The Daily Brief

I am currently watching The Hallelujah Kids on the Discovery-Times Screening Room. It concerns a father and his 19 year-old son, both evangelical ministers, and a 10 year-old son, who is about to become ordained. Personally, I have serious reservations about the idea of a 10 year-old proselytizing.

The father talks of a 10 year-old in the neighborhood of the brick-and-mortar church they are settling in to; he shot his father dead. I would also have a problem in trying that boy as an adult. The father claims that, if the Devil can occupy the soul of that child, why can’t God occupy the soul of his. The whole idea violates the concept of the innocence of childhood.

I read some good ones at Townhall.com today.

Why the war in Iraq is an integral part of the war on terror

The Bush legacy will take a healing period

And yet another Ann Couler gem, 2004: Highlights and lowlifes.

While one of my local PBS stations is airing a Globe Trekker episode, 😛 the others are showing; 1) Great Performances, featuring Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Robert Cray, B.B. King, Vince Gil, and others. 2) Nova – Fireworks. 3) And Nova – Great Escape. I’ve chosen the latter. I hope the rest replay soon.

The current death toll from Indian Ocean tsunamis is estimated above 100,000. As usual, the United States leads the world international aid.. But, as we have seen, our reputation is on the ropes. Further, few economies in the civilized world, outside of Australia (riding China’s coattails) and the emerging economies of Asia and eastern Europe, match ours. It is especially important for we Americans to give generously to the private relief NGO’s operating in the effected region.

We almost had a white Christmas here in North Carolina. It came the day after Christmas, and we were on the edge of the system and got mostly sleet. In 35 years, I have had only one white Christmas, and it was 3 or 4 inches of snow sandwiched between 2 inches of ice. (One inch on the ground under, and one on top of it.) I had just turned 14, and we still lived out in the country. We were iced in for about a week. So for fun, I went to the neighbor’s dairy in the evenings to help feed an milk.

Post shut down Monday (with the exception of essential personnel), so I got a snow day. Granted I still worked all day on a class I will be teaching, and considered staying in my pajamas to work on it. Tuesday was 2 hour delay, but I only postponed the trip an hour. Trip was fine, until I got to post. Yeah, those roads weren’t so clear. Ah, there is just something about black ice, that reminds me of my first 3 years in England. There was about a mile strip on the back road between Alconbury and Molesworth that was adjacent to a small forest. Since it generally got very little wintertime sunlight, it stayed pretty slick if any wet stuff fell. Most people there would take the A14 back and forth during winter weather, but I “rebelled” as I was prone to do over some things. Yes, the back road was not ideal, however, all you had to do was slow way down, stay of the brakes, and you were fine. On a clear dry day, I could make the trip between the 2 bases on the back road in 15 minutes. When it was wintery, it would take me 30-45 minutes as opposed to up to 2 hours on the A14. Of course there was always 2 or 3 idiots who would rush on the ice/snow/frost, end up in the ditch, and cause us all extra safety briefings, and orders not to take the back road. What really got me about that was that there were generally more accidents on the A14 with greater damage and personal injury. Didn’t have to watch out for the lorries (translation:tractor-trailors) on the back road, which tended to make me feel safer.

Anyway, still winter stuff on the ground here, but it’s almost all off the roads now. It’s supposed to be in the 60’s through New Year’s Day. Ah, winter in the South. My parents got the white Christmas in Arkansas. Glad we went home for Thanksgiving instead of Christmas….

Michele has been extra-super busy over at The Command Post and has what must be the definitive list of agencies to help in the Tsunami Relief effort.

“Not only does God play dice, sometimes he throws them where they cannot be seen.” — Steven Hawking.

Again, Winner(s) on Thursday.

This just in from Bloomberg:

“The reason it’s so low is there’s not much insured,” said Robert Hartwig, an economist with the Insurance Information Institute in New York. “A wave like this coming ashore in Florida would have produced economic losses dwarfing those of the hurricanes — tens and tens of billions of dollars.”

Yesterday’s magnitude 9.0 quake and the ensuing tidal waves killed at least 19,000 people, mainly in areas with little insured property. Hurricanes in the U.S. this caused at least $27 billion in insured damages. Most of the quake claims will be borne by European and Asian insurers, Hartwig said.

