Okay, so I'm sure that our pals at the NASA public affairs office figured that they'd never have to deal with news as bad for their precious image as when the now infamous star-crossed lover drove 1/2 way across our great land to confront a romantic rival. Well folks, today might have eclipsed that.
So first was a report supposedly released today that indicates sometime in the past, a couple of shuttle fliers tied on a few too many the night before riding a rocket into the unknown. As sketchy as the details are, one has to wonder what this report really says. Am i saying it didn't happen? Absolutely not. It probably has. But it's about as vague as one could imagine, since no one in the public has actually seen it.
A few hours later, a story breaks that a sub-contractor sabotaged a laptop due to fly in a couple of weeks. He clipped wires inside the damn thing, as well as an identical non-flying unit. Okay, dude has some gripe. whatever.
What irritates me to some degree is not that these stories came out, but their timing. I'm glad this info is out in the public domain, seeing as how we the taxpayers fund this work. But why now, on the eve of the conclusion of the FRR (Flight Readiness Review), which is a 3 day fun fest where the zillion shuttle managers meet in one big telecon to decide whether or not the launch should proceed. The date has been set for 7 August. Right around the corner. When in addition to more space station stuff the first Educator Astronaut will fly, 21 years after serving as Christa McAllife's backup for Challenger's flight. Sure, they need to draw attention, but now? That computer fiasco happened a week and a half ago. The medical report has been due out for months now.
There's a stroke of brilliance!!! Let's boost the public's confidence right before we fly one of the most visible missions since Columbia! It's almost as if they hope something bad will happen. Odds are they'll be disappointed. It's just shit like this that makes one want to bitch-slap some sense into these people.
26 July 2007
10 June 2007
oops
One of the facets of my new life is being a single "dad" to 6 defective critters (3 dogs, 3 cats). As I wasn't the animal expert before, I only paid casual attention to taking care of said heathens. My oldest, Doolie, is an Olde English Sheepdog and really a trip if you spend much time around him. The Alabama summers are a bit much for him to handle, so for the last few years he got shaved for a summer haircut. I thought it wouldn't be too bad, since I have a set of clippers here and he is extremely well behaved. I mean how hard could it be? I'd done it a few times with a 2nd person after all, so how bad could it turn out?
Let's just say grooming dogs is not a skill I should ever proclaim to have.
Between the clippers overheating and him getting impatient, he spent most of this last week walking around 1/2 shaved. Slightly more than 1/2, but that's not important. The first time the clippers got too hot, I had his head shaved and nothing else, so he had this bodybuilder thing going on (Little bitty head, great big body).
A few hours later, after 2 or 3 more sessions, the clippers ran down and I needed to get to bed. I really just didn't look to see where I stopped:
Let's just say grooming dogs is not a skill I should ever proclaim to have.
Between the clippers overheating and him getting impatient, he spent most of this last week walking around 1/2 shaved. Slightly more than 1/2, but that's not important. The first time the clippers got too hot, I had his head shaved and nothing else, so he had this bodybuilder thing going on (Little bitty head, great big body).
A few hours later, after 2 or 3 more sessions, the clippers ran down and I needed to get to bed. I really just didn't look to see where I stopped:
Yup, he's wearing furry pants! Oh well. I finished him a couple of days ago, though I promised at the end of my previous sad post I'd try to make you laugh. Hope it worked.
09 June 2007
"Why" is uniquely human
I was motivated by The Captain's post to put in my one-cents worth. Call it a unique perspective from this side of the fence, call it feeling compelled to post after a long silence, whatever. As usual he said things in a clear way. So now that my brain is spooling up, get ready or hit "Back".
Everything in the universe has to have balance. Which means in a crappy way for every laugh, every smile, every joy someone somewhere experiences, there has to be a tragedy, a frown, a tear. Eventually we are all touched by sadness and loss, the only detail is to what degree. When it does come, I find that our inane "knee-jerk" is to spit out that little 3 letter word, "why"? Sure, you can go into an evolutionary discussion, about how that curiosity turns into action and how we moved past the other animals with the wheel, fire, and airplanes. Not the point I'm trying to make. It's more of a consequence of that curiosity that our minds want to reason things out, to know there is a logical reason something happened. And in the absence of that, the "why" effect jumps in front.
I've been asking a million versions of "why" about every 8 seconds for the past 6 weeks. You cannot help it. It feels hard-wired into us. And without a good, clear answer, we feel lost, out of control, and eventually in pain, either directly to ourselves or empathising for someone you care about. Having done both recently, I find it interesting that they are similar though different. In that theme, I have been both the recipient and the giver of words that Cap'n D. mentioned. Here's what I've learned:
To a large extent, the words don't matter. Words are grammer, ways we humans communicate a message and/or feelings. It's not necessarily the particular words, its the WAY they are said. It's the feeling and emotion behind those words that make them matter. The exact same wording can come from two different people with two different intents and the result is two different reactions. At the hospital that fateful, awful night, one of the nurses said "Sorry for your loss". I'm sure on some level he meant it, but he was saying it to a stranger so it felt more like a formality. Now when a close friend looks you in the eye or even their voice on the phone and says the exact same words, it is indescribably comforting. It helps make the pain bearable.
So there is no phrase that will do the trick. No magic words that will make things all better. Yes, you will still feel out of control and that sucks. It is only natural to say "if i had only...", even though you are deluding yourself. That's what we are supposed to do. Maybe you can learn from that if (God forbid) you are faced with a similar situation in the future. But being involved and having emotional ties to the situation MEANS you cannot always think of everything or probably do ANYTHING to prevent it from happening. There are times that no matter what you do, events are going to occur. There's only one "person" who makes those decisions, and you ain't Him. Like someone I know frequently says, things happen for a reason. You may find out what that reason is, although it won't be anytime soon. You aren't meant to know, at least at first. Those experiences are what shapes our lives and who we are. There is already a Plan, you just have to follow it. And being there for someone and speaking from your heart will let them know they aren't alone and things will be okay. That's the right thing to say.
So don't feel bad or helpless or frustrated asking "why". All you'll do is upset yourself further. There is a reason or reasons "why" stuff happens, we're just not meant to know it. You just have to believe it is for the best, and that (eventually) some good will come from the situation, that you are in good hands (no, this isn't an AllState ad) and you'll come out better than you ever dreamed. That's what FAITH is.
So there's some pontificating from the western frontier. ANd in keeping with the balance theme, I'll follow up this sad topic with a post that should make you laugh, once i download the pics. Let's just say Sarge's 1st time of trying to shave a Sheepdog by himself didn't go smoothly...
Everything in the universe has to have balance. Which means in a crappy way for every laugh, every smile, every joy someone somewhere experiences, there has to be a tragedy, a frown, a tear. Eventually we are all touched by sadness and loss, the only detail is to what degree. When it does come, I find that our inane "knee-jerk" is to spit out that little 3 letter word, "why"? Sure, you can go into an evolutionary discussion, about how that curiosity turns into action and how we moved past the other animals with the wheel, fire, and airplanes. Not the point I'm trying to make. It's more of a consequence of that curiosity that our minds want to reason things out, to know there is a logical reason something happened. And in the absence of that, the "why" effect jumps in front.
I've been asking a million versions of "why" about every 8 seconds for the past 6 weeks. You cannot help it. It feels hard-wired into us. And without a good, clear answer, we feel lost, out of control, and eventually in pain, either directly to ourselves or empathising for someone you care about. Having done both recently, I find it interesting that they are similar though different. In that theme, I have been both the recipient and the giver of words that Cap'n D. mentioned. Here's what I've learned:
To a large extent, the words don't matter. Words are grammer, ways we humans communicate a message and/or feelings. It's not necessarily the particular words, its the WAY they are said. It's the feeling and emotion behind those words that make them matter. The exact same wording can come from two different people with two different intents and the result is two different reactions. At the hospital that fateful, awful night, one of the nurses said "Sorry for your loss". I'm sure on some level he meant it, but he was saying it to a stranger so it felt more like a formality. Now when a close friend looks you in the eye or even their voice on the phone and says the exact same words, it is indescribably comforting. It helps make the pain bearable.
So there is no phrase that will do the trick. No magic words that will make things all better. Yes, you will still feel out of control and that sucks. It is only natural to say "if i had only...", even though you are deluding yourself. That's what we are supposed to do. Maybe you can learn from that if (God forbid) you are faced with a similar situation in the future. But being involved and having emotional ties to the situation MEANS you cannot always think of everything or probably do ANYTHING to prevent it from happening. There are times that no matter what you do, events are going to occur. There's only one "person" who makes those decisions, and you ain't Him. Like someone I know frequently says, things happen for a reason. You may find out what that reason is, although it won't be anytime soon. You aren't meant to know, at least at first. Those experiences are what shapes our lives and who we are. There is already a Plan, you just have to follow it. And being there for someone and speaking from your heart will let them know they aren't alone and things will be okay. That's the right thing to say.
So don't feel bad or helpless or frustrated asking "why". All you'll do is upset yourself further. There is a reason or reasons "why" stuff happens, we're just not meant to know it. You just have to believe it is for the best, and that (eventually) some good will come from the situation, that you are in good hands (no, this isn't an AllState ad) and you'll come out better than you ever dreamed. That's what FAITH is.
