So I am headed to Tokyo in a few weeks. I know many of you have been there. Any advice on must-see spots? Particularly knowing that we are electronics and video game nerds?
6 rebellions | Defy Authority
Life happens!
Never have an ordinary day.
27 May 2009 @ 07:39 pm
When I was a wee lass I was tree-climbing at my grandparents house, in this enormous birch. I fell, and was knocked out. When I woke up, my head had slammed on a large branch, and my foot was caught in another. Beneath me was this:
, blades pointed up. Good thing I got slammed into that branch.
17 April 2009 @ 10:12 pm
I feel the need to do SOMETHING but it's late, I'm stuck in my little house, and there is NOTHING to do!! Oh, and I have to get up early and go clean a frickin-frackin' weapon so one of my Marines doesn't have to. They didn't tell us about this stuff at OCS. :D
17 April 2009 @ 06:03 am
05 April 2009 @ 10:16 pm
Reading through my old journal entries is both fascinating and terrifying! I've been posting here for five years, can you believe it??
02 April 2009 @ 07:05 pm
Being stationed with the Air Wing in Okinawa lends itself to certain benefits. In this case, we are 3 hours via military aircraft to the island of Iwo-to, formerly known as Iwo Jima.
( Pictures! )
( Pictures! )
 |
The flight out... What a busted-out rock of a place... the tenacity, bravery, and strength of the men who fought here is beyond my capacity to comprehend. Far more so now than it was before. |
26 March 2009 @ 05:44 am
http://www.againfaster.com/articles/you
You have no right to bitch. Your sore hamstrings and screaming core are artifacts of high intensity compound movement, enabled by firm contact with Mother Earth and the primate’s gift of an opposable thumb. The very fact that your arms feel like lead and your legs like the business end of a propane torch is a gift of inclusion, given only because you have legs and arms to hurt.
The men of the Warrior Transition Battalion at Brooke Army Medical Center don’t know your pain. They brought guns to a bomb fight, and came home with fewer limbs than they packed, blown apart by the cowardice of other men.
Their pain is worse, one of exclusion, borne of wheelchairs and ramps, endless hours of physical therapy and prosthetic fittings, hobbled by the incessant need for painkillers. You will never know the agony that they’ve endured, first physically mangled, and then pitied, seen as victims of a botched War.
Luckily, they don’t share the viewpoint. An even twenty, enabled by the efforts of a young Lieutenant, are pursuing rehabilitation with revenge.
These men came to Alamo CrossFit to learn the tenets of CrossFit, supported by a crackerjack crew of trainers and an unrelenting need to go beyond the bounds of traditional recovery.
Placed in an environment where pity was gone and intensity was the only goal, I watched men do handstand pushups, femurs balanced against their wheelchairs, no feet weighing them down. I watched a Marine pull himself up a gymnastics ring, ripping as hard as he could while an unwieldy leg brace fought his every effort. I watched a man with no patella tendon sit into a full-depth squat, and a man with no legs clean a medicine ball from the ground.
These men, broken in body, were impossible to stop. The pain that we could inflict—jackhammering hearts, mental torment, and burning muscles—paled in comparison to the months of adversity that led them to our doorstep. They deadlifted and squatted, ran and pressed, displaying a fortitude far beyond our capacity to keep up.
Every moment hammered home a single point: You’ll be fine.
Remember that the pain is a gift, and men have overcome far worse. When your training results in injury, remember that there are those whose injuries dwarf yours by degrees of magnitude, men who would kill for the right to feel a strained Achilles or a jammed thumb. They will not quit regardless of the odds, and you will not disgrace their example.
The next time your muscles protest or you feel a callus give way, be thankful for the feeling, and the comparative ease with which you train every day. Be thankful for the gift that is your body, and the pain that it brings.
In Northern Texas, there are twenty men battling to reclaim lost capacity, showing the world that injury is not an endpoint, that sacrifice does not end in martyrdom. Their courage is physical and mental, and their lesson is one that will serve far beyond their lifetimes.
