Many people often confuse the Confederate flag with the Confederate Battle Flag. Here are pictures of both of them:
Most people are familiar with the Confederate Battle flag (bottom), but would not recognize the Confederate Flag (top).
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
A Day in the Life...
So I've had a fairly productive day in the sense that I got a few things done without being stressed out. You also have to discount the fact that I didn't really get anything accomplished until after about 10:30am. I am on vacation, after all!!
But I got some air in my tires and made it up to the mall. Even for a Wed. after noon it was quite a scene. MILFs were abundant with strollers and little kiddies everywhere (don't these people work?). Some of the kiddies were on leashes, and it looks like they needed to be. Come to think of it....My folks said they put ME on a leash.
The strollers, though, were hard to navigate around. These things have gotten huge! Some of them had more cargo space than my truck and that was for just ONE kid. I'm not kidding, I saw some of them that were easily three feet long with sleeping quarters. The double-strollers were also quite massive and it was entertaining watching the women try to man-handle these things while simultaneously juggling shopping bags and the happy meal from sonic.
At one point, I was walking through the food court and got trapped / surrounded by several of the behemoths. Oddly enough, it was well choreographed and I had faint memories of watching a water ballet on the Olympics.
But I made it through the food court only to be called out to by a cute young girl at a kiosk selling iPod accessories.
her: "Hi! Do you have an iPod?"
me: "yes, I do."
her: "which one?"
me: "ummm....the 30-gig classic." At this point I got the deer in the headlights look. This model is only a year old, but I could tell she had no clue what I was talking about.
her: "so, huh, have you seen these converters that let you listen to them in your car?"
me: "yeah, but I don't listen to my iPod in the car very much" Mind you, I am standing there in full riding gear holding a motorcycle helmet. I am still getting the deer in the headlights look and I almost thought to ask her "Which one is bigger, an elephant....or the moon?"
fortunately, she let me out of this one with only a warning....
her: "ummm....ok, have a nice day."
At which point I made a bee-line to the gift giving tree. This is similar to the Angel tree, but it's sponsored by Big Brothers and Big Sisters. It's interesting that over the years it has changed from:
basketballs, skates, and remote controlled cars
to:
games for my [insert game system here]
MP3 player
CD player
etc.
Still, though, the ones that really get to me are the ones where the kids are just asking for clothes. If a 14-year-old boy is asking for clothes that's really sad.
So I loaded up on gift cards to clothing stores and an AMC movie pass good for a few rounds at the movies and dropped it all off. That made me feel a little bit better, but there is still the Toys for Tots Run coming up. As usual, I'm having problems finding which one is the right Toys for Tots Run.
But then it was off to find a tank protector only to find out another motorcycle dealer has moved or gone out of business. You would think that with the increasing popularity of motorcycles it would be easier to find dealers, not harder. But here in S. Arlington you are pretty much fooked unless you want to go to D&S Kawasaki, and I hate those guys.
So I took the bike and flogged it down 157 through the twisties. I think, for once, I really didn't speed too much.....as long as you don't count doubling the posted warnings for the corners, but I don't think that is actually speeding. Only once did I look down and realize I was exiting a corner at over 70mph and the posted speed limit for that stretch was somewhere around 50mph.
Aside from the wind, the weather was great. One layer of thermals on my legs, a long sleeve shirt and my jacket (no winter liner). It was cool, but never cold and for some reason it was just very peaceful to be on the bike letting the miles click off on the odometer.
But I got some air in my tires and made it up to the mall. Even for a Wed. after noon it was quite a scene. MILFs were abundant with strollers and little kiddies everywhere (don't these people work?). Some of the kiddies were on leashes, and it looks like they needed to be. Come to think of it....My folks said they put ME on a leash.
The strollers, though, were hard to navigate around. These things have gotten huge! Some of them had more cargo space than my truck and that was for just ONE kid. I'm not kidding, I saw some of them that were easily three feet long with sleeping quarters. The double-strollers were also quite massive and it was entertaining watching the women try to man-handle these things while simultaneously juggling shopping bags and the happy meal from sonic.
At one point, I was walking through the food court and got trapped / surrounded by several of the behemoths. Oddly enough, it was well choreographed and I had faint memories of watching a water ballet on the Olympics.
But I made it through the food court only to be called out to by a cute young girl at a kiosk selling iPod accessories.
her: "Hi! Do you have an iPod?"
me: "yes, I do."
her: "which one?"
me: "ummm....the 30-gig classic." At this point I got the deer in the headlights look. This model is only a year old, but I could tell she had no clue what I was talking about.
her: "so, huh, have you seen these converters that let you listen to them in your car?"
me: "yeah, but I don't listen to my iPod in the car very much" Mind you, I am standing there in full riding gear holding a motorcycle helmet. I am still getting the deer in the headlights look and I almost thought to ask her "Which one is bigger, an elephant....or the moon?"
fortunately, she let me out of this one with only a warning....
her: "ummm....ok, have a nice day."
