New Adoption

04. July 2006 · Comments Off on New Adoption · Categories: Critters, General

Our backyard neighbor came running yesterday morning in an obvious agitated state, having seen “a giant white snake type creature” in their yard. Further investigation revealed that, indeed, there was a four foot white snake curled up in the hosta patch. Not pure white, actually, but with faint almost imperceptible light tan markings and pink eyes. Judging from the shape of its head and its demeanor, and some knowledge of the snakes indigenous to its area, it was not venomous. So, in the spirit of farm boys everywhere, I captured it. It appears to be an albino snow corn snake (elaphe guttata guttata). I don’t know the sex – apparently you have to “probe” (whatever that means), a snake to find that out but it has a pretty docile temperament so we decided to add it to our menagerie. So, off to the pet store to buy some frozen mice, another heat mat, and whatever other accoutrements are needed to keep a snake happy. We learned in short order that, while corn snakes raised in captivity are fine with frozen mice (microwaved to approximate body temperature – with a lemon garlic rub perhaps?), wild corn snakes prefer their meals served live – one per week. Given Real Wife’s affection for pet rats and other rodents, this will clearly be my responsibility. Although I have hunted game, and slaughtered cattle on our farm as a teenager, I do have some misgivings about sending a mouse to certain slow death. I have therefore promised Real Wife and Red Haired Girl that we would only select the ugliest of mice that are those totally lacking in moral values.

The thing that bothers me is how this snake survived in our area, given that we have a couple of owls who make a regular appearance. And with a gazillion kids all over the neighborhood, even a single sighting would have resulted in an urban legend of major proportion. I suppose he may be an escapee, although there has been nothing in the local paper or radio station, nor did a canvas of the neighborhood turn up any leads. The other possibility is that someone turned him loose.

So far he seems to be fitting in. We did have to place a piece of cardboard between his terrarium and that of the gecko, the latter getting pretty excited at the sight of the snake (apparently a natural predator). Pet Store Guy suggested not handling him for a week or so to let him get used to his surroundings. He seems very curious and active. For a hiding shelter I put an old bicycling helmet into service, which is pretty bizarre because when he hears us enter the room he pokes his head out of one of the ventilation slots – kind of a Medusa thing.

While at the pet store we also saw the cutest ferret…

Radar

Goin’ to California (and back)

29. June 2006 · Comments Off on Goin’ to California (and back) · Categories: Ain't That America?, Eat, Drink and be Merry, General, Pajama Game

Not being a regular visitor west of the Rockies (my last trek was to Pasadena on 9 Sep 01 – a whole other story), I always find California to be an experience worth commenting on. As I write this I realize that I may not be able to make the post until my return. I am staying at the Atrium Hotel in Irvine, which purports to have free high speed Internet in every room. Sounds good in theory, but I have spent 3 hrs. so far on the phone with the hotel’s Internet provider trying to get the “automatic” connection to work – with no luck so far. This is a pet peeve of mine because usually, in order to get connectivity away from home, I must go through a process of iterative setting changes that render my home and work connections inoperative on my return. And, of course, because the changes were iterative (and not recorded – my fault), reversing the process involves an equal dose of frustration. I see a Blackberry in my future.

Anyway, my mission is to evaluate a new technology in which my employer is considering an investment. The entrepreneurial community here always amazes me, along with what its interaction with “old industry” is like (when it goes well). Not in a bad way, but rather in the sense that we old liners are impressed with their vision, and they are impressed with our ability to point out the obvious legal/market/reality checks. We spent about 14 hrs. brainstorming at their Santa Ana office, located in one of many complexes with small office spaces arranged not unlike large self storage facilities – relatively cheap rent, undoubtedly high turnover. The mind is boggled by the amount of venture capital discussed within each “unit”, and the dreams and disappointments that accompany each change in tenancy. I long ago resigned myself to a life of servitude, albeit fairly compensated, but not these people. Dot com bust – what was that? A fourteen-hour day in my business usually equals mind numbing grind, but not when I do these meetings. Not a stupid person in the room, with the possible exception of yours truly, and get this – no bringing in Subway sandwiches! Lunch at the Cheesecake Factory and a (very) late dinner at some great seafood joint – I think McCormick Schmidt (although I could have done without the karaoke).

I arrived yesterday afternoon and decided to chill at the Atrium. It’s a pretty cool hotel that I can heartily recommend (as long as Internet connectivity is not a priority) at $139/night. It has been around for a while and the blush is somewhat off the rose, but it seems to capture the essence of this part of California. At only three stories, it is a rambling place that surrounds a rather nice courtyard with palm trees aplenty and a nice pool. I love the lizards too. Navigating the complex can be a challenge, but once getting the feel for the place it seemed that the meandering is one of its charms. After spending the three hours trying to achieve connectivity, I wandered to the bar and grill for a double scotch and a steak sandwich – both of which, by the way, were excellent. I struck up a conversation with the barkeep and some locals, who told me that it was unseasonably hot and humid – at 83 deg. and not-so-bad humidity! Having lived in west central Illinois for so many years, where 95 – 100 deg. and 90% humidity is not unusual, I was a little (lot) surprised. After all, L.A. always seemed like a hellhole to me -–much like Phoenix. It turns out that their proximity to the ocean results in a normal high of around 80 deg., but with little humidity. One of my new friends, an Irvine native, BEGGED me to not tell anyone about the true state of the climate – he says there are too many transplants as it is. Sorry Carl – this is newsworthy and the American public has the right to know. You should appreciate this based on your vocal support of the NY (and LA) Times of their exposure of the insidious terrorist wiretapping and financial record tracking. Anyway, I expect Carl will still greet me as an old friend the next time because I doubt that he is a regular reader of this august blog.

I was in Washington DC three weeks ago, and did write a piece called “Foggy Bottom” that I intended to post, but it seemed too cynical upon further reflection. The memorials and monuments were great, but the landscaping sucked and the people were either tourists or overflow from K street lobbyists. At least the SoCal people freely admit that its about the money. Funny though, once they get it a lot of them decide that money (but not theirs) is the root of all evil

Anyway, later that night I was sitting in my room’s balcony watching the flight attendants arriving, and casually eavesdropping on their conversations as they came through the parking lot. The content was not memorable, but the tone, and the manner in which they made their way to the check-in area, reminded be so very much of TDY’sThe and overnight trips this young airman took so many years ago, when the world was not a place to be wary of, but rather a kingdom to be conquered. It is good, I think, to sense a glimpse of that, from however far ago, while in a tropical climate.

