The Promised Land

Well folks, just about six months ago I switched jobs - again - but, finally, I found The One. It is everything I could have asked for in a job. Ten years ago when I started this blog, I had returned from Japan, rudderless - I had a lot of dreams and aspirations, but not a whole lot of traction. A lot has happened - a lot of physical moving around the country, a lot of retraining and reorientation, a lot of work and a whole lot of frustration (with some heartbreak thrown in for color). I learned a lot about myself and of Life in general. The things that were important to me ten years ago, are not as important today. But, the same basic things - the bedrock of who I am - remain. The Journey here has been bumpy, but memorable. So, like I was saying, before all the philosophical meandering, was I found the job - the job that I have been looking for since packing up and coming back to the US of A. It is satisfying, both intellectually and professionally, and I feel for the first time that I could actually stay here for a while. The usual Sehnsucht that has defined my adult life is strangely missing right now. I don't feel the need to keep my bags packed - my wanderlust has abated (if not entirely dissipated) for the time being. Call it age, or maturity, or just finally getting my fill. I will continue to write. Now that there is a new adventure in my life.

A Lot of Knowledge Is a Dangerous Thing

Sooooo the new job is fun: it involves a lot of reading and research, but not a lot of substance (I mean, this is OSINT, after all...). One of the benefits (and drawbacks) of going through all this information is a heightened sense that the World is spinning off into one of those periods of craziness that comes about every Seventy years of so. Egads, are we on the cusp of a major war or other societal upheaval? Right now I am being inundated with myriads of intelligence reports, bathed in the warm glow of multiple 24 Hour News Cycle networks, while simultaneously monitoring Twitter feeds, and Live world-wide weather and seismic activity... Good Lord. The Earth is one frenetic and screwed up place. WWDVD? Wednesday, 2 December 2015 Addendum: The San Bernardino active shootings have been the main topic of my research and work today... this has done nothing to assuage the portents of doom I experienced yesterday. Has the whole world gone crazzers?! Stay safe, people, stay safe!

Treasure the Moment

SITREP: Veterans Day - 2015!

Hey, hey, hey Loyal Readers, it is I, Ushiku Person, back after a tremendously long hiatus... with GOOD news - momentous news! I have been, for the past four months, working the JOB, the one I have been looking for since this whole wheezing calliope started turning so many years ago. Yes, I finally found a job that uses my skill sets, pays really well, and doesn't require me to travel eleven time zones. "What?!" I hear you gasp, clutching at your pearls in choked indignation "Who the heck thought that was a good idea?!!!". Exactly, right? Well, I wasn't one to look that gift horse in the mouth... I rode that Clydesdale to the Finish Line! Good googily-moogily, it felt... really good to finally win one. And now, on this Veterans Day, I am SO thankful. Some folks at work today spoke to me about my military service, and, honestly, I never joined the Army and Navy to get public appreciation - it just seemed to be the thing to do, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to do the things that we were able to do, with the people that we did them with. Earlier this week I was speaking with a younger person here at work, and they were asking about military service, and they mentioned that they might want to try it. We spoke at length, and I tried not to sugar-coat the whole experience, but I encouraged them to do some research and some soul searching, and if they felt like exploring some options, I would help them to get on the right track. Anyhow, right now the world may not be perfect, but this is, perhaps, the best it has been since returning from Japan. To all of you, I wish you the best on this, the waning hours of this Veterans Day, and I promise to keep up more on my writing.

Wait for it!

Yeah, it only gets better, people! Oh boy. Usually, I get FOADs via email (clogging my in-box like some sort of electron Atherosclerosis, but without the guilty pleasure of having consumed vast quantities of buttery yums), this past weekend I actually got an honest-to-goodness letter FOAD. I must be moving up in the world. Isn't it enough that I have cried "uncle" and waved the white flag? Okay, I get it - I suck - and I will never find meaningful employment. No need to pour salt onto my already ulcerated wounds (ouch).

Thinking About Throwing In the Towel

Well, the past few years have been heaps of disappointment. I have tried to roll with the punches, and rebound from failure to failure, but it has slowly dawned on me that it has nothing to do with what you know, or what you can do, or how you do it. It only matters who you know. And, evidently, I don't know the right people. So, I am going to have to accept my situation, and hope that I don't lose too much more. I sometimes think that the best thing would be to eat a bullet. Yum.

Its A New Find

Shonen Knife always makes me happy!

