I haven't posted an entry in a few weeks. Life has been busy. Sometimes a good busy, but busy.
Angie does such a good job keeping up with her blog, I often don't have much family type stuff to blog about. When an inspiration hits me, or I find some hook to use, I check her blog and find out that she's already written about it. Today, because she's busy with church things (special music practice, service order prep and then an informal dinner for the staff only), she won't have time to blog during the day. I'll scoop her.
This morning, at about 10:30am, we signed a contract for the sale of our house. A nice young couple had looked at it before, and then their circumstances were such that they made an offer on Friday. Things were inline, so we accepted. (There's a lot more legal mumbo-jumbo that went on, but that is the sum of it.)
So, in the coming weeks we'll close on the house that we lived in for 11 years. There were many good memories made in that house. And I hope that the young couple can make their own at the same address.
We're happy that it is in the final stages of the sale, and Angie and I both praise God for it happening. If you've been praying for it to happen, thank you.
So, I've got the scoop, I've got the contract, I've got a great wife.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Doing her part for the Army Air Forces
My grandmother (my dad's mother) was doing her part to help America during WWII. She was an observer for the Army Air Forces. She'd spend hours scanning the skies in upstate New York, looking for enemy planes.
My parents spent the better part of the summer closing up her house. They found wonderful things: photos, books, toys, cookware and such that my grandmother used, loved and kept.
This entry is about one set of items that they found. It is her wings and a manual. The AWS on the wings stand for "Advanced Warning Service." I only scanned two pages from the manual, but all of them were so ripe. These pages are just a representation.
There was also a First Aid Manual that might end up as tomorrow's post.
My parents spent the better part of the summer closing up her house. They found wonderful things: photos, books, toys, cookware and such that my grandmother used, loved and kept.
This entry is about one set of items that they found. It is her wings and a manual. The AWS on the wings stand for "Advanced Warning Service." I only scanned two pages from the manual, but all of them were so ripe. These pages are just a representation.
There was also a First Aid Manual that might end up as tomorrow's post.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
End of August wrap up
Doug has been hounding Angie for photos of the Bristol weekend. Here's a link. The weekend was good. Read about it on Angie's blog.
On Tuesday, I took Edison to his orthodontist appointment. He's in getting his teeth cranked. I've read the Sports Illustrated and I've read all the Car and Driver magazines on previous visits. A few patients come in. Then one walks in. The women at the front desk rush around the patient. I only see her from the back, but then I hear her voice. A few minutes later, Edison comes out, just beaming.
"Did you see who that was, Dad?"
I ask the front desk women if all the stars come to Dr. H's office to get their teeth cleaned. Yes, as a matter of fact, they do. One of them asks if Edison would like to meet her. He grins a "yes."
They usher us back the hall. I push Edison's hair back down and remind him to be polite. Then, we're brought in to see her. Pat Summit. Around here, she's a legend. And she should be. She was very gracious and kind. She asked where Edison attended school and then commented that it was a good school. She shook our hands and answered a few questions about next year's team. She said that she's excited about the four new freshman girls that will be joining the team. That individual practices are going on, but that her staff is running those, but she watches when she can. She invited us to come out and see the team this year. All this while she was wearing a dentistry bib.
I didn't say anything stupid and Edison was very well behaved. What more could you want.
The folks are here for a few more days. Had to help dad get a new battery for their car on Tuesday. But, he's helped me with so much...
It rained last night.
So, that's the wrap up for the end of August. Life is still good.
On Tuesday, I took Edison to his orthodontist appointment. He's in getting his teeth cranked. I've read the Sports Illustrated and I've read all the Car and Driver magazines on previous visits. A few patients come in. Then one walks in. The women at the front desk rush around the patient. I only see her from the back, but then I hear her voice. A few minutes later, Edison comes out, just beaming.
"Did you see who that was, Dad?"
I ask the front desk women if all the stars come to Dr. H's office to get their teeth cleaned. Yes, as a matter of fact, they do. One of them asks if Edison would like to meet her. He grins a "yes."
They usher us back the hall. I push Edison's hair back down and remind him to be polite. Then, we're brought in to see her. Pat Summit. Around here, she's a legend. And she should be. She was very gracious and kind. She asked where Edison attended school and then commented that it was a good school. She shook our hands and answered a few questions about next year's team. She said that she's excited about the four new freshman girls that will be joining the team. That individual practices are going on, but that her staff is running those, but she watches when she can. She invited us to come out and see the team this year. All this while she was wearing a dentistry bib.
I didn't say anything stupid and Edison was very well behaved. What more could you want.
The folks are here for a few more days. Had to help dad get a new battery for their car on Tuesday. But, he's helped me with so much...
It rained last night.
So, that's the wrap up for the end of August. Life is still good.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Savoring Books
From Merriam-Webster's website, I find that a definition for savor is:
2a : to have experience of :TASTE b : to taste or smell with pleasure : RELISH c : to delight in : ENJOY
I've enjoyed reading for many years. Sometimes I read just to finish a book, though. "Well, it was a gift, I should read it." "It has been at the top of the bestseller's list for 2 months. I should read it." "So-and-so said that it was a must read. I should read it." That shouldn't be the reason to read. I'm trying to learn to put a book down when it isn't worth reading. I should have learned that before. Richard Grindal's Tartan Conspiracy comes to mind, as does Thomas Hoving's Masterpiece. Thomas Hoving has written some very nice books, but Masterpiece is not one of them.
Today I finished reading Malba Tahan's The Man Who Counted. What wonderful story telling. "Details are story-material," a friend recently said. There are fantastic details in this book. Not details like in Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose (the description of the cathedral door was overkill), but details that flesh out the story. That make it a fun read. That make you want to savor it.
Malba Tahan's book is very readable. No, it isn't only a math book, but you get a lot of math in it. If you like number puzzles, then this is for you. You've heard some of them before. And others are fresh, even though they were written many years ago. The book is so readable, I might have been able to read it at one sitting, had I not been sick this past week and fallen asleep with it in my hands. I'm glad it took me the whole week. I was able to savor it.
Instead of reading the next few books that I've selected for myself I'm going to try to read chapters of old book 'friends.' I've started to read the chapter about Tom Bombadil from Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring. I want to read essays by Mark Twain. Not a whole book of them, just some. I want to read some short stories by O. Henry, particularly The Ransom of Red-Chief. My father-in-law loves it. I've heard him retell the story 3 or 4 times. But I've never read it. I want to read the poetry of John Donne. To enjoy it.
Right now, I'm going to be finishing Walter Wangerin, Jr.'s The Book of God. I just finished the part where King Solomon dies and then it goes into the Prophets. I reread the first few pages of the book tonight. Good details. Good storytelling. I'll be savoring that one for a while.
2a : to have experience of :TASTE b : to taste or smell with pleasure : RELISH c : to delight in : ENJOY
I've enjoyed reading for many years. Sometimes I read just to finish a book, though. "Well, it was a gift, I should read it." "It has been at the top of the bestseller's list for 2 months. I should read it." "So-and-so said that it was a must read. I should read it." That shouldn't be the reason to read. I'm trying to learn to put a book down when it isn't worth reading. I should have learned that before. Richard Grindal's Tartan Conspiracy comes to mind, as does Thomas Hoving's Masterpiece. Thomas Hoving has written some very nice books, but Masterpiece is not one of them.
Today I finished reading Malba Tahan's The Man Who Counted. What wonderful story telling. "Details are story-material," a friend recently said. There are fantastic details in this book. Not details like in Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose (the description of the cathedral door was overkill), but details that flesh out the story. That make it a fun read. That make you want to savor it.
Malba Tahan's book is very readable. No, it isn't only a math book, but you get a lot of math in it. If you like number puzzles, then this is for you. You've heard some of them before. And others are fresh, even though they were written many years ago. The book is so readable, I might have been able to read it at one sitting, had I not been sick this past week and fallen asleep with it in my hands. I'm glad it took me the whole week. I was able to savor it.
Instead of reading the next few books that I've selected for myself I'm going to try to read chapters of old book 'friends.' I've started to read the chapter about Tom Bombadil from Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring. I want to read essays by Mark Twain. Not a whole book of them, just some. I want to read some short stories by O. Henry, particularly The Ransom of Red-Chief. My father-in-law loves it. I've heard him retell the story 3 or 4 times. But I've never read it. I want to read the poetry of John Donne. To enjoy it.
Right now, I'm going to be finishing Walter Wangerin, Jr.'s The Book of God. I just finished the part where King Solomon dies and then it goes into the Prophets. I reread the first few pages of the book tonight. Good details. Good storytelling. I'll be savoring that one for a while.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
No Bake Cookies
The other day, Angie made some No Bake Cookies. They were the best batch that she made in quite a while. Just the right consistency. Fantastic.
My Life is Good.
Thanks, Angie.
I love you.
My Life is Good.
Thanks, Angie.
I love you.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Bass Guitar
I play bass guitar. I'm guessing that I first picked up a bass guitar in about 1976. I had played cello since the 4th grade, then I learned upright bass in junior high school. Then I filled in on bass guitar for a few musicals. Thank you, George Slosson. I changed high schools at the beginning of my junior year. The new high school didn't have an orchestra, but did have a great stage band. I did play cello on one cut of an album that we recorded in the Phoenix area. My senior year, I got a Kay bass guitar. It was a Precision style. It wasn't that good, but it was mine. I put it too good use that year. We played a lot of shows, at the Officer's Club on Ft. Huachuca, Tombstone's Centennial Ball, Arizona State Fair, HS productions, weddings and the like. Thank you, Coach Klein. That was some of the best musical training a person could get. Then to college, where I played in the B Jazz Band. Then off to other places. I've been in quite a few pick up bands. Practice, do a gig, split. Don't practice, do a gig, split. I moved to Illinois in the mid 1980s. I played with the church youth choir. Then I found a 1983 Fender P bass. I think that it was in a music store on 95th Street. Great price. It was mine. It was a nice bass. That's how I met Angie. Playing bass. She was the piano player/musical director for Community Christian Church, a new church plant in Naperville, IL. Doug played guitar. Doug asked me to join the band. But that is another story. I had that bass until about 2000 or so. Then it was stolen. From church, no less. The insurance company replaced it, sort of. I had some custom work done to it, and it was rather unique. They don't make them like that any more. So, I got another Fender. California series. It is a combo of a P and J bass. I like it.