Trouble brewed on the home front with both Red Haired Girl and Real Wife when I mentioned that I was about 10 – 20 minutes from Disneyland (God as my witness – I did not know this when I planned the trip). I am searching for a t-shirt with the legend “My Dad Went To Disneyland And All I Got Was This Crappy T-Shirt” Links would be appreciated.

UPDATE – I am now home, and have at least reintroduced the IBM X41 to the home wlan. I feel younger, helped a bit perhaps by being in the aisle seat as a self-appointed guardian of two young ladies aged 11 and 9, travelling alone by plane for the first time to visit their grandparents. With their necklace-displayed credentials and travel papers, and the question “Mister, have you done this before?”, I knew it would be a good plane ride, and it was. The noise and sensation of landing gear and flap motion etc. gave me an opportunity to explain engineering principals (including the Bernoulli principal); topics long since banished from our normal family discourse for reasons unknown to me (Real Wife and Red Haired Girl don’t want to hear about entropy anymore either – go figure) I even got free snacks and headphones from the flight attendant (now $4 and $2 respectively on AA). That whole experience was a not-so-small serendipitous gift that, although reminding me of my grandfatherly age, also reminded me of how the world looks to the young.

As I write this, I am back in Illinois; on the patio with a cold beer and Springsteen on the box. Grilled cheese sandwich for supper. Life is good. I don’t see myself ever living anywhere with palm trees, but visits to such places, and often the transit to and from thereof, makes life worthwhile.

With regard to Disneyland, Red Haired Girl on the way home from the airport lamented that she once again missed a ride on a “real” rollercoaster, to which I argued I didn’t like the odds of 1-2 fatalities per year on said rollercoasters. Got home – another twelve year old killed today at Disneyworld. Am I missing something here?

Lastly, 13 June marked fourteen years of wedded bliss with Real Wife. For our anniversary, I traded her Barbie Jeep on a new Grand Cherokee – red – with a Hemi. Of course, the main selling points were back up sensors, extended warranty, etc. Did I mention that it has a Hemi?

By the way, for any computer whizzes out there, during my California Internet hell, I was able to connect, but if it took longer than a few short seconds to bring up a web site, everything timed out and the connection went dead – any ideas on why?

Radar

A Good Day

08. June 2006 · Comments Off on A Good Day · Categories: General, Iraq: The Good

It is reported that Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi is dead, having been killed in a U.S. airstrike conducted against him and several others. I’m glad to not have to ever see the bastard’s face again justaposed with images of the latest horrendous act d’jour.

Radar

Lady and gentlemen, start your engines

26. May 2006 · Comments Off on Lady and gentlemen, start your engines · Categories: Ain't That America?, Fun and Games, General, That's Entertainment!

Since our company got involved in torque sensing for F1 racing a few years ago and the divorce between Champ cars and Indy cars played itself out, the only open wheel racing that I follow outside of F1 is the Indy 500. Before it was televised, I remember listening to it on the radio even as a child, having lived in a family with a long history of involvement in stock and super-modified racing throughout NY, PA and New England in the fifties and sixties. Women drivers have been an on and off presence at Indy since 1976 (previously Janet Guthrie, Lyn St. James, and Sarah Fisher), but, in my view, were more of a novelty than a serious trend.

Last year’s Indy 500 was absolutely GREAT because Danica Patrick showed, finally, that a woman driver could mix it up with the best the IRL had to offer. Although finishing fourth, she led for several laps and showed a degree of cool fierceness that was lacking in those of the fairer sex who preceded her (Sgt Mom and Cpl Blondie, I am being careful here). This year she starts somewhat lower in the field (inside row 4), but I am confident she will put on a great show. Check it out (Sun. 1:00 CST)

Next week the Indy teams will race at Watkins Glenn, former home of the U.S. Grand Prix. Back in my day, I worked a food concession there all through high school and got to (sort of) see the Trans Am (Camaro, ‘Cuda, Mustang), Can Am (anybody remember Chaperral?) and F1 races from ’68 through ’72. What a dream job. After having been closed for a couple decades, Nascar has raced stockers and trucks at the Glen the last few years, but it will be great to see open wheel racing there again.

Also note that the Monaco F1 Grand Prix is Sunday morning – televised early on SpeedTV. I personally think that Monaco is the premier F1 event because of (a) the difficulty of the street course and (b) the decadent wealth that permeates the entire event (including the 100+ ft cruisers in the harbor).

See you at the track.

Radar

Here’s looking at you, kid.

26. May 2006 · Comments Off on Here’s looking at you, kid. · Categories: General, Mordor

After reading Sgt Mom’s outstanding post last night, and adding my own rosy commentary, I came across this article in The Daily Standard on the Moroccan approach to relations between Islam and other religions that offers hope. For example:

“Abaddi’s visit to the United States underscores this point: It was part of an ongoing campaign to reach out to religious groups in the United States. One aim is to raise the profile of what he calls the “Moroccan model” of moderate Islam. Evangelical leaders, for example, have been invited to Casablanca for high-level meetings and inter-faith dialogues. In March of this year, the Moroccan government helped sponsor a conference of “Rabbis and Imams for Peace” in Seville.”

I have tried to make sense of this issue for years now; tried to express the conclusions at which I have arrived without coming off as being cut from the same cloth as the Muslims that I have been critical of – more often than not unsuccessfully, I think and particularly with the left. It has been a challenge to reconcile the theme that Muslims-in America-are-not-like-those-zealots-in-Iran-they-just-want-to-live-the-American-dream with the stories about long standing mosques in the U.S. being hijacked by radical imams (I am looking for a link to a series by the Chicago Trib on this topic), and organizations like CAIR that, despite their moderate appearance, are a front for the radical fringe. I have no doubt that the former premise is largely true, but so is the latter. A question that I grapple with is why the moderate multitudes are so silent on the subject; why they do not loudly, openly, and with great frequency disavow the subset of the Muslim belief system that spawns the likes of what we see in the news on a nightly basis. Comments and emails to previous posts on the subject have chastised me for being ignorant of some supposed vocal repudiation, but were absent any sort of citation. To some extent, the print media must take some responsibility, for if they expended as much effort researching the Muslim counterpoint to radicalism as they spend in their attempt to sensationalize the horrible acts of (what I hope to be) the radical minority, perhaps average people like me would not have these questions.

