I Hate It When ...

Don't you hate it when you're cruising along and - for no apparent reason - you just fall off the track? Yeah, I hate that too.

Synchronicity

I've been working on a list of tunes to learn on guitar. Some are tunes I know well; others are tunes I've heard a few times, but I don't know the title ... or even the artist. Now, when I hear one of those mystery songs on 105.9 The Edge, I go to their website and look it up on the playlist. Last night - just before bed - I heard one; but my computer was shut down and I was tired. I decided to research it in the morning.

Well, it's called "All Apologies" by Nirvana. Hmmm ... Kurt Cobain again. I pulled up a link to the lyrics too:

All Apologies by Nirvana

Uh-Oh. Look at that third line ... Hmmm. Flash back to my post of November 18th:

Aye I See Sea

It was Kurt Cobain rhyming write with right ... Hmmm. I mentioned this song to my son and he said, "You're in luck, I already have that one in my Nirvana book."

Synchronicity

An Aside: I've been blogging so long I've actually referenced one of my own posts.

Because You Can

After a brief discussion regarding the prudence of opening a business letter with "Because", my co-worker e-mailed me these four lines by Emily Dickinson:

Because I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me;
The carriage held but just ourselves
And Immortality.

The Poem "Death" was a favorite of hers from college days. I'd never seen it before. If you feel compelled, I've included a link to the entire poem along with some scholarly analysis. Enjoy!

Death

Not Even Close

The U.S. just keeps falling farther behind in Hi-Speed Rail. We've been unable to compete with the Germans, Japanese and French for decades; now China comes along and leapfrogs them all. At these speeds, you could wake up early Sunday morning, take the train to Florida for the day, and then be back in Washington D.C. in time for a good night's sleep - and still make it to work Monday morning. Click here for a little more info on:

China's Hi-Speed Train

I know we're big on airliners in the U.S.; but come on - trains are so much more fuel efficient. How can a nation even pretend to care about global warming without investing in Hi-Speed Rail? People don't shun passenger trains because they are fuel efficient, they refuse to ride because trains are slow. We used to lead the world in Hi-Speed Rail ... about a hundred years ago. Now we lead the world in ... ah ... hmmm ... Does anyone know what we lead the world in now? I suppose we still produce the world's deadliest weapons. That's something, I guess. At least we can still kill people more better faster than anyone else. I guess we can be proud of that. Where is Sarcastica when you need it?

Merry Christmas

To those very few who waste time reading my blog, I wish you all A Very Merry Christmas! And if you find yourselves on the road this Holiday Season: be safe, try to relax ... and above all, remember to enjoy yourselves! Wash away the stress of the moment, and spread a little love to those around you. I know it's not easy to do; but if you dig down deep, I'm sure you can find a little something extra to brighten the lives of all the people that you meet.

Needed Software Enhancement

I hate software upgrades. I was a big fan of DOS. I liked the fact that there was only one intended way to do something. Did I really need to learn another ten ways to open a text file? Sluggish boot-ups, bloated code, the blue screen of death ... I hear maybe Windows 7 will finally fix everything - it's about time.

There is one thing I wish had been added a long time ago. We've needed a nationally recognized text font called "Sarcasm" or maybe "Sarcastica". How many times has one of your e-mails been misinterpreted because you lacked access to the "Sarcastica" font. Re-reading the first paragraph of this post, I can see where that font may have come in handy. Can you guess where?

Shovelin' Snow

There is something about shoveling snow that makes the mind wander. There's all that snow, and it has to be shoveled; and you can toss a couple of shovelfuls into a pile, and then look around and see it's going to take a long time. I vaguely remember seeing a statistic about the number of men who die each year from heart attacks while shoveling snow. I guess it's because all of us with desk jobs are in such lousy fiscal ... oops! ... I mean physical condition. So I came up with a plan to fix our fiscal and physical problems in one fell swoop. The Federal Government should issue a new labor regulation requiring all desk workers to participate in a one hour paid PE class each work day. We would all be in better physical condition, thereby reducing health care costs; and we'd all accomplish twelve and a half percent less work each day, forcing businesses to hire twelve and a half percent more workers - that should solve the unemployment problem too. I'm thinking a trillion dollars should cover the program. Anyone willing to sponsor this in Congress?

I also remembered one of my childhood dreams. For a while, I went through my "Dock Worker" phase. I wanted to be a Stevedore or Long Shoreman. Train yards filled with cargo, giant ships to load and unload, handling the commerce of the nation, joining the Brotherhood, what could be more glamorous? It seems a strange dream now - especially since I've never lived near a port and there aren't any dockworkers amongst my family or friends - yet, it was my dream for a while. Funny how none of the career counselors I've met ever asked, "Have you considered getting into dock work? There's a great program available, and we have scholarships too." Oh well, you can't change the past. I guess I'll just go eat another slice of deer and onion pizza and call it a day.

