The Hall of the TubaMeister

Christmas '11

2011-12-25T06:08:00.000-08:00

I doubt there is anything new I can post about Christmas. I mean, I usually cover the basics - that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came down from heaven, taking the form of man, to (eventually) die in our place, shedding His blood to cover each and every one of our sins, as the ultimate sacrifice, and then rising from the gave, conquering death itself, so that we (everyone throughout the history of the entire world) would be able to stand in the very presence of God throughout eternity.

What else is there, really?

Merry Christmas!

Something is Up

2011-12-02T06:11:00.000-08:00

...but I do not know what. I can feel it; I can "see" it. But exactly what "it" is, I cannot say. All I do know is that several of my friends are...apparently going through some things. Not sure how else to put it. Many who would normally be very quick to respond to me have gone...silent. One in particular does "like" to hide, from time-to-time, and has apparently done so (again), but this feels...different. Another, who I know has been dealing with some personal stuff, has also gone...silent. She normally doesn't "hide", but she has not been as "visible" as she normally is - and I've had no response to a message I sent some time ago, now; and that's uncharacteristic of her.

Maybe it's nothing. Maybe it's just my imagination. Maybe I'm 'reflecting' my own insecurities on to others. Maybe it's just me. But I have heard others say they, too, have felt that something is "up" or felt that a change of some kind was coming - whether for good or ill, is unknown.

In any event, I'm not sure what, if anything, I can do.

Thanksgiving '11

2011-11-24T01:08:00.000-08:00

It's Thanksgiving Day, here in the good, ol' US of A. Our neighbors to the North celebrated it at the end of last month, those crazy Canucks (I have several friends up in "The Great White North", so I can say things like "crazy Canucks") - don't they know October 31st is Halloween? (hehehe).

I have a lot to be thankful for; friends, family, clothes on my back, a roof over my head, food on my table.... For whatever reason, God has seen fit to bless me; why He has chosen to do so remains a mystery to me. It's not because of anything I have done, to be sure. And it's not because I am someone special, at least, not someone special as far as the world is concerned; I'm not rich, or famous, or even particularly well-known. As far as the world is concerned, I'm about as "ordinary" as you can get. And yet, God has chosen to bless me. And I thank Him for that, especially this time of year, though not exclusively so.

I try to remember to thank Him every day; I don't always succeed. There's no excuse, really, but I still come up with some - I was too busy, too tired, too..."whatever". We all do, don't we? We get so caught up in the things that we are doing, that we forget to stop, reflect, and thank God for all of the blessings He bestows on us. Yes, I know that sometimes it doesn't feel like it. Maybe we get behind on the mortgage, or we loose our job, or both. We feel so lost and wonder if there is anyone who knows or cares what we are going through. I have been there. We all have, at one time or another. Perhaps some more than others, but a lot of how we perceive things to be depends on our attitude. Even if you think you have nothing to be thankful for, be thankful. If you were to really stop and think and search I guarantee you can find something.

But, if you don't think you can, then try reading up on Job (that's "J-oh-b", not "J-ah-b"). He was a man who served God faithfully - never wavering, always praising. And then, one day, he lost everything. And I mean EVERYTHING - his wives, his children, his cattle, his sheep, his houses, his land...the only thing that was left were the few rags that he was wearing. He even lost his health and had very painful sores erupt all over his body. And yet, he still thanked and praised God. Oh, sure - he questioned "What did I do to deserve this?", but he still praised God. It would have been easy to blame God - but he didn't. Yes, there was a brief time when he did ask God to just let him die - but even then he still praised God. Though he may have briefly lost hope, his overall attitude towards God remained positive.

But I did not intend this post to be a theological dissertation on Job (for one thing, I'm not qualified). No, the intent of this post was to simply express, in writing, my recognition of the blessings I have received, and give thanks for them. I certainly haven't done anything to deserve them. And while my fear is that this comes across as "self-righteous" or "bragging", that is not my intent either. For I know that things can change in a heart-beat. But even if that were to happen, I would hope that my overall attitude would remain "positive", and that I would not lose hope or blame God, but rather continue to thank Him for all that He has, is, and will do for me.

And it is my prayer that none of you will ever have to find out for yourselves how you would handle what Job went through, either. But should some tragedy befall you, be strong and keep a positive attitude. For attitude, while not "everything", is a major factor. Do not lose heart, or hope. For all you know, a change for the better is already here. Give thanks for the things that you do have. Always.

"Picket Fence Day" (or "11-11-11")

2011-11-11T18:11:00.000-08:00

The best time that occurred today was just after 11 AM this morning. Specifically, 11:11:11.11. Why? 'Cuz it was 11:11:11.11 11-11-11. The "ultimate" 'picket fence'. OK, OK, the "ultimate" picket fence occurred on this date, just after 11 AM in the year 1111. So it would have been 11:11:11.11 11-11-1111. But I wasn't alive back then, so I missed it. So today was "the next best thing".

But today is also Veterans' Day. So once again, I give my most heart-felt "thank-you" to all veterans, past and present, living and deceased. It is your sacrifices (including the ultimate sacrifice made) in the defense of our nation that makes it possible for us to be here, in the "Land of the Free" and "Home of the Brave". Know that you are appreciated. I salute you, wherever you are. *Salute*

God bless you.

Oh No!

2011-10-31T17:51:00.000-07:00

I'm a little distraught today. About *mumbles unintelligibly* years ago, I bought a "Halloweenie Beanie" from a Hallmark store. They had several to choose from: a white ghost with little arms; a black bat with wings, an orange jack-o-lantern with buck teeth, and I think one or two others, that I cannot remember. Every Halloween, I wear it all day long - even at work, as I figured it was a "costume" I could get away with. I've worn it to client meetings and dental appointments and it usually gets a laugh.

Did I say "every" Halloween? I meant almost every Halloween, as for today, for only the second time, I forgot. I even told myself yesterday to remember my beanie and yet I forgot.

*Sigh*

-----
Edit: OOPS - forgot to mention, I chose the ghost. I know you were wondering.

iTLAPD '11

2011-09-19T22:22:00.000-07:00

Ahoy! It be once again "International Talk Like A Pirate Day" (iTLAPD). So all ye landlubbers kin go ahead and let loose yer inner pirate. O'er use the letter "R", don an eye patch and/or a tricorne, carry a parrot on yer shoulders, search fer buried treasure, and most importantly be hoistin' the "Jolly Roger" so's all dem scallywags be knowin' yer a pirate to be reckoned with.

And if'n ye not already done so, be sailin' on over to "talklikeapirate.com" and found out how ye kin get a pirate name of yer very own. Ye need not be doin' it on iTLAPD, fer they be open e'ery day o' the year (yar?).

Now, if'n ye be excusin' me, I be needin' to end this communique and find that darn parrot o' mine; he done fly off with the keys to me treasure chest. And he better not have lost 'em, or I be fixin' to make some parrot stew, I says, says I.

Arr!!

Remembering 9/11

2011-09-10T00:11:00.000-07:00

Come this Sunday, it will have been 10-years since the events of “9/11″. And while this tragedy is not (unfortunately) unique in the world, it is one of the larger incidents of its kind. It is not my intent to imply that the actions committed on that day were any worse than any other similar incidents that occur all over the world; that somehow this one is more important than the others because of where it occurred - it is not. All such incidents are equally reprehensible.

But this post is not about those events or the individuals responsible for them. No, this post is about remembering those who fell. I wanted to let people know about “WeWillRemember.org“. It is the brain-child of my sister, who is setting it up and running it. It is (in her words) “[A] new work in progress specifically for 9/11 and the families directly affected by the tragedy of that day ten years ago. This effort is a tribute to those lost and the ones left behind resulting from the events of September 11, 2001.” Part of her plans for the site include providing a place, free of charge, to anyone who would like to post non-negative comments, pictures, stories, etc. about someone they may have lost in the events of that tragic day. She has also written and recorded an original song that is posted on YouTube; there is also a link on the WeWillRemember.org website.

If anyone would like to know more (like how to get a memorial page set-up on the site or general information), you can send an e-mail through the “contact us” link found at the WeWillRemember.org website.

Dilemma

2011-08-30T18:23:00.000-07:00

I like to think that I'm a good friend. But sometimes I do wonder if that is really the case. For in this regards (and others like it), it doesn't matter what I think - it matters what my friends think: do they think I'm a good friend? That is the real question to be answered.

"A friend in need is a friend, indeed." A famous saying, but do we understand it? For it is not the friend who is "in need", but "us". For it is true that if you have abundance - "wealth" enough to spread around, you will find yourself surrounded by "friends" you didn't even know you had. But when times are tough - when you're "broke" ("in need"), how many of those so-called friends are still around? And that is the meaning of the phrase: when YOU are in need, the friends that stick by you - that are there to help and support you, they are, "indeed", your true friends.

As for me, I try to be there when my friends need help. I listen; I give what I hope is good advice, if they ask (and even sometimes when they don't); I give of my time and money, if I can...

But what happens when your friend needs emotional support, is of the opposite sex, is married but you are not, and someone you care a great deal about? Not that she or I would ever intentionally do anything to jeopardize or interfere with her marriage. But part of the problem is that her children are grown and out of the house (the youngest is just now on her way to college) and her husband, who had been out of work for quite a while, finally has a job, but is on swing shift (the worst shift for a marriage), while she works days, so she's coming home to an empty house and is feeling alone (and dare I say vulnerable - not a good combination, ever). So while I want to check-in on her and make sure she's doing OK, I am afraid because there is always the possibility of unintentionally doing something. If my good intentions of lending moral and/or emotional support were to cause any issues...I would hate myself. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

Thus my dilemma. And I'm not sure there are any really good choices for me. Perhaps the best would be to talk with a mutual friend of ours (her best friend). But even then, I don't know...

The Politics of Politics

2011-07-31T14:47:00.000-07:00

A person who cannot stand-up for their principles, does not stand for anything. A person who will not honor the promises they make is a liar. They say politics is all about compromise. Perhaps. But there are times when one must refuse to compromise and stand for your principles and/or promises you've made. On the other hand, when political posturing is done for the sake of political posturing, and not because it's the right thing to do, it is selfish, egotistical, helps no one. And yet, for too many issues in Washington, DC, that seems to be the expected behavior of our elected officials. Not standing for or against something because it's the right thing to do, but standing for or against something because the other party proposed it.

It saddens me when one party is in power and the other party opposes things for the sake of opposing them but then when *their* party is in power and the exact same proposals they opposed earlier they now support...it is inconsistent. And people who are inconsistent cannot be trusted and should not be "in power".

I loathe inconsistency; in my own life, I try to be consistent and expect others to be consistent as well. If you are consistent, then I know where you stand and I can work with you; I may disagree with you, but I don't necessarily have to agree with you to work with you. If you are inconsistent, then how can I work with you, knowing that you could be on one side today, the other tomorrow, and back again on another?

What is currently happening in Washington, DC is no surprise to me. It is unfortunate, but not surprising. Political posturing for the sake of political posturing - the whole mentality that is has to be "our party's" proposal that is approved, not "theirs" is ludicrous. Is it any wonder that so many American citizens claim to be fed-up with the bureaucrats in Washington, DC? And yet, the sad thing is: nothing will change because people are stupid and have short memories, especially, it seems, at election time.

Politics: "Poli-", meaning "many" and "-tics" meaning blood-sucking parasites.

It's Been How Long?

2011-06-26T06:14:00.000-07:00

This weekend was "Reunion Weekend" at my Alma Mater (University). Overall, it was pretty good, but I was disappointed at how few from the Class of 1991 showed up for the "BBQ" (they called it that, and usually it actually is one, but this year it wasn't really) and Class Picture. You'd think that a milestone like 20-years would have them coming from all over. Alas, such was not the case. Other, older classes were fairly well represented, but not ours. I had hoped to see several from the Engineering school and/or the AFROTC program, but I didn't see anyone from either.

At least, not at the reunion. Guess it was really gnawing at me, at least subconsciously, 'cuz I did dream about seeing a lot of classmates. And as dreams tend to be this one was somewhat strange - we launched a large-scale model of a Saturn 5 rocket (you know - the type used for the Apollo moon missions). It was...interesting.

Anyway, I did see a couple of people at the reunion, so at least I was not the only class member there. And I did actually recognize them, so it wasn't completely awkward (Who are you? You studied what? Did we actually know each other? That sort of awkwardness). Hopefully, next time we'll have a better turn-out. They have a "reunion weekend" every year and just have certain "honored" classes (typically those in 5-year increments, as one might expect). I don't attend every year (doubt few actually do), but I do try to make the "big ones". So I guess we'll see who bothers to show up for our 25th. Hopefully, it will be more than this year, and hopefully more from my "sphere of influence".

Guess only time will tell....

Neglected Blog

2011-06-08T19:44:00.000-07:00

Obviously, I've not been updating this blog on a regular basis. But then again, I did mention way back when that I update "whenever I feel like it", so that really shouldn't be surprising. Though i still think I'm updating more than Hcatty (hehehe). Speaking of whom, I should probably send her an e-mail one of these days, seeing as how it's been quite some time. Though we do kinda sorta keep in touch through Facebook. But it's not the same.

For something that's supposed to be a social networking conduit, I'm not so sure it really is. True, I have re-connected with people I've not seen in literally years, but it's not like we actually converse with each other, per se. Little posts here and there that are limited to 420 characters usually about nothing in particular is hardly what I call "conversing". Then again, it does provide a fairly easy way to get a hold of someone (assuming they are signed-up, on your "friends" list, and actually have things like posts and messages sent to their e-mail), since you don't need to remember individual e-mail addresses anymore - just sign-in, go to their page, click on "send message" (or place a post on their "wall") and type.

I actually try to scroll back and read all the little posts my friends put up. I don't always comment on them (though of course sometimes I do), but I do try to read them. I don't know how those who literally have hundreds (or even thousands) of "friends" can keep up with all the posts. I assume they don't. Ah well, to each his/her own. Unlike other I know, I am very selective of who I put on my "friends" list and I don't just blindly accept everyone who sends me a request. Still, I have managed to 'collect' over 100, though most are not very active.

But while I may be neglecting this blog, I have been, surprisingly to me, fairly active on one of my other blogs. It's not a "personal" blog like this one. No, it's a "gaming" blog. I won't bother telling you which one though, as I have kept both blogs separate from each other (though I have now mentioned that I do have another blog in each). Another deviation from my norm is that I have decided that as far as that gaming blog goes, I will actually accept anyone who sends me a request as a "friend". So far, I only have 8. But that's OK - it's not my goal to have a large list of "friends" anyway. My posts in there are mostly about the game itself, the game fora (sorry, "forums"), or other related aspects (like the blogging software used, "WordPress", which is twitchy as all get out and sometimes just down-right SUCKS; though to be fair, the have apparently made some tweaks to Blogger in the last several months, 'cuz I've noticed some stupid idiosyncrasies crop up in it too, which also SUCK [like you can't "Cntl-c/cntrl-v" to copy and paste inside the composing area anymore?? WTFrench Toast?!?]...but I digress...).

However, in spite of how I have been regularly posting there, I have still kept to posting "at least" 5 words a month, as required by Miss Hcatty.

Well, OK - most of the time anyway.

A Black Day for the US (as Far as I'm Concerned)

2011-05-19T18:06:00.000-07:00

Today, I am absolutely ashamed of our President; his speech was down right appalling.

While I have never been a fan of his, up until today I at least had some respect for him. But not any more - he does not deserve any. His so-called "health reform" law was bad enough; unconstitutionally (yes, unconstitutionally - read the Constitution for yourself; I have; several times, in fact) forcing (yes, FORCING) American Citizens to buy (yes, BUY) some type of health care insurance or be penalized or possibly even jailed (don't believe me? What do you think would happen if someone refused to pay the penalty?) was bad enough. And he lost a LOT of respect from me then. But in fairness, he has done some thing correctly, and I give him credit for them (the initial air raids over Libya, for example). But this...this is unforgivable.

He has always shown a disdain for Israel (don't believe me? Go back and watch his interaction with the Israeli Prime minister during his visit to the US early in his Presidency), but I never thought I'd hear this.

To openly (and I believe "knowingly") insult the state of Israel in this fashion...I still find it hard to believe that a sitting President would do such a thing. Suggesting Israel "go back" to the borders of 1967 (that's nearly half a century ago, people) AND taking the side of those who have openly declared (and continue to declare) that their goal is to totally destroy the state of Israel and wipe them out of existence??? No too mention a group known for terrorist acts all over the world (not all of them are terrorist, I know - not trying to say they are, but many in their hierarchy openly support terrorist)...

Un-dirty-word believable.

That would be like someone suggesting that the US go back to it's borders of 1803, before the Louisiana Purchase, and give all the land back to the Indians (yes, I said "Indians" and not "native Americans"; frankly, they are not "natives", they came over from Asia. Besides, all this "political correctness" BS is just that - BS). I'm not going to get into a debate as to what the US did back then was "right" or "wrong" (did we do some "wrong" things? Yep. So did the Indians. Who hasn't?); what's done is done, has been established for a long time (over 200 years in our case), and is recognized by most (if not "all") of the civilized world.

So are the current borders of Israel.

Abandoning a long-standing ally in this fashion (for no good reason, mind you - no good reason at all) makes me ill. Have we all forgotten the 1972 Olympics? Or Entebbe? These people do not deserve our respect or support because they have not earned it - Israel has. And yet, this President just casually gives it to them without any regard for what the American people may think about it.

This is a black day in American history - and I am ashamed of our President, and I am ashamed of those in our government (primarily the House and Senate) who do not condemn (or at least chide) him for this egregious action.

Mr. President, I condemn you, sir - your action this day was shameful; you, in essence, spit in the face of one of our most loyal allies. How dare you, sir; how dare you.

Pet Peeves - Do They Need Food and Water?

2011-05-10T18:18:00.000-07:00

We all have them; perhaps some more than others: those little things that people (and machines, sometimes) do that annoy us. I mean really, really annoy us...

One of my biggest is when people stop in the middle of aisles or entryways/exitways (especially entryways) instead of moving off to one side or the other, or proceeding an extra 10-feet to get out of the flow of traffic. Stores, amusement parks - any public space with narrow entry/exit points (doors, turnstiles, etc.), really; just do me (and everyone else that you are blocking or holding up) a favor and move out of the flow of traffic before you stop dead in your tracks to figure out whatever it is your trying to figure out (for entryways, it's usually "where do I want to go?"). I don't know how many times I've had to stop and politely (and annoyingly) wait until whomever it is in front of me decides to move out of the way so I (and often others behind me) and also "come in" (or "get by"). Amusement park entrances are bad because you will have several groups of people, all waiting "just inside" the entrance(s) for the rest of their party, oblivious to the fact that there are other people trying to get in (and several of them doing the same, exact thing). That is why on a (relatively) recent trip to Disneyland, I told my niece (as well as the rest of my family) to go to the wall located another 20-feet (give or take) beyond the gates before stopping (worked great, by the way; nobody go lost and everybody was out of traffic flow).

Stores can be worse 'cuz in addition to doorways, you have people pushing carts through aisles. I don't mind people going slowly, looking at the shelves, trying to figure out (or find) what they want - I do that too. Just don't go creeping down the middle of the aisle: pick a side - either side, it really doesn't matter which (though here in America, we're, more or less, conditioned to travel on the right-hand side, 'cuz that's how we drive), just as long as someone behind you (whom you didn't see 'cuz you're not looking - but that's OK) can get past you.

Courtesy, people. Just plain, simple, everyday, common courtesy (which I guess is something that seems to be less and less taught to children these days; pity). Stop "daydreaming" and be just a little aware of what's going on around you and GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!!

Did I mention it's one of my biggest pet peeves?

Another one is "improper" change from a vending machine or automatic cashier. The proper way to give 30¢ (that's "thirty cents", in case you can't read it) in change is by giving one quarter and one nickle, and NOT three dimes (unless you're out of quarters). It's a simple algorithm - I've programmed it myself way back in the day when I was first learning BASIC. So why does it seem like every time I have a slight variation on that amount coming back to me the stupid machine gives me three dimes? You know it's just not possible for the machine to be out of quarters every single time I use one, but invariably that's what it does. Whoever programmed them needs to go back to elementary school and learn how to count change.

Morons.

I have others, of course, but I ran into both of these today at the store. Which is what got me thinking (always dangerous) and what ultimately "drove" me to posting.

And in case any one you (whomever you may be) were wondering if I would give an answer to my post's title, wonder no more 'cuz here it is: No, they don't. It seems they live, thrive, grow and even reproduce themselves without need of food or water.

So be on guard, lest they take over.

Death of a Terrorist

2011-05-07T06:13:00.000-07:00

A well known terrorist no longer walks among the living. I'll not use his name here; I see no reason to propagate his "memory". But I will confess to being somewhat...conflicted.

As an American, I do not grieve; I shed no tear. He came from a wealthy family and could have done good things with his fortune. Instead, he chose to use it to help slaughter dozens of people who did him no harm. And for what? Because he saw America as "evil"? I mean, OK, as a nation we haven't always done "the right thing", but tell me - which nation ever has? We've done more "good" than most; we continue to give - GIVE, mind you - billions of dollars to other countries, all over the world. We give food; we give clothing; we give shelter; we give medical treatment...we give and give and give. What did he give? Nothing but heartache, pain, and suffering. Some legacy. Good riddance.