Start edit. Yes, I still play. Our church has two bands. I'm playing for both of them. One is more "Gaither" oriented, but getting in the 1990s now. Brass and woodwinds, piano, keyboard, acoustic and electric guitars, drum kit, but still reserved. The other band, the "Acoustic Band" features more of a Hillsongs feel. Acoustic and electric guitars, piano, keyboard, drumkit. But it has a rockier feel. End edit.
I found a few videos on YouTube featuring bass players. Here they are in no particular order. But the order is... Bill Clements (the one handed bass player), Tony Levin (improv with Phil Keaggy and Jerry Marotta), then Victor Wooten (Amazing Grace).
Enjoy.
Start edit. Yes, I still play. Our church has two bands. I'm playing for both of them. One is more "Gaither" oriented, but getting in the 1990s now. Brass and woodwinds, piano, keyboard, acoustic and electric guitars, drum kit, but still reserved. The other band, the "Acoustic Band" features more of a Hillsongs feel. Acoustic and electric guitars, piano, keyboard, drumkit. But it has a rockier feel. End edit.
I found a few videos on YouTube featuring bass players. Here they are in no particular order. But the order is... Bill Clements (the one handed bass player), Tony Levin (improv with Phil Keaggy and Jerry Marotta), then Victor Wooten (Amazing Grace).
Enjoy.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Short story
I wrote this short story back in high school for a creative writing class. That was either 1979 or 1980. It was published in the high school literary magazine, Andromeda, in 1981. I rediscovered it last night while looking for my copy of The Lord of the Rings.
The Quota
The mobile guillotine slid down the street. The metal sluices shined in the early morning light. The police had to get their weekly quota, and they were still 237 short. If they didn't make it, the force made up the remainder.
The guillotine was used for such offenses as jaywalking, spitting on the sidewalk, and other misdemeanors. It replaced the chamber--quicker, cleaner, and generally more efficient.
Its photo-electric eye spotted someone leaning on a sign. It sped up to the loiterer, told him the charge, and asked him to lie down flat. The culprit, knowing that he had no other choice, lay down and it was over in an instant. The head was put into a collection box on the corner, and the body dropped into a incinerator nearby.
"Only 236 more," screeched the voice speaker in the police lounge.
"God Bless! Its Thursday and 236 more to go by Saturday midnight," gruffed the commander. "We haven't been this far behind since that one week in '93."
"Yeah, think maybe we could pick some of 'em up, Binky, huh?" asked a sergeant of his commander.
Binky slowly smiled. "Yes, yes. It looks like we'll have to get them one way or another. Too bad."
The electronic listening device sent this and all other conversations to the main computer. It was listened to and then sent to the data bank for police corruption.
After listening to it many times and analyzing voice inflection and sincerity, the computer commissioned a force of guillotines to the station.
Listed in the file for the weekly quota: "Due to the abundance of criminals this week, there will be no need to send out the mobile guillotines next week."
The Quota
The mobile guillotine slid down the street. The metal sluices shined in the early morning light. The police had to get their weekly quota, and they were still 237 short. If they didn't make it, the force made up the remainder.
The guillotine was used for such offenses as jaywalking, spitting on the sidewalk, and other misdemeanors. It replaced the chamber--quicker, cleaner, and generally more efficient.
Its photo-electric eye spotted someone leaning on a sign. It sped up to the loiterer, told him the charge, and asked him to lie down flat. The culprit, knowing that he had no other choice, lay down and it was over in an instant. The head was put into a collection box on the corner, and the body dropped into a incinerator nearby.
"Only 236 more," screeched the voice speaker in the police lounge.
"God Bless! Its Thursday and 236 more to go by Saturday midnight," gruffed the commander. "We haven't been this far behind since that one week in '93."
"Yeah, think maybe we could pick some of 'em up, Binky, huh?" asked a sergeant of his commander.
Binky slowly smiled. "Yes, yes. It looks like we'll have to get them one way or another. Too bad."
The electronic listening device sent this and all other conversations to the main computer. It was listened to and then sent to the data bank for police corruption.
After listening to it many times and analyzing voice inflection and sincerity, the computer commissioned a force of guillotines to the station.
Listed in the file for the weekly quota: "Due to the abundance of criminals this week, there will be no need to send out the mobile guillotines next week."
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Not a Fan of the Fan, but a Fan of the Man
Here's a story about my ceiling fan. There used to be a light fixture. It came with the house, but it wasn't quite us. So I took it out, with the intention of putting up a ceiling fan that we bought at Lowe's some time ago when they matched the price of any Home Depot sale. We got fans. And a light kit. And bulbs, and stretcher bars that you hang the fans on. One for the office area and a very cute one for Caroline's room. Thinking that having had them for about 2 months and not putting them up wasn't a good use of resources, I was determined to install the fan for Caroline's room on Saturday. One thing lead to another, schedules got weird, mowing had to be done. Okay, maybe not Caroline's room, because that is her only source of light. I'll do the office one. We were to be over at Jim and Nancy's for dinner at about 6:20pm. Angie leaves with Caroline at about 5:40pm. Not quite enough time to get started, but I start to pull together tools, step stool, etc. I come home with Caroline and get her bathed and in bed by 9:00pm. I'm tired, but got to get it going. I take down the light fixture. Here's what I have...
So, got to put up a fan brace bar. My boss is overkill man, when it comes to construction. So, I got the Super Fan Brace. See below.
There was a stamped metal fan brace already installed. I can take that out. Wait. Notice the air vent just beyond the hole in the ceiling? You know how all modern construction is usually set at 16" to center studs? Except when they use 24". Like this house's ceiling joists. Great. The stamped metal fan brace is nailed into the joists, a little over 11" away from the hole, in a 7' ceiling. I fight with a claw hammer until midnight when I declare victory. The old brace has been defeated. I'm too tired and frustrated to continue.
Sunday afternoon, I resume. The instructions call for the blue wire to go to the blue wire, black to black, white to common, ground to ground. Except that I don't have a blue wire from the house. Only on the fan. I read and re-read and re-read the instructions. I've got it figured out.
Light kit goes on, just fine.
Then I need to change out the rotary dimmer. I've been doing all this work with the light switch turned off, but the breaker on. Spare me the lectures. I've heard them. Tonight. Twice. I go to the breaker box, turn off the dining room, because that is where the light is. Nope. It is on the Living Room circuit. Know how I found out? I then turn off the Living Room circuit, finish changing out the switch. Ah. The fan works. The lights don't. I start taking it all apart, checking the wires carefully. I disassemble the whole thing. It looks right. I call Jim, the best father-in-law in the US. (Runner up might be my dad to Angie, but I don't get to decide that.) He comes over. Looks at it. "Well, here's your problem, blue should go to black and black should go to black and white should go to white and bare should go to ground." And he said it in a way that didn't make me feel more foolish. He taped them up, we tested things and they work. He then handed me fan blades and screws and stuff.
Jim's a good man.
Thanks, Jim, for everything.
So, got to put up a fan brace bar. My boss is overkill man, when it comes to construction. So, I got the Super Fan Brace. See below.
There was a stamped metal fan brace already installed. I can take that out. Wait. Notice the air vent just beyond the hole in the ceiling? You know how all modern construction is usually set at 16" to center studs? Except when they use 24". Like this house's ceiling joists. Great. The stamped metal fan brace is nailed into the joists, a little over 11" away from the hole, in a 7' ceiling. I fight with a claw hammer until midnight when I declare victory. The old brace has been defeated. I'm too tired and frustrated to continue.
Sunday afternoon, I resume. The instructions call for the blue wire to go to the blue wire, black to black, white to common, ground to ground. Except that I don't have a blue wire from the house. Only on the fan. I read and re-read and re-read the instructions. I've got it figured out.
Light kit goes on, just fine.
Then I need to change out the rotary dimmer. I've been doing all this work with the light switch turned off, but the breaker on. Spare me the lectures. I've heard them. Tonight. Twice. I go to the breaker box, turn off the dining room, because that is where the light is. Nope. It is on the Living Room circuit. Know how I found out? I then turn off the Living Room circuit, finish changing out the switch. Ah. The fan works. The lights don't. I start taking it all apart, checking the wires carefully. I disassemble the whole thing. It looks right. I call Jim, the best father-in-law in the US. (Runner up might be my dad to Angie, but I don't get to decide that.) He comes over. Looks at it. "Well, here's your problem, blue should go to black and black should go to black and white should go to white and bare should go to ground." And he said it in a way that didn't make me feel more foolish. He taped them up, we tested things and they work. He then handed me fan blades and screws and stuff.
Jim's a good man.Thanks, Jim, for everything.
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Books
Over the last few days (mostly evenings), I've been chatting with my friend, Tali, in São Paulo. The conversation winds from school studies, to family, family vacations, food, friends, music, movies, and books.
She introduced me to a few new (at least to me) authors. Malba Tahan. That's Tali's great-grand-uncle. Another author is Gabriel García Márquez. He wrote One Hundred Years of Solitude. The third author that she mentioned was João Guimarães Rosa. I've already ordered one of Malba Tahan's books from a neighboring county library. I look forward to reading it.
Yesterday, Tali said that she read two books in five days. "It was good for the soul." Reading is good for the soul.
It made me review what I've been reading recently. Here's what I've read in 2007...
I should probably move away from the lighter fare and dig or re-dig into some meatier books.
Thank you, Tali, for having this discussion with me. Now, if I can just get Angie to read The Hobbit.