Getting back to Morocco, I think a large part of the problem is that in many nations the Muslim majority is poor and illiterate, and hence easily led by corrupt leaders. I am skeptical that the moderation practiced by Morocco, and hopefully a future Iraq, can turn the tide in the apparent time frame that we have. There are too many people over there both serving and drinking the KoolAid, and too long a history of distrust for the west.

Geez, I started this with an upbeat attitude and end up at the same place. Maybe I need to take a trip to Casablanca. Maybe stop by Rick’s Place. I hear the Nazi’s are gone.

Radar

VA Identity Theft

25. May 2006 · Comments Off on VA Identity Theft · Categories: General

So now it comes to light that (a) the civil servant from who the information was stolen has been routinely taking such data home for at least three years, and (b) it only came to the attention of management because of office gossip (it was never offiicially reported). The VA is scrambling to point out that this was an isolated incident, but I do not buy it. If employees are routinely bringing laptops in and out of the workplace, this security breach is likely only the tip of the iceberg. Hmmm. If I end up with a problem because of this it will be Radar v. U.S.

For those old war horses that think it doesn’t affect them, it was reported today the it affects records for GIs discharged as early as 1975. Why in the f*** are GS-dumbf***s carrying records that go that far back around on a laptop?

Radar

Checking In

25. May 2006 · Comments Off on Checking In · Categories: General

Except for the weather, I hate this time of year. With school ending, we are making the transition to Red Haired Girl’s summer schedule while still completing the school year schedule (dance, baritone, piano, theater, softball, odd cluster of birthdays – hence sleepovers, community pool time, College for Kids, Christian youth camp, etc.). She is now of an age where she demands a later non-school night bedtime, so that precious block of time is now parsed into a smaller block. Concurrently, the speculation begins with Real Wife’s teaching world as to who will get RIFed and other pending changes at the school. The voters recently approved a partial school convergence, so the intrigue is on a par with The De Vinci Code. Did I mention that all of the classroom animals move home for the summer? That would be about a dozen rats, several dozen waterborne South American frogs, some sort of millipedes (population unknown), and a gecko named Geico.

All of the above is a predictable and periodical disturbance. More baffling to me is why my job seems to suddenly place greater demands that seem to make the summer pass all too quickly due to deadlines, travel, anticipation of travel, and post travel follow up. There is no connection in the activities from one year to the next. My work duties are not in any way agrarian in nature. And while I worked within the automotive industry for many years (not agrarian but very predictable), my present responsibilities span several different industries, all but automotive lacking in any discernable circadian rhythm. Already booked at Travelocity is Washington DC next week, Irvine CA later in the month, and Munich in July. Shanghai is coming up later this summer, which is already giving me heartburn (not for the mission, but the logistics). I was asked today “being that I will already be in Irvine, could also visit a company in San Jose?” I said “sure”, not being all that familiar with California. Now I find that stopping by San Jose from Irvine is like stopping by Maine from Pennsylvania.

I am excited about the Washington trip, having never been there other than passing by on the interstate. The official purpose is to interview (read threaten, beg, plead; whatever) with the Patent Office on a couple of cases, but I do have a total of one day down time to see the sights. No time to visit the museums, but enough time to circumscribe the American Mall and visit some of the memorials (Lincoln and Vietnam being high on the list).

In the midst of all of this will be an Amtrak trip to NY (no flying for Real Wife since 9/11) for a family reunion. I won’t even go into my personal thoughts on the tradeoff between flying in a relatively secure environment and riding over 1000 miles on trains run by unbelievably poor management and no apparent security, with a six hour layover in downtown Chicago in the shadow of the (now) tallest building in America. To top it off, the Berghoff, a fantastic traditional German restaurant and Chicago landmark, recently closed. Oh well.

I long for the summers of my youth; for the ability to imagine, on that last day of school, that the summer would be endless. I don’t recall ever being involved in organized summer activities; each day was ad hoc – each experience an unexpected detour, each twilight filled with the sounds of both birds and children excitedly recounting the day. While I object to the degree of structure that Red Haired Girl and her ilk experience in this day and age, I will concede that it coincides with the fact that we, as parents, are not as willing to allow the degree of serendipity in our children’s lives that we enjoyed. For the kids though, what a loss.

Radar

Time Flies…

28. April 2006 · Comments Off on Time Flies… · Categories: General

The past two weeks have been whirlwind that has precluded any time spent on blogging. It seems like every year at about this time a number of work projects simultaneously reach critical mass, and this year has been no exception. The legal activity that brought me to Munich in February has the next important date in July, and everything takes ten times longer to reach consensus and submit filings because of the language differences. I will be also in D.C. in two weeks on a patent matter that has required tons of preparation. I am amazed by the fact that one can easily get patents for the most inane things (cf. U.S. 5,446,036 – Method of Exercising a Cat – claims using a laser pointer to stimulate Fluffy), but have to fight the patent office for years to patent things that are actually original and useful. I do plan to take a day or two to actually see the Washington sights, with the Air and Space museum at the top of my list. I am hoping for an invite for dinner with GW and Laura. I hate to be so forward as to openly ask, but I am fairly certain that he checks The Daily Brief several times per day and he is so good at picking up subtle hints. It’s not so much that he is my hero or anything, but my letters over the past couple of years to certain blue state senators, while not bringing on the black helicopters, have most certainly eliminated me from their A list.

Speaking of stimulating Fluffy, we are presently battling a coon problem (again). It seems that Rocky and his clan have moved into our yard, and they have found nightly amusement in sitting just outside the bedroom screen windows watching our cats have apoplectic seizures. I have always aspired to a cabin-in-the-woods existence, so they don’t bother me as long as they stay on their side of the window. Real wife, however, takes a different view. So I called our local animal control officer who brought out a live trap and baited it with cat food (if there are a lot of neighborhood cats that can accidentally be captured, he confided to me that Fruit Loops will also work well). We had our first winner by 10:00 p.m. last night. Because the trap was by necessity located in the fenced portion where the dogs take their morning constitutional, I moved the prisoner to the area near the back door. Officer Rick (not his real name) came by this morning and removed the hapless creature. Unfortunately, this mean a death sentence because if you try to relocate them they (a) will return and (b) may transmit rabies or other diseases to new areas. I also suspect another dynamic at play because Officer Rick actually wears a uniform of sorts with patches and metal badge-looking insignia. He has indicated to me during previous coon purges that people in his position have certain authority with respect to firearm usage and game laws – not on the level of a Cliff Claven postal complex mind you, but still a little unsettling. Red Haired Girl suggested that a regime of vitamins and TLC might tame the bandit, and looking closely at it made the suggestion seem plausible as it seemed pretty calm. I have no doubt though that any attempt to give the critter a cuddle would have brought on an immediate change of temperament.