As a human being, I understand how precious and fleeting life is; we are here but for a "blink of an eye" (metaphorically, of course). To spend ones life and/or resources in the intentional infliction of pain and suffering of others is not only a waste, but ultimately self-defecating. For we, the whole of humanity, are all connected. But elimination of such evil does elevate us. So I am ambivalent to his departure.

As a born again, spirit-filled Christian, we are taught to "love our enemies"; it is easy to love those who love you, it is difficult to love those who hate you. But we are to try. It is a difficult thing. And death brings and end to hope - hope that one can and will change; hope that one will actually see that only through the blood of Jesus Christ can one be saved from eternal damnation. A soul is now lost forever - there is no salvation. I grieve that loss.

I know of a few people who have gone "out of their way" to give the following quotes (typically, entirely lumped together and, albeit incorrectly, attributed only to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.):

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy." (Jessica Dovey)

and

"Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)

I don't know if those who have quoted this throughout the bloggosphere (twitter, facebook, etc.) have done so because they actually believe it, or if it was done to show their "moral superiority". I should hope the former, but I think in at least some cases the latter. Is it "Christian" to rejoice in the death of one so evil? Perhaps not. Yet I cannot help but recall that in several places in the Bible, we are told 'not to mourn' over certain deaths. One that comes immediately to mind is when God (through Moses) command Aaron not to mourn over the loss of his sons, who were destroyed for defiling the tabernacle. In Jeremiah (22:10 - NIV), it says "Do not weep for the dead king or mourn his loss...". And as God is the same today, yesterday, and forever, I can only conclude that, while perhaps rejoicing over this death may not be "Christian", I am not required to "mourn" over it either.

Thus, I will remain "conflicted".

End of April, 2011

2011-04-30T07:53:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why I'm posting today. Well, other than the fact that it's the last day of April and I haven't posted at all so far this month. Still, I suppose one of my main motivating factors is that one of the first comments Miss Hcatty left on my blog was that I *had* to post at least 5 words a month (even though she herself doesn't always do that - hehehe. Maybe that'll help motivate her. Probably not though - hehehe.). Good a reason as any, I guess. If I had to wait until I actually had a specific topic in mind, I probably wouldn't do that much posting.

Then again, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing.

One reason why I don't have any type of visitor counter or traffic tracker on my site is that I think it would be de-motivating. I mean, I think I would always be looking to see how many hits I got and quite frankly, I suspect it would be a very low number, and that could be...well I suppose "depressing" is as good a word as any. Oh sure, I know that there are a couple of (maybe even a "few") people who follow my blatherskite (well, one for certain, other than myself, I mean) - why I'm not exactly sure; it's not like I'm anybody "famous" or "important". No, I'm just one-in-"Lord-knows-how-many-millions" of ordinary people with Internet access who has a blog that posts about whatever it is that pops into my head at the time. No "theme", no specific topics, just random ramblings. Occasionally, I will have something specific in mind to post about, but mostly just random, boring topics.

Like this one.

Faith, Hope, and Charity

2011-03-30T18:50:00.000-07:00

"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." -1 Corinthians 13:13 (KJV)

A famous verse. And yes, "Charity" (also translated as "Love", "Kindness", "Consideration", etc.) is the greatest. And I would dare say that "Faith" would be considered by most to be the second. But what about "Hope"? Seems to me (and others) that "Hope" is usually left behind. And yet, it is vital. For when one loses hope, one gives up.

But then there's the "other" kind of hope; the kind that's debilitating because you refuse to let go. It's not really "hope", but rather "anti-hope" or "false hope". Trouble is, you can't always differentiate between the two. Nor can you always rely on others to tell you either. For one person's "false hope" is another's "true hope". And how can you be so certain that you are right and everyone else is wrong?

I'm not sure I have an answer.

Perhaps the best advice I can think of to share is to not let yourslef become debillitated over your hopes. Work towards them, yes, but don't let them run your life. Don't just sit around "waiting" for them to become reality.

On the other side, don't be too quick to "give up" either. We are living in a time when "instant gratification" seems to be the code that most live by: if it doesn't happen right this moment, then it's not worth it. Which is a lie: most things that are "worth it" require work and, more often than not, take time.

Though there are times when, eventually, you "must" give-up. Unfortunately, only you can decide when that time has come. Some will think you gave up too soon; others, not soon enough; and still others that you shouldn't have given up at all.

Personally, I hate to give up. But yes, even I have done so. The hardest part is trying to figure out which things are worth continuing to hope for and which to give up on.

I suppose the best I can do is hope that I make the right choices.

Love Sucks Day '11

2011-02-14T19:18:00.001-08:00

I feel a bit odd having this post follow my previous one, but traditions are traditions, and it's my own fault for not making another post prior to this one. So there it is.

Once again, it is that most evil of all holidays ("pseudo" or real). Oh sure, it's fine as long as you actually have someone to 'celebrate' with. But for those of us who don't, it is just evil. And cruel. Ok, ok - I jest...a little...maybe.

Regardless, there are those who absolutely hate this 'holiday'. I'm not actually one of them, but honestly, it is not my most favorite of days. Perhaps someday I will embrace it - but not today. No, today is just a reminder of how many times I've been rejected. Granted, some have been very nice rejections, but rejections just the same. It sucks.

What's worse than a flat-out rejection up-front is one that occurs after someone calls you "friend" for literally years and then just out of the blue tells you that you make them uncomfortable, but won't tell you why or how and then they just... stop. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. And yes, unfortunately, I do have first-hand experience with it. I wish that I didn't, but I do. But that is another story I do not wish to share, at this time.

In any event, I hope that you (whomever you may be) have a nice pseudo-holiday today. I think maybe I'll have a pint of chocolate ice cream (yes, even guys like to "drown their sorrows" chocolate ice cream). Of course, I like mine with peanut butter.

Not the Post I Intended

2011-01-08T07:51:00.001-08:00

The other day I had thought of a topic to post, but now I can't remember it.

Last night was the memorial service for Pastor Wendell Smith. It was available live, on-line and I watched. It's not the same as attending, but since I could not get to where the service was held, it was the next best thing. Well, ok, perhaps the actual "next" best thing would have been to see the live stream in a local, large venue with others, but I wasn't able to do that either, so I guess being alone in my house was the next, next best thing.

It was awe inspiring. There were over 5,000 attendees in-person at the service, with thousands more watching live, on-line, all over the world (literally). He had a tremendous impact on anyone he met. The recurring proclamation throughout was "he fought the good fight; he kept the faith; he finished the race". And it is true. I wept (I'm not ashamed to admit it). Partly because I knew him and will miss him, even though he and I had not spoken or seen each other in years (not that we were "estranged" or anything; it's just life sometimes), but also because comparing my life to his left me feeling inadequate. Which I know is (at least on one hand) stupid and I know that he would not want me to feel that way. But there it is all the same.

He was a rare soul; intelligent, creative, passionate, compassionate, gentle but firm - the list goes on and I cannot do him justice here. He is and will continue to be missed. A friend of mine said, "...I pray my life has 1/10th the impact on those around me as [he] had in this world.", and I know many others feel the same (as do I). His life is worth emulating.

Words fail me right now.

Season of Sorrow, Season of Joy

2010-12-24T14:08:00.000-08:00

Christmas is here. For many, it's a very joyous time of year. And it should be. For "true" Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the saviour of the world. We give presents (both at Christmas and on birthdays) because wise men from the East came and gave presents to the baby Jesus.

But for others, this time of year is depressing and anything but joyous. And I feel for these people. I don't actually know anyone who feels this way (as far as I know, anyway), but there is a reason why more suicides occur during this time of year. If I could, I would convince these people that things are never as hopeless as they may seem or as they think they are. Suicide is NEVER the answer and is, quite frankly, the ultimate expression of selfishness and cowardice. That may sound harsh, and I certainly don't mean to be, but it is also the truth.

But that is not the reason behind my title. No, the "season of sorrow" I refer to is the passing of a truly great man this past week - Pastor Wendell Eugene Smith. He was my youth pastor back when I was in high school; he was a friend of the family; he was a great influence on me personally as well as literally hundreds (if not thousands) of people. I will miss him.

But while we are sorrowful at his passing, we celebrate his life and his dedication to all and find solace and joy in the fact that through Jesus Christ he is rejoicing in the presence of God and no longer suffering from the ailments that we deal with here on Earth. We will see him again and what a joyous day that will be indeed.

Remembering that Jesus is the reason for the season: Merry Christmas to one and all. And to quote 'Tiny Tim' (from Dickens' "A Christmas Carol"), God bless us, everyone.

It's December

2010-12-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

I was going to post for Pearl Harbor Day, but I didn't (obviously). Seems that work has kept me scrambling this past week. Which I suppose is good. At least kind of. I know that there are a lot of people who have been laid-off and are still looking for work, so I am thankful to have a job (no, really - I am) and I do enjoy it (for the most part) and (most) of the people I work with. But honestly, I wish I were self-sufficient (money-wise) enough to not NEED one. Especially after a week like this.

Ah, well. Perhaps someday. But not today.

Anyways, it's December, which means that Christmas is just around the corner. (Woohoo!) I enjoy this time of year - the crisp, cold air - snow - hot chocolate and warm cookies (yum) - family gatherings - Christmas music.... I love Christmas music - it's my single, largest, genre of CDs I own (37 CDs and growing - I don't add to it every year, but I do still add to it). Probably my favorite group is Mannheim Steamroller - I could listen to all 5 Christmas CDs over and over and over again. But being somewhat of a "traditionalist", I don't start playing Christmas music until 'after' Thanksgiving. My family does, though, and so I feel obligated to "complain" (jokingly, of course) when they do - because Christmas season does not officially begin until AFTER Macy's Thanksgiving-day Parade is over. But then, once Christmas season IS here, I "complain" to friends and family if they are listening to anything other than Christmas music from Thanksgiving until after the 25th.

'Cuz that's just not right. ;-)

Veterans Day '10

2010-11-11T18:30:00.000-08:00

"[O]n October 8th, [1954,] President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first "Veterans Day Proclamation" which stated: "In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans' organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose. Toward this end, I am designating the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs as Chairman of a Veterans Day National Committee, which shall include such other persons as the Chairman may select, and which will coordinate at the national level necessary planning for the observance. I am also requesting the heads of all departments and agencies of the Executive branch of the Government to assist the National Committee in every way possible." "

The above is from this page.

Anyone who's visited this blog (and gone back to read my past entries) knows (or at least should know) that I support our military personnel, past and present. I may not like some of the policies or decisions by some our ("so-called") leaders, but that is a completely different matter. Our troops deserve our thanks, if not our respects. (They have both from me.) For it not for them, where do you think you would be right now? Do you think you'd be living in a "free country"? Do you think you'd have all of the rights and freedoms you currently enjoy? Maybe. But maybe not.

Our military force is made up of volunteers. That's right - (most of) the men and women who make up our military personnel are there BY CHOICE (there are a few exceptions, but just a few). No one forced them to join - they did because they wanted to. (I'm not going to go into whether some of them should have or not or other discussions of becoming disillusioned, etc. - those may be topics for other posts, but not this one.) I have heard (and still hear) many people complain about our military - how we're nothing more then a bunch of "bullies" trying to tell the world how they should act, and other...shall we say, disparaging "stuff", but usually this comes from stuck-up, elitist, academicians who have never served, or THOUGHT of serving in the military for even ONE DAY. So what do they know about it? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

They claim to be intelligent, but they don't even remember or read history (revisionist history, maybe). How many times has the USA been the aggressor in armed conflict? Zero. We've either been asked or were forced into armed conflict. Always. So to say that we're forcing the world to live as we live or we'll come bomb you back to the stone age is not only ridiculous, but absurd and a lie.

I can hear some of you blow-hards now: "What about Iraq?" Nope. Sorry. But we were forced by the events of 9/11/2001 and Hussein's harboring of terrorists and history of WMD use, even against "his own" people. Was some of the intelligence leading up to the invasion faulty? That does seem to be the case concerning (what was then) the current reports about WMDs, but it doesn't change the HISTORY of Hussein's WMD usage, defiance of the UN (which I'm not a big fan of, but all of you 'nay-sayers' seem to 'always' support them - guess it's just convenient memory loss that you don't remember that when discussing thing...but I have digressed from my digression...), MURDER, GENOCIDE, and all-round terrorist activities. Taking EVERYTHING into consideration (and not just the one or two items, like faulty intelligence), we were forced to act. And I still remember Iraqis, both here in the USA and back in Iraq, profusely THANKING US that we did. Have we stayed too long? Maybe. But to simply go in, and then leave without stabilizing or securing the country would have caused much more long-term harm. Do you think we simply left Europe when WWII was won? Absolutely not. We had troops (even combat troops) stationed in Europe for YEARS afterward. Eventually, we left, once things had settled. And we will leave Iraq, once things are settled. {Ok, end of my digression.}

Some may conclude from the above that I am a warmonger. Not true. I despise war. I wish we never had to fight a war, ever. But if we want to maintain our freedoms, sometimes it is inevitable. Because the world is a scary place and there is always someone, some thug, some tyrant, who would be more than happy to take everything you have away from you - EVERYTHING. And if you let them, they will.

Hopefully, not in my lifetime.

So to all of you military service personnel, wherever you may be, you will ALWAYS have at least ONE person (me) who truly, deeply, and humbly says "Thank-you". From the very bottom of my heart and soul: thank-you.

Happy Veterans Day, everyone!

Revisionist History

2010-10-02T07:31:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, I am truly astounded by the magnitude of the stupidity of people (as a collective). Perhaps I shouldn't be, for I know that people (as a collective) are vastly stupid, but occasionally, even I am surprised at just how stupid they can be.

A while back, I joined "Yahoo! Answers" because I felt it was just so unfair that much of the world is denied access to my unparalleled brilliance and wisdom. *Snicker* (I was almost able to type that with a straight face...almost.)

Joking aside, I am pretty darn good with math (and other topics, but I mainly stick to math help on 'answers'), and I've been told I'm pretty good at 'teaching' too. However, even I am not perfect and make mistakes (no really, it's true). BUT where I am different from a lot (I want to say "most", but that would be an exaggeration...probably) of other people is that when I realize or proven to be that I'm wrong, I won't keep insisting I'm right (all of you "evolutionists" out there be warned - what you "claim" to be "proof" is NOT "proof"; "evolution" is a THEORY it is NOT a FACT. Truth is, "evolution HAS BEEN DISPROVEN numerous times - it fails the 'scientific process' that so many claim to believe in, but zealots are rarely rational and irrational people cannot be convinced. But I digress...).

"Answers" works by allowing people ask questions on a wide variety of topics to the entire "answers" community and receiving, well, answers from them (some questions get a lot of responses, some none at all) and then the community has a chance to vote (each member may vote once per question) on the list of answers received to determine "the best" response. And since the person who provided the answer is a member, they may vote for for their own answer. Fair enough.

But part of the problem is that one gets 'points' for having the best answer chosen and that a running tally of "answers given vs. best answer awarded" is displayed on your profile. The more points you get, the higher your "level", which allows you to answer more questions per day and other things. So many people tend to vote for their own answer (understandable) EVEN WHEN THEY ARE FLAT-OUT WRONG. And THAT pisses me off. Because often (at least in the math category) there are very few total votes received and I've seen way too many wrong answers chosen as "the best", which is now "out there" on the web for all the world to see forever (until a major systems failure or the end of the world) and other people who do a search on the same question are getting the WRONG answer, yet believe it is correct.

Which brings me to my main point of discussion - "the revision of history".

"History" does not change. Our perception of history, however, does. It is said that "History is written by the victor." and perhaps this is true. We are all biased (some more than others) and our bias does affect the way we "see" things or "relate" things. Some people purposefully lie about what they "see" or "know as fact" and try to convince as many people as possible that what they say is "the truth". "Tell a lie often enough and eventually it becomes the truth" is a quote often attributed to Adolf Hitler (my own research indicates he never actually said 'exactly' that, but either he or one of his cronies did say several similar things), but regardless of whether he (or someone else) actually said that or not, its point does appear to be valid: If you can convince enough people to believe what you tell them is the truth, regardless of whether it actually is or not, then it will be reported as the truth. The further away (in time and physical distance) we get from actual events, the more likely it is that errors about that event will be introduced.

So what does this mean? Can we not believe anything about anything? How can we know what is "truth" and what is propaganda? Unfortunately, there is no easy answer (at least, I don't have one). All I can suggest is that you lend more credence to what is written or said by people who were actually present at the event and not by those who were not (modern 'historians' love to say things like "History tells us that such-and-such happened, but we know that's not what really happened" - how do they "know" that's not what happened if they weren't there to see it for themselves?); if someone was present at the event, but has an obvious stake at how it's perceived, lend less credence to them than to those who don't have any interest at stake; listen to what your 'gut' tells you - is what you're being 'told' sound right? I mean, it may be plausible, but 'plausible' doesn't mean 'true'; and finally, believe what people do, not what they say.

I know this last one seems out-of-place, but I put it in because this time of year we (the USA) are inundated with all sorts of political ads and everyone is "saying" that they do this or support that or what not, but do they? Do their actions correspond with what they say?

Bottom line is that you'll just have to decide for yourself what is "true" and what is not. But don't be so close-minded that when you do actually 'see' the truth that you dismiss it because it's not what you've been told (or learned) is "the truth". Be open-minded, but be careful that you're not so open-minded that your brain falls out and you'll believe anything that anyone tells you about anything.

So what was it that prompted me to write this post in the first place? It was a Yahoo! article on "the origin of the US Dollar sign". Someone asked a question (in "Yahoo! Answers") about how the symbol for the US dollar ($ - which is actually incorrect, but we'll discuss that a bit later) came to be. The answer that was chosen as the best is "misleading" at best and complete revisionist history at worst. Though technically they didn't actually give a definitive answer. They start off with "one theory is that it was a U superimposed over an S..." and then proceed with "but modern theories, which are generally accepted as fact, suggest that..." (Editor's note: these are paraphrases and not direct quotes, even though quotation marks are used, but the substance of what was actually written is preserved, to the best of my ability). It's these "modern theories" that I have the most problem with.

Why? Because "history" tells us that it 'evolved' from a U superimposed over an S ("US" for "United States"). Period. This is not a "theory", this is historical fact. I may be old, but I'm not THAT old - I remember this being taught in US History, and I can only conclude that it is no longer being taught. They even showed a picture of old paper money that had the U superimposed over an S. Eventually, the lower part of the U was 'dropped' and the result was an S with two vertical lines through it. Note that's TWO lines, not just one - so the proper and correct way to write the symbol for US dollars is not "$", but

an S with TWO lines (which cannot be typed, for whatever reason). This is why if you ever see anything hand-written by me that has a US dollar amount on it, it will be an S with TWO lines.

So how did "$" come about? That I do not know. Some people say that is was originally used for designating "pesos" and that, similar to the US, it started out being a capital P with an S super-scripted, then superimposed, and eventually with the 'bump' of the P being dropped. Others say that the P and S were used to denote units of "pieces of eight". Could be, I suppose. But these are the "modern theories" stated as being how the US dollar sign came about and that is just plain wrong (remember: we're talking about the origin of the symbol for US dollars, not Canadian dollars, not Pesos, and not any other countries dollars, but US dollars).

If you want to talk about theories for the "generic" dollar sign, that's fine and dandy, but the original posed question was NOT about the origin of the "generic" dollar sign, it was about the origin of the US Dollar sign. Don't confuse people by being unclear when you jump off onto an (admittedly related) off-topic, because this is one way that false information is spread: out-of-context explanations. (Granted, I, too, am guilty of jumping off onto [related] side topics, but I attempt to make it quite clear that it is a side topic, and then get back on-point.)

BTW - don't rely on "Wikipedia" for the origin of the US Dollar sign either, as the entry I saw was equally screwed-up. Remember that "Wikipedia" is an open "encyclopedia" that any (registered) user can alter. Just because it's in print or on the web does NOT make it true. Don't get me wrong, I love "Wikipedia" - it's great for CASUAL references and knowledge, but I do NOT rely on it as a sole source for absolute FACT, because it is not.

Ok, I think I'm done ranting...at least for now.

(P.S. Anyone know the origin of "OK" and the proper way it should be written? Again, it's part of US historical fact. And, yes, I do know. And, no, we're not talking about the postal code for "Oklahoma".)

ITLAPD '10

2010-09-19T00:11:00.000-07:00

Ahoy landlubbers! Once more it be "International Talk Like A Pirate Day"! That day each year (Yarrrrr?) when one can get his or her "Pirattitude" on an' be talkin' like a pirate. And if'n ye be wantin' ta know more about ITLAPD, then sail on over ta www.talklikeapirate.com (thar be a link over thar -----> as well). In that ol' pirate port on the world wide web, thar be all sorts o' thing 'piratical' in nature. Such as a place ye can be downloadin' several versions of the unofficial, official "Talk Like A Pirate Day" song. Thar also be 'pirate name generators' ta be found as well. So if'n ye not yet be havin' yer pirate name, ye can plunder the site 'til ye be findin' the right link ta be gettin' yer very own pirate name.