She introduced me to a few new (at least to me) authors. Malba Tahan. That's Tali's great-grand-uncle. Another author is Gabriel García Márquez. He wrote One Hundred Years of Solitude. The third author that she mentioned was João Guimarães Rosa. I've already ordered one of Malba Tahan's books from a neighboring county library. I look forward to reading it.
Yesterday, Tali said that she read two books in five days. "It was good for the soul." Reading is good for the soul.
It made me review what I've been reading recently. Here's what I've read in 2007...
- Dan Patrick's Outtakes
- Bruce Nash and Allan Zullo 's Baseball Confidential
- Harry Shearer's Man Bites Town
- Mike Greenberg's Why My Wife Thinks I'm An Idiot
- John Mortimer's Rumpole and the Reign of Terror
- James Lincoln Collier's Rich and Famous
- Elliott Roosevelt's The President's Man
- Alan Ross's Echoes from the Ballpark
- Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone's Warmly Inscribed: The New England Forger and Other Book Tales
I should probably move away from the lighter fare and dig or re-dig into some meatier books.
Thank you, Tali, for having this discussion with me. Now, if I can just get Angie to read The Hobbit.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Caroline's Art
In the past few weeks, Caroline created some art at Parent's Day Out.
Here they are without comment, except to say that the gray blotches are where the wet paints warped the paper and the scanner picked them up as shadows.
Enjoy.
Here they are without comment, except to say that the gray blotches are where the wet paints warped the paper and the scanner picked them up as shadows.
Enjoy.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Music I've been listening to lately
For Father's Day, I got an mp3 player. Just a simple 2GB Sansa. It works very well for music.
So, I thought I'd let you in what I've been listening to lately...
Right now, it is Robert Randoph and the Family Band. Archive.org rocks for this sort of thing. I couldn't tell you exactly which show. March 6, 2004 in New Jersey, I think. This is RRFB's Official Site.
I also synced up some James Gang. Joe Walsh. Jaco Pastorius. Paul Shaffer. Michael Omartian. Steely Dan. Boston. Bill Watrous. Fairport Convention. Chuck Mangione. Will Ackerman. Hem. And a few others.
Yes, this music entry is link heavy. I did manage to stay away from Wikipedia, though. All links, except the first, point to the official site for the musician(s).
So, I thought I'd let you in what I've been listening to lately...
Right now, it is Robert Randoph and the Family Band. Archive.org rocks for this sort of thing. I couldn't tell you exactly which show. March 6, 2004 in New Jersey, I think. This is RRFB's Official Site.
I also synced up some James Gang. Joe Walsh. Jaco Pastorius. Paul Shaffer. Michael Omartian. Steely Dan. Boston. Bill Watrous. Fairport Convention. Chuck Mangione. Will Ackerman. Hem. And a few others.
Yes, this music entry is link heavy. I did manage to stay away from Wikipedia, though. All links, except the first, point to the official site for the musician(s).
Blast from the Past
This was probably taken in 1989 in the Chicago are. That is the Don White Trio at some gig. More photos of Don and friends can be found at Doug's photo gallery. Do things really look better in color?
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Real Life is Good
I play an online game called BattleMaster. My friend and coworker, Bill, turned me on to it. It is a team-oriented browser game merging strategy and roleplaying. I've been playing it for about 8 months now. Angie calls it "your luser game." Actually, I jokingly call it that.
One of the absolutes in the game is: Real Life comes first. You miss a turn because you had to study for finals, no problem. Sick? take a few days. Gone on holiday? No problem (my paraphrase).
About a month ago, a new character emerged in our realm. She was from the game region that my main characters were from, so I strike up an in-game conversation. There are mechanisms for being anonymous in the game. So, I had no clue who was on the other end of the ether. I try to be a good gamer, offering to help. We have some game mechanic exchanges, then it turns into a bit of a Role Play (RP). No, nothing weird or strange. Just two players in a game interacting. Because the game has time and space constraints (you only get so many hours a turn and characters can be in two different regions), to effectively RP, it is good to have the two characters in the same region at the same time. With wars happening and armies moving about, it is sometime difficult to accomplish this (see why Angie calls it a Luser game?). So, in game, Willem and Ilya make arrangements to meet in Menedor.
Conan O'Brien (in a nerdy voice): “Fear not, Gandalf is on the way!”
The player of Ilya is named Talita. I call her Tali. She lives in Brazil. São Paulo. Near where the Fifes live. Well, near is a relative term with 18 million people in the metro area. It was suggested that we collaborate on a single document, each having editing rights. We spend some time working on this. Remember, RP is generally done in real time. Coordinating the editing and posting in game presents a problem. We can't make deadlines. Why? Real Life. Her dog is not doing well. I think the phrase "puking all day" was what she used. The dog still isn't doing well. Two different timezones. Her grandma called. "Excuse me, my grandma's on the phone." "I've got to give Caroline her bath." "My boyfriend's taking me to the movies." (That last one was Tali.) Real Life says spend time with your family. "I'm really tired and didn't get my nap on Sunday. I've got to go to bed." (Me). Real life.
We've started IM'ing using GoogleTalk. I never thought I'd be a fan of the IM. Angie can whip around in about six of them at one time. I'm still learning. The conversation drifted away from, "So, what's Willem going to say or do now?" to, "what did you have for dinner?" to "I can't RP tonight, I'm taking Caroline to her first ballgame." With an explanation of why we went. It turns out that Tali's aunt has Ds as well. Somewhere in there, I introduced Tali to Angie's and my blogs. She's seen us and read of our quirks. The conversation last night turned to her flog. Photolog. (I didn't know what it was, either. See, this is a learning experience for us all.) She showed me a picture of some of her family and friends during a post-Christmas vacation. Then she showed me a picture of her grandmother. Her mom's mom. Her aunt's mom. She passed away a little over two years ago. She had some of the kindest eyes that I've seen in a person. Then for the next hour or so Tali and I talked of her grandmother, and how she started two schools for exceptional children, like her daughter. When she did this in the 1970's, there was only one other school like that in São Paulo. She wanted to make a difference. And she did, because no one else was. I told her some of Caroline's story and pointed her toward the YouTube video of Caroline. She was moved by the video and commented, "It'll just keep me smiling for a long time^^"
When Tali stopped the RP chat to spend time with her grandma on the phone, it made me realize even more that Real Life is important and good. When she stopped the RP because Alex (her boyfriend) wanted to spend time with her, it reinforced the grandma call lightbulb moment. Real Life is important and good. Savor life for what it is at the moment. Sometimes you don't get a second chance with moments like that.
I put it into practice yesterday when Bill came through the office asking if I wanted a brownberry cherry tomato. I said no. I don't like tomatoes. But I chased him down and ate it. It was mostly good. Is that a great example? No. I took a walk with Angie and Caroline last night after grilling salmon steaks. Better. Having Edison say, "I love you, dad" when he called from a church youth group outing was very nice. Having a new friend in cyberspace is also nice. Not as nice as the cheesecake pie Angie made on Saturday, but still very nice. :)
Real Life is Good.
One of the absolutes in the game is: Real Life comes first. You miss a turn because you had to study for finals, no problem. Sick? take a few days. Gone on holiday? No problem (my paraphrase).
About a month ago, a new character emerged in our realm. She was from the game region that my main characters were from, so I strike up an in-game conversation. There are mechanisms for being anonymous in the game. So, I had no clue who was on the other end of the ether. I try to be a good gamer, offering to help. We have some game mechanic exchanges, then it turns into a bit of a Role Play (RP). No, nothing weird or strange. Just two players in a game interacting. Because the game has time and space constraints (you only get so many hours a turn and characters can be in two different regions), to effectively RP, it is good to have the two characters in the same region at the same time. With wars happening and armies moving about, it is sometime difficult to accomplish this (see why Angie calls it a Luser game?). So, in game, Willem and Ilya make arrangements to meet in Menedor.
Conan O'Brien (in a nerdy voice): “Fear not, Gandalf is on the way!”
The player of Ilya is named Talita. I call her Tali. She lives in Brazil. São Paulo. Near where the Fifes live. Well, near is a relative term with 18 million people in the metro area. It was suggested that we collaborate on a single document, each having editing rights. We spend some time working on this. Remember, RP is generally done in real time. Coordinating the editing and posting in game presents a problem. We can't make deadlines. Why? Real Life. Her dog is not doing well. I think the phrase "puking all day" was what she used. The dog still isn't doing well. Two different timezones. Her grandma called. "Excuse me, my grandma's on the phone." "I've got to give Caroline her bath." "My boyfriend's taking me to the movies." (That last one was Tali.) Real Life says spend time with your family. "I'm really tired and didn't get my nap on Sunday. I've got to go to bed." (Me). Real life.
We've started IM'ing using GoogleTalk. I never thought I'd be a fan of the IM. Angie can whip around in about six of them at one time. I'm still learning. The conversation drifted away from, "So, what's Willem going to say or do now?" to, "what did you have for dinner?" to "I can't RP tonight, I'm taking Caroline to her first ballgame." With an explanation of why we went. It turns out that Tali's aunt has Ds as well. Somewhere in there, I introduced Tali to Angie's and my blogs. She's seen us and read of our quirks. The conversation last night turned to her flog. Photolog. (I didn't know what it was, either. See, this is a learning experience for us all.) She showed me a picture of some of her family and friends during a post-Christmas vacation. Then she showed me a picture of her grandmother. Her mom's mom. Her aunt's mom. She passed away a little over two years ago. She had some of the kindest eyes that I've seen in a person. Then for the next hour or so Tali and I talked of her grandmother, and how she started two schools for exceptional children, like her daughter. When she did this in the 1970's, there was only one other school like that in São Paulo. She wanted to make a difference. And she did, because no one else was. I told her some of Caroline's story and pointed her toward the YouTube video of Caroline. She was moved by the video and commented, "It'll just keep me smiling for a long time^^"
When Tali stopped the RP chat to spend time with her grandma on the phone, it made me realize even more that Real Life is important and good. When she stopped the RP because Alex (her boyfriend) wanted to spend time with her, it reinforced the grandma call lightbulb moment. Real Life is important and good. Savor life for what it is at the moment. Sometimes you don't get a second chance with moments like that.
