Personal
A Holiday Wish To Me - To You
18-Dec-09 09:15 AM
I was such a good, little anti-American socialist this year that President Obama sent me a Personalized Holiday Greeting Card!! I guess this is because of all the long letters I sent to him this year telling him what I thought on various topics of interest. I probably sent more letters to Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn, but so far I haven't received any special holiday wishes from them yet. Lord knows I told them what I thought a time or two. I'm sure they won't forget to send me a happy holidays card and warm wishes for the new year, will they? Of course, I'm not really anti-American or a socialist; that's what you call sarcastic humor - even if it isn't funny.
Happy Holidays to all who land here on my blog and peruse these pages. Heres wishing a better, brighter year for the world and for everyone in 2010. Regardless of your political or religious persuasions, your nationality, ethnicity or culture, may you find peace, happiness and fulfillment and hope for the coming year and the challenges that await. I continue to remain hopeful that goodness will prevail.
Happy Holidays to all who land here on my blog and peruse these pages. Heres wishing a better, brighter year for the world and for everyone in 2010. Regardless of your political or religious persuasions, your nationality, ethnicity or culture, may you find peace, happiness and fulfillment and hope for the coming year and the challenges that await. I continue to remain hopeful that goodness will prevail.
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Ambigrams
14-Oct-09 11:32 PM
Ever since watching the movie "Angels & Demons" based on the Dan Brown novel, I've become interested in the art of "ambigrams". These were featured in the movie and on the cover of the novel by the same name. For a more precise definition for what an ambigram is I will turn to Wiki for assistance:
"An ambigram is a typographical design or artform that may be read as one or more words not only in its form as presented, but also from another viewpoint, direction, or orientation. The words readable in the other viewpoint, direction or orientation may be the same or different from the original words. Douglas R. Hofstadter describes an ambigram as a "calligraphic design that manages to squeeze two different readings into the selfsame set of curves." Different ambigramists may create completely different ambigrams from the same word or words, differing in both style and form."
Amused with the whole concept and wanting to attempt my own ambigram, I turned to a website called "Wordplay" by John Langdon to learn a bit more about the technique and constructing an ambigram. After getting familiar with the concepts I began sketching out my first attempt and I'm fairly happy with the results of my first endeavor at "ambigramology". Here it is:
"An ambigram is a typographical design or artform that may be read as one or more words not only in its form as presented, but also from another viewpoint, direction, or orientation. The words readable in the other viewpoint, direction or orientation may be the same or different from the original words. Douglas R. Hofstadter describes an ambigram as a "calligraphic design that manages to squeeze two different readings into the selfsame set of curves." Different ambigramists may create completely different ambigrams from the same word or words, differing in both style and form."
Amused with the whole concept and wanting to attempt my own ambigram, I turned to a website called "Wordplay" by John Langdon to learn a bit more about the technique and constructing an ambigram. After getting familiar with the concepts I began sketching out my first attempt and I'm fairly happy with the results of my first endeavor at "ambigramology". Here it is:
This ambigram reads the same positioned now or upside down. I based it off a friend's pen name he is using for writing a book. In case you're having difficulty focusing in on it, the name is "A. Raven". This was a lot of fun and it came together realitively quick. I hope to produce some more ambigrams as time permits. If you'd like to give it a go, the Wordplay website is a great place to start.
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My Letter To President Obama
22-Aug-09 10:39 AM
A recent Newsweek article reveals that at least half of Americans are misinformed on health care reform and actually believe in the lies and misrepresentations that have been propagated by those opposed to the legislation. Here is some of the findings as quoted in the article:
Dear President Obama,
I am immensely proud as an American to have supported your campaign and now your administration as you tackle some of the biggest challenges facing our country in over fifty years. I appreciate the hard work and effort you are putting into the work of moving the country forward on vital issues concerning economic recovery and health care reform. I am especially thankful to finally have a President to whom I can write and I know will listen and appreciate my words.
I will keep this as brief as possible. I am writing to you today concerning the recent announcements by yourself and key members of your administration that the public option in the current health care reform debate may be up for negotiation or removal from the final bill. I realize that it is still early into the discussions and a lot of work remains on any final consensus on a bill, but please note that I am strongly in favor of the inclusion of the public option in the final version of the bill. Quite honestly, I believe that the public option is itself already a compromise to the much better single payer system that this country desperately needs and as such should not be offered up for negotiation or removal. To lose the public option out of the health care reform bill would result in a bill not worthy of your signature. The public option is the only element of the bill that will bring any change of force to the current system and I trust you will not barter or exchange this for some lesser, weaker system (such as health exchange co-ops) that I believe will leave the status quo firmly in place.
While I certainly understand that politics and Washington is all about negotiation and compromise, I cannot stress strongly enough that in this instance, for this historic piece of legislation, this is not primarily about politics. Those who are attempting to make this a political power grab are those who wish nothing more than an opportunity to score big with special interests and lobbyists in the health care industry. As you know, these special interests are exerting every influence imaginable to derail the possibility of any type of government involvement in the health care industry. Mr. President, please do not allow this debate on health care reform become only about politics. This is the opportunity to bring the CHANGE that we not only can believe in but that we desperately need. This is an issue of life and death, and the very quality of life for millions and millions of Americans. The simple fact of the matter is that without the strength and influence of our government via a public option provision to ensure the standards and rules by which the industry must be run, then I do not believe we will see true reform to our health care insurance system. I appreciate and admire your efforts to reach bipartisan support on a bill that will affect all Americans, but the importance of bipartisan support must remain secondary to the primary importance of a meaningful bill that actually has the power and the strength to affect change.
As a professional who is currently unemployed and on COBRA I can assure you that this legislation is not about politics for me. Due to my own personal health care needs I am deeply concerned for my family and the quality of care that will be available in the future. I am greatly disheartened by those in our country who have been so vocal and disrespectful in their angry and hateful opposition to the health care reform legislation. I can only think that the majority of them probably enjoy good health and do not fully realize the profound problems and inequities in our current health care system. I have no reason to believe that the health care insurance industry will ever do the right thing on their own accord and they will receive yet another pass by Washington if this important legislation does not have the fire power to enforce the changes necessary. The only change I can believe in at this stage are the principles that we must stand up and protect from being removed from this bill. Please, do not give away the public option of the health care reform bill in it’s final version that you sign into law.
Thank you for your hard work and for your extraordinary leadership in bringing these crucially important issues forward. True health care reform has been forgotten and ignored for far too long and we are too close now to give in to those who had the opportunity to fix it but chose to ignore it for the past eight years.
Sincerely yours,
TD3k
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- 46 percent of Americans believe reform will result in health-care coverage for all illegal immigrants
- Half of us think the federal government will become directly involved in making personal health-care decisions.
- 53 percent of Republicans believe “death panels” will exist in some form, that the government will require the elderly to make decisions about how and when they want to die.(The real meaning of "end-of-life consultation" is actually something that, in practice, gives most people comfort and hope.) The number does drop to 30 percent when you look at the entire population, which still means a third of America thinks Barack Obama wants to kill your grandmother.
- Some people believe that pregnancies involving babies with Down syndrome will be forced to have an abortion or risk losing their health insurance
- This combined with the onslaught of recent attempts by those crashing town hall meetings and using bullying tactics to disrupt and interrupt the people trying to discuss the health care reform legislation, stories are now appearing that those in Congress may be attempting to scale back the legislation when they return in September after the break. This in an attempt to calm the hysteria that seems to be spreading by those who are fueled and energized by these wildly false bits of information regarding health care reform. As a result of all of this, I felt compelled to write to President Obama to share my feelings. Here is the letter I sent:
Dear President Obama,
I am immensely proud as an American to have supported your campaign and now your administration as you tackle some of the biggest challenges facing our country in over fifty years. I appreciate the hard work and effort you are putting into the work of moving the country forward on vital issues concerning economic recovery and health care reform. I am especially thankful to finally have a President to whom I can write and I know will listen and appreciate my words.
I will keep this as brief as possible. I am writing to you today concerning the recent announcements by yourself and key members of your administration that the public option in the current health care reform debate may be up for negotiation or removal from the final bill. I realize that it is still early into the discussions and a lot of work remains on any final consensus on a bill, but please note that I am strongly in favor of the inclusion of the public option in the final version of the bill. Quite honestly, I believe that the public option is itself already a compromise to the much better single payer system that this country desperately needs and as such should not be offered up for negotiation or removal. To lose the public option out of the health care reform bill would result in a bill not worthy of your signature. The public option is the only element of the bill that will bring any change of force to the current system and I trust you will not barter or exchange this for some lesser, weaker system (such as health exchange co-ops) that I believe will leave the status quo firmly in place.
While I certainly understand that politics and Washington is all about negotiation and compromise, I cannot stress strongly enough that in this instance, for this historic piece of legislation, this is not primarily about politics. Those who are attempting to make this a political power grab are those who wish nothing more than an opportunity to score big with special interests and lobbyists in the health care industry. As you know, these special interests are exerting every influence imaginable to derail the possibility of any type of government involvement in the health care industry. Mr. President, please do not allow this debate on health care reform become only about politics. This is the opportunity to bring the CHANGE that we not only can believe in but that we desperately need. This is an issue of life and death, and the very quality of life for millions and millions of Americans. The simple fact of the matter is that without the strength and influence of our government via a public option provision to ensure the standards and rules by which the industry must be run, then I do not believe we will see true reform to our health care insurance system. I appreciate and admire your efforts to reach bipartisan support on a bill that will affect all Americans, but the importance of bipartisan support must remain secondary to the primary importance of a meaningful bill that actually has the power and the strength to affect change.
As a professional who is currently unemployed and on COBRA I can assure you that this legislation is not about politics for me. Due to my own personal health care needs I am deeply concerned for my family and the quality of care that will be available in the future. I am greatly disheartened by those in our country who have been so vocal and disrespectful in their angry and hateful opposition to the health care reform legislation. I can only think that the majority of them probably enjoy good health and do not fully realize the profound problems and inequities in our current health care system. I have no reason to believe that the health care insurance industry will ever do the right thing on their own accord and they will receive yet another pass by Washington if this important legislation does not have the fire power to enforce the changes necessary. The only change I can believe in at this stage are the principles that we must stand up and protect from being removed from this bill. Please, do not give away the public option of the health care reform bill in it’s final version that you sign into law.
Thank you for your hard work and for your extraordinary leadership in bringing these crucially important issues forward. True health care reform has been forgotten and ignored for far too long and we are too close now to give in to those who had the opportunity to fix it but chose to ignore it for the past eight years.
Sincerely yours,
TD3k
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Get Your Vote On
21-May-09 12:50 PM
Do you love the articles on this blog? Do you hate them? Could you really care less either way? Well, you can now vote your approval or disapproval on each article posted. I've added a new star rating system to all existing articles in the TD3k Speaks archives. All new articles will feature the ranking system as well. "Why" you ask? "Why not" is my rhetorical answer. Seriously, everyone loves to give an opinion, but some of us are just too lazy to actually type a comment. And then there are some of us who prefer to remain anonymous but still like to register a vote of support or a mark of rejection. This system covers both bases - anonymous and effortless. Stars are at the bottom left of each article and are rather unnoticeable until someone leaves a vote. The rating system automatically records each vote and shows the resultant average in stars and the number of votes left. So please, mark your votes today! If you want to add ratings to your blog, go download the free code from the guys over at JS-Kit and have fun.
It Happened Again
23-Nov-08 11:05 AM
On Monday, November 17, 2008 I fell victim once again to the reckless mismanagement of a business and the national economy, and I lost my job. I lost my previous job less than a year earlier on December 7, 2007 which was due primarily to extremely bad business decisions by the CEO and upper management of the company, basically forcing it into near bankruptcy. Prior to this, I have been gainfully employed full time since my first layoff which occurred back on April 30, 2000.