Their pain is unimaginable, but their message is easily understood: the struggle to become a better human being ends only in death. Don’t let them down.
Jon Gilson
You have no right to bitch. Your sore hamstrings and screaming core are artifacts of high intensity compound movement, enabled by firm contact with Mother Earth and the primate’s gift of an opposable thumb. The very fact that your arms feel like lead and your legs like the business end of a propane torch is a gift of inclusion, given only because you have legs and arms to hurt.
The men of the Warrior Transition Battalion at Brooke Army Medical Center don’t know your pain. They brought guns to a bomb fight, and came home with fewer limbs than they packed, blown apart by the cowardice of other men.
Their pain is worse, one of exclusion, borne of wheelchairs and ramps, endless hours of physical therapy and prosthetic fittings, hobbled by the incessant need for painkillers. You will never know the agony that they’ve endured, first physically mangled, and then pitied, seen as victims of a botched War.
Luckily, they don’t share the viewpoint. An even twenty, enabled by the efforts of a young Lieutenant, are pursuing rehabilitation with revenge.
These men came to Alamo CrossFit to learn the tenets of CrossFit, supported by a crackerjack crew of trainers and an unrelenting need to go beyond the bounds of traditional recovery.
Placed in an environment where pity was gone and intensity was the only goal, I watched men do handstand pushups, femurs balanced against their wheelchairs, no feet weighing them down. I watched a Marine pull himself up a gymnastics ring, ripping as hard as he could while an unwieldy leg brace fought his every effort. I watched a man with no patella tendon sit into a full-depth squat, and a man with no legs clean a medicine ball from the ground.
These men, broken in body, were impossible to stop. The pain that we could inflict—jackhammering hearts, mental torment, and burning muscles—paled in comparison to the months of adversity that led them to our doorstep. They deadlifted and squatted, ran and pressed, displaying a fortitude far beyond our capacity to keep up.
Every moment hammered home a single point: You’ll be fine.
Remember that the pain is a gift, and men have overcome far worse. When your training results in injury, remember that there are those whose injuries dwarf yours by degrees of magnitude, men who would kill for the right to feel a strained Achilles or a jammed thumb. They will not quit regardless of the odds, and you will not disgrace their example.
The next time your muscles protest or you feel a callus give way, be thankful for the feeling, and the comparative ease with which you train every day. Be thankful for the gift that is your body, and the pain that it brings.
In Northern Texas, there are twenty men battling to reclaim lost capacity, showing the world that injury is not an endpoint, that sacrifice does not end in martyrdom. Their courage is physical and mental, and their lesson is one that will serve far beyond their lifetimes.
Their pain is unimaginable, but their message is easily understood: the struggle to become a better human being ends only in death. Don’t let them down.
Jon Gilson
30 January 2009 @ 05:03 am
I've been looking for a few days with little success... does anyone know where I might be able to watch the Superbowl via the internet, free or paid?
20 January 2009 @ 10:26 am
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Sakura festival The first cherry blossoms of the year are in Northern Okinawa! These specifically line the path up Mt Yae, near Nago. |
 |
Sachi Antiques So we got lost, and DH says "What the heck is that?" Turns out it is the most obscure and eclectic antiques shop I have ever seen, but to top that it is Japanese antiques. I was half-expected a movie style scenario where the shopkeeper tries to sell us a weird book or something, and then all of a sudden I am riding a flying snake-dragon. Amazing gem of a place. |
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Goban This is the day where I found an antique (Showa 20, or 1945) Goban, hand-carved from a solid piece of wood, hand-lined, with glass stones. For 6000¥ ($60). It is in great condition, nothing fancy, but I love it. |
So, thats what we found when we got lost. They also had a 250-yr old set of Samurai armor, but another patron warned us against such a purchase due to the nature of the item. She was genuinely concerned about it bringing bad luck or violence into the house. It definitely had a creepy nature, but at 200,000¥ the decision was made for us. :) The rest of the shop was filled with old books, dishes, standard antique store items. But they also had an entire room of old kimonos for 500¥, which I hope to go back and purchase before we get out of here.