So there's some pontificating from the western frontier. ANd in keeping with the balance theme, I'll follow up this sad topic with a post that should make you laugh, once i download the pics. Let's just say Sarge's 1st time of trying to shave a Sheepdog by himself didn't go smoothly...
11 April 2007
Life imitates art
Okay, so think back to the original Star Wars movie, where they are on the Falcon and Luke is practicing with the light saber the first time. To practice, there was this little ball flying around shooting lasers at him:
Now fast forward to today: check out these little robots on the International Space Station:
They fly around inside the station (the black knobby things are carbon dioxide thrusters) and are being used to develop control software/algorithms for unmanned rendezvous and docking.
Pretty neat.
05 March 2007
People do stupid things
Yes sir-ree they do. I have this, um, friend (yeah, that's it). We'll call him Brian. Brian knows that after a long hiatus from going to the gym, he has a tendancy to overdo it when he goes back, which keeps him from going again and is counter-productive. Last week he went back for the 1st time in months and lifted weights. He took it very easy & felt good afterwards (ya know, the good soreness). Crisis averted.
Then our hero went back to the gym.
Have you heard comedian Lewis Black's bit on candy corn? It's great; he tells about he hates the stuff, but if he walks into a room and there is some candy corn in a dish, he forgets he's ever eaten it before, goes over, grabs a handful and chows down. Then 3 hundreths of a nanosecond after it's too late to stop chewing remembers he hates the stuff. That's exactly what I, I mean this Brian guy, did on trip #2 to the gym. He went in, and worked out like he'd been going for months.
Now his mouse feels like it weighs 30 pounds. And he will lose a lot of weight since he cannot lift a forkful of food. People do stupid things. I'm just sayin'.
Then our hero went back to the gym.
Have you heard comedian Lewis Black's bit on candy corn? It's great; he tells about he hates the stuff, but if he walks into a room and there is some candy corn in a dish, he forgets he's ever eaten it before, goes over, grabs a handful and chows down. Then 3 hundreths of a nanosecond after it's too late to stop chewing remembers he hates the stuff. That's exactly what I, I mean this Brian guy, did on trip #2 to the gym. He went in, and worked out like he'd been going for months.
Now his mouse feels like it weighs 30 pounds. And he will lose a lot of weight since he cannot lift a forkful of food. People do stupid things. I'm just sayin'.
19 February 2007
Monday ranting
Since I'm in a bad mood from driving to work only to find the only gate i can use to get to my office locked until tomorrow, i'll jump on my soapbox for a couple of things aimed at the fairer sex.
First, for the ladies: why on Earth would you sit in a restaurant across from the guy you came in with (for breakfast, so i doubt you are starting a date at 0800 on a Sunday morning), and stare at another guy and make coy little smiles? Not polite grins, facial expressions you would use in a bar near closing time. Just wondering.
Next, i got a good laugh reading this little gem on a man-hating website. Wow, for implying you have all the answers that certainly reads a bit on the ignorant side. I'll be the first to admit that in many fields (space included), women have gotten a raw deal time and again. But you are a perfect example of screaming to be heard, not caring what you say. Your opening paragraph is correct; they did evaluate women candidates too in the early days. But they did a myriad of other tests on both sexes that to this day have no explanation (as in the late 50's they had no idea what would happen to the human body). Guess it would've been inconvenient to mention the female specific tests too. And let's say for a moment they had picked women. To climb on top of very unreliable rockets that had a nasty tendancy to blow up. What kind of support do you think the public would have offered had a wife & mother been incinerated on national TV? Keep in mind, this is the early 60's.
Anyway, reading further, i guess what you're saying is we should ignore what happened? Not study what might happen, change evaluations so you can safely mix a crew to spend 3+ years together in a tin can? Yes, the judgement will probably be somewhat unfair, but is it worth risking lives for the sake of equality? Oh, and on your listing of notable women in space: a bit presumptuous that Col. Collins is the first female in the "Universe" to command, isn't it? Or is your crusade merely confined to people here? Or maybe just Americans? Funny since the first woman in space was a RUSSIAN, and flew alone (hence was the commander of her craft), and flew 20 YEARS before the USA flew a female. And what exactly did Coleman do with Chandra, other than simply doing her job?
I have another name for you: Linda Ham. Ring a bell? I doubt it. She was one of the senior shuttle managers that decide there was no reason to worry about the foam strikes on Columbia and was the individual who denied the requests for satellite imagery and she okayed the re-entry. Let's try and be fair and balanced, shall we? Or at least let's quit framing other people as being able to walk on water.
Farther down: "most women". Not all?
I do indeed like how you close and i think it is a fine idea. Please, start a girls only space company since obviously they will never get ahead at the old boys club & head to Mars. And since most rockets are shaped somewhat phallically, i expect you will use a different shape (to do otherwise would be insulting to you, having to "ride" one of these machines to get to your destination). Can't wait to see how that flys! In the meantime, I sent your article to a few female friends of mine at NASA. Seemed to be more head-shaking than way-to-go. It's almost as if they think YOUR kind of rhetoric is a bit off-target. But what do i know. I just a stupid boy.
First, for the ladies: why on Earth would you sit in a restaurant across from the guy you came in with (for breakfast, so i doubt you are starting a date at 0800 on a Sunday morning), and stare at another guy and make coy little smiles? Not polite grins, facial expressions you would use in a bar near closing time. Just wondering.
Next, i got a good laugh reading this little gem on a man-hating website. Wow, for implying you have all the answers that certainly reads a bit on the ignorant side. I'll be the first to admit that in many fields (space included), women have gotten a raw deal time and again. But you are a perfect example of screaming to be heard, not caring what you say. Your opening paragraph is correct; they did evaluate women candidates too in the early days. But they did a myriad of other tests on both sexes that to this day have no explanation (as in the late 50's they had no idea what would happen to the human body). Guess it would've been inconvenient to mention the female specific tests too. And let's say for a moment they had picked women. To climb on top of very unreliable rockets that had a nasty tendancy to blow up. What kind of support do you think the public would have offered had a wife & mother been incinerated on national TV? Keep in mind, this is the early 60's.
Anyway, reading further, i guess what you're saying is we should ignore what happened? Not study what might happen, change evaluations so you can safely mix a crew to spend 3+ years together in a tin can? Yes, the judgement will probably be somewhat unfair, but is it worth risking lives for the sake of equality? Oh, and on your listing of notable women in space: a bit presumptuous that Col. Collins is the first female in the "Universe" to command, isn't it? Or is your crusade merely confined to people here? Or maybe just Americans? Funny since the first woman in space was a RUSSIAN, and flew alone (hence was the commander of her craft), and flew 20 YEARS before the USA flew a female. And what exactly did Coleman do with Chandra, other than simply doing her job?
I have another name for you: Linda Ham. Ring a bell? I doubt it. She was one of the senior shuttle managers that decide there was no reason to worry about the foam strikes on Columbia and was the individual who denied the requests for satellite imagery and she okayed the re-entry. Let's try and be fair and balanced, shall we? Or at least let's quit framing other people as being able to walk on water.
Farther down: "most women". Not all?
I do indeed like how you close and i think it is a fine idea. Please, start a girls only space company since obviously they will never get ahead at the old boys club & head to Mars. And since most rockets are shaped somewhat phallically, i expect you will use a different shape (to do otherwise would be insulting to you, having to "ride" one of these machines to get to your destination). Can't wait to see how that flys! In the meantime, I sent your article to a few female friends of mine at NASA. Seemed to be more head-shaking than way-to-go. It's almost as if they think YOUR kind of rhetoric is a bit off-target. But what do i know. I just a stupid boy.
13 February 2007
Poor fools...
...that get roped into spending on average somewhere in the neighborhood of $160 (according to a national news reporter) on your significant other b/c Hallmark and a fat little putz with a bow & heart-shaped-arrows who wears little pinky diapers tells you you should. There's a good message to send; give me shit or obviously you don't love me!!!
Hey, what else did you expect to hear from me today? But to show i'm not totally crass and can participate, here's a valentine from me to you...Sweetheart.
28 January 2007
It's that time of year...
...when all the space geeks around the world bow their heads in remembrance of the 3 crews that have died in the name of space exploration. A little spooky that all 3 accidents happened within 5 days of each other on the calendar, which prompted NASA to lump them into a single event. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 1 fire, read here if you like. Even CNN got in the "spirit" with a short video, and nasa.gov has their usual coverage on their site.
Anyway, i guess people remember these things in their own way. this year mine is typing this. personally, i keep pictures of all 3 crews near my desks, to always remind me that laziness and shortcuts, as well as being plain old stupid, can cost lives if you work in an unforgiving field.
You will all hear more about Challenger this summer, as the teacher who was Christa Mcauliffe's back-up is scheduled to fly this summer. Well, you'll hear about it if it is a slow news day.
Ad Astra, per Aspera.
Anyway, i guess people remember these things in their own way. this year mine is typing this. personally, i keep pictures of all 3 crews near my desks, to always remind me that laziness and shortcuts, as well as being plain old stupid, can cost lives if you work in an unforgiving field.
You will all hear more about Challenger this summer, as the teacher who was Christa Mcauliffe's back-up is scheduled to fly this summer. Well, you'll hear about it if it is a slow news day.
Ad Astra, per Aspera.
17 January 2007
It's a trick!!!
Greetz all. Sorry for those of you who missed my pointless rant a couple of days ago; it was up then disappeared. So I haven't been quite as negligent in posting as you think...