And Yet Another Blog to Follow

I gave up TV and newspapers long ago because they take up too much time - and they require your undivided attention. Instead, I turned to radio for news; at least I can do something else while I'm listening to the radio - like drive to one of my jobs maybe? I won't get into that whole question of why so many people work multiple jobs to make ends meet, at the same time unemployment is so high, and factory utilization in the U.S. is so low. Suffice it to say that what we have is a result of the leadership that we follow.

'Peace through escalating war' claims the Nobel Peace Prize winning Commander-in-Chief.

'Financial security through massively increasing debt' claims Time's Man-of-the-Year Federal Reserve Chairman.

In some bizarre way it all makes sense ... just not to me. It's all kind of depressing really, so I decided to do my part to stimulate the economy. I took my credit card and went to the pawn shop, and I bought myself a beeauuutiful guitar. It's a hollow body electric with tiger stripe maple top in sunburst blue, gold plated hardware, and pearl flames inlaid in the fretboard. It's truly a work of art. I would have bought a handgun, but pawn shops don't sell handguns in Montgomery County anymore. I wonder why?

I could never justify buying a new guitar like this one; it's way too nice for a hack like me - it retails for close to a grand. It was meant to be played by someone with talent. I can't help thinking about the previous owner each time I take the guitar out of it's case: Was he any good? Why did he have to pawn it? Why couldn't he make his interest payments? How could he ever let it go? In bad times, I can understand losing a car, a house, or even a spouse - but a guitar? That's like losing part of your soul. As a people, we have no shame.

So, now I spend my spare time pondering the State of the Union, strumming my new guitar, and studying the life of Kurt Cobain. Maybe that's not too healthy; but it's probably better that sitting around pondering the State of the Union, cleaning my new gun, and studying the life of Randy Weaver. For inspiration I've taken up reading:

Play a Little Guitar

It's the kind of web site that makes the internet revolution worthwhile. Well I guess I'd better sign off now, and go shovel that record snowfall sitting outside my window. I've got multiple jobs to go to tomorrow. Damn global warming ... why is it so slow in coming?

In a Rock 'N Roll Song

I used to work with a guy who believed that the answers to all questions, indeed the required responses to all of life's experiences, could be gleaned from the lines of Rock 'N Roll songs. I didn't agree ... and I still don't; but I think he was close to the truth. I do believe you can find those answers in the pages of books. The more I read, the more I am convinced that there really isn't any need for new books to be written. Everything that needs to be written is already out there; and the more books that get written, the harder it is to find the truth. We just need a better list of which books to actually read. Someone should separate the wheat from the chaff for us. Perhaps a new government agency is required to tell us which books to read - and then we could just burn the rest.

I finished reading that book by Andy Rooney, and it's given me a bad case of writer's block. I can't believe how many of my future blog entries were already in his book - which he wrote almost thirty years ago. In particular, his essay on copper pennies has me questioning why I bother to write at all. In speaking with an old friend today, I've come to the realization that I've become a bit of a Curmudgeon ... and I have to admit that it feels good. The world actually is going to Hell in a hand basket ... why try to deny it. I've become the Ralph Metz of my generation. Ralph, if you read this, I mean that in the nicest possible way. I hoped to channel some of Andy Rooney's spirit into my writing; but when I did some web searching on his life ... well ... I found out that he's still alive. He was even involved in the movie I, Curmudgeon - which sounds really great. Has anyone seen this? Here's an

I, Curmudgeon

review in case you are interested.

Book Abusers

That's a frequent post in my personal journal. It's a pet peeve of mine - people intentionally damaging books in various ways: corner folders, spine breakers and underliners to name a few. Generally, I try to leave a book in as good a shape as when I pick it up. Of course that's not possible in an absolute sense - there is always some wear - but I try. So what brings the matter to the fore today? Well, I finally baked a perfect shortbread. It has taken more attempts than I'm willing to admit, but it's not completely my fault. After consulting several other sources, it appears the book I used contains an error in the specified oven temperature. That's not a big deal for someone who already knows how to cook shortbread; but for a novice it has caused a lot of trouble. So now comes the big question: How do you make a correction to a factual error in a book? - especially given my aversion to book abuse. I'm leaning towards inserting a hand written correction on a little slip of paper - but what if it falls out? Someone else could get burned by this in the future. Maybe a sticky note would be a better choice. Does anyone know how sticky note adhesive effects book paper after years of exposure? I assume 3M must have test data by now.

