The Red Flannel

Sorry it has been so long

2007-02-22T17:38:00.000-06:00

I took a break from blogging for several months. I guess that I didn't really have anything important to say. That gave me a little time to think, and as we roll into the presidential election season I think that I'll be posting a bit of commentary on the people who think they can lead us.

I imagine that a lot of people will probably get angry from time to time as I post my opinions, but that is the way it goes. I kind of picture a series of essays on various subjects, no particular order - irreverent, irrelevant - you be the judge.

Until I get some of these written I bid you adieu.

Election Results Mid-Term 2006

2006-11-07T14:25:00.000-06:00

No matter who you vote(d) for, I truly hope you vote today. Minnesota has a tradition of leading the US in voter turn-out, and I'm proud of that.

Compliments of Minnesota Public Radio we have a widget that posts up to date election results on a web page, drawing its information directly from the Office of the Secretary of State. One instance of our tax dollars at work that doesn't piss me off.

I'll put it in the right column for a few days. Sorry about the font, there isn't any way to change it.

Three things to think about

2006-10-29T20:00:00.000-06:00

Got these in my email the other day, author/creator unknown:

THREE THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:

**COWS**
Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that our government can track a cow born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she sleeps in the state of Washington? And, they tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 11 million illegal aliens wandering around our country. Maybe we should give them all a cow.

**THE CONSTITUTION**
They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq. Why don't we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, it's worked for over 200 years and we're not using it anymore.

**TEN COMMANDMENTS**
The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments in a courthouse ... You cannot post "Thou Shalt Not Steal," "Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery" and "Thou Shall Not Lie" in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians -- it creates a hostile work environment.

What could possibly come next?

2006-10-28T16:05:00.000-05:00

And here it is, the ultimate in Presidential authority.... The ability to declare martial law at his discretion and to use the armed forces for domestic law enforcement. This was signed into law on October 17 as part of a much larger law (hidden in the fine print):

SEC. 1076. USE OF THE ARMED FORCES IN MAJOR PUBLIC EMER-
GENCIES.
(a) USE OF THE ARMED FORCES AUTHORIZED.--
(1) IN GENERAL.--Section 333 of title 10, United States
Code, is amended to read as follows:
`` 333. Major public emergencies; interference with State and
Federal law
``(a) USE OF ARMED FORCES IN MAJOR PUBLIC EMERGENCIES.--
(1) The President may employ the armed forces, including the
National Guard in Federal service, to--
``(A) restore public order and enforce the laws of the United
States when, as a result of a natural disaster, epidemic, or
other serious public health emergency, terrorist attack or
incident, or other condition in any State or possession of the
United States, the President determines that--
``(i) domestic violence has occurred to such an extent
that the constituted authorities of the State or possession
are incapable of maintaining public order; and
``(ii) such violence results in a condition described in
paragraph (2); or
``(B) suppress, in a State, any insurrection, domestic
violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy if such insurrec-
tion, violation, combination, or conspiracy results in a condition
described in paragraph (2).
``(2) A condition described in this paragraph is a condition
that-- ``(A) so hinders the execution of the laws of a State or
possession, as applicable, and of the United States within that
State or possession, that any part or class of its people is
deprived of a right, privilege, immunity, or protection named
in the Constitution and secured by law, and the constituted
authorities of that State or possession are unable, fail, or refuse
to protect that right, privilege, or immunity, or to give that
protection; or
H. R. 5122--323

``(B) opposes or obstructs the execution of the laws of the
United States or impedes the course of justice under those
laws.
``(3) In any situation covered by paragraph (1)(B), the State
shall be considered to have denied the equal protection of the
laws secured by the Constitution.
``(b) NOTICE TO CONGRESS.--The President shall notify Congress
of the determination to exercise the authority in subsection (a)(1)(A)
as soon as practicable after the determination and every 14 days
thereafter during the duration of the exercise of that authority.''.
(2) PROCLAMATION TO DISPERSE.--Section 334 of such title
is amended by inserting ``or those obstructing the enforcement
of the laws'' after ``insurgents''.
(3) HEADING AMENDMENT.--The heading of chapter 15 of
such title is amended to read as follows:
``CHAPTER 15--ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAWS TO
RESTORE PUBLIC ORDER''.
(4) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.--(A) The tables of chapters
at the beginning of subtitle A of title 10, United States Code,
and at the beginning of part I of such subtitle, are each
amended by striking the item relating to chapter 15 and
inserting the following new item:
``15 Enforcement of the Laws to Restore Public Order ......................
331''.
(B) The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 15
of such title is amended by striking the item relating to sections
333 and inserting the following new item:
``333. Major public emergencies; interference with State and Federal law.''.
(b) PROVISION OF SUPPLIES, SERVICES, AND EQUIPMENT.--
(1) IN GENERAL.--Chapter 152 of such title is amended
by adding at the end the following new section:
`` 2567. Supplies, services, and equipment: provision in major
public emergencies
``(a) PROVISION AUTHORIZED.--In any situation in which the
President determines to exercise the authority in section
333(a)(1)(A) of this title, the President may direct the Secretary
of Defense to provide supplies, services, and equipment to persons
affected by the situation.
``(b) COVERED SUPPLIES, SERVICES, AND EQUIPMENT.--The sup-
plies, services, and equipment provided under this section may
include food, water, utilities, bedding, transportation, tentage,
search and rescue, medical care, minor repairs, the removal of
debris, and other assistance necessary for the immediate preserva-
tion of life and property.
``(c) LIMITATIONS.--(1) Supplies, services, and equipment may
be provided under this section--
``(A) only to the extent that the constituted authorities
of the State or possession concerned are unable to provide
such supplies, services, and equipment, as the case may be;
and ``(B) only until such authorities, or other departments or
agencies of the United States charged with the provision of
such supplies, services, and equipment, are able to provide
such supplies, services, and equipment.

``(2) The Secretary may provide supplies, services, and equip-
ment under this section only to the extent that the Secretary
determines that doing so will not interfere with military prepared-
ness or ongoing military operations or functions.
``(d) INAPPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN AUTHORITIES.--The provision
of supplies, services, or equipment under this section shall not
be subject to the provisions of section 403(c) of the Robert T.
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C.
5170b(c)).''.
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.--The table of sections at the
beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end
the following new item:
``2567. Supplies, services, and equipment: provision in major public emergencies''.
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.--Section 12304(c)(1) of such title
is amended by striking ``No unit'' and all that follows through
``subsection (b),'' and inserting ``Except to perform any of the func-
tions authorized by chapter 15 or section 12406 of this title or
by subsection (b), no unit or member of a reserve component may
be ordered to active duty under this section''.

A Red Flannel update

2006-10-09T06:29:00.000-05:00

Well, today is Columbus day. Banks, post offices, etc. are closed and the factory is open. More of a government holiday than anything else I guess. We are expecting snow this week, several times.
Not much to report on up here, things are just pretty quiet.

Campaigning

2006-10-04T06:26:00.000-05:00

As we near the mid-term elections, and gas prices have dropped by nearly 1/3 as the elections approach, the dow just passed a record high, I feel that this is appropriate. Bear in mind that these things have happened as the Republicans make a desperate attempt to retain control of the Congress. I think that it may well be "campaigning" that is causing it, but who knows..... Anyway, here is an email that I got yesterday:

Campaigning
THIS IS A NON- PARTISAN JOKE THAT CAN BE
ENJOYED BY BOTH PARTIES!
NOT ONLY THAT? IT IS POLITICALLY CORRECT!!

While walking down the street one day a US senator is tragically hit by a truck and dies.

His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

"Welcome to heaven," says St. Peter. "Before you settle in, it seems
there is a problem. We seldom see politicians around these parts,
you see, so we're not sure what to do with you."

"No problem, just let me in," says the man.

"Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we'll do
is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you
can choose where to spend eternity."

"Really, I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven," says the senator.

"I'm sorry, but we have our rules."

And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes
down, down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself
in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse
and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians
who had worked with him.

Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him,
shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while
getting rich at the expense of the people.

They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar
and champagne.

Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who
has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a
good time that before he realizes it, it is time to go.

Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator
rises...

The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven where St Peter is waiting for him.

"Now it's time to visit heaven."

So, 24 hours pass with the senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

"Well, then, you've spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now
choose your eternity."

The senator reflects for a minute, then he answers: "Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell."

So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down,
down to hell. Now the doors of the elevator open and he's in the middle of a
barren land covered with waste and garbage.

He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and
putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above.

The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder.
"I don't understand," stammers the senator. "Yesterday I was here
and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and
caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now
there's just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable.
What happened?"

The devil looks at him, smiles and says, "Yesterday we were campaigning.. .... Today you voted."

Detainees, Terrorists, Suspects, and Us?

2006-09-30T06:21:00.000-05:00

I was disappointed this week to see that Congress passed a bill that allows the arrest, torture, and detention of suspected terrorists. The idea that we are willing to cross a line between cruel and inhumane acts and American ideals bothers me. I realize that terrorists are something to be feared, but if we look at the very nature of "terrorism" I believe that we are headed down the wrong road here.

Terrorism by its very nature is an attempt to change something through fear. Simple definition, I know, but that is really all it is. If someone doesn't like something that you are doing and uses violence to get their way, then that is terrorism. We make changes through fear, and by doing so we allow terrorists to accomplish their goals. Kids learn this on the playground.... The bully demands lunch money or he/she will give you a thrashing, so you give them the lunch money. Powerful people preying on the weak. Well, I believe that the global consensus is that we are not a weak country. In this case, the lunch money represents our fundamental rights. We do not need to bow to the threats of the bully, so why are we giving them our lunch money?

In this case, we have completely suspended "Habeus Corpus" for suspected terrorists. For international readers, our constitution guarantees that no citizen can be held for more than 24 hours without formal charges being filed. If there are no formal charges, then the constitution commands release.

Now, where I tend to get nervous about this is that the bill does not clearly specify foreign nationals. I guess that a US citizen could be a terrorist (Isn't that what Timothy McVeigh was called?) and commit terrorist acts. Under the provisions of the new law, someone suspected of terrorism can be held indefinitely, tortured, and prosecuted in a closed trial.

I look at things that have come of the Patriot Act over the past several years, and knowing that it has been interpreted very broadly in order to allow electronic monitoring of US citizens, as well as other curtailing of our rights. I fear that such interpretations can happen with this bill.

If this happens, then indeed, the terrorists have accomplished their mission. They will have changed our fundamental way of life through violent acts. I am by no means suggesting that violence is a way to achieve a goal. I just believe that if we step back and take a broader, more historical view of the whole governmental reaction to the 9/11 terrorist act that we may be going too far.

In 1755 Benjamin Franklin said:

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

Now, I am sure that entire conferences could be held to discuss this and someone somewhere would interpret it differently, but the essence of the thing is that we can't curtail our rights to protect ourselves. If we give up our rights, what are we protecting?