I put it into practice yesterday when Bill came through the office asking if I wanted a brownberry cherry tomato. I said no. I don't like tomatoes. But I chased him down and ate it. It was mostly good. Is that a great example? No. I took a walk with Angie and Caroline last night after grilling salmon steaks. Better. Having Edison say, "I love you, dad" when he called from a church youth group outing was very nice. Having a new friend in cyberspace is also nice. Not as nice as the cheesecake pie Angie made on Saturday, but still very nice. :)
Real Life is Good.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Caroline's First Baseball Game
Last night I took Caroline to Smokies Park to see the Tennessee Smokies host the Mobile Bay Bears. The evening was hosted by Marvin, Ray, Mark and a few other CVS managers and employees. For a few years now, they've been involved with local charities. This is the second year that they've taken some of the DSAG families to the ball park. We had excellent seats. Marvin and crew really took care of the DSAG families. Caroline had a great time. The Smokies lost, 10-3. We saw an inside the park home run. Actually, the scorer listed it as an error. I don't want to tick off the purists, but when a player hits the ball and it doesn't leave the playing field and the batter makes it safely around all four bases, it is an inside the park home run. We stayed until the last out. This is just a nice photo from the game.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Happy Birthday, Steve
Happenings in History for July 06:
1747 John Paul Jones naval hero ("I have not yet begun to fight")1796 Nicholas I Russia, Tsar (1825-55)
1818 Adolf Anderssen Prussia, world chess champion (1851-66)
1884 Harold Vanderbilt NY, America Cup (1930,34,37)/inv contract bridge
1918 Sebastian Cabot London, actor (Mr French-Family Affair)
1923 Nancy Davis Reagan NY, 1st Lady (1981-89)
1924 Robert M White pilot (X-15)
1925 Bill Haley Mich, (& the Comets-Rock Around the Clock)
1925 Merv Griffin San Mateo Calif, TV host (Merv Griffin Show)
1927 Janet Leigh Merced Cal, actress, She's in the shower (Psycho, Harper)
1927 Nicky Hilton heir to his father Conrad Hilton's vast international hotel chain.
1927 Pat Paulsen comedian, presidential candidate (Smothers Bros Show)
1932 Della Reese Detroit, singer/actress (Della Reese Show, Royal Family)
1937 Gene Chandler [Eugene Dixon], Chicago, rocker (Duke of Earl)
1937 Ned Beatty Lexington Ky, actor (Deliverance, Repossed, Network)
1945 Burt Ward LA Calif, actor (Robin-Batman)
1946 Fred Dryer Hawthone Calif, NFLer (NY Giants, LA Rams)/actor (Hunter)
1946 Sylvester Stallone NYC, actor/director (Rocky, Rambo, Cobra)
1949 Shelly Hack Greenwich Ct, actress (Tiffany-Charlie's Angel)
1954 Allyce Beasley Bkln, actress (Agnes Dipesto-Moonlighting)
1959 John Keeble rocker (Spandau Ballet-True)
1959 Steve Aubrey brother (Aubrey family)
Deaths which occurred on July 06:
1189 Henry II King of England (1154-89), dies at 561415 Jan Hus burned for heresy by the Church at Constance, Germany
1535 Sir Thomas More executed in England for treason
1971 Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong jazz musician (Hello Dolly), dies at 70
1980 Gail Patrick actress (My Man Godfrey), dies of leukemia at 69
On this day...
1483 England's King Richard III crowned
1687 Newton publishes "Principia"
1699 Capt William Kidd arrested in Boston
1776 Dec of Ind announced on front page of the "PA Evening Gazette"
1777 British Gen Burgoyne captures Fort Ticonderoga from Americans
1785 Congress resolves US currency named "dollar" & adopts decimal coinage
1798 US law makes aliens "liable to be apprehended, restrained,... &
removed as alien enemies"
1885 1st inoculation (for rabies) of a human being, by Louis Pasteur
1886 Horlick's of Wisconsin offers 1st malted milk to public
1892 Striking steelworkers in Homestead, Pa fire on scabs, killing 7
1894 Cleveland sends 2,000 troops to Chicago to suppress Pullman strike
1903 George Wyman arrives in NYC by motorcycle 51 days out of SF
1908 Robert Peary's expedition sails from NYC for the north pole
1912 5th Olympic games in Stockholm opens
1919 British R-34 lands in NY, 1st airship to cross Atlantic (108 hr)
1924 1st photo sent experimentally across Atlantic by radio, US-England
1928 1st all-talking motion picture shown, in NY (Lights of NY)
1932 1st class postage back up to 3 cent from 2 cents
1938 NL beats AL 4-1 in 6th All Star Game (Crosley Field, Cincinnati)
1944 170 die in a fire at Ringling Bros Circus in Hartford Conn
1945 Nicaragua becomes 1st nation to formally accept UN Charter
1945 Pres Truman signs executive order establishing Medal of Freedom
1953 J Churms discovers asteroid #1701 Okavango
1957 Harry S Truman Library established in Independence, Missouri
1958 Alaska becomes the 49th state
1960 Dr Barbara Moore completes a 3,207 mile walk from LA to NYC
1964 Beatles' film "Hard Day's Night" premiers in London
1965 Rock group "Jefferson Airplane" forms
1971 White House Plumbers unit formed to plug news leaks
1976 Soyuz 21 carries 2 cosmonauts to Salyut 5 space station
1978 Israeli jet fighters swooped over mostly Moslem West Beirut
1983 Fred Lynn of Angels hits All-Star game 1st grand slam (AL wins 13-3)
1989 After 9 years, WHOT (Bkln pirate radio station) is busted by the FCC
1989 US marshals & FCC sieze pirate radio station WHOT in Brooklyn
1990 "Jetson's the Movie" with Tiffany, premiers
Info taken from ANYDAY
The good old days, when Cornflakes were new...
While looking for some genealogy information in an old newspaper (circa 1910), I came across this advertisement...
Monday, June 25, 2007
Genealogy Humor and Animal Crackers
Yeah, that should catch your eye.
Years ago, I found a great parody piece of The Empire Strikes Back. The Modern Humorist site produced it. Very funny. And not edgy.
... some of the other humor at the Modern Humorist site is quite edgy (read: rude). I gave you fair warning.
And now to the Animal Crackers. Caroline (and Angie and I) have taken quite a liking to Stauffer's Animal Crackers. My aunt Shirley sent a container of the mini crackers. Caroline will say, "Baby Crackers, Baby Crackers!" We indulge her.
Years ago, I found a great parody piece of The Empire Strikes Back. The Modern Humorist site produced it. Very funny. And not edgy.
... some of the other humor at the Modern Humorist site is quite edgy (read: rude). I gave you fair warning.
And now to the Animal Crackers. Caroline (and Angie and I) have taken quite a liking to Stauffer's Animal Crackers. My aunt Shirley sent a container of the mini crackers. Caroline will say, "Baby Crackers, Baby Crackers!" We indulge her.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Nostalgia
Last post was a short trip down a very cluttered lane.
This one will be much (c)leaner, I promise.
This morning on the way to work, I heard some babbling radio psycho(therapist) discussing school lunch boxes. So I started to think about the lunch boxes that Steve and I used.
Mine was ...
Steve was much cooler. He had ...
We took them to Beekmantown Elementary School ...
That's all.
This one will be much (c)leaner, I promise.
This morning on the way to work, I heard some babbling radio psycho(therapist) discussing school lunch boxes. So I started to think about the lunch boxes that Steve and I used.
Mine was ...
Steve was much cooler. He had ...
We took them to Beekmantown Elementary School ...
That's all.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Eclectic Music - Part 1
I have some diverse tastes in music. I like classic rock, fusion jazz, Gregorian chant and a lot of stuff in between.
Yesterday I listened to the Yellowjackets self titled CD. I first heard of them at a Glad concert back in about 1986 or so. Their sound guy was playing it before the concert started. I had to go find out what it was. Now I know. Then, after lunch, I put on Asleep at the Wheel's Greatest Hits "Live and Kickin'". I was introduced to them at NAU in the early 1980s. It is funny how one remembers music and how it relates to a specific time or event. Similar to aromas, but with your ears.
Right now I'm listening to Chuck Mangione's Fun and Games. My brother got Feels So Good on cassette when it came out in 1976. He played it on a red cassette player. Steve introduced me to some other music, whether he realized it or not. Yes's Fragile, Frank Zappa's Hot Rats, Santana's Caravanserai, The Carpenters, Wings. Most were played on the Philco monster piece of furniture in the living room.
His first rock concert was Blue Oyster Cult. I think that Angel opened for them.
My first rock concert was Emerson, Lake and Palmer. SUNY Plattsburgh. I recently found a review of that show. Similar to what I remember oh those many years ago.
After moving to Arizona, the local FM station, KTAZ, was on on a tape feed, 4 hours of rotation. You could hear The Knack and then Little River Band and then KC and the Sunshine Band and then Donna Summer. 4 hours later, you'd hear it all over again.
Tim M., introduced me to the James Gang. Joe Walsh. What a guitar playing wizard. He also introduced me to Styx, Kansas, The Tubes and Billy Thorpe.
My senior year in high school I was playing bass for the Show Band. We were a working band, usually 2-3 gigs a months. We'd do shows at the Officer's Club at Ft. Huachuca mostly. We had 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, 6 saxes, a rhythm section and about 4 vocalists. We did play the Tombstone Centennial Ball. That was fun. Lots of Chicago, The Association, Earth, Wind & Fire. That sort of stuff. Was introduced to the music of Maynard Ferguson. Not just his disco remix hits, but the older, late 1950s and early 1960s work.
Dan and Jeff M. played some 2nd Chapter of Acts. Mansion Builder, I think. Keith Green started to show up in my album collection as well as some Phil Keaggy.