At which point I made a bee-line to the gift giving tree. This is similar to the Angel tree, but it's sponsored by Big Brothers and Big Sisters. It's interesting that over the years it has changed from:
basketballs, skates, and remote controlled cars
to:
games for my [insert game system here]
MP3 player
CD player
etc.
Still, though, the ones that really get to me are the ones where the kids are just asking for clothes. If a 14-year-old boy is asking for clothes that's really sad.
So I loaded up on gift cards to clothing stores and an AMC movie pass good for a few rounds at the movies and dropped it all off. That made me feel a little bit better, but there is still the Toys for Tots Run coming up. As usual, I'm having problems finding which one is the right Toys for Tots Run.
But then it was off to find a tank protector only to find out another motorcycle dealer has moved or gone out of business. You would think that with the increasing popularity of motorcycles it would be easier to find dealers, not harder. But here in S. Arlington you are pretty much fooked unless you want to go to D&S Kawasaki, and I hate those guys.
So I took the bike and flogged it down 157 through the twisties. I think, for once, I really didn't speed too much.....as long as you don't count doubling the posted warnings for the corners, but I don't think that is actually speeding. Only once did I look down and realize I was exiting a corner at over 70mph and the posted speed limit for that stretch was somewhere around 50mph.
Aside from the wind, the weather was great. One layer of thermals on my legs, a long sleeve shirt and my jacket (no winter liner). It was cool, but never cold and for some reason it was just very peaceful to be on the bike letting the miles click off on the odometer.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
I Blew My Wad at Fry’s
….and all I got was this lousy t-shirt. Actually, I didn’t even get that. I had to argue with the manager to try to get them to let me guarantee my purchases beyond thirty days as they were all Christmas gifts.
But I have gotten about 90% of my shopping done for the year!!! WHOOOHOO!!! Tomorrow I think the ‘Priller needs a good flogging.
But I have gotten about 90% of my shopping done for the year!!! WHOOOHOO!!! Tomorrow I think the ‘Priller needs a good flogging.
Global Warming Evidence
So Bling! and I are having a conversation and he says to me that “a lack of evidence is not evidence.” This was in reference as to why I don’t agree with global warming theories.
A bit stunned, we got interrupted and I didn’t get to finish the conversation with him. But he does have a good point even if I think the logic is a bit flawed.
But more importantly I think it’s necessary to recognize who is responsible for the burden of proof . You don’t see me running around shouting that we are all doomed and must change our politics. If someone is going to shout that there is global warming and that we need to make radical political and sociological changes then I believe the burden of proof is on them.
Yet, the IPCC has consistently failed to meet that burden of proof. In fact, (here is some evidence) none of what they have predicted has come to fruition. Oh, wait! Maybe that’s a lack of evidence though we can prove that what they said would happen didn’t actually happen.
So here are a few other quick factoids:
The IPCC manipulated models, graphs, and evidence that were contradictory to their agenda. They also “silenced” IPCC reviewers that disagreed with their falsified findings by refusing to publish their reports. And yes, this is fact.
It has not been proven that there have been any significant increases in mean sea level as recorded by satellites, gps readings, and markings made by man. There is some evidence that the sea levels have changed, but it there has been no clear determination of whether the sea actually rose, or if the land shifted (up or down).
Co2 has been proven to have very little if any effect on temperature and certainly not enough of an effect to cause global warming on the scale that the IPCC claims. Water vapor, however, has been proven to have this effect.
There is evidence that shows that solar activity has a far greater effect on our planet than anything mankind has done.
The IPCC, NASA, and other scientist have failed to provide a consistent and precise protocol for measuring temperature across the planet and over time so as to provide a true and accurate recording of the average or mean temperature.
Even that being said, there is evidence from satellites, weather balloons, and other instruments that support that the earth is not, in fact, warming by any significant amount.
Evidence also shows that the earth has been significantly cooler and significantly warmer throughout history.
There is evidence that shows that ice shelves, landmass, and glaciers are increasing in size while others are decreasing (just like always). One might remember that it wasn’t too long ago that Greenland was green and not buried under ice and snow.
I suppose I can go on, but I don’t think I need to. Don’t forget to review this older post for more facts.
If you have read this blog for any length of time, and still fail to see how there is evidence that supports climate change, but not this impending doom then perhaps I have failed to do a good job.
A bit stunned, we got interrupted and I didn’t get to finish the conversation with him. But he does have a good point even if I think the logic is a bit flawed.
But more importantly I think it’s necessary to recognize who is responsible for the burden of proof . You don’t see me running around shouting that we are all doomed and must change our politics. If someone is going to shout that there is global warming and that we need to make radical political and sociological changes then I believe the burden of proof is on them.
