Captain's blog; star date...

11:51 am - Winter Wonder Land

This is one of my favorite Christmas songs and I guess it has to do with the time when we lived in Rochester and went to Cummings nature center. We rode through the woods on a sleigh with bells pulled by 2 Belgians. It was in February, not December but hey! Anyway, they are playing it on the radio now and it always makes me think of that ride.

04:19 pm

CNN: In your TED Talk, you described American biologists as being in a "state of war" when it comes to defending evolution against its critics. Do you think that's still the case, nearly eight years later?
Dawkins: Yes. More so, if anything.
CNN: You contrast the British 10 pound note, which displays a likeness of Darwin, to the "In God We Trust" on American currency. Why are attitudes in Britain so significantly different on this question?
Dawkins: I think it stems from the far greater popularity of religion in America, but that only pushes the question back a stage. Why is America so much more religious than most other western countries?



I think I have some insight there. World War ll.

The war only left America stronger and richer. No part of the war was fought on the American mainland and we remained smug and self righteous. Europe was nearly destroyed. Brittan made out the best enduring only devastating bombing raids and a ruined economy. How could a loving god have sanctioned this? So the Europeans have largely turned their backs on her as Americans would have if the European shoe were on the American foot.

02:41 pm - The random perversity of inanimate objects

So last week I was putting the finishing touches on the family Christmas video. I was ripping sound effects from a CD of sound effects when the ripping functions stopped working. Frustrated, I gave up and proceeded to remove the CD from the CD drive. The drive declined to open so in disgust, I just shut down the whole system and went to bed. This wasn't my good CD burner, in fact, it will not even burn DVDs, but it came with the computer and I had a good Sony installed directly below it. Fortunately that is still working. So the next day while we were cruising through Staples I found a DVD burner, which will also etch pictures on the top of your DVD. At $83 I decided that it was a good deal and picked it up. I got home, and much to my surprise the broken burner was now unbroken, and working just fine. Still, I decided to keep the new burner because of its etching capability and plugged in to run the install program. It did not work. I could not get it to work. Windows recognized it said hey, I got new hardware, and I will assign it letter G, but it would not run to install its own drivers. Not a problem, I used one of the other drives to install the drivers. It still did not work. I decided that enough was enough and I returned it to Staples and got my money back.

Note the subject, above.

04:05 pm - 7 %

Stolen from jubal51394

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio

She said,"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 44 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:"

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ''In five years, will this matter?".
26. Always choose life.
27 Forgive everyone everything.
28. What other people think of you is none of your business.
29. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
30. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
31. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
32. Believe in miracles.
33. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
34. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
35. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
36. Your children get only one childhood.
37. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
38. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
39. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
40. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
41. The best is yet to come.
42. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.
43. Yield.
44. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

It's estimated 93% won't [post this in their journal]. If you are one of the 7% who will, [post] this with the title "7%."

01:48 pm - Health Care

I just found out that my representative a Democrat voted against health reform.  I wrote him and the two Senators.  A copy to the Senators is below;

This is a copy of an e-mail I sent Rep John Adler.
Please keep me informed as to how you plan to vote in the Senate including the shutting down of any filibuster.  

Just to be perfectly clear, we desperately need to reform the system.  Thanks

I understand that you voted against the health care bill. If this is not true, or if you had a good reason, please let me know.  Otherwise even though I am a registered Democrat I will feel obligated to vote for an opponent in the primary, and even hold my nose and vote for a real Republican in the general election in 2010.

12:20 pm

I went by the old office yesterday to take care of some business.  Someone is retiring and I needed to pay up to go to her party.  I don't go often because I cant simply get in and get out, everyone wants to chat.  It took me four hours to get away.  Really, I am flattered.  When I was the boss I chalked it up to brown nosing, but now .........  And I did not get to see and talk to even half of them.  One person is very athletic and when I showed her warkitty 's run and result in the half iron man she was very impressed to say the least.  She understood what it took.  Another lady has had cancer since before I retired, and while it's not going away, it's not getting any worse and for now that's a victory.  And she gets to work every day, but takes half days and an occasional full day for chemo.

Finally with difficulty I got away after only 4 hours.  Now that I have no responsibilities going is a real joy.  It is an unusual place because turnover is very low, about 1%.  As a result we have all known each other for 10 to 20 years.  Yes, working there was all about the people and they are what I miss.  (But not enough to leave retirement.)