On to college, it was more of the same, making new friends, and being exposed to their tastes in music. Paul T. liked The Cars and the Eagles. Jeff W. liked anything New Wave (Devo, B-52s) or Punk (Vom). And Jethro Tull. Steve O. (who was my roommate for my sophomore year) opened my ears to Bill Watrous, The Doors, Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Crack the Sky, Starcastle, Brian Eno, Fred Frith, and more.
I saw Doc Holliday and Loverboy open for April Wine at NAU. Yes, I sunk to a low there. But, my wonderful wife, Angie, also admits to having seen Loverboy in concert.
But this post wasn't supposed to be about concerts. That can be another post - who I've seen and who I'd like to see.
As I finish this portion of the post, I'm listening to Little Feat's Waiting for Columbus.
I should get back to work. I'll be back to link in some more of the bands later.
Yesterday I listened to the Yellowjackets self titled CD. I first heard of them at a Glad concert back in about 1986 or so. Their sound guy was playing it before the concert started. I had to go find out what it was. Now I know. Then, after lunch, I put on Asleep at the Wheel's Greatest Hits "Live and Kickin'". I was introduced to them at NAU in the early 1980s. It is funny how one remembers music and how it relates to a specific time or event. Similar to aromas, but with your ears.
Right now I'm listening to Chuck Mangione's Fun and Games. My brother got Feels So Good on cassette when it came out in 1976. He played it on a red cassette player. Steve introduced me to some other music, whether he realized it or not. Yes's Fragile, Frank Zappa's Hot Rats, Santana's Caravanserai, The Carpenters, Wings. Most were played on the Philco monster piece of furniture in the living room.
His first rock concert was Blue Oyster Cult. I think that Angel opened for them.
My first rock concert was Emerson, Lake and Palmer. SUNY Plattsburgh. I recently found a review of that show. Similar to what I remember oh those many years ago.
After moving to Arizona, the local FM station, KTAZ, was on on a tape feed, 4 hours of rotation. You could hear The Knack and then Little River Band and then KC and the Sunshine Band and then Donna Summer. 4 hours later, you'd hear it all over again.
Tim M., introduced me to the James Gang. Joe Walsh. What a guitar playing wizard. He also introduced me to Styx, Kansas, The Tubes and Billy Thorpe.
My senior year in high school I was playing bass for the Show Band. We were a working band, usually 2-3 gigs a months. We'd do shows at the Officer's Club at Ft. Huachuca mostly. We had 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, 6 saxes, a rhythm section and about 4 vocalists. We did play the Tombstone Centennial Ball. That was fun. Lots of Chicago, The Association, Earth, Wind & Fire. That sort of stuff. Was introduced to the music of Maynard Ferguson. Not just his disco remix hits, but the older, late 1950s and early 1960s work.
Dan and Jeff M. played some 2nd Chapter of Acts. Mansion Builder, I think. Keith Green started to show up in my album collection as well as some Phil Keaggy.
On to college, it was more of the same, making new friends, and being exposed to their tastes in music. Paul T. liked The Cars and the Eagles. Jeff W. liked anything New Wave (Devo, B-52s) or Punk (Vom). And Jethro Tull. Steve O. (who was my roommate for my sophomore year) opened my ears to Bill Watrous, The Doors, Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Crack the Sky, Starcastle, Brian Eno, Fred Frith, and more.
I saw Doc Holliday and Loverboy open for April Wine at NAU. Yes, I sunk to a low there. But, my wonderful wife, Angie, also admits to having seen Loverboy in concert.
But this post wasn't supposed to be about concerts. That can be another post - who I've seen and who I'd like to see.
As I finish this portion of the post, I'm listening to Little Feat's Waiting for Columbus.
I should get back to work. I'll be back to link in some more of the bands later.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football
Updated to include the first of the two 2008 games.
I put this together sometime last year. It came out of a conversation with Ron, one of my vendors. I now post it for Mike and Barry, two Steeler fans.
I put this together sometime last year. It came out of a conversation with Ron, one of my vendors. I now post it for Mike and Barry, two Steeler fans.
1970-2008
Monday Night Football - Pittsburgh Steelers
Winner First, Home team in CAPS
Nov. 2, 1970 PITTSBURGH 21, Cincinnati 10
Oct. 18, 1971 KANSAS CITY 38, Pittsburgh 16
Nov. 5, 1973 PITTSBURGH 21, Washington 16
Dec. 3, 1973 MIAMI 30, Pittsburgh 26
Oct. 28, 1974 PITTSBURGH 24, Atlanta 17
Nov. 25, 1974 Pittsburgh 28, NEW ORLEANS 7
Nov. 24, 1975 Pittsburgh 32, HOUSTON 9
Oct. 4, 1976 MINNESOTA 17, Pittsburgh 6
Sep. 19, 1977 PITTSBURGH 27, San Francisco 0
Oct. 17, 1977 PITTSBURGH 20, Cincinnati 14
Oct. 23, 1978 Houston 24, PITTSBURGH 17
Nov. 27, 1978 Pittsburgh 24, SAN FRANCISCO 7
Sept. 3, 1979 Pittsburgh 16, NEW ENGLAND 13 (OT)
Oct. 22, 1979 PITTSBURGH 42, Denver 7
Dec. 10, 1979 HOUSTON 20, Pittsburgh 17
Oct. 20, 1980 Oakland 45, PITTSBURGH 34
Dec. 22, 1980 SAN DIEGO 26, Pittsburgh 17
Oct. 26, 1981 PITTSBURGH 26, Houston 13
Dec. 7, 1981 OAKLAND 30, Pittsburgh 27
Sep. 13, 1982 Pittsburgh 36, DALLAS 28
Oct. 10, 1983 Pittsburgh 24, CINCINNATI 14
Oct. 1, 1984 PITTSBURGH 38, Cincinnati 17
Nov. 19, 1984 NEW ORLEANS 27, Pittsburgh 24
Sep. 16, 1985 CLEVELAND 17, Pittsburgh 7
Sep. 30, 1985 Cincinnati 37, PITTSBURGH 24
Sep. 15, 1986 Denver 21, PITTSBURGH 10
Oct. 13, 1986 CINCINNATI 24, Pittsburgh 22
Oct. 29, 1990 PITTSBURGH 41, L.A. Rams 10
Oct. 14, 1991 N.Y. Giants 23, PITTSBURGH 20
Oct. 19, 1992 PITTSBURGH 20, Cincinnati 0
Sep. 27, 1993 Pittsburgh 45, ATLANTA 17
Nov. 15, 1993 PITTSBURGH 23, Buffalo 0
Dec. 13, 1993 Pittsburgh 21, MIAMI 20
Oct. 3, 1994 PITTSBURGH 30, Houston 14
Nov. 14, 1994 PITTSBURGH 23, Buffalo 10
Sep. 18, 1995 MIAMI 23, Pittsburgh 10
Nov. 13, 1995 PITTSBURGH 20, Cleveland 3
Sep. 16, 1996 PITTSBURGH 24, Buffalo 6
Oct. 7, 1996 Pittsburgh 17, KANSAS CITY 7
Nov. 25, 1996 Pittsburgh 24, MIAMI 17
Sep. 22, 1997 JACKSONVILLE 30, Pittsburgh 21
Nov. 3, 1997 KANSAS CITY 13, Pittsburgh 10
Oct. 26, 1998 Pittsburgh 20, KANSAS CITY 13
Nov. 9, 1998 Pittsburgh 27, Green Bay 20
Dec. 28, 1998 JACKSONVILLE 21, Pittsburgh 3
Oct. 25, 1999 PITTSBURGH 13, Atlanta 9
Oct. 29, 2001 PITTSBURGH 34, Tennessee 7
Sep. 9, 2002 NEW ENGLAND 30, Pittsburgh 14
Oct. 21, 2002 PITTSBURGH 28, Indianapolis 10
Dec. 23, 2002 Pittsburgh 17, TAMPA BAY 7
Nov. 17, 2003 SAN FRANCISCO 30, Pittsburgh 14
Oct. 10, 2005 Pittsburgh 24, SAN DIEGO 22
Oct. 31, 2005 PITTSBURGH 20, Baltimore 19
Nov. 28, 2005 INDIANAPOLIS 26, Pittsburgh 7
Sep. 18, 2006 JACKSONVILLE 9, Pittsburgh 0
Nov. 5, 2007 PITTSBURGH 38, Baltimore 7
Nov. 26, 2007 PITTSBURGH 3, Miami 0 *
Sep. 29, 2008 PITTSBURGH 23, Baltimore 20
Nov. 3, 2008 Pittsburgh __, WASHINGTON __ **
* Lowest Total Score MNF to date
** (game not yet played at time of update)
Total Won Lost Percent
----- --- ---- -------
Home 25 22 3 0.880
Away 33 14 19 0.424
All 58 36 22 0.621
Longest Win Streak = 6 (1992-1994)
Longest Lose Streak = 5 (1984-1986)
times Pitt.
Opponent met W-L Percent
-------- ----- --- -------
Cincinnati 7 (5-2) 0.714
Houston 5 (3-2) 0.600
Miami 5 (3-2) 0.600
Kansas City 4 (2-2) 0.500
Atlanta 3 (3-0) 1.000
Baltimore 3 (3-0) 1.000
Buffalo 3 (3-0) 1.000
San Francisco 3 (2-1) 0.667
Jacksonville 3 (0-3) 0.000
Cleveland 2 (1-1) 0.500
Denver 2 (1-1) 0.500
Indianapolis 2 (1-1) 0.500
New England 2 (1-1) 0.500
New Orleans 2 (1-1) 0.500
Oakland 2 (0-2) 0.000
San Diego 2 (1-1) 0.500
Dallas 1 (1-0) 1.000
Green Bay 1 (1-0) 1.000
L.A. Rams 1 (1-0) 1.000
Tampa Bay 1 (1-0) 1.000
Tennessee 1 (1-0) 1.000
Washington 1 (1-0) 1.000
N.Y. Giants 1 (0-1) 0.000
Minnesota 1 (0-1) 0.000
By Decade:
games W-L Percent
----- --- -------
1970s 15 (10-5) 0.667
1980s 12 (4-8) 0.333
1990s 19 (14-5) 0.737
2000s 12 (8-4) 0.667
By Month:
games W-L Percent
----- --- -------
Sep. 13 (6-7) 0.462 +
Oct. 22 (16-6) 0.727 ++
Nov. 16 (12-4) 0.750
Dec. 7 (2-5) 0.286
+ Pittsburgh had a 4 game L streak in the month of Sep.
