Though this is another problem with the Navy, I won’t categorize it with that group of posts, at least not without supporting statistics.

I applied for the FY11 Limited Duty Officer program but I was not selected. Honestly, I don’t know what it takes to be picked up. The requirements for civilians to become an officer are pretty low (http://www.navy.org/officer_requirements/) but the requirements for enlisted to become an officer are crazy. > more <

Now that I’m on another ship, I don’t have much time off anymore. I’ve been planning on rewriting my Python programming book, writing the sequel for GUI development, and some programming projects I’d like to do. But the way my command runs things, I have less time off now than I did when I was in engineering. Not to mention, I’ll be starting my Ph.D. schooling in October in addition to being underway for 2-3 months.

So, if anyone was expecting some new material from me regarding my books or anything, it’s just not going to happen right now. What little time off I have I want to spend with my family. Heck, I barely get a chance to go off base and see Yokosuka, much less any more of Japan.

Needless to say, I am not satisified with my “career” but those posts will be written at a later date, when I don’t need to fear any repercussions. I know of people who have gone to mast or at least been talked to about what they put on their blogs, MySpace, Facebook, etc. I may hate my job and want to get out, but there are better ways to do it.

I’ve been watching a lot of the History Channel’s Gangland series and Investigation Discovery’s Gang Nation lately. One thing I’ve noticed is that much of the gang violence is due, directly or indirectly, to drugs. Well, no duh.

When Prohibition was enacted, the outlaws had a ready source of easy money. Bootlegging, moonshining, the speakeasies, et al. were extremely profitable to gangsters. The associated violence that the gangsters used was almost a natural side effect; turf wars, robbing each other, fighting law enforcement, etc. were just standard business practices for many criminals. People were willing to pay big money for their illicit hooch. Criminals who were limited to small-time crimes previously found big money bootlegging alcohol. > more <

Having recently returned from Iraq, I found out that the new service uniforms are finally available at the Navy Exchange (NEX) Uniform Shop. These new uniforms are designed to replace the office working whites (the “ice cream man” uniform) and the working blues (the “Johnny Cash” uniform). For those who haven’t seen it yet, it’s almost like the Marine Corps office uniform: khaki shirt, black pants, black garrison cap, collar rank insignia, etc.

I like the idea of not having to sew on the rank patches anymore; that could get pretty expensive, especially if you change rates. And having one uniform for the whole year is a nice idea; I never understood why we had to have two different uniforms when you can just wear a coat. > more <

I forgot to mention this incident after we moved from Hawaii to San Diego. As everyone who has flown in the US knows, you have to send your bags through x-ray machines. After 9/11, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is the federal agency responsible for baggage checks at airports. The TSA screeners are supposed to monitor all passengers and baggage going through the checkpoint, to the point of requiring people to remove their shoes for independent x-raying. > more <

I went to Los Angeles the other day to visit my grandfather before he dies. He and my grandmother both lived to be 100 but my grandmother died a few months ago and I don’t think my grandfather will last much longer. Since I’m deploying to Iraq, I don’t think I’ll be around to see him before he dies. I wasn’t able to attend my grandmother’s funeral since I was in Hawaii and I’m sure the same thing will happen with my grandfather.

Anyways, this isn’t about them. What I wanted to talk about is the dichtomy between San Diego and LA. Prior to moving here, I’d only visited SD a few times but I had good memories about it. LA, on the other hand, always struck me as being a crowded, noisy sprawl. Having gone back to LA for the first time in nearly 5 years, my impression hasn’t changed. > more <