Audience participation: What's the coolest thing that has happened to you because you got lost somewhere?
18 January 2009 @ 07:45 am
1. Some folks are so caught up in their own opinions that instead of realizing that the harpoon I was posing with was covered in years of rust and underwater neglect, I am currently getting bashed on the scuba forum for spearfishing. I hadn't even considered such a thing.
2. It is a Batfish, how cool is that?? I wish I had a better camera. I will have to try and find him again and get a better picture.
2. It is a Batfish, how cool is that?? I wish I had a better camera. I will have to try and find him again and get a better picture.
17 January 2009 @ 10:55 pm
Does anyone have a clue as to what kind of fish this is? Approx 14" in height, 4" long, and 1" thick in the middle. It swam by creating an up and down undulating motion with the largest fins. It was very dark black, with orange and white highlights. Really, it looked like a swimming piece of seaweed. I was struck by how skinny it was.
Oh, and I has a spear. YAAAAARGH!!
Oh, and I has a spear. YAAAAARGH!!
06 January 2009 @ 05:10 am
So for the next two weeks I am up at Camp Schwab, a small Marine Corps Base in the middle of gorgeous nothing. And I do mean nothing. The O Club, however, sits along the coast and the scenery is amazing.
Anyhow, I am participating in Division Matches, the USMC Rifle and Pistol Teams initial entry tournament. Don’t be overly impressed by this, they allow any and all to come participate. However, the top few folks get offered a slot in Marine Corps Matches, from which the newest members of the Rifle/Pistol teams are drawn. The incredible up-side to shooting at Division Matches is that your coaches are literally the best shooters in the Marine Corps. If you are no good at shooting, they’ll make you good. If you are good at shooting, they’ll make you better.
A few salient points:
- This isn’t combat-mindset shooting. It’s competition-minded. Things like magazine retention go right out the window. Get the rounds downrange, as close to the little “V” as possible.
- They expect you to be a professional marksman. For one of the first times in my career, I feel as though I am being treated like an adult. The requirements for safety, when to shoot, the course of fire all remain the same, but you don’t have anyone hovering over you to ensure it is done correctly.
- The top ten percent of shooters get badges. Like no crap wear-em-on-your-uniform shooting badges to replace the standard ones that 99.9% of the Marine Corps wears. And they never go away. And they are sweet. These are my goal. I will keep you posted. :)
Anyhow, I am participating in Division Matches, the USMC Rifle and Pistol Teams initial entry tournament. Don’t be overly impressed by this, they allow any and all to come participate. However, the top few folks get offered a slot in Marine Corps Matches, from which the newest members of the Rifle/Pistol teams are drawn. The incredible up-side to shooting at Division Matches is that your coaches are literally the best shooters in the Marine Corps. If you are no good at shooting, they’ll make you good. If you are good at shooting, they’ll make you better.
A few salient points:
- This isn’t combat-mindset shooting. It’s competition-minded. Things like magazine retention go right out the window. Get the rounds downrange, as close to the little “V” as possible.
- They expect you to be a professional marksman. For one of the first times in my career, I feel as though I am being treated like an adult. The requirements for safety, when to shoot, the course of fire all remain the same, but you don’t have anyone hovering over you to ensure it is done correctly.
- The top ten percent of shooters get badges. Like no crap wear-em-on-your-uniform shooting badges to replace the standard ones that 99.9% of the Marine Corps wears. And they never go away. And they are sweet. These are my goal. I will keep you posted. :)
31 December 2008 @ 05:40 am
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
cmcurry, this one is right down your alley. In fact, are you the one who did this?? XDhttp://www.codepinkforpeace.com
(Click it, you know you want to...)
30 December 2008 @ 10:40 pm
Wow, how cool is this?