Yet, the IPCC has consistently failed to meet that burden of proof. In fact, (here is some evidence) none of what they have predicted has come to fruition. Oh, wait! Maybe that’s a lack of evidence though we can prove that what they said would happen didn’t actually happen.
So here are a few other quick factoids:
The IPCC manipulated models, graphs, and evidence that were contradictory to their agenda. They also “silenced” IPCC reviewers that disagreed with their falsified findings by refusing to publish their reports. And yes, this is fact.
It has not been proven that there have been any significant increases in mean sea level as recorded by satellites, gps readings, and markings made by man. There is some evidence that the sea levels have changed, but it there has been no clear determination of whether the sea actually rose, or if the land shifted (up or down).
Co2 has been proven to have very little if any effect on temperature and certainly not enough of an effect to cause global warming on the scale that the IPCC claims. Water vapor, however, has been proven to have this effect.
There is evidence that shows that solar activity has a far greater effect on our planet than anything mankind has done.
The IPCC, NASA, and other scientist have failed to provide a consistent and precise protocol for measuring temperature across the planet and over time so as to provide a true and accurate recording of the average or mean temperature.
Even that being said, there is evidence from satellites, weather balloons, and other instruments that support that the earth is not, in fact, warming by any significant amount.
Evidence also shows that the earth has been significantly cooler and significantly warmer throughout history.
There is evidence that shows that ice shelves, landmass, and glaciers are increasing in size while others are decreasing (just like always). One might remember that it wasn’t too long ago that Greenland was green and not buried under ice and snow.
I suppose I can go on, but I don’t think I need to. Don’t forget to review this older post for more facts.
If you have read this blog for any length of time, and still fail to see how there is evidence that supports climate change, but not this impending doom then perhaps I have failed to do a good job.
I’m A Fanatic!!
While preparing to gluten myself on holiday turkey and other tasty morsels of food I was having a conversation with a friend of mine and he said that both me, and my father, were fanatical about being anti-global-warming.
I was a bit stunned by this as I certainly don’t see myself as fanatical. I typically think of someone that is fanatical as someone that is willing to go out of their way, alter their behavior to some extent or otherwise become obsessed about something as to be fanatical.
The issue is most definitely divided and we have people that both believe in global warming, and those that do not . Yet, I wouldn’t throw any of them into the fanatical crowd.
The people that I would throw into the fanatical group are those that are flying around the country scare mongering people into believing that we are all doomed. These are people that are willing to go the extra mile to preach what they believe in (or do they?) and have us change our lifestyles, ideologies, and even our laws. To me, that is fanatical.
What do I do? Well, I do think that we have an inherent responsibility to educate ourselves and our future generations. It’s exactly why we spend money on public education. So, all I do is try to let people know that I don’t believe in the scare mongering and why I don’t believe in it. You don’t see me lobbying and protesting with anti-global-warming signs and crap like that. For the most part, I even keep my mouth shut when people bring it up. I hardly call that fanatical.
I was a bit stunned by this as I certainly don’t see myself as fanatical. I typically think of someone that is fanatical as someone that is willing to go out of their way, alter their behavior to some extent or otherwise become obsessed about something as to be fanatical.
The issue is most definitely divided and we have people that both believe in global warming, and those that do not . Yet, I wouldn’t throw any of them into the fanatical crowd.
The people that I would throw into the fanatical group are those that are flying around the country scare mongering people into believing that we are all doomed. These are people that are willing to go the extra mile to preach what they believe in (or do they?) and have us change our lifestyles, ideologies, and even our laws. To me, that is fanatical.
What do I do? Well, I do think that we have an inherent responsibility to educate ourselves and our future generations. It’s exactly why we spend money on public education. So, all I do is try to let people know that I don’t believe in the scare mongering and why I don’t believe in it. You don’t see me lobbying and protesting with anti-global-warming signs and crap like that. For the most part, I even keep my mouth shut when people bring it up. I hardly call that fanatical.
Insurance Company Credit Scam!
Ok, so it’s not really a scam….but it seems highly unfair and unfounded as to why an insurance company is allowed to check you credit history to determine if they will cover you and what rates they will charge you.
I could understand this if you were borrowing money from them, but you are not. It would make more sense to me if they could run some kind of check to see how many filings you have had in the last few years. That makes a lot more sense as to whether or not you are going to be a high-risk client.
What I’d really like to see, in all fairness, is some type of statistics that show how many first claims are denied. I’d also like to see that for second claims and some ratio showing how many claims that were denied on a first or second filing basis that were eventually paid.
Turnabout is fair play and that would allow us, as consumers, to know what kind of a company we are going to be dealing with. But that will never happen. The insurance companies have way too much money and are sucking the proverbial dicks of the legislature so well that we can be assured that we will continue to be treated as peons and that they can get away with just about whatever they like.