One possible solution would be retribution - Pax Romanus.... Find the nest and destroy it. I don't think that we should do this indiscriminately, but if we find that a terrorist act was committed by someone operating out of a foreign country, then we go in and destroy their headquarters. Since terrorism crosses political boundaries, there is no reason that our response shouldn't cross them as well. I believe that we could put up with the indignity of other countries over sovereignty issues. If we do this seriously and consistently, sooner or later the terrorists will have to understand that there is not a positive outcome to a terrorist act.

Anyway, that is the end of the political diatribe for this morning. I stand prepared to reply to comments, flames, and opinions. I purposely left my statements very broad in the hopes that it will spur a discussion.

Our Fearless Leader, again...

2006-09-30T06:10:00.000-05:00

I have been very good lately in not pointing out the shortcomings of our fearless leader, but I just can't resist. I think that they speak for themselves......

I'm their leader, did you see where they went?

Clever Advertising

2006-09-30T05:41:00.000-05:00

I got these in an email this morning and I thought they were very cool. I think that I would like to see a trend like this continue since for the most part it appeals to everyone, yet it is unique enough to get your attention.

I've always loved this joke....

2006-09-27T05:12:00.000-05:00

A few days after Christmas, a mother was working in the kitchen listening to her young son playing with his new electric train in the living room. She heard the train stop and her son said, "All of you sons of bitches who want off, get the hell off now, cause this is the last stop! And all of you sons of bitches who are getting on, get your asses in the train, cause we're going down the tracks."

The mother went nuts and told her son, "We don't use that kind of language in this house. Now I want you to go to your room and you are to stay there for TWO HOURS. When you come out, you may play with your train, but I want you to use nice language."

Two hours later, the son comes out of the bedroom and resumes playing with his train. Soon the train stopped and the mother heard her son say, "All passengers who are disembarking from the train, please remember to take all of your belongings with you. We thank you for riding with us today and hope your trip was a pleasant one. We hope you will ride with us again soon." She hears the little boy continue, "For those of you just boarding, we ask you to stow all of your hand luggage under your seat. Remember, there is no smoking on the train. We hope you will have a pleasant and relaxing journey with us today."

As the mother began to smile, the child added, "For those of you who are pissed off about the TWO HOUR delay, please see the bitch in the kitchen."

Today's winning email

2006-09-26T05:16:00.000-05:00

I got this from my friend Jim this morning, and with the exception of some minor details, this is excruciatingly accurate as far as the state of things in the US these days..... I just can't understand how we could have let education go down the tubes as far as we have......

HOW DO THESE PEOPLE SURVIVE?
ONE... Recently, when I went to McDonald's I saw on the menu that you could have an order of 6, 9 or 12 Chicken McNuggets. I asked for a half dozen nuggets. "We don't have half dozen nuggets," said the teenager at the counter. "You don't?" I replied. " We only have six, nine, or twelve," was the reply. "So I can't order a half dozen nuggets, but I can order six?" "That's right." So I shook my head and ordered six McNuggets.

TWO... I was checking out at the local Wal-Mart with just a few items and the lady behind me put her things on the belt close to mine. I picked up one of those "dividers" that they keep by the cash register and placed it between our things so they wouldn't get mixed. After the girl had scanned all of my items, she picked up the "divider", looking it all over for the bar code so she could scan it. Not finding the bar code she said to me, "Do you know how much this is?" I said to her "I've changed my mind, I don't think I'll buy that today." She said "OK," and I paid her for the things and left. She had no clue to what had just happened.

THREE... A lady at work was seen putting a credit card into her floppy drive and pulling it out very quickly. When I inquired as to what she was doing, she said she was shopping on the Internet and they kept asking for a credit card number, so she was using the ATM "thingy."

FOUR... I recently saw a distraught young lady weeping beside her car. "Do you need some help?" I asked. She replied, "I knew I should have replaced the battery to this remote door unlocker. Now I can't get into my car. Do you think they (pointing to a distant convenience store) would have a battery to fit this?" "Hmmm, I dunno. Do you have an alarm, too?" I asked. "No, just this remote thingy," she answered, handing it and the car keys to me. As I took the key and manually unlocked the door, I replied, "Why don't you drive over there and check about the batteries. It's a long
walk."

FIVE... Several years ago, we had an Intern who was none too swift. One day she was typing and turned to a secretary and said, "I'm almost out of typing paper. What do I do?" "Just use copier machine paper," the secretary told her. With that, the intern took her last remaining blank piece of paper, put it on the photocopier and proceeded to make five "blank" copies.

SIX... I was in a car dealership a while ago, when a large motor home was towed into the garage. The front of the vehicle was in dire need of repair and the whole thing generally looked like an extra in "Twister." I asked the manager what had happened. He told me that the driver had set the "cruise control" and then went in the back to make a sandwich.

SEVEN... My neighbor works in the operations department in the central office of a large bank. Employees in the field call him when they have problems with their computers. One night he got a call from a woman in one of the branch banks who had this question: "I've got smoke coming from the back of my terminal. Do you guys have a fire downtown?"

EIGHT... Police in Radnor, PA interrogated a suspect by placing a metal colander on his head and connecting it with wires to a photocopy machine. The message "He's lying" was placed in the copier, and police pressed the copy button each time they thought the suspect wasn't telling the truth. Believing the "lie detector" was working, the suspect confessed.

NINE... A mother calls 911 very worried asking the dispatcher if she needs to take her kid to the emergency room, the kid was eating ants. The dispatcher tells her to give the kid some Benadryl and should be fine, the mother says, "I just gave him some ant killer...." Dispatcher: "Rush him to the Emergency Room!"

"If you're going to be dumb, you'd better be tough." --- Jim Hensley

It has been a good week

2006-09-23T11:57:00.000-05:00

Well, I started my new job this week and I love it. I can finally use some of my analytical and computer skills at work. All of the people in my new department are very friendly and nice.

On the other side of the coin, I have gone from number 96 to number 64 on the Spockmarket. It pays to finally be able to watch the episodes and make decisions instead of having to pick my stocks and wonder how they did while I was at work for ten hours.

Very Apt

2006-09-20T05:16:00.000-05:00

"Republicans, when you took your oaths of office, you placed your hands on the Bible and swore to uphold the Constitution. You did not place your hands on the Constitution and swear to uphold the Bible."

- Jamie Raskin, professor of law at American University-

Looking with new eyes....

2006-09-17T16:51:00.000-05:00

The following was written by Isaac Asimov, and without further ado:

I was once asked to speak at a luncheon. Taking my life in my hands, I announced I was going to sing our national anthem, the Star Spangled Banner, all four stanzas.

This was greeted with loud groans. One man closed the door to the kitchen, where the noise of dishes and cutlery was loud and distracting.

"Thanks, Herb," I said.

"That's all right," he said. "It was at the request of the kitchen staff."

I explained the background of the anthem and then sang all four stanzas. Let me tell you, those people had never heard it before or had never really listened. I got a standing ovation.

It was not me. It was the anthem.

More recently, while conducting a seminar, I told my students the story of the anthem and sang all four stanzas. Again there was a wild ovation and prolonged applause. And again, it was the anthem and not me. So now let me tell you how it came to be written.

In 1812 the United States went to war with Great Britain, primarily over freedom of the seas. We were in the right. For two years, we held off the British, even though we were still a rather weak country.

At first our seamen proved better than the British. After we won a battle on Lake Erie in 1813, the American commander, Oliver Hazard Perry, sent the message,

"We have met the enemy and they are ours."

However, the weight of the British navy beat down our ships eventually. New England, hard-hit by a tightening blockade, threatened secession.

Great Britain now launched a three-pronged attack. The northern prong was to come down Lake Champlain toward New York and seize parts of New England. The southern prong was to go up the Mississippi, take New Orleans and paralyze the west. The central prong was to head for the mid-Atlantic states and then attack Baltimore, the greatest port south of New York.

If Baltimore were taken, the nation, which still hugged the Atlantic coast, could be split in two. The fate of the United States, then, rested to a large extent on the success or failure of the central prong.

The British reached the American coast on August 24, 1814, and immediately took Washington, D.C. Then they moved up the Chesapeake Bay toward Baltimore. On September 12th they arrived and found 1,000 men in Fort McHenry, whose guns controlled the harbor. If the British wished to take Baltimore, they would have to take the fort.

On one of the British ships was an aged physician, William Beanes, who had been arrested in Maryland and brought along as a prisoner. Francis Scott Key, a lawyer, and friend of the physician, had come to the ship to negotiate his release. The British captain was willing to negotiate, but the two Americans would have to wait until after the battle.

It was now the night of September 13th and the bombardment of Fort McHenry was about to start. As twilight deepened, Key and Beanes saw the American flag flying over Fort McHenry. Through the night, they heard bombs bursting and saw the red glare of rockets. They knew the fort was resisting and the American flag was still flying.

Toward morning the bombardment ceased and a dread silence fell. Either Fort McHenry had surrendered and the British flag flew above it, or the bombardment had failed and the American flag still flew.

As dawn began to brighten the eastern sky, Key and Beanes stared out at the fort, trying to see which flag flew over it. He and the physician must have asked each other over and over,

"Can you see the flag?"

After it was all finished, Key wrote a four stanza poem telling the events of the night. Called "The Defense of Fort McHenry," it was published in newspapers and swept the nation.

Someone noted that the words fit an old English tune called, "To Anacreon in Heaven" -- a difficult melody with an uncomfortably large vocal range. For obvious reasons, Key's work became known as "The Star Spangled Banner," and in 1931 Congress declared it the official anthem of the United States.

Now that you know the story, here are the words. Presumably, the old doctor is speaking.

This is what he asks Key:

Oh! say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
Oh! say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

"Ramparts," in case you don't know, are the protective walls or other elevations that surround a fort. The first stanza asks a question. The second gives an answer:

On the shore, dimly seen thro' the mist of the deep
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep.
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream
'Tis the star-spangled banner. Oh! long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

"The towering steep" is again, the ramparts. The bombardment has failed, and the British can do nothing more but sail away, their mission a failure. In the third stanza I feel Key allows himself to gloat over the American triumph. In the aftermath of the bombardment, Key probably was in no mood to act otherwise?? During World War I when the British were our staunchest allies, this third stanza was not sung. However, I know it, so here it is:

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
>From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

The fourth stanza, hope for the future, should be sung more slowly than the other three and with even deeper feeling:

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation,
Blest with victory and peace, may the Heaven - rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, for our cause is just,
And this be our motto --"In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

I hope you will look at the national anthem with new eyes. Listen to it, the next time you have a chance, with new ears. Pay attention to the words. And don't let them ever take it away. Not even one word of it.

~ The author is Isaac Asimov who was born in the former Soviet Union, but grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He taught biochemistry at Boston University until he retired in 1958 to become a full-time writer. Asimov had been publishing short stories since the late 1930s, and in 1952 published his first novel. The author of the classic I, Robot series and The Foundation Trilogy, Asimov wrote more than 400 books and won every major science fiction award. He also wrote popular books and essays on science and technology, earning him the nickname "The Great Explainer."

And this one is for Ed.....

2006-09-17T16:24:00.000-05:00

I think I know how my friend Ed got to like hot peppers so much....

An election update....