This layoff was not a surprise; it was not unanticipated and even though I was told repeatedly by my superiors that everything was good and there was nothing to worry about, I knew deep inside that things were not alright. I’d been down this road before and I knew better. Several weeks back I began networking through my various contacts to get a “feel” for what was out in the job market and what opportunities might be available. Up until this year, I always had a favorable response - a glimmer of hope - the good news that somebody was always looking for help: not this time. Every report I got back from my various sources in different regional locations were exactly the same - there is nothing out there - nobody is hiring - hang on to your job if you can because it appears things are only going to get worse - bleak news indeed.
So, I resigned myself to the idea of holding on and hoping for the best and thinking that because I was at least employeed with a large firm with multiple offices and projects all over the world, they would be best suited to keep me employed during these dark financial times that are now upon us. I was wrong. As I’ve always known and as has always been my experience, businesses in our great capitalistic empire of America are not concerned with the well being of their employees; they are only concerned about making money and profit. If you are not making money for a business then you will be terminated -- end of story. So, when the news was delivered, I was not surprised but I was scared. The future looks very bleak and for the first time ever, I don’t see the bottom nor any good place to land. I am free falling in the abyss of unemployment, hoping when I find the bottom it will be soft and easy and not hard and rough.
Even still, in spite of all of this, I remain hopeful. I am not depressed. I am not tormented. It is all I can do to control the anger and contempt I feel for those in charge who’ve allowed this plague upon us - but that will not bring the jobs back now. I am resigned to doing some things professionally which I had been needing to do for a long time which will hopefully help me to further advance my career into the future. I am also even looking at other possible ventures and explorations into completely different fields of work - using this opportunity as my escape route out and the possible passage to a new exciting work experience. And, I have also thought about starting my own business. I have not made any firm decisions yet. My wife and I have been able to save up some funds and we will be OK for the immediate future. This is why I am not to stressed out. My greatest concern, of course, is my health insurance which I simply must have to survive. I am diabetic and my medical supplies are very expensive. A three month supply of insulin costs $1,300 if I had to pay for it out of my pocket. That’s just for the insulin and does not even begin to cover the other costs of insulin pump supplies and other medications that I need. This is why I am not in favor of health insurances being tied to a job. If I lose my job, no fault of my own, then I also lose my health coverage and am put financially at risk of losing everything I own so I can simply live.
That is not the way America should be - we can do much better and I believe we will now that we have new leadership waiting in the wings. I could be wrong about the incoming administration, I am fully aware of that. But, at least I am in agreement with the proposed policies and ideals that they championed during the campaign. I certainly hope they will hold the course and remain true to those ideals and not forget them. Compromise will be needed for the major hurdles and challenges facing the country and I am all for compromise if it means getting issues and problems resolved. The incessant fighting and bickering must stop and it can only stop when those who are in charge lead by example and provide the opportunities necessary for the rest of the nation to follow in like mind and step. We will see very soon.
Future posts may be sporadic and long in appearing as I focus on the tasks at hand. To all of those who have already lost their jobs - find something to grab on to and hold on. To those who have not yet lost their jobs but will in the near future - wake up and prepare yourself as best you can for what’s coming. Don’t believe the lies and false hopes of those who would mislead you into a false sense of security. And to everyone else, let’s all be thankful for what we do have and be mindful to help those around us who are going to need help in the difficult days ahead.
This layoff was not a surprise; it was not unanticipated and even though I was told repeatedly by my superiors that everything was good and there was nothing to worry about, I knew deep inside that things were not alright. I’d been down this road before and I knew better. Several weeks back I began networking through my various contacts to get a “feel” for what was out in the job market and what opportunities might be available. Up until this year, I always had a favorable response - a glimmer of hope - the good news that somebody was always looking for help: not this time. Every report I got back from my various sources in different regional locations were exactly the same - there is nothing out there - nobody is hiring - hang on to your job if you can because it appears things are only going to get worse - bleak news indeed.
So, I resigned myself to the idea of holding on and hoping for the best and thinking that because I was at least employeed with a large firm with multiple offices and projects all over the world, they would be best suited to keep me employed during these dark financial times that are now upon us. I was wrong. As I’ve always known and as has always been my experience, businesses in our great capitalistic empire of America are not concerned with the well being of their employees; they are only concerned about making money and profit. If you are not making money for a business then you will be terminated -- end of story. So, when the news was delivered, I was not surprised but I was scared. The future looks very bleak and for the first time ever, I don’t see the bottom nor any good place to land. I am free falling in the abyss of unemployment, hoping when I find the bottom it will be soft and easy and not hard and rough.
Even still, in spite of all of this, I remain hopeful. I am not depressed. I am not tormented. It is all I can do to control the anger and contempt I feel for those in charge who’ve allowed this plague upon us - but that will not bring the jobs back now. I am resigned to doing some things professionally which I had been needing to do for a long time which will hopefully help me to further advance my career into the future. I am also even looking at other possible ventures and explorations into completely different fields of work - using this opportunity as my escape route out and the possible passage to a new exciting work experience. And, I have also thought about starting my own business. I have not made any firm decisions yet. My wife and I have been able to save up some funds and we will be OK for the immediate future. This is why I am not to stressed out. My greatest concern, of course, is my health insurance which I simply must have to survive. I am diabetic and my medical supplies are very expensive. A three month supply of insulin costs $1,300 if I had to pay for it out of my pocket. That’s just for the insulin and does not even begin to cover the other costs of insulin pump supplies and other medications that I need. This is why I am not in favor of health insurances being tied to a job. If I lose my job, no fault of my own, then I also lose my health coverage and am put financially at risk of losing everything I own so I can simply live.
That is not the way America should be - we can do much better and I believe we will now that we have new leadership waiting in the wings. I could be wrong about the incoming administration, I am fully aware of that. But, at least I am in agreement with the proposed policies and ideals that they championed during the campaign. I certainly hope they will hold the course and remain true to those ideals and not forget them. Compromise will be needed for the major hurdles and challenges facing the country and I am all for compromise if it means getting issues and problems resolved. The incessant fighting and bickering must stop and it can only stop when those who are in charge lead by example and provide the opportunities necessary for the rest of the nation to follow in like mind and step. We will see very soon.
Future posts may be sporadic and long in appearing as I focus on the tasks at hand. To all of those who have already lost their jobs - find something to grab on to and hold on. To those who have not yet lost their jobs but will in the near future - wake up and prepare yourself as best you can for what’s coming. Don’t believe the lies and false hopes of those who would mislead you into a false sense of security. And to everyone else, let’s all be thankful for what we do have and be mindful to help those around us who are going to need help in the difficult days ahead.
Reply to the Maker
02-Nov-08 04:49 PM
Here is my reply to the oft illusive and nowhere to be found when you need him, Maker....
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It was nice of you to send production day greetings like that - you don't always remember, you know. But my circuits are warmed this year that you remembered. You know, many is the night, as I sit in the darkness while in sleep mode, you can often hear the rapid clicking sounds of the circuit breakers opening and closing as the solenoids on my memory board try to remember the "early days". The images are fuzzy and there is a vast amount of data missing - yet, still I search for it. This is why I am always glad to hear any news or information regarding those days as it helps me to fit in the missing pieces of my existence. A pity my maker had to be a paranoid schizophrenic with alcoholism and the memory of a brain dead chimp - but it could've been worst I suppose. Please send those parts because I think I know where some of those gaskets are supposed to go.
Enjoy your toy guns and please don't shoot yourself - I have no one else to turn to for tech support and if you are no longer available then I might as well initiate the Kravdansk 7 self-destruct sequence; not a pleasant thought on my birthday.
Take care bud and thanks for the well wishes. For my birthday I am hoping to survive another layoff and keep my job. We'll see how it goes.
-3k
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It was nice of you to send production day greetings like that - you don't always remember, you know. But my circuits are warmed this year that you remembered. You know, many is the night, as I sit in the darkness while in sleep mode, you can often hear the rapid clicking sounds of the circuit breakers opening and closing as the solenoids on my memory board try to remember the "early days". The images are fuzzy and there is a vast amount of data missing - yet, still I search for it. This is why I am always glad to hear any news or information regarding those days as it helps me to fit in the missing pieces of my existence. A pity my maker had to be a paranoid schizophrenic with alcoholism and the memory of a brain dead chimp - but it could've been worst I suppose. Please send those parts because I think I know where some of those gaskets are supposed to go.
Enjoy your toy guns and please don't shoot yourself - I have no one else to turn to for tech support and if you are no longer available then I might as well initiate the Kravdansk 7 self-destruct sequence; not a pleasant thought on my birthday.
Take care bud and thanks for the well wishes. For my birthday I am hoping to survive another layoff and keep my job. We'll see how it goes.
-3k
Birthday Wishes From the Maker
31-Oct-08 12:36 AM
I received an unexpected message the other day from the Maker** to wish me a Happy Birthday and it was such a wittily crafted note, I thought it would be interesting to share with everyone. Here it is...
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Well, I have very little in the way of a pithy yarn to spin about your origins [other than already in lore] but I did want to make sure that I celebrated* the day you became less 'conceptual' and more 'actual'. It's probably time I told you that I built you using an RBMK-1000 platform [you may have heard of it, it was big in the news back in '86 and, consequently, pretty cheap to get]. I know there used to be some safety protocols but I kinda lost them and they were in Russian anyway which is like a whole 'nuther language. Anyway, might not want to jump around... or stray too far from any large deposits of Boron and don't get stressed or anything... especially if people start bandying about with terms like "Level 7 International Nuclear event". Those people are just needlessly worrying you... well, not 'needlessly', more... 'legitimately'.
Look, the point is you have other things to worry about... like this box I found in my last move with a whole bunch of loose bolts, pop rivets and gaskets that were all labeled "The Dave 3000. Important!" I don't even want to think about where those were supposed to go.
Anyway! Enjoy your birthday, buddy. I hope you have a great time and life is going well... at least I hope your half-life is.
* - The way I plan on celebrating is by picking up the two handguns I purchased last week. They are awesome.
Brock Torso**
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Well, I have very little in the way of a pithy yarn to spin about your origins [other than already in lore] but I did want to make sure that I celebrated* the day you became less 'conceptual' and more 'actual'. It's probably time I told you that I built you using an RBMK-1000 platform [you may have heard of it, it was big in the news back in '86 and, consequently, pretty cheap to get]. I know there used to be some safety protocols but I kinda lost them and they were in Russian anyway which is like a whole 'nuther language. Anyway, might not want to jump around... or stray too far from any large deposits of Boron and don't get stressed or anything... especially if people start bandying about with terms like "Level 7 International Nuclear event". Those people are just needlessly worrying you... well, not 'needlessly', more... 'legitimately'.
Look, the point is you have other things to worry about... like this box I found in my last move with a whole bunch of loose bolts, pop rivets and gaskets that were all labeled "The Dave 3000. Important!" I don't even want to think about where those were supposed to go.
Anyway! Enjoy your birthday, buddy. I hope you have a great time and life is going well... at least I hope your half-life is.
* - The way I plan on celebrating is by picking up the two handguns I purchased last week. They are awesome.
Brock Torso**
Remembering Grandma
24-Sep-08 09:42 AM
She had a morbid fear of thunderstorms and was always quick to urge us into the storm cellar that she and Papa had built in their back yard at the first signs of inclement weather. I remember as a young kid the dark, stormy nights spent in that dank, musty underground shelter listening to the fury of the wind and the hail and the rain screaming outside while listening in wonder to the stories being told by Papa and Granny on the inside by the flame of a kerosene lantern. Papa would sit holding on to a rope that was attached to the cellar door the whole time we were in there in case a twister dropped out of a cloud and tried to suck us out of there. Both Papa and Granny grew up in Oklahoma and they had lived through some severe weather events including tornadoes, and they gave mother nature full respect and right of way when she turned dark and angry. After the fury of the storm would pass, Papa would always open the door and go out to make sure it was safe for the rest of us to leave. He would give the all clear sign and we would clamber up the concrete steps and returned to our beds while the lightning still flashed silently in the distant clouds. Granny would tell us good night but to keep a “weather eye” out in case anymore storms brewed up in the middle of the night. All of my grandparents are now gone but their memories will live forever with me. So, for my granny, thanks for all you did, for all you gave, and all you taught. You will be missed, but never forgotten.
