a neat story, and it reminded me of a recent "Dining Out" that we had at work. The President of The Mess had recently done a tour as a Drill Instructor, and we shared a few sea stories about that tour of duty.

A Dining Out is just like a Mess Night (Google it), but spouses are invited. We tend to tone down the fines and skits a little bit (but not much), but that's about it.

We had a great time, and shared the traditional camaraderie that is normal for a gathering of Marines. We toasted our forefathers, and our fallen brothers.

Good times were had. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Buyer's Regret

2009-06-06T01:16:00.004-04:00

Have you ever purchased an item from a store that you thought looked really neat, you couldn't live without it, and would absolutely love or enjoy? Have you ever done that, and later realized that your purchased item was a low quality, poorly performing piece of junk?

If I had to guess, I'd say that roughly half of all Americans have experienced exactly that same form of regret in the last several months or so. Just a guess...

Memorial Day

2009-05-24T02:36:00.004-04:00

I hope that everybody enjoys their long weekend. Have fun at your backyard cookouts, trips to the beach, and time away from work and school.

I also ask that everyone that stumbles across this blog take just a moment of your time to remember why we have this holiday. Please remember those that gave that last full measure so that we can continue to live free.

Another WTF

2009-05-05T05:24:00.002-04:00

see more pwn and owned pictures

I wonder if that's a cop?

see more pwn and owned pictures

There's bound to be a guy with a mullet somewhere nearby

see more pwn and owned pictures

Yep; it's very high

Socialism--Is Anyone Really Surprised?

2009-05-04T04:27:00.003-04:00

This guy saw it coming, why couldn't those that voted for his political platform in 2006 and 2008?
-Shamelessly swiped from the Free State of PIG.

I Like The Marines Because...

2009-02-20T02:56:00.000-05:00

"Author Unknown"

Why I like The Marines

I like the fact that if you are a self-declared enemy of America, running
into a Marine outfit in combat is your worst nightmare... and that your
health record is either about to get a lot thicker, or be closed out
entirely.

I like the fact that Marines are steadfast and consistent in everything they
do... regardless of whether you agree with them or not.

I like the fact that Marines view the term 'politically correct' with
nothing but pure disdain.

I like the fact that Marines stand tall and rigid in their actions,
thoughts, and deeds when others bend with the direction of the wind and are
as confused as a dog looking at a ceiling fan.

I like the fact that each and every Marine considers the honor and legacy of
The Corps as his personal and sacred trust to protect and defend.

I like the fact that most civilians don't have a clue what makes us tick.
And that's not a bad thing; because if they did, it would probably scare the
hell out of them.

I like the fact that others say they want to be like us, but don't have what
it takes in the Pain-Gain-Pride department to make it happen.

I like the fact that the Marines came into being in a bar named Tun Tavern;
and that Marines still gather in pubs, bars and slop chutes to share sea
stories and hot scoop.

I like the fact that Marines do not consider it a co-incidence that there
are 24 hours in a day and 24 beers in a case because Marines know there is a
reason for everything that happens.

I like our motto... SEMPER FIDELIS and the fact that we don't shed it when
the going gets tough, the battlefield gets deadly, or when we hang up our
uniform for the last time.

I like the fact that Marines take care of each other... in combat and time
of peace.

I like the fact that Marines know the difference between 'Chicken Salad' and
'Chicken Shit' and aren't afraid to call either for what it is.

I like the fact that the people of America hold Marines in the highest
esteem and that they know they can count on us to locate, close with, and
destroy those who would harm them.

I like the fact that people think we are cocky.... yet we know that we have
confidence in everything we do; the fact that they don't know what it takes,
and that makes them look at us as if we are arrogant.

I like that fact that we know the taste of freedom and would give our very
lives for it; that is a taste, the protected will never know.

I like the fact that Ronald Reagan said... 'Some people spend an entire
lifetime wondering if they made a difference... Marines don't have that
problem!'

I like the fact that we are brothers/sisters to the end... and that no
matter what happens in life, we know that we guard each other's 'six'.