(1985-1995)
++ Pittsburgh has a 9 game W streak in the month of Oct.
(1992-2005)
Friday, June 01, 2007
Some Food That I've Loved...
I love food. I like the way it tastes, the way it is presented, the way it smells. I don't gorge myself on it, I just like food. I like the food that Angie makes. I like the food that my Mom makes. I like comfort food. I like some restaurant food. So, I'd like to share a few photos of food and perhaps a few comments about them. No fancy alignment for the photos, just some good food.
This is a Michigan and fries from The Homestead Restaurant in Chazy, NY. I was up in Clinton County two years ago with Mom and Dad, Steve and Bettie (brother and sister-in-law). What's a Michigan? Here's the answer. Toot and Tellums, Nitzi's, Clare and Carl's. Those were the places to go to get a Michigan. I remember Toot 'n Tellums having a great selection of pies. The Homestead Restaurant also has some good ones. Mom had the lemon meringue. I think that I had chocolate pie. Someone else had butterscotch. Bettie?
We went to Arnie's Restaurant in Plattsburgh, with Jack and Janet for some pizza. I ordered bacon and onions. Too much onion.
Here's Steve getting a slice.
Then it was to Jack and Janet's for an evening of stories and ice cream.
We also got some apple pie from Rulfs Orchard. I've got photos, but so do they. We shared it with my grandmother. She like it. She also made some great Michigan sauce. Angie's learned from my mom. Three generations of great sauce makers. Can't beat that. My grandmother was a great cook. Actually, both of them were, but we lived closer to Grammy Aubrey, so we ate more of her food.
Then it was time to fly home from Burlington, VT. The folks took us over and we ate at the Parkway Diner. A real diner.
We had lunch and breakfast for the noontime meal. The Blueberry pancakes and bacon are mine. Mom had soup and a sandwich. Dad had pancakes and a malt or a shake. He always gets a malt or a shake (if they don't have a malt). If the spoon can't stand up, then it doesn't get full points on the George-ometer.
They were having a jazz festival while we were there. I found a hole in the wall place that served gyros. Very good. I don't have photos of the food handy, but it was very good. Another diner the next morning because storms on the east coast shut down airports, so we had to stay for the night.
All that, and more, two years ago. I still remember the sights, sounds, tastes and conversations.
But it was good to get home.
This is a Michigan and fries from The Homestead Restaurant in Chazy, NY. I was up in Clinton County two years ago with Mom and Dad, Steve and Bettie (brother and sister-in-law). What's a Michigan? Here's the answer. Toot and Tellums, Nitzi's, Clare and Carl's. Those were the places to go to get a Michigan. I remember Toot 'n Tellums having a great selection of pies. The Homestead Restaurant also has some good ones. Mom had the lemon meringue. I think that I had chocolate pie. Someone else had butterscotch. Bettie?
We went to Arnie's Restaurant in Plattsburgh, with Jack and Janet for some pizza. I ordered bacon and onions. Too much onion.
Here's Steve getting a slice.
Then it was to Jack and Janet's for an evening of stories and ice cream.
We also got some apple pie from Rulfs Orchard. I've got photos, but so do they. We shared it with my grandmother. She like it. She also made some great Michigan sauce. Angie's learned from my mom. Three generations of great sauce makers. Can't beat that. My grandmother was a great cook. Actually, both of them were, but we lived closer to Grammy Aubrey, so we ate more of her food.Then it was time to fly home from Burlington, VT. The folks took us over and we ate at the Parkway Diner. A real diner.
We had lunch and breakfast for the noontime meal. The Blueberry pancakes and bacon are mine. Mom had soup and a sandwich. Dad had pancakes and a malt or a shake. He always gets a malt or a shake (if they don't have a malt). If the spoon can't stand up, then it doesn't get full points on the George-ometer.
They were having a jazz festival while we were there. I found a hole in the wall place that served gyros. Very good. I don't have photos of the food handy, but it was very good. Another diner the next morning because storms on the east coast shut down airports, so we had to stay for the night.All that, and more, two years ago. I still remember the sights, sounds, tastes and conversations.
But it was good to get home.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Unidentified Baseball Player
I was perusing ebay and came across this auction. It is described as a cabinet photo of a 1900's baseball player. The photo mount is labeled "Blair and Webber Plattsburg". Don't know if it is Plattsburgh, NY or Plattsburg, MO. Here are the photos. It is not my intent to 'steal' these from the seller, I just didn't want them to get lost to the ether when the auction goes away.
Edit - for those of you who don't like to read the comments, I've been informed that the location is NY. Blair and Webber still has a studio on Peru Street in Plattsburgh.
Edit - for those of you who don't like to read the comments, I've been informed that the location is NY. Blair and Webber still has a studio on Peru Street in Plattsburgh.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Bookmark this
I like to read books. Sometimes magazines or newspapers, but mostly books. I try to read some every day. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Currently I'm reading (among other titles) Elliott Roosevelt's The President's Man and Elfrida Lang's The History of Trinity Evangelical and Reformed Church. Gripping stuff. To keep my place, I use bookmarks. Sometimes they are the dust jacket slipped over the cover between the pages. Sometimes, I'll grab a baseball card, or a business card. Sometimes I'll just remember what page I'm on. Apparently, other people use stranger things.
I've run across an interesting essay about bookmarks from The Believer website. Simon Quicke has a blog about books and such. Some of his posts are about bookmarks. Although not bookmarks specifically, there is a wonderful blog called Confessions of a Bookplate Junkie. Lots of images. Let them load.
Enjoy books, not only for the words that they contain, but also for the family and friends that gave them to you or suggested that you read them. Remember that teacher you had in school, how he or she encouraged you to read. Delight when your children pick up a book. Delight even more when they carry it to you and say, "Daddy read." Read for knowledge. Read for pleasure. Read to take your mind off the pressing issues of the day. Escape into a different world for an hour. You'll be the better for it.
I've run across an interesting essay about bookmarks from The Believer website. Simon Quicke has a blog about books and such. Some of his posts are about bookmarks. Although not bookmarks specifically, there is a wonderful blog called Confessions of a Bookplate Junkie. Lots of images. Let them load.
Enjoy books, not only for the words that they contain, but also for the family and friends that gave them to you or suggested that you read them. Remember that teacher you had in school, how he or she encouraged you to read. Delight when your children pick up a book. Delight even more when they carry it to you and say, "Daddy read." Read for knowledge. Read for pleasure. Read to take your mind off the pressing issues of the day. Escape into a different world for an hour. You'll be the better for it.
Friday, May 04, 2007
Noshville
NOTE: original text has been edited and photos added.So, since this is now an edited version, I can get it to look better and tell you what we ate and why we like Noshville.
Angie and I are in the greater Nashville area for the Tennessee State Down syndrome Conference. We are representing the Down Syndrome Awareness Group of East Tennessee. For dinner we went to one of our favorite Nashville restaurants, Noshville. Since pictures are worth a thousand words and I'm tired, here are some photos. And no, we didn't eat any desert.
In 2004, Caroline had to go to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital for heart surgery. It was a very long three weeks. Angie spent most of her time with Caroline. I, being the lover of all things medical, spent much of my time away from the hospital, but did come up to see them every few hours or so. That's a story for another time. When you're in Nashville for three weeks, and you want to stay close to your daughter, you eat at the Subway in the hospital food court. While staying at the Ronald McDonald House, you eat spaghetti for the third time that week. Then you find a pizza joint down the street. Then KFC looks good at 11pm. Then you venture out and find a Turkish restaurant with rose jelly. Then you find Noshville.
I think, in reality, that Angie had found this place before I went out in search of food. She took me to it. Actually, I think that the night that I drove over with my folks and Edison, there were many people that took me to it. During our stay, we went to it with Debbie and Nancy, two women from our church small group that came over to visit. What I remember from when they came over was the fluorescent green garlic dill pickles that they serve up, like bread sticks, almost. I think that I tried one that day. Just to say that I did it. I don't remember. Dill and I don't go together. They gather the pickles from a big tub and what you don't eat, goes back in. Yum.
This night, Angie had the Reuben and I had a BLT. My sandwich must have had a 1/2 pound of bacon. I couldn't finish it. I had the chocolate malt (see above). That I did finish.
The fries are wonderful. Just enough crisp to bite into and just enough mush to feel good. Very tasty.
One other time that we went there, we saw Jackie Mason. Yeah, Harry Hartounian from "The Jerk." He was in town doing his act. If it's good enough for Jackie...
Their deserts are wonderful. Normally they have cheesecake from some deli in New York City. They didn't have them while we were there. Very good, though. We had some when we went back for Caroline's post surgery visit. I walked over to Noshville. Angie got a Reuben. I got a tuna salad sandwich. And cheesecake.
So, enough about the food, already. When you visit Nashville, you must go to Noshville.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
The funniest people I know
We all like to laugh. Some of the people that make me laugh are Bob Newhart, David Letterman, Joel Hodgson, among others. But I don't know them. I like to watch or listen to them, but I don't know them.
So, who are the people that I do know that make me laugh? In no particular order ...
Thanks for the fun.
So, who are the people that I do know that make me laugh? In no particular order ...