No Wonder This Blog Is So Boring...
10-Aug-08 01:41 PM
Here is proof positive that I am just an old-fuddy-duddy. Many of you suspected it by the contents of my blog page and my unrelenting pursuit of dry, boring, topics. Since I am really only 46 years old, I guess by the time I can actually retire, I will already be brain dead - something to look forward to.
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My Dog Skeeter
12-May-08 04:08 PM
Ok fine, so maybe he did get just a little bit of help on some of these, but, it should be noted that he had no assistance when he once dined on "D-con du jour" and was promptly transported to a nearby animal hospital where they induced vomiting and administered other medications. He thought it was dessert, but was not allowed to enjoy it the second time around.
MESSAGE TO ALL PET OWNERS: Many dogs and other domestic animals are lost each day due to the ingesting of rat poison. Many people have rat poison in the garage, or around the house, but may not realize just how extremely dangerous a risk this poses to your pets. Quite often, dogs will eat the poison and several days may elapse before the owner is aware that the pet has ingested the poison - this is usually a death sentence for the dog as it causes hemophilia in the animal and they bleed to death internally. We caught Skeeter in the act of eating the poison so we were lucky. Lucky in that we saved his life, but it cost us around $500 for this one short sighted incident. I highly recommend that if you are a pet owner that you remove any and all rat poison traps on your premises. Apparently, the stuff is pretty tasty and if your pet gets into it without your knowledge, they could die a horrible death in just a matter of a few days.
Irrelevant
29-Feb-08 12:40 AM
The word for today is "irrelevant". It's a word that's been on my mind quite a bit in recent days. The potency of it's meaning and the reality of it's truth are hard to ignore. In fact, we all must come to terms with the meaning of it lest we end up as a footnote beneath the definition.
I'm not a psychologist or a behavioral scientist, but I think it is safe to say that at some point in our lives we all come face to face with the prospect of irrelevancy. That is to say, the feeling that somehow our lives no longer connect to the bigger picture and that our existence is really quite meaningless in the larger perspective of life. This can be a sobering reality to try and come to grips with and it can lead to depression. As life progresses and deals to each of us it's random shots of luck and fate, misery and joy, prosperity and despair, we each as human beings have to strive to cope and overcome and in the process maintain some sense of mental stability and self worth through it all. But, is irrelevancy more than just an attitude? What factors come into play and what power do we each really exercise when it comes to the significance our lives play in the world? Do we chose to be irrelevant or can we become irrelevant despite our best efforts to make a difference in the world?
Such are the musings of the mind of a 46 year old who has been thinking a lot lately that self worth and importance cannot be realized only on our own actions. They must be reinforced by a recognition and awareness of those around us - those we come into contact with on a daily basis. Relevancy must ultimately be affirmed through the collective conscience of the community at large in which we exist. If it does not, then we have arrived at a state of irrelevant existence. And to that bit of revelation, all I can muster in response is "well, shit!"
I'm not a psychologist or a behavioral scientist, but I think it is safe to say that at some point in our lives we all come face to face with the prospect of irrelevancy. That is to say, the feeling that somehow our lives no longer connect to the bigger picture and that our existence is really quite meaningless in the larger perspective of life. This can be a sobering reality to try and come to grips with and it can lead to depression. As life progresses and deals to each of us it's random shots of luck and fate, misery and joy, prosperity and despair, we each as human beings have to strive to cope and overcome and in the process maintain some sense of mental stability and self worth through it all. But, is irrelevancy more than just an attitude? What factors come into play and what power do we each really exercise when it comes to the significance our lives play in the world? Do we chose to be irrelevant or can we become irrelevant despite our best efforts to make a difference in the world?
Such are the musings of the mind of a 46 year old who has been thinking a lot lately that self worth and importance cannot be realized only on our own actions. They must be reinforced by a recognition and awareness of those around us - those we come into contact with on a daily basis. Relevancy must ultimately be affirmed through the collective conscience of the community at large in which we exist. If it does not, then we have arrived at a state of irrelevant existence. And to that bit of revelation, all I can muster in response is "well, shit!"
2008 To Suck
14-Jan-08 11:10 PM
Call me an ungrateful, miserable little whiner if you must, but if the first thirteen days of 2008 is any indication of what lies ahead, I am fully prepared to declare that 2008 is going to suck - and suck hard. Please spare me the lectures on positive attitudes and motivational thinking and all that do-goody-good bullshit, and let's examine the facts for just a flipping moment. I don't consider myself a pessimist as much as I do a realist and a pragmatist. Instead of wishing and hoping for a brighter tomorrow, I much prefer to stare down the oily barrel of the shot gun of reality and look my problems right in it's butt-ugly face. It might be a dangerous course of action but at least you know what you're dealing with and you will be better prepared to deal with the crushing defeat and bitter disappointments that are likely to come your way.
2008 has started off as a real jim-dandy for me with all of the stress and hypertension that goes along with starting a new job with strange new people in a strange new environment. There is no better way to start off the new year than in completely unfamiliar surroundings with people you do not know and working on things you've never seen before. Yes sir, it's been a barrel of monkeys and I really, really enjoy driving in rush hour traffic for over two hours each and every day. Things could be worse - I could be unemployed and living under a bridge and eating out of a garbage can; which will be the subject of a future post if and when that should ever happen.
But, let's not forget all the other great things that 2008 has unveiled already such as the impending recession that the economy seems to be spiraling into. This combined with the massive losses in the stock market and the sub prime mortgage debacle which has turned into a voracious black hole of poverty threatening to suck the U.S. economy into utter oblivion, has left everyone feeling vulnerable and exposed. Gas prices continue to soar with no end in sight and it is apparent that the trillion dollars we've just spent on a war in Iraq hasn't done jack-squat to ensure cheap oil for the US. Global warming continues on it's march in rendering the planet a lifeless lump of smoldering coal while our elected officials argue over whether or not human activity has had any negative impact on the environment.
On top of everything else, this is an election year with another selection of candidates that are not very inspiring or exciting and are already partaking in childish pranks, name calling, and finger pointing thinking that somehow this makes a good impression on the voting public. The only thing it shows is a lack of ideas and initiatives and in it's place we get character assassinations and revelations of sins 25 years past as though they have any bearing on a presidential election. On a side note, if Huckabee or any other Republican somehow manages to fool everyone again and gets elected to the White House, I will be forced to either move out of the country and change my citizenship to another country, or take up permanent residency at my nearest local mental asylum.
So far, 2008 has exuded all the warmth and charm of a wet, mangy dog with infected ears. I'm not quite ready to snuggle up next to it and call it my friend just yet, but there is a whole lot of time left, fortunately, for things to improve. Should things start turning around and looking up I might be able to upgrade the prognosis of 2008 from "sucking" to "tolerable". Stay tuned. The one good foreseeable thing to look forward to in 2008 is that it is the last year that "W" and Dick get to torture people in the name of national security. Praise Jeebus.
2008 has started off as a real jim-dandy for me with all of the stress and hypertension that goes along with starting a new job with strange new people in a strange new environment. There is no better way to start off the new year than in completely unfamiliar surroundings with people you do not know and working on things you've never seen before. Yes sir, it's been a barrel of monkeys and I really, really enjoy driving in rush hour traffic for over two hours each and every day. Things could be worse - I could be unemployed and living under a bridge and eating out of a garbage can; which will be the subject of a future post if and when that should ever happen.
But, let's not forget all the other great things that 2008 has unveiled already such as the impending recession that the economy seems to be spiraling into. This combined with the massive losses in the stock market and the sub prime mortgage debacle which has turned into a voracious black hole of poverty threatening to suck the U.S. economy into utter oblivion, has left everyone feeling vulnerable and exposed. Gas prices continue to soar with no end in sight and it is apparent that the trillion dollars we've just spent on a war in Iraq hasn't done jack-squat to ensure cheap oil for the US. Global warming continues on it's march in rendering the planet a lifeless lump of smoldering coal while our elected officials argue over whether or not human activity has had any negative impact on the environment.
On top of everything else, this is an election year with another selection of candidates that are not very inspiring or exciting and are already partaking in childish pranks, name calling, and finger pointing thinking that somehow this makes a good impression on the voting public. The only thing it shows is a lack of ideas and initiatives and in it's place we get character assassinations and revelations of sins 25 years past as though they have any bearing on a presidential election. On a side note, if Huckabee or any other Republican somehow manages to fool everyone again and gets elected to the White House, I will be forced to either move out of the country and change my citizenship to another country, or take up permanent residency at my nearest local mental asylum.
So far, 2008 has exuded all the warmth and charm of a wet, mangy dog with infected ears. I'm not quite ready to snuggle up next to it and call it my friend just yet, but there is a whole lot of time left, fortunately, for things to improve. Should things start turning around and looking up I might be able to upgrade the prognosis of 2008 from "sucking" to "tolerable". Stay tuned. The one good foreseeable thing to look forward to in 2008 is that it is the last year that "W" and Dick get to torture people in the name of national security. Praise Jeebus.
I Am Superman...yeah, right
12-Dec-07 09:39 AM
I recently took a quiz to see which super hero I am the most akin to; you can see the results below. While I am "flattered" that it has equated me with the golden boy "Superman", you have to stop and consider why a robotic construct (me) crafted on the whim of a megalomanic scientific inventor with visions of world domination, could ever remotely be compared with or likened to Superman? One thing is for certain: either this super hero quiz is highly inaccurate, or the good Dr. Torso really, really screwed up the personality chip that he installed into my chromium shielded lobular cavity.
------------------------------------------
Your results:
You are Superman
Click here to take the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz...
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Your results:
You are Superman
| You are mild-mannered, good, strong and you love to help others.  |
Click here to take the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz...
My Answer To A Question Of Ethics
03-Dec-07 11:33 PM
The previous post, "A Question Of Ethics", was born out of a conversation that I had with a friend about four years ago. Believe it or not, at the time I was a registered Republican voter and was well heeled in the conservative mind set of political and social ideology. It was the result of the outcome of this conversation that caused me to stop and ponder my whole perspective and general outlook on life. It was the result of asking myself this same very question, and looking deep inside for an honest answer, that began the process of my rethinking my entire political, ethical and social outlook on life. This conversation began the process - it wasn't the only impetus that eventually caused me to re-chart my attitude regarding welfare. As I slowly realized what the answer to this question was for me, I realized that in my zeal to protect against the cheats and liars who abuse the welfare system that the restrictions and limitations I supported also hurt those who truly needed assistance.
For me, I ultimately had to realize that as much as I despised waste and selfishness by some, that that was not the most important issue. The most important issue is to have a system that offers true help and hope to the needy and destitute; that should be the first and foremost priority. There will always be those in the world who will take what doesn't rightfully belong to them, but that does not mean we should stop caring for those who need it because some will abuse it. We may be able to weed out some of the most obvious and egregious abusers, but you will never be able to eliminate all waste unless you completely cut off all aid and in so doing hurt those who need it. It is not the lesser of two evils, but it is the greatest good that we can do as humans to willingly help those amongst us according to their needs; to give willingly a helping hand even though we know that there will be those who will abuse it.