And if'n ye be in the Portland, Oregon area, ye can also be sailin' on over ta "Cathedral Park", which be under the "St. Johns Bridge", where thar be the "Portland Pirate Festival" (see more at http://www.portlandpiratefestival.com/). It will be costin' a few doubloons, but if'n ye be dressin' up like a piarte, ye can be counted amongst the many who be gatherin' around to try and reclaim the Guinness Book of World Records spot fer the "most pirates in one gathering". I's be hearin' they be a needed round 7,000 souls. They be countin' around 6 bells in the afternoon watch (that be 3:00 PM ta ye landlubbers), so if'n ye want ta be be among them counted, plan accordingly.

As fer me, Capt. Red Beard, I says to meself, says I, "I be thinkin' I be watchin' 'Pirates of the Caribbean' taday, and watchin' ol' Capt. Jack Sparrow in action once more." Course, if'n I had "Treasure Island", "Capt. Blood", or e'en "Cut-throat Island", I may have been watchin' one o' dems. But, alas! Me carrier pigeon got himself lost once again, and me DVDs didn't arrive in time ta be doin' that. (Looks like we be havin' squab fer dinner.)

Do hoist the mainsail! Let fly the "Jolly Roger"! Swash yer buckles and shiver yer timbers. And don't be fergettin' ta be talkin' like a pirate in all yer communiques this day!

ARRRRRRR!!!!!

Red Fridays - Update

2010-08-19T18:29:00.000-07:00

Back in August of 2006, I shared this post (click to see post) about "Red Fridays".

Brief recap: I received an e-mail from one of my cousins that included a heart-warming story about a soldier's family. At the end was a suggestion that anyone who supports our troops to wear something red on Fridays.

I don't know how many saw the e-mail. I don't know how many people read my post. I don't know how many people thought "That's a good idea." I don't know how many people actually started wearing red on Fridays. I don't know how many people who did wear red on Fridays for that reason, have continued to do so to present day.

But I did.

Why bring this up now? Because today is (pardon the pun) a red-letter day. Today is the official day when the last combat troops leave Iraq. Mind you, we still have troops in Iraq. We also still have troops in Afghanistan. But it is still a good thing; especially for those troops coming home.

I would suspect that some who have actually remembered to wear red on Fridays may now stop because the last combat troops are coming home from Iraq. But as stated, we still have troops there and in Afghanistan. I sometimes think that Afghanistan has been forgotten by many. Of course, with all of the media attention so focused on Iraq, there's little wonder. But I remember. And now that the last combat troops are leaving Iraq, perhaps the media will focus more on Afghanistan. Guess only time will tell.

In the mean time, I think I will continue to wear red on Fridays until our "forgotten" troops in Afghanistan come home too. Because the reason I started was not solely for our troops in Iraq.

Too many people believe that freedom is free. It's not. It must be fought for - constantly, because there are those who would quite happily take it away, if they could. And the most surprising of all is that not all of them try to do so violently. In fact, some in our own government are trying to do so. Slowly. Patiently. Quietly. And we're letting them. Oh they say all the right things, try and make you think that if you don't agree with them that you are a bigot or unpatriotic, or just plain stupid. I see it happening, almost everyday. And I cannot stop it.

But "we" can. It's not too late, yet. Be watchful - pay attention to what's going on and who's doing what. Be weary - remember, the nine most frightening words in the English language are, "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help." And be active - if you are a citizen that is at least 18 years old, then exercise your right that literally millions of people do not have and VOTE. Support candidates that support freedom. Support candidates who don't believe "they" know what's best for you. Support candidates who support smaller government and truly wish to decrease the size of ours. Don't think that just because one is a member of a certain party that they must believe in these things - base what you do on what they DO, not what they SAY. ACTIONS, not WORDS.

I have gotten off on a tangent I did not mean to go down. But there it is.

Back to my original topic. I have always been a supporter of our troops because I know that freedom isn't free. And we have what we have because our troops do what they do. They fight for us. They fight because someone has to. If not them, than who? I don't think we say "thank-you" nearly enough for what they do for us.

To all our service men and women, past and present, whether here or abroad - I salute you and with all of my heart, I say "Thank-you!"

I will continue to wear red on Fridays. Others may not know the reason why.

But I do.

August Already?

2010-08-07T09:02:00.000-07:00

Time flies. Not just when you're having fun, but all the time. Here it is - August. I missed posting in July (oops). Oh well. It happens. And soon school will be back in session. Much to the chagrin of many kids all over. Still, there are others who look forward to school (I did - for the most part).

Before you know it Halloween will be here...then Thanksgiving...then Christmas...then the New Year and we'll all be just one year away from the end of the world. Yeah, right. Don't get me wrong, the world will end...but I doubt it will be on December 22, 2012. Despite the doomsday-sayers, the Mayan calendar does NOT "stop" on that date. It never actually "stops" as it is circular.

And then there's the Great Pyramid, who's main tunnel's length, when measured in inches (apparently), supposedly ends on the same date. Only problem is that the ancient Egyptians didn't use the inch as a measurement unit. Well, ok, not the "only" problem.

People tend to try and apply 'meaning' to things that have no meaning. And then when shown things that actually do have meaning, they try and dismiss it as 'coincidence'. There will always be 'believers' and 'skeptics'.

Which am I? Both. And neither.

Progress?

2010-06-21T18:58:00.000-07:00

I was just informed by my CPA that starting next year, and "tax preparer" who does more than 100 tax returns MUST file ALL of the ones they prepare electronically. And for 2011 taxes, those who prepare more than 10 must use e-file. Period.

Now, I don't have anything against e-file, per se; having it as an OPTION is fine. BUT I don't like the fact that it is now going to be MANDATORY (and neither does my CPA). Granted, "they" say it's faster, 'easier', catches errors 'instantaneously', which may all be true, but the whole idea of having NO CHOICE just goes against my grain. Yes, I know that before e-file, there was no other option than to snail-mail in returns, but once given options (note the plurality), to take away all the other options so you are once again left with no choice just doesn't seem right to me. Maybe it's progress.

Then again, maybe, just maybe, we're becoming too dependent on computers. What happens if - who am I kidding -WHEN hard drives fail? "But there are backups". Are there? And just how many back-ups? Hmmm? Not too mention that some of the problems with back-ups are:

1) Incompatibility issues. All over the world, companies and individuals are struggling with how to retrieve information that had been "backed-up" onto tape drive systems that will NO LONGER WORK with newer computers. I mean, unlike me, most people don't bother keeping copies of older operating systems, and even if they do, they may not be able to run on newer hardware. So you'd have to have some older hardware as well. Of course, there are other media, like microfilm, microfiche, etc. which are also rapidly becoming obsolete with no way of retrieving said info.

2) Deletion issues. With several copies of back-ups (and back-ups to back-ups), once information is entered, can it ever truly be completely deleted? No. Look at the Internet - once something is "out there", it pretty much remains "out there", somewhere.

There are other issues, but those two are my main points.

But at least (for now) "e-filing" doesn't require "automatic deposit"...yet. Just you wait - it'll be next. And that is whole other kettle of fish because "automatic deposit" opens the door for "automatic withdrawal". And if you think "But I never authorized money to be taken out of my accounts, so it can't happen", you are in for a very rude awakening.

Remember, the nine most frightening words in the English language are: "I'm from the government and I'm here to help."

How to Ruin a Weekend (Without Really Trying)

2010-06-06T14:59:00.000-07:00

There are several ways to ruin a weekend. One sure-fired way to do it, without trying, is to have a car accident. Which I did. Fortunately, no one seemed to be seriously injured. But it does bring the whole day - the whole weekend - to a screeching halt (no pun intended).

My car is (most likely) totaled.

I will not go into any details here as, even though I am more or less anonymous, it would be legally irresponsible, if not out right completely stupid, to do so. I am not implying anything by any statement here.

So, yes, my whole weekend is now ruined. But it could have been much worse, so I am quite thankful that it wasn't. Now I have to do one of the things I dread most - find another car. And with much of my 'reserve' fund being spoken for, I'll probably have to finance it, which is something else I loathe. Mind you, not that I was thinking about buying a brand new car, or an expensive one for that matter (unlike some guys, I don't really care too much about the car I drive - it is simply a mode of transportation - if we were discussing airplanes, that might be another matter), but it's also not like I just want a 'clunker' either. I do have some basic requirements: 4-door, "roomy" in the back, A/C...most of the rest is "irrelevant".

But that is something I won't have to worry about until at least tomorrow.

Memorial Day '10

2010-05-30T16:30:00.000-07:00

Today is Memorial Day. Now, I can hear some of you thinking, “No, Monday is Memorial Day.” You're wrong. Monday is the observance of Memorial Day, but it is not Memorial Day. Check the history of Memorial Day and you will see that it is officially on May 30th every year; we observe it on the closest Monday, because we like having 3-day weekends. It's the same with most of our National holidays - Veteran's Day is November 11th, Labor Day is September 4th; the only exceptions I can think of are Thanksgiving and Independence Day (and I don't expect that to change, especially 'the 4th of July).

But that's not my main topic for today's post.

If you have read my blog before, then you should know that I am a supporter of our military. Not the bureaucratic machine that sometimes rears its ugly head, but the people who serve. It is because of them that our nation is free.

At this point in history, we have a 100% voluntary military - there is no 'draft'. Yes, we have registration for a draft, but there is no draft. Those who are in the military are there because they have decided they want to be there. Yes, I know there might be a few cases where they are there because of a little used, but still active clause in the contract they signed, but they freely signed that contract in the first place. But that is another issue and not the point. My point is that the people who serve in our military have chosen to do so and they deserve our respect, support, and thanks.

Memorial Day, while used to celebrate the unofficial start of summer, is not about parades or BBQs or flowers or even time off from work: it's about remembering those who have fallen in service of this country. Don't get me wrong; have parades, flowers, BBQs, and enjoy the time off from work - these are all good things, but let us also remember those who gave their lives so that we can enjoy these other things. If you know or see a veteran or an active duty military person, say “Thank-you” - you'd be surprised how much that would mean to them.

Something I did not know (until I read it in a Yahoo news story) is that there is a "national moment of remembrance" that takes place at 3 PM local time on the observance of Memorial Day (i.e. on Monday) and lasts one minute. This was established as an act of national unity, and is not intended to replace or supplant other activities on the day. So tomorrow, as you are enjoying the day however and wherever you are, when 3 PM rolls around, try and remember to take a minute and reflect on those who have fallen.

And to those US Military personnel, both past and present, wherever and whoever you are, from the bottom of my heart I say to you: Thank-you, and God bless you all.

The "No Win" Scenario

2010-05-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

There are those (like Capt. James T. Kirk, of the starship "Enterprise") who do not believe in the "no win" scenario. I, unfortunately, am not one. Because I think I'm in one right now.

I was asked a question at work. If I say "no", I will essentially be "pigeon-holed" and come across as not interested in doing certain other things (which is not entirely true). If I say "yes", I'll be 'forced' to agree to do whatever they end-up finding to "help" me "change" (which might actually be ok, IF I knew what it is they find, but that part is completely unknown, so I don't really want to 'blindly agree' to it). And I can't just "not answer".

So it's "no win" for me.

I wish I could say this was the first time I ran into a "no win" scenario at work, but it's not. Different issues but same results for me - "no win".

They say I'm valued, but sometimes I really wonder about that. I've been figuratively slapped in the face; stabbed in the back; had people who are supposed to work together take all the credit and give me all the blame; had people tell me they would support me, but then "fold" like a bad poker hand with little more than a slight breeze blows; been told to my face "I don't even know what it is you do around here."; been undermined...

Perhaps you wonder why I stay there - I sometimes wonder myself. But most of the people there are good people - there really is only one or two "bad eggs". Unfortunately, they have been given "power" and they never should have been.

I've fought, but you have to choose your battles. If you try and fight everything, you'll end-up doing nothing but fighting, and you cannot live that way. So one must let some things go, even though you know the decision made is the wrong one. You can only bang your head against the wall for so long before you ask yourself why you are banging you head against the wall.

Perhaps it is time I left. I thought it might have been a while ago, but had I done so then, I would have left some people I respect "in the lurch", and I couldn't do that to them. Ok, ok - technically I "could", but I wouldn't.

So here I am. Partly because, unlike some others, I am a team player; I do not care if I get the credit; I do not let my ego get in the way of getting things done (usually, at least. Perhaps on the rare occasion - after all, we all have 'bad days' don't we?); I do not need to be the one who has my face in front of everyone saying "Look at me! Aren't I great? Don't I do a good job?"; I do not believe "I" have clients - I believe "we" have clients; I couldn't care less if someone else talks to "my" clients; I don't run other people down in an effort to make myself look good (how petty) - at least, not on purpose (I mean, it's possible I may have, but I do not recall any specific instance when that is true); I back my people, I don't "throw them under the bus"...

Which is not to say I am perfect - I know that I am far from it. Nor am I trying to say that everyone should be me. No, that would not be good either. But I do try to treat people with courtesy and be cordial. And I got to tell you that is not always easy, especially when I have absolutely zero respect for them. But I still try - I may not always succeed, but I do try.

I don't know what to do. I hate these types of "no win" scenarios...

Proving a Point

2010-05-07T18:50:00.000-07:00

I gave my friend Hcatty a hard time the other day because it's been a while since she'd posted anything to her blog. We do this on occasion (as you might be able to tell if you've read some of my past posts) - and while I can't speak for her as to why, I do it because I like reading the thoughts she cares to share from time-to-time, be they "good", "bad", or indifferent.

But her response to my good-natured ribbing was that if she did [update her blog], it would be depressing and she couldn't handle depressing right now. To which I told her it couldn't be any worse than my last post and that she controls her emotions, not the other way around.

Which is true (that we control our emotions) for every human being - most just don't realize it.

So what does that have to do with this post. Nothing really. Well, except that I feel like crap right now, but I am refusing to allow that to "make me" post something 'depressing'.

Hence the title of this post.

So take note, my dear friend Miss Hcatty. ;-)

I thought about mentioning why I feel like crap right now, but I have decided against it. Mainly for fear that if I did, this WOULD turn into a depressing post, which would fail to make my point.

But I digress...

Where was I? Oh yeah - not depressing.

I have amazing friends. I often wonder if any of them truly know just how amazing they are. I suspect they do not. They tell me that I'm amazing, but when I look at myself, I have to wonder just what it is that they see. So I suspect it is the same with them. I guess that's just one of the magical aspects of true friendship - they can see in us what we fail to see in ourselves. And I've got to tell you, it's nice to hear now and then, especially when we feel like crap. Sometimes, just the mere presence of a friend can turn your whole day around. In fact, I remember a specific day at work when all morning long I was, shall we say, in a snit; every little thing just seemed to piss me off even more (and quite frankly, there was no real reason for it). But then a friend of mine stopped by, pretty much just to say "hi", and I instantly went from being in a bad mood, to being in a good one. And it lasted the rest of the day. I don't think she even knew what it was that she did for me that day - and it she didn't really even "do" anything.

So Miss Hcatty, I may have said this before, but I'll say it again, because it deserves being repeated from time-to-time, especially when I know that you are going through "something" (though I do not know what - and that's ok - I'm not asking you to tell me. Though I do hope you know you can, if you want to): I am honored to call you "friend". And I am humbled that you have called me "friend". You are amazing - NEVER let ANYONE convince you otherwise. I know that you can do ANYTHING you set your mind to. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, "Never, ever, ever, ever, ever give up. Never give up. Never give up. Ever." I know that God has something truly remarkable in store for you. Exactly what, I do not know - I wish that I did so I could tell you. But continue seeking Him and He will open all the right doors (while closing all of the wrong ones).

And continue being the amazing person you are. Keep your heart guarded, but open. Don't let "them" crush your spirit. Be the type of friend to others that you always wanted for youself (which I know that you are).

Now if only I could follow my own good advice...
{CRAP! It got a little depressing at the very end there...}

The Old Wound

2010-04-24T09:11:00.001-07:00

I've been feeling a little low lately.
****

The Old Wound

The old wound - reopened. It never really seems to close.
The heart - torn asunder. For reasons never shared by she who knows.
The soul - ever yearning. Though reason says 'twill never be.
The spirit - crushed and broken. Yet dares to hope that someday she'll see.

****
I'll be alright. It might take a little time, but I will be alright.

Dark Day for USA

2010-03-23T15:40:00.001-07:00

Editor's Note: I wrote this back on March 23, just a day or two after the bill's signing. I was going to post it sooner, but obviously I didn't.

*****

It is a dark day for the US. Never in history has such a blatant violation of the US Constitution taken place. And the worst part of it? Many US citizens believe it to be a glorious event, worthy of celebration. But I am here to stand up and say IT IS NOT!!!

So exactly what am I decrying? The so-called "health care reform" law.

Now, I know some of you are already getting your knickers in a twist because of a knee-jerk response that you have to anyone who dares oppose HCR, but I cannot help that.

Part of the problem is that "people" (as a collective) only know the law by its common name - the "Health Care Reform" (or HCR). The problem is, is that the name of any bill/law is often misleading. Such is the case here. This law is not about health care reform - it's about a power grab by the federal government. Yes, there are some health care reform elements in the law, and I do actually support several of them (like elimination of "pre-existing condition" exclusions, though I understand the reason for them in the first place), but the MAIN element of the law is the REQUIREMENT for EVERYONE to have health care of some type. IT IS NOT OPTIONAL! Do you "sheeple" truly not understand what this means?!?

How can ANY rational person believe this to be a good thing? How can ANYONE support the idea that is it permissible for the government, ANY government, to MANDATE its people to BUY anything?

Now, some of you are thinking "But what about mandated car insurance?", but that is a totally different situation. Why? Because no one is FORCED to buy a car; no one is REQUIRED to learn how to drive; driving is NOT a right. If you do not drive, then you are not required to have car insurance. Mind you, I don't really like mandated car insurance per se either, but that is another discussion.

Not to mention the way in which the bill was passed in congress; using a procedural "loop-hole" in a manner it was never intended to be used to BYPASS the proper, normal procedures put in place. And then the gall of those thrice-damned hypocrites to claim it as a victory for the American people, when it was clear that a MAJORITY of Americans did NOT want that bill to pass the way that it was. On top of that, to so blatantly IGNORE the US CONSTITUTION and pass the bill "by hook or by crook" (I'm thinking the emphasis is on CROOK) should have EVERY American totally and completely OUTRAGED, and calling for the heads of all those who allowed this abomination to pass.

But alas, such is not the case.

How can anyone who is sworn to "uphold and defend the Constitution" (as all elected officials are) justify the passage of this atrocity, when it so clearly is in DIRECT VIOLATION of the US Constitution? And if you don't believe me that it is, then you need to READ THE US CONSTITUTION FOR YOURSELF. Anything which is not SPECIFICALLY called out in the Constitution as being a reserved for the federal government is reserved for the STATES.

It's in plain English people.

There have already been 13 States Attorneys General who have filed law suits against the Federal government to stop this. I say, "Good on You!" Quite frankly, there should be 50 Attorneys General filing suit. This version of HCR should be declared "Unconstitutional".

Should be.

But only if Justices actually follow the Law and the Constitution as they are supposed to. The unfortunate reality is that they too often do not. And it is further unfortunate (truly lamentable) that more people are not outraged by Justices who do not follow the very laws they are supposed to be upholding.

Then there's the cost. In his 2010 "State of the Union Address", President Obama said (among other things), "...our approach [to HCR] would bring down the [Federal] deficit by as much as $1 trillion over the next two decades."

BULLSHIT! (pardon my "French".) I do not swear often, so when I do, I mean it.

How can you subtract nearly $1 Trillion dollars (the supposed cost of this HCR bill/law) from an already negative deficit and be reducing the deficit? Not to mention the FACT that all other so-called health reforms, such as Medicare and Medicaid, have ALL exceeded their government quoted maximum costs; not by just a few percentage points, but by 10 TIMES (or more)? This HCR will simply pile-on even more debt than we currently have. But then, they've been doing it for so long, I'm not sure they know how to NOT do so.

The fact-of-the-matter is that this HCR law is nothing more than the precursor to the federal government effectively driving all health care insurers out of the business so that the only health insurance left will be those run by the government. It's just a more subtile begining of "Hilary-care".

And the fact that more Americans are not outraged by this travesty makes me very sad.

Pi-day '10

2010-03-14T10:13:00.000-07:00

Mathematicians around the world are "celebrating" today, March 14, also written as 3.14, because it's "Pi day". (And if you don't know why, it's because "Pi" written out to two decimal places is 3.14.)

And if you don't know what "Pi" (π) is, it is a letter in the Greek alphabet. It is also the representation used for the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter; the lower-case Greek letter (π) is ALWAYS used for this representation, even if starting a sentence [the upper-case Greek letter (Π) is used to represent a series of multiplications]. It is a constant. It is an irrational number, meaning that it cannot be exactly expressed by a ratio of integers (unlike "1/2" or "1/3"), and in decimal representation it "goes on forever" (like "1/3") and does not have a repeating pattern (unlike "1/3").

There is an entire book dedicated to the "value" of pi; pages upon pages of nothing but numbers. I do not recall exactly how many pages or numbers, but I believe it went out to at least 10,000 decimal places. There has even been legislation proposed (by idiots and morons who do NOT understand what that would do) to change pi to be "exactly 3". Why? I don't know, but while they're at it, why not legislate the value of "e" to be "exactly 2" or the value of √2 to be "exactly 1"? It makes about as much sense. Of course, if they did and everyone blindly accepted it and adopted it, the world would come crashing down - at least, buildings, bridges, and other structures literally would. So it will never happen, despite what some idiotic-moron (or is that "moronic-idiot"?) tries to legislate.