I like the fact that an elected member of congress felt compelled to
publicly accuse the Marine Corps of being 'radical and extreme', and that
our Commandant informed that member of congress she was absolutely correct
and that he passed on his thanks for the compliment.

I like the fact that Marine leaders of every rank know that issuing every
man and woman a black beret (or polka-dotted boxer shorts for that matter)
does absolutely nothing to promote morale, fighting spirit or combat
effectiveness.

I like the fact that Marines are Marines first... regardless of age, race,
creed, color, sex, national origin, or how long they served, their former
rank, or what goals they achieve in life.

I like Marines...and I love the fact that I am humbled to walk among the
ranks of other Marines.

I like the fact that you always know where you stand with a Marine. With
Marines, there is no middle ground or gray area. There are only missions,
objectives and facts.

In closing...if you aren't a Marine, the next best thing is to have a Marine
for a husband, wife, father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, best
friend, or friend.

SAEPE EXPERTUS, SEMPER FIDELIS, FRATER INFINITAS (Often Tested, Always
Faithful, Brothers Forever)

Excuse Me For Not Jumping On the Wagon

2009-01-24T23:56:00.005-05:00

In the not too distant past, I used to blog about politics. I gave that up, as it just wasn't much fun. After all, blogging is something that I do for my own amusement, not as a career (or even a bona fide hobby). During my foray into political topics, I was often asked what I thought of (then) President George W. Bush. I reluctantly informed my readers that I could not speak critically of my Commander In Chief...It is, quite literally, against the law for me to do so. Now that he is no longer my CIC, I can speak about him in whatever manner I see fit. There's only one problem with that: Why should I even bother?

The press in our nation have maligned Bush beyond any reasonable degree. To what end? They've ~~hinted~~ made it painfully obvious that they intend to report only such news as supports their left-leaning agenda. Every mistake that our nation's President made was plastered on television screens, websites, newspapers and magazine covers. You'd think that misspeaking was comparable to high crimes and treason. There's nothing that I can say that will benefit the situation one bit. I will, however, give a brief synopsis of my opinion of "W." What the heck; it might be fun. I will not, however, jump on the bandwagon of blaming all of my (and the nation's) woes on Bush. I will also not be joining in the orgy of glorifying the 44th President. Once again, the media doesn't need any help in that department.

My opinion of Bush is quite irrelevant, but I'll give it nonetheless. I'll also point out that a lack of condemnation does not constitute endorsement. I've been labeled a "Bush bot" in the past for failing to join the frenzied flinging of curses and epithets regarding our President's policies. I'm not his biggest fan, and certainly not a blind follower of party lines. Without further ado, here's the lowdown:

I believe that George W. Bush is not the worst President that we've ever had. Calling that one is a tough choice (Carter springs to mind, but he's got some keen competition). I do, however, think that he squandered away some incredible opportunities. Prior to the 2006 debacle, he had a Republican led Congress on his "side." He could have used that opportunity to crack down on the joke that is our southern border. Illegal immigration is W's biggest failure. He had eight years to fix it, and didn't do anything about it. He even tried to sell us a recycled load of amnesty, eagerly supported by liberals everywhere. Another popular website even began calling him "Vicente W. Bush." Once the Dems gained a majority in Congress, it was too late. Our southern border will remain as porous as can be, and crime, disease, and social handout overload will continue to rise as a result.

Invading Iraq with no plan for follow-on operations was a mistake. Hell, Rumsfeld wanted to invade with a single Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU)! Can I honestly say that invading Iraq at all was a mistake? No; I cannot. As best I can tell, Bush acted on the intel he was presented with, and I'm not only referring to intel from American sources. Even the Brits, the Russians, and the Israelis were singing the same tune. He did, however, pounce a little too eagerly on that grenade. In the past, whenever Saddam was off his meds and got froggy, sending a few Tomahawk cruise missiles his way did the trick for a while. Leaving him in power kept a certain amount of stability in the region. Are the Iraqi people better off without him? Most certainly, but that's not our problem, or, at least it wasn't our problem prior to March of 2003. We could have bombed terrorist training facilities and suspected WMD locations just as easily from afar. As an aside though, let's not forget that regime change in Iraq became official U.S. policy on Clinton's watch, not Bush's.