I could understand this if you were borrowing money from them, but you are not. It would make more sense to me if they could run some kind of check to see how many filings you have had in the last few years. That makes a lot more sense as to whether or not you are going to be a high-risk client.
What I’d really like to see, in all fairness, is some type of statistics that show how many first claims are denied. I’d also like to see that for second claims and some ratio showing how many claims that were denied on a first or second filing basis that were eventually paid.
Turnabout is fair play and that would allow us, as consumers, to know what kind of a company we are going to be dealing with. But that will never happen. The insurance companies have way too much money and are sucking the proverbial dicks of the legislature so well that we can be assured that we will continue to be treated as peons and that they can get away with just about whatever they like.
Dumbest Contestant Ever?
Aside from the Beauty Pageant contestant that left me feeling like I can eat Cheetos, drink beer, never work again and still be OK we have a new winner!!!
I saw this and laughed until I cried. It just struck me as highly amusing. I then had visions of the producers with their jaws hanging open wondering how they were going to fill more air-space because nobody could be that stupid. “Quick! Cut to commercial! Cut to commercial!!!’
As it turns out, she wasn’t that stupid after all. The picture is a hoax. I found that out afterwards, but it really made me question my faith in humanity. Well, then again…there really isn’t any question. Yes, I believe people are that stupid. Sorry, there you have it.
Black Friday
The AP reported that you crazy bastards waited in line, camped out, crushed each other through doorways, got into fistfights, and broke record numbers of spending. Up 8-point-something percent you managed to spend $10.3 BILLION dollars on Black Friday.
I read numerous reports of fist fights, people camping out, etc. Let me just tell you….you have got to be high on crack, or at least should be seeking mental help. Nobody in their right mind can cost-justify torturing themselves to that extent to save a few extra bucks. Trust me, it will be on sale again before Christmas, and again after Christmas.
Maybe it’s the whole camaraderie of being a crazy bastard along with all the other crazy bastards that are camped out. I don’t know….but I can tell you this white cracker will not ever be amongst you. So shop at will, and thanks for helping support the economy!
BTW – if you took some of that time and energy and put it back to helping people out that would be a real gift this year.
I read numerous reports of fist fights, people camping out, etc. Let me just tell you….you have got to be high on crack, or at least should be seeking mental help. Nobody in their right mind can cost-justify torturing themselves to that extent to save a few extra bucks. Trust me, it will be on sale again before Christmas, and again after Christmas.
Maybe it’s the whole camaraderie of being a crazy bastard along with all the other crazy bastards that are camped out. I don’t know….but I can tell you this white cracker will not ever be amongst you. So shop at will, and thanks for helping support the economy!
BTW – if you took some of that time and energy and put it back to helping people out that would be a real gift this year.
Microbial Hydrogen!!!
Here is a quick article forwarded to me by Bling! The article is spot-on when it states that part of the problem with using hydrogen as an alternative fuel source is storage and production. This article addresses the production piece of it and it’s a very innovative alternative.
http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=9278
http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=9278
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Just a Few Quickies
Here are some random thoughts, ideas, and things I’ve heard over the last few days. I’m not saying that all of them are mine, or even that I agree with all of them.
Caddo Lake 
I spent the weekend at Caddo lake with a friend of mine. I had never been there before, but it was pretty cool. The lake is more of a swamp, with an average depth of only 6 feet and huge groves of cypress trees and all kinds of aquatic life.
Personal Property
I was having a conversation with a friend of mine regarding the ownership of, and the use of, personal information. They presented this as being anything that is personal or proprietary to the individual including photos, DNA, etc.
The idea being that if you picture or photo is utilized by the government, you can sue them and ask for compensation because it is your property. The same would go for your DNA records, medical records, etc. Part of what is driving this is that the government has been, and still is collecting, massive amounts of information about individuals. So if you grab this photo of yours truly, I expect something back......
Can I touch it?
no, don't even look at it.
I can't look at it?
no
Helmet Laws
Yesterday I took Hopper’s bike out for a quick spin around the block. If you have read my blog for any length of time you know I am an avid supporter of wearing protective gear when riding.
This one time, though, I was just taking it for a quick spin so I didn’t bother to grab my helmet. In fact, I didn’t even grab my wallet (though I briefly looked for it). I took the bike out and, of course, got pulled over.
The officer pulled me over and told me up front he stopped me for not wearing a helmet. I got a warning on that one, but also got a $225 fine for not having my license on me even though he validated it from the information I gave him and I now have to go down and show them my license. Supposedly that will get the ticket dismissed.
Afterwards, I started looking into the law on helmets again. It’s still a very convoluted issue in Texas and the officers, judges, and court clerks still don’t know the law and are merrily violating people’s civil rights and fining them way too much money.