Oh a synopsis from that one: I'm not necessarily going to be as nice and cheery as i have in the past. You don't like it, don't read it. Or pucker up & aim for that brown hole right in the center of my big fat ass. And to whomever posted a comment to my last post that was pro-valentine's day: do us a favor and grow a pair, will ya?!?! I think it was an auto generated comment or something, but until you get your stones back, quit calling yourself a man.
Back on topic for today: In reading our wascally Captain's post from earlier, I was glad to know someone's brain somewhere in the world was working today (mine wasn't). He once again put forth a question to make our brains churn a bit and ask a hard hitting question. If you haven't read his yet, please do so now. Here's the spoiler: It is a trick question, because if you are like 99.9% of the population, you don't know the answer!!! And most of you who THINK you know it are lying to yourselves.
I've asked myself that repeatedly over various periods of my life. I'm in one of those now, so I am taking the 5th, at least for a while. I've been in or overheard discussions of part a) of his question, and the vast majority of people with quick answers are very much FULL OF SHIT. You have an answer in your hip pocket to throw out there if someone asks so you don't seem full of self doubt and are wandering aimlessly. The sad fact of the matter is most people can't (honestly) answer part a), so any response to part b) is moot. Personally I think that a good chunk of this "life" thing is finding that answer. Some lucky souls do answer it quickly, most never get there. Some know why they get up, but they don't do anything about it/for it/ towards it, in the case of a goal not yet realized. But most plod along, fooling themselves into another day in the rat race, another day fulfilling obligations that may or may not matter.
Don't misunderstand: you need an answer of some description. Otherwise, if you can't come up with an answer you are probably going to have an Egg McMagnum for breakfast. My point is make sure it's the RIGHT answer. Don't settle for a convenient one. Once you know it, DO something for it. Don't wait until you're about to kick the oxygen habit and then say "wow, what a waste" or look back and wonder "what if". It'd be a shame if your parting thoughts were about you didn't live your life as if it were YOUR life.
Or why you didn't use the cold cup of coffee Capt D threw in your face as a wake up call to think and act. Missing out on these doors that get opened for you are why you're asking the questions in the first place.
Make no mistake. You're in the driver's seat. More on that later.
Now continue banging your head on the table.
Oh a synopsis from that one: I'm not necessarily going to be as nice and cheery as i have in the past. You don't like it, don't read it. Or pucker up & aim for that brown hole right in the center of my big fat ass. And to whomever posted a comment to my last post that was pro-valentine's day: do us a favor and grow a pair, will ya?!?! I think it was an auto generated comment or something, but until you get your stones back, quit calling yourself a man.
Back on topic for today: In reading our wascally Captain's post from earlier, I was glad to know someone's brain somewhere in the world was working today (mine wasn't). He once again put forth a question to make our brains churn a bit and ask a hard hitting question. If you haven't read his yet, please do so now. Here's the spoiler: It is a trick question, because if you are like 99.9% of the population, you don't know the answer!!! And most of you who THINK you know it are lying to yourselves.
I've asked myself that repeatedly over various periods of my life. I'm in one of those now, so I am taking the 5th, at least for a while. I've been in or overheard discussions of part a) of his question, and the vast majority of people with quick answers are very much FULL OF SHIT. You have an answer in your hip pocket to throw out there if someone asks so you don't seem full of self doubt and are wandering aimlessly. The sad fact of the matter is most people can't (honestly) answer part a), so any response to part b) is moot. Personally I think that a good chunk of this "life" thing is finding that answer. Some lucky souls do answer it quickly, most never get there. Some know why they get up, but they don't do anything about it/for it/ towards it, in the case of a goal not yet realized. But most plod along, fooling themselves into another day in the rat race, another day fulfilling obligations that may or may not matter.
Don't misunderstand: you need an answer of some description. Otherwise, if you can't come up with an answer you are probably going to have an Egg McMagnum for breakfast. My point is make sure it's the RIGHT answer. Don't settle for a convenient one. Once you know it, DO something for it. Don't wait until you're about to kick the oxygen habit and then say "wow, what a waste" or look back and wonder "what if". It'd be a shame if your parting thoughts were about you didn't live your life as if it were YOUR life.
Or why you didn't use the cold cup of coffee Capt D threw in your face as a wake up call to think and act. Missing out on these doors that get opened for you are why you're asking the questions in the first place.
Make no mistake. You're in the driver's seat. More on that later.
Now continue banging your head on the table.
09 November 2006
Oorah!
Alright you people, there is a birthday/anniversary tomorrow you should know about:
On 10 November 1775 the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution to raise 2 divisions of Continental Marines to act as a landing force for the fleet in the War for Independance. A couple of weeks later"a few good men" got together at Tun Tavern and signed on for the job. And, with the exception of a VERY brief period after the War, the Marine Corps has been kicking ass and taking names ever since.
On 10 November 1775 the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution to raise 2 divisions of Continental Marines to act as a landing force for the fleet in the War for Independance. A couple of weeks later"a few good men" got together at Tun Tavern and signed on for the job. And, with the exception of a VERY brief period after the War, the Marine Corps has been kicking ass and taking names ever since.
Tomorrow marks the 231st birthday of the USMC, and I'm sure there'll be plenty more as the are one of the last organizations that produce hard people in a soft age, always willing to fight and defend their God, their country and their Corps no matter the cost. Concepts like "quitting", "retreat", "giving up", and "weakness" aren't even in their vocabulary.
I think Eleanor Roosevelt put it best in 1945: "The Marines I've seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marines Corps!" 
So everyone raise a glass & sleep well knowing you are protected by the finest fighting force in the world. Now that I've wasted 90 seconds of your lives, CARRY ON! And for those out there in the esteemed readership who have ever worn & served under the EGA: Semper Fidelis, Devil Dogs!
14 June 2006
Wave goodbye to our technical prowess
Hello all. It’s been far too long since I’ve dropped by to say hello and ramble incessantly. Err, I mean contribute.
Since there are plenty of mainstream topics to read about on the Net (i.e. who’s having babies where, whose team is doing well in a certain soccer tournament, whose widdle feewings got hurt by a columnist, etc.), I’ll insert a small alternative (and way less newsworthy) topic, mainly to go on the record for predicting something I hope never happens.
Every day there are stories in the news that involve technology. Not as the subject, just a part of the story. Take the recent activities of our pals in Iran. It’s newsworthy because of the ramifications to our world if they do indeed achieve nuclear capabilities (and rightfully so). But what is at the source of this controversy? Technology. As in who has it and who is doing what to advance it for their own gains or for humanity in general.
The world has always been “led” (for lack of a better word) by those who had technical ability on their side. Look at any battle or war before the Industrial Revolution. There were many components to a successful military (lots of troops, smart leaders), but what gave people the edge? Yup. Whether it was a Trojan horse or gunpowder or communications, that’s it. And technology tends to spread. Ancient Rome had more engineering marvels than is easy to comprehend, which made living there seem indeed like Heaven on Earth. And where did many of their advances come from? Do a little reading and you’ll find the impetus to move armies across water did more for bridge technology than just wanting to cross a river to get across town.
So lets fast forward to the 20th century. On the whole, the US was easily the world leader in technological advances. We had the first airplanes, computers, the list goes on. We raced the Soviets to the moon mainly to establish our pre-eminence as THE technological superpower. The Space Race, one could argue, was the biggest physical battleground of the Cold War. So we were doing alright.
Now, present day. There is a very big misconception that we are still the world leader in technology. Enlightened people know that we aren’t, that we compete on a global stage, and lately we’re not very successful. One of the biggest historical areas of hi-tech is aerospace and aeronautics. Advances here have (and probably will continue) to rapidly spread across other technical disciplines. The computer you are reading this on would (in all likelihood) not exist were it not for trying to make computers smaller and reliable for airplanes/spacecraft. Sure it would’ve come along eventually, but certainly not have had the financial resources to get started/advance as quickly as it did.
Where am I going with this? A myriad of reports have been hitting the market that basically say the US is no longer the world leader in this field and has very little hope of even staying in the game. Read this and this and this (an opinion piece but on the right track) and see what the future could hold. I hope we make a rebound; I don’t see it soon.
Consider this: you remember the big port “scandal” a couple of months ago, with having foreign interests control our ports? That story greatly overshadowed a deal that was signed with UAE to fund and build a commercial spaceport. These events happened literally within days of each other. Please note that one of the big supporters is Space Adventures Ltd, which is an AMERICAN company based in Va. The American spirit of building a business is alive and well; what will happen when it is alive and well overseas, being funded by aggressive American businesses? It won’t be tomorrow and I sincerely hope I’m wrong; I think that we are going to have to get used to being mediocre in an arena we can’t afford to slack in.
So maybe it is appropriate I’ve chosen to write this after we showed how plain we can be in the World Cup. Air and space technologies will start to be led by other cultures and people. Things like missiles. And spaceships (China seems to be on the right track). Let’s pray some other folks don’t choose to put things on the tips of those missiles (that they bought in a free market) that make pretty mushroom clouds. I’m trying not to sound like an alarmist, but is it possible that we are at the precipice of a tech downfall?