2006-09-15T16:04:00.000-05:00

Well, this week we had the primary elections up here in Red Flannel country. In my continuing coverage of the Sheriff's race up here, the results were as follows:

• COUNTY SHERIFF
Nonpartisan Candidate Totals Pct Graph
JULE D. HANSON 1149 41.20
MIKE SIEMS 371 13.30
STEVEN J. GUST 1269 45.50

Now, bear in mind that this was a primary election and people were restricted to voting a "straight party", but these guys are all non-partisan. It appears that our Mr. Gust has pulled ahead by nearly 5% over our present sheriff, Jule Hanson. I was impressed that nearly 30% of all registered voters participated in this primary!

I've said before, "I really don't care for whom you vote, but it is important that you do." I believe that the constitution gave us two duties as citizens, one is to participate on a jury when asked, and the other is to vote. It isn't stated like it is a duty in the constitution, but it really is.

Success in the Spock Market

2006-09-12T10:43:00.000-05:00

So, after several weeks of moving from #139 to #121 to #140 to #106 just your basic roller coaster ride, I finally predicted a crash yesterday and bought very conservatively. The end result was that the crash did happen and I "vaulted" to number 77. Finally got into the top 100!!

Nowhere and Now Here

2006-09-09T02:09:00.000-05:00

A simple space is the only difference in English, but the vast chasm of meaning.... Last week I was nowhere, this week I am now here. I accepted a job at Marvin today working with computers. I will finally get to work with some of the skills that I have. I don't know exactly how it happened, nor do I understand why things took so long. Suffice it to say that I am happy today. Tomorrow will be another story, I'm sure, but for today I end the day happier than I have been in weeks.

Worth a thousand words.....

2006-09-08T22:14:00.000-05:00

Someone else fill in the narrative.........

Fearless Prognostications

2006-09-08T13:28:00.000-05:00

I received this in my email this morning. Famous people making projections about the future and how silly they seem in retrospect. Although they seem like they were short-sighted people, the important thing to remember is that we are constantly evolving. If someone would have suggested that a man would walk on the moon within 50 years to someone in 1919 (as World War I was just ending and the entire western world was in recovery) they would have been committed to an asylum. It is important to remember that once upon a time the world was flat. To me, it seems that these people were honestly doing their best to project reasonable assumptions about the future. In a lot of these cases, they were working for large corporations that pursue profitability.

We have dreamers, they are the scientists. The corporate world works more with tangibles. So, although they seem silly, these statements are nowhere near as silly as the idea that human beings are the only sentient life forms in the universe. Billions and Billions of stars surrounded by trillions and trillions of planets.....

Anyway, here are the quotes:

"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons." ~~~ Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." ~~~ Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943

"I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year." ~~~ The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957

"But what ... is it good for?" ~~~ Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip.

"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." ~~~ Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977

"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." ~~~ Western Union internal memo, 1876.

"The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?" ~~~ David Sarnoff's associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s.

"The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a 'C,' the idea must be feasible." ~~~ A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith's paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service. (Smith went on to found Federal Express Corp.)

"Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?" ~~~ H.M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927.

"I'm just glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling on his face and not Gary Cooper." ~~~ Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in "Gone With The Wind."

"A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you make." ~~~ Response to Debbi Fields' idea of starting Mrs. Fields' Cookies.

"We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out." ~~~ Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962.

"Heavier-than- air flying machines are impossible." ~~~ Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895.

"If I had thought about it, I wouldn't have done the experiment. The literature was full of examples that said you can't do this." ~~~ Spencer Silver on the work that led to the unique adhesives for 3-M "Post-It" Notepads.

"So we went to Atari and said, 'Hey, we've got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us? Or we' ll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, we'll come work for you.' And they said, 'No.' So then we went to Hewlett-Packard, and they said, 'Hey, we don't need you. You haven't got through college yet.'" ~~~ Apple Computer Inc. founder Steve Jobs on attempts to get Atari and HP interested in his and Steve Wozniak's personal computer.

"Professor Goddard does not know the relation between action and reaction and the need to have something better than a vacuum against which to react. He seems to lack the basic knowledge ladled out daily in high schools." ~~~ 1921 New York Times editorial about Robert Goddard's revolutionary rocket work.

"You want to have consistent and uniform muscle development across all of your muscles? It can't be done. It's just a fact of life. You just have to accept inconsistent muscle development as an unalterable condition of weight training." ~~~ Response to Arthur Jones, who solved the "unsolvable" problem by inventing Nautilus.

"Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You're crazy." ~~~ Drillers who Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859.

"Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau." ~~~ Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University, 1929.

"Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value." ~~~ Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre.

"Everything that can be invented has been invented." ~~~ Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.

"Louis Pasteur's theory of germs is ridiculous fiction". ~~~ Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872

"The abdomen, the chest, and the brain will forever be shut from the intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon". ~~~ Sir John Eric Ericksen, British surgeon, appointed Surgeon-Extraordina ry to Queen Victoria 1873.

"640K ought to be enough for anybody." ~~~ Bill Gates, 1981

One of those emails that is strange

2006-09-07T13:55:00.000-05:00

I truly believe this to be coincidence, and I don't generally go for all of this statistical junk, but this is interesting. It is from an email that I received today and I'll post it below as I got it:

1) New York City has 11 letters

2) Afghanistan has 11 letters.

3) Ramsin Yuseb (The terrorist who threatened to destroy the Twin
Towers in 1993) has 11 letters.

4) George W Bush has 11 letters.

5) The two twin towers make an "11"

This could be a mere coincidence, but this gets more interesting:

1) New York is the 11th state.

2) The first plane crashing against the Twin Towers was flight
number 11.

3) Flight 11 was carrying 92 passengers. 9 + 2 = 11

4) Flight 77 which also hit Twin Towers, was carrying 65
passengers ... 6+5 = 11

5) The tragedy was on September 11, or 9/11 as it is now known ...
9 + 1+ 1= 11

6) The date is equal to the US emergency services telephone number
911 ... 9 + 1 + 1 = 11.

Sheer coincidence..? Read on and make up your own mind:

1) The total number of victims inside all the hi-jacked planes was
254 ... 2 + 5 + 4 = 11.

2) September 11 is day number 254 of the calendar year ... Again
2 + 5 + 4 = 11.

3) The Madrid bombing took place on 3/11/2004 ... 3 + 1 + 1 + 2 +
4 = 11.

4) The tragedy of Madrid happened 911 days after the Twin
Towers incident.

Sheer coincidence..? Read on and make up your own mind:

Now this is where things get totally eerie:

The most recognised symbol for the US, after the Stars & Stripes,
is the Eagle. The following verse is taken from the Quran, the Islamic
holy book:

"For it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a fearsome
Eagle. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands of Allah
and lo, while some of the people trembled in despair still more
rejoiced: for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of Allah and there was
peace."

That verse is number 9.11 of the Quran.

Still uncovinced about all of this..?

Try this and see how you feel afterwards, it made my hair stand on
end:

Open Microsoft Word and do the following (TRY THIS FOR REAL)

1. Type in capital letters Q33 NY. This is the flight number of
the
first plane to hit one of the Twin Towers.

2. Highlight the Q33 NY

3. Change the font size to 48.

4. Change the actual font to the WINGDINGS 1

Scary huh?

[Note: OK, so I tried it and it is indeed kind of strange. I still believe that we can manipulate facts and figures to represent anything that we want to, so don't go too overboard on this. ]

I just love these.....

2006-09-06T13:30:00.000-05:00

"New Words" for Today

The Washington Post's Style Invitational once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are this year's(2003) winners:

1. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

2. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

3. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

4. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.

5. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.

6. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray painted very, very high.

7. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

8. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

9. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness

10. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

11. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like,a serious bummer.

12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

13. Glibido: All talk and no action.

14. Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

15. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

16. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

17. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a grub in the fruit you're eating.

And the pick of the literature:

18. Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole.

So, we are beginning to get an answer

2006-09-06T12:38:00.000-05:00

I got this in an email today from a friend. It seems that someone is really trying to answer the question, "What did they really expect?" I cannot vouch for the accuracy, but it does seem to make sense.

begin quoted article:

By - Pierre Rehov, documentary filmmaker
On July 15, MSNBC's "Connected" program discussed the July 7th London
attacks.

One of the guests was Pierre Rehov, a French filmmaker who has filmed six
documentaries on the intifada by going undercover in the Palestinian areas.
Pierre's upcoming film, "Suicide Killers," is based on interviews that he
conducted with the families of suicide bombers and would-be bombers in an
attempt to find out why they do it. Pierre agreed to a request for a Q&A
interview here about his work on the new film.

Q - What inspired you to produce "Suicide Killers," your seventh film?

A - I started working with victims of suicide attacks to make a film on PTSD
(Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) when I became fascinated with the
personalities of those who had committed those crimes, as they were
described again and again by their victims. Especially the fact that suicide
bombers are all smiling one second before they blow themselves up.

Q - Why is this film especially important?

A - People don't understand the devastating culture behind this unbelievable
phenomenon. My film is not politically correct because it addresses the real
problem, showing the real face of Islam. It points the finger against a
culture of hatred in which the uneducated are brainwashed to a level where
their only solution in life becomes to kill themselves and kill others in
the name of a God whose word, as transmitted by other men, has become their
only certitude.

Q - What insights did you gain from making this film? What do you know that
other experts do not know?

A - I came to the conclusion that we are facing a neurosis at the level of
an entire civilization. Most neuroses have in common a dramatic event,
generally linked to an unacceptable sexual behavior. In this case, we are
talking of kids living all their lives in pure frustration, with no
opportunity to experience sex, love, tenderness or even understanding from
the opposite sex. The separation between men and women in Islam is absolute.
So is contempt toward women, who are totally dominated by men. This leads to
a situation of pure anxiety, in which normal behavior is not possible. It is
no coincidence that suicide killers are mostly young men dominated
subconsciously by an overwhelming libido that they not only cannot satisfy
but are afraid of, as if it is the work of the devil.

Since Islam describes heaven as a place where everything on Earth will
finally be allowed, and promises 72 virgins to those frustrated kids,
killing others and killing themselves to reach this redemption becomes their
only solution.

Q - What was it like to interview would-be suicide bombers, their families
and survivors of suicide bombings?

A - It was a fascinating and a terrifying experience. You are dealing with
seemingly normal people with very nice manners who have their own logic,
which to a certain extent can make sense since they are so convinced that
what they say is true. It is like dealing with pure craziness, like
interviewing people in an asylum, since what they say, is for them, the
absolute truth. I hear a mother saying "Thank God, my son is dead." Her son
had became a shaheed, a martyr, which for her was a greater source of pride
than if he had became an engineer, a doctor or a winner of the Nobel Prize.

This system of values works completely backwards since their interpretation
of Islam worships death much more than life. You are facing people whose
only dream, only achievement goal is to fulfill what they believe to be
their destiny, namely to be a Shaheed or the family of a shaheed.

They don't see the innocent being killed, they only see the impure that they
have to destroy.

Q - You say suicide bombers experience a moment of absolute power, beyond
punishment. Is death the ultimate power?