03:55 pm - Don't check these links unless you have a strong stomach

These are pictures of a young marine who was injured in Iraq. They are in today's stern.de

The first is his wedding day. The others are other days since his injury. there are 9 other pictures of other men and other injuries. This is the price of war. I do respect his wife for marrying him despite the disfigurement.


http://www.stern.de/fotografie/13-irak-ausstellung-gesichter-des-krieges-1517131.html

http://www.stern.de/fotografie/10-irak-ausstellung-gesichter-des-krieges-1517131.html

http://www.stern.de/fotografie/12-irak-ausstellung-gesichter-des-krieges-1517131.html

03:29 pm

Well we just got back from a weekend camping, second in a row.  We leave again wed to Sunday for the last time this year.  We will go out again in late March.  We will be going to the west coast via Tenn.,  Arkansas, Ok.,  Texas N Mex., and Ar. 

I'll be spending the winter on winter pursuits.

03:36 pm - New use for GPS

06:47 pm

We have Satellite radio in the pickup. It has 200 some channels among which are music from the 40s, 50s, 60s etc.  I find myself drawn to the 40s and surprised at how much I recognize.  Today it occurred to me,  I was born in 1943  and so lived through 7 years of that decade.  And its music did not end there just because people shouted happy new year on 1-1-50.  Further we were the second people on our block to get  television, half way into 1950. Before that and for some time later radio was the prime source of entertainment.  No wonder so many sound so familiar, even when I haven't heard many in 60 years.

If my brother is reading this, please note, I'm sure they got the TV for you.  It can't be a coincidence that you both appeared at the same time.  As for me I was fine going down to Kenny Wilson's house to watch Howdy Dody whereas you were never invited.

01:22 pm

The love story of Ralph and Edna...

Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have. Ralph and Edna were both patients in a mental hospital. One day while they were walking past the hospital swimming pool. Ralph suddenly jumped into the deep end.

He sank to the bottom of the pool and stayed there.

Edna promptly jumped in to save him. She swam to the bottom and pulled him out. When the Head Nurse Director became aware of Edna's heroic act she immediately ordered her to be discharged from the hospital, as she now considered her to be mentally stable.

When she went to tell Edna the news she said, 'Edna, I have good news and bad news. The good news is you're being discharged, since you were able to rationally respond to a crisis by jumping in and saving the life of the person you love. I have concluded that your act displays sound mindedness.

The bad news is, Ralph hung himself in the bathroom with his bathrobe belt right after you saved him. I am so sorry, but he's dead.' Edna replied, 'He didn't hang himself, I put him there to dry. How soon can I go home?'

Happy Mental Health Day!

11:22 pm

I used the jointer plainer on a new drawer and I'm impressed. it came out looking as good as any finely made furniture.

Now that it is turning cold I'll be spending more time indoors.  Today I captured this summers video into the computer. Now on to the Christmas video.  If it works I have a great way to start it off.  If it works I'll post it here.

06:07 pm

Happy birthday  jubal51394  I guess you now have your red white and blue card.

06:47 pm

I don't turn the computer on every day, especially while the weather is still nice and the outside beckons.  This is in fact, the first time in several days.  I have been working on making a dresser.  This takes more time than you might think, because while making the dresser I have to make the wood that makes up the dresser.  It comes basically in three quarter inch thickness, and I need it to be other thicknesses so it is a matter of joining together, or planing down, sometimes both.  Therefore this week I bought a jointer.  It got to be quite an operation, because this thing weighs 220 pounds.  Getting it onto the truck was no problem, I let the good folks at Home Depot take care that.  To get it out I had to pull the trailer out of the driveway, let it down on some wooden ramps, which I had made, and then put the trailer back in the driveway.  Instructions were to build it upside down and then turn upright.  Yeah, me and the wife.  She could not even lift her end, so I took it apart again and reassemble it up right.  It was a bit of a pain, but at least it was doable.  I have tried it out on some scrap stock, and I'm very happy with the way works.

Today was a beautiful day, and I should've spent it outsidebut I was just feeling lazy.  I think you have to take a day off at least once a week.  Even if you are retired.