Memorial Day 2013

Way back, a long time ago, I was a Soldier. When I got out of the Army, I put my experiences in a locked box somewhere in my head, and decided to move on with my life. Now, I am a Sailor and I am a lot older. I think a lot more about my military service and experiences. Most of all, I think of the people I met in all the crazy places we were in. A Sergeant Major, on the day of my Basic Training graduation, said to us "The hardest part of your military careers will be having to say goodbye to your friends.".  Yes, SGM, you were absolutely right. I recently got in contact with my old platoon leader from my 61st AMC days.  He sent me some photos of our platoon - the ones that struck me the most were the ones from a platoon cookout - young men playing football and grilling bratwurst. I still can recall the names and faces of my friends and comrades, and the places still are familiar in my memory. I remember when I was brought in to see Top when I reported in to my first unit. He was an old guy, ready for retirement, and when he looked up over his glasses across his desk at me standing at Parade Rest, he narrowed his eyes and growled "How the hell old are you, Private?". It never occurred to my teenaged self that I looked too young to be playing Soldier.  Now, as an officer, I look at my enlisted kids, and wonder if we were ever that young.

I remember Hector. I remember Bruce. I remember John. I remember them all.

Happy Memorial Day.

It has only been like, what, a hundred years?

Wow. When I started this blog, I had no idea where it would go, or where I would be at. I know I have been off the grid for a while, and I apologize to you, my faithful readers (all two of you). A lot has happened in the stretch of time since I last put fingers-to-keyboard. I am still working at the crazy little science lab, but no longer doing testing - nope, I got legitimate and moved up the food chain... into a position that seems to have no real job title or any real boundaries as to what I really do.  I call it "ethereal employment". You need something done, you call me. The Reserve-thing is still spinning along. Looking for another job. Yeah, all is ut semper omnia.

Right at this moment, though, I can't really complain. Last night, as I was driving home, I was just in a lot of physical pain; it had started in my back like I had wrenched something, then eventually spread to my ribs, like I had separated some of them, then I had trouble breathing. Just not fun.  Woke up this morning, and it was all gone.  I attribute it to stress, and probably sleeping at a weird angle.  The good thing about my job is that I get plenty of physical exercise (no being chained to a desk for me!), and keeps me on the move. The bad part? Well, sometimes I move in a direction that a part of my body objects to and, Voilà! Une profonde douleur.

Outside, the world has turned green again, and that is enough to make all feel well. Now, all I need is to brew up a cup of Tim Hortons, and this will be a really good day indeed.

Memorial Day redux

Howdy, howdy, howdy! Well, yesterday's ceremony went a little different than expected. I showed up in uniform expecting to stand in the audience, but got asked to help raise the national colors - nice! It was hot, and despite wearing my khakis, it was like standing in an oven (not quite like the Middle East, but pretty good for May in the American mid-west). I was paired with a Captain from the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), and met a Marine who was a veteran of the Korean War (He was wearing his original issued dress green uniform - the short-lived "Vandegrift-style" short waist-length jacket, and his sergeant cheverons were the 1950s style without the crossed rifles underneath). He had a Purple Heart (among other awards), and he was very nice to a Navy J.O. - I look forward to speaking with him again in the near future! There was a Marine Corps Color guard, VFW and American Legion color guard, Fire Department and Police department Color guard and the CAP color guard to boot. We had current active duty folks and reserve and National Guard (many of whom have served in the Sandbox). A local school band played (they did a really nice job), and we had a lot of folks from the community who turned out. We had veterans from all the services there (including the Coast Guard - go Coasties!). I am constantly impressed by the events and the support by such a small village as this for their veterans and the folks who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

Memorial Day - 2012

Hey there, loyal readers! It is Memorial Day weekend, and the weather has been especially kind to those of us here in the western-most suburb of the great mid-western metropolis where I call home. What can I say? We missed a hellacious rain storm which just hit north of us, and the temps have been bordering between cool and summerish hot. A very nice blend indeed! Went to an art street fair in a community just north of us (that is where we learned how close we dodged the weather bullet - apparently they endured a rain storm of epic proportions - and the further north you went, the worse it got - basketball-sized hail et al!). Tonight the local village is having an all-night vigil at the veterans park (outside the village hall) - I will make an appearance later on to offer support. Tomorrow at 1100hrs there will be a ceremony (going in uniform), and it will be a good time to relect on all the folks I have met over the years (some still here, some not). This will be my 14th year of military service, and honestly it never occured to me that I have served this long until someone asked me about it recently. I hope they will let me stay on a little bit longer, but if not, that's cool - it has been an honor and a heck of a ride to be able to have served. Anyhow, got some cookouts planned, and some beer chilling in the fridge. Life is good! Have yourselves an awesome weekend - here is to a great summer - Cheers!