So go out and celebrate today. How? Might I suggest a piece of pie?

π ≈ 3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993114819665930...

Basic Economics?

2010-02-21T12:36:00.000-08:00

So a couple of posts back, I made a short comment about taxes, economics, and the stupidity of "people" (as a collective). This was done shortly after Oregon had two proposed tax increase measures pass in a special election. I think I've calmed down enough to expand on my short comment.

Let's star with a layman's "definition" of what a "good economy" is: simply put, when the private sector (that is, "you and I", NOT governments) is spending money, you have a "good economy".

Now, before you all blow a gasket, I realize this is NOT a technical definition, nor is it necessarily a complete definition. But let's think about it for a minute. If "everyday people" are buying things, then demand for items go up, which in turn causes the companies making these things to hire more people to increase the supply. Does this not "create jobs"? I assert that it does. Conversely, if "everyday people" stop buying things, then demand for things go down, which in turn causes companies to lay-off workers.

An oversimplification? Yes. But a foundation for discussion. It is not my intention to write a dissertation on economic theory here (nor do I feel that I would be qualified to do so), but there are some "common sense" things we can look at (and possibly even agree on).

Unfortunately, governments (be they federal, state, or local) don't use "common sense" (for the most part; as with everything, there are exceptions). When the economy goes "bad" (i.e. unemployment goes up), all they tend to see is that their tax revenue is shrinking. So the obvious answer is to increase taxes, right?

WRONG! Completely, totally, and 100% wrong.

The tax revenue is shrinking because the tax BASE is shrinking (meaning there are fewer people in the work force). By raising taxes in a "bad" economy, all you do is make the situation worse, because it leads to MORE unemployment, which further reduces the tax base, which further reduces tax revenue. But if you CUT taxes, you put more money into the private sector, which in turn causes more private sector money to be spent (boosting the economy), increasing jobs and the tax base, and thereby increasing tax revenue.

Makes sense, right? To me and many people, absolutely it does. AND it has been shown many times (if not all the time) that this DOES work. However, you'll find as many economists who disagree as those who do agree. Actually, I'm not sure that that is a true statement or not; perhaps it's more accurate to say that the media will find as many economists who disagree as those who do agree.

But it is my belief that instead of raising taxes in a "bad" economy, what governments should be doing is something to increase the size of the tax base (i.e. cutting taxes).

Actually, what they should do is make actual, real-world CUTS in the pork projects that they have. But do they? No. Research it: when was the last time a government made an actual cut to any non-critical program? Oh sure - they will make actual cuts to schools, police, fire, and other critical departments, but not to their "pet" projects. Why? So they can then go and propose tax increases and spend literally millions of dollars on a campaign and say "If you don't pass these tax increases, we'll have to cut schools, police, and fire budgets."

Which is EXACTLY what the governments in the State of Oregon did. And it's not the first time they've used this same rhetoric - they use it EVERY SINGLE TIME they want to increase taxes, or to avoid tax cuts. This is not an exaggeration; this is history. (Ok, ok - maybe "technically" it wasn't the "state" that did it; it was the public employee unions, teacher unions, other unions, the various PACs, etc. After all, it would be "illegal" for the "state" to actually do that - "wink", "wink", "nudge", "nudge".) All you have to do us go back and watch the political ads that were run. Those for tax increase measures, what did they say? "It's only a tax on 'the rich'." "If these measures fail, schools, police, and fire will suffer more cuts." "It's time we made corporations and 'the rich' pay 'their fair share'." And those against tax cut measures will still say "If these measures pass, schools, police, and fire will suffer more cuts."

I've come to the sad conclusion that (in general) government agencies do not care about the private sector; they only care about getting more and more taxes so they can spend more and more of OUR money on projects and programs that are a complete waste of time and money. So in "good" economic times, they'll suggest raising taxes to fund various wasteful programs "for the good of everyone". And in "bad" economic times, they'll suggest raising taxes because otherwise they'll have a revenue shortfall. And they won't change as long as they can convince the voters that they are right.

Which, unfortunately, happens way too often. Which brings me back to one of my other statements: "people" (as a collective) are stupid.

And that's what "they" are counting on.

Love Sucks Day '10

2010-02-14T09:10:00.000-08:00

Once again it's that time of year. For the last several weeks, we've all been reminded, ad nauseam, that today, February 14th, is Valentine's Day. For couples, a big day; for those unattached, it's just a (constant) reminder that they are unattached.

Of course, the media has been inundating all of us, both in print and over the airwaves via radio and tv, with ads for Valentine's Day gifts. "Feh!", says I. I mean, ok, flowers, sure; expectations of anything else and you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Don't misunderstand me - if you want to give gifts, then by all means do so. But to EXPECT or DEMAND that your 'significant other' give you a gift is NOT in the spirit of the day.

But what do I know?

Quite a bit, actually, but people just don't listen. Or they listen, but ignore what they hear. If only everyone knew what I know. Alas! such is not the case. More's the pity.

More often then not, the "big show" is just that - a show. Not for the recipient, but for the giver: "look at what I did", "how great am I that I did this ('for you')". And if a "grand gesture" is given all of the time, then it diminishes and becomes nothing. Something "special" only remains "special" if it is rare; do the same "special" thing everyday and it won't be long before it becomes mundane. If gold were plenteous, like silica (sand), would it be worth as much as it currently is? No - it'd be worth about as much as sand is; "gold plated" wouldn't mean "top of the line" or "overly extravagant" but rather "ordinary" or "typical".

There are so many things that we could do to show affection, rather than giving "things". Not that I'm bashing giving "things" (I'm not). But more important than the "thing" is the attitude behind it. What are you REALLY trying to say? If it's "Look at me! Aren't I great?" then it's the wrong attitude.

Maybe if you actually verbally expressed to the person what it is you want to tell them...

Nah! That's just crazy...

Forced Post

2010-01-29T21:29:00.000-08:00

I'm forcing myself to post something today. Why? I don't know. I don't really have a specific topic in mind.

I thought about posting about some basic economics, how raising taxes in a recession is one of the worst things you can do, but I think I'll save that for another time. On a related note, I was going to post about the stupidity of "people" (as a collective, not individuals), but I think I'll also save that for another time. How are those topics related? Through elections, which we in Oregon recently had and the results of which really tick me off. Mind you, the outcome was not a surprise, but it still ticks me off. And I think I need to cool-down a little before tackling that post. Idiots.

Ah well.

So here I am, trying to think of some topic off the top of my head and I'm failing miserably. Hmmm...has anyone every failed ecstatically?

So what to do, what to do. I suppose I could mention that I'm thinking about tweaking my blog layout. Why a "standard" HTML document looks different under IE8 than it did under IE7, which looked different under IE6, I don't understand. The document hasn't changed, so why has its look? How can a standardized format "change" from one browser version to the next? Sheer stupidity. Which I guess kind of brings me back to one of my earlier statements. Morons.

I often ask myself why I have to deal with idiots and morons. My only answer is "Because they are everywhere - you can't get away from them."

And I'm sure they think the same about me. At least some of the time.

But they are wrong.

First Post of 2010

2010-01-05T20:01:00.000-08:00

So my friend Hcatty thinks my blog is better than hers. That's kind of her, but I don't know that it's true. I certainly wouldn't say mine's better (modesty forbids such a thing – hehehe), just...different.

Everybody has their own style of writing, telling stories, relating information, and what have you. Yes, I do know that I seem to have a talent (for lack of a better word) for writing. But back in school, I hated writing assignments. I always received good marks (in fact, one writing assignment in college earned me an A-; one of only 2 in the entire class and no higher marks), but I hated them. Maybe it's because I was forced to do them, as opposed to wanting to do them. I don't know.

Still, despite my, shall we say, “rather less than enthusiastic attitude” towards English (as a subject), I seem to have managed to learn how to use it properly (most of the time, anyway) in speech and writings. Though some may disagree, but I think part of that is because “they” have changed some rules from when I learned. An example is the rules for using “apostrophe s”. Today it is apparently acceptable (I'll not use the word “proper” because I disagree with the change made) to simply throw an “ 's “ at the end of any word to make it possessive. I was taught that if the word ended in a “s” (or even sounded like it ends in an “s” - like “cockatrice”), you just put an apostrophe, without the additional “s” (e.g. “Cockatrice' claws are sharp.” or “Peter was one of Jesus' apostles.”).

So why the change? Because people are lazy and stupid and “they” seem to be willing to stoop down to the lowest common denominator rather than lift everyone up to higher standards (my opinion – you don't like it, fine; you don't have to agree). I refuse to adopt this change because it looks absolutely stupid. Take some recent movie (and book) titles: “Bridget Jones's Diary” (in proper English: “Bridget Jones' Diary”) or even worse: “My Boss's Daughter” (in proper English, “My Boss' Daughter”). Is it really so hard to remember that you add only the apostrophe and leave the frick'n additional “s” off if the word ends (or even sounds like it ends) in an “s”? Really? Apparently so (I refer back to my opinion above).

Ok, I'll get off of my soapbox...for now.

Not that any of that has anything to do with blogs. Not that blogs have anything to do with this post (other than the fact it's in a blog). And not that this post has anything to do with anything.

Chirstmas '09

2009-12-15T14:29:00.000-08:00

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:16

Arguably the most famous verse of the entire Holy Bible. Some may ask, "What does that have to do with Christmas?" To which my answer is: "Everything."

For what is Christmas? Despite what some would try and tell you (that it's about Santa Claus, reindeer, elves, trees, decorations, gifts, a magical snowman, etc.), it's the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ ("Christ-mas").

Humanists would say that the Church simply created Christmas to supplant the pagan 'holiday' of Saturnalia and that Christ wasn't even born in Winter, but in Spring or even Summer. To which I say "So what?" Regardless of how it came about, the (undisputed) fact remains that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

"For God (the the creator of the universe; all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful being) so loved (cares for; adores) the world (every man, woman, and child, regardless of age, color, social status, economic status, popularity, or any other category you can think of), that He gave (sent; freely-offered without charge; sacrificed) His only (there are no others; lone; unique; single) begotten Son, that whosoever (anyone, unconditionally) believeth in Him should not perish (suffer death; expire; crumble to dust; die), but have everlasting (no time limit; forever; eternal) life."

God gave us the greatest gift imaginable, and there is nothing we have to "do" to receive it, but believe.

Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving (USA) '09

2009-11-25T22:51:00.000-08:00

I have much to be thankful for.

(Yes, I know I ended that sentence with a preposition. Deal with it.)

I have a good job, I have a great family, I have great friends, and I have a great God. I have never lacked food (though we have struggled, at times), clothing, or shelter. Why I have been so blessed, I do not know, but I am truly thankful. Though I know it sounds like I'm bragging, but that is not my intention. I am merely stating facts. I know that all could change tomorrow. But at least for today, I am blessed.

I mentioned that I have great friends, and it's true. But I sometimes wonder if they truly realize just how wonderful they are. Some might; I suspect most do not. Probably because they don't really give it any thought.

I have friends that would do just about anything (as long as it were not immoral or illegal), if you asked them. And sometimes, you don't even need to ask them. That's just how they are.

I could tell them anything and they would listen and be supportive. They may not agree with me, and they would tell me so, but they would still be supportive. Besides, a true friend would not be a "yes man" and would not be afraid to disagree. It has been said of me that I like to argue. Not entirely true, but I can certainly see why some would say that. I think it more correct to say that I am not afraid to argue. Then again, I do sometimes argue just for the sake of arguing (hehehe), but I don't do it all of the time. And when I do, most of the time I'm just playing. Still, I actually find it comforting to know that I have friends who are not afraid to disagree with me. I like that.

I have friends that, if they had it, could spare it, and you needed it, would give it to you (whatever "it" is). Most would probably even give it if they couldn't really spare it, because your needs come first. That's just how they are.

So this Thanksgiving, like all that have come before, I am thankful for (among many, many other things) my friends. And to all of my friends out there, Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, wherever you/they may be.

Thank-you for being you.

Veteran's Day '09

2009-11-11T21:27:00.000-08:00

To all of the US Veteran's around the world, whether you are active (yes, technically active are not veterans - irrelevant), retired, or reserve, with all of my heart, soul, and sincerity:

Thank-you.

For your sacrifice and service:

Thank-you.

Know that there are those of us who deeply respect you and are disgusted when you are disrespected. It's because of you that we have the freedoms we do.

Thank-you.

The words are insufficient, but it's all some have to offer.

Thank-you.

Inconsolable?

2009-10-28T18:43:00.000-07:00

How do you console someone who is inconsolable? For the very definition means they cannot be consoled. Does that mean they should be abandoned? Do we just let them be and not try to console them?

Tough call.

Because sometimes when someone says "leave me alone", they mean "please help me". But sometimes they do mean "leave me alone". And as far as I have been able to deduce, there is no way in knowing when they mean which.

So what do you do?

Of course, I'm not sure anyone is truly "inconsolable"; just more likely that we (or even they) don't know how to console them. Still, the problem remains.

Perhaps we should try and if we're told "leave me alone", we try a second time. And if we're again told "leave me alone", we leave them alone for maybe a day and then try again.

I don't really have an answer...

Primal Scream

2009-10-22T12:04:00.000-07:00

AAAAA

AAAAA

AAAAA

AAAAA

AAAAA

HHHH

HHHH

HHHH

HHHH

HHHH

!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!

*contented sigh* I feel much better now...

(Sometimes you just need to let one out, you know?)
-----
(PS: Do you know how hard that was to format so it looked good on the screen?)

Conflicted

2009-10-03T16:42:00.001-07:00

Today, two of my favorite college football teams played each other: University of Washington (Huskies) played Univeristy of Notre Dame (Fighting Irish) at ND. Who to root for...

It was a close game. It was an excelent game. It was won in overtime (OT).

There were 6 or 7 lead changes. Washington scored more touchdowns (TD); Notre Dame scored more often (with field goals [FG]).

It was an offensive battle; it was a defensive battle. In the 3rd and 4th quarters, Notre Dame stopped four goal-line stances. In one instance, it looked like Washington had scored a TD (with about 7-minutes left on the game clock), but it was called back. Then Washington set-up for a FG attempt - it made it, but there was a flag - a personal foal was called on Notre Dame, giving Washington a 1st and goal (negating the FG, of course). Washington was yet again denied a TD and had to settle for (another) FG attempt - it was good. About 3-minutes now remained on the clock. The score was now Washington 27, Notre Dame 22.

Notre Dame managed to score a TD and a 2-point conversion, making the score Washington 27, Notre Dame 30, with about 1.5 minutes left on the clock. Washington scores a FG, tying the game at 30.

OT - Washington wins the toss, elects to defend. Notre Dame scores a TD; Washington fails to score.

Final: Washington 30, Notre Dame 37.

If you missed it, you missed it.

TLAPD '09

2009-09-19T09:46:00.000-07:00

Avast, ye scurvy dogs! It be "Talk Like A Pirate Day". So if'n ye've been waitin' fer it, here it be.

Arrr!!! If'n ye be in the waters off of Parrr-tland, Arrr-egon, ye can drop anchor and visit the Pirate festival at "Cathedral Park". Aye, it be located under the "St. John's Bridge". 'Course, why she be called the "St. John's bridge" be a mystry, seein' as how St. John, not be the one who built her.

And if'n ye be need'n some pirate stuff, ya can sail on o'er to Lloyd Center Mall, where they have a Pirate shop (I be thinkin' the name o' the store be "The Pirate Shop", but alas, I could be wrong). There be all maner o' booty that be 'piratical' in nature. Skull and cross-bones be a-plenty there. And e'en the shop-keeps be dressed like pirates and pirate wenches. Arrr! 'Tis a glorious sight, indeed.

Today I got an appointment to see me eye doctor. Seems me eye-patch be need'n adjustin', and he got this here new fangled contraption that be able to map me eyes and fit me new patch e'en better than ever. Now if'n it could only map-out where there be some treasure. 'Twould be a wonderous machine then, says I. Arrr!

I needs to be checkin' me communiques sos I kin see what me mates be up to today. Arrr!!! "Weigh Anchor! Hoist the mainsail and set a course fer adventure! Let fly the Jolly Roger and load the cannons! We be off to plunder the 7 seas!" Arrr!!!

Plunder on, mates!

Now I've Done It...

2009-09-04T14:15:00.000-07:00

I have now joined "Facebook" (FB)...

I had been resisting joining, mainly because I didn't like FB's requirement that you have to join FB in order to look at anyone on FB, even if that person sends you an e-mail saying "Come look at my FB page."

But when two people in the same day, and three people within about a week ask you "Are you on FB?", it's time to join. So I did.

I was somewhat surprised to see several old classmates and other friends on FB already, but then, like I said, when two people in the same day ask...so I was only "somewhat" surprised.

Though I have only been on for a couple of days, and have yet to really explore what you can do, I've managed to chat with some old friends with whom I have not seen or spoken to in a few years. So in that respect (at least), it's pretty cool. Of course, it still remains up to me and them to keep in touch, once the novelty wears off.

But it is a start.

Blackberry Update

2009-08-31T17:04:00.000-07:00

Seeing as how it's now the end of August, I wanted to get a post in before the end of the month. It's bad enough that I have two empty months here - what would Hcatty say if I had a third? Actually, probably not much, seeing as she went post-less this year from April to August - not that there's anything wrong with that (see what I did there Miss Hcatty? Hehehehe). ;-)

Anyway, so my landscapers did make it out and finished removing the blackberries before the City's next inspection. Of course, it took two weeks to hear anything from the City, but they did finally let me know that the case was closed and everything was fine.

However, they did ask me a "favor" - they asked if I would go ahead and get the neighbor's (behind my house) yard cleared of blackberries, since they did come from my yard; I was not obligated to do so, but they thought that would be the "neighborly" thing to do.

(Editor's note: I am now trying to decide how "hard" I want to "hit" this item...)

Neighborly thing to do? Neighborly thing to do? Was it "neighborly" for my neighbors to file a complaint with the city WITHOUT EVER TALKING TO ME about the problem? Never mind that the blackberries originally came from my (side) neighbor's yard, and that they still have their blackberries, which will try to overtake my yard again. Never mind that apparently the City only gives out nuisance notices if someone files a complaint, meaning as far as I know my (side) neighbor's never received a nuisance notice to clear out their blackberries, even though it is clear to anyone who has been on my property looking at blackberries could see where the bigger problem actually lies.

Quite frankly, I was, shall we say, "amused" at the audacity of the City - asking me to be "neighborly", when clearly my neighbors (in my opinion) were not. Still, I held my tongue and actually agreed. But I told them I was out of town (in South Carolina on a project start-up) for the next couple of weeks, so I wouldn't be able to do anything about it until I got back in town (I arrived in town just last Thursday, late).

I don't know - maybe I was raised differently than other people; raised to actually go and talk politely to your neighbors FIRST if there is a problem, and only file a complaint as a last resort.

Had my neighbors actually bothered to talk with me FIRST, I wouldn't be so defensive.

Blackberry Woes

2009-07-28T17:28:00.000-07:00

Ok, so for the second time, an entire month went by without a post from me. Oh well - I'm still ahead of Miss Hcatty.

Anyway, about a month ago, I got a "nuisance notice" from the City saying I needed to remove some blackberry vines that have gotten "out-of-control" (not in those exact words mind you, but it gets the point across). And as most bureaucratic things go, they gave me an incredibly short deadline (15 days) to get the situation rectified. Well, I was going to take care of them sometime this year anyway, so I guess this was the kick-in-the-pants I needed to get going on it. So I called a landscaping service to come take care of it.

I was able to schedule them to come out about a few days prior to the time limit. All was good, yes? No. Apparently, I was unclear with what I needed as they came out and simply sprayed the vines. So while the vines were dying, it wouldn't be soon enough for the City. So I called and explained that I needed them cut-out, not just sprayed. Unfortunately, they would not be available to come out until after the deadline.

So I called the City and explained that there was a miscommunication and that the vines were sprayed, but not cut-out. I asked for an extension to get them removed. Somewhat to my surprise, they agreed and gave me another two weeks. No problem, I thought. So I re-scheduled the landscapers and they were able to come out 3 days before the next deadline. Which they did.

Unfortunately, as they started clearing, they got stung by some "bees" (I use quotes because it was really most likely yellow-jackets, not bees - details) and quit working. They did call me and explain that they had to quit and could not continue until the bees were removed. Great - 3 days before my extension deadline and they stop.

So I call the City again to see what I can do. While I did not get another extension, they did say that after their inspection if it still did not satisfy them that I would get a second notice and then another inspection about a week after that before I would be fined. So I basically had another two weeks to get everything cleared out.

Seeing as I wasn't going to be fined before the 3rd inspection, I called a bee removal company. They came out, found four wasp nests, but didn't see any actually "in" the blackberries, as they were too thick.

This (of course) creates a "Catch-22" on my part: the landscapers won't clear the vines until the "bees" are taken care of, and the exterminators can't get to any hives that are in the vines until they are removed. Lovely.

But I talked with the landscapers and they will be back out and try again. I was able to give them the exterminator's name and cell phone in case they run into any more "bees". Of course, there is no guarantee that he will be available when they are out clearing, but he said he would try, if needed.

I am hopeful that the four nests he killed will at least be enough for the landscapers to finish. They are scheduled to come out next Monday.

If they don't finish, I'll pretty much be hosed...