Sarge
Since there are plenty of mainstream topics to read about on the Net (i.e. who’s having babies where, whose team is doing well in a certain soccer tournament, whose widdle feewings got hurt by a columnist, etc.), I’ll insert a small alternative (and way less newsworthy) topic, mainly to go on the record for predicting something I hope never happens.
Every day there are stories in the news that involve technology. Not as the subject, just a part of the story. Take the recent activities of our pals in Iran. It’s newsworthy because of the ramifications to our world if they do indeed achieve nuclear capabilities (and rightfully so). But what is at the source of this controversy? Technology. As in who has it and who is doing what to advance it for their own gains or for humanity in general.
The world has always been “led” (for lack of a better word) by those who had technical ability on their side. Look at any battle or war before the Industrial Revolution. There were many components to a successful military (lots of troops, smart leaders), but what gave people the edge? Yup. Whether it was a Trojan horse or gunpowder or communications, that’s it. And technology tends to spread. Ancient Rome had more engineering marvels than is easy to comprehend, which made living there seem indeed like Heaven on Earth. And where did many of their advances come from? Do a little reading and you’ll find the impetus to move armies across water did more for bridge technology than just wanting to cross a river to get across town.
So lets fast forward to the 20th century. On the whole, the US was easily the world leader in technological advances. We had the first airplanes, computers, the list goes on. We raced the Soviets to the moon mainly to establish our pre-eminence as THE technological superpower. The Space Race, one could argue, was the biggest physical battleground of the Cold War. So we were doing alright.
Now, present day. There is a very big misconception that we are still the world leader in technology. Enlightened people know that we aren’t, that we compete on a global stage, and lately we’re not very successful. One of the biggest historical areas of hi-tech is aerospace and aeronautics. Advances here have (and probably will continue) to rapidly spread across other technical disciplines. The computer you are reading this on would (in all likelihood) not exist were it not for trying to make computers smaller and reliable for airplanes/spacecraft. Sure it would’ve come along eventually, but certainly not have had the financial resources to get started/advance as quickly as it did.
Where am I going with this? A myriad of reports have been hitting the market that basically say the US is no longer the world leader in this field and has very little hope of even staying in the game. Read this and this and this (an opinion piece but on the right track) and see what the future could hold. I hope we make a rebound; I don’t see it soon.
Consider this: you remember the big port “scandal” a couple of months ago, with having foreign interests control our ports? That story greatly overshadowed a deal that was signed with UAE to fund and build a commercial spaceport. These events happened literally within days of each other. Please note that one of the big supporters is Space Adventures Ltd, which is an AMERICAN company based in Va. The American spirit of building a business is alive and well; what will happen when it is alive and well overseas, being funded by aggressive American businesses? It won’t be tomorrow and I sincerely hope I’m wrong; I think that we are going to have to get used to being mediocre in an arena we can’t afford to slack in.
So maybe it is appropriate I’ve chosen to write this after we showed how plain we can be in the World Cup. Air and space technologies will start to be led by other cultures and people. Things like missiles. And spaceships (China seems to be on the right track). Let’s pray some other folks don’t choose to put things on the tips of those missiles (that they bought in a free market) that make pretty mushroom clouds. I’m trying not to sound like an alarmist, but is it possible that we are at the precipice of a tech downfall?
Sarge
22 May 2006
Chocolate baby!
Here we go again. It’s Monday and I’m beat from a weekend of chain-gang style labor in my yard, but it’s a tired with a great sense of satisfaction. There is so much more to do, but it will have to wait.
So I have to say a bit about the New Orleans Mayoral race. Much like the rest of the country, I was shocked that Ray Nagin not only won, but by a fair amount over his opponent. I say shocked because for a while I was placing faith in a place I had no business placing it, in the ability of people to open their eyes and recognize truth. Even with his ‘constituency’ largely still sponging off of other people in other cities, Nagin was able to pull himself up and maintain his grip on the lives of those trying to rebuild the Big Easy.
Just so we’re clear on this: I don’t hate Ray Nagin. I don’t think he’s an evil man. But I do recognize that he’s largely inept when it comes to leading a city; and by that I mean he’s got the blood of thousands on his hands. His mistakes during Katrina put him in the hot seat on the national stage, and allowed him to show his true colors. When pushed, the once successful cable television executive drew himself up and delivered a diatribe that would have cost any white man his political career.
Still unapologetic, he smirks and banters with reporters, the veritable cat that ate the canary. But now he’s had a taste of fame, national fame, and that’s a drug not easily kicked. In other words I expect we’ll all be hearing much more from the newly re-elected mayor of New Orleans.
I also wanted to highlight for you a bit of his outlook on those he chooses to lead. When asked what he would do if the business owners in New Orleans who threatened to move away if he was re-elected made good on their promise, he said this:
"Business people are predators. If the economic opportunities are here, they're going to stay. If not, they're going to leave," he said. "God bless 'em,
Now, isn’t that a great start to another term as mayor? Your city is in rags, few have returned to rebuild, and you begin your term by calling those who’s taxes pay for your private car ‘predators’ and say that you don’t care if businesses leave your city. If this is, in fact, his true outlook, I predict dire times for not just the 9th ward, but the whole of the Crescent City.
I’m just glad I had a chance to see it before he began destroying it.
So I have to say a bit about the New Orleans Mayoral race. Much like the rest of the country, I was shocked that Ray Nagin not only won, but by a fair amount over his opponent. I say shocked because for a while I was placing faith in a place I had no business placing it, in the ability of people to open their eyes and recognize truth. Even with his ‘constituency’ largely still sponging off of other people in other cities, Nagin was able to pull himself up and maintain his grip on the lives of those trying to rebuild the Big Easy.
Just so we’re clear on this: I don’t hate Ray Nagin. I don’t think he’s an evil man. But I do recognize that he’s largely inept when it comes to leading a city; and by that I mean he’s got the blood of thousands on his hands. His mistakes during Katrina put him in the hot seat on the national stage, and allowed him to show his true colors. When pushed, the once successful cable television executive drew himself up and delivered a diatribe that would have cost any white man his political career.
Still unapologetic, he smirks and banters with reporters, the veritable cat that ate the canary. But now he’s had a taste of fame, national fame, and that’s a drug not easily kicked. In other words I expect we’ll all be hearing much more from the newly re-elected mayor of New Orleans.
I also wanted to highlight for you a bit of his outlook on those he chooses to lead. When asked what he would do if the business owners in New Orleans who threatened to move away if he was re-elected made good on their promise, he said this:
"Business people are predators. If the economic opportunities are here, they're going to stay. If not, they're going to leave," he said. "God bless 'em,
Now, isn’t that a great start to another term as mayor? Your city is in rags, few have returned to rebuild, and you begin your term by calling those who’s taxes pay for your private car ‘predators’ and say that you don’t care if businesses leave your city. If this is, in fact, his true outlook, I predict dire times for not just the 9th ward, but the whole of the Crescent City.
I’m just glad I had a chance to see it before he began destroying it.
19 May 2006
Tune in and listen...
Today I’m going to keep it light since it should be “Good Life Friday”. This weekend shows promise as I get to do another full day in the yard, clipping, cutting, burning and catching time in my new hammock when I can. Sunday I get to participate in what is arguably the strangest yet most addictive wastes of time invented…golf.
I’m no golfer, but I do enjoy swinging clubs and crushing golf balls off the tee, no matter which direction they go. Whit’s company is having their spring picnic and they do a golf outing before hand, so I’ll be sucking up a blue streak in front of all her piers. What could be better on a Sunday afternoon than embarrassing yourself in front of all your wife’s co-workers.
Ok, back to the good stuff. Today I want to talk classical music. As a child I was exposed by my parents to two types of music that have shaped my life in more ways than I can count. Classical and Jazz. My father is the culprit here, having seen many of the legends of jazz live in concert in Atlanta in the 40’s, he began plying my ears with Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, George Gershwin, Monk, Goodman, Ellington, Coltrane, Herman and so many more that it would be pointless to list them, but you get the point.
In much the same way he exposed me to the great classical (and modern) composers. Bach, Brahms, Mozart, Handel, etc. I always listened to classical while I did my homework because it calmed my ever racing brain and relaxed me into a state of well being that I still find while listening. In time I began looking for more music, expanding my own horizons into more modern orchestral areas. This brought Grofe’, Prokofiev, Copeland, Dvorak, Shostakovich and other hard to spell names….But seriously, by the time I was 11 and choosing an instrument to play in band, these two types of music had shaped me to such an extent that the choice was already made. I began playing the saxophone in 5th grade and play it to this day (though not as much jazz as I’d like). I also picked up the drums, the clarinet, piano, and to this day I fail miserably at the guitar. But I love to play, no matter how bad I am, it always brings me peace.
I can honestly say that music is responsible for my life’s direction, and much of the happiness I’ve known. Being a part of a musical group has allowed me to see places and be a part of events that I otherwise would never have been able to even see on TV.
So today’s Good Life is dedicated to music. I hope that you all are able to find the peace and happiness in music that I find. Below I’m listing a few of my all time favorites, the songs that really take hold of me and don’t let go until the last note fades into ether…
My all time favorite:
Appalachian Spring, by Aaron Copeland. (I like the Leonard Bernstein recording best) This song puts me into a trance like state from which its nearly impossible to wake, but I listen to it constantly and have since my teens. The last three minutes are the most beautiful requiem to a piece of music I’ve ever heard… worthy of tears.