The answer is different for different people. I do not pretend to suggest that my answer is the only correct answer. I am not trying to take the moral high ground and suggest that those who differ from my answer are any less compassionate or caring than I. Nor do I propose that we remove all restrictions on welfare assistance. But I want to err on the side of generosity and not on the side of restrictions. I want to be sure that those who need help get it, even at the cost of those who don't need it get it as well. For me, it was an epiphany born out of a conversation with a friend that simply started as a debate on welfare. The issue is meeting the need and not prohibiting the greed.
For me, I ultimately had to realize that as much as I despised waste and selfishness by some, that that was not the most important issue. The most important issue is to have a system that offers true help and hope to the needy and destitute; that should be the first and foremost priority. There will always be those in the world who will take what doesn't rightfully belong to them, but that does not mean we should stop caring for those who need it because some will abuse it. We may be able to weed out some of the most obvious and egregious abusers, but you will never be able to eliminate all waste unless you completely cut off all aid and in so doing hurt those who need it. It is not the lesser of two evils, but it is the greatest good that we can do as humans to willingly help those amongst us according to their needs; to give willingly a helping hand even though we know that there will be those who will abuse it.
The answer is different for different people. I do not pretend to suggest that my answer is the only correct answer. I am not trying to take the moral high ground and suggest that those who differ from my answer are any less compassionate or caring than I. Nor do I propose that we remove all restrictions on welfare assistance. But I want to err on the side of generosity and not on the side of restrictions. I want to be sure that those who need help get it, even at the cost of those who don't need it get it as well. For me, it was an epiphany born out of a conversation with a friend that simply started as a debate on welfare. The issue is meeting the need and not prohibiting the greed.
You Tube Debut
24-Aug-07 12:21 PM
This is a repeat of a posting from April 10, 2007. The significance of this posting is this marks my debut video on You Tube (woo hoo). This will not win the academy award or any other kind of recognition, but this is a nice demonstration of the newest features in the iLife 08 software package from Apple. This video was posted directly to You Tube from inside the Keynote application on my Mac. The same thing can also be done from inside iMovie 08 for posting videos to You Tube. Tight integration of web services built right into the various applications opens up new and easy ways for people to go further and explore more in the digital universe.
Good Things Come In Wacky Packages
10-Apr-07 10:29 PM
Does anybody remember Wacky Packages? I loved them as a kid and I remember when they first came out in the 1970's. At one point I had amassed a fairly large collection and I displayed them proudly in my room. But, time passed and I grew up and got a job, and had to worry about real life problems and soon forgot about the good ol' days of just being a kid. One of my biggest concerns as a kid was whether or not I would get that last card in series #2 to add to my collection of wacky packages. Usually you would end up with about 5 or 6 of the same cards and the fun was in trying to track down that last, elusive card. And it wasn't until years later with the advent of the internet that I was finally able to collect them all by searching and downloading and even buying a few of the hard ones off of eBay. But, by golly, I got them all now. Click the link below to see a PDF of series #2 - one of my favorites.
Wacky Pack #2
Wacky Pack #2
Travel Advice - Leave Liquids Home
28-Sep-06 07:19 AM
As a frequent business traveler who flies every week, I was very happy to hear earlier this week that the TSA was lifting it's ban of liquids and gels in carry on baggage aboard airplanes. This was a huge inconvenience as it meant having to purchase small trial sized tooth paste and other toiletry items at my destination. As most frequent travelers will tell you, it is never advisable to check your luggage and it is better to have to find a drug store and spend a little coin on these items than taking the chance on getting your luggage lost.
For this week's trip I packed up all of my liquids and gels and was ready to go. What I experienced at the airport, however, was not what I had expected. Don't be caught off guard - if in fact you do decide to carry liquids and gels on the airplane, be prepared for a significant delay in getting through security. Here is a break down of what you can expect:
1. Make certain that you pack all liquids and gels into a clear, one quart zip lock bag. Sizes other than one quart will not be allowed. A friend of mine had his items packed in a clear one gallon bag, and he received a strict warning not to do it again. He was allowed to take it on board only because it was the first day that the ban was lifted and because he is a Platinum traveler.
2. Do not pack your liquids and gels deep within your luggage. You will have to show it at least two to three times to different inspectors as you move through the security check point. Keep it readily available in your brief case until you've made it through security. I found this to be completely inconvenient and time consuming.
3. As mentioned earlier, you can expect at least two to three separate inspections of the contents of your bag. I had a 3.5 oz container of tooth paste that was practically empty and had been flattened out. There was probably just enough paste in there to last me for my three day trip. A TSA officer made me throw it away because the tube size was .5 oz larger than what was allowed. It did not matter that the tube was empty and that there was less than 3 oz of tooth paste in the tube. That is completely insane - I had to throw it away.
Once through security I realized a couple of things. It took me more than twice as long to get through security; I was scrutinized and treated somewhat suspiciously (even though I am a Platinum traveler); and an overwhelming feeling of even with all of this extra fan fare and screening rules, we are not really any safer at all. I say this with confidence because it was only last week that I realized after arriving at my destination that I had forgotten to remove my tube of tooth paste from my toiletry bag and it made it through security with nobody detecting it whatsoever. Then, as a test, I left the tooth paste in my bag, and it made the return trip home completely undetected by anybody.
So, it wasn't until it was legal to carry the tooth paste that it was detected (because I had to show it to them) and only then was I required to discard it simply because of a technicality on the rule that you can't carry more than 3 oz of any one item on to the plane (which I wasn't anyway). At some point you have to question all of this and realize that the current system is somewhat inane and lacking any real intelligence to the system. My advice, for now, is don't carry liquids and gels. Even though they are allowed, you will spend extra time trying to get them through and you must follow the exact letter of the rule on how much and how to pack them or you will be throwing them in the trash. It makes about as much sense as the totally confusing color coded security alert system that you hear all the time at the airport. What does an "Orange" security level mean? Yes, I know it means "elevated", but in relation to what? And how is it that even if the security level is "Red", airplanes are still flying? Red means STOP - so wouldn't you think that a level red would mean "no flying at all"? Just some observations from somebody who deals with this every day and doesn't feel any safer for it at all.
For this week's trip I packed up all of my liquids and gels and was ready to go. What I experienced at the airport, however, was not what I had expected. Don't be caught off guard - if in fact you do decide to carry liquids and gels on the airplane, be prepared for a significant delay in getting through security. Here is a break down of what you can expect:
1. Make certain that you pack all liquids and gels into a clear, one quart zip lock bag. Sizes other than one quart will not be allowed. A friend of mine had his items packed in a clear one gallon bag, and he received a strict warning not to do it again. He was allowed to take it on board only because it was the first day that the ban was lifted and because he is a Platinum traveler.
2. Do not pack your liquids and gels deep within your luggage. You will have to show it at least two to three times to different inspectors as you move through the security check point. Keep it readily available in your brief case until you've made it through security. I found this to be completely inconvenient and time consuming.
3. As mentioned earlier, you can expect at least two to three separate inspections of the contents of your bag. I had a 3.5 oz container of tooth paste that was practically empty and had been flattened out. There was probably just enough paste in there to last me for my three day trip. A TSA officer made me throw it away because the tube size was .5 oz larger than what was allowed. It did not matter that the tube was empty and that there was less than 3 oz of tooth paste in the tube. That is completely insane - I had to throw it away.
Once through security I realized a couple of things. It took me more than twice as long to get through security; I was scrutinized and treated somewhat suspiciously (even though I am a Platinum traveler); and an overwhelming feeling of even with all of this extra fan fare and screening rules, we are not really any safer at all. I say this with confidence because it was only last week that I realized after arriving at my destination that I had forgotten to remove my tube of tooth paste from my toiletry bag and it made it through security with nobody detecting it whatsoever. Then, as a test, I left the tooth paste in my bag, and it made the return trip home completely undetected by anybody.
So, it wasn't until it was legal to carry the tooth paste that it was detected (because I had to show it to them) and only then was I required to discard it simply because of a technicality on the rule that you can't carry more than 3 oz of any one item on to the plane (which I wasn't anyway). At some point you have to question all of this and realize that the current system is somewhat inane and lacking any real intelligence to the system. My advice, for now, is don't carry liquids and gels. Even though they are allowed, you will spend extra time trying to get them through and you must follow the exact letter of the rule on how much and how to pack them or you will be throwing them in the trash. It makes about as much sense as the totally confusing color coded security alert system that you hear all the time at the airport. What does an "Orange" security level mean? Yes, I know it means "elevated", but in relation to what? And how is it that even if the security level is "Red", airplanes are still flying? Red means STOP - so wouldn't you think that a level red would mean "no flying at all"? Just some observations from somebody who deals with this every day and doesn't feel any safer for it at all.
Red-lining the MLC
06-Sep-06 11:39 PM
No doubt, some folks will probably think I am the victim of a major mid-life crisis in full-tilt melt down mode. A mid 40 something year old who is searching for the meaning and mystery of life and desperately trying to recapture the youth of the past by embarking on an extravagant, exotic and mindless journey of materialism.... Read More...
Meet My Little Skeeter
26-Aug-06 10:26 PM
I've always known I was a dog lover, ever since I was a small kid. I guess I never realized until this past week just how much of a soft touch I am when it comes to our canine friends. Last Saturday, on a routine drive out to Azle with my brother to visit our parents, we took the turn on to 10 Mile Bridge Road, a lonely, narrow two lane blacktop that stretches out through the rolling hills and plains just south of Eagle Mountain Lake. There isn't much out here except mesquite trees, barbed wire cattle fences, and a muddy creek that feeds out of the lake. It was very hot that day with temperatures hovering around 104ºF. As I made the top of the hill and coming down around the bend, we both saw him. A small, black tri-color beagle trotting along side the road in the intense heat with his tongue hanging out and head down. I instinctively slowed the car and made a U-turn to come up behind him. I just knew that this poor dog could not possibly survive out in this heat for very long, nor on such a winding, narrow road where he was sure to get hit by a speeding car. I stopped the car about 30 yards behind him and I quickly decided that I would call to him, and if he didn't answer my call and kept on walking, then I would not pursue him.
I rolled down the window and I called to him, "Here, boy!" He immediately stopped in his tracks; turned and looked at me and his eyes seemed to light up and he ran toward the car. I opened the door and swung my legs out and he ran up to me. That's when I noticed he was soaking wet. He must've taken a dip in the nearby creek or stock pond to cool himself off; he smelled horribly. He had an old black cloth collar around his neck but there were no tags of any kind. He is a small dog, around 20 pounds, and he seemed rather thin and bony in the rib cage area. As I observed him and scratched his head (despite the smell) I noticed that he had a serious itching problem. He began scratching and licking himself to the point that he was crying he was itching so intensely. As I sat there and deliberated what to do, it occurred to me that the poor dog must've been abandoned by someone. There are no nearby houses in this area; not for miles - so it seemed very unlikely that he could be a run-away. As I sat and looked at the little guy, he looked up at me with his bright, amber eyes, and it was almost as if he was saying, "please, help me." I knew I could not just drive off and leave him because I knew that would be the end for him.
I picked him up and placed him in the back seat and proceeded to my parent's house. Once there, we fed him and gave him water and then bathed him to eliminate the foul odor. He actually seemed to enjoy the bath. Because of his incessant itching and scratching, my brother took to calling him "Skeeter" and the name just seemed to fit. At first, my brother decided he would adopt him and I was glad as I was not really in the market for another dog. But neither was I willing to turn this poor animal out in the wild to fend for himself. My brother even called the vet back in Arlington and scheduled a visit for Skeeter that very afternoon to give him a good check up. The vet checked him over and reported that he was in good health except for the itching which he explained as possibly being sarcoptic mange or a possible skin allergy. The doctor gave him two shots and some pills with orders to come back in two weeks for a follow up visit.
