Monday, May 25, 2015
My Old Barracks at Fort Ord, California
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When my son Robert and I were on our trip recently, we drove by my old barracks at Fort Ord, Building 4556. Fort Ord was closed years ago and many of the former army buildings are now gone. However, some have been given at least a temporary reprieve, for how long who knows. Building 4556 is located on a part of the former Fort Ord that is now the California State University Monterey Bay. This building is not in use and may never be but for the moment it still stands with others in a rectangle of similar structures that were built around 1953.
At left, the company street area between two buildings.
This view shows the entrance to the mess hall up the stairs, with the supply room below.
This picture was taken in about the same location, with the entrance to the mess hall behind.
This picture shows an empty company street as it appears today.
The following two pictures were taken at approximately the same place 46 years earlier.
The mess hall entrance taken from another angle.
The next two pictures show one of two main entrances, this one near the orderly room and it was the entrance my platoon always used.
This view shows the north side of the building, which we seldom saw because the area adjacent to it was the company street of the building next door. The squad room I was quartered in was on the third floor, on the far left with now mostly unbroken windows but one is boarded up. Most of my platoon was in a large squad bay but it was a large one and overflow went into a couple of squad rooms. The latrine was next door where the now boarded up windows are with one vent.
These buildings are empty and run-down now. But in their time, they were the scene of thousands of dramas played out day in and day out.
Friday, October 21, 2011
U.S. Goof in Iraq?
So the Big O announced today that all US combat troops would be pulled out of Iraq by the end of the year. That really isn't news, according to what's been previously announced. Unless the previous announcement wasn't serious and our government thought there would be some way to extend our troops' stay. Seems like the Iraqi government wasn't going for a SOF deal so we decided to pull out for real.
Just how many countries can we keep troops in after conflicts end? We've had forces in Germany and Japan since 1945; in Korea since 1950. Smaller elements in many other scattered places. I guess entrenched interests of the government establishment figure that once we get into a place, we should remain there to some extent indefinitely.
Tragedy or folly often starts at the beginning of an event but the irony is that we often don't recognize it as such until along about the end. Our great taxpayer expenditure in Iraq may turn out to have been for nothing. Why did we go to Iraq the second time, anyway? To eliminate the threat of weapons of mass destruction? We never did find any. And even if we had, what made Iraq different in this way than say, North Korea or Iran? We haven't invaded them yet but they have or are working on weapons of mass destruction. Okay, how about terrorist activity? Saddam Hussein may have allowed terrorist groups to gather or train in his country, but it wasn't a major effort and many other countries have done the same to much larger extent (Yemen, Indonesia, Syria, Iran, et al) and we haven't found it necessary to invade them. So the question still hangs in the air. What was the real reason for invading Iraq? Not for a minute do I buy the liberal claim that it was done "to get the oil." So far as I know, we didn't get a drop of it to our own benefit. Unless there's a lot more going on than our deep-digging news media know about.
Oh, did we do it to gain freedom and democracy for the oppressed Iraqi people? If you believe that, then you believe in the tooth fairy putting a silver dime under your pillow.
Prior to the US government deposing him, Saddam Hussein was what is known in geopolitics as a countervailing force. Better yet for the US, he was a countervailing force that we had some control over. For some time after the first Iraq war, we controlled the airspace over Iraq which included constant surveillance so Saddam couldn't pop any surprises. Saddam interposed a barrier to Iranian ambitions in the region. Absent Saddam's rule in Iraq, Iran is gaining great influence there. It doesn't hurt that the Iraqi leader, al-Maliki, spent lots of time in Iran during Saddam's rule. So basically what may have happened is, throught great expenditure of treasure and blood, the US in deposing Saddam paved the way for Iran to consolidate power in the region. The Iranians have got to be laughing at our stupidity.
Just how many countries can we keep troops in after conflicts end? We've had forces in Germany and Japan since 1945; in Korea since 1950. Smaller elements in many other scattered places. I guess entrenched interests of the government establishment figure that once we get into a place, we should remain there to some extent indefinitely.
Tragedy or folly often starts at the beginning of an event but the irony is that we often don't recognize it as such until along about the end. Our great taxpayer expenditure in Iraq may turn out to have been for nothing. Why did we go to Iraq the second time, anyway? To eliminate the threat of weapons of mass destruction? We never did find any. And even if we had, what made Iraq different in this way than say, North Korea or Iran? We haven't invaded them yet but they have or are working on weapons of mass destruction. Okay, how about terrorist activity? Saddam Hussein may have allowed terrorist groups to gather or train in his country, but it wasn't a major effort and many other countries have done the same to much larger extent (Yemen, Indonesia, Syria, Iran, et al) and we haven't found it necessary to invade them. So the question still hangs in the air. What was the real reason for invading Iraq? Not for a minute do I buy the liberal claim that it was done "to get the oil." So far as I know, we didn't get a drop of it to our own benefit. Unless there's a lot more going on than our deep-digging news media know about.
Oh, did we do it to gain freedom and democracy for the oppressed Iraqi people? If you believe that, then you believe in the tooth fairy putting a silver dime under your pillow.
Prior to the US government deposing him, Saddam Hussein was what is known in geopolitics as a countervailing force. Better yet for the US, he was a countervailing force that we had some control over. For some time after the first Iraq war, we controlled the airspace over Iraq which included constant surveillance so Saddam couldn't pop any surprises. Saddam interposed a barrier to Iranian ambitions in the region. Absent Saddam's rule in Iraq, Iran is gaining great influence there. It doesn't hurt that the Iraqi leader, al-Maliki, spent lots of time in Iran during Saddam's rule. So basically what may have happened is, throught great expenditure of treasure and blood, the US in deposing Saddam paved the way for Iran to consolidate power in the region. The Iranians have got to be laughing at our stupidity.
Monday, October 10, 2011
The Swedish Twist is Back at My House
No, it's not a dance, it's a baked good.
Many years ago, there was a bakery in Los Angeles named Van de Kamp's. When large grocery stores started to be built, Van de Kamp's had sections in many of the stores where they sold their specialty baked goods. After Theodore Van de Kamp died, his family sold the company to General Host Corp. which fairly soon after got out of the baking business but you may have seen the Van de Kamp name on frozen food products, like fish sticks. The bakery has been gone for decades, was only in the southern CA area but the frozen foods are sold nation-wide.
Van de Kamp's had a Dutch windmill with Delft blue and white signage as their advertising themes. Van de Kamp's had their own in-store employees who stocked the merchandise, women who wore a kind of quasi-Dutch costume to include a white apron while they were working. In my experience, they were always kindly, older ladies who would patiently answer customer questions about the product. They were a bit like the presence of a made-up Santa Claus in department stores during Christmas.
One of my favorite baked items from Van de Kamp's since I was a child in the 1950's was called the "Swedish Twist." This was three thick strands of risen dough, braided together, and coated with sugar and cinnamon. No gooey frosting like Cinnabon rolls. My grandmother introduced me to this wonderful treat but as I got older, I bought them myself at the store. Then one day some time in the late 1960's, I went in to buy one and the shelf was empty. When asked, the Van de Kamp's lady told me that the item was discontinued; it seems that the braiding was done by hand and had been deemed too costly to continue the process. The Swedish Twist did make a brief reappearance in the early '70's, then it was gone for good.
In recent years, my wife has made a kind of coffee cake she calls Monkey Bread. I've been thinking about his, and with a few suggested modifications, I asked her to use this dough recipe to replicate the Swedish Twist. She did it tonight and her version is a dead ringer for the original.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Soldier of the Month
Actually, I was Soldier of the Month twice. What is Soldier of the Month? Well, in Army units (at least when I was in), they used to have these supposed morale-raising bogus contests to see who was the sharpest soldier in the unit. In my unit at Fort Leonard Wood, it wasn't a contest. A candidate for SOM was drafted. I was permanent party in a training unit, and only perm. party were "eligible" for this "honor." No trainees were permitted to "compete." The SOM deal was kind of a pet project of the Sergeants Major, and therefore of the First Sergeants of the companies. Most of the permanent party cadre were jaded Vietnam veterans who had utterly no interest in such things, and probably would have told the first sergeant to stuff SOM.