A - Not death as an end, but death as a door opener to the after life. They
are seeking the reward that God has promised them. They work for God, the
ultimate authority, above all human laws. They therefore experience this
single delusional second of absolute power, where nothing bad can ever
happen to them, since they become God's sword.

Q - Is there a suicide bomber personality profile? Describe the
psychopathology.

A - Generally kids between 15 and 25 bearing a lot of complexes, generally
inferiority complexes. They must have been fed with religion. They usually
have a lack of developed personality. Usually they are impressionable
idealists. In the western world they would easily have become drug addicts,
but not criminals. Interestingly, they are not criminals since they don't
see good and evil the same way that we do. If they had been raised in an
Occidental culture, they would have hated violence. But they constantly
battle against their own death anxiety. The only solution to this
deep-seated pathology is to be willing to die and be rewarded in the
afterlife in Paradise.

Q - Are suicide bombers principally motivated by religious conviction?

A - Yes, it is their only conviction. They don't act to gain a territory or
to find freedom or even dignity. They only follow Allah, the supreme judge,
and what He tells them to do.

Q - Do all Muslims interpret jihad and martyrdom in the same way?

A - All Muslim believers believe that, ultimately, Islam will prevail on
earth.They believe this is the only true religion and there is no room, in
their mind, for interpretation. The main difference between moderate Muslims
and extremists is that moderate Muslims don't think they will see the
absolute victory of Islam during their lifetime, therefore they respect
other beliefs. The extremists believe that the fulfillment of the Prophecy
of Islam and ruling the entire world as described in the Koran, is for
today. Each victory of Bin Laden convinces 20 million moderate Muslims to
become extremists.

Q - Describe the culture that manufactures suicide bombers.

A - Oppression, lack of freedom, brain washing, organized poverty, placing
God in charge of daily life, total separation between men and women,
forbidding sex, giving women no power whatsoever, and placing men in charge
of family honor, which is mainly connected to their women's behavior.

Q - What socio-economic forces support the perpetuation of suicide bombings?

A - Muslim charity is usually a cover for supporting terrorist
organizations. But one has also to look at countries like Pakistan, Saudi
Arabia and Iran, which are also supporting the same organizations through
different networks. The ironic thing in the case of Palestinian suicide
bombers is that most of the money comes through financial support from the
Occidental world, donated to a culture that utterly hates and rejects the
West (mainly symbolized by Israel).

Q - Is there a financial support network for the families of the suicide
bombers? If so, who is paying them and how does that affect the decision?

A - There used to be a financial incentive in the days of Saddam Hussein
($25,000 per family) and Yasser Arafat (smaller amounts), but these days are
gone. It is a mistake to believe that these families would sacrifice their
children for money. Although, the children themselves who are very attached
to their families, might find in this financial support another reason to
become suicide bombers. It is like buying a life insurance policy and then
committing suicide.

Q - Why are so many suicide bombers young men?

A - As discussed above, libido is paramount. Also ego, because this is a
sure way to become a hero. The shaheeds are the cowboys or the firemen of
Islam. Shaheed is a positively reinforced value in this culture. And what
kid has never dreamed of becoming a cowboy or a fireman?

Q - What role does the U.N. play in the terrorist equation?

A - The U.N. is in the hands of Arab countries and third world or
ex-communist countries. Their hands are tied. The U.N. has condemned Israel
more than any other country in the world, including the regime of Castro,
Idi Amin or Kaddahfi. By behaving this way, the U.N. leaves a door open by
not openly condemning terrorist organizations. In addition, through UNRWA,
the U.N. is directly tied to terror organizations such as Hamas,
representing 65 percent of their apparatus in the so-called Palestinian
refugee camps. As a support to Arab countries, the U.N. has maintained
Palestinians in camps with the hope to "return" into Israel for more than 50
years, therefore making it impossible to settle those populations, which
still live in deplorable conditions. Four hundred million dollars are spent
every year, mainly financed by U.S. taxes, to support 23,000 employees of
UNRWA, many of whom belong to terrorist organizations (see Congressman Eric
Cantor on this subject, and in my film "Hostages of Hatred").

Q - You say that a suicide bomber is a 'stupid bomb and a smart bomb'
simultaneously. Explain what you mean.

A - Unlike an electronic device, a suicide killer has until the last second
the capacity to change his mind. In reality, he is nothing but a platform
representing interests which are not his, but he doesn't know it.

Q - How can we put an end to the madness of suicide bombings and terrorism
in general?

A - Stop being politically correct and stop believing that this culture is a
victim of ours. Radical Islamism today is nothing but a new form of Naziism.
Nobody was trying to justify or excuse Hitler in the 1930s. We had to defeat
him in order to make peace one day with the German people.

Q - Are these men traveling outside their native areas in large numbers?
Based on your research, would you predict that we are beginning to see a new
wave of suicide bombings outside the Middle East?

A - Every successful terror attack is considered a victory by the radical
Islamists. Everywhere Islam expands there is regional conflict. Right now,
there are thousands of candidates for martyrdom lining up in training camps
in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Inside Europe, hundreds of illegal
mosques are preparing the next step of brain washing to lost young men who
cannot find a satisfying identity in the Occidental world. Israel is much
more prepared for this than the rest of the world will ever be. Yes, there
will be more suicide killings in Europe and the U.S. Sadly, this is only the
beginning.

end quoted article

Remember When

2006-09-06T11:49:00.000-05:00

The following is an excerpt from an email thread that was discussing "the good old days," and I thought it was pretty neat. Admittedly, some of it won't pertain to the younger folks out there, but the older ones should be able to identify. It does seem that we are being a little overprotective of kids these days...

My Mom used to.....

My Mom used to cut chicken, chop eggs and spread mayo on the same cutting board with the same knife and no bleach, but we didn't seem to get food poisoning.

My Mom used to defrost hamburger on the counter AND I used to eat it raw sometimes too, but I can't remember getting E-coli.

Almost all of us would have rather gone swimming in the lake instead of a pristine pool (talk about boring).

The term cell phone would have conjured up a phone in a jail cell, and a pager was the school PA system.

We all took gym, not PE...and risked permanent injury with a pair of high top Ked's (only worn in gym) instead of having cross-training
athletic shoes with air cushion soles and built in light reflectors. I can't recall any injuries but they must have happened because they tell
us how much safer we are now.

Flunking gym was not an option...even for stupid kids! I guess PE must be much harder than gym.

Every year, someone taught the whole school a lesson by running in the halls with leather soles on linoleum tile and hitting the wet spot. How much better off would we be today if we only knew we could have sued the school system.

Speaking of school, we all said prayers and sang the national anthem and staying in detention after school caught all sorts of negative
attention. We must have had horribly damaged psyches. I can't understand it.

Schools didn't offer 14 year olds an abortion or condoms (we wouldn't have known what either was anyway) but they did give us a couple of baby aspirin and cough syrup if we started getting the sniffles. What an archaic health system we had then.

Remember school nurses? Ours wore a hat and everything.

I thought that I was supposed to accomplish something before I was allowed to be proud of myself.

I just can't recall how bored we were without computers, PlayStation, Nintendo, X-box or 270 digital cable stations.

I must be repressing that memory as I try to rationalize through the denial of the dangers that could have befallen us as we trekked off each day about a mile down the road to some guy's vacant 20, built forts out of branches and pieces of plywood, made trails, and fought over who got to be the Lone Ranger. What was that property owner thinking, letting us play on that lot?
He should have been locked up for not putting up a fence around the property, complete with a self-closing gate and an infrared intruder
alarm.

Oh yeah...and where was the Benadryl and sterilization kit when I got that bee sting? I could have been killed!

We played king of the hill on piles of gravel left on vacant construction sites and when we got hurt, Mom pulled out the 48 cent bottle of Mercurochrome and then we got our butt spanked. Now it's a trip to the emergency room, followed by a 10-day dose of a $49 bottle of antibiotics and then Mom calls the attorney to sue the contractor for leaving a horribly vicious pile of gravel where it was such a threat.

We didn't act up at the neighbor's house either because if we did, we got our butt spanked (physical abuse) here too... and then we got our butt spanked again when we got home.

Mom invited the door to door salesman inside for coffee.

Kids choked down the dust from the gravel driveway while playing with Tonka trucks (Remember why Tonka trucks were made tough... it wasn't so that they could take the rough Berber in the family room), and Dad drove a car with leaded gas.

Our music had to be left inside when we went out to play and I am sure that I nearly exhausted my imagination a couple of times when we went on two week vacations.

I should probably sue the folks now for the danger they put us in when we all slept in campgrounds in the f amily tent.

Summers were spent behind the push lawn mower and I didn't even know that mowers came with motors until I was 13 (I was in my 20's before I used one without an automatic blade-stop or an auto-drive). How sick were my parents?

Of course my parents weren't the only psychos. I recall Billy from next door coming over and doing his tricks on the front porch just before he fell off. Little did his Mom know that she could have owned our house. Instead she picked him up and swatted him for being such a goof. It was a neighborhood run amuck.

To top it off, not a single person I knew had ever been told that they were from a dysfunctional family. How could we possibly have known that we needed to get into group therapy and anger management classes?

We were obviously so duped by so many societal ills, that we didn't even notice that the entire country wasn't taking Prozac!

How did we survive?

Do you remember a time when...

Decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-moe"?
Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, "Do Over!"?
"Race issue" meant arguing about who ran the fastest?
Catching the fireflies could happily occupy an entire evening?
It wasn't odd to have two or three "Best Friends"?

The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was "cooties"?
Having a weapon in school meant being caught with a slingshot?
A foot of snow was a dream come true?

Saturday morning cartoons weren't 30-minute commercials for action figures?
"Home free all!" made perfect sense?
Spinning around, getting dizzy, and falling down was cause for giggles?
Rolling down a grass covered hill at the park was the best!

War was a card game?
Baseball cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle?
Taking drugs meant orange-flavored chewable aspirin?
Water balloons were the ultimate weapon?
You went 'Trick or Treating" without your parents and people gave you apples with nickels in them? And you weren't afraid to eat the apples?

How many do you remember?

DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN...?

All the girls had ugly gym uniforms?

It took five minutes for the TV warm up?

Nearly everyone's Mom was at home when the kids got home from school?

Nobody owned a purebred dog?

When a quarter was a decent allowance?

You'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny?

Nylons came in two pieces?

All your male teachers wore neckties and female teachers had
their hair done every day and wore high heels? (except the nuns, of course!)

You got your windshield cleaned, oil checked, and gas pumped
without asking, all for free, every time?
And you didn't pay for air? And, you got trading stamps to boot?

Laundry detergent had free glasses, dishes, or towels hidden inside the box?

It was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner
at a real restaurant with your parents?

Schools threatened to keep kids back a grade if they failed. . and they did?

When a 57 Chevy was everyone's dream car...to cruise,
peel out, lay rubber, or watch submarine races.
People went "steady"?
No one ever asked where the car keys were
because they were always in the car,
in the ignition, and the doors were never locked?

Lying on your back in the grass with your friends
and saying things like, "That cloud looks like a... "
and playing baseball with no adults to help kids with the rules of the game?