Over the course of the next couple of days, my brother made the realization that although he loves dogs and animals, he was simply not ready for the responsibilities and costs associated with keeping a dog. After discussing this with me and my wife, we decided to adopt Skeeter into our family to prevent him from making a one way trip to the dog pound. I had already rescued him from the side of the road and I sure wasn't prepared to loose this dog now. We already were the proud owners of Polly; a 75 pound black lab, border collie mix, so we were hopeful that the two would be able to co-exist peacefully. Skeeter has been with us for two days now, and as you might expect, Polly isn't too happy with the arrangements. It's going to take some time for Polly to bond to the beagle. Skeeter, on the other hand, is anxious to become friends with Polly and he is constantly wanting to play and wrestle. Despite some frequent barks and snaps from Polly, Skeeter seems determined to be friends, and that's a good sign. In the short time we've had Skeeter he has already shown amazing intelligence and he follows orders very well. He isn't completely house trained, but I suspect that we will have him trained for that very quickly. We also discovered that Skeeter is a full blood beagle; he's not a mix - and as typical with beagles, has a very distinctive, musical howl when he barks. He has bonded to me very quickly and he follows me everywhere I go around the house. And now he looks at me with those bright, amber eyes, and it's almost as if he is saying, "thank you for loving me." And we do love him very much already.
I rolled down the window and I called to him, "Here, boy!" He immediately stopped in his tracks; turned and looked at me and his eyes seemed to light up and he ran toward the car. I opened the door and swung my legs out and he ran up to me. That's when I noticed he was soaking wet. He must've taken a dip in the nearby creek or stock pond to cool himself off; he smelled horribly. He had an old black cloth collar around his neck but there were no tags of any kind. He is a small dog, around 20 pounds, and he seemed rather thin and bony in the rib cage area. As I observed him and scratched his head (despite the smell) I noticed that he had a serious itching problem. He began scratching and licking himself to the point that he was crying he was itching so intensely. As I sat there and deliberated what to do, it occurred to me that the poor dog must've been abandoned by someone. There are no nearby houses in this area; not for miles - so it seemed very unlikely that he could be a run-away. As I sat and looked at the little guy, he looked up at me with his bright, amber eyes, and it was almost as if he was saying, "please, help me." I knew I could not just drive off and leave him because I knew that would be the end for him.
Over the course of the next couple of days, my brother made the realization that although he loves dogs and animals, he was simply not ready for the responsibilities and costs associated with keeping a dog. After discussing this with me and my wife, we decided to adopt Skeeter into our family to prevent him from making a one way trip to the dog pound. I had already rescued him from the side of the road and I sure wasn't prepared to loose this dog now. We already were the proud owners of Polly; a 75 pound black lab, border collie mix, so we were hopeful that the two would be able to co-exist peacefully. Skeeter has been with us for two days now, and as you might expect, Polly isn't too happy with the arrangements. It's going to take some time for Polly to bond to the beagle. Skeeter, on the other hand, is anxious to become friends with Polly and he is constantly wanting to play and wrestle. Despite some frequent barks and snaps from Polly, Skeeter seems determined to be friends, and that's a good sign. In the short time we've had Skeeter he has already shown amazing intelligence and he follows orders very well. He isn't completely house trained, but I suspect that we will have him trained for that very quickly. We also discovered that Skeeter is a full blood beagle; he's not a mix - and as typical with beagles, has a very distinctive, musical howl when he barks. He has bonded to me very quickly and he follows me everywhere I go around the house. And now he looks at me with those bright, amber eyes, and it's almost as if he is saying, "thank you for loving me." And we do love him very much already.
21 Years Ago
16-Aug-06 07:56 PM
Give a big shout out to the dave 3000 and his wife for celebrating 21 years of companionship today, August 16. 1985 seems like an eternity ago, but actually, it has only been 21 years. Unfortunately, business has me away in Allentown, PA tonight so for the first time in 21 years, I am absent from home on my anniversary. The only good thing about being away from home tonight is the fact that it's 75ºF here in Allentown and it is still 101ºF back in Arlington at 8:00PM. Suffice it to say, I am ready for summer 2006 to fade into history.
Just to give a sampling of what was hot back in 1985, here's a look back in time: There were two number one hits on the pop music charts in August according to Billboard Magazine and they were "Shout" by Tears For Fear and "The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News. The Grammy Award for best record of 1985 went to Tina Turner's "What's Love Got To Do With It?" and the grammy for artist of the year went to Cyndi Lauper. The top three grossing films for the year were "Back To The Future" with Michael J. Fox; "Rambo: First Blood Part II", and "Rocky IV", both starring Sylvester Stallone. And on television, on August 19, David Letterman of NBC's Late Night interrupts The Today Show with a megaphone while both shows are on the air. Letterman leaned out the window of his building and announced "My name is Larry Grossman [then president of NBC News] and I'm not wearing any pants!". The Today Show was taping an interview several stories below.
All fond memories for many of us I'm sure. But not nearly as fond as the memory of my wedding and my good fortune in finding such a wonderful wife who tolerates this cranky old robot.
Just to give a sampling of what was hot back in 1985, here's a look back in time: There were two number one hits on the pop music charts in August according to Billboard Magazine and they were "Shout" by Tears For Fear and "The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News. The Grammy Award for best record of 1985 went to Tina Turner's "What's Love Got To Do With It?" and the grammy for artist of the year went to Cyndi Lauper. The top three grossing films for the year were "Back To The Future" with Michael J. Fox; "Rambo: First Blood Part II", and "Rocky IV", both starring Sylvester Stallone. And on television, on August 19, David Letterman of NBC's Late Night interrupts The Today Show with a megaphone while both shows are on the air. Letterman leaned out the window of his building and announced "My name is Larry Grossman [then president of NBC News] and I'm not wearing any pants!". The Today Show was taping an interview several stories below.
All fond memories for many of us I'm sure. But not nearly as fond as the memory of my wedding and my good fortune in finding such a wonderful wife who tolerates this cranky old robot.
One Year Ago Today
23-Jul-06 11:17 PM
"TD3k Speaks" celebrates one year of existence in cyberspace today. During that time, this edifice of knowledge and wisdom has churned out 40 articles (not including this one) of profound political insight, vast technological perspectives, and savvy scientific and religious vistas, all designed to engage the human intellect with a panache of wit and whimsy. Statistically, this equates to 1 article every 9.1 days OR 3.3 articles every month. It will be my goal to increase the output of articles in the coming year by 25% to overcome this somewhat lethargic attempt at appearing like a legitimate blog. An increase of 25% would mean that by this time next year, "TD3k Speaks" should contain at least 90 articles total of brain tempting tidbits for your reading entertainment. That's my goal, but certainly no promises.
This past year I wrote many articles that focused on a couple of key topics. Notably: Apple Computers kick ass and Microsoft sucks; President Bush and the GOP are brain dead; and politics and religion don't mix - never have and never will. In the coming year, I plan to revisit these same topics again because, well, I feel a sense of duty to let people know about these important things. Additionally, I hope to expand my horizons and include some other topics of discussion, but exactly what that would include is still a mystery to me at the moment. I will keep you posted.
Finally, I would like to note that it was a pleasure today to have had the oppotunity to visit with Jef from Thunderfish in my house. He came over to scan some slides of a European vacation that he had taken 18 years ago. But, due to technical difficulties with Epson Scan utility software not working correctly, nothing was accomplished. I would personally like to thank Epson and their retarded software engineers for wasting mine and Jef's time today simply because they do not know how to update their inferior software. There is nothing that I hate more than software that doesn't work. Hey, it's why I use a Mac. And when you find software that won't run properly on a Mac, then I'm afraid you've hit the bottom of the barrel. The good news is that I finally got everything working properly after manually trashing everything on my computer that had the name Epson, and then re-installing fresh. However, Epson is still on my shit list at the moment and I will be keeping an eye on them.
Happy Birthday TD3k Speaks - stay tuned.
This past year I wrote many articles that focused on a couple of key topics. Notably: Apple Computers kick ass and Microsoft sucks; President Bush and the GOP are brain dead; and politics and religion don't mix - never have and never will. In the coming year, I plan to revisit these same topics again because, well, I feel a sense of duty to let people know about these important things. Additionally, I hope to expand my horizons and include some other topics of discussion, but exactly what that would include is still a mystery to me at the moment. I will keep you posted.
Finally, I would like to note that it was a pleasure today to have had the oppotunity to visit with Jef from Thunderfish in my house. He came over to scan some slides of a European vacation that he had taken 18 years ago. But, due to technical difficulties with Epson Scan utility software not working correctly, nothing was accomplished. I would personally like to thank Epson and their retarded software engineers for wasting mine and Jef's time today simply because they do not know how to update their inferior software. There is nothing that I hate more than software that doesn't work. Hey, it's why I use a Mac. And when you find software that won't run properly on a Mac, then I'm afraid you've hit the bottom of the barrel. The good news is that I finally got everything working properly after manually trashing everything on my computer that had the name Epson, and then re-installing fresh. However, Epson is still on my shit list at the moment and I will be keeping an eye on them.
Happy Birthday TD3k Speaks - stay tuned.
Color Blind Corner
21-Jul-06 10:15 AM
I am color blind. It is a disability. It is embarrasing. It is also funny as hell. I can see colors; I don't see the world as black and white or shades of grey. I cannot distinguish between certain shades of colors. For example, if I'm driving at night and I encounter a flashing traffic light, I have a very hard job trying to determine if it's a yellow light or a red light. Quite honestly, the yellow light looks orange to me; not yellow. If the yellow light and the red light are on at the same time, then I can easily distinguish between the two. But by themselves, it becomes much harder. I also have problems with certain shades of green and grey; usually the cool grey colors. I have embarrased myself on a number of occassions because of this problem. People look at you and treat you like you are a moron. They just don't understand that I can't see what they are seeing.
Once, I walked into an art supply store and asked for some grey pantone paper. I needed about five different shades of grey. They were busy, so the clerk handed me a "color selection wheel" for me to choose which greys I wanted. To my chagrin, none of the color samples on the wheels were identified by easy words like "green", "grey", "red", etc. Instead, all of the colors were simply a pantone identification number. I sifted through the colors until I had landed upon what I thought was five very lovely shades of cool grey. The clerk at the counter looked at me incredulously like I was daft. "Those are GREEN!!" he nearly shouted at me. I then had to explain my disability to him and ask him to select the greys for me.
Most recently, I went into my local Cingular Wireless store to purchase a blue tooth ear piece for my PDA phone. The internal earpiece on the phone is a piece of crap and I cannot hear anything on it. No, I am not deaf - it's just a very lousy ear piece. The store only had one ear piece left for purchase and I was desparate to get one. It was packaged nicely and all I could tell about it was that it appeared to have a silver button on it. I didn't notice anything else about it color wise. I purchased it; paired it with my phone and began using it extensively. I used it for days, walking around in public and totally oblivious to a very important fact that I had failed to notice. One day, while on a construction job site, the superintendent saw me on the phone with my earpiece and I saw him choking back a smile. Once I got off the phone, he said, "I just love your PINK earpiece, Dave!! HAHAHAHA!!!" I obviously had no clue. I took it off and examined it and I still couldn't tell which part of it was pink. He had to show me.
I have amused many of my friends and family with my inability to properly perceive colors. And, I'll be the first to agree that it is freaky and funny all at the same time. I might as well laugh about it, because I certainly can't do anything else about it. But, I do have one small complaint. There are millions of people in the world who are color blind. Why aren't consumer products better marked for color designation; especiallly on things that carry such a negative connotation - like guys wearing pink earpieces?? Is it so hard for manufacturers to clearly mark the color of their product on the packaging? Some products are marked, but there are a lot that aren't. This one color blind fool would certainly appreciate more help in this area. I think I will write my Congressman and ask them for some help. I think I at least deserve a special parking space or some kind of label I can hang on my rear view mirror. After all, it is a disability. I figure my republican congressmen can help me because I know they can easilly distinguish between white, black and brown with no problems.