The Planets by Gustav Holst. I love this music because it’s raw, powerful, and narrative. In writing this suite, Holst made movie music before movies really had music. The powerful use of the low brass and strings is a punch in the chin that makes me (nerd I know) crank the volume every time Mars comes up.
Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copeland. I know, I’m stuck on Copeland, but he is my favorite after all. Fanfare is one of those pieces that puts very distinct images into my head. It reminds me of the first time I saw the monument to Iwo Jima in Washington D.C. I was 13 years old, and appropriately in D.C. on a band trip. We were visiting Arlington that day and seeing the Vietnam Wall and other war monuments. I walked off by myself (because that’s what I do) and wandered up upon the statue of those men raising the flag on Mt. Suribachi. I had a mix tape in my walkman that just so happened to have Fanfare on it. Well, it was like something out of a movie. It was dark, the spotlights were shining on the monument, I’m all by me onesee listening to Fanfare for the Common Man, staring at this statue of soldiers hoisting the American Flag together. I think I must have just stared at the thing for over an hour. Up to that point I wasn’t very patriotic, never thought about politics, the military, and precious little about our country’s history. That began to change that night. To this day whenever I hear that piece of music I picture soldiers, doing what they do. If that’s all the song makes me think about, then that’s enough.
Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin. This guy played rock and roll piano before it was invented. This piece is bright lights – big city combined with classical orchestration that reels like a roller coaster. Short, quiet hills followed by big, roaring down-hills with piano and horn runs that leave you dizzy (especially if you play and know how difficult some of them are at speed)
Ode to Joy by Beethoven. This piece is just classic. Pure sound, big and full. We played this at our wedding as we were walking out…it just fit.
Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber. This piece is one of those that stops you in your tracks if you’re moving, and hypnotizes you if you aren’t. I love this piece because it illustrates the power of the human voice to create music unlike any instrument man can create. I had the pleasure of hearing this piece played by a large orchestra (about 67 pieces) many of whom are in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. A church we attended had a musical program in their main sanctuary and had many of its members who played orchestral instruments provide the music. They also had their full choir on hand (about 120 people) For a little background, this is the single largest Presbyterian congregation in the country. The Sanctuary is huge, and acoustically wonderful. We were lucky enough to get seats about 7 rows back from the stage. I was excited to hear this piece live but I had no idea what I was in for. For those of you who are familiar with the work you’ll understand my description. The lights were slightly dimmed and the air was thick and quiet. The conductor raised his baton and ever so slightly nudged it forward and down, so slowly that it probably wasn’t perceptible from more than 15 rows back. With this began what is my favorite thing about live classical music: The violins slowly pulling the first notes of the piece from the strings. For those of you who have never heard this live and close up, it almost sounds like breath. Soft and airy, pure in tone and shuddering just a bit so that it really does resemble a whisper. Multiply that by about 25 and you have the strings playing these first notes. I can’t even describe what the sound did in that church, but it was ethereal. By the end of the piece even the small children in the crowd were dead silent and still. Knowing what his group had accomplished, the conductor held the last note until it simply drained away into silence, and held his baton up for another 10 or 15 seconds after, just to keep the crowd in thrall. It took him lowering his arms, turning towards the crowd and nodding his head for anyone to dare clap and break that silence. After that there was about a 5 minute standing ovation…and that was just the first song.
Ok, well, I’ve written a small novel and haven’t even scratched the surface of the jazz side of my picks, so I’ll leave that for tomorrow. Until then I wish you all happy listening.
Capt.
I’m no golfer, but I do enjoy swinging clubs and crushing golf balls off the tee, no matter which direction they go. Whit’s company is having their spring picnic and they do a golf outing before hand, so I’ll be sucking up a blue streak in front of all her piers. What could be better on a Sunday afternoon than embarrassing yourself in front of all your wife’s co-workers.
Ok, back to the good stuff. Today I want to talk classical music. As a child I was exposed by my parents to two types of music that have shaped my life in more ways than I can count. Classical and Jazz. My father is the culprit here, having seen many of the legends of jazz live in concert in Atlanta in the 40’s, he began plying my ears with Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, George Gershwin, Monk, Goodman, Ellington, Coltrane, Herman and so many more that it would be pointless to list them, but you get the point.
In much the same way he exposed me to the great classical (and modern) composers. Bach, Brahms, Mozart, Handel, etc. I always listened to classical while I did my homework because it calmed my ever racing brain and relaxed me into a state of well being that I still find while listening. In time I began looking for more music, expanding my own horizons into more modern orchestral areas. This brought Grofe’, Prokofiev, Copeland, Dvorak, Shostakovich and other hard to spell names….But seriously, by the time I was 11 and choosing an instrument to play in band, these two types of music had shaped me to such an extent that the choice was already made. I began playing the saxophone in 5th grade and play it to this day (though not as much jazz as I’d like). I also picked up the drums, the clarinet, piano, and to this day I fail miserably at the guitar. But I love to play, no matter how bad I am, it always brings me peace.
I can honestly say that music is responsible for my life’s direction, and much of the happiness I’ve known. Being a part of a musical group has allowed me to see places and be a part of events that I otherwise would never have been able to even see on TV.
So today’s Good Life is dedicated to music. I hope that you all are able to find the peace and happiness in music that I find. Below I’m listing a few of my all time favorites, the songs that really take hold of me and don’t let go until the last note fades into ether…
My all time favorite:
Appalachian Spring, by Aaron Copeland. (I like the Leonard Bernstein recording best) This song puts me into a trance like state from which its nearly impossible to wake, but I listen to it constantly and have since my teens. The last three minutes are the most beautiful requiem to a piece of music I’ve ever heard… worthy of tears.
The Planets by Gustav Holst. I love this music because it’s raw, powerful, and narrative. In writing this suite, Holst made movie music before movies really had music. The powerful use of the low brass and strings is a punch in the chin that makes me (nerd I know) crank the volume every time Mars comes up.
Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copeland. I know, I’m stuck on Copeland, but he is my favorite after all. Fanfare is one of those pieces that puts very distinct images into my head. It reminds me of the first time I saw the monument to Iwo Jima in Washington D.C. I was 13 years old, and appropriately in D.C. on a band trip. We were visiting Arlington that day and seeing the Vietnam Wall and other war monuments. I walked off by myself (because that’s what I do) and wandered up upon the statue of those men raising the flag on Mt. Suribachi. I had a mix tape in my walkman that just so happened to have Fanfare on it. Well, it was like something out of a movie. It was dark, the spotlights were shining on the monument, I’m all by me onesee listening to Fanfare for the Common Man, staring at this statue of soldiers hoisting the American Flag together. I think I must have just stared at the thing for over an hour. Up to that point I wasn’t very patriotic, never thought about politics, the military, and precious little about our country’s history. That began to change that night. To this day whenever I hear that piece of music I picture soldiers, doing what they do. If that’s all the song makes me think about, then that’s enough.
Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin. This guy played rock and roll piano before it was invented. This piece is bright lights – big city combined with classical orchestration that reels like a roller coaster. Short, quiet hills followed by big, roaring down-hills with piano and horn runs that leave you dizzy (especially if you play and know how difficult some of them are at speed)
Ode to Joy by Beethoven. This piece is just classic. Pure sound, big and full. We played this at our wedding as we were walking out…it just fit.
Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber. This piece is one of those that stops you in your tracks if you’re moving, and hypnotizes you if you aren’t. I love this piece because it illustrates the power of the human voice to create music unlike any instrument man can create. I had the pleasure of hearing this piece played by a large orchestra (about 67 pieces) many of whom are in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. A church we attended had a musical program in their main sanctuary and had many of its members who played orchestral instruments provide the music. They also had their full choir on hand (about 120 people) For a little background, this is the single largest Presbyterian congregation in the country. The Sanctuary is huge, and acoustically wonderful. We were lucky enough to get seats about 7 rows back from the stage. I was excited to hear this piece live but I had no idea what I was in for. For those of you who are familiar with the work you’ll understand my description. The lights were slightly dimmed and the air was thick and quiet. The conductor raised his baton and ever so slightly nudged it forward and down, so slowly that it probably wasn’t perceptible from more than 15 rows back. With this began what is my favorite thing about live classical music: The violins slowly pulling the first notes of the piece from the strings. For those of you who have never heard this live and close up, it almost sounds like breath. Soft and airy, pure in tone and shuddering just a bit so that it really does resemble a whisper. Multiply that by about 25 and you have the strings playing these first notes. I can’t even describe what the sound did in that church, but it was ethereal. By the end of the piece even the small children in the crowd were dead silent and still. Knowing what his group had accomplished, the conductor held the last note until it simply drained away into silence, and held his baton up for another 10 or 15 seconds after, just to keep the crowd in thrall. It took him lowering his arms, turning towards the crowd and nodding his head for anyone to dare clap and break that silence. After that there was about a 5 minute standing ovation…and that was just the first song.
Ok, well, I’ve written a small novel and haven’t even scratched the surface of the jazz side of my picks, so I’ll leave that for tomorrow. Until then I wish you all happy listening.
Capt.
17 May 2006
Burnin' down the house...
Ok, so I found something to comment on in the news today. It’s a local thing but it’s far reaching as far as U.S. politics go, so I’m sure you’ll all know the key players in this one.