I could have told you this when this tragedy first struck. The resorts and millionaire retreats will all be insured, and if their coverage falls short, just as with disasters here in the US, they will be the ones most skillful at glomming on to relief funds. The poorest people, who in this part of the world are unlikely to have their property ownership document, and much less likely, insured. will be the ones who suffer the most.

All efforts should be made to assure that relief goes first to those in the greatest need.

The local Fox network just aired a commercial advertising tomorrow morning’s news-talkshow topics. They said “And Kevin Spacey will be talking about his new movie ‘Beyond the Sea,’ the autobiographical project….”

Ummm…. maybe I’m being nitpicky, but for it to be AUTO-biographical, wouldn’t Bobby Darin have to have written the screenplay? Maybe they meant biographical?

Or can someone set me straight on this? Was the movie based on a Bobby Darin autobio?

Currently, I have been reviewing my use of commas. As my personal style tends more to the literary or scholarly, rather than journalistic, I tend to use a lot of commas. Well, Miles Maguire, formerly of the Washington Times, and now at UW Oshkosh, hosts a site called The Comma Project.

All-Star defensive end and Baptist minister Reggie White has died at 43 of a massive heart attack. I will have to fact-check myself on this, but it seems to me White had a history of heart problems related to steroid use.

Glenn Reynolds has yet to blog on this. But I expect him to have much to say about the former Vol.

Update: As yet, I can’t find anything about steroids or heart problems with relation to White. If any of you have any leads, please pass them on.

Update 2: Well, it seems that Glenn was more brief than I predicted. I’d like to add, in reference to my tentative assertion concerning White and steroids: This was not an attempt to demonize a man who, in most aspects of his life, was an admirable personality, and a fine role model. Further, I have no agenda of general prohibition of adult steroid use. Although I do believe that, in this day and age, it is incredibly stupid. However, when White made his rise to stardom, we didn’t know nearly as much about their adverse effects as we do today.

Update 3: Reader Ronnie reports that the cause of death is now believed to be respiratory arrest due to sleep apnea (something I live in fear of). My other sources tell me the medical examiners are still unsure.

Updatee 4: Here’s something from CNN on White’s health problems:

White revealed Wednesday that his health problems last year were more serious than people were led to believe.

Not only did White endure a displaced disc in his lower back — which led to his brief retirement in April — and a case of pneumonia, but he said he also suffered from low white blood cell counts and contracted a rare lung disease called sarcoidosis.

And still he had 11 sacks and earned his record 12th consecutive Pro Bowl berth in 1997.

“The one thing I didn’t do about any of it last year is complain,” White said. “So, it’s good to feel well.”

Doctors don’t know what causes sarcoidosis, which affected White’s breathing and stamina. The illness can cause accumulation of inflammatory cells, called granulomas, nearly everywhere in the body. Though not curable, it can be treated with drugs. About half the people who come down with it eventually recover fully or have only minor lasting effects.

It usually affects young, healthy people between the ages of 20 and 50. Between 40 and 60 people out of every 100,000 contract the disease, and it generally is more severe among blacks.

“I had lumps on my lungs that were causing me to get tired,” said White, whose weight dipped from 305 to 290 when he contracted pneumonia.

White said recent X-rays showed the lumps are gone.

“I’ve been blessed,” he said.

That report was from way back in 1998. This goes to illustrate the difficulty in turning faded memories into reportable facts, and at the same time, monitoring yourself, so as not to fall into idle conjecture. It’s that much harder when no-one is paying you to burn shoe leather. Those of us with day jobs, and no trust fund, must rely upon our networks to flesh-out a story.

If anyone has further information, please feel free to post it, or email me.

Update 5: It seems that steroids are the prefered treatment for scarcoidosis. And, as for just how well known the side effects of steroids are:

AS also affect the cardiovascular system and the serum lipid profile. Relatively few studies have been done to investigate the effect of anabolic steroids on the cardiovascular system. No longitudinal studies have been conducted on the effect of anabolic steroids on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

At this point, although White’s documented problems were not not with his heart, but other thorasic organs, and any steroid use was in treatment, rather than cause of, I hold that my initial statement, couched as I made it, was not without merit. An autopsy is scheduled. When the results are known, some further work might be in order. As for tonight, I believe we can put this story to bed.

Update 6: It appears that the preliminary autopsy results agree with where I left this last night: a heart attack as complication from respiratory problems. But we may not know the whole story for months.

