RANDOM THOUGHTS

OpenOffice and MS Word-10: A Publisher's Comparisons

2011-10-11T23:49:00.000-07:00

Since its inception, the Windows operating system has risen to major dominance, and with that a certain arrogance. Because of this dominance, the .doc format is the word file those in the writing/publishing profession use. Despite Microsoft introducing more modern versions, .doc is still the version of choice. That said, earlier this year I purchased Word-10, an upgrade from Word-7. Frankly, Word-10 has some nice, easy-to-use features. To keep up with OpenOffice/Libre, MS has attempted to add features found in that word processing program. It is a good start, but some of these offerings are weak.

1. An add-on to OpenOffice connects to the Internet to check a word in a dictionary, thesaurus, on the Internet, or encyclopedia. The program is easily customizable. In place of the dictionary/thesaurus in the initial program, I substituted Roget’s. The definitions and alternative words are much more comprehensive, although it has some weak points I can live with.

a. MS Word-10 offers a nice dictionary (Encarta), abbreviated, but okay.

b. The MS Word thesaurus is less than abbreviated and really worthless.

2. The grammar check in OpenOffice is sorely wanting.

a. Grammar check in Word has come a long ways and in Word-10 is quite good. It still has some interesting suggestions, but hey, one needs a chuckle now and then.

3. The OpenOffice add-on allows you to connect to whichever search engine you like, again by a simple customization if you don’t like what is already there.

a. MS Word-10 only connects to Bing. Given a couple more years, it may be up to the level of Google and Yahoo. Word does provide an opportunity to add your favorite search engine, but darn if I can get it to accept anything other than Bing, which makes this a Bong. (I apologize, but the devil made me say that.)

4. OpenOffice allows the user to define where backup copies are stored. Backups are for peace of mind, therefore typically stored on hard drives other than where the original is located.

a. MS Word (all versions) make a backup copy and plop it right next to the original. Lose one lose all.

b. The only way around this is to use a cloud computer or purchase a hard drive specially programed to make backups.

5. PDF is offered in OpenOffice and Word. In the publishing industry, most POD (print on demand) processes use a PDF from which to build the publication. And here is where Word and yours truly recently butt heads. I now share with you the correspondence between MS Word technicians and myself in an attempt to resolve the issue that I may continue using Word-10 in the final editing step.

10.5.2011 (To MS)

After exporting a manuscript in PDF/A for printing, I find that the .PNG photos are saved with a black background instead of being transparent as designed. I am not having this issue with the OpenOffice PDF conversion. Am I missing where to setup PDF in Word to accept the .PNG as saved?

++++++++++++++++++++++++

10.5.2011 (From MS)

It would be much easier to convert your PNGs to JPGs, no? PNGs are notorious for this issue everywhere.

++++++++++++++++++++++++

10.5.2011 (To MS)

No, a JPG will not produce the same effect. It will insert the background which was deliberately removed. And no, PNG is not notorious for this issue everywhere. In ten years, this is the first program this has happened in. After discussing this with our SysAdmin, the problem appears to be a setting in MS Word's PDF program, or if you will, a bug. It would be much more convenient to save directly from Word, but as it stands, the document must be moved to another word processor for a useable PDF conversion.

++++++++++++++++++++++++

10.6.2011 (From MS)

The PDF function in Word is only a rudimentary offering and it does not handle PNG graphics well. It will not for example handle transparency in PNG format. A simple answer is to install and use PrimoPDF. The free version will handle such graphics well, and retain transparency.

A more expensive solution is to use Adobe Acrobat

++++++++++++++++++++++++

10.6.2011

Thank you for your explanation. There are a number of improvements I like about Word-10, however the ability to produce a PDF is extremely important as book printers and electronic distributions require them. In this, Word-10 is not an acceptable software. Which raises the question, if you know this PDF is "a rudimentary offering", why was a less desirable program included in the distribution over the one you recommend?

++++++++++++++++++++++++

It should come as no surprise, MS has not replied. Maybe someday. The PrimoPDF has been installed and so far, produces the expected results. It works from the printer option which is convenient.

Prostate and Us Guys

2011-09-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

Prostate Biopsies Riskier Than Previously Believed

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Men who receive prostate cancer biopsies are more than twice as likely to end up in the hospital from complications than those who don’t get the procedure, a report says, highlighting risks with the practice.

The study, the largest of its kind, looked at data from 150,000 Medicare patients 65 and older from 1991 to 2007 and found a 6.9 percent hospitalization rate in the 30 days following the procedure, compared with 2.9 percent of men who didn’t receive the treatment. Patients should be made more aware of the possible complications associated with the often life- saving process, according to the analysis released today.

“Prostate biopsy is an essential procedure for detecting prostate cancers,” Edward Schaeffer, a Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine urologist and oncologist and the study’s senior investigator, said in a statement. “However, it is important for men to be aware of the possible risks of prostate biopsies, which are often described as simple outpatient procedures.”

A prostate biopsy typically entails sending an ultrasound-guided needle about a dozen times through the rectum to collect specimens from the walnut-sized gland that sits under the bladder. The 15-minute test carries an infection risk because the needle can take bacteria from the bowel into the prostate, bladder, and bloodstream.

Serious Infections

While the overall rate of hospitalization in the 30-day period following the procedure has declined steadily since 1991, the rate of men who had serious infections rose, to 1.2 percent in 2007, compared with 0.5 percent in 2000, the study found. An increase in drug-resistant germs may be to blame, Schaeffer said.

“Antibiotics are routinely given to men at the time of biopsy, and the fact that infections serious enough to cause hospital admissions have been on the rise makes us think that these types of complications are occurring because of a steady increase in antimicrobial resistance rates in America,” Schaeffer said.

Previous studies have found a small, growing percentage of men undergoing prostate biopsies becoming critically ill and dying from bacterial infections.

Today’s study found no increased risk of mortality in those who had biopsies compared with the group of men with similar characteristics who didn’t undergo the procedure.

Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in men, according to the American Cancer Society. More than 240,000 men will be diagnosed with the disease this year, and it will lead to about 33,730 deaths, the organization said.

The study was released online in advance of its publication in the November issue of The Journal of Urology. It was funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the National Institutes of Health, an American Urological Association Astellas Research Star Award, and the Patrick C. Walsh Prostate Cancer Research Fund at Johns Hopkins.

HE LIVES !!

2011-09-23T17:37:00.000-07:00

I have had weight and cholesterol problems for a long time and wound up on the operating table to have three stints implanted to clear clogged arteries. Because of this, I am interested in the subject of heart attack prevention and have counseled with my doctors several times a year. My wife is a health care educator, so when something comes to my attention in the health field I usually pass it along. I am passing this along to her and we will discuss its merits. However, there is something that infuriates me. After reading this latest news blurb, I'll tell you why.

The following is lifted from a medical newsletter:

High lipoprotein(a), combined with insufficient vitamin C, causes cholesterol to stick to arterial walls. But if sufficient vitamin C is present, this "sticking process" does not occur.

And there it [is] the genesis of heart disease, as well as how to prevent it. [F]urther research discovered 2 amino acids that work in concert with vitamin C to maintain healthy arteries with no plaque build-up.

And now in your FREE report, "Stop Heart Disease In Its Tracks, Naturally," you'll find out what those two amino acids are, and also at what levels the three nutrients effectively stop plaque from forming.

[M]y special report, "Stop Heart Disease In Its Tracks, Naturally" is yours FREE when you take advantage of our no-risk subscription offer to try Natural Way to Health for just pennies a day .

Okay, on the surface I like this. I have been taking elevated levels of Vitamin C for several years, and quite frankly feel there has been a definite benefit, especially shortening the length of colds and other viral and bacterial attacks. It is one of several antioxidants like, but maybe not quite as good as, blueberries. If this statement is correct, that makes me doubly happy. What absolutely infuriates me is that a medical practioner, someone who is supposed to be dedicated to improving and saving lives, won't share his great discovery, what the two amino acids are, without the consumer forking over money. Albeit the amount does not seem to be much, he is still selling a life-saving secret.

What comes to mind is a huckster peddling snake oil out the back of a covered wagon - a Wizard of Oz from Kansas.

Heros of 9/11 still with us (9/11/2011)

2011-09-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

These are dogs that worked the Wor;d Trade Center that are still alive but retired.

Moxie, 13, from Winthrop, Massachusetts, arrived with her handler, Mark Aliberti, at the World Trade Center on the evening of September 11 and searched the site for eight days

Tara, 16, from Ipswich, Massachusetts, arrived at the World Trade Center on the night of the 11th. The dog and her handler Lee Prentiss were there for eight days

Kaiser, 12, pictured at home in Indianapolis, Indiana, was deployed to the World Trade Center on September 11 and searched tirelessly for people in the rubble

Bretagne and his owner Denise Corliss from Cypress, Texas, arrived at the site in New York on September 17, remaining there for ten days

Guinness, 15, from Highland, California, started work at the site with Sheila McKee on the morning of September 13 and was deployed at the site for 11 days

Merlyn and his handler Matt Claussen were deployed to Ground Zero on September 24, working the night shift for five days

Red, 11, from Annapolis, Maryland, went with Heather Roche to the Pentagon from September 16 until the 27 as part of the Bay Area Recovery Canines

Abigail, above, was deployed on the evening of September 17, searching for 10 days while Tuff arrived in New York at 11:00 pm on the day of attack to start working early the next day

Handler Julie Noyes and Hoke were deployed to the World Trade Center from their home in Denver on September 24 and searched for five days

Scout and another unknown dog lie among the rubble at Ground Zero, just two of nearly 100 search and rescue animals who helped to search for survivors

During the chaos of the 9/11 attacks, where so many people died, nearly 100 loyal search and rescue dogs and their owners scoured Ground Zero for survivors. Now, ten years on, just 12 of these heroic canines survive, and they have been commemorated in a touching series of portraits entitled 'Retrieved'. The dogs worked tirelessly to search for anyone trapped alive in the rubble, along with countless emergency service workers and members of the public.

Traveling across nine states in the U.S. from Texas to Maryland, Dutch photographer Charlotte Dumas, 34, captured the remaining dogs in their twilight years in their homes where they still live with their handlers, a full decade later.

Their stories have now been compiled in a book, called Retrieved to recognize some of the first responders and their dogs.

Time for a Little Revolution

2011-08-01T16:04:00.000-07:00

The following is a reprint echoing my sentiments exactly.

Once it was Remember the Alamo

Today it should be:

REMEMBER LEXINGTON, April 19, 1775

(Charley Reese has been a journalist for 49 years. As he retires, this is his final column for the Orlando Sentinel.)

* * * *

545 vs. 300,000,000 People

By Charlie Reese

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The President can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? John Boehner. He is the leader of the majority party. He and fellow House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want. If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.

If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it's because they want them in Iraq and Afghanistan ...

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.

Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees...

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

* * * *

The bath water is so polluted there's no sense trying to save the baby. It's time for revolution.

Cookie Cutter Book Covers - Oh, No!

2011-07-30T00:24:00.000-07:00

Cookie cutter covers tend to be tasteless, but some recent examples touted by several publishers really hit bottom. I understand authors are strapped for funds, but the cover is the first thing a potential buyer sees. A book is truly judged by its cover.

Go to any brick and mortar, if you can find one. (Just kidding. I love hanging out at Bookman's when in Arizona. The stores are big, friendly, and busy) So, what do you see? First, a potential customer looks at the cover, second, the back, third, the first page or two of the novel. One leads to the other. Lousy cover and the potential buyer moves on. Poor back, next please. I'm a really tough buyer. You've got to get me interested in the first paragraph or it's a no sale.

In addition, the cover should say something about the contents. For example, for Death by TOP SECRET which involves Area 51 out Las Vegas way, the background is a satellite photo of Area 51 (and the Air Force was not pleased, but I didn't take it) with appropriate type. Incident at Beaver Creek involves the Pueblo Indians and has a SW Indian motif with a graphic of Kokopelli, a major player in the spirit world and the story. For book 2 in the A Pirate's Legacy series we used a 1600-era map overlaid by the masts of a sailing ship. Probably because they were in the story, too. You get the idea. I'm not bragging. I've have some design and layout training, but these puppies had to pass muster by several graphic-minded artists. They are simple, unique, and so far, attention-getters if sales are any judge.

An author should give as much attention to the cover as what is inside. Perhaps they don't have the artistic talent, but after all the work they put into authoring a novel, they deserve more than cookie crumbs.

A Word to Bloggers

2011-07-28T21:32:00.000-07:00

I exited high school into college and fell into a job as a reporter for the local evening newspaper. (We had two in those days--morning and evening) I was fortunate to have some good editors and mentors. One of them taught me a very important lesson applicable to blogging: an arrow goes straight to its target, not as if on a roller coaster.

Think of your blog this way. You are in competition with thousands of bloggers, and a reader has only so much time. A short, hard-hitting, to-the-point blog will be more readily read than one that rambles.

Losing the Backdrop

2011-07-17T00:37:00.000-07:00

For the setting in Incident at Beaver Creek I chose the mountains west of Santa Fe, NM and in 2010 spent some time there on the ground photographing and getting a feel for the terrain. I only loosely describe the area, bending the descriptions to the needs of the story. I decided early 2011 to return in July for another visit, but when my son left for his summer job at the Philmont Scout Ranch near Cimmeron, NM in June his car died. I flew to Las Vegas that day, rented a car and drove to our home in St. George, UT and picked him up in Page, AZ. I had encouraged him to take an extra day and visit Mesa Verde NP out of Cortez, CO as he had never been there. Instead of a day and a half, he got a whirlwind, 3-hr. tour. The next day he and I went to the mountains for more ground observations and photos. Then, it was off to drop him at Philmont and drive home. I mention this, because a week or so later an Aspen tree was blown into electrical lines and 130K acres were destroyed. It was still burning strong when Jayne and I delivered Eph a replacement car July 5-6. Had I waited, there wouldn't have been much to record as the area was closed. However, having experience in such things, it isn't as dismal as one might expect. Yes, vast areas are blackened, and there will be problems with mudslides and flash flooding until vegetation restores itself next year, but it will recover. Take a look at what has happened at Yellowstone and Mt. St. Helens.

NM Mtns west of Santa Fed

Extremely hot aftermath

A glimmer of hope. Note surivors in background

Burned area. Note caldera area upper left corner.

It is 15 miles in diameter.

A fire any time destroying this kind of natural beauty is a shame, but that's just nature. Much of the state was under red flag warnings when I was there in June and this was bound to happen whether wind blowing over a tree, lightning, or man. Certainly, there have been a number of lightning fires in the state other than this. It is bound to happen. I just wish it hadn't happened to my backdrop. Now I am going to need revise my second installment and burn up my make believe forest, too.

Fear Monger replies:

2011-07-16T09:25:00.000-07:00

Some days one feels stranger than on others, especially when one has a “really strange” sense of humor. (not my assessment).

A writer says:
I am always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my novel or work in progress, that I swear I did not make changes to. I become a fear monger when this happens. Am I over-reacting?

Oldguey expert replies:
Dear Over-reacting. Touching or sneezing just one key, even by mistake will trigger the save response. If you are sure there were no intentional changes just say no. You'll be fine. But on the other hand, if you are dealing with a MS product, it could just shred, incinerate, and launch everything into outer space. Actually, the only thing you have to fear is the abject, bullet-sweating fear of . . . PROGRAM ENDED UNEXPECTEDLY. REBOOT TO START OVER ... and you're driving down the Interstate, trapped in the inside lane at 80 mph in southern California traffic. (Why Windows might not be a viable system for today's computerized cars) Same feeling when it happens and it's your manuscript in there.

Are we choosing our battles wisely?

2011-06-26T21:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, here we go again. New York approves same sex unions and opponents are making loud noises. I am going to shock people by saying that I really don't care.

First, it makes little difference if the majority wants to abide God's law by prohibiting gay "marriage." That has been clearly made evident by judicial rulings. We have allowed the judiciary exceptional powers to make our laws contrary to the Constitution's admonition of representation. They have and continue to dictate what will and will not be the law. We have become a nation of the minority, not the majority.

Second, is this issue worth our energy? A savvy battle commander will pick the time and place of his battles. Is fighting this issue the best way to defend the sanctity of the family? Our responsibility is to our family. Would our energy and resources be better used strengthening those we love that they can contend with and survive what is coming?

Third, gay unions are for selfish reasons (self-gratification). Now that they are gaining the "rights" attending defined marriage, they also reap the rewards of divorce, alimony, child support, custody battles, division of property, and the privilege of providing lawyers another source of income.

Fourth, God has said through his Prophets that in the last days, before the Second Coming of the Messiah, Satan will rule, and the earth will go to hell in a hand basket. (my interpretation, while LDS scripture paints a nicer picture - 2 Nephi 27.1-2)

Frankly, I don't see anything the majority is capable of doing to stem this progression short of a revolution starting with the reduction of power held in the judiciary. But then, Sean O'Connery's character in The Hunt For Red October made an interesting statement. "A revolution now and then may not be so bad."

As for me and my family, we will follow the Lord. As patriarch, it is my responsibility to see to the welfare and survival of my family. I will use my resources and energy to guide and protect my family in ways other than fighting a losing battle on the larger field. We will dig our trenches and hold our ground. It is not my place to save the world, but to preserve my family's place in the eternities with the Lord.

Off all the stupid things on the Internet, I had to share this.

2011-06-14T23:06:00.000-07:00

While walking down the street I was accosted by a particularly dirty and shabby-looking homeless woman who asked me for a couple of dollars for dinner.

I took out my wallet, got out ten dollars and asked,'If I give you this money, will you buy chocolate with it instead of dinner?'

'No, I had to stop eating chocolate years ago', the homeless woman told me.

'Will you use it to go shopping instead of buying food?' I asked.

'No, I don't waste time shopping,' the homeless woman said. 'I need to spend all my time trying to stay alive.'

'Will you spend this on a beauty salon instead of food?' I asked..

'Are you NUTS!' replied the homeless woman. I haven't had my hair done in 20 years!'

'Well, I said, 'I'm not going to give you the money.. Instead, I'm going to take you out for dinner with my husband and me tonight.'

The homeless Woman was shocked. 'Won't your husband be furious with you for doing that? I know I'm dirty, and I probably smell pretty disgusting.'

I said,'That's okay. It's important for him to see what a woman looks like after she has given up shopping, hair appointments, and chocolate.'

Picking on teenagers - again.

2011-05-30T10:14:00.000-07:00

I am not sorry in the slightest. I like to pick on teenagers. I was one once and was picked on. What goes around, turns around.

Take a long look at this survey result. What does it tell you about people's perception on responsibility.

I'm still chortling. We old folk knew it all along.

Monday, May 30, 2011

2011-05-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day: There is an article in the Fresno newspaper this morning where WW-II vets recount how terrible war was (is), at seeing their friends killed, maimed, and wounded; how some found it so gruesome that (at least in the Air Corps) they grounded themselves. Then there was my dad.