Fleeting Fragments

2009-05-28T21:53:00.000-07:00

{Editor's Note: When in doubt of what to post, try poetry...}

Pen on paper, ever writing,
Bits and pieces seldom whole;
Thoughts incomplete, still contemplating,
They seem to nag my very soul.

I know not why these things occur
(Fleeting fragments in my mind),
And writing oft' helps not you see;
Failure is all I find.

Still, I try to jot them down;
To comprehend my thoughts reflected.
More oft' than not, or so it seems,
I simply walk away dejected.

But only if one gives up trying
Does one ever truly fail.
I've not reached that point as yet;
Against the wind do I still rail.

- TubaMeister

Not a "Review" of IE8

2009-05-06T17:20:00.000-07:00

I had meant to post earlier, but obviously, I didn’t. You know how things go – get set to do something and another thing comes along and derails you. Oh well.

Not really sure what to post. I thought about doing a “review” of Internet Explorer 8 (IE8), but then, who cares? It still sucks, but it’s better than IE7. And don’t try and tell me to use Firefox (Mozilla) – it sucks too. No, my preference is to stick with IE6. Yes, IE7 and IE8 have some better “behind-the-scene” technical stuff, but what Microsoft (and Apple, and a lot of other software companies) apparently fail to understand is that if you drastically change the “look and feel” of things, people are going to HATE IT. Period.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying change is “bad”, and yes, I know that sometimes you have to bite the bullet and make drastic changes, but this is NOT the case with IE. My biggest peeve about IE7 is that you CANNOT customize its “look”. You’re stuck with how the various “toolbars” are laid-out. What really ticks me off is that you can go ahead and unlock the toolbars, but you can’t move the lower-right-hand-side one anywhere else – all you can do is either “collapse” it or “expand” it. Who’s the moronic idiot who came up with that?

At least with IE8, you CAN move it to the left-hand side (if you prefer, which I do), but you can’t put it above the “main” navigation / address bar. Why can’t it be FULLY customizable like IE6? It that really so hard to do? (Morons…why do I have to deal with morons?)

Of course I don’t know what else they screwed up in IE7, but when you view this blog with it, the title box gets screwed up. Not too terribly much, mind you, but screwed up nonetheless. In IE8, the whole webpage layout is really screwed up. But IE8 does have a “compatibility” mode that allows you to “view webpages in earlier versions of Internet Explorer”. Note the language that Microsoft uses – “versions” implying you get a choice. You don’t. It should be “version” or even more correctly, “IE7”, because that’s the only choice you get. Idiots. I don’t know if they are purposefully trying to obfuscate things or not, but given my cynical nature, I’m going to assume that they really are.

But then, I wasn’t going to do a “review” of IE8…

Maybe I should try Google's "Chrome"...

xkcd.com

2009-04-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

So I ran across this web site a few days ago now, and I have to say I like it. In fact, I like it so much, I've added a link to it over there --------->

WARNING: it does contain expletives (sometimes, not all the time), so if you're sensitive about language, don't say I haven't warned you.

Apparently, it's run by a physicist who used to be a contract employee of NASA. He calls it a "webcomic", and I suppose that's as good a name as any, but it's not a "serial" webcomic. Meaning, there is no "central theme" or story arc (as far as I can tell), just a collection of various comics posted 3 days a week.

He deals with math, physics, science, what I shall call "geek romance" (meaning, romance from the perspective of "geeks", like mathematicians, physicists, engineers, etc., like me), and other stuff. There is also a store where you can purchase autographed copies of several of the comics, t-shirts, and other things. There is even a blag (yes, that's "blag", not "blog" - he thinks it a better term for "blog" and after seeing this definition, I think I may just agree) and fora (which is the proper plural of "forum" [seeing as how "forum" is Latin], though most say "forums").

I particularly like the fora - I looked at one of the math ones and someone asked "How do you go about proving (some math equation)?" I read several of the responses and laughed. Ever get a bunch of "techno-geeks" together and ask something like that? You'll probably get at least 10 different answers - and they will all be correct. 'Cuz as any "techno-geek" (like me) knows, there are at least 10 different ways of doing the same thing. And every single one of them will tell you that their solution is best and the others are "steaming piles of horse manure". And as long as you can sit back and watch the mayhem (and not be directly invested in the outcome), it's funny.

Or maybe that's just me. ;-)

Anyway, if you like physics, science in general, engineering, math, etc., you'll probably like this site, so go check it out. I was amazed at how many other web-items I ran across that reference this site one way or another.

And no, I'm not getting compensated in any way for this post (darn it).

Oh, and did I happen to mention the author has some sort of Velociraptor fixation? No? Well he does. This is just one example. Go explore the entire web site for others...

If you want to know more about it, go there and look under "About".

Blatherskite

2009-04-08T16:38:00.000-07:00

So I wanted to follow up that last, short post with something longer. Trouble is, I can’t really think of anything to post. Oh sure, I suppose I could post about what I did last night, but that would end up being a shorter post that the last one (no, really...it would). Besides, who would want to read “watched TV”?

So here I am, struggling with yet another round of “writer’s block”. But I suppose if I work at it, I’ll have enough to at least look like a longer post, even though it’ll probably be just a long-winded way of saying absolutely nothing. Kind of like small-talk (which reminds me – have you ever seen the “Star Trek: Next Generation” episode where Data learns how to engage in small talk? Funny stuff....).

If I actually had anything exciting to post, I probably would, but alas, there is not much going on at the present.

On the plus side (?), I have once again surpassed my friend Hcatty in number of posts this month. I’m hoping that a few little “digs” here and there will cause her to post more often. But that never really seems to be the case. It works every now and then, though. So maybe this one will be that works. But to be fair, she’s probably given me just as many “digs” as I’ve given her.

And on that note, guess I’ll stop. Can’t really think of anything else to “not” say. Not as long as I had hoped, but it is something (or perhaps more correctly, “nothing”). Oh well. I’ll try and do better next time.

No promises though...

What Can Follow Disneyland?

2009-04-02T17:09:00.000-07:00

How does one follow a Disneyland debriefing? I thought about doing some sort of elaborate “April Fools Day” posting, like Google does every year (which if you didn’t see this year’s edition, you missed another good one), but decided against it. Mostly because it’s too much work.

So, what did I decide on?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Which is why this post is so short.

Disneyland Debriefing

2009-03-11T15:52:00.001-07:00

OK - so you want to know how my Disneyland trip went. Well, it went something like this:

Friday: We were supposed to leave by noon, but didn’t get under way until about 2 PM. Drove to Sacramento (about a 9.5 hour drive), arriving around 11:30 PM or so.

Saturday: Left Sacramento around 7:00 AM, drove to Los Angeles (about a 7.5 hour drive), arriving around 2:30 PM. “American Girl” tea started at 4:00 PM – the girls attended. We guys were going to go to the Radio and Television Museum, but we got a flat tire which spoiled our plans. But if it had to happen, now was the best time to do so. Left Los Angeles around 6:00 PM and drove to Oceanside (just North of San Diego, about 1.5 hour drive).

Sunday: Spent the entire day at Sea World – They opened at 10:00 AM and closed at 7:30 PM. If you’ve not been, go if you can. Spend the entire day.

Monday: Parental units had a “day off” and visited the local beach. The rest of us went to Legoland. Spent the day there – they opened at 10:00 Am, closed at 5:00 PM. Most of the rides there are geared towards smaller kids (pre-teens). The Lego sculptures are cool. We didn’t see much of “Mini-Land”, where they have scale replicas of Cities, because of time constraints. Drove back to Anaheim.

Tuesday: Disneyland (Day 1). Apparently, Tuesday and Thursday are “Magic Mornings” where the park opens 1-hour earlier. But you have to have purchased a “Magic Morning” with your ticket. A “regular” ticket won’t get you in early. We had one “Magic Morning” on our 5-day passes and opted to use it our first day. We were able to ‘hit’ most of “Fantasyland” and “Toontown”. We had a late lunch (2:40 PM) at the Blue Bayou Café – everyone had the world-famous Monte Cristo sandwich. Mmmm…Monte Cristo *drool*. Pop and I left around 6 PM (park stays open ‘til 8:00PM), everyone else stayed until closing. I had to get some stuff done for work, so spent a couple of hours doing that.

Wednesday: Disneyland (Day 2). The only day it rained. The day started with a light drizzle (but most Southern Californians would call it “rain”) – didn’t bother us (we’re from Portland, you know – we’re used to it). Sun tried to come out, but was only partially successful. Started to “really” rain later in the day. We ‘hit’ “Adventureland”, “Tomorrowland”, and “Critter Country”. We all left around 5 PM.

Thursday: Parental units took the morning off – the rest of us went to Disneyland until around 1 PM. We ‘hit’ “Frontierland”. Then everyone but me went to Knott’s Berry Farm for the rest of the day.

Friday: Spent the morning “mopping-up” most of what we missed at Disneyland, then spent the day at “Disney’s California Adventure” (DCA) until they closed at 9 PM. Parental units left; the rest of us went back to Disneyland, mainly to watch the “Fantasmic” pyrotechnic show. Major niece meltdown (more on this later).

Saturday: Matterhorn open today (was closed rest of week). We went to Disneyland to ride the Matterhorn, monorail, and train. Finished-off a couple of “California Adventure” attractions. Left for home around 2 PM. Drove to Red Bluff (about 9 hour drive), arriving around 11:30 PM.

Sunday: Had breakfast with family friend; didn’t get on the road until about 10:30 AM. Got home around 6:30 PM.

Ok, so much for the schedule. Now some particulars.

My sister can really frustrate me. We agree on a plan and then she changes it. Usually not a big deal – plans need to be flexible, I understand this. However, this one time, she changed the plan and had the rest of us waiting for 20 minuets, at least. Not cool. We were supposed to be hitting the “Grizzly River Run” at DCA. My niece wanted to run through the “Redwood Creek Challenge Trail”, which is nearby. OK. Sister said “5 minutes”, not knowing there was a line for one of the elements that took another 20 minutes. Meanwhile (back at the ranch), the rest of us are waiting…and waiting…and waiting. I went to find my sister, found her, and then tried to get across that we were waiting. Basically ignored. I decided to let my brother-in-law go talk to her, ‘cuz I would have exploded. What she should have done was do everything except that one element, come find us and then either go on the ‘rapids’ ride first and go back to that one element, or at least tell us it would be several minutes to do that one element so we could do something besides wait. Oh well. We did end up running out of time and weren’t able to do everything we wanted at DCA that day, but overall, it was fine.

The only other ‘frustrating sister moment’ was on Tuesday, when we went over to DCA to watch the “Disney-Pixar Parade”. We get in position about 10 minutes before start of parade; sister and niece head to restroom – understandable. I’m trying to ‘save’ a place for them but time is ticking away and no sign of them. Finally, about 2 minutes before the start, here they come – I try to motion to them to hurry – basically ignored. I hate that. They made it in time, but I think we ended up ‘displacing’ a person or two (I hate doing that). Oh well. Only having 2 frustrating moments is pretty good. Can’t let that interfere with having fun, so we didn’t.

Meltdown story. Background: We had a total of 6 people (parental units, brother-in-law, sister, niece, and myself), each with a 5-day “park-hopper pass”, which let’s you go back and forth from Disneyland to DCA as often as you want during park hours. When you first enter one of the parks, you present your ticket. When you leave, you “must” get your hand stamped and present your ticket to be let back in. Why you need to be stamped if you show your ticket is something we never figured out; especially when they never even looked for a hand stamp when coming back in. But I digress. We all have neck lanyards to carry our passes and everyone hangs them on their necks so we know where they are at all times.

Ok, so it’s Friday night, we’re in DCA, and it’s late; park is closing in 30 minutes – we have time for one last attraction. “We” choose the Muppet’s 3D. While we are waiting, niece is bored, so she starts doing cartwheels. We watch the show and then when it’s over, the parental units head back to the Hotel. After we see them off, we head to the lockers to drop off stuff. We then head to the Disneyland entrance. As I am about to go through the gate, I hear “Wait, we have a problem!”

It seems that my niece had taken off her ticket when she was doing cartwheels and put it on top of the backpack that was in my dad’s scooter basket (we rented scooters for the parental units so they wouldn’t have to walk – there is a lot of walking…). So now she doesn’t know where it is. We figure it’s somewhere between “Muppets 3D” in DCA and where we are. But DCA is closed. My sister freaks out and yells at my niece (not trying to hurt her feelings, but because she’s freaked) and of course my niece starts to cry ‘cuz she’s thinking she won’t be able to get back in to Disneyland. We go and talk to the gate security people and see what we can do. The gate people were very cool and tried to comfort my niece and told her that they were not going to not let her in, but we had to figure out what needed to be done. So after listening to what options were available, we decided to try calling parental units to see if they maybe remember seeing the pass.

Fortunately, my dad did indeed see her just put the pass on top of the backpack and he put it IN the backpack. So I go back and look in the backpack (which is back at the lockers) and sure enough, there it is. Crisis averted.

I wish I could have recorded the whole episode. Not to be cruel, but for several other reasons: a good lesson is learned, it was a heart-wrenching moment that turns out OK, and it showcases the one thing that all Disneyland employees (as far as we could see, anyway) excel at – customer service. If we couldn’t find the pass, they could void the lost one and then print out a new one, so there was a plan in place and everything would have been fine, one way or the other.

So there it is – at least most of the highlights. I could probably come up with another story or two, if pressed, but that covers the major events.

All-in-all, a good trip; fun was had by all.

Love Sucks Day '09

2009-02-09T14:55:00.000-08:00

Ever the romantic, here's an original poem. Not sure what to call it. I thought maybe one more verse, but I'm going to leave it "as is". For now, at least.

*****
Untitled

It’s “that” time of year,
The time before Spring,
When candy and flowers and all sorts of things
Are shoved in our face,
From ads on TV,
And radio spots that remind us that she
(Whomever “she” is,
The girlfriend or spouse)
Expects us to give, or be labeled a louse.

It may not be true,
But most likely is,
‘Cuz Ad-men spend billions to market this ‘biz’.
And we have been trained,
Conditioned to see,
That all things are true, when they’re shown on TV.

Especially when
It’s Valentine’s Day,
‘Cuz who wants to risk being sliced and filleted?

And woe unto those
A “special” friend lack;
For “they’ll” try to tell you you’re just a sad sack,
A loser, a schmuck,
Or something much worse;
Like you’ve got the plague or are under a curse.

Perhaps that is why
I hate “Love Sucks Day”
For each year it comes and I’m labeled that way.
For no one have I,
Nor will have by then,
So all alone this year I’ll once again spend.

But it is okay -
It’s how it will be.
Though one year I hope to have someone with me.

****
Hope your "Love Sucks Day" is better than mine.

On a brighter note, I'M GOING TO DISNEYLAND!!

Not right away, but "soon". Perhaps I'll post a report on that when I get back.

Sound Advice...

2009-01-19T17:35:00.000-08:00

In the last few weeks, I’ve heard the same thing from at least 3 different sources. In fact, I, myself, have given the same advice to friends of mine. And just what is that advice you ask? Nothing Earth-shattering. Something quite simply, really. Something everyone, and I do mean everyone, can and should do…

Make positive professions.

That is, instead of saying “I can’t” or other negative statements, say “I can”. Declare, out loud, with your mouth (profess), positive things. Have you heard about the book “The Secret”? Do you know what “the secret” is? In a nutshell, positive profession; positive thinking. Now, in the book, there’s more to it than just that, and I personally think most of what is in there is a bunch of malarkey, but in this one aspect, there is a kernel of truth.

Why? Because if you profess (say out loud) negative things like “I can’t”, “I’m weak”, etc., they become self-fulfilling prophecies and guess what? You won’t be able to, and you will be weak, etc. But if you profess “I can”, “I’m strong”, “I will get through this” (whatever “this” happens to be), you will find strength that you never thought you had.

So, if you’ve been moping around with your head hung down, professing your utter defeat and you wonder why you feel so defeated, wonder no more. Turn it around. Profess positively. Hold your head up high and proclaim that you will conquer whatever it is that has you down and you will succeed.

Now if I would only learn to listen to my own good advice.

But then, that’s always harder than listening to others, isn’t it? Nevertheless, if at least 3 different sources, other than myself, say the essentially the same thing, it would behoove me to listen. So, in a positive act, I have changed my imood. I am no longer “unmotivated”.

*****
Update: In my original post, I forgot to put in a title. I hate not having a title, so I put one in. Hence the update. I figured while i was at it, I'd mention that i know moving from "unmotiviated" to "neutral", but it's a start...

Christmas Vacation

2008-12-15T17:20:00.000-08:00

No, it has nothing to do with the movie.

I find myself with two weeks of vacation left that I must "use or lose" before the end of the year. I choose to use. So, technically, I'll be on vacation until after January 1, 2009. I say "technically" because there is a fairly good chance that I will need to come in to work for at least one day. Well, not really "come in", more like "go out" to a job site.

Ah yes, the life on an engineer. Sometimes I wonder why I didn't choose a less stressful vocation...like nuclear bomb disposal...

Anyway, I typically take the week between Christmas and New Year's off. And occasionally, I find myself with 'left-over' vacation time this time of year too. Such is the case this year (obviously). The end of the year is historically a slow time for the company, so it's not a bad time to take a vacation. I think I'll be plenty busy when I "officially" get back to work, which is good. Still, I sometimes wonder if I'd keep working if I were independently wealthy.... Probably not. But I suppose I won't ever know unless I actually become independently wealthy.

But money is not everything (and no, it's not the "only" thing either). Don't get me wrong, I'd rather have money than not have it, but it is by no means the driving force behind what I do. If it were, I would not be working where I am working. I believe that I am seriously underpaid, and that a few around here are serious overpaid. But it doesn't bother me enough that I go somewhere else. At least not yet.

But I digress...

I'm not actually going anywhere for my vacation. Mainly because traveling alone really, really, really sucks. But also because I have house-work to do. I should read a book - I've got a few piling up on me including "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (see? I told it was on my list of books to read...). We'll see.

We got our first snowfall of the winter over the weekend. Not a whole lot, but it doesn't take much to shut-down the City. Mainly because people are stupid and they don't know how to drive in snow. I don't usually have a problem with the snow - I have a problem with the idiot drivers who have a problem with driving in snow. I remember one year, I was behind a particularly bright individual, who though it would be a good idea to slow down while driving uphill. Now, if you know anything about snow, then you know its slippery (takes a real genius to realize that, apparently); so if you've got traction, the last thing you want to do is lose traction. And what happens if you slow down? You lose momentum, which will increase your odds of losing traction and having your tires spin. So if you're driving uphill, in the snow, the last thing you want to do (if possible) is slow down. But he did. Which meant I had to as well, or run into him (the laws of physics being what they are and all). Fortunately, we did not lose traction (but not for a lack of trying on his part...).

But other than stupid drivers, I like snow. The City never sounds as quiet as it does just after or even during a snowstorm (as long as there is not also a windstorm at the same time, which there was this weekend). Outside at night, it's also a lot brighter - white being highly reflective and all. Even if there's a power outage, you can still generally see because of the whiteness. Mind you, I don't know if I'd like to live in snow-covered places all year 'round or not (probably not). I'm reminded of a story I read in "Reader's Digest" - "Life on Campus", I think it was. It was about a foreign student at a mid-western college (though I forget specifically which one) when it snowed and classes were cancelled. He was so excited, because he'd never seen snow before in his entire life. He even wrote a poem about snow. Three days later (or so I think it was), he was sick and tired of it because he was cold, wet, and miserable - he threw away his poem.

I always liked that story - it's funny. And knowing it's true just makes it that much more so.

It would take more than just 3 days for me though - assuming it wasn't 'blizzarding' (is that a word?) that long...

Pearl Harbor Day '08

2008-12-07T13:53:00.001-08:00

Sunday, December 7, 1941...a day that will live in infamy....It is the day that Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and ushered the US into WWII.

It has become somewhat of a tradition for me to observe this day by watching one of the (if not "the") most historically accurate movies about PHD - that being "Tora! Tora! Tora!".

The phrase "Tora! Tora! Tora!" (which means "Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!" in Japanese) was the code phrase that was to be used by the attacking Japanese planes that they had caught the Americans completely by surprise. The Japanese attack plan called for their ambassadors in Washington, DC to present to the US a declaration of war by the Japanese before the attack began. Unfortunately for the Japanese, the declaration of war was delivered late - after the attack had already begun.

Up until September 11, 2001, the attack on Pearl Harbor was the largest loss of American lives in any single attack, with 2,403 dead (an additional 1,178 Americans were wounded in the attack). Most of those who died were sailors (2,008), though there were a few marines (109), soldiers (218), and even civilians (68).

Prior to the attack, America was a nation divided. For the most part, we were isolationist, not wanting to get involved with the war. But several in our government, including FDR, believed that we needed to get involved...and soon. If the attack had not occurred, it's hard to say what might have become history. But the attack did occur and it did something that nothing else before it was able to do - it brought nearly all of America together in a common cause. The declaration of war on Japan was a nearly unanimous vote in congress (the senate was unanimous and only the representative from Montana dissented).

If you want to know some of the "stories behind the story" of the attack on Pearl Harbor, see "Tora! Tora! Tora!" if you've not already done so. It doesn't cover all of them, of course, but then, I doubt any movie could.

Turkey Day '08

2008-11-26T14:23:00.000-08:00

Ah yes - Thanksgiving...a day in which Americans eat way too much and then complain about all of the food they've eaten.