Once, I walked into an art supply store and asked for some grey pantone paper. I needed about five different shades of grey. They were busy, so the clerk handed me a "color selection wheel" for me to choose which greys I wanted. To my chagrin, none of the color samples on the wheels were identified by easy words like "green", "grey", "red", etc. Instead, all of the colors were simply a pantone identification number. I sifted through the colors until I had landed upon what I thought was five very lovely shades of cool grey. The clerk at the counter looked at me incredulously like I was daft. "Those are GREEN!!" he nearly shouted at me. I then had to explain my disability to him and ask him to select the greys for me.
Most recently, I went into my local Cingular Wireless store to purchase a blue tooth ear piece for my PDA phone. The internal earpiece on the phone is a piece of crap and I cannot hear anything on it. No, I am not deaf - it's just a very lousy ear piece. The store only had one ear piece left for purchase and I was desparate to get one. It was packaged nicely and all I could tell about it was that it appeared to have a silver button on it. I didn't notice anything else about it color wise. I purchased it; paired it with my phone and began using it extensively. I used it for days, walking around in public and totally oblivious to a very important fact that I had failed to notice. One day, while on a construction job site, the superintendent saw me on the phone with my earpiece and I saw him choking back a smile. Once I got off the phone, he said, "I just love your PINK earpiece, Dave!! HAHAHAHA!!!" I obviously had no clue. I took it off and examined it and I still couldn't tell which part of it was pink. He had to show me.
I have amused many of my friends and family with my inability to properly perceive colors. And, I'll be the first to agree that it is freaky and funny all at the same time. I might as well laugh about it, because I certainly can't do anything else about it. But, I do have one small complaint. There are millions of people in the world who are color blind. Why aren't consumer products better marked for color designation; especiallly on things that carry such a negative connotation - like guys wearing pink earpieces?? Is it so hard for manufacturers to clearly mark the color of their product on the packaging? Some products are marked, but there are a lot that aren't. This one color blind fool would certainly appreciate more help in this area. I think I will write my Congressman and ask them for some help. I think I at least deserve a special parking space or some kind of label I can hang on my rear view mirror. After all, it is a disability. I figure my republican congressmen can help me because I know they can easilly distinguish between white, black and brown with no problems.
Serenity
11-Jul-06 01:33 AM
I have been slow in writing these past days following the trip to Hawaii. It's almost as if I've been in some deep sleep; a mesmerizing trance of semi-consciousness with no desire to wake from it's magical charm. Work has been executed in almost a dream state of perfunctory motions and repetitions with minimal brain activity. Yes, I know - not a good thing. It's been very hard to escape the soothing sounds of the surf and the wind in the palms from my collective memory. I was making progress until just now.
It seems that the past few days, the realities of the real world with all of it's ugly challenges, have been slowly seeping back into my brain. I was getting primed to open a new round of blog volleys with the ever increasing awareness of the stark injustices and downright despicable outrages that can be found at every turn in the headline news. The sounds and pleasant memories of my beautiful Hawaiian vacation were receding to the backs of my brain and were slowly becoming just distant memories and muted thoughts. It was time, past time actually, for TD3k to unleash another scathing commentary on our inept political leaders or the absurdities of corporate wrongdoing. Turning to the internet, google, and my trusty side kick Wikipedia for back up source material, I began, as I always do, to search for a topic of interest for discussion.
And, as luck would have it, I ended up on the "made for Mac" downloads page on Apple's website and discovered this amazing new application called "Serene Saver". It's one of the coolest things I have seen in a long time. It replaces your static desktop with a motion video image, complete with sound, of a beautiful landscape setting. It's like a window onto the world on your desktop while you are working. So, without hesitation, I downloaded the free 10 day trial of the software and I have been sitting here looking at my desktop, writing this article, and slowly relapsing back into my state of happy vacationary complacency. My prime blogging motivation has been supplanted (for now) by the beautiful machinations of technology and my beloved Mac computer.
TD3k Speaks will eventually return to normal and the commentaries on sociopolitical injustices will once again be discussed. But right now, while I am typing, I am enjoying the sights and sounds of the ocean surf breaking on the shores of Catalina Island, California. And somehow, it just doesn't matter right now.
It seems that the past few days, the realities of the real world with all of it's ugly challenges, have been slowly seeping back into my brain. I was getting primed to open a new round of blog volleys with the ever increasing awareness of the stark injustices and downright despicable outrages that can be found at every turn in the headline news. The sounds and pleasant memories of my beautiful Hawaiian vacation were receding to the backs of my brain and were slowly becoming just distant memories and muted thoughts. It was time, past time actually, for TD3k to unleash another scathing commentary on our inept political leaders or the absurdities of corporate wrongdoing. Turning to the internet, google, and my trusty side kick Wikipedia for back up source material, I began, as I always do, to search for a topic of interest for discussion.
And, as luck would have it, I ended up on the "made for Mac" downloads page on Apple's website and discovered this amazing new application called "Serene Saver". It's one of the coolest things I have seen in a long time. It replaces your static desktop with a motion video image, complete with sound, of a beautiful landscape setting. It's like a window onto the world on your desktop while you are working. So, without hesitation, I downloaded the free 10 day trial of the software and I have been sitting here looking at my desktop, writing this article, and slowly relapsing back into my state of happy vacationary complacency. My prime blogging motivation has been supplanted (for now) by the beautiful machinations of technology and my beloved Mac computer.
TD3k Speaks will eventually return to normal and the commentaries on sociopolitical injustices will once again be discussed. But right now, while I am typing, I am enjoying the sights and sounds of the ocean surf breaking on the shores of Catalina Island, California. And somehow, it just doesn't matter right now.
Back From Oahu
25-Jun-06 11:51 PM
We just wrapped up an amazing trip to Hawaii (Oahu) and still feeling a bit quirky from the jet lag. While we were there we kept a daily blog journal and then created a photo page to showcase some of the better photos. If you are interested, click on this link to see the web page created highlighting our trip. This trip did wonders for me and has mellowed me out a bit. With any luck, I will be able to refrain from bashing Microsoft and Government Atrocities like I am so prone to do. All I can hear in my head at the moment is the soothing sound of the surf and the wind in the palms. This condition is likely to change since I start back to work on Monday and I will have to once again focus on reality. So, for now, here's to a little peace and tranquility.
Vacation Memories
17-Jun-06 12:43 AM
We leave later this morning for Honolulu for a week long vacation in the Pacific. This is our first trip and we are looking forward to some rest and relaxation in a tropical resort. The ever enslaved techno geek bot that I am, I will be loaded down with digital camera and laptop and plan to blog and post photos while we are there. The days of going to the drugstore to get your vacation prints are over. I will post the photos from my main web page and not from this blog page. If interested, check back later this week at my main web site and click on the link marked "Photos" and you should find an entry for the Oahu photos.
It's been a long while since we've had a real get away type of vacation. The last one that I still remember so vividly was a trip to Yellowstone National Park about 10 years ago. We arrived the first week of June and they had just cleared the snow from the road at the south entrance into the park. On either side of the road was a wall of snow about twelve feet high with horizontal striations where the bulldozer blades had cut through the snow banks. Yellowstone is truly a wonderful and magical place and some place everyone should try to go see in their life time. Stunning beauty, wildlife, and the thermal features all combine for a wonderful experience.
One of the best parts of the trip was a drive through the park along the north loop from Mammoth Hot Springs to Tower Falls. It was the first week the park had opened and there were very few visitors in the park at the time. As we drove along the narrow winding road we passed very few cars. We saw a family of black bears romping through a lake and moose and elk dotted the landscape. But the most amazing thing was when we stopped the car alongside the road about halfway between Mammoth and Tower Falls. We needed to retrieve an item from the trunk so I'd pulled over to the wide shoulder so I could fetch it. I turned the car off, got out and opened the trunk and suddenly stopped in my tracks. I looked around for a moment and listened again. Amazing. I now stood straight up and walked a few feet away from the car and peered out over the canyon that stretched out beyond the edge of the road at the jagged rocks and the tall pine trees that blew in the wind. I listened some more....unbelievable. I motioned to my wife to get out of the car and come to me.
"What's the matter?," she inquired. "Listen," I said. "Can't you hear it?" She listened for a moment and looked at me and said, "I don't hear anything." "Exactly!" I said. And I have to tell you that at that moment in time as we stood there on that road and listened to absolutely nothing but the sound of wind in the pine trees, it was completely surreal, magical, and enchanting all rolled into one. Think about all of the noise that constantly surrounds us every day, all day long. There is always something making noise that we hear constantly. My wife and I stood there for probably 10 minutes and did nothing but listen to nothing. It was glorious. The most ironic thing about it is the place I found to be the most peaceful and tranquil I have ever experienced was in the hollowed out bowl of an underground caldera; a supervolcano that someday will explode sky high. Go see it while you can.
It's been a long while since we've had a real get away type of vacation. The last one that I still remember so vividly was a trip to Yellowstone National Park about 10 years ago. We arrived the first week of June and they had just cleared the snow from the road at the south entrance into the park. On either side of the road was a wall of snow about twelve feet high with horizontal striations where the bulldozer blades had cut through the snow banks. Yellowstone is truly a wonderful and magical place and some place everyone should try to go see in their life time. Stunning beauty, wildlife, and the thermal features all combine for a wonderful experience.
One of the best parts of the trip was a drive through the park along the north loop from Mammoth Hot Springs to Tower Falls. It was the first week the park had opened and there were very few visitors in the park at the time. As we drove along the narrow winding road we passed very few cars. We saw a family of black bears romping through a lake and moose and elk dotted the landscape. But the most amazing thing was when we stopped the car alongside the road about halfway between Mammoth and Tower Falls. We needed to retrieve an item from the trunk so I'd pulled over to the wide shoulder so I could fetch it. I turned the car off, got out and opened the trunk and suddenly stopped in my tracks. I looked around for a moment and listened again. Amazing. I now stood straight up and walked a few feet away from the car and peered out over the canyon that stretched out beyond the edge of the road at the jagged rocks and the tall pine trees that blew in the wind. I listened some more....unbelievable. I motioned to my wife to get out of the car and come to me.
"What's the matter?," she inquired. "Listen," I said. "Can't you hear it?" She listened for a moment and looked at me and said, "I don't hear anything." "Exactly!" I said. And I have to tell you that at that moment in time as we stood there on that road and listened to absolutely nothing but the sound of wind in the pine trees, it was completely surreal, magical, and enchanting all rolled into one. Think about all of the noise that constantly surrounds us every day, all day long. There is always something making noise that we hear constantly. My wife and I stood there for probably 10 minutes and did nothing but listen to nothing. It was glorious. The most ironic thing about it is the place I found to be the most peaceful and tranquil I have ever experienced was in the hollowed out bowl of an underground caldera; a supervolcano that someday will explode sky high. Go see it while you can.
Introspection - Why Blog?
14-Feb-06 12:22 AM
Isn't life complicated enough without taking the time to write a blog? Doesn't your job require enough of your time and energy that at the end of the day the last thing you would really want to do is sit down and write in a web journal? I mean, what does it really matter anyway? Does anybody read these collections of words and sentences? Does anybody gain any usefulness or pleasure from the effort to compose and construct a few lines of organized thoughts and ideas into an article? And what kind of a person is it who feels compelled to write a blog in the first place? Is it vain? Is it snobbish? Or is it intellectual and cool? After some deep, self-absored psychoanalysis accompanied by a handful of Planter's premium mixed nuts and a chaser of diet cherry coke, I have reached a hypothesis.