Stuff from the store came without safety caps and hermetic seals
because no one had yet tried to poison a perfect stranger?

And with all our progress, don't you just wish, just once,
you could slip back in time and savor the slower pace,
and share it with the children of today?

When being sent to the principal's office was nothing
compared to the fate that awaited the student at home?
Basically we were in fear for our lives,
but it wasn't because of drive-by shootings, drugs, or gangs.

Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat!
But we survived because their love was greater than the threat.

Send this on to someone who can still remember
Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Laurel and Hardy,
the Lone Ranger, Winkie Dink,
Nellie Bell , Roy and Dale, Trigger, and Buttermilk.

As well as summers filled with bike rides, baseball games,
roller skating, gutter ball, and visits to the pool,
Drinking Kool-Aid powder with sugar.
Didn't that feel good, just to go back and say, "Yeah, I remember that"?

I am sharing this with you today
because it ended with a double dog dare to pass it on.
To remember what a double dog dare is, read on.
And remember that the perfect age is somewhere between
old enough to know better and too young to care.

How many of these do you remember?

Candy cigarettes
Wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water inside
Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles
Coffee shops with tableside jukeboxes
Blackjack, Clove, and Teaberry chewing gum
Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers
Newsreels before the movie
P.F. Fliers

Telephone numbers with a word prefix...(Federal 9-2399).
Party lines

Peashooters
Howdy Dowdy
45 RPM records
Green Stamps
Hi-Fi's

Metal ice cubes trays with levers
Mimeograph paper
Beanie and Cecil
Roller-skate keys
Cork pop guns
Drive ins
Studebakers
Washtub wringers
The Fuller Brush Man
Reel-To-Reel tape recorders
Tinkertoys
Erector Sets
The Fort Apache Play Set
Lincoln Logs
5 cent packs of baseball cards -
with that awful pink slab of bubble gum
Penny candy

Some of that is way past my age, but you get the idea....

Continuing election coverage

2006-08-29T12:13:00.000-05:00

So, I was remiss in not mentioning the other candidate for Sheriff here in Roseau county. I found his flyer in the door - his name is Mike Siems. His has a much more professional flyer, and he is involved in several community organizations. Once again, though, he doesn't offer anything that I don't already have, so why entertain changes?

I have asked around at work about the current sheriff, and the candidates, and ambivalence seems to be the watchword. Apparently, all three candidates are "really nice guys." I guess in keeping with the apathy of the area, I'll leave well enough alone. I still keep coming back to the old addage, "If it isn't broken, don't try to fix it."

It's election time again - Who is Steve Gust?

2006-08-26T23:06:00.000-05:00

I was sitting quietly watching television this afternoon when there came a rather authoritative knock on the door. I answered and was met by a person named Steve Gust. He is apparently one of several people running for Sheriff here in Roseau county. He seemed affable enough, introduced himself, shook my hand, and handed me a xeroxed sheet with his name and picture on it.

So, being myself, I asked him what his plans were for changes at the Sheriff's office. He couldn't tell me what should be changed, but his response was a rather serious sounding "Umm, Ahh.." I made a mental note to delve deeper into the political undercurrents that were surrounding the sheriff's race.

I asked him why he was running? All he was able to tell me was that he has been a deputy for 12 years, and that he's lived in Roseau county for his entire life.

I guess I can't tell you why I won't vote for him, but I've worked at Marvin for three years, and lived in Roseau county for the same length of time.

I had to look up the name of the current sheriff, Jule Hanson, and since Mr. Gust can't identify what should be changed, then I guess I'll leave well enough alone. One of those "If it isn't broken, don't try to fix it" things where more often than not there is no positive outcome.

I have to wonder, honestly, what possesses people to run for a political office if they are only going to offer status quo? The incumbent apparently intends to continue in office, and I haven't heard anything detrimental about him. Apparently the other candidate sees no particular reason for change.

[note - this is not a paid political endorsement of any candidate. No committee or organization had anything to do with this. It is merely my personal observation.]

Added this after the original post:

** I hate to modify posts once they are up, but in this case, I'd rather do this than add a second verse to the whole blog.

I was just sitting here reading the flyer that Mr. Gust gave me when he was here.
At the very top of the sheet it says, "The WISDOM to know and the COURAGE to change for the INTEGRITY of the people.

Other than the fact that he got wisdom, courage, and integrity into the same sentence, I can't figure out what it means. I think I know what he meant on some level, but it is just poor phraseology.

It also states the following, and I quote:

12 Years Experience Roseau Co. Deputy
Honest, Caring and Dedicated
People and Solution oriented
Lifetime Resident of Roseau County
Hard Working
Self Motivated
Family Man-Wife Melissa, Son Colten

For a Better Roseau County Elect Steve Gust Roseau County Sheriff

I'm sorry Steve, I think that you could have done better with the flyer. You are probably a pretty decent guy, but you could have had someone proof read the flyer before you went with it.

The book report

2006-08-25T17:44:00.000-05:00

Got this in my email today, thought it was worthy of the blog:

Students were assigned to read 2 books, "Titanic" & "My Life" by Bill Clinton.
One smart-ass student turned in the following book report,
with the proposition that they were nearly identical stories! His cool professor gave him an A+ for this report:
Titanic:..... $29.99
Clinton:.....$29.99
Titanic:..... Over 3 hours to read
Clinton:..... Over 3 hours to read
Titanic:..... The story of Jack and Rose, their forbidden love, and subsequent catastrophe.
Clinton:..... The story of Bill and Monica, their forbidden love, and subsequent catastrophe.
Titanic:..... Jack is a starving artist.
Clinton:..... Bill is a bullshit artist.
Titanic:..... In one scene, Jack enjoys a good cigar.
Clinton:..... Ditto for Bill.
Titanic:..... During ordeal, Rose's dress gets ruined.
Clinton:..... Ditto for Monica.
Titanic:..... Jack teaches Rose to spit.
Clinton:..... Let's not go there.
Titanic:..... Rose gets to keep her jewelry.
Clinton:..... Monica's forced to return her gifts.
Titanic:.... Rose remembers Jack for the rest of her life.
Clinton:..... Clinton doesn't remember Jack.
Titanic:..... Rose goes down on a vessel full of seamen.
Clinton:..... Monica...ooh, let's not go there, either.
Titanic:..... Jack surrenders to an icy death.
Clinton:..... Bill goes home to Hilary...basically the same

Off to Wal-Mart

2006-08-18T12:35:00.000-05:00

Well, for most folks a trip to Wal-Mart isn't a real event. Since the nearest Wal-Mart is 90 miles away from here, it takes a bit of planning and some list making to go. I know that some people are not that fond of Wal-Mart, and they feel that it destroys local businesses. Well, if the local businesses were reasonable in their pricing, I wouldn't probably go either. My present reduced circumstances dictate that I try to spend my money as wisely as possible.

I can buy Hamburger Helper at Wal-Mart for $1.53/bx or locally for $3.88/bx.
I can buy Campbells Soup at Wal-Mart for $0.55/can or locally for $1.59/can.
I can buy an 8-pack of paper towels at Wal-Mart for $4.50 or locally for $8.00.

The list goes on.... In just those items I save enough to pay gas for the round trip, so I'm going. I'll crank up the Sirius Satellite radio and just zip down there. Did I mention that here in Red Flannel country we have two radio stations? One is an FM cryin in your beer redneck country station (yuck) and the other is an AM station that fades in and out and plays classic rock from the 70s. Sirius is awesome!

Any jobs out there?

2006-08-16T14:20:00.000-05:00

I have finally come to the conclusion that life here in Red Flannel country just isn't for me.

I miss being able to go to a movie when I feel like it. The theaters up here are open Friday and Saturday evening, and there is one 20 miles away, and the other one is 40 miles away. They play nothing other than G or PG rated movies.

I miss having a place to go and get a bite to eat whenever I want one. The restaurants within a 100 mile area here close by 10:00PM on weekends, and usually at or before 9:00PM on weekdays.

I miss a grocery store that carries more than just a few items, and a place where there is some competition for business. The store here in town has no competition within 100 miles, so the prices are insane. "It is because of the higher freight charges.." I just can't see why I have to pay for fuel for a whole truck with one can of Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup.

I miss Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and the host of other stores that sell things I really want to buy. We have Alco (I know, I'd never heard of it before either, kind of like a Pamida, but smaller) and Ben Franklin. A new release DVD in either store will cost $26.99 usually, whereas the same DVD in a Wal-Mart will cost $15.00.... again, I pay for a whole truck's worth of freight with just one item.

I miss having a place where there is something to do when I feel like doing it, not just community events geared towards children on special holidays.

I miss having a bank capable of online banking. The bank here is open for a total of 35 hours per week, is closed on Saturdays, and there are only two ATMs affiliated with them. Deposits can take days to clear, but when you spend money that is almost instantaneous.

I miss working with the skills that I developed for the past 20 years. If anyone who reads this can tell me where I can find a job working with Systems Administration, please, for the love of all that is holy, email me!

Enough for now, I have to go to work...... I am honestly at the point where I am considering being a homeless verteran as a positive career move.

Changes, changes, changes

2006-08-15T13:43:00.000-05:00

There is an article on slashdot.org about some changes to the blogger publishing and some new templates. I am going to dive into that and start making some changes on here once it is available. I am truly enjoying the coding and learning the javascript and things to make these pages work. So, from time to time you may load the page and get some messy stuff, but bear with me, I'm learning here....

If you do find something you like/dislike, please let me know.

"Demotivators" I like em.

2006-08-13T23:39:00.000-05:00

I really like the sense of humor involved in making these "demotivators". Anyone who has been anywhere near a corporate office in the past 15 years has seen the "motivator" posters everywhere... teamwork, success, etc... and it just got to be ridiculous out there. Anyway, these fit my sense of humor about right... There are a ton more of them out there, so look in on their web site at despair.com.

Mediocrity
It takes a lot less time and most people won't notice the difference until it's too late.

Mistakes
It could be that the purpose of your life is to serve as a warning to others.

Planning
Much work remains to be done before we can announce our total failure to make any progress.

Quality
The race for quality has no finish line - so technically it's more of a death march.

Teamwork
A few harmless flakes working together can unleash an avalanche of destruction.

A quiet night of surfing the web

2006-08-13T04:24:00.000-05:00

Does anyone but me ever wonder what happened to honest to goodness space exploration? Back when we had the promise of brave new worlds, and we were boldly trying to go where no one had gone before... I miss Gene Roddenberry, but we will always have his blueprint for a fine future. I took the following from the NASA site, it is always a nice place to stop by and just surf.

Thirty-five years ago this Christmas, a turbulent world looked to the heavens for a unique view of our home planet. This photo of "Earthrise" over the lunar horizon was taken by the Apollo 8 crew in December 1968, showing Earth for the first time as it appears from deep space.

Astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William Anders had become the first humans to leave Earth orbit, entering lunar orbit on Christmas Eve. In a historic live broadcast that night, the crew took turns reading from the Book of Genesis, closing with a holiday wish from Commander Borman: "We close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you -- all of you on the good Earth."