The nerd in me desperately wants to get one for work, but the realist in me doesn't think it's practical. Whaddya think?
25 December 2008 @ 12:07 am
No chimney, what now??
Anyhow, it is past midnight here so merry Christmas, or whatever holiday you may celebrate. I hope that you and yours are warm, safe, and happy.
Sara
Anyhow, it is past midnight here so merry Christmas, or whatever holiday you may celebrate. I hope that you and yours are warm, safe, and happy.
Sara
12 December 2008 @ 05:52 am
Sorry I haven't been posting... they blocked LJ at work, and I haven't been doing much interesting stuff anyhow. I'll update tonight but for now, I wanted to share what I am certain will be one of the most horrific sports injuries ever.
( Not for the squeamish, seriously )
Ok! Off to work! It's FRIIIIIDAY!
( Not for the squeamish, seriously )
Ok! Off to work! It's FRIIIIIDAY!
24 November 2008 @ 09:02 am
1. THIS IS A COORDINATED MESSAGE BETWEEN THE C4 AND
INTELLIGENCE DEPARTMENTS AND IS IN CONJUNCTION WITH REF A.
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY AND UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, USE OF ANY REMOVABLE
FLASH MEDIA STORAGE DEVICE WHICH USES A UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS (USB)
CONNECTION IS PROHIBITED ON THE MARINE CORPS ENTERPRISE NETWORK
(MCEN), BOTH NIPRNET AND SIPRNET, AS WELL AS THE MARINE CORPS
SENSITIVE COMPARTMENTED INFORMATION (SCI) NETWORKS (JWICS AND
NSANET).
2. PROHIBITED DEVICES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: FLASH/THUMB
DRIVES; MEMORY STICKS; CAMERA FLASH MEMORY CARDS; OR ANY PORTABLE
FIRMWARE BASED STORAGE DEVICE. EXTERNAL HARD DISK DRIVES ARE NOT
SUBJECT TO THIS PROHIBITION.
3. THIS ACTION IS PREDICATED ON A CREDIBLE AND SUBSTANTIAL THREAT
TO USMC NETWORKS.
4. WAIVERS. NO WAIVERS OR EXCEPTIONS TO THIS MARADMIN ARE
AUTHORIZED.
We are no longer allowed to use thumb drives. I am waiting for the message that says viruses are sent through emails, so emails are no longer authorized. Heck, we still have all this old stationary sitting around, I'm sure we could go back to the good ol' days.
INTELLIGENCE DEPARTMENTS AND IS IN CONJUNCTION WITH REF A.
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY AND UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, USE OF ANY REMOVABLE
FLASH MEDIA STORAGE DEVICE WHICH USES A UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS (USB)
CONNECTION IS PROHIBITED ON THE MARINE CORPS ENTERPRISE NETWORK
(MCEN), BOTH NIPRNET AND SIPRNET, AS WELL AS THE MARINE CORPS
SENSITIVE COMPARTMENTED INFORMATION (SCI) NETWORKS (JWICS AND
NSANET).
2. PROHIBITED DEVICES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: FLASH/THUMB
DRIVES; MEMORY STICKS; CAMERA FLASH MEMORY CARDS; OR ANY PORTABLE
FIRMWARE BASED STORAGE DEVICE. EXTERNAL HARD DISK DRIVES ARE NOT
SUBJECT TO THIS PROHIBITION.
3. THIS ACTION IS PREDICATED ON A CREDIBLE AND SUBSTANTIAL THREAT
TO USMC NETWORKS.
4. WAIVERS. NO WAIVERS OR EXCEPTIONS TO THIS MARADMIN ARE
AUTHORIZED.
We are no longer allowed to use thumb drives. I am waiting for the message that says viruses are sent through emails, so emails are no longer authorized. Heck, we still have all this old stationary sitting around, I'm sure we could go back to the good ol' days.
Current Mood: 
Antiquated
Antiquated