Well, the dogs are in for the evening so it is time to reset the trap. Tonight I am including a few grapes with the cat food, mostly out of guilt. After all, it’s just one more example of humans encroaching on native species’ habitat.

P.S., anyone from PETA, Greenpeace, ACLU, etc. that feels compelled to comment are welcome to try the approach offered by Red Haired Girl (cuddling, TLC); on the one condition that I get to watch that first special encounter.

Radar

Thoughts of Summer

14. April 2006 · Comments Off on Thoughts of Summer · Categories: Ain't That America?, General, Pajama Game

This posting is brought to you live from The Patio, my second home during the warmer months. Some 20 by twenty-five feet, screened on all but the side that adjoins the house, and with a view of the south end of my dominion, it is indeed a nice summer hangout – topped off with wireless internet and a stereo. Just to the east is a fifteen-foot square concrete pad for the smoker and grill, with an adjacent smallish shed that houses the freezer, golf clubs, etc. The previous occupant kept a hot tub in the shed, which she offered to sell to us at a reasonable price when we bought the house in ‘94. I am not a hot tub person, but Real Wife thought it would be splendid indulgence. That was until said previous occupant, a dowager well into her seventies, confided to us with a sly grin that she and a few of her friends from the local dowager club enjoyed spending time with hot toddies in the hot tub together – nude. Real Wife and I agreed that we simply could never bring ourselves to use it with those images in our mind. I still have nightmares. More »

Imperial Muslim Redux

13. April 2006 · Comments Off on Imperial Muslim Redux · Categories: General

The whole commentary process to the original post has come unhinged. EVERYBODY STOP! I have been totally occupied by other matters since the original post, but plan to try to get the discussion on a more constructive tract tomorrow. This is a passionate issue that affects differant countries in pretty much the same way, albeit with differant circumstances. Big surprise – enlarging economic markets and the movement of economic production to formerly third world countries creates a paradigm shift. The corrupt leadership in most Muslim countries only amplifies the effects of this shift. Similarly, bringing current technology to those who felt left out during the the last half century of progress enables vengeance previously unavailable. The Muslim religion is polluted by not only this set of circumstances, but by the fact that the the most radical of Muslim nations and entities are characterized by leadership that has sold them out, both economically and in terms of nation building. No wonder the masses are pissed. Similarly, we grapple with the same problem with Mexico. I know I am paraphrasing, but I do not abide by the notion that any foreign entity should have even the remotest of oppotunity to make this country other that it was prescribed in 1787.

My original point was to say that I will feel much better when I hear a message from American immans that Islam in America is contingent upon adherence to our constitution. The events of last week bring me to the same challenge to the Hispanics. Is that unreasonable? If so, then there will be civil war down the road.

Radar

Imperial Muslims

04. April 2006 · Comments Off on Imperial Muslims · Categories: General, War

I’ve been spending a lot of time researching whether we should be paranoid about Muslims, or whether they really are out to get us. This article in the WSJ online edition (courtesy of Powerline) pretty much summarizes and confirms a lot of what I have read elsewhere. There are, however, glimmers of hope – in a separate post at Powerline, John Hinderaker quotes (with a link to a video) Iraqi politician Iyad Jamal Al-Din as asking: “How come Israel has developed a democratic regime…whereas the Arabs have not developed democratic regimes, using the existence of Israel as a pretext? How come Israel is not using the Arabs as a pretext for delaying its economic development, its free economy, and its free press?” How come indeed.

Flying Status

02. April 2006 · Comments Off on Flying Status · Categories: Air Force, General, Pajama Game

My first flying experience was at a local fair in 1962 near Fulton, NY. There was a barnstorming pilot type with a Steerman biplane trainer who was offering short rides for “a penny a pound” which, as I recall, set my dad back by about sixty-five cents. I was hooked. Three years later, my father arranged to have Mom and the four kids fly on Eastern Airlines from Syracuse to NYC, where we met him and traveled on to Connecticut to visit his sisters and their families. In those days flying was an important event in the sense that people actually dressed up, with my brother and I in suits and ties, and my sisters wearing skirts with crinolines (today sweat suits seem to be de rigeur, with the airport experience only a couple of notches above that of the Cleveland Greyhound terminal).

Joining the USAF as a radar technician (328X1) gave little hope of flying, other than in transport from one duty station to another. However, things changed around late 1974, when SAC decided that it needed to have technicians available to fly missions in order to troubleshoot certain types of problems that only occurred while airborne. Until that point we were limited to high-speed taxi checks, which involved accelerating down the runway to near S1 speed, and then hitting the brakes. They wanted people who could fly entire B-52 and KC-135 sorties, often 8 – 10 hours or more in duration. I had just earned Master Technician rating and, with an expressed passion for flying, I was able to convince the powers-that-be that I was the ideal candidate. Another plus was that I would collect flight pay. As I recall, this amounted to $75 each month that I flew for some minimum amount of hours (I think it was five or ten). Qualification for this status required that I undergo physiological flight training, which meant a TDY to Pease AFB New Hampshire. More »

Volunteer Fire Departments

25. March 2006 · Comments Off on Volunteer Fire Departments · Categories: Ain't That America?, General, Pajama Game

I grew up surrounded by my mother’s family, which included eleven other siblings. Of the males in the clan, there were 3 Navy vets (2 in WW II), and two Marines. This is not about the military service though, but rather about another form of service that, in some respects, directly affected far more lives. It all started in 1947 when Grandpa was heading up the stairs of their modest home in upstate NY. My mother, then eighteen years old and a telegrapher at Western Union in Syracuse (where, by the way, she met my father a year later), was smoking a cigarette in the girls’ bedroom – a practice forbidden by Grandpa despite his proclivity toward cheap cigars every evening. To avoid detection she threw it out the dormer window whereupon it immediately started the wooden shingles ablaze. More »

Sick Call

25. March 2006 · Comments Off on Sick Call · Categories: General, Home Front

I have not posted of late owing to the scourge of some sort of, for lack of a better word, crud that has in turn struck down Red Haired Girl, yours truly, and now Real Wife. Fever, chest congestion, nasal congestion, nausea, more fever, diahrea – we got it all. Real Wife (now upstairs in bed with a barf bucket nearby), a fourth grade teacher, reports that last Thursday saw a 25% absentee rate amongst her class. For my part I missed three days with a temp. running 102-103 deg., but seem to be back in the saddle now. To think that it was 78 and sunny just two weeks ago.