At least, to many 'observers' that is exactly what it is. And to be fair, there are a lot of people who treat it just so. In reality, it is much more than that. Oh sure, we Americans can come off as being arrogant, self-righteous, etc., etc....and we do at times. But then again, we are also a very generous people. When disasters strike all over the world, who gives time, money, food, clothes, man-power, and other things to help out? Americans. Not that I'm trying to belittle other countries, as there are several other countries that help out too, but by and large it's America that gives the most. Literally billions and billions of dollars each year. And yet, we're still perceived as selfish, arrogant, self-righteous, etc. by many other countries, even our "allies".

But I digress...

For me and my family, we of course try and get together and not only enjoy each others' company (yes, it's true - I like my family...at least, most of the time), but we also thank God for all that He has done for our family - we are truly blessed. Not necessarily monetarily speaking (seems like I'm the most 'fluid' of the family), but money isn't everything. And those who think it is need to get their priorities straight - no wonder you're having problems in your life.

But I digress...again...

It's my opinion that everyone has something to be thankful for. We tend to focus on the current negatives that we are experiencing, but I am willing to bet that if one really, really thought about it, they could find one thing to be thankful. To loosely quote "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (the original BBC series, though it's probably in the book as well, though I don't know for certain because i haven't read it yet [it's on my list...I swear], but I digress once again...) because I can't remember the real quote, "If you're trapped under a rock with absolutely no hope of rescue and your life hasn't been all that wonderful, just be thankful that your miserable life is about to end."

So you see, there is always something to be thankful about.

Veteran's Day '08

2008-11-11T17:46:00.000-08:00

This will not be a long post, but I did want to put something up in honor of Veteran's Day.

If you didn't know, I am a supporter of our men and women in uniform. Unlike other countries (Russia, for example), we do not have mandatory military service - we have a 100% voluntary military (yes, occasionally we have a draft, but we've not had a draft for more than 30 years). The men and women who are currently in our military are there because they volunteered to be there.

So 'hats off' to those who serve. Know that you are appreciated by at least one red-blooded American (though take my word for it, there are a lot of us). Thank-you for your service.

Sorry Miss Hcatty...

2008-11-01T17:51:00.000-07:00

Well, ok...so I missed an entire month. Guess Miss Hcatty's 'mandate' that I post at least 5 words a month has been broken. Oops. Oh well, like she's one to complain about me not posting (Hello, Kettle? It's Pot...)...

I'm sure I could find a plausible (and true) excuse for not posting last month, but what does it matter? It's not like it would be something 'exciting' like we had a tornado that knocked-out power for 31 days (which we didn't). I mean, if it were something absolutely impossible like Sandra Bullock showing up on my front door insisting that she take me away for a 31-day 'vacation', that would be one thing.

But of course, it's nothing even remotely like that.

So no excuses here...for now anyway.

*****

I'm down in Arcata, CA for my last scheduled start-up this year. Things are not going well. I show up on Wednesday, expecting (well, hoping, really) for them to be ready for me and of course they weren't. They should have been done by end of day, but they weren't. They should have been done by Noon on Thursday, but they weren't. They should have been done by end of day Thursday, but they weren't.

I finally got to start the stuff I needed to do Friday, mid-morning. Unfortunately, we discovered that our Operator Interface Terminal (OIT) "touchscreen" was 'dead'. So I jump on the phone right away to get a replacement - and managed to scramble one up to be delivered the next day, Saturday (today). Then in the afternoon, I discovered that some of the components used in our control panel are the wrong type and aren't working. So once again I scramble to get replacements shipped out for delivery the next day (today).

Unfortunately, although the parts DID arrive today, they were the wrong parts, so I can't finish what I need to do to get things up and running until I get the right parts, which probably won't happen until Tuesday, unless I can find a local distributor with sufficient stock that I can pick up on Monday.

Which is unlikely.

So, instead of being able to leave Tuesday morning to head back home, I will most likely be delayed at least two days. Of course, the upside is that if I do get delayed and don't head back home until Thursday, I won't go into the office on Friday.

I'd still rather be heading home on Tuesday...

*****

STARTUP UPDATE...

Sadly, the parts I was waiting for didn't arrive Tuesday...the UPS plane broke-down in Dallas-Fort Worth. Still, they were shipped "overnight, early morning" delivery - you'd think they would have more than ONE FREAKIN' PLANE in D-FW...

Apparently not.

So they didn't arrive until yesterday (Wednesday) morning, which means I couldn't finish up what I needed to do until yesterday, which means that my departure was delayed again.

THEN I couldn't do any of the testing I needed to do because for some reason the guys working on the ducting didn't want to have the possibility of being sucked-up through the system (we have some really big fans on this project). That and there were some problems last night. But finally got to 'finish' testing today (we delayed the duct workers so I could test), but I still need to run and test when they are finished with the duct work. Which was supposed to be today, but probably won't be until end of day Friday, which means that my departure got delayed...yet again.

I should be headed home Saturday...

TLAPD '08

2008-09-19T11:27:00.000-07:00

Avast, me hearties! It be “Talk Like a Pirate Day” (TLAPD), that one day each year (or is that “yaar”?) when the letter “R” be over used and e’en landlubbers be encouraged to don a swashbuckling persona o’ that most wretched and fear’d cross-section o’ society (arr, that be’in “pirate”, in case yer be wond’rin’) and be adpat’in their (“thaar”?) speech patterns. That be mean’in “talk like them” (e’en in yer written communiqués).

So if’n ye’ve ne’er heard o’ TLAPD, then fire ‘up that new fangled communication contraption known as a “com-put-er”, and sail on over to www.talklikeapirate.com where ye can find out all sorts o’ ‘piratical’ things. Ye can e’en take a quiz to find out what yer very own Pirate name may be.

Plunder on, mates!

The Deep South - Update

2008-09-07T11:55:00.000-07:00

So Thomson, GA weather has been as expected - hot and muggy. There was a little break with Hanna bearing down on the coast of GA/SC, but it didn't last more than a day.

I had hoped to be home by now, but the project was NOT ready for us when we arrived Tuesday (surprise, surprise), so I've been delayed. Not atypical, unfortunately. Currently, I'm scheduled to be heading home Tuesday morning; we should make that.

Next stop: Guntown Mississippi, but that's not until the week of Sept. 22. There is a project starting-up next week in Bemidji, MN, but fortunately, someone else will be handling that one.

*****

12 days to TLAPD...

Apologies to James Taylor

2008-08-28T16:10:00.000-07:00

"In real life I've gone to Carolina..
Can't you see the sunshine,
Can't you just feel the moonshine,
Ain't it just like a friend of mine
It hits me from behind.
Yes, I've gone to Carolina in real life..."

Elkin, North Carolina, to be exact. For work. Been here since Saturday night ("S--A--T-U-R--D-A-Y...NIGHT" but that's another song...) and I finally get to leave this Saturday morning to go back home to Portland, Oregon. But wait, the fun doesn't stop there...

On Monday, I get to go to Thompson, Georgia ("Georgia...Georgia...the whole night through...just an old sweet song, keeps Georgia on my mind..."). For work.

I can't hardly wait...

So no long, 3-day "Labor Day" weekend for me. Oh well.

Truth be told, it hasn't been that bad. Except that the plant wasn't really ready for us, but wouldn't let us leave when we were supposed to Wednesday because the system wasn't up and running yet, through no fault of ours, and insisted we stay until it was up and running because they said so, even though we have other commitments that need to be kept, but they don't care because they are the customer (at least for the moment) and they felt that they haven't been getting the attention they think they deserve...

Which may or may not be true.

So overall, a fairly typical start-up.

I had meant to post back on Sunday, but I couldn't get my wireless card to link-up with the motel's wireless network.

Anyway, as predicted, it's been hot...but actually not too hot - about 85 or so. A bit humid, but not as bad as it could have been. It rained the last couple of days, which has brought the temps down. Guess they've been having a bit of a drought, so the rain was welcomed by the locals.

So far, no mosquitoes (knock on wood). Guess droughts are good for some things...

So Miss Hcatty, in answer to your question, no, nowhere close to Texas. :-(
At least, not yet. You know I'll let you know if I'm making my way down there. But so far, no plants that I know of are installing our system in Texas.

*****

21 days and counting to TLAPD...ye have been warned...

Dog Days of Summer

2008-08-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

"We're having a heat wave...
A tropical heat wave..."

It's supposed to get up to 100°F tomorrow. As tempting as it is to quote Paris Hilton, I'm going to resist...

----

I'm going to take tomorrow off from work. Why?

Why not?

Good of a day as any. Besides, I've been busting my hump lately and I could use it. In a couple of weeks, I get to fly down to the deep South for work. Ah yes - nothing like going to the deep South in the middle of Summer. Hot, humid, mosquitos, hot, mosquitos, hot...did I mention mosquitos?

And hot?

Oh well - someone's got to do it. Other than the heat, humidity, and state birds (mosquitos), it should be fun. At least somewhat.

----

Well, I was trying to think of something else to post, but nothing's coming to mind. That's the trouble with being unmotivated - you're unmotivated.

So this'll have to do for now...

July 4th 2008 Long Weekend

2008-07-09T17:24:00.001-07:00

Just a quick post about my long July 4th weekend.

We (my two sisters, their families, and my dad and I) went down to the Oregon Caves National Monument on Friday. This was my third time at the Caves; the other two were over 20 years ago (am I really that old? I guess so...). My dad did not go on the tour with us, as he's not as mobile as he used to be (but then again, neither am I); he hung out at the lodge. He did manage to find someone to play chess with; he beat them. After the caves, we headed over to Klamath Falls, where we lodged; it was a 2.5 hour trip from the Caves to K-falls (as it's known in "short-hand").

The next day, the original plan was for all of us to go to the Lava Beds National Monument, but my dad, one of my brothers-in-law, one of his sons, and myself decided to stay at the condos. So the rest of them went and had a good time. I've seen a lot of lava tubes and beds and such and my feet were killing me from the Caves, so that's why I stayed. I guess I'll have to make another trip down there, one of these days, 'cuz it does sound interesting.

Sunday, we all headed up to Crater Lake before we headed back home. It was a nice, sunny day. I took a few pics with my cell phone. This is the one I like the best:

Pic 1

Not too bad for a cell phone, eh?

Notice that the trees and the reflection of Wizard Island make a nearly complete heart-shaped frame of the water. I didn't even realize that until after the shot was taken.

Note that even though this pic was taken on July 6, there is still some snow on the ground.

Here are the other shots I took:

Pic 2 Pic 3

Pic 4 Pic 5

As you can see, three of the shots were taken in about the same place and I obviously didn't take too many pics. Still, if anyone wants a full-sized copy of any of them, let me know. Be sure to include an e-mail addy and which one(s).

The "Up" Side of "Down"

2008-06-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite lines from a song is "I've been down so low, 'bottom' looks like 'up'..." (from "Hi-De-Ho" written by Carole king and Gerry Goffin, though perhaps the most famous rendition is by 'Blood, Sweat, and Tears'...but I digress...). I've been there, as probably most of us have, at one time or another (and probably more than once, unfortunately). But if one tries, one can always find "good" in everything (or the "up" side of "down"). Consider:

Your heart cannot be broken, if it is already broken.

Your spirit cannot be crushed, if it is already crushed.

Your dreams cannot be shattered, if they are already shattered.

Your soul cannot be bleed, if it is already been bled dry.

I know I could come up with better examples, but quite frankly, "I've been down so low, 'bottom' looks like 'up'...", so they are what has come to mind recently. I will eventually find other, better examples (though I may not share them here), but probably not today.

Still, it could be worse. (Well now I've done it...all movie buffs know that you never, ever say that phrase out loud...wonder if typing counts the same...)

But then again, I can only control what I can control; I cannot control what I cannot control (profound, no?).

So bring it on!!!

Jury Duty

2008-05-15T15:23:00.000-07:00

I had jury duty for the third time yesterday. Fortunately, I did not get selected to serve on a jury panel this time. Not that I'm opposed to serving, but my work load is rather hectic right now, so it was not the best time. Unfortunately, the only option available for postponing the summons is to chose when you wish to serve - and then you are stuck with that choice, no matter what, short of actually dying. Which is stupid, because I could be sick and end up infecting everyone there, or have some other emergency come up (like a relative dying) and it wouldn't matter, I would HAVE to serve. Period. But that's bureaucracy for you.

Still, my County does do something cool, that few (if any) other counties do: jury duty last for only one day, or one trial (if you're selected to serve on a jury panel, you're there for the duration of the trial, no matter how long it lasts, but if you're not selected, you're done at the end of the day), or if you're selected to serve on the Grand Jury (service on the Grand Jury last for 4 weeks). And once you've served (meaning been part of the "pool", not actually served on a panel), you can't be summoned again for two years.

So I'm done until at least 2010.

I was actually "short-listed" for two trials this time, but managed to get out of both of them. Seeing as this was my third summons, and that I actually served on both a criminal and a civil trial before, it didn't hurt my feelings any (especially seeing as how the last trial I was on was a civil case that lasted for three days, and we returned a verdict in less than 5 minutes. It felt like a complete waste of time and left me a little jaded. But I digress...). The two I managed to get out of were both criminal cases: "hit and run" and "assault IV". They were scheduled for 1-2 days, which means I'd still be serving today if I had gotten onto either one of them.

Still, it's better than other counties. Most of them have you serve for two weeks (or more). But usually you call-in every day to see if you're needed that day and if you're not, your free for the day. My County used to do that. Then they changed to one week service (which is how it was when I was first summoned). And then a few years back (the actual year I was summoned the second time, I think) they changed it to the current system. So one day's not so bad.

Unless you get stuck on a long trial.

Weekend Update

2008-04-21T17:12:00.001-07:00

Well, my nephews got lucky; there was no snow, it didn't rain, and it wasn't that cold. In fact, one could say it was perfect weather for yard work. They didn't get as much done as I had hoped, but they did ok. I'm guessing they're not quite 1/3 of the way there.

They aren't mowing the lawn; they're clearing out weeds in my "dead" zones (which are more green then dead at this point) and removing the blackberry 'bushes' that have grown over into my yard from the neighbors. And since it doesn't look like the neighbors are going to remove them from their yard, this is battle I'll have to fight every year.

Not that I dislike blackberries, but if left un-checked, they'll take over everything in short order. I didn't even HAVE blackberry 'bushes' two years ago. And now they're threatening to grow over the fence into my other neighbor's yard. So something needs to be done to stop them.

Just not by me personally.
****
Pssst...Hcatty...that's five-up. ;-)

More Spring Snow Possible

2008-04-18T17:54:00.000-07:00

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Two posts in the same week? Unbelievable!" And you're right, of course. Rarely do I find myself posting more than one post a week (or even sometimes, a month), but it happened this week.

Which puts me 4-up, Miss Hcatty, my dear, busy, busy, busy friend. You're really lagging now. ;-)

So now that my taunting is done (for now...maybe), what could possibly make me put up two posts in one week? Well, truthfully...nothing. There is no Earth-shattering news that I'm dying to spill, there's no family woes worth a special mention (just the same ol', every day, "everyone has the same family woes" going on here), there's no freakishly strange weather happening (though my title may imply differently, but more on that latter)...there really is nothing extraordinary. So why?

Why not?

It's a valid answer, but few actually like to hear it. Too bad for them.

I'm just sitting here in my office, waiting for my sister to drop off a couple of my nephews so I can take them home and put them to work in my yard this weekend. Since she's got an hour+ trip, here I am.

I hate yard work. But it's got to be done. So why not hire family to do it instead of strangers? So I have. It may not be the best weekend for yard work, though. "They" say it's going to be cold...and wet; with the possibility of some snow, though it's not expected to stick around long (hence, my title). Of course, if my nephew has done it earlier, he wouldn't have to do it now. Nor would he have to share the money I was going to pay him with his brother. Oh well; his choice - he had several weeks to get it done and he didn't.

But it won't be all work. We'll watch some DVDs, eat way too much food and who knows what else.

I just hope they get everything done, though that might be a tall order. We'll see. They are hard workers.

When they put their minds to it.

Most Dispised Day in USA

2008-04-15T18:26:00.001-07:00

If from my title you guessed "Tax Day", you are correct. For the first time ever, I actually had to pay taxes (both Federal and State) because of the infamous "Capital Gains Tax". As you may recall from an earlier post (last November, I believe), I bought some 'raw land' back in 2003 and sold it late last year (Nov. 2007) for a "nice" profit. Since I did make a profit on the sale, Uncle Sam stuck-out his grubby little paws and said "Give me nearly half of your profit."

I'd call them "children of un-wed mothers", but I'm nicer than that. Usually.

My CPA did a rough calculation of the difference in taxes for me if I had not sold the land and I would have received a REFUND in an amount nearly the same as what I ended up having to pay. Which is why I loathe the Capital Gains Tax and believe it should be abolished. Or at least severely overhauled to be less punitive.

Now, my good and dear friend Hcatty (who happens to know a little bit about real estate, having been heavily involved in a realtor-ship with her family [and now that she has her own tanning salon business with her sister Giggles, I don't know how involved she may still be with the realtor-ship]) left a response on my original tirade post that I could have deferred the tax by re-investing. Which is true. Sort of.

From what I understand, the re-investment must be of "like kind"; meaning, in this instance, since the original property was "raw land", my re-investment would have needed to also be "raw land". I could not, for instance, re-invest it in an apartment building or house and still defer the taxes.

So while I appreciate her letting me know about re-investing (which I did know, but I still thank you, my friend), it didn't really apply in my case.

Not to mention that the sale actually happened pretty fast, once the buyer and I got together (which was a good thing), so I didn't really have the time to re-invest as I wasn't even looking when the sale occurred.

Ah well.

So no refund for me this year. Bummer. But I didn't have to pay as much as I feared, so I still have some profit left over. And I already bought my new, 46-inch LCD big-screen TV last year, so I'm not sure what I would have done with it except put it in savings (at least for a while) anyway.

Now if I could only find a good non-subscription required DVR system...
---
PS Hcatty ('cuz I know you will [eventually] read this): I'm now "3-up" on you. Better get cracking. Hehehe.

Spring Snow

2008-03-28T08:04:00.000-07:00

Snow? In late March? In Portland, OR?

Yep.

It's not a very common thing, but it does happen. Not that it's going to stick around - it's mostly slush (snow/rain mix), but the grassy areas are white, even though the streets are only wet. Of course, if it drops below freezing, the roads could be hazardous. But that's not very likely. At least at this point.

However, this is not the latest snow has fallen on Portland before. I remember driving around on July 4th one year and seeing snow falling in one of the neighborhoods on the East side. Yep - snow on July 4th. Bizarre, but true.

At least it's Friday, so if it does stick around, I won't have to worry about going to work tomorrow...

Easter '08

2008-03-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

I've heard a lot of people say, "All religions are the same.", but this is not true. True Christianity is different than any other 'religion'. (I say "true Christianity, because there are those who 'claim' to be Christians or a form of Christianity, but they do not believe the core, fundamental belief of the deity of Christ. But that is a discussion for another day.)

I defy anyone to show me any other religion where the central figure (person or deity) died for the salvation of his/her followers. And if you can (and that is a very BIG "if"), then show me where that same central figure ROSE UP FROM THE DEAD.

Easter is the celebration of the RESURRECTION of Christ; not only did He die, shedding His blood to wash us clean from our sins, but He rose from the dead, conquering death itself. And all He ever asked of us is to believe in Him and ask Him for forgiveness. He does not require you to "do" anything ("For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.")

It's so simple. And yet, that is a stumbling block to so many people - "It can't be that simple.", they say to themselves, "There HAS to be more to it than that." But there really isn't. But don't take my word for it - go read the New Testament of the Holy Bible and see for yourself what it says.

Pi Day '08

2008-03-14T13:33:00.000-07:00

Today, March 14, is "Pi day". Why? Because, if you don't already know, the first 3-digits of the ratio between the circumference of a circle to it's diameter, better known as "Pi" and symbolized by the lower-case, Greek letter 'Pi' (π), are 314; and today is 3-14 (duh).

So, "Happy Pi day, everyone!"

In other news:

Monday would be (of course) St. Patrick's Day. I doubt I will get a post up for that day - maybe next year. So assuming I don't, "Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!" Don't forget to wear green. Though I hear, that's only for Catholics - for Protestants, I hear it's orange, but I've never really verified this. Of course, St. Patrick was a Catholic, so green it is, as far as I'm concerned.

My home computer is still down - I really should take some time to re-build it, but I just haven't felt like it, yet (obviously).

Tax day is coming (boo!!!).

Easter is very early this year - Sunday, March 23. I hear it's the earliest it's been in nearly 200 years and it won't be this early again for another 200 years, or so. But I've not verified this either. However, I do know that Easter is on the first Sunday following the first full-moon after the vernal equinox - I did verify that this year the vernal equinox falls on Thursday, March 20 (which just happens to be my birthday, in case anyone was wondering...not that anyone was) and that there is a full-moon on Friday, March 21.

Looks like I have once again beat my friend Hcatty to publishing a new post. Hopefully, she won't be too far behind, though. I should really drop her an e-mail, as we've not chatted in some time. But with my home computer down, it makes it a little harder. I could do it from work (and I have before - shhhh...don't tell anyone), but that's not always easy to do either. Ah well - "soon", my friend, "soon"...