An 8.9 earthquake has struck off the NW coast of Sumatra. Tsunamis have killed over 6000 and counting in nations surrounding the Bay of Bengal. Developing.

Update: This report I’ve just received says our base on Diego Garcia came out “unscathed”. No word on how the Brits fared. The Intenational Red Cross is putting the current death toll at over 23,000, with “tens of thousands” more still unaccounted for.

If you haven’t seen it yet, you simply must check out the National Geographic Channel’s Tycoon Toys:

This gift-giving season the National Geographic Channel (NGC) gives you a chance to experience the adrenaline-rushing, testosterone-pounding items on the wish lists of men with money to burn and a hunger to own some of the finest ex-military hardware in the world. On December 15 from 9-11 p.m. ET/PT join NGC as it premieres Tycoon Toys, two one-hour specials that put viewers in the driver’s seat next to millionaires as they play with some of history’s deadliest tanks and military aircraft — some literally in their backyards!

[…]

In Tycoon Toys: “Tanks,” airing at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT, viewers will go for a ride in some of the most remarkable ground fighting vehicles ever built and visit with their new owners — some of the world’s most renowned tank collectors — as they demonstrate the awesome capabilities of their prized machines. See what makes these high spenders’ engines run and why owning killing machines like the Sherman Tank, German Panzer, British Scorpion and M18 Hellcat fighting vehicle is just half the fun.

For some collectors, their ultimate hobby reaches its peak during an annual weekend of war games. Jon Shoop is a member of the 14th Armored Division World War II reenactment group and owns two of the platoon’s M5A1 Stuart tanks. National Geographic Channel follows him and his friends as they take their tanks to a reenactment event at Fort Knox where they put on a stunning battle scenario, pushing their tanks to the limits.

[…]

Tycoon Toys: “Fighter Jets,” airing at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT, features men who prefer to put some of the world’s most renowned fighter planes through their paces — extraordinary aircraft like the Electric Lightning, MiG fighting jet, “Widow Maker” Starfighter, F15 fighter and the Cobra Attack Helicopter. Once flown by ace military pilots, these former war birds are now somebody’s passionate and very expensive hobby. With 4,000 pounds of thrust and top speeds twice the speed of sound, it’s a hobby that attracts a certain kind of individual — men who have both the money and the guts to take the ultimate risk.

Who are these men and why do they collect and fly these exceptional machines? Most are high achievers like Bob Lutz, Chairman of General Motors North America, one of the most powerful men in the car industry, who says that flying fighter jets reminds him of his youth and keeps him young.

Businessman Mike Beachy Head has created his own private museum of fully operational military jets. His squadron consists of 14 of some of the most awesome aircraft ever built, including classics like the English Electric Lightning, which can travel over twice the speed of sound. Says Head, “I remember once going vertical in a Lightning at sunset, just the only man in the sky and this incredible golden light and then I arced the airplane over hanging weightless at 20,000 feet looking at the most remarkable sunset.”

As they say, check your local listings. 🙂

Certainly, it is no problem for Christians to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ: the Redeemer, the Great Physician, the Baptizer with the Holy Spirit, and the Coming King. The exact date may have been conveniently chosen by the Roman Church to aid in the assimilation of the Pagans. But what the heck, we Americans celebrate the birth of two of our most prominent Presidents on some convenient Monday in February. So, I don’t see that as more than a red herring. You Pagans should just remember that the Christmas tree was your idea in the first place, and deck the halls.

And, of course, Jesus was a great Jewish Rabbi. In fact, one sect, the Yeshua Jews, reveres him as the Messiah. Muslims should celebrate the birth of one of their five major prophets.

Even I, a Skeptic, hold in great stead Jesus the Philosopher, even if I descent with most church’s interpretation and practice of His Word.

Aside from members of Eastern Religions, who largely hold a tradition of respect for those of other beliefs, that leaves only a handful of Grinchy “Atheists”, “Agnostics”, and others of no great faith, who seem to hold a disproportionate sway of late, both in the public square, and the marketplace. For them, I suggest they heed the words of Charles Krauthammer:

Some Americans get angry at parents who want to ban carols. I feel pity. What kind of fragile religious identity have they bequeathed their children that it should be threatened by exposure to carols? I’m struck by the fact that you almost never find Orthodox Jews complaining about a Christmas creche in the public square. That is because their children, steeped in their own tradition, are not threatened by Christians celebrating their religion in public. They are enlarged by it.