- Don White - accordionist / entertainer
- Doug White - Don's youngest son / piano tuning school friend / musician / tech geek
- Tim Berry - marketing bigwig for major theme park in the south
- Tim Mize - high school friend / dialysis technician
- Karl Allen - former co-worker / programmer
- Dan Marchant - high school friend and college roommate / programmer
Thanks for the fun.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
can copy oem win95 Disk to DR:F (usb)???
Some spam is just too tasty to toss. This showed up at my work today. Read it slowly and softly. Let the gentle rhythm take you away to tranquil places. Then delete it.
Over the chilly dale.
Seen. What you know is only manifest
When I am heard, and what I say is solely
And off the white smoke swims
shortcake, waffles, berries and cream
Wheezing ravens, when
Dismal, endless plain?
No name, no meaning. Oh my friends,
Writhing their stunted limbs,
When Arctic winds crack down from Canada
By trees?or might see as the masonry
At these masses the snow hides from me.
Shadows keep piling up as surfaces
To run, as in the time of the bee, seeking
They move against, or through, or by, or toward.
This third day of our January thaw,
The form sought for centuries by
Stars, the last day, endless and centerless,
The winged winds, captives of that age-old foe
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Clicking to Give
How many hours are used clicking around on the Web? Think about it. How often do I start to Google something, then that leads me to another thought, and another site? And another. And another. It truly is amazing the hours that one can spend on the Web. I do family and history research. I don't think that the clicks are wasted. My wife does digital scrapbooking. Those clicks aren't wasted. But many are. I know that I waste clicks.
So, to offset those wasted clicks, I'm going to challenge both of my faithful readers to Click to Give. Here are some sites that provide an opportunity to Give by Clicking:
So, to offset those wasted clicks, I'm going to challenge both of my faithful readers to Click to Give. Here are some sites that provide an opportunity to Give by Clicking:
- The Hunger Site
- The Breast Cancer Site
- The Child Health Site
- The Literacy Site
- The Rain Forest Site
- The Animal Rescue Site
- What Kind of World Do You Want? - Watch a video, raise some money
- The NonProfits - A big list of many click to give charities
Friday, March 30, 2007
Baseball News
The following was lifted from the Clinton County Historical Association's monthly newsletter: North Country Notes, September 1965 edition.
In an old notebook, probably of 1890 vintage, was found the score-sheet of a game between two Champlain teams. The "Shop" team included George Lambert, Fred Harmon, Amos Lambert, Eddie Roberts and Israel Monnette; among the "School" players were Ralph Douglass, Chalres Doolittle, Walter and Moss Graves. There were only two strike outs by the Schoolers, to six by the Shoppers. Although there were but but nineteen hits in the game, the final score was: Shop 22; School 29. The 58 errors in the game might account for many of the runs.
In sharp contrast, the Champlain-Rouses Point game of Aug. 20, 1913, was very much of a pitchers' battle. On the Point team were Mero, Landry, Strong, Seguin, Tyndall, Brothers, Lattourelle, Hoag and Ryan. The Champlainers were Spelman, Dunn, Miller, Barber, Garand, Lafountain, Mellen, Coonan and Malcolm. Only four hits were allowed by each side. Ryan and Malcolm, the pitchers, went all the way; Ryan struck out 17 men and Malcolm fanned 23! The final score was 3 to 2 in favor of Rouses Point.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Base Ball Phrases - 1875
This item came from an August, 1875 edition of the Ticonderoga Sentinel published in Ticonderoga, NY. Some of them are still relevant some 131 years later.
Base Ball Phrases
People who are puzzled at the technical phrases used in base ball reports are commended to the perusal of the following definitions.
Field - The cow pasture where the leather-hunting is performed.
Base - Salt bags scattered around in the grass for the players to jump on.
Nine - A number of roosters in knee breeches that constitute a base ball deck.
Umpire - The chief baller--he bawls out "strikes." His other duty is to sit on the top of the bat and smell the ball as it goes by.
Judgment - The umpire's opinion after taking a smell.
One ball - What the umpire says when the smell proves unsatisfactory.
Strike - A miscue by the batter.
Put out - The fellow who tries to get it without pay five cents.
Dead ball - One which comes to life again after being buried--in the hands of the pitcher.
Foul - A ball which bounds just the way one is positive it will not.
Fair foul - A little one for a cent.
Balk - "A breach of promise" indulged in by the pitcher.
Stealing a base - Stuffing a bag in the car and walking off to the next, when the catcher isn't looking.
Beauty - A ball so hot that the second baseman lies on his stomach to avoid it.
Hot balls - One that singes the short stop's head as it goes by.
Fly - A ball which scorns the earth, and, like the gentle horse fly buzzes around in the elevated atmosphere.
Wild throw - Slingin at the third baseman, and killing a small boy in right field.
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Beware The Robot Brains
I had to go out and get the oil changed in the Dodge van. The local Dodge dealer had a great deal for the change. $17.95. Can't beat that. On the way to the dealer, I passed a new (to me) thrift store. I hit it up on the way back. They had lots of interesting stuff at very reasonable prices. And it was clean. It looked clean and smelled clean. I picked up a few books, a magazine and CD. All for 2 dollars and some change. Two of the books are Lord Peter Wimsey novels. Dorothy L. Sayers' wonderful British crime solver and man about town. Strong Poison and Have His Carcasse are the books. I've read quite a few of the other books (and turned my mom on to them) but haven't read these. The last one I read was Busman's Honeymoon. It took me a long time to get through that one. I was reading it while Caroline had her heart surgery at Vanderbilt. I don't know if when I tried to continue on reading, I was associating memories of the surgery and stay with it or what, but it took me over a year to finish it. I'd recommend Lord Peter (a collection of short stories) if you want to start reading DLS's wonderful series.
I also picked up a copy of The Robot Brains by Sydney J. Bounds. The upper left cover is very similar to the one that I picked up. I found this image on ebay.com. The cover to the right is one from the independent bookseller's network. I don't think that I'll actually read it. Probably pass it on to my brother, who introduced me to the joys of reading Science Fiction. I'm interested into the evolution of covers for different printings of books. What first caught my eye was the different covers for Louis L'Amour's The Tall Stranger. I had four different covers, from the late '50's/early '60's through the early '80's. They went from a Clint Eastwood look, to a bare chested hunk firing a rifle from a wagon that is speeding out of control. I guess twenty five years later they were trying to market to a different audience. I made a color photocopy of the four different covers. It hangs in my office. I should scan them in and post them. A little look at the way booksellers perceive their market.
I also picked up the CD, Such A Pleasure, by Myron Cohen, comedian. The audio is a bit scratchy. My guess is that the producer just transferred the LP to digital format. I'd never heard of Myron Cohen. On first listen there are some very funny bits. I need to listen to it again. He slips into a New York Jewish accent and I haven't read any Leo Rosten in many a year, so I've lost my ear for it.
The magazine is the May/June 2005 issue of The History Channel Magazine. Civil War Snipers, 5 Motorcycle Marvels, Khrushchev Comes to Iowa and other gripping articles.
Adding to My Good Life, a bit a time.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Less TV equals More TV
We gave up watching some TV shows because they were lousy. Bad writing, bad acting, bad language. Didn't need them. Still don't. Don't miss them, either.
So, we went out and upgraded our cable from Basic to Expanded, with a Digital Package. What?
Angie noticed that from early June until sometime in the fall or so, NASCAR would not be on regular broadcast TV. Those moneygrubbing NASCAR guys.
Our local cable system had a deal where you could upgrade to the next tier for a very small monthly fee. Looking at our budget, we decided to 'treat' ourselves to the wonders of Expanded Cable.
We've already locked out a few channels. MTV, Bravo, SoapNetwork. Stuff like that. Also some of the uncensored digital music channels. I'm not crazy about having to listen to garbage rap, even when I'm just surfing by it.
So now we have over a hundred channels. We can still only watch one at a time. I've taken a liking to the SPEED channel (PINKS, FORZA Motorsport Showdown) and the Food channel. I thought that I'd be glued to the History channel and Discovery, but I'm still balancing out time. I don't really need to watch a documentary on the Medici brothers, do I? (I did, though. Fell asleep. Bill Curtis has such a soothing voice.)
I've been getting to bed at a decent hour (I can always use more sleep) and I turned off the TV at about 10:20 last night (mostly because Edison was complaining that it was too loud and he couldn't sleep. I used the same technique when I was his age.)
Maybe More TV equals Less TV. I seem to be reading more (that's another blog entry).
Maybe the real reason we got the Expanded Cable was to watch Mike & Mike in the Mornings on ESPN2.
I really do have a good life.
So, we went out and upgraded our cable from Basic to Expanded, with a Digital Package. What?
Angie noticed that from early June until sometime in the fall or so, NASCAR would not be on regular broadcast TV. Those moneygrubbing NASCAR guys.
Our local cable system had a deal where you could upgrade to the next tier for a very small monthly fee. Looking at our budget, we decided to 'treat' ourselves to the wonders of Expanded Cable.
We've already locked out a few channels. MTV, Bravo, SoapNetwork. Stuff like that. Also some of the uncensored digital music channels. I'm not crazy about having to listen to garbage rap, even when I'm just surfing by it.
So now we have over a hundred channels. We can still only watch one at a time. I've taken a liking to the SPEED channel (PINKS, FORZA Motorsport Showdown) and the Food channel. I thought that I'd be glued to the History channel and Discovery, but I'm still balancing out time. I don't really need to watch a documentary on the Medici brothers, do I? (I did, though. Fell asleep. Bill Curtis has such a soothing voice.)
I've been getting to bed at a decent hour (I can always use more sleep) and I turned off the TV at about 10:20 last night (mostly because Edison was complaining that it was too loud and he couldn't sleep. I used the same technique when I was his age.)
Maybe More TV equals Less TV. I seem to be reading more (that's another blog entry).
Maybe the real reason we got the Expanded Cable was to watch Mike & Mike in the Mornings on ESPN2.