There's probably some other stuff, but frankly, my heart's not really into it today, so I guess I'll sign off.

Love Sucks Day '08

2008-02-11T18:18:00.000-08:00

Well, ok – it not exactly “love sucks day” yet; that won’t be until later this week (Thursday, to be exact). Still, since my home computer’s hard drive crashed a few weeks ago, and seeing as I’ve not yet re-built it, I’m not sure I would actually be publishing a post Thursday, so here we are. Then again, since I’m posting now, I won’t be posting on Thursday anyway, so either way – here we are.

I wish more people understood what I understand about love. Not that I’m claiming to be an expert, but I do know that there are many myths out there. I’ve decided to discuss what I consider to be the top 3 myths about love. So, in no particular order, here we go:

Myth #1: “That person is out of your league.”

This is something we tell ourselves when we are too afraid to take a chance. Of course, it’s also something we tell others when we think they are “uncouth” compared to their object of affection. The truth is – no one is out of anyone’s “league”. Does this mean there aren’t social barriers? No, of course not. But the concept of someone being “too beautiful” or “too smart” or “too whatever” is normally a limitation we put on ourselves (or others) to give us an excuse for not even trying (or an excuse for running the other person down). We’ve been so ingrained with the concept of “social status”, that we can’t breakthrough that purely arbitrary line drawn in the sand. But breakthroughs do occur, and because they do, that simply proves that nothing is impossible and that this statement is indeed a myth. But you must be willing to try and be willing to change your behavior, if necessary. Of course, even if you do, there is no guarantee that the object of your affection won’t simply reject you – but that’s life. Still, if you don’t try, you’ll never know, will you?

Myth #2: “That person is not my type.”

Ok, this is a half-myth. Yes, we all have, to one degree or another, preferences or “types”. But more often than not, what we think our “type” is really isn’t, and what we think is not our “type” really is. How many times have you heard someone say, “When I first met this person, I didn’t think we’d hit it off because they’re not even close to being my type – but I decided to give them a chance and now we’re inseparable.”? Or (perhaps more often) “Why do I always seem to fall for jerks?” If that second one sounds like you, consider this: you keep falling for jerks because you keep going after the same “type” of person and that “type” are jerks. Which brings me to my point – don’t discount someone, just because you don’t think they are your type. Perhaps you should give them a chance – who knows? You may surprise yourself and find that someone you’ve been looking for, but couldn’t find because they didn’t fit into your “type”.

Myth #3: “You cannot choose who you will love.”

This is probably the biggest myth of them all. Love is an emotion, and like any emotion, we are in control. I can choose to be sad; I can choose to be happy; I can choose to be miserable; I can choose to be ecstatic – my emotional state is up to me. Granted, there are times when we let ourselves go and allow our emotions to control us, but if we assert ourselves, we can always gain control over our emotions. The same is true with love. I, for one, do not believe in “love at first sight” – it does not exist. “Infatuation at first sight”? Yes. “Lust at first sight”? Yes. But love takes time. Most people confuse “infatuation” or “lust” with “love”. And when you hear someone say (regarding their significant other), “It was love at first sight.”, more likely it was really “infatuation at first sight” that turned into love, over time. I’m not saying it takes a long time, but it does take time. And the amount of time it takes can vary. But I believe in order to “love” someone, you must get to know them. Don’t think “I could never love this person.”, because you are wrong – if you wanted to, you could; but if you choose not to, then you won’t.

Make no mistake: love is a choice and you can certainly choose to withhold it or give it. For your sake, I hope you will choose to give it.

The Hardest Thing

2008-01-20T14:54:00.000-08:00

What's the hardest thing for a person to do? I realize that's an open-ended question, and a lot of people will first think of some physical activity, like lifting a really heavy weight. But without any restrictions, lifting any heavy weight can be easy, if you use the right tools and apply a little logic. There are other types of physical activities which are indeed hard, but I personally think that the hardest thing to do has nothing to do with "physical", but rather "psychological". For some people, apologizing is very difficult. But is there something more universally difficult? I think there is.

The Bible tells us to "...pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you..." (Matt. 5:44). I think this gets my vote for the hardest thing a person can do. If not "the" hardest, it is certainly one of the hardest (and at least in the top 5). I have been struggling with this.

There is a person where I work that fits this description perfectly. He has, on several occasions, stabbed me in the back (metaphorically speaking, of course), and yet when he needs something from me, he's all smiles and supportive. I don't know if he thinks I'm stupid, or if I'm just oblivious to his working against me.

For the record, I'm neither stupid nor oblivious. But I digress...

There was a specific instance at work which got me thinking just how hard it is to "pray for those which despitefully use you". But knowing this is what I'm supposed to do, I try. But as I say, it is a very hard thing to do. For one thing, exactly what am I supposed to pray for? A blessing? Well, in the same verse, it says "...bless them that curse you..." so I suppose that would not be out-of-line. On the other hand, I can't help but feel that would be rewarding someone for their poor behavior. But then again, that's not for me to decide.

Of course, I'm not "singled out" by this person. On the contrary, he behaves the same towards several others. About the only one he doesn't treat this way is the "Big Cheese" himself (but then, that would be career suicide; and though this person is an idiot, he's not stupid).

But that doesn't really help me with my dilemma. I am responsible for my actions, and no one else's. It doesn't matter what others do; it only matters what I do. So I keep trying.

Perhaps, one day, I'll even get it right.

Happy New Year '08

2008-01-08T16:46:00.001-08:00

Ok, so, once again I'm a little late in wishing everyone a "Happy New Year!" Oh well.

I'm not sure exactly what to post, though. The obvious thing would be something about new beginnings, but last year's post covers that pretty well and so would be repetitive. Not that there's anything wrong with being repetitive.

Then again, being reminded about new beginnings can be a good thing. I mean, even I fail to follow my own advice at times. But I don't really like to have 'the same' posts - it somehow feels like 'cheating'. Not that there's anything wrong with being repetitive.

Still, there should be enough things going on that I shouldn't have to resort to 'copying' a previous post. Not that there's anything wrong with being repetitive.

But I think that holidays pose a special problem. I mean, every year you have the same holidays, and for the same reason, so it's difficult to not be at least somewhat repetitive when discussing holidays. Not that there's anything wrong with being repetitive.

So perhaps I shouldn't be so hard on myself when I think of repeating posts or posting similar posts, especially when it's a 'holiday' post. Perhaps I just think I'm more creative than I actually am and that's why I don't like to be repetitive.

Not that there's anything wrong with being repetitive...

Merry Christmas '07

2007-12-24T21:22:00.000-08:00

"Christmas time is here
Happiness and cheer
Fun for all that children call
Their favorite time of year..."*

Ah, yes - Christmas time is here again. A time we wish for peace on Earth and goodwill towards all men. The time we choose to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

There are some 'killjoys' out there that insist on pointing out that Jesus was not born on December 25th, but was most likely born in the Springtime. To them I say, "Who cares?" Whether Jesus was or was not born on the 25th of December is irrelevant - the fact remains that December 25th IS the day that has chosen to celebrate His birth. It has been that way for hundreds of years, and it is unlikely to change anytime soon - deal with it.

As I have said before, it is a shame that we have become so materialistic that we often forget the real reason to celebrate Christmas. Instead, we have commercialized it, wrapped it up in a nice package, and try to sell it on TV. "You too can this amazing knife set for just $19.99 plus s&h - makes a great Christmas gift! Order now and receive 2 for the price of 1!"

Whatever.

Don't get me wrong, I admit it - I like getting presents. But honestly, I think I like giving them even more. Still, let us remember that it's not about "getting", nor is it really about "giving" (though "giving" more so than "getting"). It is about remembering that a little over 2,000 years ago, God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, in the form of man, to us as a Messiah, a Savior, to free us from our own iniquity and sins so that we may once again commune with Him. For that is the reason we were made - to commune with God.

So take a moment to reflect; turn off the TV, turn off the radio, turn off the DVD player, turn of the CD player, and just reflect on the perfect gift that God gave all of us - His Son.

----
*from "Christmas Time is Here" by Vince Guaraldi

Abolish Capital Gains Tax

2007-12-13T17:54:00.000-08:00

Mark Twain once said, “Democracy is the worst form of government…except for every other kind.” And even though the United States of America is the best place in the world to live (sorry Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, Japan, et al, but you know it’s true), there are some things that just plain suck. “Capital gains tax”, for one.

A few years ago, I bought some property for a really good price (nearly 55 acres for $24,000.00) from an Oklahoma law firm, who acquired it through a foreclosure auction. Well, since it was from a foreclosure, there were back-taxes (plus interest and penalties) that needed to be settled for a sum of about $20,000.00 (I didn’t really mind paying the back taxes, getting stuck with the interest and penalties is an injustice in itself – it wasn’t MY fault the taxes weren’t paid, but I’m the one who gets penalized. But that is a rant for another day…).

Still, $44,000.00 for nearly 55 acres is a great price. Well, I finally sold the land to someone, who actually wants it and will use it, for considerably more than I put into it. Unfortunately, I’m afraid the “capital gains tax” that I will now have to pay will take a considerable chunk of the profits – I think the current rate is 40%. Sheesh! Of course, it could be worse – back in the early 60’s, the rate was 90% (talk about disincentives!).

But even with the taxes, I’ll make some money on the deal, but not nearly as much as I should have.

Frustration with Clients

2007-12-11T15:43:00.000-08:00

Why is it that everyone always wants their stuff at the same time? I have three different projects that I'm currently working one that are due "this week". Yesterday, one client says "it'd be great if we can get your stuff Wednesday, so we can incorporate it with our stuff to go out on Friday." Um...yeah - 'great'. Before I went on vacation, they told me they would like the stuff by the 14th, which is Friday - now they've cut two whole days off of that target. "Great" - yeah, that's the word I'd use.

To make matters worse, I get an e-mail today from another client asking if they could get their stuff tomorrow, instead of Friday as well. Sure - why not? It's not like I need to sleep or anything. Sheesh!

So far, my third client hasn't asked for an accelerated delivery, but I'm sure that's the next phone call or e-mail just waiting around the corner.

*****

Update from last post: No, I didn't get called in to work during my vacation, but the next best thing did occur - I got a bug (cold, flu, whatever) on Wednesday, which put me "out" on Thursday, and recovering on Friday (it's always a 3-day cycle - always). So this vacation was shot. 2 weeks down, 1 to go (between Christmas and New Year's) - maybe I'll have better luck with this next one.

Yeah, I'm not sure I believe that either.

"Don't Bug Me 'Til Monday"

2007-12-03T14:10:00.000-08:00

I'm on vacation this week (woohoo!)...at least I am for now. As happens occasionally, I may be called back in to work, if one of my clients decides that their arbitrary deadline is really necessary. I hope not.

Guess we'll see. In the mean time, I plan on doing as little as possible, though I do need to clean the house (hmmm...sometimes I think it would be easier to sell the house and move...but then again, I'd probably still have to clean it...).

As I was trying to think of a title for today's post, I recalled a tee-shirt that I used to have. It was one of my favorites. I used to wear a lot of tee-shirts. Not the undergarment, but the printed ones - you know, like the ones with the big smiley face on it with "Have a Nice Day!" printed underneath? Anyway, I had one which I really liked; I wore it every Friday (well, ok...perhaps almost every Friday). It had a picture of a duck slumping-down in an easy chair, eyes half-closed, tongue sticking out, a TV remote in one hand, and a cup of hot coffee in the other (Ok, ok - since you couldn't see into the cup, it could have been any hot beverage - coffee, tea, coacoa...and yes, it was hot because they put in some "steam" lines above the cup...but I digress...). It had "Weekend T-Shirt" above the picture with the caption "Don't Bug Me 'Til Monday" below the picture. It was great.

Seeing as how I'm on vacation all this week and not expected back in to the office until next Monday, it seemed an appropriate title today.

Happy Thanksgiving, '07

2007-11-19T18:34:00.000-08:00

Well I think I beat my friend Hcatty to posting this time (hehehe).

I figured that with this being Thanksgiving week (for those of us in the USA), that I should post something. I thought about simply re-posting last year’s entry, but thought better of it (after all, that would be "cheating").

If you’ve read some of my recent posts, you may think that I have been going through a rather rough patch. There is some truth to that. But no matter how I might feel, I know that I have much to be thankful for. (Hmmm – I wonder what some of my high-school teachers would think – ending a sentence on a proposition…tsk, tsk – but I digress…) I have a roof over my head, clothes on my back, and food on my table. There isn’t really much else I need (air to breathe, I suppose). "Want" may be a different story, but "need"? No.

I also have a great family, great friends (even if I haven’t talked with several of them for some time), a good job that I "mostly" like (yes, there is a story there, but it won’t be told here – at least, not now); even my "wants" are relatively few.

Some would say that I am lucky – perhaps; I’m not so sure there is "luck", per se. What I do know is that, for whatever reason (and none of it by my doing, I’d be willing to bet), God has seen fit to bless me in many areas of my life. He has always provided for me. And for that (and many, many other things), I am truly thankful.

Vacation Blues

2007-11-17T12:00:00.000-08:00

I had meant to post an entry last week, as I was on vacation, but things didn’t go as I had planned. And seeing has how my friend Hcatty has out-posted me, and (rightly so) chastised me about not posting, here we are.

There have not been a lot of things going on, or perhaps more correctly, not a lot of things other than the usual, boring, life-routine things. And even though I just got done with a vacation, I think I need a vacation.

People ask me what I do on my vacations and I usually tell them "as little as possible". Mostly, it is simply a time to be away from the office – meaning I don’t usually go anywhere. Not that I would mind actually going somewhere, but traveling by oneself, quite frankly, sucks – at least it does for me. Although, a few years back I did go camping with a couple of friends of mine – that was fun. I should do that more often, but getting together with friends seems harder these days – not sure why.

Ah well – I’ve still got 2 weeks to burn this year; maybe I’ll do something with them.

Probably not.

I Can See Clearly Now - Sort of

2007-09-30T17:18:00.000-07:00

I have been wearing glasses for many years. If you wear them, you know what a pain they can be - at least, sometimes; ofr one thing, finding a pair of non-prescription sun glasses is very difficult, if you have large lenses (and by "large" I mean physical dimension wise, not "thickness" wise), which I always have (they fit my face better than small ones).

Well, I looked into getting LASIK surgery - I've know a few people who had it and it worked great for them. Some people would just "dive in" and find someone who will perform the procedure without necessarily doing any screening - not I good idea. Of course, I'm not that stupid (sorry, but that's the nicest word I can think of for people who do that), so I had a consultation with one of the leading LASER-eye speciallists in Portland, OR.

Unfortunately, the screening showed that I was not a good candidate for LASIK - I showed indications of having a condition known as keratoconus, which is (somewhat over-simplified) a condition where the cornea thins and sags. He sent his findings to my regular eye doctor. My regular eye doctor upon initial examination could not find anything, but upon trying to correct my vision by adjusting my lenses found that she could not. So, she looked deeper and basically confirmed the keratoconus (and as a side note, it seems my right eye is worse than my left eye, which apparently is not uncommon).

So for right now, the only treatment is hard contact lenses. I say "right now" because there are surgical options, such as a corneal transplant, but I think I'll hold off on that option (for now).

Today is day three of wearing my "trial" contacts (they are trial becuase it takes time to get them properly fitted - the odds that you get a 'perfect' fit right off the bat are astronomical). It's a bit weird - my eyes itch somewhat and when I move my head, it takes a moment for the lenses to re-center (laws of inertia, and all that), but overall, I think it's going to be OK.

At least I'll be able to find a decent pair of sunglasses again.

TLAPD '07

2007-09-19T20:37:00.000-07:00

Avast, ye landlubbers! Know ye what day it be? Arrr! Aye! It be "International Talk Like a Pirate Day"!

Alas, me update t'will be short as me ship "The Frying Dutch-Pan" be drydocked and me crew be near mutiny as I make 'em scour her from stem to stern. Arrr! Would that me favorite serving wench "Diamond Girl" be here with a mug of (ginger) Ale fer me ta quaff!

So I says to meself, I says "Arrr! If'n only I's could remember where I burried me swag! That darn parrot o'mine, he went and ate the map! Arrr!"

So lift yer mugs and toast today, and remember to talk like a pirate. Beacuse Dead Men Tell No Tales!

Abandonment Issues

2007-09-02T10:35:00.000-07:00

I think all of us, at one time or another, have felt abandoned by someone (family or friends); and whether the perceived abandonment is real or not doesn’t matter. As a friend of mine likes to say “Perception IS reality.” Meaning, what we (or others) perceive to be true is true to us – the fact that it may not actually BE true is irrelevant.

I have found myself lost in my own world of feeling abandoned lately. My heart has been broken for some time now – it is not something I care to discuss casually (meaning, I’m not going to talk about the details here – at least for now). Often I wonder if anyone has noticed the changes I see in myself (I’m not as happy as I used to be); if they do, they haven’t said anything – at least, not to me. Well, that’s not exactly true. A work buddy did seem to notice and asked me if something was wrong. At first I didn’t tell him - I hemmed and hawed and blamed it on being tired, but he let me know he was available to talk, if I wanted to. That was nice of him. Eventually I did mention it to him and he was supportive.

But there have been other things too. I’ve been trying to converse with an old friend via e-mail – we’ve not seen nor talked with each other in nearly 20 years. It’s not that we had a falling out or anything, we just lost touch (as many of us do – it’s just part of life). I finally found her e-mail address a while back and have sent a few e-mails, to which she has responded, but we’ve not really had a good conversation. It’s frustrating.

It seems that lately most of my e-mails to my various friends have gone unanswered. I know that we all get busy and we don’t always have time to reply to e-mails as soon as they come in – I’ve done the same thing myself. Still, when one feels lost, lonely, and just wanting SOMEONE to talk to, having zero responses to several e-mails, in several weeks, is hard.

So, for the last several weeks (months?), I’ve felt abandoned by my friends. Intellectually, I know that this is not the case. Still, knowing this doesn’t always help. Oh sure, my family is always there for me, and I can talk to them “whenever”, but when you want to talk to a specific someone, and they (for whatever reason) don’t talk to you, it sucks.

Still, there is at least one person who I know will ALWAYS be there for me and NEVER abandon me. He is my friend, my Savior, my Lord – Jesus Christ. And He will always be there for you too, if you let Him. But then, that’s the key – you have to let Him, for He will not force himself upon you.

Poetry 201

2007-07-22T10:34:00.000-07:00

Like all of us, at one time or another, I have gone through some "dark times" in my life. They are never fun. If I had my druthers, we’d never have to go through them; but alas, that is not for me to say. Still, I’ve never known them to "last forever", though at times it does seem that they do.

Recently, I found myself going through another dark time. Unlike many other ones, I had been ‘dabbling’ with my poetry and managed to ‘ink-out’ a few verses. Some are "unfinished", though perhaps they really are and I just don’t realize it.

I have decided to share some of them because what good are any creative works (paintings, photographs, writings, etc.) if they are never seen/read/heard by anyone? I’m not trying to elicit sympathy, but then again, I’m not going to tell you what you should (or should not) feel either.

Some of them are, I think, some of my better work...

****
"Dreams"

A long time ago, at least so it seems,
I used to have goals, I used to have dreams.
But one by one they have all disappeared;
They just seemed to have vanished, it's really quite weird.

I'm not sure I know just when it did happen,
Most likely real slow, over years, I imagine.
But one thing's for sure, at it really is so,
I've no more dreams, by which I can go.

****
"My Heart is Broken" (Unfinished?)

My heart is broken. My spirit is crushed. My dreams are shattered. I am a broken man.

****
"Heartache Surrounds Me" (Unfinished?)

Heartache surrounds me; sorrow fills my nights; and my days are long, indeed.
For she whom I have feelings for has cause my soul to bleed.

She said she cared, but I can't recall any actions by her that show
To me her words were true; instead her actions say it's not so.

****
"Will My Heart Ever Learn to Love Again?" (Unfinished?)

Will my heart ever learn to love again? Will joy return to my soul?
These questions I ask with sincerity; for truly, I do not know.

****
"Doomed"

How does it feel to be doomed by love? How does it feel to be cursed?
For love unrequited is truly just that; It's the one thing that truly is worst.

It's a hole in one's heart, an ache in one's soul, a longing that goes unfulfilled;
A desire unanswered; no joy can be found. Many poets have this subject quilled.

All of my life, I too, have been cursed; for no other love have I known.
First-hand do I know how gut-wrenching it is to always find oneself alone.

Now and then I will meet someone nice who I think may finally come liberate me;
But "I don't like you 'that' way." is what they all say, then they turn and away from me flee.

So I'm left here alone with my broken heart, and a spirit so totally crushed,
That oft do I doubt that they'll ever be fixed and never again will I trust.

So doomed I am, and I guess doomed I'll be, until, perhaps, one day I find
That one certain girl, whomever she is, who'll allow our two hearts to bind.

****
"Shattered Dreams" (Unfinished)

Shattered dreams, broken heart;
What's a poor boy like me to do?
"All is a stage, we each play a part",
But what mine is, I haven't a clue.

I ache, I pine, I thoroughly hurt;
And I can't seem to do anything right.
I feel miserable, worthless, lower than dirt.
I seem to have lost my will to fight.

****
"Dark are my thoughts"

Dark are my thoughts. Oh, how I wish they were not - but they are.
Heartache fills my soul. Oh, how I wish it did not - but it does.
My spirit cries-out. Oh, how I wish I had an answer - but I don't.
I am lost. Oh, how I wish I were not - but I am.