It is therapy. And, it is enjoyable. It doesn't matter if anyone else reads it because I read it. It doesn't matter if anyone else agrees with it because I agree with it. The whole purpose of a blog is an outlet of creative expression through which the writer can postulate on those topics to be of prime importance to him or her. It is a technology unlike any other available at any time in the history of mankind. To think that from the keyboard in your house you can write and publish your thoughts for the whole world to see and read is liberating. Back in the days of writing in a traditional diary such a concept could not even be imagined. In fact, in those days, diaries were considered to be very personal and the writer would never dream of sharing the contents with another reader. But if words are written then they must be meant to be read by someone eventually, otherwise why write them?
Like any other art form, writing is a means of expressing one's thoughts and opinions on any given subject. The very process of writing is cleansing and healing and helps to convey a little bit of your inner self to others. The hope is that someone will eventually read your words and in so doing will either be inspired or will contemplate some point or concept that they might not have ever considered had they not read your words. It's not about changing people's opinions as much as it is about opening a forum of discussion on ideas whereby all opinions may be examined. These are the by-products of blogs - interaction and response - but they are not the reason we blog entirely. We blog to reveal who we are and what we think to others.
So, as you read this blog, or any other, and look into the mirror of the writer's soul, perhaps you will see yourself looking back out. Or perhaps you will see an image that is alien and unrecognizable in content and form. Perhaps you will find a common voice, but at the very least you will find an opinion and a viewpoint that breaks upon a different line of thought. And after a hard days work, even though I draw no salary for writing in my blog, the rewards I gain from writing and sharing my view points for everyone to read helps affirm the fact that I'm not as really crazy as my doctor thinks I am after all.
It is therapy. And, it is enjoyable. It doesn't matter if anyone else reads it because I read it. It doesn't matter if anyone else agrees with it because I agree with it. The whole purpose of a blog is an outlet of creative expression through which the writer can postulate on those topics to be of prime importance to him or her. It is a technology unlike any other available at any time in the history of mankind. To think that from the keyboard in your house you can write and publish your thoughts for the whole world to see and read is liberating. Back in the days of writing in a traditional diary such a concept could not even be imagined. In fact, in those days, diaries were considered to be very personal and the writer would never dream of sharing the contents with another reader. But if words are written then they must be meant to be read by someone eventually, otherwise why write them?
Like any other art form, writing is a means of expressing one's thoughts and opinions on any given subject. The very process of writing is cleansing and healing and helps to convey a little bit of your inner self to others. The hope is that someone will eventually read your words and in so doing will either be inspired or will contemplate some point or concept that they might not have ever considered had they not read your words. It's not about changing people's opinions as much as it is about opening a forum of discussion on ideas whereby all opinions may be examined. These are the by-products of blogs - interaction and response - but they are not the reason we blog entirely. We blog to reveal who we are and what we think to others.
So, as you read this blog, or any other, and look into the mirror of the writer's soul, perhaps you will see yourself looking back out. Or perhaps you will see an image that is alien and unrecognizable in content and form. Perhaps you will find a common voice, but at the very least you will find an opinion and a viewpoint that breaks upon a different line of thought. And after a hard days work, even though I draw no salary for writing in my blog, the rewards I gain from writing and sharing my view points for everyone to read helps affirm the fact that I'm not as really crazy as my doctor thinks I am after all.
Toast the Host
05-Dec-05 01:08 AM
Several years ago while working on a project in Rochester, New York, I had the distinct privilege of working with an older gentleman by the name of Mario. He was a native of Italy and possessed all the old world charm of a mafia hit man. Actually, he was very nice, but he ran a very tight ship on his project and was the only superintendent I have ever seen who could communicate to his men on the job site without ever saying a word. It was truly amazing. From a distance of 50 yards, Mario could send an icy glare and a short burst of synchronized hand signals to any worker on the project and was able to convey exactly what he wanted them to do. His men would instantly jump and perform the task he had signaled to them without questioning or without asking what the series of odd hand gestures meant; they knew almost as if by instinct. I remember one man walking up to him one day to ask him a question. All he managed was, "Hey, Mario, I was wondering if....." to which Mario instantly shot him a piercing laser stare from his icy blue eyes; the pupils constricted to small black dots that seemed to bore a hole right through the man's very being. Mario never said a word but maintained his daunting stare. The man instantly halted in his tracks, mumbled something to himself and then turned on his heel and walked away. He had his answer and he never finished the question. After he left I looked at Mario inquisitively as if to ask "what was that all about?", and though I never said a word to him, he answered the question I was thinking: "He knew better than to ask me that", Mario replied. Astounding.
Mario and I got along really well and one day, he invited me to come home with him for supper to meet his wife and to eat an authentic, home cooked Italian dinner. I was very honored by this gesture and of course I accepted without hesitation. As if by an after thought, I asked him if there was anything I could bring with me for the meal. I asked this almost instinctually and was not even really expecting much of a reply. Mario's reaction startled me. He clasped his hands together, and gasped, "Oh, that would be so wonderful and kind of you to honor me and my wife with a dinner gift!" Mario went on to explain that it was a very old and common tradition in Italy that if asked to a friend's house for a meal, the guest was to always bring something with him. It was like an unwritten rule of courtesy and to fail to do so was considered very rude. Mario explained that most guests usually bring a bottle of wine to drink with the meal.
I was a bit taken aback by this response and was instantly grateful that I had the wherewithal to ask the question in the first place. I think for most of us Americans, when we ask such questions we aren't really expecting a serious reply. It's the same kind of question you throw out mindlessly when you say to someone, "how are you today?" It's just another way of saying 'hello' and not really a sincere inquiry to the person's well being. I explained to Mario that I was not a wine connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination and that I knew nothing about the art or science of selecting a proper vino for a meal. "Ah," he said, "Not a problem, come with me." And we climbed into his pickup truck and we drove a few blocks down to this corner boutique which sold nothing but wine. We went inside and Mario began instructing me on the various vintages and blends and the different techniques that went into bottling wine. It was all very interesting. Finally, after Mario asked me some of my own personal preferences about taste and texture in a wine, we selected upon a nice Zinfandel selection and I took it to the front and paid for it.
I bid Mario good bye and thanked him for his help. I went to my hotel where I cleaned up and changed clothes and then drove over to Mario's house for my scheduled dinner engagement with my wine gift in tow. I rang the bell and Mario answered. Turning to his wife and calling her over to the door, he said in a voice of complete surprise, "Oh, look Mary Grace, our guest has graciously brought us a bottle of wine for dinner tonight! Isn't that very thoughtful?!" At that moment I was greeted by his lovely wife, Mary Grace, and she warmly smiled and welcomed me into their home. The bottle of wine was taken with extra care and was later served as an after dinner drink. Zinfnadels are typically rather sweet and it served well as a dessert type beverage. The dinner, as you might have imagined, was absolutely delicious. We ate heartily and drank a toast to health and life in general, and after a nice chat after dinner, I was on my way back to the hotel. A really pleasant evening and one I will never forget.
To this day, I always try to remember that if invited over to a friend's house for a meal or a party, don't forget the customs of Italy. Remember to honor your host's hospitality by bringing something with you to share at the meal. Of course, for most Americans, we probably wouldn't get offended if our guests fail to bring a dinner gift with them. It's not really a tradition in this country and it's easy to take it all for granted and allow the host to prepare everything. But, what a great way to return the favor and show your gratitude, not only for the meal, but for the friendship as well. The Italians have it right; it works better as an unwritten rule and an unspoken process we should all try to remember. Sometimes you can say "thank you" and never say a word.
Mario and I got along really well and one day, he invited me to come home with him for supper to meet his wife and to eat an authentic, home cooked Italian dinner. I was very honored by this gesture and of course I accepted without hesitation. As if by an after thought, I asked him if there was anything I could bring with me for the meal. I asked this almost instinctually and was not even really expecting much of a reply. Mario's reaction startled me. He clasped his hands together, and gasped, "Oh, that would be so wonderful and kind of you to honor me and my wife with a dinner gift!" Mario went on to explain that it was a very old and common tradition in Italy that if asked to a friend's house for a meal, the guest was to always bring something with him. It was like an unwritten rule of courtesy and to fail to do so was considered very rude. Mario explained that most guests usually bring a bottle of wine to drink with the meal.
I was a bit taken aback by this response and was instantly grateful that I had the wherewithal to ask the question in the first place. I think for most of us Americans, when we ask such questions we aren't really expecting a serious reply. It's the same kind of question you throw out mindlessly when you say to someone, "how are you today?" It's just another way of saying 'hello' and not really a sincere inquiry to the person's well being. I explained to Mario that I was not a wine connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination and that I knew nothing about the art or science of selecting a proper vino for a meal. "Ah," he said, "Not a problem, come with me." And we climbed into his pickup truck and we drove a few blocks down to this corner boutique which sold nothing but wine. We went inside and Mario began instructing me on the various vintages and blends and the different techniques that went into bottling wine. It was all very interesting. Finally, after Mario asked me some of my own personal preferences about taste and texture in a wine, we selected upon a nice Zinfandel selection and I took it to the front and paid for it.
I bid Mario good bye and thanked him for his help. I went to my hotel where I cleaned up and changed clothes and then drove over to Mario's house for my scheduled dinner engagement with my wine gift in tow. I rang the bell and Mario answered. Turning to his wife and calling her over to the door, he said in a voice of complete surprise, "Oh, look Mary Grace, our guest has graciously brought us a bottle of wine for dinner tonight! Isn't that very thoughtful?!" At that moment I was greeted by his lovely wife, Mary Grace, and she warmly smiled and welcomed me into their home. The bottle of wine was taken with extra care and was later served as an after dinner drink. Zinfnadels are typically rather sweet and it served well as a dessert type beverage. The dinner, as you might have imagined, was absolutely delicious. We ate heartily and drank a toast to health and life in general, and after a nice chat after dinner, I was on my way back to the hotel. A really pleasant evening and one I will never forget.
To this day, I always try to remember that if invited over to a friend's house for a meal or a party, don't forget the customs of Italy. Remember to honor your host's hospitality by bringing something with you to share at the meal. Of course, for most Americans, we probably wouldn't get offended if our guests fail to bring a dinner gift with them. It's not really a tradition in this country and it's easy to take it all for granted and allow the host to prepare everything. But, what a great way to return the favor and show your gratitude, not only for the meal, but for the friendship as well. The Italians have it right; it works better as an unwritten rule and an unspoken process we should all try to remember. Sometimes you can say "thank you" and never say a word.
Help Your Fellow Man
21-Oct-05 12:14 AM
So, I am standing in the lobby of the Red Lobster in Huntsville, AL. I am alone on another business trip, and patiently waiting for a table. I am standing next to the wall close to the entrance to the restrooms because there are no available chairs and because I don't like inhaling smoke in the bar area. As I stand there with my little plastic coaster thingie, waiting for it to light up and tell me my table is ready, an elderly southern gentleman emerges from the Men's restroom, looks up at me and begins talking to me in an Alabama drawl as though he had known me all my life. Of course, I didn't know who he was, or why he felt compelled to strike up a conversation. The man began talking to me as though he was finishing a thought or a sentence. It was almost like the end of a conversation that perhaps he had had with someone else, but maybe they had left and now I was standing there, and well, I was just as good as anybody else to conclude the conversation with.
"You know, I really hate it when folks leave the urinal in a mess," he began. "Excuse me," I said, looking up somewhat startled at the manner in which he was addressing me. "Boy, I just hate it when people just don't care about the condition they leave the urinals in for the next person. Well, I can tell you, I cleaned it up good and proper. I didn't want the next guy to have to see it, no sir."
I managed a feeble smile and a nod of the head, trying hard to come up with an intelligent response to this revelation being delivered to me. Before I could answer he continued: "And I tell you another one that gets me just as bad...empty grocery carts left in the parking lot! People just leave them wherever with no thought or concern for the next guy. They leave them blocking parking spaces, blocking the sidewalks, in the middle of driveways, you name it. They never return them to the store. But I do. Whenever I find a misplaced cart I always return it to the store. And, whenever I use a cart, I always return it back to the store. I never leave it in the parking lot."