It is the more deracinated members of religious minorities, brought up largely ignorant of their own traditions, whose religious identity is so tenuous that they feel the need to be on guard constantly and who think the solution is to prevent the other guy from displaying his religion, rather than learning a bit about their own.

Or, perhaps if someone like Krauthammer makes them feel too threatened, they might connect with Scott LaFee.

No, not one of the usual one. Baldilocks links to a post at The Banty Rooster, where he tells about his brother who is a Capt serving in Iraq. Seems his brother was reading Foxnews.com and saw that SecDef was in town. Of course, they figured he would never come to their part of town, but it seems that he did. Now, Capt Dan works in a hospital over there, and was in the OR when SecDef came to visit the hospital, but just as he was wheeling his patient to recovery, they came across the entourage.

The post recounts SecDef’s encounter with the wounded GI on the stretcher, and it’s one of the best Christmas stories I’ve read this season.

And BlackFive brings us another Christmas story, this one of USO volunteers and reservist families, and how the USO helped those families’ Christmas be bright, even though their loved ones were deployed.

Eight years ago today, I sat in a chow hall in Kuwait eating Christmas dinner with a bunch of strangers. I did my best not to convey outwardly what I felt inside. The last thing I wanted to do was draw attention to my misery, after all, I don’t think any of us wanted to be there. Still, it was my worst Christmas ever, as I was thousands of miles away from my 6 month old daughter…her first Christmas.

Three years ago today, my husband & I, his sister with her husband & son, and my husband’s stepdad sat in a hospital room and watched my mother-in-law pass away following a massive stroke. That topped my Christmas in Kuwait for worst Christmas.

Today, I think about all the Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airman deployed on this day in the Middle East, Afghanistan, the Balkans, Korea, and elsewhere and my heart goes out to them knowing that many are having their worst Christmas ever today. Their sacrifice helps to keep my family safe, and I am tremendously grateful, and pray for their safety.

My kids think today is the best Christmas ever. That makes it mine, too. 🙂

To everyone I wish Merry Christmas and God bless!

I’m currently watching an episode of Discovery Channel’s Monster Garage, from last season. Jesse and his crew are building a Christmas float which spins 360s, while a drunken, skull-faced Santa arises, and fountains of candy gush from his outstretched hands – wicked. 🙂

But they just said that, while the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is second only to the US government in consumption of helium, experts predict the wold’s helium supply will be depleted by 2010. I knew this couldn’t be so, as their are currently many projects going on to create a new generation of high-tech LTA craft – principally for heavy-lift applications.



Well, as it turns out, only the private supply of helium is expected to dry up by 2010. There is still another 10 years worth in the Federal Helium Reserve. And, as you exploit more natural gas reserves, you find more helium.

…everyone.

Comes with the name.

To all who sacrifice so that we may live in peace and freedom, I thank you, and I pray that this holiday may be the last one you spend away from your loved ones.

Merry Christmas!

…and in the next year year I’m building our next computer. I’ve been very happy with the two HPs that we’ve had, but it’s time I started acting like a grownup and build my own. Why? Well, because I CAN that’s why. That and I’m tired of looking at computer prices and then going to places like Tiger Direct and doing the math.

This is the case I’m leaning toward:

And there’s an optional clear side panel I’m toying with but that’s only if I go with little LED’s all over the place. Otherwise I may just let Boyo go sticker crazy on the side of it.

The only thing I don’t like about it? I think it needs another fan, but I really like where they put the USB/Firewire/Audio Ports on the front…and the port panel swivels up if you want to save your desk’s real estate and put it on the floor. Also…there are a LOT of little rubber and plastic mounts all over the place inside so just about EVERYTHING that has a moving part, doesn’t touch the metal of the case directly. Although, I’m not sure what I would do without the sound of a computer spinning up.

It’s gonna be a game box so the CPU will be AMD…I think…I do have a lot of music on this hard drive and they tell me Pentium handles music better. But then again after the new one is up we’ll network this one into it so…

I’m leaning toward two WD hard drives for the RAID.

Soundblaster.

GEForce for the video ‘cuz every Radeon I’ve ever owned or had to install for a friend has been a royal pain in the ass.

More details as I make more decisions or change my mind.

Of course I want your inputs otherwise I wouldn’t have posted here.