For more on Apollo 8, visit:

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apollo8_xmas.html

So, I'm not certain how I feel about this

2006-08-13T03:32:00.000-05:00

I search monster daily to see what jobs are available out there. I ran across this one today, and I just wonder whether it is legal. Seems to me that in the US there isn't supposed to be any discrimination based on race, creed, color, sex, religion, or national origin..... I'm trying to get my head around how you can have a technical position that is a ministry....

MRINetwork is one of the world's largest recruitment organizations. Through our Accelerated Recruitment™ approach, we find and place Impact Players, those individuals who arrive faster, fit better and stay longer. Providing our clients immeasurable return on their hiring investment by bringing them the people who make a difference in their business every day. The combination of our global reach, industry expertise and streamlined methodology allows MRINetwork to match companies with their Impact Players - the right candidate for the right position.
Position ID: 2565

Job Category: Information Technology

Type: Employee

Minimum Education: Associate Degree

Our client is one of the larger Christian evangelism focused organizations in the world. They have standardized their technical environment using Peoplesoft technology to support/track financial information. Because of the specialized nature of their operations, they developed a custom solution, written using Peoplecode/SQR to handle the disbursement of the donations they receive that are designated to one of their over 70 ministries. They are seeking an accomplished Peoplesoft Programmer/Analyst that has an expertise in using PeopleTools, Peoplecode, Applications Designer, SQR, Batch Server, and some of their other utilities and prefers new development versus maintenance support activities.

Because this client is a ministry organization they require their employees to be dedicated to the Great Commission as defined by Jesus Christ in the Holy Bible. If your are a bible believing follower of Jesus Christ and want to marry your technical aptitude with the cause for Christ, this is an outstanding opportunity.

This organization is willing to provide relocation assistance for any candidates that have previous programming experience with the Peoplesoft tool set.

contact: Jim Shelton 330-497-0122

jim@mrnc.com

Company: Management Recruiters of North Canton

Contact Name: Jim Shelton

Address:

7300 WHIPPLE AVE. NW
P.O. BOX 2970
NORTH CANTON,OH 44720

Email: jim@mrnc.com

Phone: 330-497-0122

Fax: (330) 497-9730

Anyway, sorry it is so messy, difficult to edit html within html... copied it off of Monster.com.

So, let's recap

2006-08-11T12:21:00.000-05:00

I guess we should recap this past week.

I quit smoking this week, and I've made it 56 hours now. A record! I have gotten a lot of support from the folks up at work, especially hugs@random - thanks!

My job satisfaction level has moved from tolerate to loath. I'm pretty certain that it will slip again next week, taking me to the bottom rung on the ladder. I guess it would be different if there was any kind of appreciation for things up there, or even acknowledgement of the things we do. Did I mention that we get one 15-minute break, and one 12-minute break per shift?

34 hours so far

2006-08-10T13:54:00.000-05:00

And I'm doing fine.

OK, I think I'm going to try it....

2006-08-09T13:31:00.000-05:00

After all of these years (27 to be exact) I think I am going to quit today. Fair warning to everyone, I will probably be ornery for a while.

It's a thankless job

2006-08-08T13:01:00.000-05:00

It just is. Memories of job satisfaction are becoming vague, perhaps it was just a dream.

BP and shutting down an oil pipeline

2006-08-07T14:21:00.000-05:00

I saw the initial reports that due to corrosion British Petroleum was shutting down their 22-mile oil pipeline that feeds from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez in Alaska. So, I googled up some research on the pipeline, wondering how old it was and how it was made, etc. I discovered that this is not recent news.

Apparently, these pipelines and their feeder lines have been experiencing a series of cascading failures for quite a while. There was a spill that went largely unnoticed or unreported in March with over 250,000 barrels of oil released. There have been reports of faulty valves, as well as many reports of corroded lines. BP was actually permitted to continue to use the lines even though mandated corrosion tests could not be completed.

I guess I just wonder why things are allowed to get so out of hand. Haven't these people heard of preventative maintenance? Now we are faced with what appears to be an eight percent reduction in our oil supply due to this problem. Of course, never missing an opportunity to make money, the oil companies will welcome the additional money that they make due to decreased supply and an increasing demand.

Perhaps we should make the oil companies pay for the reparations and absorb the additional costs. They have certainly made enough money in the past several years to pay for it.

More Education Cogitation

2006-08-07T10:47:00.000-05:00

So, I slept on it and began to look into our education spending a bit more. I used figures from the 2006 budget last night when I wrote the last post. Come to find out, I was a little out of touch, and the 2007 amounts are available. I can only hope that this has not been approved by Congress yet. I am already convinced that Education is in jeopardy, but this could put the last nail in its coffin. Once again, on the Washington Post web site I found a pie chart just like the one for last year.

As you can see by the pie chart, education remained at a steady three percent. The part that isn't really obvious until you look at both this chart and the one from 2006 (below) is that instead of just education it is now lumped together with training, employment, and social services to get the three percent. I guess we needed to add some programs to keep the three percent of the pie.

Now, I also found another interesting chart on the same page that shows the difference between 2006 and 2007. As you can see, education actually fell an additional 20% as projected. Interest also rose to 12%. This is a result of paying for the war in the middle east and deficit spending that has spiraled out of control since the republican administration took office.

Oh, and did I mention that the budget proposal increased total spending from $2.57 trillion in 2006 to $2.77 trillion in 2007?

Now, with an eye on this chart and the knowledge that the president has been a staunch proponent of alternative fuel development. He spent days and days running around the country on Air Force One touting his support of these programs, yet the energy budget (presumably where the money to fund new research would come from?) was cut by 63%. That is the subject for another post.

Funding for Community and Regional development was also decreased by 46%. In underdeveloped, rural areas such as redflannel country this will not help at all. Again, the subject for another post.

To finish this post off, I think that we need to start contacting our representatives and try to head this off before it gets approved. We cannot afford to degrade an already devastated education system further.

Education and the degradation of our technological advantages

2006-08-07T01:00:00.000-05:00

From time to time I get into a mood where I find myself questioning whether the US has a long term plan for anything.... This is one of those times. I am 42 years old, a product of the Kennedy era of public schooling, where tremendous support was given to NASA, and the geeks at mission control were the penultimate representation of problem solvers, and creative thinking. We were able to trust that in a situation such as the one that developed on Apollo 13, that there were people capable of dealing with whatever problems arose. I no longer feel that confidence. This is not meant as a slight to the people in those positions now, on the contrary, I fear that you may never be able to retire for want of replacements.

Over the summer we hire young people from high schools and college students returning home for the summer. I have recently come to work with several of them. One of these kids was recently being shown how to measure a piece of wood so that hardware could be applied. The lady that was teaching this person demonstrated the points to measure, and then said, "You take this measurement and divide by two to mark the hardware." At this point, the student pointed out, "I don't know how to divide, the other people just 'half it'." The lady that was teaching this person was as astonished as I was. There is another student who will be a senior in high school this year who is unable to multiply even single digit numbers.

Now, I am not picking on these kids, they are merely representative of the poor state of education in rural or low income areas. From what I have been able to gather in Minnesota, school districts are horribly under-funded. In order to compensate for the lack of federal funding, property taxes have been raised to the point where people cannot afford a further increase. School districts have done what they can to cut programs, staff, and many have consolidated across vast areas. In these cases, students are faced with long bus rides to and from schools. As fuel prices rise, busing is decreased, so students in outlying areas are unable to participate in the remaining extra-curricular programs because there is no transportation home for them.

With this in mind, I did a little research on the federal budget, just to see whether it appeared that there was adequate funding. You know, to try to get my head around whether we were squandering money in the wrong places or there just wasn't enough of it to go around. I found this graphic on The Washington Post web site. This shows that of the $2.5 trillion budget, a mere three percent goes to education. We spend nearly three times that amount on "Other," whatever that is. We also spend nearly three times the amount budgeted for education on interest for our national debt. I won't even go into the amount spent on national defense in relation to the education budget.

My feelings here are that money spent on education is an investment in our future, and the future of the United States. Our technological advantage has been our strength since the birth of our nation. From mass production of flint-lock rifles, using templates to cut the pieces, to the Apollo program, we have always embraced free thoughts and ideas. With the present administration we have turned our backs on these ideals and have taken great strides towards making it impossible for our country to remain a superpower.

These are my thoughts on this. As I continue to cogitate, I will probably add more to this post.

I've fallen and I can't get up....

2006-08-06T14:26:00.000-05:00

So, it is a quiet Sunday up here in redflannel country. We had some thunderstorms last night, no damage, just a little hail. That was probably the biggest event up here in the past week. It seems that if I localize this blog and its commentary to this area I will be sadly lacking material. So, the only real solution will be to expand my horizons and hopefully move on to something better.

I spent twelve years as a Unix systems administrator, then moved into management. When the great tech wreck of 2001 happened I was caught in the vacuum of the job market and just never fully recovered. You see, I gave up some of my technical skills to move into management. I wasn't able to stay current with things, but I had people for doing that. Now what I get when I apply for system jobs is the "You aren't current, we can't hire you." statement.

Nobody wants to hire a manager from outside of their company, so that doesn't work either.

So, here I am making windows for roughly 15% of what I once made, using absolutely none of the skills or skillsets that I have. The company has no need for someone with technical skills, they already have their own people for that. People are chosen for jobs before they are even posted, so no point in applying anymore. "But, don't get discouraged."

Everyone up at work knows that I know how to fix terminals, printers, and generally just straighten out systems. I have now officially adopted the position that I will no longer do that because I am not being paid to do it. They have an IT staff that does it, I am just a production line worker.

As time passes here I am growing more and more disabused with the area. I need to find some situation, anywhere, that pays somewhere in the neighborhood of $30,000 per year (I'm almost making that now.) and I'm open to anyone's suggestions.

Enough of the lamentation.... I'll probably be better tomorrow.

Some jabs at our fearless leader...

2006-08-06T05:59:00.000-05:00

Viagra ads

2006-08-06T00:53:00.000-05:00

Staff Meeting

The boss at a Madison Avenue advertising agency called a spontaneous staff meeting in the middle of a particularly stressful week. (This is one pretty sharp boss!)

When everyone gathered, the boss, who understood the benefits of having fun, told the burnt out staff the purpose of the meeting was to have a quick contest.

The theme: Viagra advertising slogans.

The only rule was that they had to use past ad slogans, originally written for other products, that captured the essence of Viagra. Slight variations were acceptable.

About seven minutes later, they turned in their suggestions and created a Top Ten List. With all the laughter and camaraderie, the rest of the week went very well for everyone.

The top ten were:

10. Viagra, Whaazzzz up!

9. Viagra, The quicker pecker upper.

8. Viagra, Like a rock!

7. Viagra, When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.

6. Viagra, Be all that you can be.

5. Viagra, Reach out and touch someone.

4. Viagra, Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman.

3. Viagra, home of the whopper!

2. Viagra, We bring good things to Life!

And the unanimous number one slogan:

1. This is your penis. This is your penis on drugs.

Just another redneck joke....