During WW-II air crews completed a certain number of missions then rotated back to the States. Harland became seriously ill and was hospitalized, missing the last couple missions before his crew left. Finally recovering, he had the opportunity to go home with them, but chose not to. He wanted to finish the number of allotted missions. He had a sense of duty and a sense of commitment. That's why he was on board a bomber serving as a gunner instead of navigator when the aircraft apparently lost an engine on takeoff and crashed. Fully loaded with bombs, it exploded upon impact.

Yes, war is hell incarnate. It is callouse, unforgiving, and brutal, but men continued to fight on and endure because they have a sense of duty, knowing that if they dodn't, the lives of their families (mom, dad, younger siblings, wife, child) would be in danger. Some are willing to put their self in front of an enemy to shield those they love. Some don't.

To recall the words of another engaged in a deadly war of survival hundreds of years ago, he went into battle with a flag that said:

Amen.

Can a human fall 4 miles without a parachute ... and live?

2011-05-11T23:11:00.000-07:00

The following incident is related on Wikipedia for St. Nazaire, France:

The U-boat threat to supply convoys across the Atlantic made Saint-Nazaire a constant target of Allied air forces. In the face of determined Luftwaffe fighter opposition to the daylight raids by USAAF Eighth Air Force bombers. On 3 January 1943 Col. Curtis LeMay led 85 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress's of the 1st Bombardment Wing against the U-Boat pens at Saint-Nazaire, on the Eighth Air Force's sixth raid against the facility. LeMay also introduced the combat box defensive formation, echeloning three-plane elements within a squadron, and squadrons within a group, to concentrate defensive firepower against fighter opposition. Only 76 aircraft found and hit the target, and during the mission seven bombers were shot down and 47 damaged.

The damaged aircraft included the seventh B-17 mission of Staff Sergeant Alan Magee, from which Luftwaffe fighters shot off a section of the right wing causing the aircraft to enter a deadly spin. Wounded ball turret gunner Magee leapt from the plane without a parachute, rapidly losing consciousness due to the altitude. Magee fell over four miles before crashing through the glass roof of the St. Nazaire railway station, which mitigated Magee's impact. Found alive on the floor of the station, Magee was taken prisoner of war and given medical treatment by his captors. He had 28 shrapnel wounds, several broken bones, severe damage to his nose and eye, and lung and kidney damage; and his right arm was nearly severed. Magee was liberated in May 1945 and received the Air Medal for meritorious conduct and the Purple Heart. He was later featured in the Smithsonian Magazine as one of the ten most remarkable survivals of World War II.

I guess at this point the only thing I can add is, "Believe it, or not."

y+(y-1)=T

2011-04-23T22:35:00.000-07:00

          Time is like a train steadily carrying us forward. We can not walk back through the cars to our past, nor can we walk forward to arrive in our future any sooner. We are locked to the present. We are who we are because of the choices we made, and we can not prevent those choices from changing what will happen to us.

          This is an interesting philosophy to which I do not totally subscribe. It negates the past as if those things were inconsequential. Our past did not exist in isolation. It helped shape the choices we made in our yesterdays right and the choices we make up to this moment which can alter the future. Our past is the summation of who we are at this very instant.

          During early life I was affected by the teachings of my mother. She was influenced by the teachings of her mother and father. Events and choices she made prior to my birth modified those things. Her parents were also influenced by their parents which were then modified by life experiences. And so it goes back, car by car in a very long train.

         Today (T) I am the summation of all my yesterdays (y+(y-1)) . . . plus all the days that came before I was born.

         Understanding this concept, I can look at my core values, my foundation, and see how they may have been modified by life's experiences and choices. In that way I can come to know who I am and understand why I act the way I do. It is not possible to predict all things that will happen tomorrow, but with that knowledge it is possible to predict with fair accuracy how I will respond to future events.

         For instance, my mother held strong, Christian values learned from her parents. Those values were passed on to me at a very early age. In turn, they became modified by choosing to reshape my Judeao-Christian beliefs.

         As an example, in the religion I was taught by my mother, drinking alcohol was not a sin. Twenty-one was the legal drinking age. I drank. Then I chose to associate with a Christian group that asked its members to refrain from drinking. I accepted that tenant. Add to that a workaholic-ethic niche in my foundation reinforced over time. I am also a creature of habit. I get up and start work by 8:30 and take a lunch break somewhere around one or two in the afternoon at which time I typically get out of the house to mingle with people either by “window shopping” or driving to a fast food shop for a Diet Coke. Therefore, I can pretty well predict that I will be driving in public tomorrow afternoon, and if involved in a automobile accident my blood-alcohol level will not be a factor.

         If tomorrow I come upon a person trapped in a burning car, I will jump to help them. That may sound stupid and dangerous except that during my life I chose to be a police officer, therefore have both the skills and knowledge of what to do. My presence mostly likely was the result of luck, both for the victim and myself. My foundation is that I am forever the Good Samaritan with a few skills added to help.

         I really don't worry too much about what will happen tomorrow except in very general ways, but understand that what I did yesterday, coupled with the things I do today, will likely set the stage and prepare for how I act tomorrow. As the person on the train, I just add today's things to my suitcase, ready for whatever comes.

A few thoughts about my enforcement career

2011-04-23T10:51:00.000-07:00

I never thought about this, but my policing area in Wyoming covered about 4,000 square miles - almost four times the size of Rhode Island, and that was spread over the entire eastern third of Wyoming. My immediate area was about 780 contiguous square miles, a bit small compared to many western counties in the US, but certainly larger than any city except metro areas like Denver.

Policing an area like this is entirely different than in a city. For one, there aren't many people involved and the problems very different except for things like family disturbances. Yes, the challenges are very different. While most of my enforcement career was away from city life, I did work in that environment for several years, so have a little understanding of the challenges and dangers.

For one, if I were to say that I encountered a bear, in the city that would mean a large, hairy man. Where I primarily worked, that meant the four-legged kind capable of running 35 mph uphill and the only escape was up a tree or to outrun your companion. As a young man I broke the state record for the 100 yard dash so climbing a tree was not a necessary alternative. Besides, some bears can climb trees, too. Bears are relatively predictable. Moose are not. Badgers are. So are Eagles unless coming too close to the nest. The only escape is into a thick stand of trees.

Over the years I came to understand that my totem or personal spiritual animal helper has been the bear which explains why my encounters with them was always cordial and non-confrontational - and there have been many. In one instance while on assignment in California, a bear visited the camping area of Native Americans fighting a forest fire. (We had about six crews of 30 each in this one area) I went down and recognized him immediately as one who hung out in the area, but had not been aggressive. Still . . . "Woofer" as I called him, was a tan-colored bear of size (350-400 lbs.) with a tuft of white hair on the withers (where the shoulders meet). I had the camp area cleared and talked to him a moment, telling him there wasn't anything of interest (food) here and to move on, he was scaring people. Woofer moved on through the camp with me about fifty feet to the side and slightly behind. That was the last I saw of him and we were in the area for several weeks. That incident certainly ratcheted up my prestige with the Indians. One does not mess with a bear's "brother".

Another difference (and this has changed), I rarely carried a weapon other than my mind and my mouth. Having a Black Belt in Judo was a handy weapon, but only used it once and that was long after retiring. Luck played a role on a couple occasions so that I am able to write this today. What hasn't changed is that a partner is somewhere else and hopefully in an area where the radio is working.

Still another difference is my area of jurisdiction - where my authority to enforce laws extended. Simply stated, the entire United States. That was something a few people did not understand. For some reason they thought to commit a crime in Wyoming and be safe returning home. Unlike civil authorities, the Federal government doesn't mess with extradition between states.

Some young men attending a technical school at Laramie thought it would be fun to climb a hill and shoot a pistol into a lake below. The problem were the people fishing there put in danger. The boys were arrested, found guilty, and given work release rather than jail time - a mutual agreement between me and the judge. (With my legal degree, I also represented the government in court) Two of the four didn't complete their sentence and left. One returned to school and found himself in a serious pile of wet cow pies with the judge. The second guy thought to stay in Chicago, and never return to Wyoming, and be safe. Safe, that is, until the United States Marshals knocked on his door. He had a choice. Return to Wyoming within 24 hours or leave with them in handcuffs. He drove back the 900 miles and just made it.

Another man was cited for leaving a campfire burning and did not pay the fine. The Marshals removed him from his place of work - the Internal Revenue Office in Washington, D.C. - in handcuffs. (The Marshals REALLY enjoyed that one). For convenience he was brought before the local US Magistrate. His humiliation and fine were not pretty, but I doubt anyone in that office would leave a campfire burning or fail to pay any fines - ever.

The most potentially dangerous moment was in June of 1984. I received a phone call from a forest visitor wondering why men in military uniforms were hiding behind trees with guns. (Actually camouflage) I called the police and sheriff offices in both Laramie and Cheyenne and the MP at the Air Force Base in Cheyenne to see if their people were doing any training in the area. Normally they let me know. They weren't, so the Laramie Sheriff and I planned to drive up to investigate until he had to investigate a serious car accident some distance north and something else came up requiring my attention. On June 18th, Denver attorney and liberal talkshow host, Alan Berg, was gunned down in his driveway by a white nationalist group called The Order.

Subsequent investigations revealed that members of The Order had been staying in a safe house (across and down the street from where I lived, no less) and had used the forest area to practice prior to the attack. No telling what might have happened if the Sheriff and I had stumbled onto them. Well, no doubt I would not be writing this. What upset me most was that the Laramie PD and FBI knew about these guys and never said a word. The Sheriff and I did. Although done quietly, they felt the heat.

Just a bit of reminiscing and now you know why my blog is protected by a bear.

Cali drivers - It Ain't Them

2011-04-10T21:33:00.000-07:00

When I was in southern Utah for a while we drove north on I-70 quite often for business and family. During several trips a car would come up behind, follow close, then flash their lights for me to get out of the way. I was taught proper by my folks to always respect the elderly and humor the mentally challenged, and always slow down for such folk. Invariably the flashers would pass, show their gang IQ level, and pull ahead, revealing their license plate. California! I came to dislike Cali drivers and that feeling was added upon by encounters in northern Nevada. Then I went to California to work while staying with my wife. I was to become a California driver ??!

I very quickly learned that drivers in Central California are quite adept at maneuvering in heavy traffic AND they are courteous. Need to change lanes in heavy traffic and there is only one and one-half car lengths? Be my guest. No honking, no flashing lights, no gang sign, and unlike folks in Nevada and Utah, they don't speed up to close the gap thereby preventing you from making the change.

Now I found myself driving quite a bit between Barsow, CA and Las Vegas on I-15, it's back to light flashing if you aren't going 15 over the speed limit. My initial mistake was blaming all Calif folk for the misdeeds of those folk who live on the coast. Their rude, arrogant, and stupid behavior must be the result of stress - so much traffic, and the constant threat of earthquakes. That would scorch anyone's mind.

Soon my wife's work took her to San Diego and I tagged along, never one to miss a chance at the beach to sunburn my eyeballs. However, that put me in the middle of fruitcakeland, and sure 'nough, I'm moving along at 50 mph, following 100 cars also doing 50 when a car comes up from behind and flashes her lights. (Yes it was a woman. When they are that close to your back window it's not difficult to make a positive ID). So, what was I supposed to do? I wouldn't anyway. Finally a space opened in the right lane and she jumped on it, passed, and cut back in front of me. She gained two car lengths. She kept doing that until safely out of my area. However, to my surprise, the Cadillac bore a New Jersey license. All this time I have been making harsh judgments on the behavior of one group of people based on generalities and blaming California drivers as being the most idiotic in the United States, when all along it's folk from Jersey.

You can imagine my embarrassment

April Goals Check Up and Monopolies

2011-03-27T21:19:00.000-07:00

At the first of the year I set eleven goals for the year. Setting is easy. Going forward with them is another thing. To make them something more than wishes one needs to make a monthly progress report. That I have done and can say that in some things I have been successful, some things were a bit too ambitious, and some things are not looking good. I was cagey, however. I built in six months leeway so that the too ambitious can still be achieved this year and there is still time to turn the ugly around. The upshot is that goals are good and keeps one focused.

As for the T-Mobile / AT&T merger, I am still dead set against it while the money mongers continue to tout how great it is and how the government will eventually approve the deal. That sounds suspiciously like "we'll wear them down," "we'll make the deal sweet enough regulators just can't resist." How much chocolate ??

A commercial aired again tonight on TV where T-Mobile claims it's rates and service are much superior to AT&T. Between them is a guy without a shirt who went with AT&T. Well, guaranteed, they become one, the poor fool will loose his trousers as well.

While at it, I have been a supporter of the Republican party since I knew what a Republican was, about six or seven. I put up posters for Isenhower. (My doing not promoted by my parents.) My parents were Republicans and that organization always mirrored my political philosophy of conservatism. That's sixty years. I am so disappointed at what they represent today and the childish way they act that I am withdrawing support. Tea Party? No, I am not into radicalism. Independent works. I will support that candidate which nears my beliefs and to hell with any national organization. They've prostituted themselves to the money/power mongers. Let them lie in bed with one another without my blessing. Besides, maybe a few more years of Democratic rule will move us closer to the last days a bit faster.

Release the Kraken!

2011-03-22T11:48:00.000-07:00

I awoke this morning with a start, peppered by a cold sweat. Yes, the window was open, but that wasn't the problem. It was a hellish nightmare.

The scene opened finding me standing next to a stream running the length of a wide, green valley. On the other side was a great army headed by this warrior with humongous muscles. No, it wasn't Goliath. It was Conan the Barbarian of the two colored eyes. One eye was green and the other red. Upon looking closer I could see the green eye's pupil was shaped like a dollar sign ($), and the red pupil pulsed like an over-heated, nuclear reactor.

Looking behind me to see what resources were available to help protect me from this power-starved creature, I was nearly trampled as people rushed forward holding cell phones in front of themselves and prostrating at Conan's feet.

With no other choice I tossed my cell phone (underhand) at Conan and walked away to take up residency in a little, one-room hut on a deserted island on another planet in a solar system far, far away.

Okay. It was strange, but dreams tend to be that way because of what brought this premonition to the screen on the back of my eye lids. I wish it could be attributed to the cabbage on pumpernickel sandwich, but it was the result of reading about the intended merger of AT&T with T-Mobile.

In a time, long, long ago, there came into being a great power that grew to enormous proportions. This power was affectionately called, "Mother Bell" or "Ma Bell" for short. This mother came to be the communications service for the country, but then came an incredible revolution and mother was hacked to pieces. But like any good creature, the pieces morphed into different communications devices bringing on the advent of the cell phone. What a tremendous boon to the people, but while the people became infatuated with this new device and what it could do, no one noticed how all the pieces of mother were slowly reforming until we had four - Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile. Now AT&T and T-Mobile want to merge, and we have allowed ourselves to be so powerless to only watch as poor, little Sprint will be eaten alive, leaving us with only two communications providers.

As our family wanted to remain in contact with family, friends, and business, we looked at what was available. Cell phones were the future. Sprint was comic relief so we went with Verizon. It was good, at first, until the service faltered. No matter where I was located, or where the person I wanted to talk to was located, there was an echo. Have you ever tried to carry on a conversation while listening to what you just said being repeated as the other party is responding? We complained - repeatedly -, and upgraded - repeatedly -, to no avail. To add insult to injury, we found ourselves out of "area of service" more often than not and into the high-priced world of "roaming." We opted out of the contract several months early.

That left us only one alternative, T-Mobile because AT&T had even less service area than Verizon. (Sprint was still doing comic relief in the foyer). We have been happy - broke - but happy. However, I am now feeling Conan's clammy fingers wrapping around my throat. Bigger is not necessarily better. It only leads to more power in the hands of a few, and with that, one throws competition to the insatiable corporate hounds. And, with no competition, the corporate generals will feast at the trough of publicly-financed wealth, satisfying their red eye with power and their green eye with our money. This merger will leave little choice except to genuflect at their feet, or find a little, one-room hut on a deserted island on another planet in a solar system far, far away. (Or perhaps in central Canada - same difference.)

Next Time Listen to the Leprechaun

2011-03-18T12:47:00.000-07:00

Incoming! Big Sur on a calm day, St. Paddy's 2011.

Our family left Fresno and too much work to spend the day on the CA coast, specifically at McWay Falls south of Monterey on US-1. It was St. Paddy's Day and my son wanted to celebrate by going to diner at an Irish Pub. We kinda bottomed out on both.

First, we stopped at Mission San Juan Bautista, an old California mission on the El Camino Real, part of a chain to inflict Spanish-style religion, slavery, and disease upon the indigenous peoples.

Our next stop was Salinas for gas. Costco there doesn't have gas, so I set the GPS for Sand City just north of Monterey. It took us out the back door and "off-road", a 1-1/2 car-wide, paved road that eventually got us back onto a highway, then south toward Paso Robles. Looking back at this fiasco I can see the Leprechaun traveling with us knew something we didn't.

After an hour and a half we finally got back on the right track and headed south on US-1 to the falls. About ten or fifteen miles short of our destination the road was blocked - and will be permanently. US-1 is no more. It seems a 150 ft. chunk fell into the ocean overnight and was still crumbling. Undaunted, we turned back and took pics of Big Sur. My son and I went down to the beach as the tide was out and grabbed some shots - he a lot more than mw, I'm not as nimble as 20 years ago, but Hey! after heart surgery, back surgery, arthritis, and obesity, I did well climbing down and up the stairs and onto a rock, just to prove there is a bit of cub left in the ol' bear.

From there we headed back into Monterey, spotted some Condors flying around a convent just south of Carmel, drove to Monterey for a couple pics, and back to Carmel to an Irish Pub. It was their first St. Paddy Day party and they were overwhelmed. We had a Diet Coke, listened to some Irish music and drove back to the Monterey wharf for an Americanized version of fish & chips dinner. With that, we came home.

Had we listened to our Leprechaun guide we would have seen the falls, but not the silly people in green plastic hats and geeky green ties. Critics abroad don't understand all the fuss we make this side of the pond, but St. Paddy's Day is for music, socializing, Guinness, and most importantly remembering our roots - at least those of us who can honestly say our forefathers and mothers came from Ireland and Scotland. (There were a lot of Scots at the bash as the Irish turn out for the Highland games.)

Our Beloved Welfare State - Don't Tread on Me

2011-03-05T20:31:00.000-08:00

People are really beginning to cry big tears as budget cuts are proposed to save local, state and Federal governments. How did we get into this mess? Just to mention a few: Unions demanding, lobbying, and getting too much; organizations and politicians with pet projects and pie-in-the-sky plans; individuals who only saw wants and not needs; greedy bankers seeking bailouts for lousy management; the list just go on.

The result is that governments are broke and the tab is due.

Going down are things like National Public Radio, Head Start, State parks, etc., etc., etc. But we can't lose stuff like that! Yes we can. When papa says their ain't no money that means - there ain't no money. So what do I hear? Don't cut me! Don't cut me! Dont' cut me! Lobby, lobby, lobby, petition, petition, petition ad nausea.

Well, folks, if your program is so dang important to the salvation of the world, then do what thousands of people across the country have had to do at home - find a way to make ends meet. Stop crying, get off your duff, and get creative.

Harsh words for harsh times.