Allowing the press to gain political momentum and generally bash him was a mistake. Bush has said that he didn't fire back at the media because it "wasn't important." I disagree. He should have fought back at every turn. He should have squashed the "tax cuts for the rich" garbage at his earliest convenience. He should have ensured that charges were filed against the responsible parties at the New York Times for divulging classified information, and interfering in a federal investigation. It damned sure was important, and he blew it. As evidenced by Obama voters themselves, the truth doesn't drive public opinion anymore, the media does.

George W. Bush is no longer our sitting President and, to the confusion of Obama voters everywhere, there has been no dramatic change in anybody's life because of it (unless your last name is Bush or Obama). At Obama's inauguration, many of the high-class, well informed supporters booed Bush. I wasn't really surprised, but it was still disgusting. This was further evidence of the left's reliance upon emotion. I believe that overall, Bush is a good man, and he was truly passionate about what he was doing. He was far from the conservative leader that most of us wanted, and he made mistakes, but he is not the cause of all of this nation's woes. The cause of most of our problems is in an entirely different branch of government. That's right, and their approval rating is even lower than Bush's.

There; that's it. Some folks were probably expecting a flaming rant of epic proportions. I apologize if this is not as vile as you were hoping for. You can get that sort of thing on the liberal blogs, or the news channels, if you're so inclined.

Merry Christmas from Okinawa

2008-12-22T16:34:00.002-05:00

Here's to hoping that everyone's Christmas is festive and safe. Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish readers too.

Christmas in Okinawa doesn't feel quite like Christmas in the states. The weather, of course, is quite different, but the general atmosphere is not the same either. Only about 20% of the population is estimated to really celebrate Christmas here, so the decor is a bit lackluster.

I somehow doubt that we will have a "white Christmas," but I'm thankful that I get to spend it with my wife and kids. I'll certainly miss spending Christmas with the rest of my family, but that's why I get paid the big bucks.

Merry Christmas. Stay safe, and have a great week.

Good News

2008-12-19T17:09:00.003-05:00

Headquarters Marine Corps has published the fiscal year 2009 approved selections to the rank of First Sergeant and Master Sergeant. You can view the list here. My name is on it!

What this means is that I've been selected, by the promotion board that convenes in Washington, for promotion to Master Sergeant (E8). The Corps will now promote a few each month until they get to my "number." I'm looking at sometime next summer to get promoted.

I work with a couple of guys that got passed over, and it sort of stinks for them, but that's life.

Bailout: Rewarding Failure

2008-12-17T05:27:00.001-05:00

Shamelessly stolen from Politically Incorrect Gazette.

Jury Duty

2008-12-02T04:11:00.002-05:00

About once a year or so, my wife gets a summons for jury duty. It comes in the mail. It comes in the mail to our FPO address. With efficiency like that, I think we're all doomed.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T20:29:00.003-05:00

Despite all of the wailing and wringing of hands over the dangers of deep frying turkeys, I've decided to do exactly that this year. Since it's raining outside this morning, I'm going to move the fryer into the living room...I'M KIDDING!

Since I know how to read, follow simple instructions, and fight the urge to "improve" on the process, I have no worries about frying a turkey. Besides, I have a fire extinguisher, and wounds heal.

The neat part is that I used an injector to inject seasonings into the bird. The seasonings are mixed into melted butter. I was delighted when I realized that I'm actually going to be deep frying butter...Mmmmmmmm; health food. The only way to make it even better would be to stuff a duck and a chicken inside of that sucker, and maybe a couple pounds of bacon too. Oh well; there's always next year.