In my unit at Fort Leonard Wood, when I arrived I was "fresh meat." My fatigues were stiff with starch, I still played the discipline game, and as company clerk, that meant at least I could read. My first sergeant saw in me a possibility for being his pet Soldier of the Month.
I should say, in his words, "Sojer o' da Munt." My first sergeant was Elijah Ralls. He was an older black soldier, and since he was born in 1927, he must have joined the Army as a young fellow around the end of WW2. Back in the Vietnam war era, E-8's weren't required to be all that educated, and First Sergeant Ralls wasn't. He never could get my name right, and referred to me as "Swatley." What he lacked in education, he made up for in common sense, experience, and discipline. He wasn't without humor, as sometimes I would glance up from my desk and see that he was slying laughing at someone or something. He was a very tall, erect soldier. While in Germany, he had met and married a German woman. I must say, she was without doubt one of the homeliest women I have ever seen; tall, with a long neck like a goose that placed her head somewhat forward. She was polite in the extreme; on those rare occasions when she came around the company area, she would knock on the door of the orderly room, ask for Sergeant Ralls, and speak to him outside without ever coming in. Maybe that's how they used to do it at German Army orderly rooms, for all I know. First Sergeant Ralls was retirement eligible, and I once overheard another cadre member ask him what he was considering after retirement. He answered, "Oh, Ah speck Ah'll get a job wuckin f' da pote office." I don't know if he ever did; he died in 1997.
At Fort Leonard Wood, my company had the appearance of being an exclusive destination for black cadre members in my battalion. The battalion personnel sergeant was apparently practicing defacto segregation; remember, this was only five years after the 1964 Civil Rights Act, so some of those things died slowly. First Sergeant Ralls was probably used to being crapped on, so he may have felt he could make the company sparkle a little bit if he could come up with a good prospective Soldier of the Month.
I hadn't been in the company long when 1SG Ralls came over to me and told me I was going to be his Sojer o' da Munt. He outlined the program to me, and gave me some tips on doing well. Soldiers of the Month went before boards of First Sergeants and Sergeants Major, competing first at battalion level, next at brigade level, then finally at post level. These boards would look the soldier over to see how well he was turned out as to uniform and personal appearance, and then grill him with questions about military knowledge. Since these men were mostly engineer soldiers, their questions were centered on that specialty. I didn't know squat about engineering; I was a clerk. It didn't matter; 1SG Ralls gave me a copy of FM 5-34, the Engineer Soldier's Field Data handbook. He told me to read it and gave me some tips about what kinds of questions that I would almost certainly be asked. No, they weren't going to ask me questions about the Morning Report or the Army Functional Files System, things I knew about. They were going to ask me questions like, "What is the burning rate of det cord?" (Answer: 20,000 to 24,000 feet per second), or, "What kind of knot is used to secure separate lengths of det cord?" (Answer: girth hitch).
So, I went up two times as SOM, and was crowned 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade Soldier of the Month both times. When I went on to the Brigade SOM competition, I won that once and went on to Post SOM competition where I lost. Never mind, I made First Sergeant Ralls very happy with my limited accomplishments. For once, B Company had a feather in its hat. My efforts earned me several three day passes which at the time were well received. I also was given a little wood and brass plaque by the battalion sergeant major, SGM Gonzales. I still have the silly little thing; after I was made battalion SOM the first time, I sent the trinkent home with some other things. When I did the same thing months later, SGM Gonzales came around to congratulate me, then asked where my plaque was. I told him I had sent it home, and he told me to get it back so they could engrave the data for the second event on the original plaque. I guess he wanted to economize on plaques.
I'd completely forgotten about this thing. It spent over 30 years in my mother's attic with some other stuff from that time. A number years ago when I was visiting, my mother asked me clean out her attic and I found it there.
These many years later, I wish I'd gotten to know 1SG Ralls better on a personal level. At the time, I was only 19 years old and you know how it is at that age. I was living in my own little world, and wasn't paying much attention to the older people around me whom I was working with. I was focused on my own amusements in my rare time off when I could have been getting to know this interesting soldier better.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Finding the Dead Rat
About ten days ago, my wife told me she noticed a "funny smell" coming from the area of the computer and would I check it out. I did, and could only get a faint odor. A day or two later, I smelled it myself without trying.
My wife claims that I can't smell odors so well, but for me dead rat smell is unmistakeable. I've smelled dead rats in parked cars and, whoooee, some warm days of that and the smell is overpowering.
A few days ago, I noticed the bad smell eminating from the ducts in the forced air furnace. In winter, the use of the forced air furnace is limited because I'm always burning in the wood stove. However, my wife gets up fairly early to go to work and usually I'm still abed then. She turns on the forced air furnace to take the edge of the coolness that has settled into the house overnight. Then when I get up, I burn wood until I go to bed which is usually late. Get up late, go to bed late; makes sense to me.
I know the mechanics of my house very well. I know the entire layout of the plumbing, heating, electrical and so on. So I know the exact routing and layout of the furnace ducts. The heating system vents in two main runs. One is for the two-story side of the house, with ducting between the floors that serves both. The other main run goes out away from the furnace under the middle floor of the house (tri-level design). This run is in a crawlspace. There is a main gallery with laterals that feed out to the sides that go to the registers in the floor. It was from this run that I could smell dead rat.
My first fear was that a rat has somehow penetrated the duct system itself, gotten in there and died. Using a mirror, I looked in several laterals but couldn't see any rat turds or disturbed dust (or dead rats) that would indicate rat traffic. Since I couldn't see in the main gallery, I couldn't check it out. I'd been wondering about this, though. With the furnace turned on, the smell would only come out briefly during initial start-up. If a dead rat was in there, the smell would be constant and quite strong.
With this all in mind, today I went under the middle level to have a look-see. I'd been under there a couple of days ago to set some traps before I did much exploring. This morning, the traps had no takers. So I went on in and started investigating. I know what to look for. Rat turds, disturbed dust, and clawmarks on the framing. I also had a certain lateral in mind to drop down in case I wanted to inspect the main gallery. I went right to that joint and right away found evidence of rat. I started pulling away the plastic coating over the insulation and right away got a strong smell. A little more pulling and I could see a rat tail. Next I went out and got a black trash bag, returned and started pulling the nest apart. The rat hadn't been in there long from the looks of the nest. I put all the contaminated insulation and dead rat in the bag. The smell was very ripe.
I got lucky to find this so quickly.
So, there wasn't any rat inside the ducting. It was right up against the steel ducting at a joint. Even though the ducts are taped at the joints, there are fittings where the steel is just pressed together and apparently the odor was seeping into the system that way. With plastic coated insulation, there wasn't anywhere else for the odor to go. When I first entered the crawl space, there was no odor. It was only when I breached the insulation that the smell came out.
While I was under there, I checked around the whole place and looked at everything. I've had a rat or two get under here before, but I've always discovered this in warm weather after they've left. Cold weather is what drives them inside. Of course, I want to know where they get in. The last time, they had actually tunneled under the foundation footing from outside to gain entrance. Today, I couldn't find the place but it's got to be there somewhere. I sent several more mechanical traps that I will check periodically the rest of the winter.
When I lived in the city, I never had the problem of rats or mice. There, even in a nice but older part of town, cockroaches were the scourge. You can never get rid of all of those; if you eradicated 100% of them on your property, the next night you'd be infested again from adjacent properties. I'll never forget a realtor's comment when we were looking at a home for sale and I found a dead cockroach. Her exact words were, "Oh, that's just an itty-bitty old water bug." Water bug. Lady, I knew cockroaches from Vietnam, those great big fellas, and I know a roach when I see one.