So, You want to be a publisher

2011-02-25T14:41:00.000-08:00

The ability to produce blogs and Internet magazines has sprouted faster than mushrooms in my native Wyoming forests. As with the fungi, some of these electronic offerings are palitable, some are not. It is not my place to make judgements for others. People are given agency to decide what is an epicurean delight or a poison. Blogging is journaling and really doesn't have format rules, although writers would do well to follow some. I put forth here a few simple suggestions regarding Internet publishing in general.

1. When calling for submissions from others, understand that the publishing industry standard is .doc. If your word processor can not handle a .doc or .odt file then it would be wise to request the author to submit in a format your equipment can handle. Perhaps .rtf (Rich text file).

2. The industry standard for publishing is the Chicago Style Manual. The newest editions address electronic booking. There's a lot packed between the covers regarding everything from layout to grammar, things that were not taught in school or forgotten.

3. When requesting a submission, line out your format requirements or direct the author to a website detailing the format. Amazing how much time and aspirin that saves everyone involved.

This is pretty basic stuff, but folks not familiar with the publishing industry can find themselves out on the proverbial limb and having it sawn off. (The print/broadcast media style can only confuse publishing neophytes, not that there aren't some good things that can be brought into formal publishing). Content alone can not save a fledgling publication. It may have all the looks, bells and whistles, but if it can not attract worthy authors . . . well, better luck next time.

Customer Service - Phoey!

2011-02-18T12:44:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the commercial about the guy speaking with a thick accent in a room full of telephones in the middle of Siberia, and he's customer service? IT'S TRUE ! @%$&*! (For all you teckies, that mean WTF in polite settings) I know it's a plot to discourage people from trying to get information. Two different companies, 4 levels of automatic menus each, and two foreign-speaking people. That only took 65 minutes of time today. And what's with the cutsey Americanized first names - Jessica? Roberta? Can't they pick something more in line with the service they offer? Just once I'd like someone to answer and tell the truth - Hello. My name is Olga Frauhoussen. How may I service you today?

2011-02-15T20:16:00.000-08:00

Busy week and it's only Tuesday. Now starting by 8:30 and wrapping up by . . . well, late. Sometimes 2 a.m. Depends on what's happening and when my brain gets tired. This past week it has been getter more tired than usual because of what I've done to myself computer-wise. So many duplications and I spent several hours (and still have some to go) sorting, trashing, and combining.
I spent ALL of Sat. doing genealogy research mostly using Insight, then at midnight it stopped mounting. Well, I find out Sun. p.m. that I needed to renew the license. You'd think they would eMail a customer about that. They didn't. Just shut it off. That got them a stern letter about customer service. It's back and running. Actually, it should not have expired until Mar 1. That's when I renewed last year while at the St. George gen. fair.
Back to editing the pirate II. Because I had so many copies filed around, I was working on one I thought was right. It wasn't and ended up having to compare and consolodate changes from two files. What a headache, and I mean that literally, but that's done and I'm heading for the finishing line.
Still messing with Smashwords on Beaver Creek. They needed some minor changes to the copyright page (and I do mean minor) which I submitted, but heavens knows where that went. Ended up resubmitting again today. If they don't approve it, then we will have to talk. It's like the last time with an errant "1" on the page I could not find on the original. Mark, the owner, was in Australia and he managed to correct it. This time it's not making the author name bold (it is) and stating my copyright (it is). So, don't know what's going on over there.
David's back to blogging, sort of. He's been playing with a couple sites and finally decided on Tumbler. Hope he continues. He has one interesting life.
With Jayne "working" from home . . . which has been reading novels . . . it has been a challenge. When she finally decides to come into the office to work, she plays solitaire and reads her eMails, having to make comments all the time. That's okay, but I'm in the middle of edits, trying to concentrate and keep the plot in mind so not to make mistakes. Yes, I often take time out to answer the phone because one or the other and sometimes all of the kids are having issues and need someone to talk to. I have no choice but to stop. But for nonsense, give me a break. I had to leave this afternoon and take a hike to the mailbox just to keep my cool. I was right square in the middle of a major scene change and had to keep my concentration or get things all messed up. As it is, I'll have to re-read it again this evening.
Oh, and one other things to bitch about. My cowboy picture fell off the wall. Sticky tack - in fact all sticky stuff - has been working about as well as Jello. And why does this system just stop? I type and nothing happens, then it shows all of a sudden. I'll have a whole line of text typed before it snaps back. Apparently not a computer day - or week - or month for that matter.

Politically Incorrect: Gimme, gimme, gimme

2011-02-04T13:14:00.000-08:00

Gov. Jerry Brown, the professional politician who has spent his life feeding from the public trough, has announced plans to cut $32 million from the state budge that went to local/county fairs. You got it. California is toying with bankruptcy and this special interest is crying because sugar daddy is broke.

I'm really miffed by this behavior.They claim to make all this money for the local economy, well, if the fair is so important to the local economy, then the locals need to pony up or cut back and tighten up. Let's get fiscally responsible here.

Free Art? Unheard of!

2011-02-04T11:43:00.000-08:00

"Francis Ford Coppola said, "You have to remember that it’s only a few hundred years, if that much, that artists are working with money. Artists never got money. Artists had a patron … as we enter into a new age, maybe art will be free. … Who says artists have to make money?"

I'm 67 years old. I've been writing since high school, but recently turned to those books I've always wanted to get out. I don't expect to earn money, nor at this age do I need it--thank you retirement funds. I'd give my work away, except the publisher model forces me to charge a minimum to have my stuff listed on some electronic sites. Whatever. So I can take my wife to a movie now and then. Point: maybe art should be free. Certainly the gift to create was free.

Compiling a History of US

2011-01-25T10:40:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure where I picked up my love of history, maybe from my dad. Maybe it's in my genetic string. My favorite classes were History and I drifted into Archaelogy for a time with a focus on Meso-America, with an interested eye on Middle-Eastern history, too. Some of my first non-fiction writings were history tomes, and history creeps into my fiction, not just to use, but to enlighten.

That interest is probably why I enjoy genealogy. Frustrations and rewards aside, I'm not into it just for gathering names and dates. I append material to individuals. Some of my ancestors have extensive things written about them while others do not. For them, I gather what is known about the time they lived and things about where they lived. That often gives hints to what their undocumented life may have been like.

To accomplish this collecting, there are a number of genealogy programs. I've used a couple, but return to my favorite - PAF, Personal Ancestory File which was distributed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

The first thing I like about the program? It free. In a world where you can't turn around without someone trying to pick hard-earned (and often hard-to-come-by) cash out one's pocket. Just look at the eMails, snail-mail, phone calls, and door visits. They make getting anything done very difficult, requiring one's hands to cover the wallet and not a keyboard. Free is refreshing.

Second, it's simple. I like simple. Don't get me wrong. Learning new things has never turned me off. I began using computers in 1968 and learning about and using the Internet for research before 95% of the people even knew about. That was in 1990. My wife and I were a little slow in acquiring a home computer. That was in 1980 when we purchased a used, Osborn O-1. That was in the days one had to learn lines of code to get anything done. I was one of the first to bring a laptop (the O-1) into the law library for research.

First it was DOS. When Ossie died we acquired an HP with Windows and traveled that road to XP. My association with that system stalled right there. Being cautious, I stood back and watch one Windows fiasco follow another until my computer-geek son had me migrate to Linux/Ubuntu. That was like going back to using line codes like DOS, but recognized something. It's now one slick program - and it's free.

Our family is computer poor. Right now there are four setting in my office, an old Dell-based unit my son put together when he was a teenager. I just re-formated it to run both Linux and Windows. There's an old HP (I have a hard time throwing away something until it's absolutely used up). It was our last Windows-purchased machine and runs XP. Right now, that handles my genealogy and some graphics work for my publishing business.

Workhorse #1 is a Linux-based computer my son built. No, it's no longer the fastest thing on the block, but handles everything I throw at it faster than I often care to work. It also has Windows XP, again only for some publishing work since the industry is stuck on Word. (My Linux expert son was asked to test Windows 7. He hates Windows, but gave it a favorable review. After what MS unleashed on the world as a XP upgrade, doing dental work in the mouth of a Grizzly bear sans novacaine was more fun. I have not upgraded because the overall program is "fat", containing too many bells and whistles I wouldn't use, therefore, a waste of space.)

Workhorse #2 is a Toshiba laptop. The wife has a Toshiba lappy, of her own, plus a Toshiba lappy from work. Believe it or not, some publishing and research projects have two, sometimes three machines going at the same time.

Anyway, I digressed. Simple is important in this world or one's life can become consumed and not get anything important accomplished. PAF is no longer being openly promoted. Maybe the for-profit folks were instrumental in getting it buried, but PAF will always be around. The sad thing is that new researchers will have to dig for it like I did while an Archaeologist. And maybe, hopefully, someone will care enough for keeping things simple, to occasionally tweak it - although I'm not sure what more a person would want it to archive.

As for the new wave of web-based programs, all they do is collect names and dates. They don't allow for us to learn about these peoples' lives - their accomplishments and failures, joys and sorrows - as a reminder of what they endured to produce - US.

Plenty to Say That's Not Good

2010-12-31T19:43:00.000-08:00

I was a cop for many years, starting out as a radio dispatcher and retiring as an area chief for a Federal agency with 170 officers. We took our job seriously and the results were obvious. In the ten years I prosecuted an average of 500 cases and lost zero. Our relations with the public was good, and the bad guys didn't like us. In short we were successful because we cared.

I can't say that about the police department of Tucson, AZ. If what I have been told is any indication of how they operate, they deserve to be run out of town on a rail.

Last night my son's convertible was parked outside his gated apartment with a security guard. A six-inch foot print on the trunk suggests a child was used, probably to make entry into the vehicle after the back window was cut out. Taken was an old computer that is basically useless because of its configuration. They also attempted to steal the radio, but only managed to break the housing. Total damages? About $1600. There were at least two other vehicles broken into that night in the complex.

When the police were called, they gave my son a report number and refused to come out. At least one felony and possibly three and nothing? That is the most disgusting exhibition of law enforcement I've ever seen. It is a humiliation to all serious police officers around the country.

A warning to this department of amateurs and city fathers (and mothers): Continue on that path and the people will do one of two things (if not both). Vote those responsible out of office and/or form vigilante groups to protect themselves as the police are obviously not willing to do it.

I'm Caucasian -- If That Matters

2010-12-06T17:01:00.000-08:00

A freelance journalist recently requested information concerning the apparent, steady increase in the number of college students opting not to declare themselves as part of a specific racial group. Apparently wants to write an article. It would be interesting to know the answer. All I can do is reflect on why I dislike disclosing such information.

I am caucasian not WHITE. There is no such distinction with the exception of White Russians, therefore, whoever wrote the form is an uneducated idiot.
I was an adult when the race riots ripped this country. The other day I saw a historical bit of a woman waiving her Bible and declaring segregation the will of God. I wanted to throw up. Anyone who has the gall to spout that or any racial garbage will find me in their face, fists clenched.
Collecting information on racial lines for the purpose of giving special treatment is a form of segregation.
Treating others different based on their race, color, or ethnic background is against most religious tenants and laws, but supported by liberal social engineers.

I could go on, but you can gather I have a hot button about his topic with a hair trigger. I was raised in a racist society and shedding that coat has been an uphill battle with success. I am not an Obama fan, but every time some dolt mentions he is Black, I have to look and say, “Well, so he is.” It just doesn't occur to me except that I'd sure like to have a tan that color without flirting with skin cancer.

That said, I am a racist. When someone uses their economic, ethnic, or genetic status to abuse the system for gain raises my ire. I counseled a woman recently with an under-payed, working husband, two teens who could work but instead keep getting kicked out of school for drug violations, and a deadbeat, still at home, non-working, adult child. Her comment, “I've got to find a job. My unemployment is about to run out.” (After two years). Job hunting was a pitiful attempt that lasted two days. “Oh, poor me, I'm ----. Give me food and money to stay home and watch TV.” Any wonder I walked away and have no intentions of returning.

I am all for the position that people who genuinely need help to get back on their feet should receive it, but God and this writer helps those who are willing to help themselves in return.

This position puts me in the minority, but there is no box to check to declare that.

An Act of Espionage

2010-11-30T20:21:00.000-08:00

A young man in Australia believes people have the right to know everything government does. No so. We elect people to administer our governmental affairs and that often must be done in secrecy. We have to have some trust in their judgement. What he did was collect classified/secret documents and transmit them to hostile governments. In short, he has committed an act of espionage. It is the duty and responsibility of the American government to gather its facts, file criminal charges, and bring this man and those who conspired with him to trial. While we no longer hang such people, perhaps that page should be revisited. We are in a state of war and such acts must be stopped.

As an update, Amazon has withdrawn distribution service to WikiLeaks. As a result, Amazon has come under fire from mis-informed people citing the US 1st Amendment regarding freedom of speech.

The US Constitution protects freedom of speech, but not espionage - the gathering and transmitting of classified documents to enemy nations. Anyone who knowingly provides transmition of such documents is also liable. Backers of WikiLeaks should go beyond what they or their buddies think the Constitution says and get into it. And in case they haven't noticed, the US and its allies are at war. WikiLeaks has compounded their crime and could be tried as enemy combatants.

Is Marriage Really Necessary?

2010-11-22T12:11:00.000-08:00

A Time Magazine article asserts marriage is out of style, and asks: Is the current marital paradigm outdated, outmoded? Has it outlived its usefulness?

When we visualize marriage, what comes forth is a picture of two beautiful people becoming united under sanction by a political entity. It was not always that way. Before 1600 the elite entered into marriage by contract or treaty. Sometimes this was sanctioned by the Pope via letter. For everyone else, marriage was typically two people exchanging pledges of loyalty and unity with one another so that they could live, work, procreate, and survive under a common roof. This approach disturbed the religious community to the point that the Council of Trent (24^th Session) issued a decree in 1563 that marriages should be celebrated in the presence of a priest and at least two witnesses. (1)

During the mid 1950's the world supposedly entered the Age of Aquarius, or The New Age. To address this issue solely from an astrological perspective can put one's foot on a very slippery slope, however, there are some interesting observations which surface from this ancient perspective.

The New Age seems to have sprouted in the turbulent soil of the 60's and 70's. At that time the hippie movement was seen as a phenomenon, however, in retrospect it was the harbinger of a change in values that we see today. The young free-thinkers of that time are now the generation in power, and being liberal is more than a political ideology.

Robert Zoller, (2) a proponent of New Age medieval astrology has suggested that the Age of Pisces (recently past) was a world where religion was the opiate of the masses. With the arrival of Aquarius the world will be ruled by secretive power-hungry elites seeking absolute power over others. Families will dissolve completely, or family ties will be hidden, and knowledge will only be valued for its ability to win wars.

Another astrological observer, Neil Spencer, (3) believes that the rise of scientific rationalism will be combined with the fall of religion. There will be a dummy-down of the media, increased consumerism, and greedy international corporations preying upon the people. Other attributes would be nonconformity, and irresolution.

The scary part of these observations is that this seems to be things we see today, and for society in general, potentially disastrous. Whether marriage is entered into formally with the blessing of the state/religion, or by the mutual exchange of pledges as prior to 1600, it has always been a symbol of a commitment to stability. Without this, what do we have? Single parents struggling to survive financially and physically (increased welfare support); children lacking the guidance and support of a father in the home, feeling the lack of security, thus seeking it by other means (gangs); loss of direction and purpose of life, and loss of commitment (keeping a job).

Returning to the question: Is marriage out of style – is it outdated, outmoded. Has it outlived its usefulness? God help us if it has, for in whatever form, marriage is the foundation to human survival. With the arrival of the Age of Aquarius, civilization could be put underwater until it drowns. Survival is the steady lifeboat of marriage, in whatever form.

******************

See the 24^th Session in The Council of Trent: The canons and decrees of the sacred and ecumenical Council of Trent, Ed. and trans. J. Waterworth (London: Dolman, 1848) Available in the Hanover College Historical Texts Project, http://history.hanover.edu/project.html
Robert Zoller, "The Use of Archetypes in Prediction", The FAA Journal, September 2002 Volume 32 No 3 (Federation of Australian Astrologers), pp. 37-53.
Neil Spencer, True as the Stars Above, 2000, pp. 126-7.

Bill H. Moore is a former journalist and contributor to international journals. He now heads Celtic Publications of Nevada and the author of several novels.

Are We Whining?

2010-11-12T23:12:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week a Carnival cruise ship had problems in an engine room and became dead in the water a couple hundred miles off the coast of Mexico. No danger. The US Navy just happened to be playing in the area, but it took four days to tow the ship back to port. Having been on Carnival cruises, I know that the crew did everything humanly possible for the passengers, and in the end, the company treated them pretty well.
Some problems the passengers endured were no working toilets for a time, no air conditioning, no lights, and a shortage of food for a brief time, then long lines to eat. After all, 4500 people are a lot of mouths to stuff. However, it sounds like there was a lot of whining going on.
These folk should have learned a good lesson here. Millions of people live in similar situations in differing parts of the world. I could take you to places where potable water is only available because an American religious institution sent people and equipment to put in a well. The well is operated by hand/foot pumps, or electricity when the generator runs. Electric power is available only when the generator runs, which is not all that long because gasoline must be transported in cans by foot over roads impassible to vehicles. Showers? That's a sponge bath from a bucket. Toilet? A bucket and shovel. I could go on, but you get the idea. By our cushy standards, it's not easy.
The difference is that these people don't whine about their situation, but grateful for what they have.
Have a good Thanksgiving - and make it count for something.

This Should Result in Lots of Hate Mail

2010-11-10T11:11:00.000-08:00

More than a few people are going to find this offensive. So be it. The other day someone was kind enough to send a news clipping bemoaning the fact that a huge number of black women are single mothers. Why? Because they don't want deadbeat husbands. Why are they deadbeat? Because they don't have an education and can't get or keep a job. Somehow, the feeling was that all this is society's fault, ie. us white folk.
While the steam continues to curl around my ears, let me vent from personal observations. I live in a very cosmopolitan community consisting of over ninety different cultures, Black being one. The Black men I know personally are educated, hard-working, family men. They are a minority within their own culture.
The majority are lazy, shiftless, slackards. School is available, and I don't mean substandard schools. They are inter-racial although some have a greater percentage of one race than others because of demographics. Races, at least the less educated seem to like huddling with those of similar value thus perpetuating the problem.
Since the article condemns boys, I focus on them, because the girls know what they want in life and go for it. (a job, children, and no man in the house) When boys enter puberty the hormones cause brain farts until they get into their twenties. That is a scientific fact that applies to all males, as if parents needed to be told. For whatever reason, if not motivated by sports, Black boys drop out of school. They want all the benefits of sex, but not the responsibilities. The problem is perpetuated because there is no father in the home, or if he is, he's unwilling to pull the kid's bootstraps around the kid's neck.
The problem is a culture that has been handed too much on a platter and has spiraled in the wrong direction. Nothing will change until those within the culture take control and make necessary changes in the opposite direction. Good luck with that. All they seem to focus on is "poor me."