09:20 pm - I'm pretty proud of myself

July 1, 2008 we canceled the cable.  Since then we have had no TV at home.  We do in the camper but use it at most one or two times per season.  For just the history  and discovery channels I couldn't see paying $65 per month and all else I watch is local.  Along came HDTV and each station went from 1 to 2 or 3 programs at a time, but only 1 of them is carried on cable.  There is a website,  http://www.antennaweb.org  which you can go to.  Plug in your address and it will tell you what channels you can receive, their magnetic heading and exact distance from your house.  It also tells what type antenna is needed to receive each station.  Armed with this information I went to radio shack and bought an antenna and installed it today.  We happen to be lined up with all but one station.  They are on a heading of 289 and 290 degrees.  The other is off by 90 degrees, but is close enough not to matter.  Using a camping compass I got it lined up the first time with no adjustment needed.

On the HDTV we carry in the camper and with a program in HDTV the picture is spectacular.  On the older one in the house with the converter box it's still pretty good; better even than cable.

The antenna is in the garage attic, out of the elements and I used the cable from the cable company for the run into the house which also properly grounds the antenna.  Best of all, the cost was just two months cable with no further investment necessary.

And it only took a year to get around to it!  (You can tell I really missed the TV.)

08:23 pm

Coming up 95 with the trailer in Va we kept the speed limit (65) to just short of Washington. I wanted to get there before rush hour. We got 8.25 miles per gallon. after that we kept it to 58 MPH. We got 10 miles per gallon. 7 MPH makes a difference of 20%.  That's why I usually drive slow.

07:48 pm - We're Baaaack

Myrtle Beach was OK except that on the way the Boss twisted her knee and as a result spent little time on the beach and none doing what we had planned.

At about the half way point we got some red neck neighbors who either were in hock up to their necks or had a recent death in the family. They came in a class A motor home which must have cost $150,000 plus. It pulled a new red Silverado 1500 which contained a golf cart hanging over it's 5.5 foot bed. He backed it off the truck at about a 45 degree angle, more nerve or less brains than I've got, on shaky aluminum. The new golf cart contained at least the following;

another small electric golf cart for the kids who appeared to be 3 and 5.
a tv to watch while driving it.
patio lights on the roof
blue patio lights around the bottom.
some other kind of light under it.

The wife did all the driving even the motor home except in the campground. Could there be a problem with alcohol?

They shot off aerial fireworks at night which was pleasant enough except the 5 year old was allowed to light some heavy duty stuff.

This would all have been comical except for the 2 dachshunds they kept outside in a small pen. They barked constantly when the red necks were away which was usually during the day and always in the evening.

And then people wonder why many campgrounds simply ban dogs, period.

04:27 pm - If you live in a state that still has the death penelty you need to read this

http://criminaljustice.change.org/blog/view/new_yorker_texas_executed_an_innocent_man

03:20 pm

I decided it was time to once more turn on the computer. Last week the heat broke and I've been outside painting ,working on building a dresser and anything else that comes up. Today I'm taking a break, sort of.  We are packing the truck and trailer.  Thursday we leave for Myrtle Beach for the rest of the month.

Earlier,  I bought 4 1x3s that go across the back of the pickum up truck and put plywood over them and that gives us 2 decks to carry stuff on. Now there is plenty of room for what we want to carry.


I'm confused by some of the people opposed to health care.  Do they think that just because they have theirs the rest of us can go to hell?  What is their beef with every one else?  My brother-in law had the most sensible argument I've heard to date, that the Federal government has no such constitutional authority.  I happen to agree, but if that is true it also has no authority to run social security and medicare.  In the 1930s the case of social security  was taken to the supreme court and it ruled that the Feds do have such authority.  If the supreme court says that, who am I to argue?  Another person said that if everyone had coverage there would not be enough doctors to go around and that would force rationing.      Duh, what do we have now? No insurance, no care, but that's not rationing?  Or did she mean that instead of uninsured people being rationed out of the system, rationing could even apply to her?

Finnaly,  some of the same people who were telling me a year ago that we need to respect the POTUS because of his exalted position and after all he is our fearless leader are now cursing out the POTUS every chance they get.  Where did that respect go?

07:34 pm

Four years ago today Katrina came ashore. Before that, in the eyes of the news media George Bush could do no wrong.  After that the media finally saw the naked emperor for what he was and the pendulum swung the other way, he could do no right. Talk about a bunch of lemmings.