2006-08-04T05:03:00.000-05:00

Got this from my friend Jim....

"Hello, is this the Sheriff's Office?"

"Yes. What can I do for you?"

"I'm calling to report about my neighbor Virgil Smith. He's hiding marijuana inside his firewood!"

"Thank you very much for the call, sir."

The next day, the Sheriff's Deputies descend on Virgil's house.
They search the shed where the firewood is kept. Using axes, they
bust open every piece of wood, but find no marijuana. They sneer at
Virgil and leave.

The phone rings at Virgil's house. "Hey, Virgil, this here is Floyd. Did the Sheriff come?"

"Yeah!"

"Did they chop your firewood?"

"Yep!"

"Happy Birthday, buddy!" (Who says rednecks aren't real bright??!)

You know you're in Red Flannel country if....

2006-08-04T04:25:00.000-05:00

ok, so I edited this and localized it a bit....

1. The church finance committee refuses to provide funds for the purchase of a chandelier because none of the members knows how to play one.

2. People ask, when they learn that Jesus fed the 5000, whether the two fish were Walleye or Northerns, and what bait was used to catch them.

3. Opening day of deer season is recognized as an official local holiday. (We call it "Deer Monday" and even the factory is closed)

4. One of the local folks asked to be buried in his 4-wheel-drive truck because "It ain't never been in a hole it couldn't get out of."

5. In a congregation of 500 members, there are only seven last names in the church directory.

6. People think "rapture" is what you get when you lift something too heavy.

7. The church choir robes were donated by and embroidered with the logo from Marvin Windows and Doors.

8. The collection plates at the church are really hubcaps from George Marvin's 1956 Chevy.

9. "Thou shall not covet" applies to hunting dogs, too.

10. The only Saturday of the year that the bank is open is "Bonus Day".

Anyone have any others to add?

Thought for the day

2006-08-03T13:16:00.000-05:00

I have no idea who said it first, plucked it out of someone's signature file in their email... I like it.

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body. But rather you should skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

Net Neutrality - get informed, get involved.

2006-08-03T11:44:00.000-05:00

I have to take a moment to encourage everyone to support "Net Neutrality". On its most basic level it is keeping the Internet free from unfair trade practices.

Here is what it is about in a nutshell. You connect to the Internet via an Internet Service Provider. This can be a dial-up connection, DSL, WiFi, Cable, etc. Presently, these service providers are prohibited from blocking your access to sites (that's why things like net nanny are available, because due to this law your ISP is barred from blocking access to pornographic sites) in any way. Now, large companies are proposing that this law be changed to allow them to "direct" your interests to certain sites, essentially blocking your access to the site you were looking for.

An example would be that if you typed www.google.com, and due to an exclusive contract with yahoo your ISP redirected you to them, or vice versa. This would be something similar to trying to go to the Chevron gas station only to find that the Shell station across the street blocked all access to Chevron and diverted traffic to their station. They are making choices for you, and you cannot over-ride their decision. We wouldn't put up with it in that scenario, why would we on the Internet?

This video gives a bit more detailed explanation:

Another source for information is: available here.

Of course, John Stewart's description of the situation is both entertaining and informative, so here it is as well:

The end result of this is that it is another basic erosion of your freedoms if this is allowed to come to pass. All of the sites recommend that you contact your congressman (for US citizens) to express your views. I suggest that in the spirit of moderation you all support it. Google up some more facts about it while you still can, and make an informed decision as to how you feel about it.

Remember, if we fail to support it, you may never be able to read this or any other blog again.

A message from the grave...

2006-08-01T13:53:00.000-05:00

This is an actual tombstone, in Notre Dame des Neiges Catholic Cemetery in Montreal, Canada. Even the stonecutters engraving it didn't catch the "cryptic" message.

So, my only real question here is whether this was something that "John" left to be engraved on his headstone, or whether this was something directed at him by an angry loved one. In either case, it is different.

I think I would like a urinal with the words "Anyone miss their chance?" Not sure whether any decent cemetery would allow it though, so I'll probably end up going with the cremation option.

What did they really expect?

2006-07-31T13:28:00.000-05:00

I tried to take a moment from my tendency towards humor to render an opinion on the middle east [is it really a crisis?, a war?, an escalation?, a police action?, whatever... I guess we'll call it tradition] tradition.

The various arab nations (Syria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, et al) have been taking pot shots at the Israelis for the past 59 years. The Palestinians are upset because their homeland (conquered and ruled by Britain for nearly a century, so I guess we'll call it a former British colony) was given over to the homeless Jewish refugees that nobody wanted following World War II. I guess that to bring this into focus we should talk about the great Utah/Nevada uprising of 2006....

This is as close as I can come to likening this to anything we Americans can relate to:

The staunchly conservative Mormon (Latter Day Saints, LDS, etc.)Church, operating from within the state of Utah today launched pamphlets into the very liberal, one might even say Gommorrah-like state of Nevada. The Mormons finally grew tired of the moral abominations taking place in their neighbor state, and besides, the lights from Las Vegas were keeping them up at night.

The state of Nevada retaliated by tossing back beer cans and hurling epithets over the border. They also turned up the volume on their stereos.

It is believed that a group of Mormon operatives, operating in pairs have begun a campaign of door-knocking across the Nevada countryside, further exacerbating the situation.

In response to this action, Escort Services in the Las Vegas area are preparing baudy pamphlets for disperal in the Salt Lake City area. Their headquarters at the Mustang Ranch has gone on full alert and happy hour has been extended to 24 hours a day.

It is not known whether this will end up resulting in a further escalation of hostilities, but Nevada feels that since it is the home of White Sands, and Area 51 that its defenses will withstand any escalation by splinter groups within Utah. The Mormon Church has been receiving support from throughout the world to build its arsenal for many years. Analysts estimate that the Mormons are in possession of several million pamphlets and have no fear of using them. Publishing companies in nearby Wyoming are prepared to surreptitiously provide additional pamphlets, (including multi-paged, bound pamphlets) should Mormon stockpiles become depleted.
Although the Mormons are believed to be capable of both "Mass Mailings" and "Email Canvassing," it is premature to suggest that they may bring these weapons to bear in the conflict.

Utah, with no real arsenal to speak of, has found itself unable to control the reckless Mormon excursions into Nevada. Their legislature has decided that they will rely on the support of its neighbors to defend its sovereignty should the conflict escalate out of control.

As the initial reports of the conflict were communicated to state leaders in the surrounding areas, the governors in nearby states quickly took sides. Colorado, home of the Coors brewing company has pledged to support the Nevadans by providing them with plenty of additional beer cans to toss over the border. Arizonans formed several posses of armed men and began moving them toward the Hoover dam. The Arizona posses are stretched pretty thin since they are already defending the Mojave Strip against incursions from the south.

California was reportedly making plans to rescue gamblers via commercial airliners and take them to the casinos at Lake Tahoe where it was felt that their citizens would be safer. Unfortunately, since most of the gamblers were unable to pay for the price of tickets to Tahoe, it is believed that attempts at rescue will be rebuffed at the casino doors.

OK, enough.... this is as silly as the war in the middle east.... Just because you do not agree with someone is no reason to shoot at them. What could Hezbollah, the PLO, or Hammas have expected? If you start killing people, someone will eventually feel the need to defend themselves. For no other reason, I support the Israelis in this conflict. They have been putting up with this for a long, long time. I just can't believe that after all of this time their response is so "measured" and that they didn't just level the country of Lebanon.

OK, that was pretty hawk-like. In all honesty, I do believe that the very concept of shooting at people to make a point is ridiculous. They are all sovereign nations and they have other methods to express their displeasure with things. Boycotts, border closures, economic sanctions, but they must learn to control their people and keep them from starting things. Terrorist organizations cannot be allowed to operate in a country, and as a sovereign nation it is the responsibility of the Lebanese government to prevent Hezbollah from attacking over their border.

Religion is the bane of an orderly world. It shouldn't matter what religion that you believe in, it should be a personal thing. I cannot ask anyone to fully embrace my beliefs if I am unwilling to embrace theirs. As I am not, we have come to an impass and we just need to get past it and we'll find out who wins in the hereafter. I feel no particular need to speed up the process by which you find out that I am right, so let's just live together and we'll both know I'm right in the end. If you are, I'll feel pretty silly.

I tried to take a serious look at this situation, but unfortunately, this situation is so absurd that I just can't do it.

Anyway, enough is enough. Israel tried to stop, but the Hezbollah folks took advantage of the pause and started moving missiles around and then shot some during the break. It didn't work again, so what did they really expect?

I just find this terribly funny

2006-07-31T04:00:00.000-05:00

I believe that the MasterCard commercials have probably become so deeply ingrained in Americana that they will be with us forever....

Insurance Companies

2006-07-30T22:49:00.000-05:00

I don't know where this originated, but I have always found it to be funny...

This ham is sitting at his desk answering a letter from his insurance company...
I am writing in response to your request for additional information for block 3 of the accident reporting form. You said in your letter that I should explain more fully, and I trust that the following details will be sufficient.
I am an Amateur Radio Operator and on the day of the accident I was working alone on the top section of my new 80-foot tower. When I had completed my work, I discovered that I had over the course of several trips up the tower, brought up about 300 pounds of tools and spare hardware. Rather than carry the now unneeded tools and materials down by hand, I decided to lower the items down in a small barrel by using a pulley that was attached to the gin pole at the top of the tower.
Securing the rope at ground level, I went to the top of the tower and loaded the tools and material into the barrel. Then I went back to the ground and untied the rope, holding it tightly to insure a slow descent of the 300 pounds of tools, (you will note that in block 11 of the report form that I weigh about 155 pounds.)
Due to my surprise at being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say I proceeded up the side of the tower at a rather rapid rate. In the vicinity of the 40-foot level, I met the barrel coming down. This explains my fractured skull and broken collarbone. Slowed only slightly, I continued my ascent up the side of the tower, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were two knuckles deep into the pulley.
Luckily, by this time I had regained my presence of mind and was able to hold onto the rope in spite of my pain. At the same time however, the barrel of tools hit the ground and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Devoid of the weight of the tools, the barrel now weighed only about 20 pounds. (I refer you again to my weight in block 11.) As you can imagine, I began a rapid descent down the side of the tower. In the vicinity of the 40 foot level I met the barrel coming up. Well, this accounts for the two fractured ankles and the lacerations of my legs and lower body.
The encounter with the barrel slowed me enough to lessen my injuries when I fell into the pile of tools, and I was fortunate to have only 3 vertebrae cracked. I am sorry to report however, that as I lay there on the tools, in pain, unable to stand and not observing the barrel 80 feet above me, I again lost my presence of mind-- I let go of the rope.
Original author unknown

The flag that doesn't fly

2006-07-30T22:28:00.000-05:00

THE ONLY FLAG THAT DOESN'T FLY

Between the fields where the flag is planted, there are 9+ miles of flower fields that go all the way to the ocean. The flowers are grown by seed companies. It's a beautiful place, close to Vandenberg AFB. Check out the dimensions of the flag. The 2002 Floral Flag is 740 feet long and 390 feet wide and maintains the proper Flag dimensions, as described in Executive Order #10834. This Flag is 6.65 acres and is the first Floral Flag to be planted with 5 pointed Stars, comprised of White Larkspur. Each Star is 24 feet in diameter; each Stripe is 30 feet wide. This Flag is estimated to contain more than 400,000 Larkspur plants, with 4-5 flower stems each, for a total of more than 2 million flowers. You can drive by this flag on V Street south of Ocean Ave. in Lompoc, CA! ..
Aerial photo courtesy of Bill Morson Soldiers' Prayer

For our soldiers....Please don't break it

When you receive this, please stop for a moment and Say a prayer for our servicemen There is nothing attached.... Just send this to all the people in your address book. Do not stop the wheel, please....