Inter-racial Marriage

2010-11-03T21:45:00.000-07:00

This is written in response to a blog published by another author discussing inter-racial marriage. I have absolutely no patience with people who have niggling minds that support racism. I remember the days of the marches and riots and what spurred them. We've come a long ways. In a recent movie a black man kissed a white woman full on the lips. I darn near jumped out of my seat and shouted, "Hooray!"

Parts of our family tree looks like a United Nations picnic as it goes back through Ireland/Scotland to the Middle East. It's getting even better.

As for my own writings, a love story is a great story about two PEOPLE.

Ah-h, Halloween. The Great Bust.

2010-11-01T10:20:00.000-07:00

Once again Halloween, that great American event where adults teach their children how to beg with veiled threats of terrorism. I love Halloween. Every year the house is decorated outside, a huge bowl of commercial candy is readied, and I get into costume to greet the little tykes. But alas! Once again, Halloween was a bust. Two groups, nine kids in cute costumes. "How much candy can your hand hold? That's not enough. Here, have some more."
Halloween is the great day of fear - not of all the creepy kids, but of the creeps. Parents are more afraid of what could happen to their children than they are of the politicians they elect.
When I was a kid, we made our own costumes. Robbie the Robot was big back then and one kid made himself a robot using cardboard boxes. Couldn't see a bloomin' thing and had to have another kid lead him around, but man! the candy they got.
As I got older (7 and 8) I ranged further from home and got lots more. Back home by seven, mom and dad spread the loot on the dining room table and sorted through it. Homemade items were tossed. Pencils set aside for school. Religious tracts pitched. Apples and oranges were opened with a knife before consumption. You see, we had idiots putting in razor blades even then. The commercial candy was consumed while listening to Tarzan of the Jungle on the radio. Dad tried his hand at chewing bubble gum and managed to launch the wad from living room into the dining room. He never did get the hang of it.
Today, well, Halloween is a bust. I still decorate and still wait in costume, not to frighten, but to tease the kids, except they don't show. So I become a lonely, old man sitting in a quiet house, alone, munching on Twixt and $100,000 bars while watching football. The sounds are not giggles and squeals, but "Off side, number 85 defense. Five yard penalty. Still first down." Ugh!!

Oops

2010-09-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

          As of this day, the California legislature is 80 days past the time they should have had a budget in place. That's the longest in the state's history. But don't despare, there is no relief in sight. One wonders what these elected officials are thinking, then the obvious becomes clear -- there is no thinking occurring in that august body. The inevitable is approaching. November 9th is election day and these folk have so shot themselves in the foot (both feet for that matter) it will be amazing they aren't escorted to the beach on a rail and put aboard a leaky boat with just enough fuel to get them sufficiently out to sea while holding a ticket stamped, no return.
          Alas, there probably won't be any such marvelous sight. Many of these people are so deep in the pockets of special interests their backers will easily bamboozle voters in the metro areas from San Francisco to San Diego. And the really scary part is that a former governor and life-long, professional politician, and noted failure is running for governor again and is apt to get elected by these same easily deluded people. While they will reap their just rewards when the state comes crashing down around their ears, the sensible people living in the Central Valley of California will be the biggest losers. Of course, there is always the thought that with the collapse of California as now constituted, there could be a 51st state arise from the bonfire.
          My post previous to this pretty well sums up my feelings on this matter:

Think Green in November
Recycle

Oh, There You Are

2010-09-15T09:53:00.000-07:00

Following upon the heels of that wonderful line from Peter Pan, Do not fear, Nell. I am here. Okay, I love Dudley Doright. We had some things in common, which naturally resulted in bonding. Yeah, we both had a horse that liked us. Aside from that, life has been a bit hecktic. Release of one book in print, two books as eBooks (I do all my own formating), complete editing of a third book to be ready by Oct. 1, and start my own publishing company. As anything, that latter project had/has a learning curve, but the most difficult so far has been finding a printer. In this search I made a monumental discovery. These people may have the machinery, but they don't know how to use it.

     After several hours researching printers who had a Xerox DuoColor printer (it prints, binds, and trims and is commonly referred to as a POD-Print on Demand), I sent out bids. The responses I got back ranged from $4.01 to $42.50 per book. (I won't even mention the rollicking, side-splitting laughter caused by one bid at $100/book) Is that a clue?
     Forging ahead, a third book is in final edit for eBook release by Oct. 1, all three eBooks to be released as page turners by December, which also happens to be time for release of Pirate Legacy #2. Somewhere in there I want to sandwich NaNoWriMo in November which means some research. I have a couple ideas to pursue. If I repeat last year, maybe I can draft both of them before Thanksgiving.
     Of course, November means house cleaning month - politically. I received this cute post. Unfortunately, the author is anonymous.

I do not like this Uncle Sam,

I do not like his health care scam.

I do not like these dirty crooks,

Or how they lie and cook the books.

I do not like when Congress steals,

I do not like their secret deals.

I do not like this speaker Nan,

I do not like this 'YES, WE CAN'.

I do not like this spending spree---

I'm smart, I know that nothing's free.

I do not like your smug replies,

When I complain about your lies.

I do not like this kind of hope.

I do not like it. Nope, nope, nope!

Go green - recycle Congress in 2010!

Bear's Adventure

2010-07-05T16:42:00.000-07:00

Bear was sitting on a rock looking across a valley at a beautiful, green mountain capped with glistening white snow and wanted very much to go there. However, the valley was wide and covered by fog. He had tried going there several times before, but lost his way. Then along came rabbit and coyote. They were heading for the beautiful mountain and invited him to join them.
“We will become lost in the fog,” Bear asked.
“Brother Rabbit is very smart and he has a map that shows the way.” Coyote said.

“But if you come with us, Brother Bear, you will have to agree that I am the leader,” Rabbit said, and Bear agreed.
The three descended the mountain into the valley of fog, Rabbit leading the way as Coyote and Bear followed. After a time Bear became nervous because he could not see where they were going, but every so often Rabbit would jump high into the air and above the fog. Upon landing, he would point ahead and say, “It's this way.”
The path was pretty obvious for awhile, until the ground became more rocky making it difficult to follow. Every so often Rabbit would jump above the fog then say, “We are getting close. It's this way.”
Bear felt increasingly uneasy and began to wonder if they might have gotten lost. He knew that this was a dangerous valley with fast rivers, deep, cold lakes, and steep drop offs. He also noticed that Rabbit never consulted the map he carried.
“Brother Rabbit, excuse me, but what does the map say about the trail?” Bear asked.
“Are you questioning our leader?” Coyote asked. He was a little angry.
“I studied the map before we left and I remember it quite well,” Rabbit said.
Bear felt embarrassed for asking, but still felt uneasy about the way they were going, however he fell silent and continued to follow.

Rabbit jumped above the fog more often and each time declared that they were getting closer and to go a particular direction until he came back down one more time and with great excitement said, “Follow me,” and ran into the fog and disappeared.
“We must keep up with Brother Rabbit,” Coyote said, and ran after Rabbit.
Bear decided to take a look for himself and stood up. As his head rose above the fog he could see the beautiful mountain still some distance away. Returning to the ground he called out to Rabbit and Coyote because he no longer saw them and wanted to know which direction to go. There was no answer. He began to walk forward, but within a few steps he stopped, finding himself on the edge of a steep drop off. Below was a swift river. At his feet was Rabbit's map. He looked at it and discovered that they had strayed from the trail.

Going back the way they had come, Bear found the trail as it was marked on the map and began to following, consulting the map often to be sure he was not getting lost. He did not stand up to look at the beautiful mountain, but kept his head down to be sure he did not lose sight of the trail. After a time the ground began to angle upward and his head rose above the fog. Bear had arrived at the beautiful mountain.
Sitting on a rock, bathed in warm sunshine, Bear looked down at the valley of fog and wondered where Rabbit and Coyote might be, and felt sad they hadn't trusted the map more than their memories.

Amazon Crash Heralds End of World

2010-06-30T11:19:00.000-07:00

Apparently the computers running Amazon .com ceased working yesterday. I suppose one could call this a crash. However, according to comments loosed on Twitter and etc., this was the end of the world. People, get a grip on yourself. Computers circuitry gets tired. Parts wear out. Computers simply stop working. If it hasn't happened to your personal computer, it will. That's life. It will eventually happen to you.

I have been associated with computers since 1968. While such events happened every so often, the best one occurred when the Federal agency I worked for switched to a computer in 1982. It was located in a cold room in one wing of the building and mothered by a technition. It was so nice. I no longer had to dictate letters and reports. Just sit at a console and do it myself with on-the-fly correction. That freed our secretarial pool to concentrate on some of the huge reports frequently required by and for Congress.

One Monday I walked in the front door and the receptionist was casually reading the newspaper. A conscientious employee, she never, ever did something like that. I walked into the room where the support staff was located to find them similarly idle. That's when I learned the main computer drive (brand new, in fact) had failed. It would be late Friday before it would be fixed. Our boat was dead in the water. I had reports due in the US Attorney's office. He got them typewriter-written. We laughed. What else was there to do?

I guess life was easier-going in those days. Just because there was a glitch in our well-ordered lives didn't cause personal meltdowns. Now days, we depend so much on computers that they literally run our lives, so when when hiccups, the world comes to a screeching standstill.

I am so grateful to have learned to sit back and roll with the glitches. Running into the streets shouting that the sky if falling accomplishes nothing except elevating the blood pressure. As an author, my office looks obscene with three desktop computers and a laptop. Only one is Windows-based because it is old and too much work to switch over to Linux. Some day it will fail. So? The data is backed up off site. Life will go on.

So Amazon was off-line a few hours. So what? I don't recall them handling life saving commodities. Your book or merchandise may have been delayed -- what? -- one day? One day?? Was it really that important? As I said, come on, get a life. Look out the window, smell the flowers, play with the kids, actually talk to a person. Such things are exhilarating -- and life-promoting.

Environmentalists - Stupid is as Stupid Does

2010-06-22T21:53:00.000-07:00

A fella named Gump said, "Stupid is as stupid does." Well, environmentalist have once again earned that title with bells. It seems that they are pushing a regulation to require potato farmers to erect an eight foot fence around their potato fields, place a port-a-pottie in each corner, and if a critter unloads in the field (having been given a key or file for the lock I reckon), said farmer is to scoop up the pile and ten feet of dirt around it.

I won't even go into the costs of fencing a 500, 1000, 2000 acre field. (Travel to SE Idaho and see the sizes of these things) I will go into the consequences. No more potatoes. It's that simple. The farmers will simply switch to another crop so we can purchase our potatoes from Mexico where it is not uncommon for workers to urinate in the fields.

Once again, the minority attempts to rule without an iota of common sense. But then they always have and always will.

Defaco Segregation and Racism Lives!

2010-06-08T10:28:00.000-07:00

My early adult years were traumatic. Desegregation marches, the Vietnam War, but what appears to have left a mark on me were the "race riots of the 1960's." I wasn't aware that such riots had occurred in this country before. Then how could I? Schools have been so enamored with the Civil War there is no time left to cover American history after that--just a quick survey of the wars up to WWII, maybe mention we were in Korea and bye, bye for the summer. Not one peep that this country suffered devastating shame in 1919 in the way it handled defacto segregation in the north. There were 26 riots across the country alone. Maybe that ignorance contributed to the riots of 1960's because teachers failed to say, "been there, done that, learn from it." We didn't.

I was in the Omaha area when Watts exploded in California in 1965. It wasn't long before Omaha experienced its own riot. While businesses were destroyed, my friend's mortuary service was untouched except for a broken back window. (That is about the only funny story to come out of that experience which I shall relate some day).

I bring this up because of a couple incidents that occurred recently. One involved my son who met a wonderful girl in his college Spanish class. He's not made good choices in the past selecting marriage partners. (His description) This young lady is fantastic-bright, witty, intelligent, focused. They compliment one another. Her grandfather is apparently dead-set against any union. He doesn't want some white baby in the family. Fortunately, this is America and neither he nor I have a say in their decision.

The second incident happened this week when my wife invited a young mother and her teenage son to dinner. She was surprised because she had never been invited to a "white person's" home before. Part of the reason is that she has unintentionally segregated herself from the community as a whole.

I will mention that this young woman is Black. I do that because of the nature of the community we currently reside in. There are almost 90 nationalities living in the area--Caucasian, Hispanic, European (East & West), African (all areas), Far and Middle East, and everywhere in between. One of the first times I went for a walk I encountered a number of different nationalities and invariably they either nodded or said hello. I was floored. That hadn't happened since living in Laramie, Wyoming 30 years ago. This community is, on a whole, friendly. Yet, there is segregation and racism. The people of these varying nationalities choose to live in enclaves and associate only with people of their area of origin. The barriers may have cracks in them, but remain.

I belong to a church that has many different nationalities in its membership. There are some who continue to hide within their little enclave, but there are others who reach out to embrace those of different cultures thereby learning and growing from the experience. That is how we have lived, that is the way we taught our children, a worthwhile and delightful stretch.

A Mind is a Terrible Thing to See Wasted

2010-06-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

Dementia is a terrible disease that appears to be contracted by heredity and disuse. To see a once intelligent and vibrant individual slowly die mentally is very hard.

I am aware of this problem because 1) my wife is a nurse educator specializing in the elderly, and 2) dementia is a problem in one branch of her family tree. I know it from the literature and from personal observation. There is no cure, but there seems to be things one can do to at least prolong the onslaught and that is to keep the mind mentally challenged. My wife says that reading, writing, doing word and math puzzles are among some of the best. Perhaps that's why I spend very little time watching TV (as if there was much worth watching anyway), and lots of time writing--novels, short stories, blogs, journals, genealogy and historical research. The list goes on.

The problem I see today is that many refuse to recognize the onset of dementia in our loved ones. Family and doctors have refused to take away driving privileges from afflicted individuals. The result has caused the death and suffering of innocent persons. In a recent case, the "Dean" of the White House correspondence corp made an exceptionally stupid comment that Jews should leave Israel and go back where they belong--Poland, Germany, and the US. I believe her peers are right. It's time to let her out to pasture. Now 89, dementia is taking its toll.

If that time comes to me, I know that I may very well begin rambling stupidity. I pray my family will have the decency and love to take away the car keys, disconnect the Internet, and provide the patient care needed until the body's death catches up to the mind's premature passing.

Recipe for Guaranteed Weight Loss

2010-06-03T13:57:00.000-07:00

A new diet promises to cut weight by 10% and more. Well, there is nothing new to this diet that health pros have advocated for some time. But recent studies proves it works. How the diet is administered is the unusual piece. The idea is to cut calories and increase exercise. That simplicity is a major, major stumbling block, but I have a solution thanks to the keepers at our local zoo.

When two elephants were weighed in they stressed the scale, one at 10,245 pounds, the other a bit lighter, but not much. (That's about 732 stones, or in this case a large boulder). That was in January 2009. Both have shed the pork and are a much healthier. The scale breaker is now at 9,135 pounds. (660 stones, a smaller boulder for sure). All this was accomplished by decreasing the calories and increasing exercise.

Calorie counting is the easy part, but you just can't take your friendly elephant on an evening stroll. Well, you could, but carrying a shovel and extra large garbage bags is cumbersome. Besides, some environmentalist would create a fuss by the foot prints left in the grass or the cracks created in the sidewalk. How the keepers solved this problem is simple and resourceful, a tactic that would work splendidly well with our pudgy teenagers.

Quite simply, the food is buried in the ground and hung from poles. The pachyderms have to root around and reach up to collect their food, just like in nature. Think of it. Our bulging teens would have to actually do some work to find their carrot sticks or reach up to pull down non-fried chicken planks. Exercise! And how about old folk like me? Got it. We'd add a couple years to our life and press the Social Security System even harder by our longevity.

Just think of the possibilities. We could save millions by plowing up those fancy, high school football fields that are used once a week for a couple months a year and turn them into gardens. Each morning the faculty and staff would go out and bury yogurt cups, carrots, celery sticks, and hang nutritiously prepared chicken from the goal posts. (Those porkers will get exercise, too.) At noon, students rent a shovel and till the ground between rows to find food. The chicken they would have to jump for. Everyone gets exercise and no pizza and burgers with fries. And there is another benefit. Teens will learn to work for their food much like we used to. Oh, by the way, a closed campus does wonders for providing a secure environment so they can't cheat.

I know, I know. This is just one of those radical conspiracies conjured by a dementing, oldguey who is obviously gone over the edge with his off center ramblings and is in the minority. However, note one thing. I am in the minority, and in this country it is obvious--the minority rules!

Yosemite NP 2010

2010-05-29T23:32:00.000-07:00

After nearly 15 years living close to Yosemite NP, we finally made it. Therefore, I am going to digress from ranting and share a very beautiful trip with absolutely perfect weather.

Entering Yosemite Valley from the south.

Yo is all about rugged mountains, water, and wildlife.

And a couple old folk who spent a whole day and drove 200 miles just to take a little time to "smell the roses."

It's Show Time at Yosemite NP

2010-05-29T22:48:00.000-07:00

Actually, no, it's not Woofer, my blog assistant pictured at the masthead, but his cousin, a delightful brown in Yosemite Valley--the National Park. During my hiatus with the Forest Service, I became a "bear person." That meant I protected the bears from human lunacy. A lost cause, of course.

The reputation came one summer as I served as overhead law enforcement officer on one of severalproject fires on the Stanislaus NF in Central California not far from Yosemite. I arrived to establish fire camp and learned that the Park Svc. had dumped a rogue grizzly in the area. They had no idea at the time people were going to be setting up camp--several hundred people in a very secluded piece of forest. So, we had to trap her. Having been there, done that, she was in no mood. It took three nervous days to finally trap her again. The other bears in the neighborhood were a nuisance, but we had little problem, so long as the humans obeyed the rules about food in the sleeping areas.

I no sooner returned to my home forest than we began having a sow and her cub visit some campgrounds on a regular basis (4 p.m. every afternoon). Knowing her habit, we had all garbage removed by 3 p.m. and a stakeout on the road. When she appeared, my officer drove through the camp and hustled all campers into their trailers or cars until she meandered through. She didn't stay long since there was nothing of interest.

Of course, about the third or fourth day, my officer was a bit late and came into the campground to find a father encouraging his 5 year-old to get a little closer to the bear for a photo op. She didn't take the child as a threat, but dad was another story with his shouting and camera flashes. When she stood up and let it be know of her displeasure everyone soiled their drawers.

My officer was pretty cool and calmed things down so mom and baby left, then proceeded to ... well, let's just say, dad wasn't sitting much the rest of that week from the bite marks on his backside.

Back to Woofer's cousin. He's about 30 feet off the road, there are people up the kazoo taking pictures (and not from their cars), and a couple are coming in from the right side. My wife snapped this picture as we drove by. A ranger was arriving on his bike. Cousin bear lifted his head from time to time to check on things. I didn't want to stick around. Hate it when people go nuts and start screaming because a bear decides he's had enough of their nonsense and does his bear thing. People are some of the dumbest creatures on the Planet Earth.

Mis-placed Behavior

2010-05-27T13:07:00.000-07:00

Sarah Ferguson, formerly wed to Prince Andrew, is taking a lot of media heat these days for being caught on tape selling meeting time with the Prince. So what?