For the many years since that I've lived in a woodsy area, we've never seen a cockroach. We've seen plenty of other pests, though. How about raccoons, opossums, squirrels, rats, mice, carpenter ants, and I don't know what else. They all seem to want to get into your stuff in some way.
I didn't have rats around (to my knowledge, anyway) until about ten years ago. I have some neighbors a ways off who are of a religious sect that believes in storage of food. Well, these people stored up whole grains loose in suitcases in their garage, which they often leave open for long periods. One famous time, they decided to clean out their garage. They got to the suitcases and found that rats had eaten holes in them and infested that part of the structure. When this whole mess was disturbed, the rats fled out the garage door in all directions and since that time, I've started seeing rats from time to time.
My wife claims that I can't smell odors so well, but for me dead rat smell is unmistakeable. I've smelled dead rats in parked cars and, whoooee, some warm days of that and the smell is overpowering.
A few days ago, I noticed the bad smell eminating from the ducts in the forced air furnace. In winter, the use of the forced air furnace is limited because I'm always burning in the wood stove. However, my wife gets up fairly early to go to work and usually I'm still abed then. She turns on the forced air furnace to take the edge of the coolness that has settled into the house overnight. Then when I get up, I burn wood until I go to bed which is usually late. Get up late, go to bed late; makes sense to me.
I know the mechanics of my house very well. I know the entire layout of the plumbing, heating, electrical and so on. So I know the exact routing and layout of the furnace ducts. The heating system vents in two main runs. One is for the two-story side of the house, with ducting between the floors that serves both. The other main run goes out away from the furnace under the middle floor of the house (tri-level design). This run is in a crawlspace. There is a main gallery with laterals that feed out to the sides that go to the registers in the floor. It was from this run that I could smell dead rat.
My first fear was that a rat has somehow penetrated the duct system itself, gotten in there and died. Using a mirror, I looked in several laterals but couldn't see any rat turds or disturbed dust (or dead rats) that would indicate rat traffic. Since I couldn't see in the main gallery, I couldn't check it out. I'd been wondering about this, though. With the furnace turned on, the smell would only come out briefly during initial start-up. If a dead rat was in there, the smell would be constant and quite strong.
With this all in mind, today I went under the middle level to have a look-see. I'd been under there a couple of days ago to set some traps before I did much exploring. This morning, the traps had no takers. So I went on in and started investigating. I know what to look for. Rat turds, disturbed dust, and clawmarks on the framing. I also had a certain lateral in mind to drop down in case I wanted to inspect the main gallery. I went right to that joint and right away found evidence of rat. I started pulling away the plastic coating over the insulation and right away got a strong smell. A little more pulling and I could see a rat tail. Next I went out and got a black trash bag, returned and started pulling the nest apart. The rat hadn't been in there long from the looks of the nest. I put all the contaminated insulation and dead rat in the bag. The smell was very ripe.
I got lucky to find this so quickly.
So, there wasn't any rat inside the ducting. It was right up against the steel ducting at a joint. Even though the ducts are taped at the joints, there are fittings where the steel is just pressed together and apparently the odor was seeping into the system that way. With plastic coated insulation, there wasn't anywhere else for the odor to go. When I first entered the crawl space, there was no odor. It was only when I breached the insulation that the smell came out.
While I was under there, I checked around the whole place and looked at everything. I've had a rat or two get under here before, but I've always discovered this in warm weather after they've left. Cold weather is what drives them inside. Of course, I want to know where they get in. The last time, they had actually tunneled under the foundation footing from outside to gain entrance. Today, I couldn't find the place but it's got to be there somewhere. I sent several more mechanical traps that I will check periodically the rest of the winter.
When I lived in the city, I never had the problem of rats or mice. There, even in a nice but older part of town, cockroaches were the scourge. You can never get rid of all of those; if you eradicated 100% of them on your property, the next night you'd be infested again from adjacent properties. I'll never forget a realtor's comment when we were looking at a home for sale and I found a dead cockroach. Her exact words were, "Oh, that's just an itty-bitty old water bug." Water bug. Lady, I knew cockroaches from Vietnam, those great big fellas, and I know a roach when I see one.
For the many years since that I've lived in a woodsy area, we've never seen a cockroach. We've seen plenty of other pests, though. How about raccoons, opossums, squirrels, rats, mice, carpenter ants, and I don't know what else. They all seem to want to get into your stuff in some way.
I didn't have rats around (to my knowledge, anyway) until about ten years ago. I have some neighbors a ways off who are of a religious sect that believes in storage of food. Well, these people stored up whole grains loose in suitcases in their garage, which they often leave open for long periods. One famous time, they decided to clean out their garage. They got to the suitcases and found that rats had eaten holes in them and infested that part of the structure. When this whole mess was disturbed, the rats fled out the garage door in all directions and since that time, I've started seeing rats from time to time.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Collecting the 50 States Commemorative Quarter Coins
OK, did any of you get started on this nonsense back in 1999 when the first state quarters were struck?
My wife, way out of character and no coin collector, decided she would save "one of each." She sent away for this big, cardboard folder that had a map on it and a little hole for every state quarter to be issued. We dilligently kept a lookout for these coins to fill up the holes. One of the many jobs I had over the years at the PO was vending machine technician, so I had a fairly large pool of coins to scan.
The program was to run through completion in 2008. By that time I'd retired, and wasn't exposed to coins much any longer. We missed what I thought were a couple of the later ones. In the meantime, I found a Puerto Rico in pocket change and wondered where that came from.
To close this project out, recently I stopped in a coin store to get UT and AK, the two presumed missing quarters. While there, I asked about PR and found out the government had gone past the 50 states and also issued a piece for DC and each of the US possessions, so I had to get one each of these for the sake of completion (or compulsion).
In the meantime, I'd picked up a blue Whitman coin folder made for these quarters. This was much more compact than the huge folder we originally had, so I undertook to transfer the coins over to it. I got all 50 coins plus DC and the territories installed and still had a bunch of empty holes. Whaaat? I've now discovered that not only am I not finished, I'm far from it. Turns out, they minted these things at both Philadelphia and Denver mints. Living out west, I have mostly D's. So now I have to find 47 P's and three D's to complete. Fooey. I may just call it good to have one design of each and poo on mint marks. After all, they won't be worth over a quarter apiece in my lifetime and maybe not for 200 years. Not to mention the ravages of time against the current value of money. In 200 years, they will likely have a purchasing power of one cent apiece.
So I guess I have to be content with admiring the different designs on the backs of these coins. Some of them, anyway. The design committees or whoever selected the individual state designs worked at varying levels of aesthetic competence. Some designs are beautiful, some are handsome, some are cluttered, some are ugly, and some are just plain stupid. Without intending to make a statement about the state involved, here are some of the designs that I like:
CT, with the Charter Oak
MS, with the magnolia blossoms
MO, with the Louis & Clark explorer paddling their canoe in 1804 with the Gateway to the West in the 2004 background
KS, with the bison and sunflower
NV, with the wild mustangs, one of my favorites
CO, with the Rocky Mountains scene
ND, with the pair of bison
MT, for sure with the steer skull and landscape in background, very nice design
ID, with the falcon, outline of state, and motto. I don't normally like designs with the state outline, but the falcon trumped that on this one. Bird depictuion could be better, though
WY, with the bucking bronco
OK, with the flycatcher (bird) in flight over flowers
AZ, with the Grand Canyon in the background and desert flora in the foreground. Very nice design with integrated but unbusy themes.
AK, nice design with the grizzly bear
The design of my own state of WA I rate as fair, depicting a leaping salmon in mid-air with Mt. Rainer in the background. Multiple themes but not busy; could be a single wildlife scene.