Red Haired Girl has completely recovered, but now presents an entirely new challenge. A boy called the other night to just … talk. This is a first. I have been put on notice by Real Wife that she is bound by secrecy and cannot provide further details, but I have been able to learn through other sources that he (a new boy in the community), and she danced together at a recent 6th grade gala event. There is not enough bandwidth on the entire internet or capacity on the Daily Brief servers to fully communicate the range of emotions this has caused in me. A friend of mine, seeing my angst, pointed out that when his son was born 29 years ago, his father observed that the advantage of having a son over a daughter is that with a son you only have to worry about one pr*ck, but with a daughter you have to worry about them all (thanks Hutch). The good in all of this seems to be that she is, all of the sudden, acting older (no tearful temper tantrums during horn/piano practice time, offering to do household chores, etc.). But why do I believe deep down that alligator tears and stomping feet represented the good old days? BTW, can I get GPS tracking information from a cell phone fed to me in real time…

Radar

Spring is here …

11. March 2006 · Comments Off on Spring is here … · Categories: Eat, Drink and be Merry

Never mind that the official vernal equinox is nine days hence, today is the first day of spring for me. I dragged my butt from bed at 5:00 a.m. to watch qualifying for the first Formula 1 race of the year. Michael Schumacher (Ferrari for the uninitiated) is on the pole – that sucks. But, it will reach seventy degrees today here in the land of pigs and corn. I dry rubbed a nice 6 lb. beef brisket last night and will be firing up the smoker for the first time this year. Never mind the hype about hickory or mesquite smoked meat – they give me heartburn. I use apple, cherry, persimmon, and pear wood (always remove the bark), and only for the first two or three hours. After about six hours at no more than 200 degrees, with frequent basting using Coke, root beer, or whatever, you have one of the finest pieces of meat ever to grace a picnic table. Real Wife has persuaded me to make a batch of macaroni salad for accompaniment. This dish is an old family tradition that has no particular recipe other than the list of ingredients (macaroni, mayo, boiled eggs – chopped, cucumber, onion, celery, tuna, and radishes), the proportions of which are subject to the mood of the cook. It is heaven. Capping my first day of spring will be beer and ice in the cooler and an oil change for the Dixon riding mower.

Lately I have been doing a lot of research into the dynamics that have led to our current situation regarding the Clash Of Civilizations (I recommend the River War by Winston Churchill, available on-line here). To me it is important; my sense is that the problem will only be resolved after a crisis, and response, of epic proportion. The story will be told in military, not diplomatic terms, and will likely span the rest of my lifetime, possibly even my daughter’s. More disheartening is the question of whether the “American street”, being constantly bombarded by the message of the extreme left, is up to the magnitude of challenge so fearlessly met by previous generations. It is not a happy proposition, nonetheless, I take great comfort in the rituals that define the passing of the seasons.

By the way, the brisket dry rub ingredients are 2 tbsp dark brown sugar, 2 tbsp chili powder, 2 tbsp paprika, 2 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp onion powder, 1 tbsp black pepper, 1 tbsp cayenne, 2 tspn dry mustard, and 2 tsp ground cumin. Enjoy.

Radar

Garrison Keillor

04. March 2006 · Comments Off on Garrison Keillor · Categories: General

While camping about four or five years ago, we invited a friend out for a Saturday evening barbecue by the lake. Upon arrival he immediately tuned the radio to the Prairie Home Companion, a National Public Radio staple hosted by Garrison Keillor for some thirty years. I was immediately addicted, and have missed it only twice since – every Saturday from five to seven p.m., either in the kitchen or on the patio, depending on the weather. For the uninitiated, the show is reminiscent of old-time radio, with live performers doing sketches, musical pieces, and monologues (the sound effects are great). For the most part, Real Wife and Red Haired Girl tolerate these interludes, albeit with not a little eye rolling and grumbling. Garrison Keillor is an old sixties liberal, the modern mutations of which seem to have taken our country in a decidedly bad direction, so I am sometimes irritated at the subtle Bush bashing that often appears in the show. In looking at show’s web site to see what the guest lineup for tonight is, I came across this column that he recently posted. It reminded me of something the USAF recruiter told me some thirty-four years ago. He said that one can always tell that a person has served in the military, no matter how many years ago, simply by their demeanor and the way they comport themselves. At the time it seemed like more piling on of reasons why I should sign on, but in the years since it has often come back to me. My military experience has undoubtedly helped me in my career through having learned the value of focusing on problems at hand. On my recent trip to Germany I was honored to have had quite a number of conversations with young soldiers, airmen and marines while waiting for flights (usually in smoking lounges – one bad aspect of the military that is unfortunately with me to this day) and was struck by that common trait.

Back to the subject. In his column, Mr. Keillor makes this same observation far more eloquently than I ever could. Coming from one who, by his own admission was a Vietnam draft dodger and is, to this day, a flaming liberal, means something. I particularly like his suggestion to amend the Constitution to require that presidential aspirants have completed at least two years military service. Alas though, toward the end of the column he sinks back to the left’s tendency to denigrate Dubya, and even more telling, mildly insult the very people he had just complemented. His reference to the current Army as “blue collar” is akin to the mantra “we hate the war but support the troops” in one breath and protesting military recruiters in the next. Nonetheless, it is a good read, and I will still tune in to his show (5:00 central time on your local public radio station). Enjoy.

When words fail…

02. March 2006 · Comments Off on When words fail… · Categories: General

Sometimes images work better than words.

Bye Joe.