Fame is a commodity acquired either by birth, blood, sweat, tears, or money. Okay, a bit of luck might be involved, too. Any commodity has a price. Just how often has a journalist or businessman slipped a little something under the table for the opportunity to meet someone to promote, sell, or just for the glory to say they met/shook hands/had a picture taken with said famous person?

Current scenario. In steps a journalist of questionable integrity. I say this because he blatantly mis-represented himself during the proceedings. He makes a request to meet Prince Andrew, she proposes a price. He airs the taped transaction. He makes a name for himself, a few pounds, while attempting to embarrass Lady Ferguson. (Why am I suspicious this was the original motive?)

That, my friends, is despicable journalism, yellow in all its hues.

The Boy Scouts and Being Jewish

2010-05-23T21:28:00.000-07:00

To be Jewish and a Boy Scout in America is difficult - very difficult, not because Scouting does not offer appropriate activities, but because our country is predominantly Christian and the majority of BSA sponsor organizations are Christian oriented. As such, Scout activities are invariably held on Saturdays, the Jewish sabbath, precluding their participation. They are justifiably mulish about observing their holy day as the LDS Church is about Sunday. (I use the LDS Church as an example because they are one of the oldest and largest sponsoring organizations within Scouting and their stance about observing the sabbath on Sundays.)

A little background. I grew up Christian in a community with a large Jewish population, but my insight goes further. I have studied Torah with Rabbis in New York and Israel. I have been an active member of my Christian church for 30 years. I also served at the local, District and Regional levels of Scouting for 25 years.

What brought this subject up is a letter to the Fresno Bee newspaper opinion page, May 21, 2010. Apparently someone wrote earlier how they, as Scouters, honored two Jewish boys who read the Old Testament. This is the rebuttal.

"Pardon the interruption, but Jews have no Old Testament or believe in the New. Jews read from the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), the Torah, and study the Talmud, not some Christian-christened NT.

"Stop patronizaing the Jews and just admit the Boy Scouts evoke and worship only the Christian God." (p. B4)

This misconception needs to be addressed. First, the Jews study Torah which consists of the five Books of Moses--the same books found in the Christian Old Testament. This study is weekly and in more depth than an outsider can imagine.
Second, the Tanakh is a collection of the writings of the prophets--the same ones found in the Christian Old Testament, and are read weekly to compliment the weekly Torah reading.

Third, the Talmud is a collection of Rabinical commentary on God's words along with oral history. Torah and Tanakh and the so-called Christian Old Testament are the same.

As you now understand, there is no difference except for one thing--Jews tend to be more faithful to their beliefs than Christians as a whole. As stated, they are devout about observing their sabbath while Christians as a whole are not. Sunday is just another day, a few sects and Mormons excepted.

Now, my Christian brothers and sisters, before you pop a blood vessel and start casting stones, may I ask--what were you doing this past Sunday? If truly as devout as you would lead us to believe, you would have rested from your labors, spent time cementing family relationships, and study scripture with an eye single to implementing that learning on the Monday thru Saturday following.

Getting Our Priorities Straight - Veteran's Day

2010-05-19T11:32:00.000-07:00

It is the

Veteran

not the preacher

who has given us Freedom of Religion

It is the

Veteran

not the reporter

who has given us Freedom of the Press

It is the

Veteran

Not the writer

Who has given us Freedom of Speech

It is the

Veteran

not the campus organizer

who has given us the Freedom to Assemble

It is the

Veteran

not the lawyers

who has given us the Right to a Fair Trial

It is the

Veteran

note the politicians

who has given us the Right to Vote

My father went off to war and did not return. My step-father served in the Pacific Theater and took his place. They were honored. Something happened during the Vietnam war. Veterans were looked down upon. Most had no choice about serving. A lot of people dodged the draft or were "lucky" not to be called to serve. Some of us went willingly because we believed it to be our duty. Call it payment for being blessed to live in the United States of America.

Attitudes may be changing, however. Recently I attended the graduation ceremony for the University of Nevada-Reno. When the the Stars and Stripes was brought in, people stood, men removed their hats, and the audience (the hundreds I could see out of the thousands in attendance) placed their hand over their heart. I'm glad we didn't sing the National Anthem. My voice always falters during that song because I have traveled the world and would live nowhere else. With all our faults, America is still the best place to live on this earth.

However, there is a caveat to the blessings we have or continue to receive. "One Nation Under God."

Vacation = Withdrawal Symptoms

2010-05-16T19:51:00.000-07:00

I am a recovering workaholic which means I have to be continually on the alert of falling off the wagon. This has been an on-going battle since admitting to the dysfunction over 30 years ago. Turning my attention to full-time writing I haven't done very well, working from 9 a.m. often until 2 a.m. There are so many details that must be attended. This weekend brought my failure to the forefront. I took a vacation. Four lousy days and I began showing signs of withdrawal. You know, things like, twitchy fingers, searching for a keyboard, writing notes longhand. And yes, I found a keyboard, but limited myself to Twitter and Facebook. I had to. No access to the passwords for my blogs and web pages.

I did have a good time, however. Who wouldn't when they are playing with the grandchildren? And I did enjoy attending my son-in-law's graduation from the University of Nevada-Reno and meeting new people. However, it is time to catch up staring with e-mails, but that really can wait until Monday morning, and that catching up won't entail the whole day. My wife and I have been married 30 years today. While we spent the day traveling, tomorrow she will be treated to a special night out and my undivided attention.

Times Tough? Time to Reflect

2010-05-12T11:31:00.000-07:00

When things in life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough...remember...

The Mayonnaise Jar

and

Two Cups of Hot Chocolate

A professor stood before his philosophy class with some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full.The students responded with an unanimous yes.

The professor then produced two cups of hot cocoa from under the table and poured the entire contents of one into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

"The golf balls are the important things...God, your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions...and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

"The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

"The sand is everything else...the small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first, he continued, there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first...the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

"What about that other cup a cocoa?" One of the students inquired.

The professor smiled and said, "Im glad you asked. This just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, theres always room for a cup of hot cocoa with a friend."

Chop off the Hand That Offends

2010-04-29T23:39:00.000-07:00

Over the past few years I have noticed an increase in blatant plagiarism--using someone else's brain and claiming it's yours. The real issue is that these theifs not only do it, but see nothing wrong with the action. When called on it, they are either defensive or ask, "So what?" Then they get real testy when presented with an earned "zero" grade and letter of possible termination of their education. Obviously they have never been taught the seriousness of this criminal activity, but then, with the way school cirriculums are being cut in favor of extra-cirricular activities, when would such a mundane and unimportant thing be taught?

Illegal Immigrants and Arizona

2010-04-24T16:17:00.000-07:00

The State of Arizona has put into effect a law to empower its enforcement officers to enforce immigration laws. That move has come under severe attack from special interest groups and President Obama. There are some things that need to be addressed here.

1. The 10th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States:

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

2. The government elected by the citizens of Arizona is charged to protect its citizens.

3. The law enforcement agencies of the State of Arizona are sworn to uphold the laws of their community (if a local officer), the laws of the State of Arizona, the laws of the land, and uphold the Constitution of the United States.

The President of the United States and other groups are totally out of line attempting to interfere with the State of Arizona in its rights and obligations.

Detractors say that the immigration enforcement law will result in profiling and interfere with the Constitutional rights of citizens within the state. People will be pulled over and questioned, and it will not be permitted to congregate on the streets. These people are delusional.

No vehicle may be subjected to being stopped by a police officer, no person may be detained on the streets without reasonable cause that can be articulated. That means, if a person operating a motor vehicle is stopped by a police officer, the officer must be able to state to that individual the lawful reason for the stop, and he must state that reason at the time of first contact. If people are standing on the sidewalk talking or listening to music, as long as they are not violating a law, they can not be detained or questioned.

The Governor of Arizona has made it clear that enforcement officers will be instructed very clearly on what they can and can not do. That instruction will undoubtedly focus on the laws of search and seizure and probable cause.

I will be the first to say that abuses of the laws have been committed by police officers. I have seen it in every community I have lived in or visited west of the Missouri River. The offenders have been relatively new appointees, not well trained or seasoned, poorly supervised, and over-zealous with the powers they have been given. As a Chief of Police for a 175-person department, I battled that problem more than once. Like the Governor of Arizona, I foresaw the problems that could arise and worked to head them off. It still happened and Arizona will have those who abuse the enforcement. I predict that the abuse will be rare, but greatly magnified, and the officer disciplined.

The government of Mexico is totally inept at handling the drug wars within its borders. The problem is spilling over into Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. Refugees from that war should be accorded safe haven as refugees. The vast majority of immigrants from the south are here for other reasons and violate our laws. Arizona has a constitutional mandate to protect its citizens and has moved to do so. The Federal government may believe it is big brother and the seat of the answer of all things -- it is not.

Ah, The Good 'ol Days

2010-04-23T22:27:00.000-07:00

There was a time when people knew the English language and how to use it without resorting to four-letter words. Here are some nostalgic put downs from the those days.

An exchange between Churchill and Lady Astor:

She said, "If you were my husband I'd give you poison."

He said, "If you were my wife, I'd drink it."

~ ~ ~ ~

A member of Parliament to Prime Minister Disraeli: "Sir, you will either die on the gallows or of some unspeakable disease."

"That depends, Sir," said Disraeli, "whether I embrace your policies or your mistress."

~ ~ ~ ~

"He had delusions of adequacy."

- Walter Kerr

~ ~ ~ ~

"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire."

- Winston Churchill

~ ~ ~ ~

"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." Clarence Darrow

~ ~ ~ ~

"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary." - William Faulkner about Ernest Hemingway.

~ ~ ~ ~

"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it." - Moses Hadas

~ ~ ~ ~

"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it."

- Mark Twain

~ ~ ~ ~

"He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends.."

- Oscar Wilde

~ ~ ~ ~

"I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend....if you have one."

- George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill

"Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second ... if there is one."

-Winston Churchill, in response.

~ ~ ~ ~

"I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here."

- Stephen Bishop

~ ~ ~ ~

"He is a self-made man and worships his creator."

- John Bright

~ ~ ~ ~

"I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial."

- Irvin S. Cobb

~ ~ ~ ~

"He is not only dull himself; he is the cause of dullness in others."

- Samuel Johnson

~ ~ ~ ~

"He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up."

- Paul Keating

~ ~ ~ ~

"In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily."

- Charles, Count Talleyrand

~ ~ ~ ~

"He loves nature in spite of what it did to him."

- Forrest Tucker

~ ~ ~ ~

"Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?"

- Mark Twain

~ ~ ~ ~

"His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork."

- Mae West

~ ~ ~ ~

"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go.."

- Oscar Wilde

~ ~ ~ ~

"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts.. . for support rather than illumination. "

- Andrew Lang

~ ~ ~ ~

"He has Van Gogh's ear for music."

- Billy Wilder

~ ~ ~ ~

"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it."

- Groucho Marx

Time to Toss the Baby??

2010-04-21T17:52:00.000-07:00

The TEA Party is beginning to make its voice heard. Whether they are on the right track is up to the individual to decide. However, I am beginning to detect a more vocal undercurrent of rebellion calling for the ouster of most if not all those incumbent legislators this November. Here is some food for thought these people are giving:

1. The U.S. Post Service was established in 1775. It is so far in debt they are going to cut service and increase service costs. It is broke.

2. Social Security was established in 1935. After 74 years I don't think anyone disagrees, they will not see a penny they've put in for so many years. It is broke.

3. Fannie Mae was established in 1938. You have had 71 years to get it right and it is broke.

4. The War on Poverty started in 1964. After 45 years, $1 trillion of our money is collected each year and transferred to "the poor" and they only want more.

5. Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965. You have had 44 years to get it right and they are broke.

6. Freddie Mac was established in 1970. After 39 years to get it right, it is broke.

7. The Department of Energy was created in 1977 to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. It has ballooned to 16,000 employees with a budget of $24 billion a year and we import more oil than ever before. After 32 years it is an abysmal failure.

8. In 2010 money was given to bailout defaulting financial institutions. We won't even discuss how much the execs of those companies got in bonuses for nearly ruining their company and the country. Generally, the government was inept in curtailing such a disgrace.

What the people are now vocally admiting is that Congress has failed in every "government service" it has spawn while overspending our tax dollars.

Now we are to believe the government can be trusted to operate a government-run health care system, The bill was not published until three days before the "historic" vote. Most who cast their "aye" had only the word of those who were ramming through at unprecedented, break-neck speed. As the bill is now being reviewed, there are problems. The biggest problem was that legislators refused to listen to their constituents because "they knew better."

The Democrats are worried because of a backlash from voters. Republicans should be equally worried because of their obstructionist position. The cry is not for the heads of a few but ALL - every Senator and Representative running for re-election this November, good or bad. Toss the baby with the bath water. Maybe it has come to that. Those individuals no longer listen to the people's voice.

WINDS OF CHANGE

2010-04-13T23:05:00.000-07:00

The winds of change began to blow this past year as Congress yielded to socialist pressure. As the Health Care bill was debated, Senators returned home, many into a buzzsaw of opposition. Congress chose to totally ignore the concerns and protests of the people. For that there very likely will be new faces on Capitol Hill in November. What is happening over all is even more scary with the rise of protest groups that plan to arm themselves.

On the home front, city governments face horrible short falls, and as a consequence are cutting services. Unfortunately, the services being cut are the very basic ones that sanctioned city government. Cities were and are formed to protect the health and welfare of their residents. Initially, the first persons hired were police. Second were fire. The rest came as a result of the need for safe water, sewage and trash removal. I view most of the rest a city does as unnecessary. The problem is that city government leaders are cutting funding to those very basic reasons that justifies their existence.

This is what is happening in the community where I am working right now. The County Sheriff's budget has been slashed with a machete. To keep officers on the streets, jailers are being laid off. That results in prisoners being released early. Case in point. An up-scale neighborhood has been victimized repeatedly by burglars. Alarms and cameras were installed. An alarm goes off, the owner comes out, confronts, chases, and tackles the burglar. Police arrest the young man. It's his third or forth arrest for burglary. He's out of jail within six hours. Even if convicted, he'll be out within weeks.

Do the citizens feel safe? Well, that's a pretty obvious, NO. So, what happens next? The same thing that has happened throughout history when citizens loose confidence in the law to protect them. Vigilantes. I fully expect to see honest citizens begin to arm themselves, then form neighborhood watch groups which will continue to expand. No matter what the police say or do, the citizens are going to take steps to protect themselves and their property. It won't be long before those vigilante groups see the need for pre-emptive strikes. The hamstrung police will be caught in the middle.

The number of shootings in this community are up--substantially. So is crime. So is fear. So is anger and frustration. And we haven't even seen triple-digit temps, yet. Unless politicians make a serious reality check of what they are doing, the coming months are not going to be pretty.

Victims & Criminals

2010-04-09T12:43:00.000-07:00

I have written to the Tiger Woods situation before (Poisoned Lips, Feb 2009), hopefully for the last time, but don't count on it. This is a titillating subject some people simply can not seem to stop shaking, not unlike a puppy with a chew toy, until it disintegrates.

Mr. Woods is a young man who pursued a talent and became successful. He was automatically put on a pedestal to be touted as someone for all young people to emulate. When it was discovered this god of achievement had feet of clay, those who put him there issued great buckets of venom and tears. He discovered who were truly friends, who were not, and who wanted only to use him to peddle their wares.

I do not pretend to become a judge and jury of Mr. Woods based on my Judeo-Christian moral-centric beliefs. I do become judge of peoples' reactions based on this view. You see, Hebrew scripture admonishes to not speak evil of another or become a talebearer. Christian scripture says not to cast stones for we all live in a glass house.

The drive to procreate varies in individuals. Period. How individuals handle that drive is as varied and brings us to this point. This applies to women as well as men, although the later appear to have a bigger problem.

Some people handle the drive through self-control and self-imposed abstinence, although not always successfully. Some handle it by monogamous marriage, while others use polygamy (legislatively illegal) or serial marriage (socially legal). Less conspicuous persons seek gratification through nocturnal visitations. Nevada legalizes such places, most state don't so motels are kept busy. Hollywood aggrandizes and promotes home visits.

Having too much money and free time only complicates control of this natural drive.

As example, watch any celebrity TV gossip show to see who is marrying who for the umpteenth time, who is getting divorced for the umpteenth time, who got caught by paparazzi for behaving in scintillating ways. Money, time, fame, boredom, and society put these people on the pedestal. Most get away from condemnation by openly flouting their behavior. Some don't. Mr. Woods attempted to keep his life private. Certain people couldn't stand that. What happened was between him, his family, and God. I do question why nothing more has not been said or done about those who kept notes and recordings for years, waiting for just the right moment to cash in.

Who is the victim and who is the criminal?

Society becomes a victim because of how it aggrandizes success. Mr. Woods became a victim because he lost focus, setting himself up to be publicly ridiculed and scorned, not to mention the possibility of being blackmailed. Certain of society becomes criminal by their reaction to the fall of their human god. Mr. Woods was criminal for attempting to deny and cover up his religious-based indiscretions. Collecting and preserving documentation for later profit is criminal most anywhere.

As a father, what do I say to my Judeo-Christian-raised children and grandchildren? What Mr. Woods admits to having done is not what I believe. Obviously it is not his core belief, either, and has only led him to a great deal of emotional pain. Mr. Woods is becoming someone to emulate by the way he is addressing the situation through repentance.

God is more forgiving than his earthly children. Staying true to the teachings of their father and focusing on the true future will lead to a happier, more rewarding life. Unforgiving is a behavior I do not want my children and grandchildren to emulate.

Who Changed the Rules?

2010-04-05T01:21:00.000-07:00

As a second grader in school, I was introduced to the game of marbles. Each person had a bag of marbles. The players would draw a circle in the dirt and we'd dump our precious marbles in the center. We each then took a "shooter", a larger marble, and in turn would take a shot at those inside. Anything we managed to knock out of the ring was ours to keep.

For the first couple games, we were allowed to retrieve our original marbles, until we knew how the game was played, then we played "for real." If you dumped ten marbles in the ring and ended up only knocking out five, that was too bad. On the other hand, if you walked away with fifteen marbles, you were despised - a winner, but despised and the target for revenge in the next game.

That happens to be the way war was waged over the eons of time. Whether you were the attacker or the attacked, if you lost something you claimed as your own, too bad. Losers weepers, winners keepers.

So, what's gone wrong? It seems that during the last half of the 20th Century someone suddenly changed the rules. I attack your country. You beat the crap out of me in six days and take a portion of my country to boot. I say, "Oh, so sorry. I didn't mean to try an annihilate you. Please give back my land."

When I think no one is looking, I launch rockets at your citizens. Of course, I've bamboozled a couple big-shot countries into saying, "Oh, I don't think they mean anything by that." But after a couple hundred rockets "accidentally" fall on your citizens you take matters into your own hands and once again beat the crap out of me. "Oops. So sorry. Would you mind giving me back that land you took to create a safety buffer?"