Using Ethanol as Fuel
A few excerpts from an article forwarded to me regarding some of the far reaching impact of subsidizing and mandating of ethanol for fuel:
Ethanol, it turns out, may be great politics in Midwestern corn growing states, but it is terrible environmental and economic policy. As more and more food is diverted from human consumption to producing fuel, prices for basic food are skyrocketing around the world. Deforestation is on the rise as third world countries try to cash in on the boom, and violence has broken out as small landholders are being kicked off their land to make way for large palm oil farms.
A coalition made up of Oxfam, the World Wildlife fund, and other groups is raising concerns about the current rush to replace fossil fuels with biofuels. Increased Ethanol production has led to a spike in corn prices that has caused food shortages in third world countries, including our neighbor to the South, Mexico. African and Asian countries that are currently unable to produce enough food for their own populations are clearing cropland to supply Ethanol for Europe’s new mandate of 10% Ethanol in all their gasoline.
The environmental benefits of using Ethanol are miniscule to non-existent—some estimates even show that it takes more fossil fuel to make a gallon of Ethanol than it yields as a fuel. Water resources are being stretched to the point of disaster, and food prices are spiking across the world. The Japanese car companies warn consumers to avoid biodiesel as it lowers the life-span and efficiency of their engines.
Politicians and other ethanol advocates have argued that government mandates and subsidies and mandates were needed to “jump-start” the ethanol industry—that someday, some way all these government subsidy will pay off in better and more efficient fuels. After 30 years of government subsidies and mandates, Ethanol production is as inefficient today as it was then—only now it’s hurting more people.
Kermit Sings Hurt
This is just….wrong, in so many ways:
Ironic, Isn’t It?
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
New Mexico Grants Drivers Licenses to Illegal Aliens
I really thought it would be California that did this first, but it looks like the state of New Mexico is now granting drivers licenses to illegal aliens. Other states are considering doing the same. Unbelievable. I saw this right before I stepped on a plane and fumed about it the whole way home.
It’s mind boggling to me. I simply do not understand how we can allow felons to come into a DMV and get a drivers license without getting arrested! My friend tells me that we need to have a talk about constitutional law. I really would like to be enlightened on how this works because I simply don’t understand it. I am not being facetious. I really want to understand what I consider to be a serious flaw in our system. But it probably wouldn’t do any good anyway as it certainly doesn’t seem that our government cares to fix the problem.
There isn’t much I can do as I am not a citizen of the state of New Mexico, but I am so disheartened by this that I just feel like giving up on our government. I cannot express in words how angry and sad this makes me all at the same time. It’s no wonder that other countries have no respect for us. We can’t, or don’t, enforce our own laws.
It’s mind boggling to me. I simply do not understand how we can allow felons to come into a DMV and get a drivers license without getting arrested! My friend tells me that we need to have a talk about constitutional law. I really would like to be enlightened on how this works because I simply don’t understand it. I am not being facetious. I really want to understand what I consider to be a serious flaw in our system. But it probably wouldn’t do any good anyway as it certainly doesn’t seem that our government cares to fix the problem.
There isn’t much I can do as I am not a citizen of the state of New Mexico, but I am so disheartened by this that I just feel like giving up on our government. I cannot express in words how angry and sad this makes me all at the same time. It’s no wonder that other countries have no respect for us. We can’t, or don’t, enforce our own laws.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Just Time for a Northern Quickie
Here are some pics from my recent trip into the Massachusetts area. I’ve never been up here before so it was a bit of a change for me. Everyone kept telling me that I missed the turning of the leaves, but I still thought they were beautiful! You can tell that some of the trees have finally shed their leaves outright, but for the most part there were still plenty of colors to behold no matter where you went.
There is a lot of history right here where I am at. Most of it seems to be related to electricity and mills. Here is a quick picture of the Crane Paper museum, which was part of the original mill. Crane paper has the distinct honor of being the only mill that produces the specialty “paper” that our currency ends up being printed on. You are probably already aware that it’s not really paper but a textile like cloth. In fact, the original paper that the mill produced was from recycled rags. The guy I was working with has an original ad that read something to the effect of “ladies, don’t throw your rags away.” They also print all the stationary that the White House uses. Surprisingly enough, even though they pretty much ARE the town of Dalton, I couldn’t get my hands on any of their stationary!
A last little tidbit is this guitar. Now, I know it doesn’t look very special from the photo and if you know anything about guitars you might pony up a few bucks for it if you saw it at a garage sale. If you knew even more about guitars you might check the model and serial numbers and realize that you had a pretty special “one off” production guitar and pony up even more dollars for it.