From this article in the AJC:
Former Democratic State Representative Wyc Orr (no that’s not an abbreviation, that’s his name) is recommending that Zell Miller be kicked out of the Democratic party on account of his ‘shilling’ for Republicans at present and for the last few years. While I understand his position and truly feel for his pain (can’t you see the tears?) I think he’s missing a great big fat hairy point here, and he’s not alone.
For years now the denizens of the Democratic party have been leaning hard on the helm, steering their party ever left of center, ever farther away from the will and want of hard working Americans. Much like his party, Mr. Orr is sitting at his desk with his hands over his ears, yelling “la la la la la I CAN’T HEAR YOU” with his eyes firmly shut, hoping the voices of reason will just cease altogether…voices like Zell Miller’s.
Having grown up in Georgia I was in what you might call my formative years when Zell was the governor of our fine state, and an ardent Democrat to boot. He was adept at the game, moving here and there on issues, getting the ones he really wanted pushed through whether they were in the people’s best interest or not. He was so good at this he even garnered himself a nick-name: Zig-Zag-Zell. I remember my father listening to him on the news and rolling his eyes, telling me that I needed to go to school and read as much as I could every day so that people like him couldn’t fool me with their lies. Well, I’ve tried to take that message to heart, and apparently so has Zell.
Ever since 911 the country has polarized as never before. While it was fashionable and politically necessary, even the hardest leftists raised their hands and joined in the battle cry to put down this new threat. And then, as expected, they began to peal off a few at a time, looking for ways to further their own agendas by undermining the efforts of those who fought and fight for our freedom and protection. Much to his credit, Zell Miller recognized this and took umbrage…publicly. In 2004 he gave his own party members a tongue lashing at the Republican National Convention that raised the eyebrows of many on both sides. Suddenly in the media at large Zell was no longer the respected elder statesman of the Democratic Party, he was a crotchety old fart, spewing bitter rage and senility.
This surprised no one who understands the left’s tactics when it comes to media manipulation. When you are of use you’re held up on a pillar and showered with praise…when you aren’t of use or *gasp* even dare to speak against them you’re dragged through the mud by any means available. For the last 6 years the Democratic party has made an art out of discrediting its detractors. Any party that can blast a sitting President for liberating a tortured people from a mass murdering dictator while simultaneously white washing their last President’s debouched double term should stick with show biz and leave out the politics, they’d go further.
What Mr. Orr and millions like him might want to try is listening for a while. When one of your own stands in front of your house and tells you its on fire, even if you don’t smell the smoke, you should probably check to make sure before you call him an idiot. If you’re right, then no harm done, but if you’re wrong, and you failed to listen, then you burn…
Burn baby burn….
From this article in the AJC:
Former Democratic State Representative Wyc Orr (no that’s not an abbreviation, that’s his name) is recommending that Zell Miller be kicked out of the Democratic party on account of his ‘shilling’ for Republicans at present and for the last few years. While I understand his position and truly feel for his pain (can’t you see the tears?) I think he’s missing a great big fat hairy point here, and he’s not alone.
For years now the denizens of the Democratic party have been leaning hard on the helm, steering their party ever left of center, ever farther away from the will and want of hard working Americans. Much like his party, Mr. Orr is sitting at his desk with his hands over his ears, yelling “la la la la la I CAN’T HEAR YOU” with his eyes firmly shut, hoping the voices of reason will just cease altogether…voices like Zell Miller’s.
Having grown up in Georgia I was in what you might call my formative years when Zell was the governor of our fine state, and an ardent Democrat to boot. He was adept at the game, moving here and there on issues, getting the ones he really wanted pushed through whether they were in the people’s best interest or not. He was so good at this he even garnered himself a nick-name: Zig-Zag-Zell. I remember my father listening to him on the news and rolling his eyes, telling me that I needed to go to school and read as much as I could every day so that people like him couldn’t fool me with their lies. Well, I’ve tried to take that message to heart, and apparently so has Zell.
Ever since 911 the country has polarized as never before. While it was fashionable and politically necessary, even the hardest leftists raised their hands and joined in the battle cry to put down this new threat. And then, as expected, they began to peal off a few at a time, looking for ways to further their own agendas by undermining the efforts of those who fought and fight for our freedom and protection. Much to his credit, Zell Miller recognized this and took umbrage…publicly. In 2004 he gave his own party members a tongue lashing at the Republican National Convention that raised the eyebrows of many on both sides. Suddenly in the media at large Zell was no longer the respected elder statesman of the Democratic Party, he was a crotchety old fart, spewing bitter rage and senility.
This surprised no one who understands the left’s tactics when it comes to media manipulation. When you are of use you’re held up on a pillar and showered with praise…when you aren’t of use or *gasp* even dare to speak against them you’re dragged through the mud by any means available. For the last 6 years the Democratic party has made an art out of discrediting its detractors. Any party that can blast a sitting President for liberating a tortured people from a mass murdering dictator while simultaneously white washing their last President’s debouched double term should stick with show biz and leave out the politics, they’d go further.
What Mr. Orr and millions like him might want to try is listening for a while. When one of your own stands in front of your house and tells you its on fire, even if you don’t smell the smoke, you should probably check to make sure before you call him an idiot. If you’re right, then no harm done, but if you’re wrong, and you failed to listen, then you burn…
Burn baby burn….
11 May 2006
Well looky here...
Well it’s about time. I can’t remember the last time any arm of the main stream media reported on good news on the front page (well, the headline on the internet page anyway). This morning’s happy surprise was brought to us by none other than the good ‘ole staple of southern liberal living: the AJC (That’s Atlanta Journal and Constitution for those not in Ga.)
This story is close to my heart for many reasons, one of which is that I live just a few miles from the high school that these boys attend. Since the AJC online requires a registration, I’ll copy the important parts…
It was nearly dusk on Florida's San Destin Beach, with red flags warning of rip currents, when a woman approached three Centennial High School seniors and asked them to help her boys get back to shore.
The young men, Kyle DeLapp, Steven Gartner and Hooman Nourparvar, all 17, were playing Frisbee on the beach on the first Saturday in April as part of a spring break trip. They looked out beyond the breaking waves and saw four kids, three boys and a girl ages 9 to 12, according to interviews.
Although they had not planned to swim that day because of the warning flags, the Centennial classmates stepped into the water without a thought to the danger they were walking into. Two of them, DeLapp and Nourparvar, had training in water safety.
As the three teens walked toward the kids in the cold, choppy water, they discovered a steep drop-off just as they reached them. The younger children had begun to scream for help. The older boys realized the rip current was quickly sweeping them all out to sea.
Doesn’t it do your hearts good to know that there is still courage and self sacrifice in teenagers these days? Let’s put the scene together so you can see what I’m seeing:
This is dusk on a beach where people (except three brilliant little kids) are not swimming because of rip tide warnings. I’ve been to Sandestin many times and I know the currents there are nasty. And when the currents are nasty the wind usually is too. So you’ve got a beach with not a lot of people, sketchy lighting and weather, and three high school kids playing frisbee. Why am I pointing this out? Because it illustrates just what happened on that beach. The three boys were asked to help, to put themselves in a very dangerous situation, and did so without thought. There were no bikini clad hotties looking on to pump up their need to perform stupid and dangerous stunts, there were no cameras to record their deeds and make them famous for 15 minutes, it was just one scared mother, asking for help.
Anyone living on this end of the country (and I’m sure in other places as well) who goes to the beach is familiar with the concept of a ‘rip tide’ or current. They get particularly nasty with spring and fall tides in the Gulf and have the ability to sweep hundreds of people five miles out to sea in a matter of minutes. So these boys probably knew what waited for them in that water, but they went anyway.
Sheesh, doesn’t it sound like I’m sycophantically waving my arms here? Maybe I am, but I’ve been in these situations before, several times actually, and I’m just impressed that there are still some kids left in this generation who have the stones to act when called upon.
Maybe there is hope for America’s future yet.
This story is close to my heart for many reasons, one of which is that I live just a few miles from the high school that these boys attend. Since the AJC online requires a registration, I’ll copy the important parts…
It was nearly dusk on Florida's San Destin Beach, with red flags warning of rip currents, when a woman approached three Centennial High School seniors and asked them to help her boys get back to shore.
The young men, Kyle DeLapp, Steven Gartner and Hooman Nourparvar, all 17, were playing Frisbee on the beach on the first Saturday in April as part of a spring break trip. They looked out beyond the breaking waves and saw four kids, three boys and a girl ages 9 to 12, according to interviews.
Although they had not planned to swim that day because of the warning flags, the Centennial classmates stepped into the water without a thought to the danger they were walking into. Two of them, DeLapp and Nourparvar, had training in water safety.
As the three teens walked toward the kids in the cold, choppy water, they discovered a steep drop-off just as they reached them. The younger children had begun to scream for help. The older boys realized the rip current was quickly sweeping them all out to sea.
Doesn’t it do your hearts good to know that there is still courage and self sacrifice in teenagers these days? Let’s put the scene together so you can see what I’m seeing:
This is dusk on a beach where people (except three brilliant little kids) are not swimming because of rip tide warnings. I’ve been to Sandestin many times and I know the currents there are nasty. And when the currents are nasty the wind usually is too. So you’ve got a beach with not a lot of people, sketchy lighting and weather, and three high school kids playing frisbee. Why am I pointing this out? Because it illustrates just what happened on that beach. The three boys were asked to help, to put themselves in a very dangerous situation, and did so without thought. There were no bikini clad hotties looking on to pump up their need to perform stupid and dangerous stunts, there were no cameras to record their deeds and make them famous for 15 minutes, it was just one scared mother, asking for help.