I really do have a good life.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Dr. Frank H. O'Connor's baseball statistics
I guess he wasn't a doctor then. Surfing over to baseball-reference.com I find that Frank O'Connor was a good batter and a lousy pitcher. He had a very short career. He debuted on August 3, 1893 and left the league on August 7. Thursday to Monday. He played 3 games for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Picked up a Save. That Save allowed him to be a Team Leader (with John "Brewery Jack" Taylor) in that category. Saves apparently didn't count for much when you had an ERA of 11.25 with just 4 innings of pitching. The team's ERA for the whole year was 4.68. The league's ERA was 4.57. He wasn't very good. The one game that he did start was against the Washington Senators. The Phillies won, 22-7.
But, he could hit. He had 2 At Bats. He got 2 hits. That gives him a perfect 1.000 Batting Average. One of the hits was a Home Run. That gives him a Slugging Percentage of 2.500. Impressive for someone, who I assume, didn't use steroids.
He was a bit of an anomaly. But aren't we all?
Picked up a Save. That Save allowed him to be a Team Leader (with John "Brewery Jack" Taylor) in that category. Saves apparently didn't count for much when you had an ERA of 11.25 with just 4 innings of pitching. The team's ERA for the whole year was 4.68. The league's ERA was 4.57. He wasn't very good. The one game that he did start was against the Washington Senators. The Phillies won, 22-7.
But, he could hit. He had 2 At Bats. He got 2 hits. That gives him a perfect 1.000 Batting Average. One of the hits was a Home Run. That gives him a Slugging Percentage of 2.500. Impressive for someone, who I assume, didn't use steroids.
He was a bit of an anomaly. But aren't we all?
Dr. Frank H. O'Connor obituary
From the Plattsburgh Sentinel, December 30, 1913 ....
Dr. O'Connor Dies Suddenly
---
Well Known Brattleboro Surgeon, a
Native of Keeseville Succumbs to
Heart Failure
---
---
Well Known Brattleboro Surgeon, a
Native of Keeseville Succumbs to
Heart Failure
---
Dr. Frank H. O'Connor, 43 years old, one of the prominent surgeons of southern Vermont, president of the Valley Fair association, member of the Congress of Clinical Surgeons of America and one of the leading citizens of the town, died at his desk in Brattleboro at about 3 o'clock last Friday afternoon.
Dr. O'Connor sang Thursday evening at St. Michael's Catholic church Christmas exercises where he was choir director and made his morning calls Friday, seeming cheerful to all who met him, although he had complained of slight pain near his heart for several days.
He was born in Keeseville, and was the son of David and Katherine (Taylor) O'Connor. He graduated from St. Joseph's college, Burlington, and spent some time in the School of Philosophy at Montreal before entering the medical department of the University of Vermont, where he became one of the leading baseball pitchers in the college world. He was persuaded to go to Dartmouth for the last two years of his college course. During his college baseball career he played summer ball in the Northern league and was well known in this city.
He joined the Philadelphia National league team but his arm failed him and he gave up professional baseball. He graduated from Long Island college hospital in Brooklyn, in 1898, and did hospital work at St. Mary's hospital in New York before going to Bellows Falls where he practiced until 1904, when he moved to Brattleboro.
He had always taken active interest in the welfare of this town and in January, 1910, was elected president of the Valley Fair association.
He was resident surgeon for the Boston and Maine railroad, surgeon at the Memorial hospital, medical examiner for several life insurance companies and Leo council, Knights of Columbus. He was a member of the Windham County, Connecticut Valley, and Vermont State Medical associations. Dr. O'Connor was a past grand knight of the Leo council and was state deputy in 1908.
He married, December 26, 1899, Miss Bridget Kelly of Burlington who survives him. He also leaves one sister, Mr. R.H. Nichols of Saratoga Springs, and one brother, David O'Connor of this city.
Dr. O'Connor sang Thursday evening at St. Michael's Catholic church Christmas exercises where he was choir director and made his morning calls Friday, seeming cheerful to all who met him, although he had complained of slight pain near his heart for several days.
He was born in Keeseville, and was the son of David and Katherine (Taylor) O'Connor. He graduated from St. Joseph's college, Burlington, and spent some time in the School of Philosophy at Montreal before entering the medical department of the University of Vermont, where he became one of the leading baseball pitchers in the college world. He was persuaded to go to Dartmouth for the last two years of his college course. During his college baseball career he played summer ball in the Northern league and was well known in this city.
He joined the Philadelphia National league team but his arm failed him and he gave up professional baseball. He graduated from Long Island college hospital in Brooklyn, in 1898, and did hospital work at St. Mary's hospital in New York before going to Bellows Falls where he practiced until 1904, when he moved to Brattleboro.
He had always taken active interest in the welfare of this town and in January, 1910, was elected president of the Valley Fair association.
He was resident surgeon for the Boston and Maine railroad, surgeon at the Memorial hospital, medical examiner for several life insurance companies and Leo council, Knights of Columbus. He was a member of the Windham County, Connecticut Valley, and Vermont State Medical associations. Dr. O'Connor was a past grand knight of the Leo council and was state deputy in 1908.
He married, December 26, 1899, Miss Bridget Kelly of Burlington who survives him. He also leaves one sister, Mr. R.H. Nichols of Saratoga Springs, and one brother, David O'Connor of this city.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Global Warming must be true
I grew up in Clinton County, New York. Plattsburgh, Beekmantown, Peru. Winters were cold and snowy, summers were warm and close.
Then I moved to Cochise County, Arizona. Sierra Vista. Winters were warm and sunny, summers were hot and sunny.
Then I attended two years of schooling at Northern Arizona University in Coconino County, Arizona. Flagstaff. Winters were cold and snowy. I spent summers back in Sierra Vista. See above.
The last few weeks it has been snowing wildly in Oswego County, New York. Over 100". That's snow.
But, back to my topic. Talking about global warming is all the rage these days. So I'll hop into the discussion. It must be true. I figured that there has to be evidence to to back the fact of global warming.
So, I looked at some records for Flagstaff. In one month, they had considerable warming. I wasn't there, so I can't comment on what it was like, but an 88 degree swing is huge.
Low
-22.0°F
(01/04/1971)
High
66.0°F
(01/30/1971)
Back to the present, in Knoxvegas. We had snow/ice storms over the weekend. And now, on Wednesday, it is approaching 65°F. Again, more proof that global warming must be true.
So, what have I been doing to combat the evils of the current political administration's efforts to turn us all into Miami Beach? Hmm. Well, the first thing that I can do is realize that the current political administration didn't bring warming to the globe. I figure that it is all cyclical. Actually, I'm glad for global warming. If it didn't happen, we'd all still be in the Ice Age. I haven't taken any jet flights to Europe or Asia. That has to cut down on some pollution. I recycle aluminum cans. And I started to use Compact Fluorescent Lights. I went to Wal-Mart and bought a six pack of GE energy smart CFLs. They say that a 13 watt CFL equals a 60 watt incandescent bulb. My initial thought is, "No, not quite." I put two bulbs in the kitchen, over the sink area. Everything looks grayish. But they also say that each bulb will save $38 in energy. That is based on a lot of different criteria. Each bulb cost me about $1.75. So, if I can save energy and money, great.
I'm not a tree hugger, but I try to do my part. And phffft to Global Warming.
Then I moved to Cochise County, Arizona. Sierra Vista. Winters were warm and sunny, summers were hot and sunny.
Then I attended two years of schooling at Northern Arizona University in Coconino County, Arizona. Flagstaff. Winters were cold and snowy. I spent summers back in Sierra Vista. See above.
The last few weeks it has been snowing wildly in Oswego County, New York. Over 100". That's snow.
But, back to my topic. Talking about global warming is all the rage these days. So I'll hop into the discussion. It must be true. I figured that there has to be evidence to to back the fact of global warming.
So, I looked at some records for Flagstaff. In one month, they had considerable warming. I wasn't there, so I can't comment on what it was like, but an 88 degree swing is huge.
Low
-22.0°F
(01/04/1971)
High
66.0°F
(01/30/1971)
Back to the present, in Knoxvegas. We had snow/ice storms over the weekend. And now, on Wednesday, it is approaching 65°F. Again, more proof that global warming must be true.
So, what have I been doing to combat the evils of the current political administration's efforts to turn us all into Miami Beach? Hmm. Well, the first thing that I can do is realize that the current political administration didn't bring warming to the globe. I figure that it is all cyclical. Actually, I'm glad for global warming. If it didn't happen, we'd all still be in the Ice Age. I haven't taken any jet flights to Europe or Asia. That has to cut down on some pollution. I recycle aluminum cans. And I started to use Compact Fluorescent Lights. I went to Wal-Mart and bought a six pack of GE energy smart CFLs. They say that a 13 watt CFL equals a 60 watt incandescent bulb. My initial thought is, "No, not quite." I put two bulbs in the kitchen, over the sink area. Everything looks grayish. But they also say that each bulb will save $38 in energy. That is based on a lot of different criteria. Each bulb cost me about $1.75. So, if I can save energy and money, great.
I'm not a tree hugger, but I try to do my part. And phffft to Global Warming.
A letter to ESPN radio
This is an email that I just sent to ESPN Radio about one of their on air personalities...
I'm a casual listener of sports radio. I enjoy the personalities on ESPN Radio, but today Doug Gottleib said something that was offensive to me.
He was a guest on The Herd (at about 12:30pm EST) and they were discussing that the public was stupid if they thought that Steve Nash was over-rated. A very entertaining bit with circus music underneath the callers.
Then Doug said that people with that opinion were "stupid. Short bus stupid."
My daughter has Down syndrome and in a few months will begin riding a special needs vehicle to take her to public school.
I find Doug's remarks, although not directed at me or my daughter, to be lacking respect and compassion and totally void of any level of professionalism.
I found it very ironic that in less than an hour, Doug (discussing the Amaechi self-outing book) said, "Is it so hard to say the right thing?"
Apparently for Doug Gottlieb it is.
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