Obviously I'm talking about the Middle East war--a family dispute that has been going on for thousands of years. Whenever the Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, Muslims and whoever else attacked and occupied Jerusalem, was there any discussion about giving it back? (Okay, once when Cyrus had a weak moment)

Jerusalem was founded by Shem, son of Noah. It came into Hebrew possession and subsequently changed hands faster than a furniture store business. At any time did the victors have any desire to give it back to the Jews? Nope. So, when Israel is attacked and beats the snot out of the invaders in six days, we all of a sudden hear this plaintive, "Oh, we're so sorry. Please give us our land back."

Jerusalem is in the possession of Israel by right of winning the game. It would be a magnaminus gesture for them to give Jerusalem, or a portion of it, back. They don't have to. That's the way the game of marbles is played. Losers weepers, winners keepers. Something our preciously ignorant politicians in Washington seem to have forgotten.

(picture by H. Armstrong Roberts)

Homeland Security

2010-03-28T15:31:00.000-07:00

I truly enjoy flying whether I pilot or let someone else do it. What I don't like is airport security as defined and practiced by small-time airports. Honestly, these rent-a-cop rookies demonstrate their boredom to the max. A recent flight out of Tucson, AZ. is the most recent example.

At the first check-in I present my boarding ticket and passport. "Is it Bill or Billy?" the child asks. "Billy." I am annoyed at the obvious sneer rippling across his lips. "Next time use Billy on your ticket." Well that's a first after all these years flying around the country.

Next comes the scanners. Now, savvy travelers do things to cut down the delay like putting all their metal objects in the carry-on bag. At least that's what I do before getting to checkpoint Alpha. They also wear thongs (on their feet) or slip-on shoes. From the aroma in the conveyor belt area, they don't clean the carpet very often. For that reason I wear socks. Because of a titanium rod in my back, bending over is often a treat, but it gets done. On this trip, everyone passing through the metal detector also gets a pat-down. I get to experience a complete search. They want me to remove a non-metallic knee support until seeing how difficult it is to remove. Next comes the magic wand and a check of the inside of my waistband. The knot-heads didn't pat me down like the other folk, so the special treatment is flawed. I could have been armed with a rubber band gun and they wouldn't know it.

I have not been deprived of my personal property like many folk. However, the last time my youngest son flew (on my nickel) he was deprived of a 5 oz. bottle of medicated facial cream. He has a severe acne problem. $50 worth, and no way to recover the property. In that regards, I believe the law and procedure highly flawed and TSA should be held accountable. They have not established a method of returning confiscated property like every other responsible police agency. Neither do they respond to complaints/comments/suggestions. To them, American citizens are just a black hole to be tolerated--barely.

Flying is a necessity for most of us, however we don't have to be treated like or made to feel like second-class citizens. But know that there is no recourse. Even Congressmen are buffaloed by TSA, who has been put above God.

Places and Characters

2010-03-15T23:49:00.000-07:00

A fellow author recently wrote a good blog about why she chose fictitious locations as the setting for her novels. (see: Merilyn Meridith, http://murderby4.blogspot.com/, 15 Mar 2010). In a nutshell, when you write about small towns it is not wise to use one that can be easily identified. While Merilyn focuses on places, the more important point might be people.

Having lived for a number of years in a small town (pop. 8500 and 30 years later still 8500), everyone knows just about everyone else, and comparisons with characters will inevitably be made. Some will be flattered, some will be embarrassed, and others will be offended or angered, even if you didn't use them as a pattern. Marilyn points out that businesses change and what was there yesterday might be gone tomorrow. In that little town of 8500, nothing much has changed. It still has two street lights. The same old buildings are still there, just older, like the faces.

Still, Marilyn has a good point, so that when I wrote a series about a Pacific beach community (Marian), the whole was a complete fabrication. However, in a forthcoming work, (The Urchin Pirate: The Inheritance), the story begins in Lincoln, Nebraska. I lived there 50 years ago, walking and driving the streets. The community has grown, but the areas I knew and described haven't changed much except the trees have gotten bigger, the houses a little older. The reader could take the descriptions and with a little help from Google maps for orientation, find the places mentioned. The effect lends a sense of reality to the story.

A writer should avoid the inevitable personal reactions small town folks take and not set a story in a specific, small town local, even if you don't use any of the residents as a prototype. Take a little from here, a little from there, and build a totally ficitious community amid a setting that may only be vaguely recognizable with characters that no one can specifically point to—unless it's in a mirror. A writer can get by using big city locations, if careful not to center on a specific area too closely, because they can have a small town attitude, creating the same problems.

Describing a Character

2010-03-14T22:17:00.000-07:00

This is some of the best information I've seen for writers.

No Description Dumps! Crafting a Story With Details and Immersion

by Jim Adam. Part of his series on storytelling and The Strengths of the Potter Series.

Rowling’s boxes of notes for the Potter universe are legendary. Those notes translated into highly detailed characters and settings that captivated readers. As much as the details themselves, Rowling’s careful selection of which details to use—and which to exclude—illuminated the story world without derailing the flow of the story itself.

Generally, when a major character appears for the first time in the Potter series, they receive one paragraph dedicated to their physical description—a description that often ties into that character’s personality.
These descriptions never degenerate into a bland list of details, nor are these mechanical “head to toe” descriptions.
Instead, the descriptions pick a select number of key features which, taken together, allow readers to form a mental picture of the person in question.

The first description of Harry, for example, covers the color of his hair and eyes, his glasses (held together with tape), his scar, and his scrawny build—accentuated by his hand-me-down clothes. Even though this is Harry we’re talking about, his physical description doesn’t appear the moment we meet him. Instead, we first see Harry waking up in his closet, dusting off a coating of spiders, getting dressed, and being ragged on by Aunt Petunia. Only then does the story pause to describe his appearance.

Also, the story uses this first bit of description to point out that Harry’s life has been a difficult one. The tape on his glasses is there because Dudley picks on him. His scrawny build might have something to do with living in a cupboard. His hand-me-down clothes imply an impoverished childhood, one where Harry is a second-class citizen in the Dursley home.

Another key feature of Harry’s appearance, his unruly hair, comes out not in the first bit of description, but several paragraphs later, in response to Uncle Vernon’s telling Harry to comb his hair. Here again, a descriptive passage is made to do double duty, this time illustrating Harry’s relationship to his uncle (the passage focuses not on the exact appearance of our hero’s hair but on how his unruly hair makes his life difficult).
By weaving details in as part of ongoing action, the Potter series keeps those details from being distracting. Instead, the descriptions become a natural part of the flow of events.
Settings receive a similar treatment. Minor settings, such as the Reptile House, are described in a few sentences—enough to ground the reader, but without belaboring a setting that will appear only once in the story. This understanding of proper emphasis is another sign of an author who knows what story she’s telling, who recognizes what is central and what is ancillary, and who consciously places emphasis on key characters and settings, not letting minor figures distract the reader or delay the progress of the story.
As for a major setting like Hogwarts, details still aren’t dropped on the reader in a single blob. Instead, they filter out as needed.
We gets hints about the school when Hagrid makes his appearance at the cottage on a rock. A few more tidbits come out during the trip to Diagon Alley, where Harry first hears about Quidditch and the four school houses. Then, when Harry first lays eyes on Hogwarts, the event is covered in a single sentence! This again shows that the goal is to keep the story moving forward, rather than reveal how much research the writer has done.

What we see in the Potter series is not only a depth of detail, but also a solid control over those details. Descriptions don’t necessarily appear the moment a character or setting is encountered, and most descriptions are dribbled out over time rather than plopped down all at once. The result is that the Potter universe feels layered and immense, yet the reader never feels overwhelmed or bored. This is how it is supposed to be done!

The Joys of Editing

2010-03-03T10:41:00.000-08:00

While driving across the Mojave Desert this week I continually watched for two things – the crazy coastal drivers from LA and San Diego and the scenery. (Not all Cali folk drive that way) Avoiding the drivers who think they are piloting a star fighter in battle, I noticed the shape and color of clouds, the flats, hills, and mountains. I noticed the animals. The ones who dart across the road, and the ones who tried, the birds and what they are doing. (Once, while in Arizona, I saw an eagle slam into the ground then rise up with a snake in its claws.) I notice these things because I am an artist. Not the kind that can replicate the scene on canvas. I think of how the scene or action can be recreated using words.

A story, like a painting, starts with a sketch—the first draft. Then comes the truly wonderful part—using words to add depth and color. This is the edit.

When a story comes to mind, I give it some time to simmer, mentally experimenting in which direction to take the plot. I research. Thorough? No, because along the way, even during edits, points arise needing clarification. When ready, I sit down and begin. Having worked as a journalist, this is the easy part. The mental picture I have been working on begins moving through the story, scene by scene, often dictating directions I had not considered or intended.

Working long hours last November, I drafted a story in under two weeks With another project on the burner, I did not revisit this story until the end of January. That has been under edit for nearly two months now, because that's the part I like most—fleshing out the characters and scenes, adding the depth and color. (I also had to wait for another editor to review the almost final draft.)

Editing is the heart of writing, pumping forth words to make a story bigger, brighter, and better than life. It's what God did creating the world, and I bet he had as much fun, too.

Toss the Baby Out - Time For Change

2010-02-10T21:37:00.000-08:00

In 1776 the people of this Nation rebelled against those attempting to dominate them (the political and economically powerful in England). They didn't want to spit from England. They wanted to be treated as the free Englishmen they were. That plea fell on deaf ears. Today the political and economically powerful in the United States refuse to listen to their fellow countrymen and women. Corporate leaders are grabbing money faster than it can be printed to line their pockets. Politicians squabble and behave no better than cranky children in a sandbox. The Judiciary who are supposed to stand in the forefront to protect us turn a deaf ear to the voice of the people to make their own laws. American is in disarray. Is the end of our glorious rein ending? No, much to the disappointment of the demigods poised to rise up and rule with blood and horror upon the earth. Like an earthquake, a ground swell has started and will continue to grow in strength. The people are quickly becoming fed up with the leadership (Congressional and Judiciary) of this country. The breeze of change is blowing. Revolution is inevitable. However, let's not loose sight of the fact that we have come a long way from the dusty streets of Tombstone. This time the shot heard around the world will best come from the ballot box. It is time for wholesale change, perhaps even to the point of tossing the baby with the bathwater.

Male and Female, created He them, AND ...

2010-01-31T23:00:00.000-08:00

... And twelve months to make a year. So who authorized that January be excluded from the year 2010? You can just put it back, folks. Tack it anywhere within the year. Between November and December would be handy.

One of the neat things about traveling around the American west with my wife is that she occasionally gets us lost. You see, I drive, she navigates--sort of, when not reading a novel. However, that does provide interesting moments and discussions. Not just about taking the "scenic route", but the novels. She often shares the current read (which is obviously not a map). That brought up an interesting point while we were stuck in stop and go traffic on the west side of Donner Pass east of Sacramento, CA. today.

She said, "What do you think of this?" and read a character's line.

"Sounds like a woman writer trying to sound like a man." I was right. The author was putting certain words in a male character's voice that a man would not normally use. The same can happen when a male author writes dialogue for a woman. For older authors, we've been associated with enough people to have picked up on the subtle differences--if our heads haven't been buried in a pile of rocks. That is something younger authors need to listen and become aware of.

Another nuance an author must be cognizant of is when dealing with cultures. Another quote from the same novel said that a traditional, male Navajo thought of bringing his wife a bunch of flowers. Ah, better check that again. Wouldn't happen even, if he found flowers on the Res. And language? The author lives near the Navajo Res and used the native language in the story. Really a nice touch, except the Navajo language is gender based. The way a male will say something is different from how a woman will say it, even if conveying the same thing. He missed the mark.

The point being, watch the little details. If in doubt, check more than one reliable source.

Here We Go Round Again

2010-01-21T13:37:00.000-08:00

I don't agree with President Obama and a number of things, but about his attack on big banks I say -- go git 'em!

Ever since big banks helped plunge the Nation into the current financial mess, cried big crocodile tears to get our tax money to bail them out, then spent it on huge bonuses AND lied to us up the kazoo, I've all but lost my lunch. We have banked with Wells Fargo, USBank and Chase for years. We dropped USBank when they couldn't protect our funds from off-shore scams. Wells Fargo plugged that gap, but when all this financial crisis stuff came down, the CEO went on TV and said that WF was in good financial shape and really didn't need a bailout. LIAR! LIAR! PANTS ON FIRE! Out comes the FED's report and guess who is in lousy financial shape? The last straw came this pass week when it was revealed that WF, along with a number of others (Chase included) charged a fee to handle recovery donations to Haiti. On top of that the excessive rate increases for services. That was the icing. We are currently switching to Savings and Loans as the financial pundits suggest.

In addition, these banks are trying everything under the sun to plunge us into another financial crisis. It is almost as if they are deliberately attempting to undermine and ruin this country. What are you blabbering about? You ask, pray tell.

Today, I received an invitation from Citibank of South Dakota trying to entice me to accept their Citi Gold/AAdvantage World Master Card. For doing so they will "give" me 30000 AAdvantage bonus miles for use on American Airlines. (That and $100 will see my bagage gets on a plane. Maybe not the same plane, but at least a plane. Obviously my dealings with American Airlines has not been happy.)

The kicker to this offer is that I agree to purchase $750 of something in the next four months using this card. In addition, (drum roll please) I can also earn 1 AAdvantage mile for every dollar spent using this card. The catch? It takes about 30000 points to buy a round trip flight for you (your baggage still flies for $100). If my math is still working, that means I have to spend $30,000 during a protracted recession to get a companion ticket for my wife or fly alone. Oh, joy.

Just what got us into this mess? Financial institutions enticing the American citizen to over-extend. Apparently they are not happy with helping to ruin the lives of thousands of citizens who had to default on mortgages or file bankruptcy. They missed some of us. But then, what do they care how much bad debt they incur? The government will bail them out so they can continue collecting year-end bonuses for criminal management.

Looking For vs. Seeking a Job

2010-01-07T01:26:00.000-08:00

There are a number of people looking for a job. Some, like my oldest son, don't seem to have a problem finding work even during this bank-induced economic slump. Others seem to struggle. My youngest son is in this latter category. He has been filling out applications in large quantities and feeling a little frustrated. Some of his friends are in the same situation. To help, I proposed to him and his friends on Facebook an analogy between job-hunting and fishing.

There are three important aspects to fishing -- perseverance, patience, and using the right bait. I could legally hold a job at the age of 16. There was one particular company I wanted to work for. I applied, waited a week, then checked back. That indicated to management I was truly interested (perseverance). That tactic was applied more than once as I moved up the job ladder. Retired and in my 50's I decided to return to work for awhile. I selected a company, applied, and again checked back several times until getting placement. Perseverance also means getting one's butt out of bed in the morning and reaching beyond the newspaper and computer to find places that need what you can offer as an employee.

Patience is important. Without patience one can be subjected to discouragment and stop getting one's butt out of bed. When one spot doesn't seem to have any fish interested in the bait, a fisherman moves to a different area. That could mean a different town or just a different way of looking at what could be available.

The right bait is knowing what you've got in your tackle box in the way of skills and tailoring the application (written and oral) to meet what the fish is looking for. That's presentation. The last company I worked for was looking for a counter person in their bowling alley. I knew how to make change and knew something about bowling. Within two months that job went from being a counter person to manager to company trouble-shooter. Presentation also means how you look. Sometimes it means a white shirt and tie, other times it means ditching the tie. No sandals, no shorts—slacks, not jeans. It means appearing neat. Get the hair cut and lose the facial hair, at least for entry.

Attitude speaks volumes whether you open your mouth or not. Be positive, upbeat and confident. Think about how you are going to present yourself and practice it mentally and in front of a mirror or another person. If that makes you feel silly, just remember that being without a job is silly. Get over it.

I started my work career selling shoes and retired a chief of law enforcement for a Federal Agency, then in semi-retirement as a middle-level supervisor. There were a number of other little jobs in between—little fish—as I sought the big one. There is a difference between looking for a job and seeking a job. Fish and jobs rarely jump into the boat.

Older Than Dirt

2010-01-04T18:24:00.000-08:00

I have an 80 something aunt who got into computers a couple years ago and forever forwards things like this. I think she's trying to say, "You're not that young, kiddo." I don't know the author of this, but it brings back memories, and it was only 60 years ago.

Someone asked the other day, “What was your favorite fast food when you were growing up?"
“We didn't have fast food when I was growing up,” I said. “All the food was slow."
“C'mon, seriously. Where did you eat?"
“It was a place called 'at home," I said. “Mom cooked every day and when Dad got home from work, we sat down together at the dining room table, and if I didn't like what she put on my plate I was allowed to sit there until I did like it."

By this time, the kid was laughing so hard I was afraid he was going to suffer serious internal damage, so I didn't tell him the part about how I had to have permission to leave the table. But here are some other things I would have told him about my childhood if I figured his system could have handled it:

Some parents NEVER owned their own house, wore Levis, set foot on a golf course, traveled out of the country or had a credit card.
My parents never drove me to school. I had a bicycle that weighed probably 50 pounds, and only had one speed, (slow).
We didn't have a television in our house until I was 19.
It was, of course, black and white, and the station went off the air at midnight, after playing the national anthem and a poem about God; it came back on the air at about 6 a.m. and there was usually a locally produced news and farm show on, featuring local people...

I never had a telephone in my room. The only phone was on a party line. Before you could dial, you had to listen and make sure some people you didn't know weren't already using the line.
Pizzas were not delivered to our home ... but milk was.
All newspapers were delivered by boys and all boys delivered newspapers --my brother delivered a newspaper, six days a week. He had to get up at 6AM every morning.
Movie stars kissed with their mouths shut. At least, they did in the movies. There were no movie ratings because all movies were responsibly produced for everyone to enjoy viewing, without profanity or violence or most anything offensive.

If you grew up in a generation before there was fast food, you may want to share some of these memories with your children or grandchildren. Just don't blame me if they bust a gut laughing. Growing up isn't what it used to be, is it?

MEMORIES from a friend :
My Dad is cleaning out my grandmother's house (she died in December) and he brought me an old Royal Crown Cola bottle. In the bottle top was a stopper with a bunch of holes in it.. I knew immediately what it was, but my daughter had no idea. She thought they had tried to make it a salt shaker or something. I knew it as the bottle that sat on the end of the ironing board to 'sprinkle' clothes with because we didn't have steam irons.

How many do you remember?

Head lights dimmer switches on the floor.
Ignition switches on the dashboard.
Pant leg clips for bicycles without chain guards.
Soldering irons you heat on a gas burner.
Using hand signals for cars without turn signals.

Older Than Dirt Quiz :
Count all the ones that you remember not the ones you were told about. Ratings at the bottom.

1.Candy cigarettes
2.Coffee shops with tableside juke boxes
3.Home milk delivery in glass bottles
4. Party lines on the telephone
5.Newsreels before the movie
6.TV test patterns that came on at night after the last show and were there until TV shows started again in the morning. (there were only 3 channels if you were fortunate)
7.Peashooters
8. Howdy Doody
9. 45 RPM records
10. Hi-fi's
11. Metal ice trays with lever
12. Blue flashbulb
13. Cork popguns
14. Studebakers
15. Wash tub wringers

If you remembered 0-3 = You're still young
If you remembered 3-6 = You are getting older
If you remembered 7-10 = Don't tell your age,
If you remembered 11-15 =You're older than dirt!