Now in my opinion only, the following are stinkers:
TN, which celebrates musical heritage with pictures of random musical instruments. This is a case, as with a few other states, where they chose to select a theme other than something of natural or historical importance. It could be worse.
IA, my parents's home state. This design shows a school house in a Grant Wood drawing with the motto, "Foundation in Education." An admirable concept to honor, and this is a clear example where the state chose to celebrate an idea and tradition rather than some other, tangible topic. I don't like the design.
Many states chose to put a map of their state in the design in some way. As I said before, I don't overly care for these map designs because they do not much celebrate anything but the existence of the state. NM, however, has a pretty stylish version with their Zia sun symbol state emblem super-imposed upon it.
WI has a steer's head, a round of cheese and an ear of corn on it. Need I say more?
Some states chose busy designs that would cover multiple subjects, like LA, AR, FL, IL, SC. Some of these efforts were more successfully executed than others. Some looked cluttered and busy.
A couple of the worst, only in my own opinion, are:
DC, with a picture of Duke Ellington and a piano. Now I know that Ellington was a talented and popular musician. But so many other historical events and places are connected with DC that I just have to wonder about this choice.
AL, with a picture of Helen Keller sitting in a chair. Honestly, when I first saw this coin, I thought it was a picture of "Old Sparky" the electric chair and the state was celebrating capital punishment. The artwork is horrible, and although the story of Ms. Keller is famous and touching, is that the most important thing the state is known for??
All of these designs of course represent symbolism particular to a given place. Some artists and design committees have interpreted their charge in different ways. My own preference is for something beautiful, often a single theme, that is representational of what is celebrated and not necessarily purely objective.
My wife, way out of character and no coin collector, decided she would save "one of each." She sent away for this big, cardboard folder that had a map on it and a little hole for every state quarter to be issued. We dilligently kept a lookout for these coins to fill up the holes. One of the many jobs I had over the years at the PO was vending machine technician, so I had a fairly large pool of coins to scan.
The program was to run through completion in 2008. By that time I'd retired, and wasn't exposed to coins much any longer. We missed what I thought were a couple of the later ones. In the meantime, I found a Puerto Rico in pocket change and wondered where that came from.
To close this project out, recently I stopped in a coin store to get UT and AK, the two presumed missing quarters. While there, I asked about PR and found out the government had gone past the 50 states and also issued a piece for DC and each of the US possessions, so I had to get one each of these for the sake of completion (or compulsion).
In the meantime, I'd picked up a blue Whitman coin folder made for these quarters. This was much more compact than the huge folder we originally had, so I undertook to transfer the coins over to it. I got all 50 coins plus DC and the territories installed and still had a bunch of empty holes. Whaaat? I've now discovered that not only am I not finished, I'm far from it. Turns out, they minted these things at both Philadelphia and Denver mints. Living out west, I have mostly D's. So now I have to find 47 P's and three D's to complete. Fooey. I may just call it good to have one design of each and poo on mint marks. After all, they won't be worth over a quarter apiece in my lifetime and maybe not for 200 years. Not to mention the ravages of time against the current value of money. In 200 years, they will likely have a purchasing power of one cent apiece.
So I guess I have to be content with admiring the different designs on the backs of these coins. Some of them, anyway. The design committees or whoever selected the individual state designs worked at varying levels of aesthetic competence. Some designs are beautiful, some are handsome, some are cluttered, some are ugly, and some are just plain stupid. Without intending to make a statement about the state involved, here are some of the designs that I like:
CT, with the Charter Oak
MS, with the magnolia blossoms
MO, with the Louis & Clark explorer paddling their canoe in 1804 with the Gateway to the West in the 2004 background
KS, with the bison and sunflower
NV, with the wild mustangs, one of my favorites
CO, with the Rocky Mountains scene
ND, with the pair of bison
MT, for sure with the steer skull and landscape in background, very nice design
ID, with the falcon, outline of state, and motto. I don't normally like designs with the state outline, but the falcon trumped that on this one. Bird depictuion could be better, though
WY, with the bucking bronco
OK, with the flycatcher (bird) in flight over flowers
AZ, with the Grand Canyon in the background and desert flora in the foreground. Very nice design with integrated but unbusy themes.
AK, nice design with the grizzly bear
The design of my own state of WA I rate as fair, depicting a leaping salmon in mid-air with Mt. Rainer in the background. Multiple themes but not busy; could be a single wildlife scene.
Now in my opinion only, the following are stinkers:
TN, which celebrates musical heritage with pictures of random musical instruments. This is a case, as with a few other states, where they chose to select a theme other than something of natural or historical importance. It could be worse.
IA, my parents's home state. This design shows a school house in a Grant Wood drawing with the motto, "Foundation in Education." An admirable concept to honor, and this is a clear example where the state chose to celebrate an idea and tradition rather than some other, tangible topic. I don't like the design.
Many states chose to put a map of their state in the design in some way. As I said before, I don't overly care for these map designs because they do not much celebrate anything but the existence of the state. NM, however, has a pretty stylish version with their Zia sun symbol state emblem super-imposed upon it.
WI has a steer's head, a round of cheese and an ear of corn on it. Need I say more?
Some states chose busy designs that would cover multiple subjects, like LA, AR, FL, IL, SC. Some of these efforts were more successfully executed than others. Some looked cluttered and busy.
A couple of the worst, only in my own opinion, are:
DC, with a picture of Duke Ellington and a piano. Now I know that Ellington was a talented and popular musician. But so many other historical events and places are connected with DC that I just have to wonder about this choice.
AL, with a picture of Helen Keller sitting in a chair. Honestly, when I first saw this coin, I thought it was a picture of "Old Sparky" the electric chair and the state was celebrating capital punishment. The artwork is horrible, and although the story of Ms. Keller is famous and touching, is that the most important thing the state is known for??
All of these designs of course represent symbolism particular to a given place. Some artists and design committees have interpreted their charge in different ways. My own preference is for something beautiful, often a single theme, that is representational of what is celebrated and not necessarily purely objective.
Friday, January 28, 2011
The Domino Theory is Alive and Well
This time in the middle east. First Tunisia, now Egypt. These were both "moderate" states that had the support of the US. Mostly, these so-called moderate states have been repressive to some degree in the governance of their populations. In Egypt, Mubarak has been in office since Anwar Sadat took a bullet. Mubarak has remained in office via bogus elections and other shenanigans. He has consolidated the power of the state around himself and like any dictator, is loathe to give up his power and priviledge.
Who's next in the cavalcade of toppled despots? Saudi Arabia, maybe? The US supports these so-called moderate states for a couple of reasons. One, US foreign policy favors a benign status quo. So long as despotic leaders can keep their countries in some mode of continuing stability, the US is willing to overlook repressive governance in that pursuit. Two, these states get their nominal label of moderate in that they are not wild-eyed eager to wipe Israel off the map. They may not like Israel, but they have come to some accommodation with its existence.
The US finds some alternative form of government in these moderate middle eastern countries about as welcome as poison. In all likelihood, the new regimes will be hostile to US interests, to some extent. Envision the change in Iranian government in 1979.
Tunisia and Egypt aren't important players in the world energy situation. However, change of government in Saudi Arabia could be a very unsettling experience.
The current Saudi regime won't go down easily. All those many expensive arms that the Saudis have bought from the US over the years were acquired for purposes beyond the repulsion of external threats. The Saudi royal family and the extended oligarchy that runs the country had in mind internal threats to their regime as well as attacks from outside.
As I see it, the US is in a no-win situation in the middle east. There's no way the divergent interests can ever be reconciled. The US would like to have easy access to oil, peace for Israel, and recognition for individual human rights. It ain't gonna happen.
As to recent events in Yemen, that's not much of a story. Yemen has been in turmoil for decades. I can recall doing a current event report in junior high school on the civil war in Yemen in the 1960's.