I know I must've been staring at the old gent by this stage, and again all I could manage was a goofy smile and a nod of the head. "Well, and not only that but when people leave carts laying about like that, they can bump into your car and leave a dent," I offered as another sin for unattended grocery carts. The old man just stared back at me and said "Yeah, that's true too." By this time he had his hand on the door to leave. He pushed open the door and stepped out, then stopped and stepped back in to make one last statement. "You see, I care about my fellow man and I want to help him. I think we should all do that. So, when people leave a messy urinal, or a vacant cart, I do my part, because I want to help." And then he stepped back out into the night and was gone.
About that time my coaster lit up and it was time to go get my table. I kept thinking about this odd encounter and why a perfect stranger would walk up to me and offer such a personal viewpoint on such a totally mundane topic. I could only conclude one of three possibilities: 1. He thought I worked at the restaurant and he was trying to tell me to stop standing around and go clean the damn toilets; 2. He was senile and didn't know that I wasn't the guy at the next urinal he started the conversation with; or 3. He was just an outgoing individual who truly felt like he performed a good deed and was anxious to share it with the next human he met. Little did he know that he was really talking to a robot who only looks, acts, and smells like a human and who would record this rather odd story and post it on the internet for everyone to read.
"You know, I really hate it when folks leave the urinal in a mess," he began. "Excuse me," I said, looking up somewhat startled at the manner in which he was addressing me. "Boy, I just hate it when people just don't care about the condition they leave the urinals in for the next person. Well, I can tell you, I cleaned it up good and proper. I didn't want the next guy to have to see it, no sir."
I managed a feeble smile and a nod of the head, trying hard to come up with an intelligent response to this revelation being delivered to me. Before I could answer he continued: "And I tell you another one that gets me just as bad...empty grocery carts left in the parking lot! People just leave them wherever with no thought or concern for the next guy. They leave them blocking parking spaces, blocking the sidewalks, in the middle of driveways, you name it. They never return them to the store. But I do. Whenever I find a misplaced cart I always return it to the store. And, whenever I use a cart, I always return it back to the store. I never leave it in the parking lot."
I know I must've been staring at the old gent by this stage, and again all I could manage was a goofy smile and a nod of the head. "Well, and not only that but when people leave carts laying about like that, they can bump into your car and leave a dent," I offered as another sin for unattended grocery carts. The old man just stared back at me and said "Yeah, that's true too." By this time he had his hand on the door to leave. He pushed open the door and stepped out, then stopped and stepped back in to make one last statement. "You see, I care about my fellow man and I want to help him. I think we should all do that. So, when people leave a messy urinal, or a vacant cart, I do my part, because I want to help." And then he stepped back out into the night and was gone.
About that time my coaster lit up and it was time to go get my table. I kept thinking about this odd encounter and why a perfect stranger would walk up to me and offer such a personal viewpoint on such a totally mundane topic. I could only conclude one of three possibilities: 1. He thought I worked at the restaurant and he was trying to tell me to stop standing around and go clean the damn toilets; 2. He was senile and didn't know that I wasn't the guy at the next urinal he started the conversation with; or 3. He was just an outgoing individual who truly felt like he performed a good deed and was anxious to share it with the next human he met. Little did he know that he was really talking to a robot who only looks, acts, and smells like a human and who would record this rather odd story and post it on the internet for everyone to read.
Popcorn Problematic
06-Aug-05 09:54 AM
Wednesday, August 3, 2005 - Columbus, OH
The theater was filled to capacity as guests, contractors, and friends and family of Rave theater staff filled the newest addition to Rave Motion Pictures. This was to be the first opening event for the building and everything was going well until about 7:20PM. I was sitting it the Seating Area near the game room, chatting with some work associates, when suddenly the fire alarm went off. My first reaction was, "oh no, some kid has gone and pulled a fire alarm pull box," and I dismissed at as nothing more than a prank. If you've ever worked around movie theaters you'd know that this is all a too common experience. The alarm was ignored by everyone and we continued to chat for approximately an additional 2 minutes when all of a sudden one of my work colleagues jumps to his feet and yells out pointing down the hallway, "Holy Shit!! Smoke!!"
Jumping to my feet and looking in the direction he was pointing, I saw a wall of smoke advancing down the hallway with people fleeing in front of it. The smoke was definitely coming from one of the secondary concession stands and the smoke was very thick. It was advancing along the ceiling and then dropping to the floor, but the overall impression was that of a solid wall of smoke advancing toward the lobby. In all of my years of building and opening movie theaters, I had never seen anything like this. Several of us immediately took off in the direction of the smoke to ascertain the danger and what exactly was burning. As we plunged into the wall of smoke, we instinctively lowered ourselves to the ground and covered our noses as best we could. When we arrived to the concession bar the entire area was consumed in an opaque shroud of billowing smoke and I was unable to see anything. I could hear the distinctive sound of fire burning, but I couldn't tell exactly what was on fire. The smoke was getting thicker and we began to fall back away from the counter. Some of the employees had managed to hit the fire with several fire extinguishers but it was impossible to tell if they had been successful due to the smoke.
As we backed up, out of the smoke emerged the theater manager. He was visibly shaken and his entire suit was covered with debris. I asked him if he was OK and all he could say was, "the kettle exploded in my face!" He was referring to the kettle in one of the popcorn machines. He continued as he was wiping his face, "I'm OK, but my building is on fire!" He took off and continued barking out orders to his staff over his walkie-talkie instructing them to get everyone out of the building. We all fell back to the lobby where it was smoky but wasn't intolerable. All of our guests had been vacated and many of them stood out in front of the building gazing on in bewilderment and disbelief. All we could do now is wait for the Fire Brigade to show up
The Fire Department showed up with three fire trucks and at least half a dozen fire fighters in full fire fighting gear. They entered the building and went back to the concession area where the popcorn popper was still smoldering. Soon they brought in some large fans and began to dissapate the smoke and before long we were able to finally see what was going on. We waited anxiously for the smoke to clear to find out the extent of the damage. Amazingly, the entire fire had been contained with inside the popcorn popper and nothing else was damaged except for a few melted ceiling tiles and two sprinkler heads above the popper. All of the smoke was generated by the kettle full of popcorn which had caught on fire. It was certainly a huge mess, but we were thankful that none of the building components were damaged beyond smoke and water damage. The sprinkler head above the popcorn popper had literally melted off and was pouring a deluge of water into the machine and had effectively flooded much of that end of the building in about a half inch of water.
It appears that the cause of the fire was due to operator error. We checked the plug and the outlet that the popper was plugged into and there did not appear to be any shorts or fire at these locations. The problem was that the kettle was never emptied when the popcorn was finished popping. If the kettle isn't emptied, after awhile it will begin to smoke from the excess heat and then it will ignite. You have to be very diligent with a popcorn popper and cannot leave it unattended. The problem here is that the popcorn had reached a flash point temperature and when someone finally emptied the kettle, the infusion of oxygen into the kettle caused it to explode into a ball of fire. Fortunately, the staff was able to get the doors closed back on the popper and the fire was 99% contained inside the popper.
Unfortunately, we had to cancel the opening party Wednesday night. But I am very proud of the fact that through team work and lots of hard work, the Rave theater staff worked tirelessly through out the night and by 8AM the next morning one could hardly even tell that a fire had taken place. The debris had been cleared, the walls wiped down and the water sucked up. Even the smell of smoke was gone due to the use of negative air machines with hepa filters. The opening events for Thursday night went off without a hitch and the theater opened to the public for business on Friday morning as scheduled. All in all, it could've been much worse but it was certainly the most excitement I've ever had at a theater opening.
The theater was filled to capacity as guests, contractors, and friends and family of Rave theater staff filled the newest addition to Rave Motion Pictures. This was to be the first opening event for the building and everything was going well until about 7:20PM. I was sitting it the Seating Area near the game room, chatting with some work associates, when suddenly the fire alarm went off. My first reaction was, "oh no, some kid has gone and pulled a fire alarm pull box," and I dismissed at as nothing more than a prank. If you've ever worked around movie theaters you'd know that this is all a too common experience. The alarm was ignored by everyone and we continued to chat for approximately an additional 2 minutes when all of a sudden one of my work colleagues jumps to his feet and yells out pointing down the hallway, "Holy Shit!! Smoke!!"
Jumping to my feet and looking in the direction he was pointing, I saw a wall of smoke advancing down the hallway with people fleeing in front of it. The smoke was definitely coming from one of the secondary concession stands and the smoke was very thick. It was advancing along the ceiling and then dropping to the floor, but the overall impression was that of a solid wall of smoke advancing toward the lobby. In all of my years of building and opening movie theaters, I had never seen anything like this. Several of us immediately took off in the direction of the smoke to ascertain the danger and what exactly was burning. As we plunged into the wall of smoke, we instinctively lowered ourselves to the ground and covered our noses as best we could. When we arrived to the concession bar the entire area was consumed in an opaque shroud of billowing smoke and I was unable to see anything. I could hear the distinctive sound of fire burning, but I couldn't tell exactly what was on fire. The smoke was getting thicker and we began to fall back away from the counter. Some of the employees had managed to hit the fire with several fire extinguishers but it was impossible to tell if they had been successful due to the smoke.
As we backed up, out of the smoke emerged the theater manager. He was visibly shaken and his entire suit was covered with debris. I asked him if he was OK and all he could say was, "the kettle exploded in my face!" He was referring to the kettle in one of the popcorn machines. He continued as he was wiping his face, "I'm OK, but my building is on fire!" He took off and continued barking out orders to his staff over his walkie-talkie instructing them to get everyone out of the building. We all fell back to the lobby where it was smoky but wasn't intolerable. All of our guests had been vacated and many of them stood out in front of the building gazing on in bewilderment and disbelief. All we could do now is wait for the Fire Brigade to show up
The Fire Department showed up with three fire trucks and at least half a dozen fire fighters in full fire fighting gear. They entered the building and went back to the concession area where the popcorn popper was still smoldering. Soon they brought in some large fans and began to dissapate the smoke and before long we were able to finally see what was going on. We waited anxiously for the smoke to clear to find out the extent of the damage. Amazingly, the entire fire had been contained with inside the popcorn popper and nothing else was damaged except for a few melted ceiling tiles and two sprinkler heads above the popper. All of the smoke was generated by the kettle full of popcorn which had caught on fire. It was certainly a huge mess, but we were thankful that none of the building components were damaged beyond smoke and water damage. The sprinkler head above the popcorn popper had literally melted off and was pouring a deluge of water into the machine and had effectively flooded much of that end of the building in about a half inch of water.
It appears that the cause of the fire was due to operator error. We checked the plug and the outlet that the popper was plugged into and there did not appear to be any shorts or fire at these locations. The problem was that the kettle was never emptied when the popcorn was finished popping. If the kettle isn't emptied, after awhile it will begin to smoke from the excess heat and then it will ignite. You have to be very diligent with a popcorn popper and cannot leave it unattended. The problem here is that the popcorn had reached a flash point temperature and when someone finally emptied the kettle, the infusion of oxygen into the kettle caused it to explode into a ball of fire. Fortunately, the staff was able to get the doors closed back on the popper and the fire was 99% contained inside the popper.
Unfortunately, we had to cancel the opening party Wednesday night. But I am very proud of the fact that through team work and lots of hard work, the Rave theater staff worked tirelessly through out the night and by 8AM the next morning one could hardly even tell that a fire had taken place. The debris had been cleared, the walls wiped down and the water sucked up. Even the smell of smoke was gone due to the use of negative air machines with hepa filters. The opening events for Thursday night went off without a hitch and the theater opened to the public for business on Friday morning as scheduled. All in all, it could've been much worse but it was certainly the most excitement I've ever had at a theater opening.