Infamy? What Infamy?

"But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us ..."

Franklin Delano Roosevelt - December 7th, 1941

That above quote appears in FDR's Pearl Harbor speech. On December 7th, 1941 - following Japan's surprise attack on U.S. Naval Forces stationed in Pearl Harbor - the U.S. launched headlong into World War II. For the next three and a half years, my parents' and grandparents' generations fought, bled and died on the islands of the Pacific. They fought to protect the United States from invasion by the armed forces of Japan. Monday was the 68th anniversary of that world changing event. Although I was not alive when it happened, I've studied the event in some depth; and I am humbled each time I think of the hardships and sacrifices they endured.

It seems few remember anymore. The top story on one news site was "Tiger's wife moves out." Really? On Pearl Harbor Day? On another "One Hit Wonder of the Decade". And on a third "Wintry Weather Wallops United States". Now there's a nice alliteration; but, come on, does that really sound like a day that will live in infamy? Couldn't they at least have titled it "Wintry Weather Wallops United States on Pearl Harbor Day - Just Like the Japanese did 68 Years Ago" - you know, to help us all remember? Does it matter that so many Americans drive Japanese cars while U.S. auto manufacturers and dealers run through bankruptcy. Is that why all of our soldiers and sailors fought ... and died? So we could drive Japanese cars?

Here's a link to

President Roosevelt's Speech

just in case you'd like to read it. And if you read this and are actually old enough to remember that day, I would be honored if you would take the time to leave a comment.

A Confession

OK, I'll admit it. I put the tamarinds out in the snow yesterday. We don't have a sweet tamarind tree in our yard; it was just a joke ... but the snow is real.

Winter Wonderland

Our first snow of the season. I like snow; it gives the world a nice clean look - despite all the filth underneath. I don't so much like being out in the snow, as I like to look at snow. When I'm out in the snow, I always get cold. I guess that's because I prefer to wear cotton. When I get cold, I always seem to eat more. I guess it's a natural defense mechanism; me trying to speed up my metabolism. In fact, I'm getting hungry right now.

What's this doing in my yard? It looks like a big pile ... but you can never tell. It could actually be some kind of food. Maybe if I eat it, I'll feel better.


I wonder who was the first person brave enough to eat this:


Break off the crusty outer shell, peel back the stringy fibers...


and take a big bite. Mmmm ... that's some good eatin' - for some folks, it's an acquired taste. I think it tastes like the fig in Fig Newtons.


Don't forget to spit out the seeds. They are really hard. In some cultures, they grind up the seeds for medicine.


So that's the end of today's "food" post. I'd like to see what "Next Blog" does with this. If you want to know more about sweet tamarinds from Thailand - really tamarinds in general - here's what they have to say at

Wikipedia about tamarinds

More Next Blog

I can't understand why - when I start from my own blog - "Next Blog" always defaults to food. I decided to run another test. I went to a friend's blog and ran the "Next Blog" test. Starting from her blog, "Next Blog" always defaults to World of Warcraft stuff. Weird ... her blog doesn't really seem to be about World of Warcraft at all. What is up with that?

By the Cover

There is an old saying that goes: "You can't tell a book by its cover"; well, let's take a closer look. Here are four books I have handy:

1. Beckett Baseball Card Price Guide Number 18
2. Adolf Hitler - by John Toland
3. Still Cove Journal - by Gladys Taber
4. And More by Andy Rooney - by Andrew A. Rooney

Number 1 is self explanatory. Number 2 ... that's a definitive biography of Adolf Hitler. Number 3 requires a look at the front and back of the dust jacket. There's a sketch of a cozy house on the front, and picture of an old woman and her cat on the back. What do you know, it's an old woman's journal written about her life in a secluded little home on Cape Cod. Number 4 is a collection of essays adapted from Andy Rooney's newspaper columns. I think you should be able to tell a book by its cover - and you can ... if the cover is done well.

I didn't choose these books to prove a point; they just happened to be books I've read recently. From where I sit, I can also see: Family Circle Christmas, Simple French Cookery, Seed-Starters Handbook - they're all easy to judge by their covers. I reckon they're easy to judge because they are all non-fiction. A work of non-fiction is designed to convey new information to its readers. People who design covers for non-fiction books want to be sure you know exactly what you are getting. They want you to know that the information inside is what you are looking for. To convince you to buy their books, they do the best they can to ensure those covers are easy to judge. How many copies of Beckett's would sell if - between the covers - it actually contained "The Perfect Sphere - A History of Ball Bearing Production in the United States"? Maybe one?