Here's to hoping that all two of my readers have a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

More Okinawa Funnies

2008-10-04T04:41:00.003-04:00

You can click these for the full size version. These are just a couple more funny things that I see here in Okinawa on a daily basis. My wife is fond of reminding me that things we see every day and find routine would be very interesting to folks in the states.

If you want some goo, you can just call and it will be delivered by this guy:

What do you think will happen if you don't obey this sign? I've seen this one a few times, and I always giggle a little bit:

Making Changes

2008-09-29T00:23:00.003-04:00

I had written a previous post about my time as a Drill Instructor at Parris Island. One of the commentors asked what it was like to transition back to "normal" duty after that. I thought I might delve a little bit into that.

Serving as a professional jerk has its drawbacks. It was extremely difficult to turn that behavior off when I came home at night, but it became a little easier as my tour went on. There are various jobs, or billets associated with DI duty. There's the Drill Instructors, the Senior Drill Instructor, and the Series Gunnery Sergeant, which used to be called the "Series Chief." As I moved up the food chain to SDI and Series GySgt, my role changed.

The SDI is not as much of a sadistic madman as the regular Drill Instructors, and that has a very important reason behind it. While none of us wanted to see recruits get abused, I'm not naiive enough to think that it never happens. Having an SDI that the recruits feel will solve their problems can have a positive effect if there is a DI that is stepping over the line. Recruits will come talk to the SDI about it, instead of someone at the medical clinic, the chapel, an officer, etc. This gives the SDI the opportunity to solve the problem, without officers getting involved. It also makes the evening transition at home, and the transition back to the fleet, a little easier.

Moving another notch up to Series GySgt is even better. I did one cycle as the Series GySgt (I was only a Staff Sergeant at the time), and my only real job was to run PT in the mornings, and supervise the DIs and SDIs. I wasn't the one training recruits, and I was able to ease the tension a little bit.

Both of those jobs made transitioning back to the FMF (Fleet Marine Force) a little easier. Another element that made it more practical, if not easier, is having a family. My tour as a DI was very hard on our family, and I didn't want to lose them. It was absolutely imperative that I make some serious changes, or I probably would have lost them.

There was one other factor that helped me. I, and probably every other Marine that has been around for a while, have worked for, or with, those Marines who are prior DIs, and that never seemed to take off that smokey bear. I don't particularly care for that at all, just as most subordinates don't. I knew that I would probably lose the respect of my subordinates (and peers?) if I didn't change my leadership style. You simply cannot treat Marines like recruits.

In a nutshell, it was a little difficult, but I had some help. I still can't believe that my wife put up with me through all of that, but I suppose that it made our marriage stronger. Between that and deploying, I think we could get through just about anything now.

More Japanese Signs

2008-09-07T01:20:00.003-04:00

So does spelling! The crime "preventic" didn't work too well, since somebody stole the 'N.'

I saw this today while out geocaching, and I couldn't pass it up.

Vacation is Over

2008-09-05T23:38:00.004-04:00

Well, my couple of weeks of "vacation" are over. I thought that I had more stuff going on while I was off of work...until I returned to work.

Young, male Marines are dumb; there's no getting around that. Some of the young, female Marines are just as dumb. Get them together, and you've got a recipe for MP involvement. Sheesh. Was I really that dumb when I was their age?

My current battalion commander has decreed that all alcohol-related incidents will go to his level for punishment...maybe he didn't realize that this policy will simply serve to squash even more incidents. Oh well; I get to "counsel" even more young Marines now...hehehehehehe. I have a shovel, some sandbags, and an imagination.

Being back at work is strange, but silly decisions by those "above" me have made it even stranger.

I alos received a nice email from a liberal Democrat. She told me that she disagreed with my Commander in Chief, but supported me and my fellow troops. I was impressed with her email. It was very nice, and counter to anything I have ever received from any liberal. I wish she was running for office, vice Obama. Perhaps if liberals believed, or made public, what she does, they'd get a lot more traction.

Until Monday, stay safe and shoot straight.