P.S. if you want an idea what I do in the Navy, the cartoon above gives a fair idea (minus the conga line, though).

You're messin' with the J.G., pal!

I guess we'll put this in the "what-the-hell-were-they-thinking?" category. Big Navy seems to think that I am good enough to be promoted, so now I am no longer an Ensign, but a shiny new Lieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG). This is a good thing.

Thinking back to a conversation I had way back in 2001 with a co-worker (as we crossed the bridge in Ochanomizu in Tokyo heading back to our office), where I laid out my ambitions on going for a Navy commission - right now it seems like a million years ago, but everything has come about almost exactly as I had hoped. How often can you live the dream? It hasn't been easy, and there have been a lot of ups and downs over the past eleven or so years, but if you are looking for evidence that perseverance can pay off, let me reassure you that it can.

Today's Lesson

"I and the public know
What all schoolchildren learn,
Those to whom evil is done
Do evil in return."

Veterans Job Fair

Howdy, howdy, howdy!  I know, it has been a looong time since I updated this blog (nothing new - just the same ol' stuff...), but things have been getting better. 2012 (Mayan-predicted doomsday aside) has already been infinitely better, job-hunting-wise than the previous two years combined. Maybe the economy is getting better?  Anyhow, went to a big veteran's job fair today, and it was a positive experience. Been getting some good feedback recently - this might be the year that I finally break the curse of bad employment. The current job has been on a terminal glide path to nowhere. But, life is good.

Update: Veterans Day 2011

Just returned from the village hall and the town's Veterans Day ceremony. More people than I expected. It was very cold this morning, but it didn't seem to affect the turn out. Overall, a very nice experience.

Mark it Zero - Veteran's Day 2011

I have nothing to say right now. I will be back later...

Interstate 76 Intro

Good lord, but if this isn't a blast from the past. I don't know what happened today, but for some reason I had a sustained flashback of epic proportions (music, video games, et al), and this vague memory popped into my brain of having played this game a loooong time ago. Great intro!

Operation Bear Drop

My Canadian relations simultaneously love and dread this video. It is tragically hilarious (the bear is dazed, but apparently okay). Seems to personify the adage about the road to hell being paved with good intentions (I personally love the shot of the two cops looking at each other just before the bear slips through their rope harness - "Shoulda tightened up that one end, eh?"). Kudos to National Geographic for putting just the right amount of breathless spin on this!

汚い - 危険 - きつい

I haven't written in a while - and I have held off on writing about Japan (with the current situation) due to my waiting to see how things were heading. But right now, with a better-than-average chance that something radioactive is on the horizon, and my friends in Japan scrambling for some sort of safety, all I can say is that I am really, really worried. Ibaraki, my old home, is in danger - Tokyo is becoming more and more like a ghost town - and Japan itself is taking bodyblows at a time when it could ill-afford even a good-natured backslap.

I honestly do not know what to say - it is depressing. The Navy is making faint rumblings that we might be activated to do something (last week I got an official email asking if I spoke any Japanese...). I have advised all my friends and family in Japan to clear out (or, if that wasn't possible, to head south - far south). A long time ago, when I still lived in Japan, I spent a weekend trapped in my apartment due to a small nuclear accident (which has slipped into the fog of memory). Since then, I developed a slight cynicism of Official Japanese pronouncements of the "all is well - stay calm" variety. Ganbatte, Nihon, ganbatte!

Welcome to 2011 - Meet the new boss, same as the old boss

Howdy, howdy, howdy!  Well, I wish I could tell you that there are major things afoot this new year, but, unfortunately, it looks like all the plans (even the sure things) have all gone kabloowie. Uh huh - the more things change, the more they stay the same. I could sit here and type a lot of whining about how life isn't fair (why does this always happen, blah, blah, blah), but instead, I am going to focus on the positive! I have a lot of things to be thankful for - and even if things haven't exactly been peachy, at least they haven't been rock-bottom bad (knock on wood). I will continue to strive for betterness, while trying to dodge bitterness. Onward and upward!