And then if you were really serious you would take it to have it appraised, which is just what the guy I was working with did. After he told me about it, I guessed at a value of around $75,000. He said that’s what he thought, too. After having it appraised though, he was informed a “serious collector” might pony upwards of $500,000 for it!!!! HOLY SMOKES! Like I said, it’s relative. My guess is that a realistic price for it is probably around $250,000. He let me play it a bit, and it was pretty nice. Nothing extrodinary, though. The neck was a bit wide – like that of a classical. But it had a great tone. Check out some of the pics of it. Yes, that is a real rosewood body. Sorry the pics aren't great, it was kind of on-the-fly.
There is a lot of history right here where I am at. Most of it seems to be related to electricity and mills. Here is a quick picture of the Crane Paper museum, which was part of the original mill. Crane paper has the distinct honor of being the only mill that produces the specialty “paper” that our currency ends up being printed on. You are probably already aware that it’s not really paper but a textile like cloth. In fact, the original paper that the mill produced was from recycled rags. The guy I was working with has an original ad that read something to the effect of “ladies, don’t throw your rags away.” They also print all the stationary that the White House uses. Surprisingly enough, even though they pretty much ARE the town of Dalton, I couldn’t get my hands on any of their stationary!A last little tidbit is this guitar. Now, I know it doesn’t look very special from the photo and if you know anything about guitars you might pony up a few bucks for it if you saw it at a garage sale. If you knew even more about guitars you might check the model and serial numbers and realize that you had a pretty special “one off” production guitar and pony up even more dollars for it.
And then if you were really serious you would take it to have it appraised, which is just what the guy I was working with did. After he told me about it, I guessed at a value of around $75,000. He said that’s what he thought, too. After having it appraised though, he was informed a “serious collector” might pony upwards of $500,000 for it!!!! HOLY SMOKES! Like I said, it’s relative. My guess is that a realistic price for it is probably around $250,000. He let me play it a bit, and it was pretty nice. Nothing extrodinary, though. The neck was a bit wide – like that of a classical. But it had a great tone. Check out some of the pics of it. Yes, that is a real rosewood body. Sorry the pics aren't great, it was kind of on-the-fly.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
The Witching Hour?
So I woke up this morning and had to use the little boys room. I made my way in the dark, stubbing my toe in the process. I wasn't sure what time it was, but I guessed between 3:00am and 4:00am. Being a bit of an insomniac I have some experience at guessing the time.
As it turns out, it was 3:33. Not quite 6:66, but half of that.... does that mean that it hints at being half-way evil?
As it turns out, it was 3:33. Not quite 6:66, but half of that.... does that mean that it hints at being half-way evil?
Football Or Nothing!
No wonder the northerners are enraptured by football. There isn't anything else to do but suck back a cold one and watch the boys throw the pigskin around!
Friday, November 02, 2007
Just Ramblin' A Bit
As always, I have all these great ideas to write about when I am flying and then can’t seem to articulate any of them in the same way when I actually sit down to write about them.
I suppose it has a lot more to do with freer flowing thought as I stare out of an airplane window and I just can’t get to that same place in a hotel room. Because my laptop is a behemoth and my battery doesn’t last long it is rarely worth it to pull it out on an airplane. Besides, I think they have weight restrictions on the tray tables..
Lately I’ve been dreaming a lot. For many of you, this may not be unusual. For me, it’s highly unusual. I’ve read that everyone dreams every time you sleep, but that we may not have any recollection of it. I can believe that, and if that is the case then lets say that I rarely remember that I even dreamt at all.
To take it a step further, many of you are already aware that I am a bit of an insomniac. Sometimes it’s the traditional form where I toss and turn and just outright can’t sleep. More often though it’s a bit different for me. I can’t seem to shut my brain down and therefore never reach a truly deep state of unconsciousness. I’ve had people tell me I was sleeping when I would swear up and down I was awake the whole time. It’s not that I don’t believe them, it’s that my brain continues to function on some level that eludes to a level of consciousness for me. The nights I lay down, finally fall asleep and then am just out for several hours is few and far between.
Now I can get very relaxed and my thought stream will get fairly creative and surreal. I suppose that is similar to a dream, but I don’t realize I am asleep and I am pretty sure that sometimes I am for sure NOT asleep as I can recall things going on in the environment around me.
But lately, I’ve been dreaming more at a level where I know it was true REM and I can recall that I had a dream. Not that I always remember the dream, but I at least know I had one. I’m not exactly sure what to attribute this to but it’s interesting and I’m exploring it a bit further.
I’ve also been trying to be a bit more introspective lately. It’s always hard to see yourself as you are, but I am fortunate enough to have some friends that tell me how they see me and how others see me. I’m not really trying to analyze how others see me, though. I’m trying to analyze how I see myself. Sometimes that is far more important than how others see you.
I’ve learned some things I was unaware of and have looked at things from a different viewpoint. I am not saying that I agree with them, but it’s always interesting to hear a perspective or viewpoint that you were not aware of.