I’m heading into the frozen midwest today (Friday) to spend some time with my dad and the rest of the family (cue soundtrack: “I’ll be home for Christmas”). I always tell them “If you ever wonder if I love you, remember that I come NORTH in the wintertime, just to visit y’all.”

Anyway, I’ve been listening to Christmas music for the past 4 weeks, and pondering which song to share with the world on the festive day. I’m choosing one that was Mom’s favorite. More of a poem than a song, actually. Grandpa Jones recorded it originally (he was a country comedian/singer, a billion years ago), and she always loved it.

In 1996, I was driving home for Christmas, listening to my new Reba McEntire Christmas CD, and durned if I didn’t hear her begin to recite the poem. So I copied out the lyrics for Mom, and my brother fancied them up on his computer with fancy fonts and whatever, and made it fit on one page for her. She made copies and included it in her Christmas cards the next year.

“The Christmas Guest”
(Grandpa Jones/Bill Walker)

It happened one day near December’s end
Two neighbors called on an old friend
And they found his shop so meager and lame
Made gay with a thousand bows of green
And Conrad was sittin’ with face ashine
When he suddenly stopped as he stiched a twine

And he said “Oh friends at dawn today
When the cock was crowin’ the night away
The Lord appeared in a dream to me
And said ‘I’m comin’ your guest to be.’

So I’ve been busy with feet astir
And strewin’ my shop with branches of fir
The table is spread and the kettle is shined
And over the rafters the holly is twined

Now I’ll wait for my Lord to appear
And listen closely so I will hear His step
As He nears my humble place
And I’ll open the door and look on His face”

So his friends went home and left Conrad alone
For this was the happiest day he’d known
For long since his family had passed away

And Conrad had spent many a sad Christmas day
But he knew with the Lord as his Christmas guest
This Christmas would be the dearest and best
So he listened with only joy in his heart

And with every sound he would rise with a start
And look for the Lord to be at his door
Like the vision he’d had a few hours before
So he ran to the window after hearin’ a sound

But all he could see on the snow-covered ground
Was a shabby begger who’s shoes were torn
And all of his clothes were ragged and worn
But Conrad was touched and he went to the door

And he said “You know, your feet must be frozen and sore
I have some shoes in my shop for you
And a coat that’ll keep you warmer too”
So with grateful heart, the man went away

But Conrad noticed the time of day
And wondered what made the Lord so late
And how much longer he’d have to wait
When he heard a knock he ran to the door
But it was only a stranger once more

A bent ol’ lady with a shawl of black
With a bundle of kindlin’ piled on her back
She asked for only a place to rest
But that was reserved for Conrad’s great guest

But her voice seemed to plead “Don’t send me away
Let me rest for awhile on Christmas day”
So Conrad brewed her a steamin’ cup
And told her to sit at the table and sup

But after she left he was filled with dismay
For he saw that the hours were slippin’ away
And the Lord hadn’t come as He said He would
And Conrad felt sure he’d misunderstood
When out of the stillness he heard a cry
“Please help me, and tell me where am I!”

So again he opened his friendly door
And stood disappointed as twice before
It was only a child who’d wandered away
And was lost from her family on Christmas day

Again, Conrad’s heart was heavy and sad
But he knew he should make the little girl glad
So he called her in and he wiped her tears
And quieted all her childish fears

Then he led her back to her home once more
But as he entered his own darkened door
He knew the Lord was not comin’ today
For the hours of Christmas had passed away

So he went to his room and he knelt down to pray
And he said “Dear Lord, why did You delay?
What kept You from comin’ to call on me?
For I wanted so much Your Face to see”

When soft in the silence, a voice he heard
“Lift up your head, for I kept my word
Three times my shadow crossed your floor
And three times I came to your lonely door

I was the begger with bruised, cold feet
And I was the woman you gave somethin’ to eat
I was the child on the homeless street.
Three times I knocked and three times I came in
And each time I found the warmth of a friend

Of all the gifts love is the best
And I was honored to be your Christmas guest.”

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Update before I even finish creating the post – my Dad just called. He says Dayton (where I’m flying into) is under a snow emergency, and I won’t be able to leave the city if I do fly in, so I should just stay home. *sigh* I’m still debating, and heading off to research the weather. I had thought they would have the highways cleared by tomorrow.

Well, sorta. At least my email is. Sorry if my address has bounced on you. But it’s working now, honest…