Going, Going, Gone

26. February 2006 · Comments Off on Going, Going, Gone · Categories: Ain't That America?, General, Pajama Game

The advent of spring brings with it the serious start of auction season. I only went to one or two auctions prior to taking up residence in the land of pigs, corn and soy beans, so I can’t speak much in the way of what they are like elsewhere. I suspect that because they are, in a way, a passion play that tends to be governed by human nature, they are pretty much the same no matter where you go. I’m not talking about the artsy fartsy auctions like Christi’s, or the charity type auctions where the only purpose is to provide a social means of funding something or another. I mean the kind of auctions where the auctioneers wear cowboy hats and the bidders are there for blood sport.

Real Wife and I traded a small two-bedroom bungalow for a large Victorian soon after our wedding and upon learning of the upcoming arrival of Red Haired Girl. As a consequence we needed lots of furniture. Keeping with the architecture of the house, we decided to hit the auction circuit and decorate the house with antiques. It seemed to us that if we bought carefully, we could obtain many pieces for prices equivalent to those of new ones, and that appreciation rather than depreciation would be the rule. Certain things needed to be new – Victorians were alien to the concept of a queen bed or comfortable living room furniture. So we bought some new and went auctioning for the rest.
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Farewell Friend

26. February 2006 · Comments Off on Farewell Friend · Categories: General

I recently learned that Joe Comer worked in the same USAF career field as I did (328X1), which led to an exchange of emails comparing notes on the pros and cons of working on various different aircraft types, as well as different duty stations. I would like to have served with him, and I share Aproud Veteran’s sentiments about a man whom I’ve never met in the real world. Joe, when you arrive at your final resting place, look up another old ham operator, WA2GRQ – you’ll likely find him on the 2 or 6 meter band. You and my dad will really hit it off.

To Nurse Jenny and Joe’s other loved ones, my thoughts and prayers are with you.

Radar

Just Leave For a Minute

20. February 2006 · Comments Off on Just Leave For a Minute · Categories: General

I do not consider myself much of anything beyond a guy who gets the job done. The whole concept or The Daily Brief to me was to express how those of us in the military and beyond have done this. This past week I traveled to Munich on business, and both in the coming and going I spent time with Army guys on rotation to and from Iraq. I also spent some time in Munich with troops (at the Hofbrauhaus) with unhappy wives and ready to go off at the least insult. Life is the same no matter what we do.\

Then I got this in response to my parody of the Cheney hunting accident:

    Hey Rupert, what a dumb fuck you are, just another Bush butt hole licking
    stupid Republican. It is really to bad that it was not the Nazi piece shit
    Cheney that got his head blown off, now that would have been really good
    news. It is so nice to see that the Shrub Boy and his culture of corruption
    are going down. God I hate Republicans.

    Fuck Off And Die, Dr. El Duko

I’ll field this one this as follows

Memo to El Duko and those of your ilk: (Daily Kos perhaps?)

I just returned from an overseas trip to find this little infected egg of wisdom in my mailbox. Your (cowardly) email, my response, and your counter-response are subject to publication – something that may seem a bit frightful to you given that you chose to make your intimidation private to my email. No hiding here slick. My piece actually, to me, was a little critical of all sides. You, El Duko, have actually confirmed the premise of an earlier piece that posited the there is little difference between the tactics of “Muslim Cartoon Protesters” and extreme democrats such as yourself.

I do not like the cronyism that seems to pervade this White House re. Michael Brown, Stuart Symington, etc. and I think that there is a tendency to circle the wagons. I won’t get over it and neither should you. Keep in mind though that RFK and Hoover at the FBI (presumably with JFK knowledge) wiretapped MLK, Bill Clinton got serviced, although technically not having had sex with that women. And who can forget the joke that Jimmy Carter made of the Presidency (and continues to even to this day). You are not even remotely in a position to know whether John Kerry is a War Hero – what would you know about that? I have seen your ilk my entire life. You were best characterized in Forrest Gump as the Nazi protestor, and your command of both language and context support this (btw, genius, I was there in the 60’s, 70’s – I know from whence I speak)

That’s it El Duko, I will never spend another millisecond responding to your vitriol. I do welcome a more reasoned response to future posts – in other words – grow up son.

Radar

Hearts and Minds

13. February 2006 · Comments Off on Hearts and Minds · Categories: Iraq: The Good

Scott Johnson posted this on Powerline, which in turn gives a Hat Tip to the Mudville Gazette. It sure made me proud of our troops, and should give pause to the Cindy Sheehan’s who would characterize our enemies as freedom fighters.

Another Conspiracy

13. February 2006 · Comments Off on Another Conspiracy · Categories: General Nonsense

The White House press briefing today was some of the best comedy I’ve seen in a long while, with the best question coming from some female journalist who inquired as to whether the V.P. was considering resignation after the hunting accident this past weekend. A close runner up was the question, repeated more than a few times, of when exactly did the president know that Cheney was (and I quote) “the shooter”.

Well, let me set the record straight. There wasn’t a covey of Quayles, er, I mean quails. The place was thick with illegal immigrants. While Cheney was drawing down on them with a 28 gauge shotgun loaded with deadly number 7 ½ shot, their ACLU lawyer jumped out of brush with some sort of legal papers. Cheney froze, as the lawyer stood with the sun at his back and the eerie sound of the theme from the good, the bad and the ugly entrancing the entire hunting party. Just then, a shot rang out from the nearby grassy knoll and the lawyer went down.

Later, on the way back to the ranch, they came across John Kerry, bedecked in the most manly of hunting attire. He claimed to have bagged a trophy Quayle, I mean quail, but everyone but the Washington press corps checked the total bird body count and concluded that Kerry missed.

The president was wise enough to not comment on the ensuing fray because, once again, the CIA got it wrong about the presence and location of Quayles, I mean quails, that led to the hunting trip in the first place. Had it not been for the NSA wiretapping of the local game warden, the whole incident would never been exposed to the light of day. As I post this dispatch, Hillary is working herself into a righteous indignation while Bill is eyeing the cleaning lady while quietly singing to himself “… I ain’t nothin’ but a bird dog… “.

There, you now know what really happened.