Then I get to thinking if I have made good, and correct decisions and where that leaves me in my life. Over all, I’d say that answer is “yes” and I am probably more “good” than most of your weekend Christians….even though I certainly like to have my fun.
But I wonder sometimes if I missed my calling. What does that even mean? To me, it means whatever we were supposed to do. I think that we often miss-interpret that to mean that we thought we should be famous or something like that. I don’t think that I should have been famous, but it would have been a sweet ride. I have a handful of talents that I believe are more prevalent than in others. My question to myself is more of a moral dilemma to wonder if I should be exploiting them more….and not just for me, and certainly not for monetary gain, but for humanity.
As an example….what if I was really supposed to be a musician? What if I was supposed to create music that people listened to and it touched them in some profound way? In that capacity I would have been doing something more than what I am. What do I do? I make 1’s and 0’s travel around and get them where they are supposed to be. I am good at it, but what benefit am I really providing to mankind?
I have said it before, but I’ll say it again. I think most people are just sheep. I don’t believe that they have any redeeming qualities or anything to offer and if they do then they have no ambition to explore it and become more than what they are as an individual. I supposed that is pretty pessimistic, but if you really sit back and look at the percentage of the population that inspires you for any real reason you might find that it’s pretty small.
I heard a guy recently give a speech and he asked “what are American values?” His answer was fairly sarcastic and pretty much on the money. But, then he said it should be God, Family and Country. I took these answers and thought about the root effect of any of them and my summation is that it’s to be part of something larger than yourself. With religion, it’s God. With people, it’s your family. With America it’s our country. We can become part of something larger than ourselves, but I think most of us choose not to for some reason or another. I wonder if I have also inadvertently chosen this path and don’t realize it?
It makes me feel good when my friends tell me that I inspired them in some way. Often times I don’t realize I did it. Maybe that’s my contribution. Maybe, it’s that I chose to be a good person and put other people and my country ahead of myself and by doing so have become part of something larger than I cannot see right now.
I feel pretty fortunate that I have great parents and a stable environment in which to grow up. I believe that to some extent it allowed me to develop into a fairly intelligent and well balanced person. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think I am super smart. I know super smart people and I simply am not genetically as intelligent as they are no matter what I do to exercise it. It never fails to humble me to be around my father, some of my friends, some of my colleagues, or others I’ve been fortunate enough to meet in my life.
So again, I wonder am I doing enough with it? Is there something more I should be doing with it? With any of it? Don’t worry. I’d not say it’s a mid-life crisis by any means, but if I can find a good Vette then I’ll buy one.
I once wrote on here a quote that I really enjoyed. http://invioletlight.blogspot.com/2007/02/brief-quote.html
I think most of us are completely missing the point and just going about our lives as we go through the motions without making any real effort to better ourselves, recognize the beauty of the world we live in, or try to be at peace with each other and make the world (not just good ‘ol USA) a better place to live. I think most people are hollow and empty inside and have lost the ability to fill that void. But I also know there are people out there that are not like that. That are doing something meaningful and purposeful in a way that cannot be expressed in financial success or popularity. They are the people that create, that are giving of themselves, that have obtained some sort of peace and balance, have chosen to be more than a rat in a cage (sorry for the cheap analogy), and are kind even though they may not always be kind. They are the ones that inspire the rest of us. I hope, in some little way, that I am one of those people.
I suppose it has a lot more to do with freer flowing thought as I stare out of an airplane window and I just can’t get to that same place in a hotel room. Because my laptop is a behemoth and my battery doesn’t last long it is rarely worth it to pull it out on an airplane. Besides, I think they have weight restrictions on the tray tables..
Lately I’ve been dreaming a lot. For many of you, this may not be unusual. For me, it’s highly unusual. I’ve read that everyone dreams every time you sleep, but that we may not have any recollection of it. I can believe that, and if that is the case then lets say that I rarely remember that I even dreamt at all.
To take it a step further, many of you are already aware that I am a bit of an insomniac. Sometimes it’s the traditional form where I toss and turn and just outright can’t sleep. More often though it’s a bit different for me. I can’t seem to shut my brain down and therefore never reach a truly deep state of unconsciousness. I’ve had people tell me I was sleeping when I would swear up and down I was awake the whole time. It’s not that I don’t believe them, it’s that my brain continues to function on some level that eludes to a level of consciousness for me. The nights I lay down, finally fall asleep and then am just out for several hours is few and far between.
Now I can get very relaxed and my thought stream will get fairly creative and surreal. I suppose that is similar to a dream, but I don’t realize I am asleep and I am pretty sure that sometimes I am for sure NOT asleep as I can recall things going on in the environment around me.
But lately, I’ve been dreaming more at a level where I know it was true REM and I can recall that I had a dream. Not that I always remember the dream, but I at least know I had one. I’m not exactly sure what to attribute this to but it’s interesting and I’m exploring it a bit further.