The Marine

2008-08-24T04:15:00.002-04:00

I swiped this from a friend of mine who happens to be a fellow Marine. He's an infantryman, which puts him in a special category. I just have to disagree with him on one count: This list applies to Marines in general, not just those fun-loving Grunts. I think we're all Grunts at heart...at least those of us that have had the distinct pleasure of serving in the same platoons as those crazy bastards! God bless 'em.

Marines come in all shapes, shades, weights, sizes, states of sobriety, misery, and confusion. They are sly as a fox, have the nerve of a dope addict, the sincerity of a politician, and the subtly of Mt. Saint Helen. They are extremely irresistible, totally irrational and completely indestructible.

A Marine is a warrior all his life even if only for a few years of that life. He is a magical creature. You can kick him out of your house but not out of your heart. You can take him off your mailing list but not off your mind. Soldiers and Marines are found everywhere... in love...in battle... in lust... in trouble...in debt...in bars and ... behind them. No one can write so seldom and yet think so much of you. No one else can get so much enjoyment out of a letter or clean clothes or a six pack.

A Marine is a genius with a deck of cards. A millionaire without a cent and brave without a grain of sense. HE IS THE PROTECTOR OF AMERICA! When he wants something, it's usually 30 days leave, music that hurts the ears, a five dollar bill...or a woman he can count on.

Girls love them, mothers tolerate them, fathers brag about them,
the government pays them, the police watch out for them and somehow they all work together.

You can beat their bodies, but not their minds. You can tame their hearts, but not their souls.

He likes girls, chow, females, guns, women, alcohol, ladies, did I say alcohol?, and the opposite sex.

Marines dislike small checks, working weekends, answering letters, waking up, maintaining a uniform, and the day before payday.

You may as well give in. A Marine is your long distance lover... they are your steely-eyed, warm-smiling, blank-minded, hyper-active, over-reacting, curious, passionate, talented, spontaneous, physically fit, good for nothing bundle of worry.....

And he will always be there for you, regardless of how long its been since you've last talked.

Meme

2008-08-22T02:53:00.004-04:00

Hammer put up this meme, so I thought I'd give it a shot. It's a fun topic. I'm not tagging anyone, but give it a rip if you want.

You just won the mega powerball jackpot to the tune of 150 million dollars (after taxes)

1. What would be the very first thing you would do? Go shopping...Cars, guns, plasma televisions for people I like, etc.

2. Where would you choose to live? A large parcel of land somewhere in North Carolina, not too far from the coast, but just far enough to ensure relative safety from those Haliburton generated hurricanes.

3. What kind of house would you live in? Sprawling ranch house with unattached garages and workshops. I'd also have a driving range, and plenty of room to ride dirtbikes, shoot, hunt, fish, and maybe blow shit up.

4. What kind of car would you buy? The list would be long, but I'd start with a 1969 Camaro with a 502ci big block and really shitty gas mileage (gotta do my part for global warming, baby!).

5. Where would you vacation? Anywhere I wanted, but I'd probably start with parts of the country that I've not seen yet, like the New England area. I'd certainly have to check out the Amish neighborhood, just because I work with a gent that hails from there.

6. Would you have anything on your body fixed? I don't think they have a fix for what's wrong with me.

7. What kind of hobbies would you engage in? Golf, geocaching, fishing, hunting, shooting, dirtbikes...sheesh; I can't list 'em all.

8. What charities would you donate to? Any that fight cancer, Alzheimer's, heart disease, and those that support the Second Amendment.

9. Would you give money to your relatives? Yep; they're great folks, and I love them very much. Hell; it would be fun just to spoil my parents with a new house, fancy car, and all that shit.

10.Would you run away from your current life? No. I would finish my current enlistment in the Corps, and even do an eight month extension to take me to my retirement mark.

11. Would you continue to work? I might open a sporting goods store for me to putter around in, and a quilt shop for my wife to run.

12. Would the money change you in any way? It would simply remove the financial pressures that I face, and possibly make me nicer to people that I don't know. Oh yeah; it would certainly make me a better fisherman, since I'd get a lot more practice.