With fiction, it's a whole different ballgame. Good fiction tries to teach you something about yourself by presenting you with personalities and situations you're already familiar with. If the cover reveals too much about the plot, you won't waste your time reading the book. Maybe that's why I don't read much fiction; it's kind of deceptive by nature. Adolf Hitler didn't like fiction ... and neither did Andy Rooney. I don't mean to imply that Andy Rooney was anything like Adolf Hitler. Rooney worked as a war corespondent attached to the US Army in the fight against Nazi Germany - I'd guess he despised Hitler as much as the next guy.

Next Blog

I've played with the "Next Blog" button many times, and I'll concede that it's gotten better - now, at least all the blogs are in English. But I'm still not satisfied. By the third or fourth click, the blogs always seem to default to food. Are there really that many food blogs out there? I've never been directed to a railfan blog; aren't there any railfan blogs out there? I know that "Next Blog" is supposed to use the blog I'm on to find another blog of similar content. Does my blog really have so much food content that "Next Blog" is getting confused? I must start including more railroad stuff in my blog so "Next Blog" will understand. To wit, here's a shot of the business end of EBT 15. Wow, that's not much room to stand on when you're shoveling coal into the pitching firebox of a moving locomotive. Luckily, speeds here are slow ... and the fall is a short one.

An Opposing View

I listened to a re-broadcast of the President's speech last night on C-Span radio. It was a typical speech ... if you were President Bush that is: The war on terror will go on and on forever, we need to stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah ... It was the most depressing speech I've heard President Obama deliver; and to think, he just won the Nobel Peace Prize.

What I found most disturbing was the Republican rebuttal delivered by Mitch McConnell. To paraphrase: We agree with everything the President said - except we don't think the troops should leave Afghanistan before the next Presidential Election; and we should use the balance of the economic stimulus money to pay for the war.

Really? In the old days, the opposing party would lambaste the sitting President for his misguided policies. If the Republicans are in total agreement with President Obama, what does that mean? Where is the opposing point of view? Where is the Congressman with the balls to stand up and say, "The President of the United States is wrong."

OK, enough politics. Now back to our regularly scheduled ramblings.

Stack Overflow

I knew it would happen eventually. I finally have so many passwords that I can't remember them all. Some of them have been pushed out the top of my stack and have disappeared. Now I'll have to reassemble them, write them all down, and hide them in a safe place ... and then remember where I hid them. What a pain. I'm old enough to remember when the average guy could go through life without any passwords at all. Progress?

Generally speaking, I try to avoid talking politics and religion - but today I'm going to make an exception. I swear I remember hearing Senator Obama say - if elected - he would bring our boys home; and now he wants to send more troops off to war ... are you kidding me? Am I the only one who remembers this? (Weird, but Blogger says Obama is misspelled and gives as replacements: Obadiah, Obadias, Bamako, and Alabama in that order. Really? Bamako? What the hell is that?) I suppose - what with me forgetting passwords and all - maybe what Senator Obama really said was, "If elected, I plan to send more US troops abroad and I will continue ... Nay, I will escalate the war in Afghanistan", and I'm just not remembering correctly. Can someone within my circle of trust help me out here?

One last comment: I received an e-mail from the President wishing me and my family a Happy Thanksgiving. I returned the same sentiments and appended a note requesting he bring the troops home. I'm starting to think he is ignoring my advice.

Addendum:

Wikipedia on Bamako, the fastest growing city on the continent of Africa.

Fit for its Intended Purpose

This guy bought a tool to adjust the sights on his SKS from Ebay. It was manufactured by a company named UAG. He couldn't use it because it wouldn't clear the hood over the sight. He was going to send it back, but I suggested we just modify it a little. We cut back one edge of the clamp far enough to clear the hood. We used a 10" double cut file; and then cleaned it up with a single cut file. It took about ten minutes to finish the modification. Here are some pictures showing the work:

The sight adjusting tool:


Close up of the cut:


The tool in position to adjust the sight:



I hate it when I go out and buy something - and then it won't do what I bought it to do. In this case, the tool probably works on other rifles - just not his; but many times the problem stems from a deficiency in the tool. Maybe it's too small or too big or too weak. You never know what kind of problem you'll find, but I'm amazed at how often this happens. I think the law used to refer to this as merchantability - "a promise, arising by operation of law, that something that is sold will be merchantable and fit for the purpose for which it is sold." I guess nobody really cares about that anymore. It's nice when you can make a quick modification to something so it will actually do its job.