I’ve also been trying to be a bit more introspective lately. It’s always hard to see yourself as you are, but I am fortunate enough to have some friends that tell me how they see me and how others see me. I’m not really trying to analyze how others see me, though. I’m trying to analyze how I see myself. Sometimes that is far more important than how others see you.
I’ve learned some things I was unaware of and have looked at things from a different viewpoint. I am not saying that I agree with them, but it’s always interesting to hear a perspective or viewpoint that you were not aware of.
Then I get to thinking if I have made good, and correct decisions and where that leaves me in my life. Over all, I’d say that answer is “yes” and I am probably more “good” than most of your weekend Christians….even though I certainly like to have my fun.
But I wonder sometimes if I missed my calling. What does that even mean? To me, it means whatever we were supposed to do. I think that we often miss-interpret that to mean that we thought we should be famous or something like that. I don’t think that I should have been famous, but it would have been a sweet ride. I have a handful of talents that I believe are more prevalent than in others. My question to myself is more of a moral dilemma to wonder if I should be exploiting them more….and not just for me, and certainly not for monetary gain, but for humanity.
As an example….what if I was really supposed to be a musician? What if I was supposed to create music that people listened to and it touched them in some profound way? In that capacity I would have been doing something more than what I am. What do I do? I make 1’s and 0’s travel around and get them where they are supposed to be. I am good at it, but what benefit am I really providing to mankind?
I have said it before, but I’ll say it again. I think most people are just sheep. I don’t believe that they have any redeeming qualities or anything to offer and if they do then they have no ambition to explore it and become more than what they are as an individual. I supposed that is pretty pessimistic, but if you really sit back and look at the percentage of the population that inspires you for any real reason you might find that it’s pretty small.
I heard a guy recently give a speech and he asked “what are American values?” His answer was fairly sarcastic and pretty much on the money. But, then he said it should be God, Family and Country. I took these answers and thought about the root effect of any of them and my summation is that it’s to be part of something larger than yourself. With religion, it’s God. With people, it’s your family. With America it’s our country. We can become part of something larger than ourselves, but I think most of us choose not to for some reason or another. I wonder if I have also inadvertently chosen this path and don’t realize it?
It makes me feel good when my friends tell me that I inspired them in some way. Often times I don’t realize I did it. Maybe that’s my contribution. Maybe, it’s that I chose to be a good person and put other people and my country ahead of myself and by doing so have become part of something larger than I cannot see right now.
I feel pretty fortunate that I have great parents and a stable environment in which to grow up. I believe that to some extent it allowed me to develop into a fairly intelligent and well balanced person. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think I am super smart. I know super smart people and I simply am not genetically as intelligent as they are no matter what I do to exercise it. It never fails to humble me to be around my father, some of my friends, some of my colleagues, or others I’ve been fortunate enough to meet in my life.
So again, I wonder am I doing enough with it? Is there something more I should be doing with it? With any of it? Don’t worry. I’d not say it’s a mid-life crisis by any means, but if I can find a good Vette then I’ll buy one.
I once wrote on here a quote that I really enjoyed. http://invioletlight.blogspot.com/2007/02/brief-quote.html
I think most of us are completely missing the point and just going about our lives as we go through the motions without making any real effort to better ourselves, recognize the beauty of the world we live in, or try to be at peace with each other and make the world (not just good ‘ol USA) a better place to live. I think most people are hollow and empty inside and have lost the ability to fill that void. But I also know there are people out there that are not like that. That are doing something meaningful and purposeful in a way that cannot be expressed in financial success or popularity. They are the people that create, that are giving of themselves, that have obtained some sort of peace and balance, have chosen to be more than a rat in a cage (sorry for the cheap analogy), and are kind even though they may not always be kind. They are the ones that inspire the rest of us. I hope, in some little way, that I am one of those people.
Electric Cows
I’m working at a fairly interesting research facility this week. I can’t tell you the name of my client, but let’s say they test and research high-voltage components and scenarios. The guy I am working with was telling me of a time when they did an experiment with cows.
Apparently, some dairy farmers were trying to lay to rest the question of whether or not dairy cows (Holsteins) produced less milk in the presence of high-voltage wires. Now, before you go thinking that they electrocuted a bunch of cows it was nothing of the sort.
They rented (yes rented) some cows and stuck them in a field with some high voltage lines. It took them a little while, but what they figured out is that the hooves of the bovines not only conduct electricity, but also act as a collector. So the cows would roam around the field and build up a charge. When they bent their heads to eat the grass they would ground themselves out and receive a mild electric shock for their efforts.
As far as they could tell, this didn’t really hurt the cows but it discouraged them from eating in the same quantities they would have had there not been any electricity around. Thus, it turned out it was true that cows which were in proximity to high-voltage lines produced less milk….just not for the reasons people were thinking.
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