Who's next in the cavalcade of toppled despots? Saudi Arabia, maybe? The US supports these so-called moderate states for a couple of reasons. One, US foreign policy favors a benign status quo. So long as despotic leaders can keep their countries in some mode of continuing stability, the US is willing to overlook repressive governance in that pursuit. Two, these states get their nominal label of moderate in that they are not wild-eyed eager to wipe Israel off the map. They may not like Israel, but they have come to some accommodation with its existence.
The US finds some alternative form of government in these moderate middle eastern countries about as welcome as poison. In all likelihood, the new regimes will be hostile to US interests, to some extent. Envision the change in Iranian government in 1979.
Tunisia and Egypt aren't important players in the world energy situation. However, change of government in Saudi Arabia could be a very unsettling experience.
The current Saudi regime won't go down easily. All those many expensive arms that the Saudis have bought from the US over the years were acquired for purposes beyond the repulsion of external threats. The Saudi royal family and the extended oligarchy that runs the country had in mind internal threats to their regime as well as attacks from outside.
As I see it, the US is in a no-win situation in the middle east. There's no way the divergent interests can ever be reconciled. The US would like to have easy access to oil, peace for Israel, and recognition for individual human rights. It ain't gonna happen.
As to recent events in Yemen, that's not much of a story. Yemen has been in turmoil for decades. I can recall doing a current event report in junior high school on the civil war in Yemen in the 1960's.
Neighborhoods in Distress
When my sister-in-law moved here last summer, we drove her around to many places looking at homes. This tour included newer developments, those built just before or during the big bubble. These were neighborhoods in much distress; it was obvious all around. These newer homes had all been purchased at very high prices, and many had been bought by unqualified buyers. When the bubble burst, they all were underwater on the money owned on these places, and the marginal buyers were marginal employees, many of whom found themselves out of work due to recession.
In some of these places, "For Sale" signs were rife; many were pathetic attempts. Some were bona-fide listings and some were short sales and bank-owned foreclosure properties. The bona-fide listings of course were priced many tens of thousands of dollars over the distressed sales and had utterly no hope of selling. There were lots of people standing around the neighborhood, none with a pleasant look on their faces. Lots of men needing haircuts and dressed in dirty tee shirts or "wifebeater" undershirts. It was terrible and personally, I would never move into a neighborhood in such distress like that. Petty crime is probably higher than normal. Residents are low on money and have plenty of time on their hands, a recipe for trouble. Stress within the households due to financial difficulties probably generates a higher than normal level of discord with resultant fighting, screaming, etc. Some of these households double or triple up within the same house, increasing density within the neighborhood. It might be hard to find a good neighbor thereabouts; with so many wanting to leave, who knows what kind of residents come next. Lots of renters for a while anyway. Speculators have bought some of these homes on the cheap and they don't care whom they rent to as long as the money comes in. Neighbors don't matter one whit to these absentee owners.
My guess is that it will take years for things to settle down in many of these newer developments that were thrown into turmoil from the housing price collapse and recession. Eventually, prices will stabilize and more permanent owners will settle in and take root. Hopefully.
In some places, these neighborhoods will never be the same. Like in CA, where all the "good people" move out and are replaced by an underclass of deadbeats. These are people who are permanently dependent upon the largesse that politicians there have doled out to perpetuate themselves in office. CA has made itself attractive to freeloaders, so it's no surprise that they make a bee-line for the state.
In some of these places, "For Sale" signs were rife; many were pathetic attempts. Some were bona-fide listings and some were short sales and bank-owned foreclosure properties. The bona-fide listings of course were priced many tens of thousands of dollars over the distressed sales and had utterly no hope of selling. There were lots of people standing around the neighborhood, none with a pleasant look on their faces. Lots of men needing haircuts and dressed in dirty tee shirts or "wifebeater" undershirts. It was terrible and personally, I would never move into a neighborhood in such distress like that. Petty crime is probably higher than normal. Residents are low on money and have plenty of time on their hands, a recipe for trouble. Stress within the households due to financial difficulties probably generates a higher than normal level of discord with resultant fighting, screaming, etc. Some of these households double or triple up within the same house, increasing density within the neighborhood. It might be hard to find a good neighbor thereabouts; with so many wanting to leave, who knows what kind of residents come next. Lots of renters for a while anyway. Speculators have bought some of these homes on the cheap and they don't care whom they rent to as long as the money comes in. Neighbors don't matter one whit to these absentee owners.
My guess is that it will take years for things to settle down in many of these newer developments that were thrown into turmoil from the housing price collapse and recession. Eventually, prices will stabilize and more permanent owners will settle in and take root. Hopefully.
In some places, these neighborhoods will never be the same. Like in CA, where all the "good people" move out and are replaced by an underclass of deadbeats. These are people who are permanently dependent upon the largesse that politicians there have doled out to perpetuate themselves in office. CA has made itself attractive to freeloaders, so it's no surprise that they make a bee-line for the state.
Diesel and Other Exhaust Fumes
At a time when my sniffer isn't working as well as it did when I was younger, I seem to be more sensitive to Diesel and other exhaust fumes. I really notice this more this time of year when I'm driving in my car with the heater on. If I get behind a Diesel pickup, the heater intake is apt to suck up some of those exhaust fumes and route them right into the passenger compartment. During warmer weather, I can roll up the windows and escape from most of these fumes. I try to avoid driving behind Diesel-powered pickups and the few cars that are around; the big rigs don't seem to bother me as much but maybe that's because their exhaust stacks are often routed up higher.
I've never owned a Diesel-powered personal vehicle and likely never will. I understand that they deliver better fuel economy than gasoline and produce more torque but these attributes do not interest me. I'm turned away from them primarily because they are noisey and smokey. They tend to last a long time, but from the people I've known who've had them, when something does go wrong the repair bill can be many times that for repairs made to a gasoline engine.
Then there is the subject of driver technique. With big rigs, there isn't much issue with excessive accelleration, but with smaller Diesel-powered rigs there can be. Hot dog drivers with a Diesel are just as apt to tromp on the throttle as they would in a gasoline-powered car, which of course creates an even greater burst of smoke. As I understand it, the fuel economy of a Diesel is optimal (even moreso that with a gas engine) with even, gradual accelleration.
Be prepared for an increasing number of Diesel-powered personal vehicles in the future. The US government likes the idea because of the increase in fuel economy (even if Diesel often costs a little more).
I wonder how all the "Green attitude" in Europe squares with their much wider use of light vehicles powered by Diesel. A great many smaller cars there have Diesel engines. When you're in the city, those streets can be like canyons, with breezes blocked off and no relief from the clouds of Diesel smoke.
My other complaint about fumes comes from old Ford trucks that have outlived their time. These would be gas-powered, older F-100's, F-150's, and F-250's. Whenever I see one of these ahead of me on the road, I groan inwardly and know that I am about to be treated to a big, long sniff of semi-burned raw gasoline fumes. Rarely am I disappointed. These old Ford pickups with carburetors just seem to have lasted longer than anyone ever anticipated. They mostly have FE series engines; big, heavy, gas-guzzler V-8's that by now have worn-out carburetors, all kinds of crankcase blow-by, and in general, are quite tired. But they keep running so the owners "cling to them" (sound familiar?). In this region anyway, by far and away, Ford sold the most pickups in decades past, so the original numbers of Chevrolet (and GMC) and especially Dodge were smaller. Given the greater propensity for rust, the GM products didn't last as long regardless of how good the engines might be. So it's the old Ford pickups that drive me nuts with fumes.
It's funny that the Ford pickups would be so long-lived, as the heavier trucks in their product line have tended to have presented the opposite experience. Professional operators that I've known have not particularly liked heavier Ford trucks, to include C-600's, C-750's and the conventional cab types in comparable weights. Forget about over-the-road trucks; Ford gave up trying to make and sell those some time ago.