Woe, is me. Woe, is me. I have no solace; I have no comfort; I have no joy. Oh, how I wish that I did - but I do not.

"If only...", my head thinks. "If only...", my heart cries. "If only...", my spirit says. "If only...", my soul prays.

"If only..."

****

"Doomed" is my favorite.

Poetry 101

2007-07-03T18:13:00.000-07:00

So I can hear some of you now..."Hey, Tuba! Does your post title mean you're gong to teach us how to write poetry?" But I'm afraid the answer to that question is "No."

Then again, you might learn something, but not because I'm actively trying to teach anything.

So now I can hear some of you ask, "So what's with the post title then?" And the answer to that is "Because it sounded good."

I've shared a poem or two before here, and I will again, I'm sure. I have a few pieces that I'll share later - they are dark pieces, but I think some of my better work. For now, though, I'll share some things I wrote while just goofing around.

But first, a little background. Yes, I can actually write poems. I can actually write, period. I'm not trying to "toot my own horn" (no pun regarding Tubas intended) here, but I can write rather well. Trouble is, I don't necessarily like to write. While I did well in Grade School and High School English, and my essays (as far as I can remember) always received "A's" (there may have been a "B+" or two, but really I don't remember), I hated writing essays. In fact, I'm the reason why the rules were changed, regarding homework.

Hmmm...that will need a little explaining as well...pardon the "flashback"...

Since 4th grade, I attended a Christian school. Back in the 70's (yes, unfortunately, I am that old), there was a huge Christian school movement - Public schools were seen as appalling learning institution, and truth is, many of them were (and still are, regrettably). In 3rd grade, I was bored out of my mind because I was forced to learn at the rest of the classes pace. I loved math; fortunately for me, my teacher saw this and allowed me to work through a section that the rest of the class "skipped" because they wouldn't have time to go through it (for though curious, it was geometry). So I was able to keep busy (and not be bored) working at my own pace, which was rather quickly.

Ok, 'flashforward' to the next year...my dad's church started a Christian school, based on the rather newly developed Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) system (by 'Southern-Baptists'). In that system, the four major subjects (Math, Science, Social Studies [which includes all types of history], and English) were provided in several booklets called "PACEs" (which I think stood for "Packets of Accelerated Christian Education", but I could be wrong). These PACEs were basically a self-contained combination of a textbook and workbook; one sat at one's own cubicle (with little side walls, so you didn't disturb the person next to you, and a back wall made of a "pin-up" material that could have things thumb-tacked [or push-pinned] to it), reading and working at your own pace (no pun intended there either). There were teachers there who would answer questions or try to further explain things, if one had any questions or such.

The PACEs had little quiz portions that tested your knowledge of the previous section (called "Check-ups") and you had to "pass" each check-up before you could proceed - if you failed the check-up, you had to do the previous section over again. At the end of the PACE was a "self-test" that tested your knowledge of the entire PACE. After that, you turned-in your PACE and took a "final" test the next day. If you failed either the "self-test" or the "final" test, you had to retake the entire PACE.

Each grade was broken down into 12-PACEs per subject. That is, if you worked through 12-PACEs of Math, you had completed one grade's worth of Math. The PACEs were numbered 1 to 144 - 144 being the 'last' PACE for a Senior in High School (though I believe they did have higher numbers to work in, and I don't believe you had to finish "144" to graduate).

Some people HATED that format of school - I THRIVED on it. I could work as much as I liked in one subject and not so much in others. In fact, originally, the only rule was that you had to do at least 12-pages of work a day. Actually, there were two rules - the other being that you had to set a daily "goal" of how much work you would do, and then do that amount - if you "missed" your goal for one day, you had to make up for it the next day. So, if your goal one day was to do 4 pages of each subject (totaling 16) and you only did three in Math, you had to do "5" pages the next day.

Of course, if you were smart (like I was), you NEVER set your goal to be greater than the minimum, even though you may exceed them. Most of the time, I exceeded my goals, but occasionally, I just did the minimum and goofed-off the rest of the day.

For several years, the rule was "12-pages per day" and that's it. Then one day in the early second quarter of 7th grade (I think), I got an English PACE that required us to write an essay - we had to pick a subject, do research, take notes, write a rough draft, and write a final draft.

As I stated before, I HATED writing back in school. So, me being me, I didn't want to do, so I didn't. I followed the rules and did 12-pages per day, just ZERO in English. I got away with this for the entire quarter and part of the next before the teachers noticed I had not completed and English PACE in literally months. (Side note: we had a chart that was pinned to the back wall that showed your progress. It was broken down into quarters and sub-divided into weeks, with each subject having it's own row - every time you passed a PACE, you got a colored star to post on it).

That's when they changed the rule from "12-pages per day" to "4-pages, per subject, per day". They then added another rule shortly thereafter which mandated that you had to complete at least 3 PACEs per quarter - I don't think I was directly responsible for that one.

OK - done with the flashback (my apologies for it's length). Where was I? Oh, yes...

While I never really liked writing, as I said, I'm actually pretty good at it. These days, most of my writing is for work, where I write proposals, technical memos, letters, (regular) memos. etc. And until recently (in the last couple of years, or so), I had not written any poetry or much of anything else for that matter, except work-related stuff.

But since about 2000 (has it really need that long??), I've been "dabbling" here and there. And what follows is a few different styles that I sat-down and wrote out one evening (though I'm sure I 'tweaked' them over the next few days). Just a bit of fun to get started.

Often, you see poetry written "left-justified", but you also see it "center-justified". I've presented mine "center-justified" here to make it stand-out from the "commentary" and remainder of the post. Usually, this is when I see poetry "center-justified" - when it is 'embedded' within other text.

Enjoy!

*****
Poetry

I am sometimes inspired to write,
And of poems I know different styles.
Still, practice is needed in spite
Of talent; oft do I leave behind piles.

For meter and rhyme can be hard
To maintain in a complex creation.
And often the reader must 'pard'
The 'license' a writer has taken.

But I'll not ask forgiveness for this,
It is simply the way it is done;
Though sometimes things do go amiss,
The process can really be fun!

So don't fear to try your hand
Writing a poem, a limerick, or verse;
Just remember at times it is grand,
And other times it could be worse.

*****

Limericks can also be fun,
But meter's important in one.
Oh can't you see,
That rhythm is key;
And then with the fifth line, you're done!

*****

Haikus can be hard;
Three lines with 5, 7, 5
Syllables per line.

Related must be
All three lines in a haiku,
And they seldom rhyme.

They often express,
Within the three lines of verse,
Abstract ideas.

*****

Alliteration also advises an alert awareness, as all arranged alphas are actually alike.

(which is to say, in pure alliteration, all words start with the same letter, though it is permissible to have some variation)

*****

Then, of course, 'prose' is basically telling a story
But when it is arranged like a poem
That is, separated into lines (like this),
It is often called 'poetry'
Even though, in my opinion, it really isn't.

*****

Well, of all of the style presented here, I'd have to say that alliteration is the hardest to do (properly, anyway). I've not done any "sonnets", as I need to work on my iambic pentameter.

That's all for now. Now, go make some of your own poetry.

Movie Review: "Bridge to Terabithia"

2007-06-25T16:42:00.000-07:00

"Bridge to Terabithia" is apparently a 'children's' book first published in 1977, though I've never heard of it. But then again, there are probably millions of books that I've never heard of. But I digress...

This last week (6/19/07), "Bridge to Terabithia" came out on DVD. I had heard good things about it, so I bought it and watched it over the weekend. It was not what I expected.

From what little I did know, I knew it was about a make-believe kingdom that was visited by some kids. So what I expected was something more along the lines of "Chronicles of Narnia". However, it's really more of a story of friendship than a make-believe kingdom. In fact, you really see very little of the kingdom.

I don't want to go into too much detail and give away too much. If you've seen it, then you know. If you've not seen it, I don't want to spoil anything.

Suffice it to say that I think it is a wonderful movie. Compared to other films (like "Narnia" or "Lord of the Rings"), there are few special effects - but what is there is excellent. The acting was great too (Zooey Deschanel has a marvelous supporting role as one of the teachers).

But as I said, it's really a movie about friendship, and is very relatable. I don't know if I would let very young children watch it without an adult, not because of anything crass or language or anything like that, but because there would most likely be questions, as there are parts which are very sad (and young minds like to ask a lot of questions).

If you've not seen the movie, go rent it (or buy it) and watch it.

A Good Day

2007-06-17T15:55:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day. A freind of mine, who I have not seen for about 3 years now, was in town.

First, we (and his family) met for breakfast. Afterwards, we went spelunking at the "Ape Cave", which is located about 2 hours away. Having come all the way from Indiana, they had hoped to see Mt. St. Helens too, but today was too overcast for that. Hopefully, they'll be able to see it from Mt. Hood tomorrow, before they leave town.

We had hoped to meet-up with another friend of ours, but he couldn't make it today. They will be going rafting tomorrow, but alas, I will be at work.

When we all lived here in Portland, we used to get together every Friday night, and often Saturday afternoons as well, and play computer games. But then, things changed (as they often do) - one got married and moved to Northern California, the other abruptly left town and went back "home" to Indiana about a year or so later. We've not seen each other since then.

I hope it's not another 3 years before we can get together again, but we'll just have to wait and see.

For now, I will recall that today was a good day.

Looking for a Cure for Writer's Block

2007-05-18T15:33:00.000-07:00

My friend Hcatty says I have to post at least 5 words a month, but I am currently suffering from "writer's block". Well, ok, that's not entirely true. I can think of a few things to write, but I don't want to post them.

"Old Man Walking..."

2007-04-29T13:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, a high school friend of mine's daughter got married. That's enough to make anyone feel old. I'm no exception.

The saying "time flies..." is true; if you're not careful, you'll be 20-something one day and then the very next day (or so it will seem), you're 40-something and feeling even older.

Of course the up-side of the wedding is that I saw some old friends that I've not seen in literally years. That can make one feel young, so overall not quite a cancelling age day (but not as bad as it could have been).

It amazes me how easily it is to lose track of friends. It's rarely done on purpose, it's just life. We get so busy with ourselves that we often put-off things we should do - like call an old friend and say "How are you doing today?" We put it off until tomorrow, then tomorrow passes, then another day, and another...before you know it, 5 years (or sometimes even more) has passed.

Then there's either a funeral or a wedding which brings friends together; phone numbers and e-mail addresses are exchanged, but it doesn't take long to fall right back into the same old routine and once again years pass.

If you are reading this post and there is someone that comes to mind that you haven't talked to/written to/e-mailed, don't let another day go by. Call, write, or e-mail them today. If they live close to you, make lunch plans and catch-up with one another. Believe me, you'll be glad you did.

Nothing In Particular

2007-04-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

I was awakened this morning at 5:45 AM by a call on my cell phone from one of our clients, who was having troubles with one of his systems. I suggested a few things; he said I'd hear from him if they still had problems. So I lay there for awhile, waiting to see if he'd call back or not. He didn't, so Ican only assume things went well.

If I had really thought about it, I would have had him call me back if things went OK too, for while I was waiting, I didn't want to try to go back to sleep just to be awakened again. Oh well.

So it's now about 11:30 AM and here I sit in my computer room, posting this entry. I look out my window and cringe at the lawn - it needs to be mowed. Badly. But it's been raining the last few days and while it is not raining at the moment, it is threatening to. I checked the grass earlier and it is way too wet to mow. If the rain manages to hold off, maybe it will dry out enough to mow later. A part of me hopes it doesn't, becuase I don't really like mowing.

Ah, the price one pays for being a home owner (with a lawn).

Happy Easter

2007-04-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

What is "Easter"? I’m not talking about the definition or origin of the word. Easter has nothing to do with ham or chocolate or eggs or chickens or bunnies; it is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Many people believe that Jesus was a "good man" who lived and died long ago. But the story does not end there, as some would have you believe. He was not just some "good man" or just a prophet – He was much, much more. Jesus is the Son of God, who came to Earth as a man to become a sacrifice for our sins so that we could be blameless before God.

Yes, He died; but 3 days latter He rose-up from the dead.

Many people believe that Jesus died, but they find it impossible to believe that he rose from the dead. However, His resurrection is not just a story; the New Testament of the Holy Bible tells us that He was seen by over 500 people several days AFTER His crucifixion.

Now, there are those who will tell you that the Bible is full of errors and is nothing more than fiction with regards to actual history, but they are wrong. And while I will not take the time here to debate this common misconception, let me just say that there have been many attempts to "prove" the historical inaccuracy of the Bible and these attempts have wound up showing that the Bible was indeed historically correct. But don’t just take my word for it, do your own research and see for yourself.

Easter is the very crux of Christianity. Christ died and shed His blood for us because sin requires a blood-sacrifice, and if that were the end of the story, then it would be sufficient. But it is NOT the end. Christ not only died, but He rose-up from the grave, showing that He has power over death, and that we all can live forever with him. We need not fear death, if we believe in Him, for He conquered death. And if He can overcome death, the "final" act, there is nothing He cannot do.

Survey Says...

2007-03-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

As uncharacteristic of me as it seems, I've decided today will be "survey/quiz day". So here are some surveys/quizzes I saw that I liked:

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to those who are unbridled, untrammeled, and free.

In love, you feel the most alive when things are straight-forward, and you're told that you're loved.

You'd like to your lover to think you are loyal and faithful... that you'll never change.

You would be forced to break up with someone who was emotional, moody, and difficult to please.

Your ideal relationship is lasting. You want a relationship that looks to the future... one you can grow with.

Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment.

You think of marriage as something precious. You'll treasure marriage and treat it as sacred.

In this moment, you think of love as something you thirst for. You'll do anything for love, but you won't fall for it easily.

What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

You Are: 70% Dog, 30% Cat

You and dogs definitely have a lot in common.
You're both goofy, happy, and content with the small things in life.
However, you're definitely not as needy as the average dog. You need your down time occasionally.

Are You More Cat or Dog?

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extroversion:

You have low extroversion.
You are quiet and reserved in most social situations.
A low key, laid back lifestyle is important to you.
You tend to bond slowly, over time, with one or two people.

Conscientiousness:

You have medium conscientiousness.
You're generally good at balancing work and play.
When you need to buckle down, you can usually get tasks done.
But you've been known to goof off when you know you can get away with it.

Agreeableness:

You have high agreeableness.
You are easy to get along with, and you value harmony highly.
Helpful and generous, you are willing to compromise with almost anyone.
You give people the benefit of the doubt and don't mind giving someone a second chance.

Neuroticism:

You have low neuroticism.
You are very emotionally stable and mentally together.
Only the greatest setbacks upset you, and you bounce back quickly.
Overall, you are typically calm and relaxed - making others feel secure.

Openness to experience:

Your openness to new experiences is medium.
You are generally broad minded when it come to new things.
But if something crosses a moral line, there's no way you'll approve of it.
You are suspicious of anything too wacky, though you do still consider creativity a virtue.

The Five Factor Personality Test

You Should Rule Saturn

Saturn is a mysterious planet that can rarely be seen with the naked eye.

You are perfect to rule Saturn because like its rings, you don't always follow the rules of nature.
And like Saturn, to really be able to understand you, someone delve beyond your appearance.

You are not an easy person to befriend. However, once you enter a friendship, you'll be a friend for life.
You think slowly but deeply. You only gain great understanding after a situation has past.

What Planet Should You Rule?

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 10/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

You Passed 8th Grade US History

Congratulations, you got 8/8 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade History?

You Passed High School with an A+

You have the brains of a high school graduate... at least!

Could You Pass High School?

Your Love Style is Agape

You are a caring, kind, and selfless partner.
Unsurprisingly, your love style is the most rare.
You are willing to sacrfice your world for your sweetie.
Except it doesn't really feel like sacrifice to you.
For you, nothing feels better than giving to the one you love.

What's Your Love Style?

"Is it Safe?"

2007-03-23T13:25:00.000-07:00

Movie buffs will know right-a-way to what this post’s title is referencing. In case you’re not a movie buff, it’s a line from “Marathon Man”, starring Dustin Hoffman. If you’ve not seen it, go rent/buy it and watch it – just don’t watch it if you’ve got a dentist appointment anytime soon (you have been warned).

So today I had a root canal done. I’m still under the influence of Novocain as I compose this post, so it’s not bothering me too much (yet). But I’m sure it will still be better than not being able to chew. Doc didn’t prescribe anything, just said to take 800 mg of Ibuprofen every six hours for the next couple of days or so. However, they said if it starts to bother me more than what the Ibuprofen can handle, to give them a call. We’ll see, but I think the Ibuprofen will probably be sufficient (knock on wood).

Wanted: One Life

2007-03-18T11:11:00.000-07:00

So I'm sitting here in at work, doing a whole lot of nothing. Why? Well, I did have to swing by to pick-up a few things for my site visit next week, but mostly because I have nothing better to do.

Pathetic.

One the bright side, I've got a much faster internet connection at the office than I do at home, so there is that. But then again, uness I'm downloading a file, I don't need it. And I've got no files to download (at least, not at the moment).

So why am I still here? Good question. I should go home and do nothing there - it'd be more comfortable. Actually, I should probably go for a walk - it's a nice day out and I could use some fresh air and excercise. Maybe I will do that. Later.

For now, I'm going to goof-off here in the office, doing nothing much but surf the web and complain that I don't have a life.

Outlook: Blurry

2007-03-08T14:55:00.000-08:00

Well, I just got back from a consultation for laser eye surgery. Looks like I'm not a good candidate; I apparently have thin corneas. Guess I'll have to stick with glasses or contacts (but only if I want to be able to see).

Bummer.

Bony Fingers

2007-02-24T14:01:00.000-08:00

Many years ago now, my sisters and I were in my mom's car, listening to one of her favorite radio stations, when this rather wierd, country-style song came on. For the longest time, the only thing we remember about it was the chorus:

"Work your fingers to the bone, and what do you get? Bony fingers, bony fingers!"

Of course, now-a-days, one can do a "Google" search and voila! So I did just that. It seems that Hoyt Axton wrote and sang a song called "Boney Fingers" back in 1975. But I also found a paradoy song called "Boney Fingers" that was written and sung by Dave Thewlis and Anne Ashley also back in 1975. (Editor's note: "boney" is an acceptable alternate spelling of "bony". Though "bony" is the "more correct" spelling.)

I'm pretty sure the song we heard was Hoyt Axton's original, as I don't know if the parody was even played on the radio. It's amazing what one remembers thoughout the years; some just little snippets here and there, such as the chorus of an "unknown" song.

For sometime now, I have found myself "working my fingers to the bone" (as it were), which is what has prompted me to remember that old song fragment.

So far, though, my fingers are still rather 'sausage-like'.

Valentine's Day

2007-02-14T19:08:00.000-08:00

February 14th. There are many observances related to this day, the most famous being “St. Valentine’s Day” (or simply “Valentine’s Day”) and the most infamous being the anniversary of the “Valentine’s Day Massacre (1929)”.

Other observances include “Admittance Day” for Oregon and Arizona (they officially became states on February 14: 1859 for Oregon, 1912 for Arizona), “Ferris Wheel Day”, “National Condom Day (US)” (no joke - you can’t make this stuff up), “Stop the Violence Day (US)”, “National Impotence Day (UK)”, “Congenital Heart Defect Day”, and “Love Sucks Day”. In Norway, it’s “Ballantine’s Day”. There are probably more, but these were some of what I found doing a casual Google search.

“Love Sucks Day” is the ‘flip-side’, if you will, of “Valentine’s Day”. “Valentine’s Day” is essentially a time for couples celebrate the fact that they are couples. “Love Sucks Day” is essentially a time where single, unattached people (those without “significant others”) commiserate the fact that they are single and unattached. Sort of similar to Norway’s “Ballantine’s Day”.

As for me, I’m more of the “Love Sucks Day” celebrant. “Love Sucks Day”, I think, is really a misnomer; more appropriately (I think) would be “Lack of Love Sucks Day”. But then, that doesn’t have the same ring to it. Besides, part of “Love Sucks Day” is making fun of all those nauseating things couples do for “Valentine’s Day”, as well as making fun of the greeting card companies, florists, chocolate factories, etc. (because everyone knows that “Valentine’s Day” is just a made-up ‘holiday’ promoted by these companies and industries to foist their wares upon us).

Not that I really believe that. But then again, as long as I don't have anyone to celebrate “Valentine’s Day” with, I might as well pretend to.

Groundhog Day

2007-02-02T08:36:00.000-08:00

In honor of “Groundhog Day”, I thought about posting and then reposting the same entry several times (that’s a reference to the movie starring Andie MacDowell and Bill Murray, in case you didn’t catch it). But I decided against it.

In honor of “Groundhog Day”, I thought about posting and then reposting the same entry several times (that’s a reference to the movie starring Andie MacDowell and Bill Murray, in case you didn’t catch it). But I decided against it.

Ok, ok, so I slipped it in once. ;-)

Then I thought maybe I’d compose a poem or perhaps better yet, a haiku:

Today is the day
For the most well-known groundhog,
Puxatony Phil

He sticks his head out
To see if winter’s over
By looking ground-ward

If he should notice
His own shadow on the ground
Then six weeks remain.

Meh – not great, but not too bad. You try it.

Just remember now:
5-7-5 syllables
Is the haiku’s form.

Which is a haiku itself if you notice. ;-)