One thing the author missed as a test question (we'll count that as a bonus point):
16. The ice man delivering block ice for the ice box or trying to con the milkman out of a chunk of ice from the back of his truck.

As the theme song for All in the Family said: 'Those were the days.'

Only Santa Did More Miles

2010-01-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas has always been a time with family. During the yearly years of our marriage we alternated between parents. Going to my parents was decidedly easier because they were so much closer. In later years we spent Christmas at home and have many fond memories of those times and traditions. However, time moves on and so do children. Our family is now scattered across the west. While we stay in constant contact thanks to cell phones, computers and Skype, hugging contact is so much better.

This year, I gave in to my wife. We set out from Fresno, CA., driving to St. George, UT. where we have a second home. Our son rode down with a friend from where he was going to school in Orem, UT. We then headed south to Tucson, AZ. for three days and Christmas with our oldest son. The only thing we enjoyed about Tucson was our son and his wonderful fiance. The city itself leaves much to be desired, and I'm not sure it's even worth visiting except our son lives there.

That done, we headed back to St. George, spending three hours to cover eight miles because my wife wanted to go over Hoover Dam. (You have to pass inspection by the bomb squad to do that). the next day it was on to Orem. While our son put in his last two days work we visited family, then loaded all his belongin's in a 4X8 trailer and returned to St. George where he will live in our home, work and go to school. Yeah, it snowed, but the roads were mostly clear and except for a nasty stretch through Beaver, UT. we crept along at 70 mph.

With him more or less settled, we returned to Fresno. 2,945 miles! No wonder my back is barking and the cat doesn't want to see the inside of a car forever.

Yes, it's great to spend Christmas with family, but next year it's "Over the river and through the wood to (mind you, TO) grandma's house the kids go." Santa will be given our Utah address, so if certain members of the family desire their presents, mom's special Christmas eve pizza and day's meal, and dAd's pastries and candy, they will have to come to the mountain, 'cause this Oldguey ain't plannin' on travelin' no further.

Looking forward to another great year. God bless and keep you safe and healthy.

Oldguey

Words Are Bullets

2009-12-21T13:38:00.000-08:00

While waiting in a very long line at the contract US Post Office station, I watched the large TV overhead. Seated around a table were five women. The topic was a critique of Tiger Woods and his marital problem.

I am not going to speak about Mr. Woods' problems. That is solely between himself, his wife, and God. What I can address is as serious a problem--five women siting around a table discussing Mr. Woods. There is the line between gossip and reporting the news.

When I started working at a newspaper, the editor sat me down and made it very clear--I would report the news, he would write the editorials. I adhered to that admonition closely. A real newsperson states the facts and stops right there. Going beyond that line is to spread gossip, even if true, and puts the talebearer is serious jeopardy.

Moses inscribed God's commandments, all 600-plus. Yes, Virginia, there are more than ten. Most are conveniently listed in the Book of Leviticus. The arrival of Jesus the Christ did away only with the Mosaic Law referring to the sacrifices. Heads up. A chunk remain in force. Chapters 19 and 20 in Leviticus list those laws of how mankind is to relate to one another, and in verse 16, "Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer." In short, don't gossip. This admonition goes hand-in-hand with, "Thou shalt not kill."

Words are like a bullet. Once fired from the mouth, they can not be called back, and whether they hit their target or not, the damage is done. A person can destroy another with words as surely as if they physically used a bullet.

For one's eternal salvation, report the facts, leave the editorials to God.

Writing Contest Odds

2009-12-17T23:08:00.000-08:00

Let me be a skeptic for a few minutes. About what? Writing “contests.” I've entered them, but something has begun to bother me lately.

You many wonder where I'm going with this, but bear with me. Costco is the 3^rd largest retailer in the United States, 9^th in the world with something like 55M members. Recent investigative reports have demonstrated it a good value. Stepping back, that's 55,000,000 times a $100 membership fee or an annual injection of $5,500,000,000 into its cash flow. That's right, five as in billion. The company is solvent without sales. Banks should be so smart.

Now, let's look at writing contests. They abound. Why? Could it be for the same reason? Just for the sake of argument, let's say a well-known and legitimate publisher puts out the word. They will pay out $30,000 in prizes. They get 10K entries @ $20 per. That comes to $200,000 cash income minus prizes leaves $170,000 for the coffee fund. Do that several times a year and your publishing company stays afloat.

The other problem is how to pick THE BEST out of 10,000 writers. Granted, a sizable number of entries are wanting, but how do you pick the truly best of 5,000 or 1,000? As a Black Jack player, the odds in Vegas are far better.

Just some food for thought. If I don't have other thoughts to peruse this month, then I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

The Christmas Wars

2009-12-17T18:36:00.000-08:00

War was once again declared between my lovely spouse and myself this Christmas. My wife has always been big on establishing family traditions, but as the children left the nest, some of those traditions died. A minor one surfaced, resulting in a to-the-death battle.

Again this year, I started baking cookies, mostly to send to our children, grandchildren and friends. I can do this because being retired, I work at home. When my wife returned from work Monday she discovered the kitchen a culinary disaster with the counter cluttered with nearly fifteen dozen cookies (three different kinds), a wedding cookie, no-bake, and snickerdoodles. She counters the attacked by baking a couple of her favorites. I retaliate by adding another ten dozen to the growing mountain, not to mention starting a generous pile of chocolate candy. She counters with caramel corn. Her corn is to die for. Recognizing defeat, I try to soften the coup d'etat of her fudge and anise caramel squares with a batch of divinity. Unexpectedly, I pull victory from the ashes of our grocery and electrical bill.

Well, maybe we can reach a truce at the dining table. Unfortunately, there has been collateral damage, as there always is in war—our diets will exact a demanding retribution.

As Twits Tweet, I Mix Metaphors

2009-12-17T17:17:00.000-08:00

Twitter has something for just about everyone. For the socially deprived, it can afford some connection. For the sales/service-oriented, it is another vein in the attempt to separate people from their hard-earned money. I scan Twit entries for story plot ideas and writing suggestions.

As Bloggers blog, Twits pick up on these mini lessons and tweet the URL. For this writer, Twitter has become a rich vein of information, some of which finds it's way into my reference vault. Of course, these gems focus on the down and dirty aspect of writing, but not often about the very first step—how to start mining the story.

Thankfully we are all very different, hence I pass on this geologic technique realizing from the get-go it will not work for everyone. I am a visual learner/thinker. What I see in my mind's eye is what ends up in black on blue (white backgrounds are too glaring). A story flashes through my gray matter in motion picture form. Thanks to a journalism background, my typing speed can pretty well keep up as those pictures are digitalized for the world to see—eventually. But what happens before the first digit is energized?

Unless something jump-starts a story resulting in an immediate scramble for the computer, I do some exploratory panning, searching for the right fleck of gold that can lead to a treasure. Once acquired, I retire to the patio, stretch out on the lounger and let my imagination mull over the possibilities, variations, the story as a whole, and especially the beginning. If the weather is uncooperative, I slip into a hot bubble bath. That's it, except for making regular visitations to the lounge or bath for further mental consultation. The rest is grunt work as the story vein is mined.

Aside from all-to-often long hours at the computer, this method has the benefit of being low stress, something we can all do with in a crazy, whirlwind world.

The Internet, The PC and Me - 28 Years

2009-12-15T23:10:00.000-08:00

December 26, 2004 and “Asian Tsunami” is an association hard to forget. I wonder if those who designed and implemented the Internet as we know it, could have envisioned what it really could do? During the ensuing 72 to 96 hours following the killer tsunami, a tremendous amount of data flowed from that part of the world. As it arrived, I began compiling and editing on the fly to produce a CD for educators, not just to show the devastation, but explain how it happened. Today, I stumbled across an incident that occurred during those frantic, confusing days that triggered remembrance.

The picture of a small Dutch child was circulated in an attempt to find his parents. Within hours his grandfather in the Netherlands was on a plane for Thailand. At the same time, the child's father, who survived, was directed to the hospital. Although the mother was not found, it had a happier ending than it might have ten years earlier. I regret to say, another pre-teen who's picture was circulated in the same attempt to find him, failed. Neither the boy nor his mother were found.

This re-visit stirred me to reminisce about the tool at my fingertips—the computer—and of our journey together. My association with computers began in 1968 when I left Uncle Sam to join a law enforcement agency. Using a teletype, we were able to connect with the new NCIC (National Crime Information Center) implemented by the FBI in Virginia. By sending a message to the center, we were able to determine within a few hours if a car or individual was involved in criminal activity. About 1970 we began to access criminal history files gathered from all over the country. It didn't take long before the response time was cut to minutes, then a direct access terminal was installed. That was just the start of a revolution that we now take for granted.

This revolution started at MIT in August 1962 when J.C.R. Licklider wrote a series of memos discussing a “Galactic Network.” This was a Star Wars concept of interconnecting a set of computers on a global scale through which anyone could quickly access data.

In November 1962 John W. Mauchley addressed a meeting of the American Institute of Industrial Engineers, stating that "There is no reason to suppose the average boy or girl cannot be master of a personal computer". In 1977 personal computers hit the market and by 1979 over a half million were in homes and businesses.

At this time in 1979 I was still in law enforcement with direct access to a main frame computer in our office building. My wife was a college instructor working on her Ph.D. We deemed it a necessity to have a computer in our home and purchased an Osborn O-1 from a college. The year was 1981. I loved that machine. In my view, this was a great tool. It was portable, actually the first laptop on the market, and I put it to use as such without knowing it. Having a research project on the criminal justice system of China, Ossie and I were sequestered in a small room at the law library of the University of Wyoming. As people peeked through the small window I entered data from two huge stacks of books in a matter of a couple hours. At home, a slick, little sorting program helped assemble my notes.

Ossie made editing my writing a lot easier as the old Royal was packed into the closet forever, but like all machines, it and the Osborn company eventually died. I was on an HP when I first connected to the Internet in 1991. Licklider's vision was rapidly becoming a reality. At the time, I was researching an article on religion. Coming upstairs, my enthusiasm couldn't be contained as I related to my wife how I had just researched information in Chicago, California, New York, back to Chicago, then on to England, Germany and Israel. The doors of academe had been thrown open and being a consummate researcher, became like a child with free-reign in a chocolate factory after hours.

Today? It's old hat, but I still get shivers of excitement thinking about where computers, the Internet, and I have been—and where we will be going. To paraphrase a line from the 2003 movie version of Peter Pan, learning will be a great adventure.

Oh, no! One of those days!

2009-12-03T11:36:00.000-08:00

My day has some routine embedded in it. Get up, let the cat out, let the cat in, feed the cat, brew up a large mug of hot chocolate, and begin working through the e-mails. That typically gets me to noon. It also provides a hint as to what kind of day it's going to be, and today is not shaping up very well despite the sunshine and pleasant temps.

First, the cat jumped the nearly seven foot fence to go who knows where. Since it is a pleasant day in Central CA., I mossyed out to look for him. That's when I observed the neighbor's van window broken out. I talked with her a bit. Rightfully, she's not a happy camper. Our car was burglarized a few weeks ago - nothing broken and only eighty cents in change taken.

Returning to the apartment, sans cat, I continued to the office only to discover that my Firefox browser had been infiltrated. It seems someone designed a handy Add-on that sent me a message that a favorite Aunt wanted me to add this little tool to my browser. I checked it out and it looked alright. I should have paid closer attention to hairs tickling the back of my neck. Sure enough! I got caught. This little jewel, called Infoaxe, grabbed my email list and sent invitations to everyone on it to join up.

Fortunately, the particular computer I was using at the time (we have five - it's a busy office), and the e-mail address had less than a dozen names on the list. Responsible for being stupid/careless, I sent out a warning and apology to everyone. Next, I filed a complaint with Firefox. Other than that, I can't do much more.

The cat has wandered home and acts put out because he's being confined to the corner for awhile without lunch. The good thing is that I can now take a nap and start a new day.

Even Trying Something is Winning

2009-11-29T17:28:00.000-08:00

All through the month of November, a few hundred thousand plus people who like to write, took on the challenge to draft a 50K word novel in 30 days. A lot of those writers were successful. Some were not. Relying on skills acquired over the years, I was able to finish a novel in 14 days, then being an over-achiever, went on to see how much I could output. The second novel, just under 50K, was completed in a week. To fill in the remaining time I drafted 8 short stories. In my head, I knew it would have been possible to write 200K coherent words, but Thanksgiving and family took center stage.

Those that did not finish should feel good about themselves. To attempt something as challenging as this, is worthy of note, and can be an invaluable lesson. Take an idea, research, develop, and write, then apply determination.

Stay Home Grandma

2009-11-25T12:18:00.000-08:00

Traveling by air is convenient, but frustrating. Some airlines have discovered they can raise more money by charging for checked baggage. They've also raised prices that are laughable, even when discounted. At least one, Southwest, hasn't done that, and they fly just about everywhere I go. If not, at least they are close enough to rent a car which is less expensive than using more direct carriers. However, this does not resolve the issue to passing security checks.

Most of my travel requires no more than a small case or backpack and a computer. Heaven forbid I take any fluids. I've seen women stripped of those items that improve their sociability. Recently, my wife lost a partial bottle of Oil of Olay. There was less than an ounce in it, but the bottle was labeled 4.2 oz. I flew my son to California for Thanksgiving. He lost a bottle of acne medication—partially full, labeled 4 oz. He also lost his toothpaste and aftershave. In both cases, replacement is not cheap.

The current options are 1) leave it at home and buy all new products at the destination, which you either then abandon or mail home, 2) leave it in your car at the airport (really convenient if you arrived by public transportation, 3) place in check baggage (added windfall for airlines who charge for that service now), 4) or lose it.

As a Federal Law Enforcement officer, whenever we took personal property from an individual, that person was given a receipt. After resolution of the case, the property could be reclaimed. This is not an option with airport security. Oil of Olay and acne cream are potentially dangerous explosives and thereby illegal contraband.

Short of filing legal action to correct this insanity, airport security should be required to follow the same procedures I had to abide—provide a receipt and return of the item if the owner so desires, within 30 days. And just in case someone on that side of the fence sees dollar signs, no additional fees.

O'Mordha a Scot? Preposterous!

2009-11-18T17:58:00.000-08:00

How can any one whose last name starts with O' anything claim to be a Scot?
Scot heritage runs thick in our family, directly merging in the last generation the clans of Douglass, Muir, Taylor, and Graham. It was a wonder the babe didn't appear in all his glory attired in a kilt. The only reason being, no one could decide the pattern. Taking my son to a merchant of Scottish paraphernalia it was easy for them to identify the various clans mentioned, but when fronted with my name, they instantly proclaim (and rather indignantly at that), “Anything beginning with O' is Irish. Ah, but if such folk had any sense of our grand history.
In the 6th Century B.C., Gaythelos, the wayward son of King Neolus of Miletus (a principal port in the Greek province of Caria in Asia Minor), was none-to-politely asked to remove himself from home. Traveling westward, he eventually allied with the Pharaoh of Egypt and received his daughter to wed because of his military victories.
Again, as politics shifted, he found the necessity to move on, and began traveling until reaching the northwest point of the Iberian Peninsula where he built the city of Brigantia (near Coruna, Spain). Tired of fighting and getting old, he sent his fisherman to find a quieter place to relocate. They travel north, discovering a sparsely-settled island. Following Gaythelos' death, his two sons make the journey, arriving at Priteni on the northeast tip of what is now known as Ireland. Here they prosper and begin spreading over the island. Twenty-one generations later the Romans are invading the region. A.D. 367 Fergus Mor (the O'Mordha—Gaelic for noble, or stately) sails from Ireland to Scotland and defeats the Roman army, and becomes the 1st king of Dalriada. From Fergus the Clan Muir is established.
The many variations of the name Muir arrives from an inability of people to correctly translate either audibly or phonetically. Hence, one sees Muir, Mure, Mor, Mohr, Moore, etc. ad nauseam. Those who understand the history of Scotland and the Clan Muir understand the truth. Fergus Mor, son of Erc, King Of Scots, Dalriada around 500 A.D. wrote: The ancient Mordha is the 'root,' ie: foundation... and as such, the bottom line, fact and truth, the foundation upon which this very large and proud clan is based is upon O'Mordha.
Proof of this assertion lies not as much in the ancient records of Ireland and Scotland as in the DNA testing currently underway.

They Don't Write Like This Anymore

2009-11-17T20:40:00.000-08:00

Publishers, agents, teachers of writing, and their ilk choke with laughter when reading stuff like this. But, it has a singular beauty that transcends all their scornful laughter. I would like to share the opening of Anna MacManus' In The Celtic Past, published in Dublin, 1904.

THE autumn night had set in with a dreary darkness full of the howling of angry winds that swept up from the sea, and flung clouds of salt foam even to the crest of the gray cliffs that stood sentinel over the Northern coast of Uladh. White screaming flocks of seagulls darted inland, flying low, as is their wont when the storm-fiend comes to take his plEnough said. easure; and in scanty hedge or stunted fir-tree the little timid land-birds cowered before the blast. The air held the chill of coming winter; the moaning waters seemed to chant a dirge for all the dead whose bones lay far beneath among the weeds and wrecks and tossing shells; and overhead the thick clouds went drifting by without the glimmer of a single star to light the gloom, while, through this maze of storm and darkness, with sorrow in his heart and on his brow, after his many and perilous wanderings over distant countries, Conal Cearnach, the chieftain of Dunseverick, and Champion of the Red Branch Knights of Uladh, came back to his own.

But though the storm might sport and rave in ecstacy as it circled the open coast-line, it seemed to shriek its madness round the towers of the Caiseal, which stood but a short way from the brink of a tall cliff that sheered straight down into the foaming wild water. It hissed and swirled through the broad open chimney of the banqueting hall, scattering the flames in the heart of the glowing logs piled high upon the hearth, and sending showers of light peat ashes almost to the feet of Conal Cearnach himself, who, sitting silent in his carven chair of dark oak, with mournful eyes gazing steadily at the leaping fire, heeded neither the rattle, as each fresh gust hurled itself against the timbers of the walls, nor the chanting of his harper, nor yet the sweet voice of his lady as she strove to win him from the bitter thoughts that held him in that sad and woeful quietude...

A Growing Love Affair

2009-11-17T11:11:00.001-08:00

Facebook has become an important element in my life because it has provided an avenue in which to keep even closer contact with immediate family which is now scattered around the American west. Yes, we talk on the telephone, and at some length. There is nothing better than hearing their voice except talking with them in person. It has also put me in contact with extended members of our family, in particular nephews and nieces. By allowing personal exchange, I am able to keep up with their lives much more intimately and watch their family's grow. My wife often notes that she knows her cousins because they grew up together. We were familiar with her brother's and sisters' siblings as children because of frequent visits, but as they grew, married, moved away and had families, we and our children basically lost that close contact – until Facebook.