I've never owned a Diesel-powered personal vehicle and likely never will. I understand that they deliver better fuel economy than gasoline and produce more torque but these attributes do not interest me. I'm turned away from them primarily because they are noisey and smokey. They tend to last a long time, but from the people I've known who've had them, when something does go wrong the repair bill can be many times that for repairs made to a gasoline engine.
Then there is the subject of driver technique. With big rigs, there isn't much issue with excessive accelleration, but with smaller Diesel-powered rigs there can be. Hot dog drivers with a Diesel are just as apt to tromp on the throttle as they would in a gasoline-powered car, which of course creates an even greater burst of smoke. As I understand it, the fuel economy of a Diesel is optimal (even moreso that with a gas engine) with even, gradual accelleration.
Be prepared for an increasing number of Diesel-powered personal vehicles in the future. The US government likes the idea because of the increase in fuel economy (even if Diesel often costs a little more).
I wonder how all the "Green attitude" in Europe squares with their much wider use of light vehicles powered by Diesel. A great many smaller cars there have Diesel engines. When you're in the city, those streets can be like canyons, with breezes blocked off and no relief from the clouds of Diesel smoke.
My other complaint about fumes comes from old Ford trucks that have outlived their time. These would be gas-powered, older F-100's, F-150's, and F-250's. Whenever I see one of these ahead of me on the road, I groan inwardly and know that I am about to be treated to a big, long sniff of semi-burned raw gasoline fumes. Rarely am I disappointed. These old Ford pickups with carburetors just seem to have lasted longer than anyone ever anticipated. They mostly have FE series engines; big, heavy, gas-guzzler V-8's that by now have worn-out carburetors, all kinds of crankcase blow-by, and in general, are quite tired. But they keep running so the owners "cling to them" (sound familiar?). In this region anyway, by far and away, Ford sold the most pickups in decades past, so the original numbers of Chevrolet (and GMC) and especially Dodge were smaller. Given the greater propensity for rust, the GM products didn't last as long regardless of how good the engines might be. So it's the old Ford pickups that drive me nuts with fumes.
It's funny that the Ford pickups would be so long-lived, as the heavier trucks in their product line have tended to have presented the opposite experience. Professional operators that I've known have not particularly liked heavier Ford trucks, to include C-600's, C-750's and the conventional cab types in comparable weights. Forget about over-the-road trucks; Ford gave up trying to make and sell those some time ago.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
My New Computer
The computer we've been using for, oh, about five years or so, was due for replacement. It had gotten very slow and aggravating, so my son who does all of our IT set-up got us a new one. This is a machine that he built, with lots of (all the things that make it work faster and better that I can't think of the acronyms for) along with a new keyboard, etc, and installed it. The old machine had the XP operating system; the new one skipped over the discredited Vista and has something called Windows 7. Well, it's different but similar. Different enough so that I have to do many things in slightly other ways than I used to and it's really slowing me down.
The new computer is very fast and that part is very satisfying. The downside, however, is the keyboard (or "keyborad" as I've typed at least 500 times by accident). It's not an expensive one, and I'm thinking that if you're going to get spendy on any one thing, it should be the keyborad. The old one I had was a heavy, expensive one. I got it (second hand) because it was just like the expensive one I used to have at work that I liked. Unfortunately, that one wasn't like an army blanket: I couldn't steal it.
Anyway, the new keyborad (might as well do what comes naturally) is a cheaper, plasticky thing that takes more deliberate pressure on the keys and likes to ignore the space bar a lot.
The real point of aggravation is the spacing between the very top line of keys (the F-numbers row) and the second row, the numbers and more importantly, the back space key. When you have a crappy keyborad, you especially need the back space button a lot. My old keyborad had a lot of space between those two rows, like 3/8 of an inch. This new one has about 1/16 so it's really easy to get into the F-numbers row by accident. I discovered that the F-12 key, right above the back space, is the Death Key. At least on this computer. When you hit the F-12, it goes irrevocably into the computer shut-down mode. So for example, if I am writing one of my posts like this, it all goes away.
I'd like to plug my old keyborad back in right now, but it has the round plug. My new computer only has USB sockets. You can get little adapters to go from one to the other, but we tried the $2 one and it didn't work. There is another one for $10 and I may have to get that one. It would be worth it.
Isn't it amazing how quickly expensive electronics become obsolete? At five years of age, my old computer was considered ripe for being done-for, just on the basis of age alone. Not long ago, I was at the Goodwill Outlet store where they sell all the dreck that doesn't move in their retail stores. The Goodwill Outlet store is not like the Donna Karan outlet store, for sure. Anyway, I found a little Minolta DiMage Xi digital camera in the electronics bins for 49 cents a pound; at 5-1/2 ounces, what's that, about 17 cents? This camera came out way back in 2002 and cost $449 new. It's rated at, if I remember correctly, 3.2 mega pixels. Now you can go to Walmart and get a 8.1 MP for what, $50? The little Minolta DiMage isn't worth anything; you can see that quickly online. However, because nobody wants this obsolete item any longer, the special proprietary batteries that it takes are very inexpensive now as well as wall chargers.
The new computer is very fast and that part is very satisfying. The downside, however, is the keyboard (or "keyborad" as I've typed at least 500 times by accident). It's not an expensive one, and I'm thinking that if you're going to get spendy on any one thing, it should be the keyborad. The old one I had was a heavy, expensive one. I got it (second hand) because it was just like the expensive one I used to have at work that I liked. Unfortunately, that one wasn't like an army blanket: I couldn't steal it.
Anyway, the new keyborad (might as well do what comes naturally) is a cheaper, plasticky thing that takes more deliberate pressure on the keys and likes to ignore the space bar a lot.
The real point of aggravation is the spacing between the very top line of keys (the F-numbers row) and the second row, the numbers and more importantly, the back space key. When you have a crappy keyborad, you especially need the back space button a lot. My old keyborad had a lot of space between those two rows, like 3/8 of an inch. This new one has about 1/16 so it's really easy to get into the F-numbers row by accident. I discovered that the F-12 key, right above the back space, is the Death Key. At least on this computer. When you hit the F-12, it goes irrevocably into the computer shut-down mode. So for example, if I am writing one of my posts like this, it all goes away.
I'd like to plug my old keyborad back in right now, but it has the round plug. My new computer only has USB sockets. You can get little adapters to go from one to the other, but we tried the $2 one and it didn't work. There is another one for $10 and I may have to get that one. It would be worth it.
Isn't it amazing how quickly expensive electronics become obsolete? At five years of age, my old computer was considered ripe for being done-for, just on the basis of age alone. Not long ago, I was at the Goodwill Outlet store where they sell all the dreck that doesn't move in their retail stores. The Goodwill Outlet store is not like the Donna Karan outlet store, for sure. Anyway, I found a little Minolta DiMage Xi digital camera in the electronics bins for 49 cents a pound; at 5-1/2 ounces, what's that, about 17 cents? This camera came out way back in 2002 and cost $449 new. It's rated at, if I remember correctly, 3.2 mega pixels. Now you can go to Walmart and get a 8.1 MP for what, $50? The little Minolta DiMage isn't worth anything; you can see that quickly online. However, because nobody wants this obsolete item any longer, the special proprietary batteries that it takes are very inexpensive now as well as wall chargers.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
So What's the Deal with Bright Headlights?
Used to be, the DOT had national standards for specifications on car headlights that included brightness. For some years now, there doesn't seem to be any standard in how bright headlights may be and they get brighter and brighter with every passing year.
I can't speak for what's going on in other parts of the country, but young pukes around here like to install extra-bright lamp bulbs in their little Japanese cars and blind everyone else. Like with the blue lights, for example. I'm not sure why they do this; a form of aggression I guess, like they have brighter lights that you do, hahaha. Having the brightest light is like having the fastest car; it's a form of oneupsmanship. Or they get a feeling of power from being able to blind other motorists.
There's no getting around it, but for some people their eyes become more sensitive to light as they age. However; I've never liked having bright lights pointed in my eyes at any age.