Anyone living on this end of the country (and I’m sure in other places as well) who goes to the beach is familiar with the concept of a ‘rip tide’ or current. They get particularly nasty with spring and fall tides in the Gulf and have the ability to sweep hundreds of people five miles out to sea in a matter of minutes. So these boys probably knew what waited for them in that water, but they went anyway.
Sheesh, doesn’t it sound like I’m sycophantically waving my arms here? Maybe I am, but I’ve been in these situations before, several times actually, and I’m just impressed that there are still some kids left in this generation who have the stones to act when called upon.
Maybe there is hope for America’s future yet.
02 May 2006
Off we go...
Well, I'm weighing anchor and heading south for the week to attend the hitchin' of some dear friends in Key West.
Pictures and descriptions to follow...
As you were.
Captain.
Pictures and descriptions to follow...
As you were.
Captain.
30 April 2006
Listen!....do you smell something?
So today was today, and today was good. Woke up and worked outside, made the back yard a bit more like a yard and a bit less like half an acre of Borneo. Working outside brings me out of my head for a while, lets me smell and see and hear and touch without analyzing everything, and that’s good. Growing up on land with animals, yard work, and quiet woods put a good sense of calm into me that I rely on from time to time when I’m surrounded by cars, people, cell phones, people, computers, oh and people. Sometimes I forget how nice it can be to just shape nature around you. Luckily our yard has quite the mind of its own and has prodigiously found its way into places it shouldn’t be, thus providing me with days and days of communal pruning, chopping and digging.
But not for a while, for there is travel ahead and I must make ready to live my days as a beach bum.
There, all done, I’m ready. Now I just have to pack and I’m off.
Brain not functioning, must sleep. Write more tomorrow.
But, like any good Captain I’ll leave you all with some lovely words to enjoy, some of you may even recognize them.
Take my love, take my land
Take me where I cannot stand
I don't care, I'm still free
You can't take the sky from me
Take me out to the black
Tell them I ain't comin' back
Burn the land and boil the sea
You can't take the sky from me
There's no place I can be
Since I found Serenity
But you can't take the sky from me...
But not for a while, for there is travel ahead and I must make ready to live my days as a beach bum.
There, all done, I’m ready. Now I just have to pack and I’m off.
Brain not functioning, must sleep. Write more tomorrow.
But, like any good Captain I’ll leave you all with some lovely words to enjoy, some of you may even recognize them.
Take my love, take my land
Take me where I cannot stand
I don't care, I'm still free
You can't take the sky from me
Take me out to the black
Tell them I ain't comin' back
Burn the land and boil the sea
You can't take the sky from me
There's no place I can be
Since I found Serenity
But you can't take the sky from me...
29 April 2006
Saturday Night feverless...
Sitting on the couch, being the wild individual I’m want to be whenever Saturday rolls around. Wife is out gallivanting with friends downtown and I’m left to my devices for a few hours. This, unfortunately, is not the clanging sound of an opening jail cell as it is for so many other married men. Nay, tis but the call of the dodo bird, the Tasmanian wolf, and the carrier pigeon. What’s that you say? None of these animals exist anymore on this earth? Quite right. And therefore their collective call is nothing but silence. Pure, sweet, unfettered quiet. Not that Whit brings about chaos and noise when she’s here, but she’s far more active than I and while conscious requires either a stereo or a TV be on at all times. I, on the other hand, tend to seek a quiet corner in which to think when the opportunity presents itself, and tonight is rife with opportunity.
Thus, I’ve been thinking about many things. Surprisingly enough none of them are the newsworthy items one would expect to see me commenting on, so if you’re in my neighborhood of the web looking for topicality, turn back now and save yourself some neurons. I’ve been cleaning out my mental closets in preparation for Key West next week. You see, whenever I take a trip to what I like to call “Home” (not just the Keys, really any place where land meets ocean in a tropical or sub-tropical climate) I like to do so with as little baggage as possible – mentally speaking. I’m of the opinion that our world doesn’t afford us the quiet time necessary to properly process the amount of information we’re bombarded with each day. As such I find it nice to purge my brain of the detritus as often as possible. Anyone who finds themselves unable to cope with things around them should try this from time to time. If it sounds too sketchy to say you sit around in a low lit room with no noise except your own breathing, just do what Asian martial arts masters have been doing since 4000 B.C.: Call it meditation.
Items of interest:
Let’s see, what do I have to tell that anyone would care about.
Nope, sorry, I got nothin’.
Oh, I did see an interesting movie last night on recommendation from one of Whit’s friends. It’s called “Ginger Snaps”. A cute little tail about two sisters, one 15 one 16 in Ontario who are obsessed with death and suicide until the older one is attacked and bitten by a werewolf and begins to change into one herself. Much of the movie is campy, not surprisingly, in the way you would expect a teen aged horror flick would be. But there are things about this movie I found wonderful. While the cast was limited as far as the Hollywood ‘A’ list is concerned (the only actor I recognized was Mimi Rogers, who convincingly played the girls’ clueless mother), the actors did an admirable job of pulling off some scenes that, in many movies, can prove impossible to do convincingly.
One particular example is the high school scene. Unlike most of the films we see these days where everyone in the school is a ‘type’ and each stereotype is duly represented in some sick homage to diversity, this movie shows kids as they are: Awkward, unsophisticated and driven by simple ideas and urges. (If it sounds like I’m insulting high school aged children I’m not, I’m not that far out of high school and I still remember myself at that age.) High school aged kids work on a much different level as adults and as such aren’t given to the well thought out soliloquies delivered by the cast of Dawson’s Creek on a weekly basis. I appreciate it when a writer and director have the forethought to write a 15 year old like a 15 year old. Simple, I know, but rare in most movies.
Another thing I appreciate are the horror scenes. Though the effects budget for this movie probably rivaled the daily sales figures at an all you can eat steak house in Bombay, they made the most of the actor’s ability to be scared by something I could have made in camp when I was ten. Call it trite, but when an actor can suspend their own reality enough to convincingly convey not only terror but the confusion that comes with seeing something like a werewolf for the first time enough to suspend my belief that the paper mache ‘monster’ is actually real, I’m impressed.
All in all, the movie was fun. The ending was a bit weak, but you can’t have everything.
Well, my buddy Ron White is on the television (which is no longer muted) and I feel the urge to eat popcorn and laugh at some really funny stuff, so I bid you all good night.
Capt.
Thus, I’ve been thinking about many things. Surprisingly enough none of them are the newsworthy items one would expect to see me commenting on, so if you’re in my neighborhood of the web looking for topicality, turn back now and save yourself some neurons. I’ve been cleaning out my mental closets in preparation for Key West next week. You see, whenever I take a trip to what I like to call “Home” (not just the Keys, really any place where land meets ocean in a tropical or sub-tropical climate) I like to do so with as little baggage as possible – mentally speaking. I’m of the opinion that our world doesn’t afford us the quiet time necessary to properly process the amount of information we’re bombarded with each day. As such I find it nice to purge my brain of the detritus as often as possible. Anyone who finds themselves unable to cope with things around them should try this from time to time. If it sounds too sketchy to say you sit around in a low lit room with no noise except your own breathing, just do what Asian martial arts masters have been doing since 4000 B.C.: Call it meditation.
Items of interest:
Let’s see, what do I have to tell that anyone would care about.
Nope, sorry, I got nothin’.
Oh, I did see an interesting movie last night on recommendation from one of Whit’s friends. It’s called “Ginger Snaps”. A cute little tail about two sisters, one 15 one 16 in Ontario who are obsessed with death and suicide until the older one is attacked and bitten by a werewolf and begins to change into one herself. Much of the movie is campy, not surprisingly, in the way you would expect a teen aged horror flick would be. But there are things about this movie I found wonderful. While the cast was limited as far as the Hollywood ‘A’ list is concerned (the only actor I recognized was Mimi Rogers, who convincingly played the girls’ clueless mother), the actors did an admirable job of pulling off some scenes that, in many movies, can prove impossible to do convincingly.
One particular example is the high school scene. Unlike most of the films we see these days where everyone in the school is a ‘type’ and each stereotype is duly represented in some sick homage to diversity, this movie shows kids as they are: Awkward, unsophisticated and driven by simple ideas and urges. (If it sounds like I’m insulting high school aged children I’m not, I’m not that far out of high school and I still remember myself at that age.) High school aged kids work on a much different level as adults and as such aren’t given to the well thought out soliloquies delivered by the cast of Dawson’s Creek on a weekly basis. I appreciate it when a writer and director have the forethought to write a 15 year old like a 15 year old. Simple, I know, but rare in most movies.
Another thing I appreciate are the horror scenes. Though the effects budget for this movie probably rivaled the daily sales figures at an all you can eat steak house in Bombay, they made the most of the actor’s ability to be scared by something I could have made in camp when I was ten. Call it trite, but when an actor can suspend their own reality enough to convincingly convey not only terror but the confusion that comes with seeing something like a werewolf for the first time enough to suspend my belief that the paper mache ‘monster’ is actually real, I’m impressed.
All in all, the movie was fun. The ending was a bit weak, but you can’t have everything.