Facebook has also reunited me with friends and acquaintances of many years past. I've greatly enjoyed learning how life has treated them. Some times that information makes me feel old particularly when I hear how the children I taught or babysat are now grandparents.

Twitter is quite different in that I am in contact with strangers. I have made some friendships, but for the most part, these people have posted advise and direction that have helped me professionally, and emotionally with their encouragement. Maybe it's the people I select to follow, but they tend to be very positive, and positive is what a person needs in life.

Recently, a blogger suggested that people don't necessarily read everything I post. So? Hopefully, some of what I say will be an encouragement to others, but what I write is more for my own consumption – personal encouragement and evaluation, if you will.

And that's why this Oldguey has come to appreciate the social networking provided by the Internet.

Back up - Back Up - Back Up

2009-11-09T12:16:00.000-08:00

In the old days merely touching the computer wrong could create a static discharge and erase all of a writer's hard work. That has been addressed. Now, with the advent of summer and threats of brown-outs, black-outs, virus threats on Window-based systems, software crashes, and other nightmares, the necessity of backing up all that work is as imperative as ever. My response in redundancy.

I wrote those words some time back. That blog was brought to mind when a recent event scared the heck out of a fellow author the other day. Some 14,000 words into her novel and the software/computer hiccuped. She managed to save her work, but the event did nothing for her blood pressure. Therefore, it may be worth re-visiting some things one must do to protect themselves from electronic events of the unwanted kind.

First, use a stable operating system and word processor. A year ago my computer-expert son convinced me to migrate to Linux-Ubuntu. That eliminated the threat of spyware, malware, and all those other delightful wares associated with some operating systems. After battling with Microsoft Word for years I also migrated to OpenOffice. Those two moves dropped my blood pressure (a real problem) several points. That both moves costs nothing out of pocket and helped lower another couple points.

Despite what system you are using, set the word processor to save at least every three minutes. This takes care of sudden crashes. Upon re-booting the program, a window should appear to guide you through the recovery process.

Second, set to automatically save a backup file (.bak). The ideal is to have that file located on a separate drive. I routinely build a computer with more than one hard drive. That second drive becomes storage for such things. If the primary drive fails (and they can), no work is lost. If no second hard drive is installed, use a flash drive.

My working file is on the primary hard drive, but when finishing for the day I will make a "Save As" file destined for another drive, usually a flash drive. This second file is handy if I decide on a whim to migrate to work. (Or if in cold climes, heaven forbid, next to the ski lodge fireplace, but I haven't found a way to type while wearing down mittens)

Third, when a chapter/story is more or less complete (I am forever tweeking until it's published) a copy is saved in a Google document storage account. (I'm a great fan of freebies)

When a book/story/project is finished (re: above) I burn a PDF copy onto a CD.

The last two steps were a real life-saver when I obviously did something stupid while migrating to a new computer and moving files around.

All this may suggest paranoia. When it comes to protecting hours and hours of work, often until 2 a.m. - heck yes, I'm paranoid. I have too many stories struggling to come out of mental hibernation and at 65, let's face it, there's not a whole lot of time left, and keeping the blood pressure down is important to longevity.

NaNoWriMo 2009

2009-11-04T15:50:00.000-08:00

The month-long, write a 50,000 word novel exercise is well underway with an expected 150,000 people busily pecking away at their typewriter/keyboard. To be truthful, it's the way I've been writing for years, therefore, I am well on the way to finishing the rough draft ahead of scheudle.

Stopping a moment to look at my writing style, everything falls into place. First comes the idea which begins to form into a story of sorts. Next comes research. Not all research is or can be done before words actually begin to appear on the page. I will invariably come up with an idea that needs clarification/filling out. That means stopping, but with the power of search engines searches can be accomplished quickly.

With the research mostly at hand, and having given the story much thought, typing can begin. I am sequential thinker, therefore my stories flow that way, not unlike a motion picture. All I do is describe the action within the scenes as they mentally appear, typing at 65+ words a minute. (And my high school typing teacher thought I'd never amount anything!).

The problem with this system is that I often work three to four hours straight, and it's not unusual to see the lights on in the office until 2 a.m., chunking out from 10-12,000 words. Still, that's the easy part of writing. Editing and tweeking can easily take another month, longer if I have someone else helping with edits. It's a gruelling schedule, but it's what I enjoy.

2009-10-31T17:20:00.000-07:00

Instead of buying our pumpkins at the grocery or Wally Mart, we decided to visit the local pumpkin patch. At 2:30 in the afternoon on Halloween eve it's pretty much done, but we found a nice selection of the golden globes. At checkout we were surprised to learn the folk there thought pumpkins were only for carving, and were amazed--amazed!--that we were going to prepare one for making pumpkin bread, cookies, and pies and one for tonight's diner. They honestly thought bread, cookies and pie came from a can. That lead me to consider bringing a couple cans of pumpkin from the grocer and placing them in the patch then take a picture. Of course, the edited photo would have a large red line through it and a caption something like, "Pumpkin Patch. NOT!"
As I blog, the evening meal is being prepared. A small pumpkin is opened, cleaned and stuffed with a combination of seasoned hamburger and rice, then baked. The larger one will be diced, baked, pureed, and frozen to make all sorts of goodies over the next months.
What is sad, is that so many good pumpkins go to waste because most people were never taught such things, or even have the ambition to learn.

Facebook and our Federal Government

2009-10-30T01:54:00.000-07:00

Climbing on the soapbox, I want to address two entirely different issues just for the sake of time--yours and mine.

1. FACEBOOK. In November of 2008 Facebook was awarded $873M by the courts after its customers were bombarded by sex spam. This October they were awarded $711M after its customers were inundated by phoney spam. The question I have is: will the customers (us) who were the target and thereby the recipients harmed by these intrusions going to see any of this money (at least that which can be collected)? Or will it just trickle into the bank accounts of certain corporate individuals as a bonus?

2. OUR GOVERNMENT: Harry Reid and asscociates are pushing with steamroller strength to include a public option in the health bill. That means the Federal government will begin operating a health insurance company going in direct competition with private industry. That really flies in the face of how our country was built. I have no qualms about regulating certain parts of private industry, but to go in direct competition? Considering how the government ran/runs the Post Office, Social Security, TVA, yadda-yadda, I'm just not comfortable with the proposal. It's one step for curing a problem, and one giant step for Socialism.

3. And the cartoon ... is that "My" meant like you and me, or certain individuals?

2009-10-08T11:36:00.000-07:00

When one story is finished/published/temporarily shelved, the serious author has other stories or projects to move on to. In this writer's case, there are at least five projects. The problem ... which one to work on? After a quick review of my Google documents file the choice was rather straight forward. I have another book-length manuscript titled: For All Time and Eternity: Waters of the Deep. This is a story of a young man taken back in time to combat Lucifer's chief general who is attempting to interfere with the sailing of Noah's Ark. A proposal is being sent to a publisher which handles stories of a religious nature. With that done, it's on to finishing the last of three short stories due by the first of November. And that's why for the serious author, work is never done.

I'm Confused

2009-10-02T16:12:00.000-07:00

Every day the government and media bombard me with the notion that the economy is really bad. I'm confused. Mid-week a couple weeks ago, I took my wife to a high-end restuarant. There was a twenty to thirty minute wait. That was at 5:30. There was still a waiting line at 7:30. Last night we went to a soup and salad buffet. There wasn't a wait line, but the place was slammed with customers. Of course, one expects a buffet to be a family destination. I asked a gentleman clearing tables if business has been like this every night. He said, no, but close. That was on a Thursday with no specials.

We frequent Cosco, Target, WalMart, a number of different grocers, Big Lots, Marhsall's--a lot of different retailers.We go to the theaters. They are all busy. Granted, there are businesses closing their doors, but they weren't competative. That was bound to be their fate.

So, if the economy is so bad, what are all these people doing spending money they're not suppose to have? Just curious.

Pirating

2009-09-21T22:31:00.000-07:00

Saturday my wife and I had the pleasure of driving to Porterville, CA where a fellow author was having an event to promote her latest book. That's what authors should do--support one another. During the discussion I jokingly said I had come to see what I could steal from the author. That should be taken as a compliment.

Authors should read what others are doing and note how they do it. If there is a gimmick or way they describe something or someone that works, there is nothing wrong with adopting it into one's own material, with a bit of artistic modification, of course.

One of my favorite authors is Edgar Rice Burroughs. His most noteable work was the series about a guy named Tarzan. He published a number of other series. One of these was about a civilization living inside the earth. One of Tarzan's adventures was a visit to this middle earth. He neatly crossed two separate series. With that in mind, I pirated the idea and have done that with two separate story lines: For All Time and Eternity X The Pirate Family. Actually, that happened by accident. Eternity was the seed for developing the Family.

In modern times Clive Custler appears briefly somewhere in his novels. He did not originate the idea. He pirated it. Alfred Hitchcock would make an appearance somewhere in his movies. I don't know where Hitchcock got the notion, but it was a nice idea. I pirated that, too. I don't appear, but sneak in somewhere.

So, Marilyn, and the rest of you, take notice, and take it as a compliment.

Cordially,
Dirty Dog,
the writing pirate

The Great Crash of 2009

2009-09-21T15:12:00.000-07:00

Some time ago I addressed the issue of backing up one's work on a computer. Why? Because the darn things are subject to all sorts of maladies: virus (Windows-based operating systems), electrical failure, static attacks, you name it. If something can go wrong during a project, it will.

So, there I am, slogging through a final edit on a book. One desktop (window for those using an antiquated system) has the working copy of the manuscript, one desktop is opened to the Internet, and one desktop has the editor's suggestions. A forth desktop is relegated to a music program--music to sooth the editing beast. At the end of the session I decide it's time to hearken to my own words and do a complete backup. One goes into my Google documents file, one to a flash drive, and one to the computer's drive.

The next day I turn on the computer--nothing! It won't start. Unlike a similar incident years ago, I just shrugged and went to a second computer. It's an older machine, but quite serviceable. (One does not need hyper-sonic speeds to use a word processor) I plug in the flash drive and go to work. This also points out that an old machine that still works can have value, more than giving it away.

What if the flash drive also fails? (Something my computer son warned about when I wrote the earlier blog) There's Google document storage, not just the document itself, but also the editor's comments sent via e-mail. Without so much as a wink, I'm back to slogging through the edits.

Let that be a lesson. If it's important--back it up--into more than one place. Keep a second computer around, just in case, and to publilshers and agents, don't reject because we are old, unless you fear wisdom and insight gained from experience.

Where Will It Stop?

2009-09-02T22:40:00.000-07:00

Preface
Simply looking at the dates of the posts on this blog indicates I don't do much. I go by a simple philosophy—if you have something to say, say it. If not, sit down and listen.

Where Will It Stop?

Mr. Spock of Star Trek oft said, “The needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few.”

Some years back a small, but vocal minority managed to convince Congress to protect a tiny fish called the Snail Darter. The result was to lock up water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta used by farmers so to protect the fish. Initially, that seemed okay, but then the rains stopped. A compounding drought set in. The California Central Valley is still in a major drought condition. The result is that land is not being farmed. Barren fields and dying orchards are a pretty common sight.

So what? You ask. The Central Valley is also nicknamed “America's Food Basket.” A tremendous amount of nuts, fruit, and vegetables that should be on your grocer's shelves isn't. To make up the difference those items are imported from Mexico and other, more distant states. For you it means higher grocery costs, not just in the west, but across the Nation. To the Central Valley it means upwards to 50% unemployment.

Governor Schwartzeneger has appealed to the Feds to release the water. The initial letter was not answered. In the last couple days he asked for an answer. What he got was, “We are evaluating the environmental issues.”

Meanwhile, people are standing in bread lines begging for food. A major church organization has sent two semi loads of food to the most stricken communities. Even if it suddenly starts raining recovery will take more than a few days. When our economy is supposed to be so poor, how can bureaucrats sit on their environmental evaluations?

“The needs of the many out weighs the needs of the few.”

A lot of problems plague America right now—saving the banks, health insurance, and big corporations. When a father can't feed his family there will be trouble in River City.

Mr. Spock of Star Trek oft said, “The needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few.”

Some years back a small, but vocal minority managed to convince Congress to protect a tiny fish called the Snail Darter. The result was to lock up water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta used by farmers so to protect the fish. Initially, that seemed okay, but then the rains stopped. A compounding drought set in. The California Central Valley is still in a major drought condition. The result is that land is not being farmed. Barren fields and dying orchards are a pretty common sight.

So what? You ask. The Central Valley is also nicknamed “America's Food Basket.” A tremendous amount of nuts, fruit, and vegetables that should be on your grocer's shelves isn't. To make up the difference those items are imported from Mexico and other, more distant states. For you it means higher grocery costs, not just in the west, but across the Nation. To the Central Valley it means upwards to 50% unemployment.

Governor Schwartzeneger has appealed to the Feds to release the water. The initial letter was not answered. In the last couple days he asked for an answer. What he got was, “We are evaluating the environmental issues.”

Meanwhile, people are standing in bread lines begging for food. A major church organization has sent two semi loads of food to the most stricken communities. Even if it suddenly starts raining recovery will take more than a few days. When our economy is supposed to be so poor, how can bureaucrats sit on their environmental evaluations?

“The needs of the many out weighs the needs of the few.”

A lot of problems plague America right now—saving the banks, health insurance, and big corporations. When a father can't feed his family there will be trouble in River City.

Just When You Thought "Recovery"

2009-09-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

I am a valued customer according to a recent form letter from BarkleycardUS who administers my Carnival Sea Miles MC. As such I am now entitled to be assessed an APR of 30.24% (the Daily Prime Rate + 26.99%) Oh, thank you Barkely. Now I don't need to schedule that colonoscopy.

They do allow the receiver of this letter to opt out of the changes by calling or writing before Nov 27th. If I do so then, 1) the changes will not be applied, 2) the account will be closed, 3) one must pony up outstanding balances, and 4) any outstanding reward points or miles may be forfeited.

And this is going to help the country's financial recovery how?

Without consultation from the taxpayers, Congress bailed the banks out of deep do-do after the lousy way they managed their industry. They immediately rewarded the jokers who got them and us into this mess with a big bonus. Now that Uncle doesn't appear to be willing to pony up more money, and with the approach of Christmas, these banks intend to soak the taxpayers by charging exorbitant fees. Dracula at least left a little blood in his victims.

Thank goodness, this doesn't affect me. Several months ago that card was paid off. In fact, after paying the fee they claimed I owed there is now a large credit balance in the account. I wonder if I can charge them interest for keeping it?

World History 101 - Condensed

2009-08-26T11:25:00.000-07:00

The problem with e-mails and the Internet is that all too often the author becomes anonymous. The following is a good example. Although the writing might not be the best, they do deserve a slap on the back for being creative.

History 101

For those that don't know about history ..... Here is a condensed version:

Humans originally existed as members of small bands of nomadic hunters/gatherers. They lived on deer in the mountains during the summer and would go to the coast and live on fish and lobster in the winter.

The two most important events in all of history were the invention of beer and the invention of the wheel. The wheel was invented to get man to the beer. These were the foundation of modern civilization and together were the catalyst for the splitting of humanity into two distinct subgroups:

1. Liberals, and
2. Conservatives.

Once beer was discovered, it required grain and that was the beginning of agriculture. Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum can were invented yet, so while our early humans were sitting around waiting for them to be invented, they just stayed close to the brewery. That's how villages were formed.

Some men spent their days tracking and killing animals to B-B-Q at night while they were drinking beer. This was the beginning of what is known as theConservative movement.

Other men who were weaker and less skilled at hunting learned to live off the conservatives by showing up for the nightly B-B-Q's and doing the sewing, fetching, and hair dressing. This was the beginning of the Liberal movement..

Some of these liberal men eventually evolved into women. The rest became known as girlie-men. Some noteworthy liberal achievements include the domestication of cats, the invention of group therapy, group hugs, and the concept of Democratic voting to decide how to divide the meat and beer that conservatives provided.

Over the years conservatives came to be symbolized by the largest, most powerful land animal on earth, the elephant. Liberals are symbolized by the jackass.

Modern liberals like imported beer (with lime added), but most prefer white wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw fish but like their beef well done. Sushi, tofu, and French food are standard liberal fare. Another interesting evolutionary side note: most of their women have higher testosterone levels than their men. Most social workers, personal injury attorneys, journalists, dreamers inHollywood and group therapists are liberals. Liberals invented the designated hitter rule because it wasn't fair to make the pitcher also bat.

Conservatives drink domestic beer, mostly Bud.. They eat red meat and still provide for their women. Conservatives are big-game hunters, rodeo cowboys, lumberjacks, construction workers, firemen, medical doctors, police officers, corporate executives, athletes, members of the military, airline pilots and generally anyone who works productively. Conservatives who own companies hire other conservatives who want to work for a living.

Liberals produce little or nothing. They like to govern the producers and decide what to do with the production. Liberals believe Europeans are more enlightened than Americans. That is why most of the liberals remained in Europe when conservatives were coming to America . They crept in after the Wild West was tamed and created a business of trying to get more for nothing.

Here ends today's lesson in world history:

It should be noted that a Liberal may have a momentary urge to angrily respond to the above before forwarding it.

A Conservative will simply laugh and be so convinced of the absolute truth of this history that it will be forwarded immediately to other true believers and to more liberals just to tick them off.

And there you have it.

From Educated Ignorance

2009-08-23T19:52:00.000-07:00

Even Rush Limbaugh and other extremist commentators occasionally say something that makes sense. (That's scary) The same holds true of politicians. (That's a lot scary) In no way do I ascribe to the political views or person of Rep. Barney Frank from Massachusetts, but have to agree with his handling of an incident at a townhall meeting recently.

Approached by a young woman promoting the Nazi view he pointedly said, "On what planet do you spend most of your time? Ma'am, trying to have a conversation with you would be like trying to argue with a dining room table. I have no interest in doing it.” [Your ability to deface an image of the president and express your views] "is a tribute to the First Amendment that this kind of vile, contemptible nonsense is so freely propagated."

It seems that the younger generation too freely equate that which they oppose by mimicking Nazi politics. The scary thing is that they have no concept of what they say. Nazi-ism was more than a political ideology—it was the philosophy of lies and ruthless genocide. To equate anyone with that is the most loathsome of insults.

Why do these kids do it? Because they are now too far removed from that shameful time in our history, and haven't been taught. I don't lay the failure of teaching them what Nazis were really like, because their parents have no idea, either. It is a period of time ignored by schools. What I have seen and been told, history texts for elementary and secondary schools still don't go beyond the Korean War, and teachers opt to spend copious amounts of time rehashing the American Civil War leaving no time for topics beyond the First World War. Our children have been taught little if anything about WW II, Korea, the Cold War, Vietnam (which had a tremendous impact on their lives), or anything that happened in the last half of the past Century. It is disgraceful. More than wanting to shove swastika posters down the throat of those who waive them around or offer the Nazi salute and yell “sieg heil,” I want to go up to history teachers, school administrators and curriculum planners and slap them up along side the head and say, “Thanks. For nothing.”