Remember the days when the police would pull you over for headlight offenses? These days, there aren't enough of them around to waste time on such trivial matters. Also, as bright as headlights have gotten on newer cars, how would they even tell if someone was driving around with their high beams on?
Then there's the deal with fog lights. Lots of people who live in the city and the 'burbs feel compelled to drive around with fog lights on in addition to headlights, in any weather. Just because. I know extra illumination is nice to be able to see, but it comes at the expense of every other driver that is forced to deal with overly-bright lights.
I guess some of this comes as a consequence of of the lack of civility and manners that keeps creeping insideously into our society. In times past, motorists might've had some consideration for other drivers on the road. Now, it's "I've got mine and screw you, Jack."
I can't speak for what's going on in other parts of the country, but young pukes around here like to install extra-bright lamp bulbs in their little Japanese cars and blind everyone else. Like with the blue lights, for example. I'm not sure why they do this; a form of aggression I guess, like they have brighter lights that you do, hahaha. Having the brightest light is like having the fastest car; it's a form of oneupsmanship. Or they get a feeling of power from being able to blind other motorists.
There's no getting around it, but for some people their eyes become more sensitive to light as they age. However; I've never liked having bright lights pointed in my eyes at any age.
Remember the days when the police would pull you over for headlight offenses? These days, there aren't enough of them around to waste time on such trivial matters. Also, as bright as headlights have gotten on newer cars, how would they even tell if someone was driving around with their high beams on?
Then there's the deal with fog lights. Lots of people who live in the city and the 'burbs feel compelled to drive around with fog lights on in addition to headlights, in any weather. Just because. I know extra illumination is nice to be able to see, but it comes at the expense of every other driver that is forced to deal with overly-bright lights.
I guess some of this comes as a consequence of of the lack of civility and manners that keeps creeping insideously into our society. In times past, motorists might've had some consideration for other drivers on the road. Now, it's "I've got mine and screw you, Jack."
Thursday, October 28, 2010
The Age of Aquarius was Horse Puckey
Now that I've gotten to be an old codger, it gives me a bit of experience and perspective to look back on in reflection. Maybe a little license, too. Sometimes, I hear Boomers talking about the Hippie generation, or the "Age of Aquarius" as if it was some golden time when everybody got along, there was this new awareness, etc. Horse puckey. Being carefree Hippies just enabled some young people to get along somehow in life without having to work for a living.
How about life in the communes? I've heard enough stories about this to know that many of those people lived in squalor and their own filth, too lazy or disorganized or factionalized to make a serious, honest go of country life.
And what about "Free Love"? It was free sex, without taking responsibility for the consequences and without having to make a commitment to a relationship.
How about Flower Power, the "Counter Culture", smoking pot, dropping acid, psychedelic music, weird hair and weird clothes? I repeat, it was all horse s**t no Boomer revisionist will convince me otherwise about all these years later. Just like the Japanese revising the history of WW2, the passage of decades doesn't change what happened.
How about life in the communes? I've heard enough stories about this to know that many of those people lived in squalor and their own filth, too lazy or disorganized or factionalized to make a serious, honest go of country life.
And what about "Free Love"? It was free sex, without taking responsibility for the consequences and without having to make a commitment to a relationship.
How about Flower Power, the "Counter Culture", smoking pot, dropping acid, psychedelic music, weird hair and weird clothes? I repeat, it was all horse s**t no Boomer revisionist will convince me otherwise about all these years later. Just like the Japanese revising the history of WW2, the passage of decades doesn't change what happened.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Incompetence in Government
I've just finished reading the book, Killer Spy, by Peter Maas which is about the CIA traitor spy Aldrich Ames. For some reason, I've been interested in the stories of contemporary American traitors and have read similar stories about Jonathan Pollard (Navy employee who gave secrets to Israel), the Walker family (a navy family that made spying a cottage industry), and James Hall (US Army warrant officer who sold highly classified communications security information to the East Germans and the Soviets) and others. In terms of damage to US intelligence operations, Aldrich Ames has to rate way up there near or at the top of the list. His revelations to the Soviets resulted in the rolling up of numerous CIA intelligence operations which in turn resulted in the deaths of numerous US-recruited agents.
A consistent undercurrent in this story is the downright incompetence, inefficiency and malfeasance of the CIA. Ames fed material to the Soviet Union and later the security services of the Russian Federation for many years. During this time, he was an known alcoholic, flunked agency lie detector tests, left plenty of evidence of spending beyond his means, and the agency was aware that he had failed to report contacts with Soviet representatives. Ames frequently entered counterintelligence sections of the CIA where he was no longer assigned, trolling for information. This was a clear and repeated violation of the simple "need to know" principle of security.
I well recall that during the Cold War, the CIA was the dreaded know-all agency in the eyes of our Iron Curtain enemies. Mention of the letters "CIA" and people around the world would shivver. They did not know that it was just another bureacratic government agency, fumbling along, often with indifferent, sometimes careless employees.
Except for a big jump in the unemployment statistics, were half of all federal government employees to be laid off, most people in the US wouldn't know the difference. When you get right down to it, most government agencies are reactive in nature. Since most of them exist to perform a regulatory function, they mostly wait for events to happen and come to them. For this reason, it's difficult to measure efficiency in terms of work produced. So, an efficient employee who empties his in-box quickly is probably working on the same playing field as a slothful one who drags his feet along and whose in-box stays full. I've heard it all before, "Each individual worker has different capabilities."
Saying it another way, most federal agencies don't produce anything with some notable exceptions. The US Postal Service might be termed a productive agency, in that they perform a service and it's of a measurable quantity. Of course they are
flawed and suffer some of the same problems of inefficiency as other agencies. Other examples of "productive" government agencies might be the Bonneville Power Authority or the Tennessee Valley Authority, both of which actually provide a service, i.e., electrical power. Interestingly, these "productive" agencies that I mention have been reviewed for possible privatization and governmental divestiture in past; that's right, get rid of the only government entities that actually produce something and save money for people.
Many of the other government agencies are either road-block or obstacle creators or they have some purpose for giving money away. Regulation wouldn't be a bad thing in all cases, but so often in recent years we have seen so many examples where such regulation either favored special interests or didn't work at all.
Part of the problem with efficiency in federal employment are worker protections. Some of these go back in history to times when employees could be punished for their viewpoints in a system of political patronage. The protections were put in place to protect them from arbitrary management abuses. The political patronage system went away long ago but not the protections. In the meantime, they have also come under the protection of EEO, unions in some cases, and the nation-wide fear of litigation. Consequently, it's very difficult for federal employees to be let go for cause. Simply being a lousy worker won't do it (as it would in the private sector). Aldrich Ames was a good example. Even before he turned to spying, he was known to be an often ineffective employee and some of this was documented (but not all of it because much slipped through the cracks). Do we really want to retain ineffective employees in our intelligence services? The CIA didn't do any more to shed themselves of employees like Ames than the Social Security Administration might have.
Then we come to the Department of Defense. There isn't a valid argument for eliminating this agency, as a structure that provides for a national defense will always be needed given human nature. However, this one is overripe for reform. Many years ago, I worked with a Regular Army Major who espoused that the armed services, in addition to their normal function in providing national defense, also performed a service of social welfare. One facet of this service was to provide an employer of last resort for the unemployed and for youth with a lack if direction in their lives. The other main facet of this theory was that defense expenditures kept defense contractors in money, which not only enriched companies and corporations, but provided jobs for those employed by such enterprises. As time goes by, this theory is more and more supported by facts in evidence as we continue to maintain a large standing military.