A Mike Royko column from 25 years ago

2006-07-30T21:33:00.000-05:00

I can remember reading this back when it first came out in a magazine somewhere. I ran across it on the web recently, and the strange part is that things haven't changed much in the past quarter century. Ireland has calmed, but things have worsened in the middle east...

Dear God: Why?
-- by Mike Royko [May 5, 1981]

To: God
Address: Somewhere in the Universe

Dear God:

I know how busy you must be with a whole universe to worry about. That's why it occurred to me that you don't have time to read our papers and your TV reception might not be good. So I thought I'd drop you a note about how things are going here.
Well, things couldn't be going any better, at least as far as your image is concerned. You would believe how well loved you are on this planet today, and how much is being done in your name.
I hardly know where to start, there's so much going on. So I might as well start in Northern Ireland where you've always been very big. Ah, what religious fervor can be found there. The Irish Protestants are so devoted to you that they do everything possible to make life miserable for the Irish Catholics, because they don't think the Irish Catholics have the right approach toward worshiping you.
And the Irish Catholics do what they can to make life miserable for the Irish Protestants for essentially the same reasons.
In their great love for you, they shoot at one another, bomb one another, set one another afire, kill little children, bystanders, cops, soldiers, old ladies, and some are now committing suicide by starvation. Then each side buries its dead, goes to church, and gives fervent thanks to you for being on its side. It is very touching.
And one thing about these people: Their devotion to you is unshakable.
They've been doing this for about four hundred years. So it's a good thing that you have an entire universe at your disposal, because I don't know where else you could find a room to accommodate the souls of all the people who have died there in your name.
You're also highly regarded in a country called Lebanon, where just about everyone believes in you, although they don't agree on what you should be called.
In that country, there are Moslems and Christians, and they've created different sets of rules for worshipping you. Naturally, they say you have sent the rules down to them. I don't know if that's true or not, but if I may make a suggestion: If it's true that you gave them the word, it would really simplify things if there were only one set of rules. It would cause less hard feelings.
But such details aside, they are expressing their devotion to you by killing each other by the hundreds. I guess they figure that if one side can wipe the other side out, it will prove their way of worshipping you is correct, and you'll be pleased with them.
So every day, they lob shells at one another and blow up the usual men, women, children, bystanders, old ladies, and stray dogs. And every day, they take a few moments out to thank you for your support and to promise that they'll continue their efforts on your behalf.
Now, not far from there are countries called Iraq and Iran. The Moslems in those countries basically agree on what to call you, but they disagree on some details concerning how best to worship you. So they're killing one another, too.
It's more than a little confusing, though, because in Iran there are people who call themselves Baha'i, and they, too, have their own way of showing their respect for you. Unfortunately for the Baha'i, their way doesn't include killing others who don't share their point of view. So that makes them patsies, and the Moslems in Iran, in their love for you, have been kicking the Baha'i around pretty good.
Just a short missile ride away, there's a lot of religious action going on between a country called Israel and just about everyone else in that neighborhood.
The people in Israel also have their own set of rules for worshiping you, which they say you passed on to them. And they claim that you look more favorably upon them than anyone else. This has always caused a lot of hard feelings because a lot of other groups figure that they're your favorites. (It must be hard being a father figure.) Israel's claim that they're Number One has also made some people wonder this: If the Jews, after all they've been through over the centuries, are really your chosen people, what do you do to somebody you don't like?
Anyway, the Jews and their Muslim neighbors -- both of whom claim your complete support -- have been going at it for about thirty years. But I don't think they'll ever equal Ireland's record because they'll all eventually have nuclear bombs. Boy, when they start throwing those around, will you have a crowd showing up.
Oh, and I can't forget to mention this final item. Somebody just shot the Pope. As you know, he's the leader of one of your largest groups of followers here. The Pope is a very peaceful, nonviolent man, by the way, although his followers have been known to shed a few million gallons of blood when their tempers are up. Anyway, the man who shot him apparently did it because of his devotion to you. It's not completely clear, but this fellow seems to think the Pope was in some way responsible for somebody invading the sacred mosque of his religion in a place called Mecca. That, of course, was an insult to you, so he got even on your behalf by shooting the Pope.
Well, I know you're busy, so that's all for now.

P.S. I never believed any of those stories going around a few years ago that "God is dead." How could you be? We don't have one weapon that can shoot that far.

The results of trolling through YouTube today

2006-07-30T17:47:00.000-05:00

Here are some videos that I found as I trolled through YouTube today... No particular order or anything, just some eclectic findings..

This one is for Dave.... He's a freak for Final Fantasy.

This is not quite as good as Bruce Sprinsteen's version, but it will do.

I ran across this from a Scandinavian movie. I thought it was pretty funny. Probably not for the younger folks though.

Introducing the Spockmarket

2006-07-30T16:58:00.000-05:00

I have been playing the SpockMarket on G4TV.com for a few weeks, and I find it enjoyable. They will be resetting everything on August 1st, so if you haven't played before, now would be a good time to get in.

I made an Excel spreadsheet to monitor the market. I added some links that work to buy or sell stocks, and the sheet automatically updates every minute. Here is a screenshot of the spreadsheet.

Just so we're clear here, it does nothing automatically. I don't cheat, but the interface that they provided isn't all that intuitive.

A farewell to our rights?

2006-07-30T05:11:00.000-05:00

I just read this article on Slashdot - "Photograph the Police, Get Arrested" and I have to admit that I am truly starting to be afraid for our rights in the US. I realize that we need to be careful of exposing our secrets or allowing terrorists access to critical infrastructure, but new laws such as the Patriot Act are being used against us.

Through broad interpretation of the new laws, and use of "executive orders," the Bush administration has managed to bring us closer to a police state than the founding fathers would have wished. Jefferson, Adams, Hamilton, Franklin, et al were brilliant thinkers and purposely added protections to the constitution to prevent these things from happening.

As I said earlier, I am pretty isolated up here. It is a quiet area with little or no crime... certainly no violent crime. I believe that there has been one murder here in the past five years, and that was the result of a domestic dispute. Our biggest problem seems to be DUI charges. I have noticed that in addition to most of the charges usually associated with DUI (speeding, reckless driving, etc.) that I am seeing a lot of "Making Terrorist Threats" charges and convictions. Through broad interpretation of the Patriot Act the police are now using that section to charge people with a felony for waving a fist or offering to kick their asses. Now, we all know that the reason behind the DUI laws is because people are not in complete control of their faculties when they are intoxicated. I have also known a lot of rather belligerent drunks who, under the pressure of a traffic stop, would make threats to an officer. These are otherwise normal people who are not in control of themselves (that's why they were pulled over) and would not make similar threats when sober. Why are we allowing this to continue?

As far as taking photographs of police officers on duty, I can see no reason in the world that it should even be questioned. If they can use the dashboard cameras and interrogation room recordings against us, we need to be able to record them in the performance of their duties. All part of mounting a vigorous defense I would think. The only real exception would be when an undercover officer is involved, and in that case the recordings should be reviewed privately and a ruling made (if they can use secret judicial hearings, we should be able to as well).

Admittedly, these cases are probably the exception, but we must protect ourselves from tyranny. When I joined the military I swore an oath to support and defend the constitution of the United States and although I have been discharged for many years I do not recall having been released from that oath.

If you follow the links through the article I linked above you will come to one that is worth the time it takes to see:

I am sure that things vary from state to state and that nothing in the world can compare to the advice of a licensed attorney, but for the lay person this is probably a good start.

We just need to start being more vigilant and working with our representatives to correct some of these "Big Brother" efforts by the administration. In the meantime, thankfully we have the ACLU. I am a member, joined a year ago when the wheels started to come off.

It isn't just for liberals anymore.....

The Red Flannel is born

2006-07-30T01:34:00.000-05:00

I doubt very much that anything that I write will be of import, but I haven't anything better to do, so here goes.

I guess I'll start out with the state of things and we'll move on from there.

I live in Warroad, Minnesota (USA in case I get a foreign visitor or two). Warroad is located in the bottom left corner of the little chimney on the top of Minnesota. Lake of the Woods, one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world is just at the North edge of town. Warroad is famous for its love of hockey. I hate hockey, so we'll just leave it there and move on.

Warroad is also the home of Marvin Windows. At a population of just over 1700 and the fact that there are close to 2000 employees at the plant, I would guess that they employ about 110% of all of the people in town. It is a good company to work for, the benefits are fair. I work at Marvin along with the other 109.7% of the people in the area.

The border crossing to Manitoba, Canada is a mere six miles from here, and the crossing to Ontario, Canada is just about 40 miles away. Interestingly enough, it is shorter for the Canadians to cross through northwestern Minnesota than it is to remain in Canada and go east. (Lake of the Woods is huge, and instead of a 200 mile trip around the lake to the north it is just better to swing south through the states).

Once upon a time I had a decent job, working with computers, making enough money to be comfortable, and actually enjoyed my life..... That was before the year 2000 and the great tech wreck, 9/11, and the Bush presidency part II.... Bush the sequel really sucks compared to the original, but that seems to be the way with a lot of sequels.

The best part of being up here is that we are isolated to the point where world events have little bearing on our daily lives. The nearest WalMart store is about 90 miles away in Thief River Falls, MN. So many people here worry more about the weather than they do about news that it shocks me to this day. After three years of living here, I am becoming one of them. We haven't had any rain to speak of in about six weeks, and things are drying up out there.

Well, that is the end of the introduction. Next time I'll probably have something a little more interesting or possibly even enlightening to say, but for now, thanks for looking in.

In the interim, here are some pictures that I found to be quite funny....

Those silly Canadians.... Unfortunately, this is a very real problem up here right now since it has been so dry of late.

Someone told me that this was from Australia or New Zealand... They take safety seriously down under I guess.... It is nice to see that they treat people like adults though (note that there may be some language that is inappropriate for minors on here, or was that miners.....)

In this picture it seems that someone needs to work on their priorities.... Or perhaps more people are hurt by the sign than go over the bridge.... doesn't matter much..... My guess is that it is from somewhere in the Commonwealth.

Now, these next two more or less speak for themselves.... These are our tax dollars at work...

And here we have rather the opposite......

And finally, the people of the Penrith area win the fair warning award of the day....

Our musical selection for today is "Brothers in Arms," by Dire Straits.....