Radar

Technology, What a Blessing

12. February 2006 · Comments Off on Technology, What a Blessing · Categories: General

I tried to record a cable TV program on my newly purchased DVD burner ($69.95, Wal-Mart, Black Friday, whatahoot competitive shopping). Loyal readers may recall that I have been assembling the killer home theater system (for that one movie a year that seems to require more than my 14 inch kitchen TV). Well, it didn’t work. I don’t know why, other than something is not connected properly. I am not stupid when it comes to matters technical – after all, I WAS a SAC Master Technician and have survived since then mostly as an engineer. I had the very first ever personal computer in our entire corporation (1983, IBM 5150 – 2 floppies, no hard drive). I introduced electronic machine controls to my company (TI 510 controller). And the legal part of my career, contrary to popular belief, did not make me more stupid, and finally I quit smoking pot years ago. I even have three patents, and have prosecuted over one hundred others.

No, the problem is that the documentation that comes with home electronics sucks. I have to believe that it works for the majority of its audience, after all, the use of home theater technology is unprecedented. I have tried to work with it – even to the extent of drawing schematics of my whole systems. I keep running into blocks in the diagram that can only be labeled as “A Miracle Occurs Here”. Even when everything works as advertised, it takes several remote controls, all used in concert, to achieve the desired result. Real Wife questions the value of this investment because the operation of which is beyond her ken. I cannot fault her because I need to get all of the manuals out to perform the simplest of tasks. Red Haired Girl is helpful – being twelve she is of the generation that doesn’t question how things work, but rather how to get the desired result.

So what are we to do? Comments are eagerly solicited.

I have made progress on recording music on-line. Beware though, it can be like drinking from a fire hose. I spent this weekend sorting through over 5GB of music (roughly 1200 songs) that I had 2 computers ripping simultaneously from Internet radio stations. It’s all legal, but the keep/record ratio is pretty low. Plus, the song beginnings and endings are kind of approximate in relation to the overall audio stream. In a few cases (check out the band My Morning Jacket and the song Beeswing from Richard Thompson), I paid for pure downloads from Walmart. Problem there is that they are infested with Digital Rights Management (DRM). Good luck trying to move it to another machine, even when legally entitled to do so. I had hoped to have all of this transferred to my new Philips 2GB mp3 player (another Black Friday victory – one almost requiring a blood commitment) for the trip to Germany this week, but their software for loading music to the player is also intelligible. Just as well, riding in an airplane or walking around in a foreign country with headphones is contrary to situational awareness, a mode to which I firmly ascribe.

Well, in 36 hours I will be en route to Munich, from which I will blog, with pictures, as well as keep in touch with the home front via cell phone. I suppose that one should not complain when their mouth is full.

More Cartoon Bloviating

12. February 2006 · Comments Off on More Cartoon Bloviating · Categories: General

I have no comments (beyond the obvious imperative of free speech and the understanding that it often leads to anger and wounded egos) on whether or not the Cartoons should have been published in Denmark, the U.S., or anywhere else. In a way, I am glad that they were, if for no other reason than to bring clarity to the true intent of the most powerful factions of Islam. Let’s get it out in the light, let’s openly discuss the reality that, to those who are inciting riots, and to those so easily incited, there are only three options for those of us who live in the Dar al-Harb or House of War (i.e., non-Muslims). Be killed, convert to Islam, or surrender to an existence of Dhimmitude. Dhimmi is the Arabic word for “protected”, but in practice it means being allowed to live as a second class citizen of very limited rights who must pay a poll tax to the Muslim rulers.

This is the strict interpretation by all but perhaps the moderates (perhaps in the majority, but most certainly silent) of the Islamic faith. Within the context of the nonstop spewing of insults and sacrilege to the Jewish and Christian religions by many mid-east countries, their recent demands and rhetoric are nothing short of a command that the rest of the world accept the status of inferiority and second class existence. Dr. Andrew Bostom in his book “The Legacy of Jihad: Islamic Holy War and the Fate of Non-Muslims” and in his interview with FrontPage Magazine recounts a 13th century discussion for the collection of the tax: “…The infidel who wishes to pay his poll tax must be treated with disdain by the collector: the collector remains seated and the infidel remains standing in front of him, his head bowed and his back bent. The infidel personally must place the money on the scales, while the collector holds him by the beard, and strikes him on both cheeks…”. One could argue of the irrelevance of a writing from this period, after all, the Catholic church had some fairly extreme policies during a period spanning the 11th to 16th centuries, which policies and practices in more modern times are viewed by virtually all Catholics as totally alien to their belief system (I was taught in a Catholic school in 1960 that non-Catholics were going to hell – an extreme concept, but one that left judgement to the afterlife). The problem is that those who control the Muslim religion are diametrically opposed to any view on the subject that is newer than the 13th century. To those that are drawing the battle lines, there is no compromise.

So what of the moderates within the Muslim world – the silent majority? One would hope that they would stand up and state loudly and often that their faith, as embraced by the majority, has evolved to a point where it can live in peace with those of other beliefs. That their faith can accept that people have certain inalienable rights that can not be taken by the state, even if the state and the religion are one in the same. I’m listening, but I think that the intimidation of the extremists extends even to those within their religion who would be the voice of reason. There is ample historic precedent for this assertion as well – any scholarly inquiry into the problems faced by Muslims and Arabs will lead to the incontrovertible truth that their leadership has always been the root of their problems.

So I return to whence I began – the Cartoons. I see a parallel between the discourse on that subject and some of the recent gaffes by the left wing of our Democratic Party. A lot of thunder and bluster intended to outrage the masses (cf. NSA wiretaps, Valerie Plume REALLY WAS 007 …), with perhaps the more useful, though unintended, result of showing that the emperor wears no clothes.

Air Taxi

29. January 2006 · Comments Off on Air Taxi · Categories: Good God, Pajama Game

The automotive industry throughout the late seventies and into the eighties underwent a major shift in it’s supply practices, outsourcing many products and services that it had traditionally built and performed in-house. One consequence of this was that the suppliers were required to attend frequent on-site meetings at various auto maker facilities, many of which were located in steel belt cities such as Detroit, Toledo, etc. This presented somewhat of a logistical problem for our company, which is located in the corn belt, over 100 miles from the nearest major airport. Not only was the travel inconvenient, but fielding the appropriate number of troops (believe me, numbers mattered in some of these meetings) was not inexpensive when considering airfare, lodging, etc. Another issue was that glitches in the then-new supply chain management technique of just-in-time delivery often meant that delivery of critical components was needed in a matter of hours to avert a line shutdown. A friend and local entrepreneur earned a pilot’s license, leased some ground for a small airstrip, and bought two or three Piper Aztecs to provide the solution to these problems.