Well, my buddy Ron White is on the television (which is no longer muted) and I feel the urge to eat popcorn and laugh at some really funny stuff, so I bid you all good night.
Capt.
24 April 2006
Those ten things...
1. Solitude. Being away from everything human, everything created by humans, no noises that don’t come from nature, no words, just pure blessed silence.
2. Water – Long wide expanses of water. Oceans, lakes, rivers. The sound of water, rushing, waving, lapping at the hull of my boat. The crashing of waves putting me to sleep and waking me in the morning. The gentle swishing sound when I swim. Water goes with solitude…people can’t talk underwater… this is a good thing.
3. Eyes. People sometimes underestimate the power of eye contact. The human eye can say more than words could ever hope to say in one millionth the time. Eyes convey thoughts, feelings, and truth. They are the only single source of two way communication we as humans are afforded.
4. Imagination. The power of the human mind to rise up beyond reality and convention, to surpass what we know in favor of what could be. In imagining we give birth to characters in books, lands and creatures we’ll never see here on earth, and lives we will never live, but may still be a part of if we so choose.
5. Promises kept. From the simplest to the eternal, a promise kept is a sure footing in every situation.
6. Music. I’m of the opinion that music is the original means by which all sentient life on this planet could be controlled. If you ever question the power of music simply take it out of any situation where emotion, especially high emotion is involved. Would movies be half of what they are with no score? Would Jaws have been so terrifying without his requisite two note calling card? Would we all have shed a single tear for ET upon his departure had John Williams not been so skilled in writing for French horn? Never underestimate the power of music, for good or evil. Lucifer himself was the angel of music after-all.
7. Truth. Veritas, 真相,Waarheid, Vérité, Wahrheit, Αλήθεια, Verità, Правда, Verdad.
Whatever word you use, truth is that which cannot be denied, cannot be destroyed, and will always come forth, even over millennia. Truth is the ultimate reality. There is not existence without truth, because truth is fact, truth is what IS. We know that gravity IS because we don’t float away from the planet. Gravity is truth on Earth. Truth is painful, but only as painful as the band-aid being removed. Truth brings healing, forgiveness, and happiness to those who seek peace. Truth also allows us to know evil when we see it, because evil will never tell the truth when it can lie instead.
Here are some examples of truth shedding light on lie:
Al Gore DID NOT invent the internet
Ted Kennedy IS responsible for the death of a young woman
Diversity for the sake of diversity is foolish, and only leads to weakness
I could go on, but this is just not the time or place.
8. Books –The written word is responsible for who we are as humans. Were we all to disappear tomorrow and another life form visit the Earth, were they to understand our written languages they would know us. Our beliefs, our hopes, our dreams, our knowledge. In this time more than any other the power to read and write surpasses the power to kill and heal. In the information age the quick and the dead differentiated by the mind, not the sword.
9. Pets. The idea that we can communicate to other creatures without words and receive ten times the love we give, in many cases without disserving it, should be a lesson to us all.
10. Freedom. I don’t think many of us know what it is to live without freedom, in any way. But I’m fairly sure that were any of us to lose it overnight we’d notice. I love that I can get in my car and drive as far as I wish in any direction I wish without notifying anyone. I love that I can quit my job and sell fruit by the roadside if I so desire, and no one can stop me.
There you have it. I’m punchy today so I’m sure this isn’t as whimsical as it could be, but such is life.
I hereby tag:
Whit
Sarge
Russ
and
Dave D.
2. Water – Long wide expanses of water. Oceans, lakes, rivers. The sound of water, rushing, waving, lapping at the hull of my boat. The crashing of waves putting me to sleep and waking me in the morning. The gentle swishing sound when I swim. Water goes with solitude…people can’t talk underwater… this is a good thing.
3. Eyes. People sometimes underestimate the power of eye contact. The human eye can say more than words could ever hope to say in one millionth the time. Eyes convey thoughts, feelings, and truth. They are the only single source of two way communication we as humans are afforded.
4. Imagination. The power of the human mind to rise up beyond reality and convention, to surpass what we know in favor of what could be. In imagining we give birth to characters in books, lands and creatures we’ll never see here on earth, and lives we will never live, but may still be a part of if we so choose.
5. Promises kept. From the simplest to the eternal, a promise kept is a sure footing in every situation.
6. Music. I’m of the opinion that music is the original means by which all sentient life on this planet could be controlled. If you ever question the power of music simply take it out of any situation where emotion, especially high emotion is involved. Would movies be half of what they are with no score? Would Jaws have been so terrifying without his requisite two note calling card? Would we all have shed a single tear for ET upon his departure had John Williams not been so skilled in writing for French horn? Never underestimate the power of music, for good or evil. Lucifer himself was the angel of music after-all.
7. Truth. Veritas, 真相,Waarheid, Vérité, Wahrheit, Αλήθεια, Verità, Правда, Verdad.
Whatever word you use, truth is that which cannot be denied, cannot be destroyed, and will always come forth, even over millennia. Truth is the ultimate reality. There is not existence without truth, because truth is fact, truth is what IS. We know that gravity IS because we don’t float away from the planet. Gravity is truth on Earth. Truth is painful, but only as painful as the band-aid being removed. Truth brings healing, forgiveness, and happiness to those who seek peace. Truth also allows us to know evil when we see it, because evil will never tell the truth when it can lie instead.
Here are some examples of truth shedding light on lie:
Al Gore DID NOT invent the internet
Ted Kennedy IS responsible for the death of a young woman
Diversity for the sake of diversity is foolish, and only leads to weakness
I could go on, but this is just not the time or place.
8. Books –The written word is responsible for who we are as humans. Were we all to disappear tomorrow and another life form visit the Earth, were they to understand our written languages they would know us. Our beliefs, our hopes, our dreams, our knowledge. In this time more than any other the power to read and write surpasses the power to kill and heal. In the information age the quick and the dead differentiated by the mind, not the sword.
9. Pets. The idea that we can communicate to other creatures without words and receive ten times the love we give, in many cases without disserving it, should be a lesson to us all.
10. Freedom. I don’t think many of us know what it is to live without freedom, in any way. But I’m fairly sure that were any of us to lose it overnight we’d notice. I love that I can get in my car and drive as far as I wish in any direction I wish without notifying anyone. I love that I can quit my job and sell fruit by the roadside if I so desire, and no one can stop me.
There you have it. I’m punchy today so I’m sure this isn’t as whimsical as it could be, but such is life.
I hereby tag:
Whit
Sarge
Russ
and
Dave D.
21 April 2006
Friday...
Hello kiddies, and happy Friday. For the last few days I have been all that is busy and have neglected my beloved readers… Unlike Ted Kennedy, I apologize.
Much has happened and is happening in our world. Let’s all take the time to breath deep the free air and let go of the stress from Monday through Thursday…
There, that’s better.
I really don’t feel like muck-raking today so I’ll just supply you with a few treasured song lyrics and quotes that make me smile. If you have any you like please comment them on over, I love new ones.
“The woods are lovely, dark, and deep
But I have promises to keep
And Miles to Go Before I sleep
And Miles to Go Before I sleep” -Robert Frost
“But the road was long and home was far
So I stopped off at this little cowboy-looking bar
I walked on through the door and she just smiled
In a long pony tail and a pretty white dress
She said hi bull riders do it best
I said oh my God what's your name
My name's Lyle” Lyle Lovett – Give Back My Heart
“Save a baby seal...Club a liberal”
“Save the Wales…for last, they’re great for dessert.”
“We must hang together, or surely we shall hang separately” - Ben Franklin.
“It’s ok to kiss a fool, it’s ok to let a fool kiss you, but never let a kiss fool you”
(This next one explains most liberal academians)
“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not. Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not. The world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence, determination and hard work make the difference.” -- Calvin Coolidge
"Knowledge talks, wisdom listens"
And with that I leave you to your weekend. I hope it’s a good one.
As for me, I’ll be attending a friend’s bachelor party tomorrow… I promise to post the mug shots if there are any….
As you were.
Captain.
Much has happened and is happening in our world. Let’s all take the time to breath deep the free air and let go of the stress from Monday through Thursday…
There, that’s better.
I really don’t feel like muck-raking today so I’ll just supply you with a few treasured song lyrics and quotes that make me smile. If you have any you like please comment them on over, I love new ones.
“The woods are lovely, dark, and deep
But I have promises to keep
And Miles to Go Before I sleep
And Miles to Go Before I sleep” -Robert Frost
“But the road was long and home was far
So I stopped off at this little cowboy-looking bar
I walked on through the door and she just smiled
In a long pony tail and a pretty white dress
She said hi bull riders do it best
I said oh my God what's your name
My name's Lyle” Lyle Lovett – Give Back My Heart
“Save a baby seal...Club a liberal”
“Save the Wales…for last, they’re great for dessert.”
“We must hang together, or surely we shall hang separately” - Ben Franklin.
“It’s ok to kiss a fool, it’s ok to let a fool kiss you, but never let a kiss fool you”
(This next one explains most liberal academians)
“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not. Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not. The world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence, determination and hard work make the difference.” -- Calvin Coolidge
"Knowledge talks, wisdom listens"
And with that I leave you to your weekend. I hope it’s a good one.
As for me, I’ll be attending a friend’s bachelor party tomorrow… I promise to post the mug shots if there are any….
As you were.
Captain.
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