Mark's Expeditions in Technology and Life

Well, as you can probably tell from the title of this post, it is raining. It has been raining now for almost 3 full days. We are not talking a little rain here or a little rain there. We are talking full on gully washers! I think it did stop for about 20 min on Friday, but I think maybe I was dreaming! Well, it is only supposed to rain until a week from Tuesday. Hopefully I can stay sane! It is funny to watch us Americans around here. We, for the most part, seem to be afraid of the rain. They will huddle in the doorway not letting anyone in, and then give you a dirty look as you try to enter the store! What is even more funny, is to watch people cruise the parking lot for 15 min trying to find a spot close to the door. When one opens up, they are like a whole bunch of seagulls going after the same fish. They all rush to the spot at once, and then curse out the winner. Talk about insane! If they would just park and walk, they could get on with their business. The locals, ...

This post is dedicated to some of the most important people on the base, the taxi drivers, also known as the "Honcho." Through rain, high winds, dust storms, flooding, and snow?, these people will heroically drive Marines anywhere both on and off base. The hold a special place in every Marine's mind because of this. They will take Marine and their friends anywhere on base for 600Y ($6-$7). Allowing the Marines, if they drive, to leave their vehicles at their domiciles when they go to the club to enjoy some "adult beverages." They also give the Marines who do not drive the ability to enjoy the base's Exchange and various restaurants. These fearless individuals will also venture off base to retrieve a wayward Marine, or to take Marines to the local "sites." Be they Jusco, San-A, a movie theater, the airport, bars, dance clubs, or more risque' places, they never shrink from their self appointed duty. (Jusco and San-A are the local versions...

Well, I have had the Kindle now for over 2 weeks. Since the shiny newness has worn off, I thought I would write some more thoughts about it. I have to tell you, I am really impressed. The battery life is totally awesome. Since charging it right after I bought it, I have not had to plug it in! When you figure I read at my desk during lunch for an hour, 1 to 2 hours at night during the week, and probably about another 2 to 3 hours during the weekend, this is pretty good. Especially when you consider that some cell phones have to charged every other day, if not every day. Granted, I have had the wireless off for the most part. I did notice that the battery did tend to drain at an increased rate when the wireless connection was on. Speaking of wireless, it is not the same wireless connection that a computer uses. It uses the same connection that a cell phone does. AT&T provides the connection for the Kindle to connect to the internet. The internet capabilities of the Kind...

Well, I decided to buy myself an early birthday gift. I bought an Amazon Kindle. I have to tell you, it is a good piece of gear. For those who are wondering what it is, it is the electronic book reader sold by Amazon.com. I know what you all may be thinking, "There he goes, buying another electronic gadget!" Hey, I am not addicted to electronics, I can quit them any time I want....oooo wait, I see a new electronic movie poster projector thingy. I have got to have it!!!!!!! Seriously, it really is a great accessory for me and my library. It is about as big as a paperback book, but weighs much less. The screen is really easy to read, and it looks like real paper. The biggest thing I like about it is the fact that it can hold up to 1,500 books! Since I had to leave all but a handful of books back in the states, this amount of space will allow me to rebuild my library here in Okinawa. No, I do not have that many books, but I do come close. Books for it can range fr...

Chopper is back!! Our mascot has returned from purgatory, and is once again living the "Life of Riley." Yours truly has taken him in his charge. The Band here in Okinawa is the only Marine Band who has a mascot. Our current mascot is named Chopper IV. He is an Okinawan Mixed Breed and is about 7 years old. He has his own Service Record Book, and a complete set of uniforms. Right now, though, only his Woodland Camouflage uniform fits him. I am in the process of replacing his other uniforms, Dress Blues and Desert Utilities, with ones that fit. He holds the rank of Sergeant, and we hope to get him promoted to Staff Sergeant some time this summer. I am also working on getting him a proper ID card, and he needs to re-enlist. Oh yes, he has to sign re-enlistment paperwork just like every other Marine. Since he can not write, he just puts a paw print on the appropriate lines on the forms. I know that all of this may seem silly to some, but you know how tradition can be...

I have been asked several times what my Barracks Room is like. Well, it is a room on the top floor of the building. We jokingly refer to it as my "Penthouse Suite," with a view of the parking lot to die for! The room is about the size of a nice sized hotel room. It is appointed with a full sized bed, large refrigerator, table, a love seat, a pre-computer desk, and the ever important recliner. I think I have slept more in that recliner than have in my bed! It must have an ether dispenser built into it. When I sit in it, I am usually asleep within 5 minutes. The walls are made of concrete, so I do not often hear my neighbors. All things considered, it is not a bad place to live, but I do miss living in a house. Pictures of the room can be found here . By the way, the picture at the start of my post, is NOT the view from my room. It is the view from a room on the OTHER side of the Barracks. I am so jealous!!! This year, the Band did three separate Christmas concerts...

I am wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year. I hope that you all have had a wonderful Christmas, and will have a happy, safe, and successful New Year. This year for Christmas, I went over to a friend's house and had a grill fest. Hamburgers and Chicken, with a side of chips and homemade dip. It was great. The enclosed picture is of the Shi Dogs that are in front of the Naval Hospital out here. (You can click on the photo to get a larger view) They dressed them up as Santa and an Elf. Shi dogs are the traditional protectors of an Okinawan household. You see them all over the island, not only at private homes, but in front of business as well. They range in size from a couple of inches high to several feet high! The use of the Shi dogs was introduced to Okinawa from China. I hope to get a nice set for my next place before I leave the Island. The one on the right, who has its mouth open is the male of the pair. His mouth is open to draw in the evil...