The Piper Aztec is a twin engine (five passenger + pilot) plane that, although not terribly fast with a cruising speed of around 180 knots, was virtually indestructible and could fly even when considerably overloaded. Our pilot, we’ll call him Charlie (not his real name), was a partying sort who often flew on just a few hours sleep (I know this for fact; we often closed the bars together). Generally, he would take off, check all of the instruments, set the autopilot, and take a nice nap until we got about 30 minutes from our intended destination – he had a pretty remarkable internal alarm clock. Charlie also viewed weather advisories with a grain of salt, leading to a number of rather interesting trips with often some spectacular views of major storm cells in close proximity. Believe when I say that a cloud formation that rises to thirty or forty thousand feet, when viewed at ten thousand feet altitude and only a mile or two away, is very awe inspiring. Being sandwiched between two of them is downright terrifying.
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Impeachment

27. January 2006 · Comments Off on Impeachment · Categories: Cry Wolf, General

As the left wing of the dems implode, one mantra d’jour seems to be that Bush broke the law with the wiretaps and that he should therefore be impeached. Let’s see of I can set the record straight on how these things really work. Numerous attorneys have looked at this and concluded that Bush was operating within his authority based on the legislation passed after 9/11 and the powers granted to the executive branch by Article II of the Constitution (forget FISA, it is irrelevent to this discussion). While it is nice from the perspective of watch guarding our civil rights that they had an army of lawyers look into whether the actions were legal, there is another purpose for such an extensive legal review that is not ever discussed in the MSM. That is that their conclusion (that the taps are permitted under law) is an opinion of counsel that mitigates against any allegation that he broke the law. Opinions of counsel are routinely used in the business world for this very reason. If I, as a business person, engage in activities that exceed the bounds permitted by law, but proceed because in my own opinion I am legal, then I have no defense (ignorance of the law is no excuse…). On the other hand, if my lawyer, who is an officer of the court, tells me that I am OK, then I have a legitimate defense. While avoiding the debate of whether or not the taps were legal (I believe they were), my point is that if the issue is heard by the Supreme Court and they decide the taps were not legal, it will not be a decision that Bush broke the law, but rather an interpretation of what the laws mean that runs counter to the NSA, White House, and DOJ lawyer’s. If he were then to proceed in a manner inconsistent with that decision, then there would be a criminal issue.

Another point that seems to have been lost in the discussion is that Congress does not have the power to pass a law that usurps the powers given to the Executive Branch under the Constitution. The upshot of this distinction is that even if it is found by a court that the administration’s activities fall outside legislation passed by Congress, the relevant question becomes whether the legislation was lawful in the first place. If this plays out in the Supreme Court, as I suspect it eventually will, my gut feel is that this secondary question will be part and parcel of the arguments.

See, watching Judge Judy does have its benefits. I would be interested in comments from any readers who are lawyers or judges.

Radar

Redball

22. January 2006 · Comments Off on Redball · Categories: Air Force, Pajama Game

I don’t know about launch procedures in other USAF commands, but in the now defunct SAC it was a special experience. Each maintenance squadron would assemble members from each shop waiting for something to break on a plane due to fly that morning. Generally speaking, telling the crew that they had a broke-dick airplane so just call it a day was akin to airbrushing a penis on Curtiss LeMay’s portrait where his cigar should be – and under certain circumstances such as a real mission or a SAC operational readiness inspection it was impossible.

Mostly it was boring and, in the below-zero winters of northern New York, very cold. The back of the van (which never had a working heater) was a pile of airmen from the Radar, Radio, Fire Control, Doppler, and Bomb Nav shops, stacked not unlike cats in a barn. To this day I can sleep under almost any circumstances as a result of that experience, and to this day I’d bet that the radio call “31 – Control, we have a redball for the radar shop on aircraft [fill in tail number for Broke-Dick Airplane]” would have me fully conscious in a matter of seconds. Early pre-flight problems were fairly easy, but when the aircraft is sitting on the apron ready to go, it could get very intense.

Aircraft maintenance under any circumstances can be a dangerous business, but with radar and engines lit, and a crew anxious to go, it often got downright scary. My worst nightmare was always an APN-59 radar system failure on a KC-135. Sometimes we got lucky and it was either a navigator or copilot display, but it was usually the antenna or receiver/transmitter. To replace the antenna one had to first roll a scaffold to the front of the aircraft and remove the fiberglass radome. That was a fairly routine drill that, in and of itself, was fairly straightforward. The problem was that, with a new second lieutenant navigator, it was not a question of if but rather when they would decide to fire up the radar or set the antenna rotating – with people working on it. I was convinced that I was sterile from the microwave consequences of these breaches of red tag etiquette until Real Wife got pregnant 16 years after the last exposure. Replacing the receiver transmitter was also a joy. It weighed, as I recall, between 80 – 90 lbs. Nobody did it by the book – that took too much time. The real procedure was to straddle the hatch in front of the nose gear and muscle it in and out of its nest. In the day I weighed all of 150 lbs – it was not an easy feat.

The other one I loved during launch was what I recall to be a transponder system of some sort (Joe Comer, help me out – the R/T in both the BUF and KC-135 sat in the tail right next to the stabilizer trim screw, with the antennae in the vertical stabilizer). This was another nearly 100 lb. marvel of vacuum tube electronics technology. It was fairly accessible in the BUF, being just aft of the rear belly hatch. In the tanker, however, one had to climb through a very small hatch into a VERY claustrophobic area just aft of the fuel tanks. The danger in either case was a crewmember checking the stabilizer trim while you were in there (again, not a matter of if but rather when). The stabilizer trim screw, which was several inches in diameter, would move very quickly when activated and could easily impale or otherwise disfigure the unwary technician. Yes we had trim locks with red tags, but aircrew officers seemed to truly believe that they were more of a suggestion than a prohibition.

Being good at dealing with redball situations led to being assigned to more frequent launch duty, probably not unlike taking point in the Army. I do believe that it built self confidence and the ability to quickly assess and act like no other experience I have had before or since.

Radar

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