There are plenty of arguments for not keeping a large standing force, number one of which is a serious reappraisal of defense priorities. Number two would be a realistic look at what can be financially sustained. Three and beyond involve considerations as to how warfare is likely to be waged in the foreseeable future. The days of elaborate and fantastically expensive super weapons systems might logically be considered a thing of the past. Laser beams nor scalar weapons are going to be any good against a suicide bomber with a dirty nuke in a suitcase. Reducing the active force and rebuilding the National Guard and reserve forces as true week-end warrior outfits might help offset the argument for having a force in place when it's needed in a hurry. In recent times, the reserve components have been looked upon as mere pools of easy manpower for the active forces.
A consistent undercurrent in this story is the downright incompetence, inefficiency and malfeasance of the CIA. Ames fed material to the Soviet Union and later the security services of the Russian Federation for many years. During this time, he was an known alcoholic, flunked agency lie detector tests, left plenty of evidence of spending beyond his means, and the agency was aware that he had failed to report contacts with Soviet representatives. Ames frequently entered counterintelligence sections of the CIA where he was no longer assigned, trolling for information. This was a clear and repeated violation of the simple "need to know" principle of security.
I well recall that during the Cold War, the CIA was the dreaded know-all agency in the eyes of our Iron Curtain enemies. Mention of the letters "CIA" and people around the world would shivver. They did not know that it was just another bureacratic government agency, fumbling along, often with indifferent, sometimes careless employees.
Except for a big jump in the unemployment statistics, were half of all federal government employees to be laid off, most people in the US wouldn't know the difference. When you get right down to it, most government agencies are reactive in nature. Since most of them exist to perform a regulatory function, they mostly wait for events to happen and come to them. For this reason, it's difficult to measure efficiency in terms of work produced. So, an efficient employee who empties his in-box quickly is probably working on the same playing field as a slothful one who drags his feet along and whose in-box stays full. I've heard it all before, "Each individual worker has different capabilities."
Saying it another way, most federal agencies don't produce anything with some notable exceptions. The US Postal Service might be termed a productive agency, in that they perform a service and it's of a measurable quantity. Of course they are
flawed and suffer some of the same problems of inefficiency as other agencies. Other examples of "productive" government agencies might be the Bonneville Power Authority or the Tennessee Valley Authority, both of which actually provide a service, i.e., electrical power. Interestingly, these "productive" agencies that I mention have been reviewed for possible privatization and governmental divestiture in past; that's right, get rid of the only government entities that actually produce something and save money for people.
Many of the other government agencies are either road-block or obstacle creators or they have some purpose for giving money away. Regulation wouldn't be a bad thing in all cases, but so often in recent years we have seen so many examples where such regulation either favored special interests or didn't work at all.
Part of the problem with efficiency in federal employment are worker protections. Some of these go back in history to times when employees could be punished for their viewpoints in a system of political patronage. The protections were put in place to protect them from arbitrary management abuses. The political patronage system went away long ago but not the protections. In the meantime, they have also come under the protection of EEO, unions in some cases, and the nation-wide fear of litigation. Consequently, it's very difficult for federal employees to be let go for cause. Simply being a lousy worker won't do it (as it would in the private sector). Aldrich Ames was a good example. Even before he turned to spying, he was known to be an often ineffective employee and some of this was documented (but not all of it because much slipped through the cracks). Do we really want to retain ineffective employees in our intelligence services? The CIA didn't do any more to shed themselves of employees like Ames than the Social Security Administration might have.
Then we come to the Department of Defense. There isn't a valid argument for eliminating this agency, as a structure that provides for a national defense will always be needed given human nature. However, this one is overripe for reform. Many years ago, I worked with a Regular Army Major who espoused that the armed services, in addition to their normal function in providing national defense, also performed a service of social welfare. One facet of this service was to provide an employer of last resort for the unemployed and for youth with a lack if direction in their lives. The other main facet of this theory was that defense expenditures kept defense contractors in money, which not only enriched companies and corporations, but provided jobs for those employed by such enterprises. As time goes by, this theory is more and more supported by facts in evidence as we continue to maintain a large standing military.
There are plenty of arguments for not keeping a large standing force, number one of which is a serious reappraisal of defense priorities. Number two would be a realistic look at what can be financially sustained. Three and beyond involve considerations as to how warfare is likely to be waged in the foreseeable future. The days of elaborate and fantastically expensive super weapons systems might logically be considered a thing of the past. Laser beams nor scalar weapons are going to be any good against a suicide bomber with a dirty nuke in a suitcase. Reducing the active force and rebuilding the National Guard and reserve forces as true week-end warrior outfits might help offset the argument for having a force in place when it's needed in a hurry. In recent times, the reserve components have been looked upon as mere pools of easy manpower for the active forces.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
We mourn the loss of our pets
Back around 1958 or '59, we had two cats, which were both white. One was named Frisky, and the other was named Homer. Frisky we got as a kitten from I don't remember where, and Homer was a stray that had come around where my dad was working and was brought home. We had a neighbor lady across the street who didn't like cats, and one day made a pointed complaint that our two cats had been in her yard and messed things up and what was my dad going to do about it? Well, in those days most people didn't think about keeping cats strictly indoors. My dad was angry about
this complaint, not at the cats but at the neighbor. Nevertheless, he wanted peace in the neighborhood (which most people were still interested in in those times), so he took both of our cats to the pound (which it was called then, not the "animal shelter") where they no doubt were destroyed. He didn't feel good about it, because he liked cats in general and these animals in particular but at the time, he didn't see another solution to keeping the peace with this neighbor. I was very upset at the time, but of course the passage of time heals wounds especially when we are young. Still, I think about and kind of mourn the loss of these two animals all these years later.
this complaint, not at the cats but at the neighbor. Nevertheless, he wanted peace in the neighborhood (which most people were still interested in in those times), so he took both of our cats to the pound (which it was called then, not the "animal shelter") where they no doubt were destroyed. He didn't feel good about it, because he liked cats in general and these animals in particular but at the time, he didn't see another solution to keeping the peace with this neighbor. I was very upset at the time, but of course the passage of time heals wounds especially when we are young. Still, I think about and kind of mourn the loss of these two animals all these years later.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Why Home-grown Terrorists?
Home-grown terrorists aren't much of a surprise. This happens when people substitute their own self-interests with an ideology and abandon allegiance to a support system. We've had the American communists way back to the '30's through the '60's, some of whom spied for Russia. We've had the German-American Bund before WW2, and later the American Nazi Party. These are examples of groups who choose an ideology over their own national interests. Now we have terrorists of different stripes but mostly Islamic types. They reject police protection, fire protection, all the government support network that they get here, for a nebulous attraction to some terrorists who can't do anything for them.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Warbirds are darkening the skies again...
It's that time of year. The weather gets nice and the warbirds come out at Paine Field in Everett, WA.
For whatever reason, Paine Field has become something of a concentration of warbird activity. There are two flying collections, plus a restoration facility for the Museum of Flight in Seattle. There are other privately-owned warbirds stored there as well.
The Historical Flight Foundation opened their doors not long ago with their flying collection. Since then, there has been a B-25D (old USAAF number 43-3318) in the air most days and making numerous flights most weekend days. Paul Allen's P-47 and P-51 have been zooming around lately as well.
I'm starting to wonder about the safety of all this flying of 65 plus year-old planes. I know these planes are well-restored and maintained, but still the fact remains that on average over the past 20 years, there have been about ten warbird crashes every year in the US. All those B-25 flights keep piling up against probability. I know some morning, I'm going to pick up the newspaper and read about a splash-down. It's going to be on take-off or landing, and it's going to be by a low-hours pilot.
Not too difficult to understand is that buying, restoring and flying warbirds is a millionaire's hobby. But we see some of these people at the gun shows all the time, it's just that they don't have the millionaire's money. They watch "Saving Private Ryan" or "Band of Brothers" and the first thing they've got to do is buy an M1 Rifle so that they can be "part of history." I'm thinking this may be the same deal with wannabee B-25 pilots. I'm sure that pilots with plenty of experience are flying that B-25 much of the time, but I also imagine that there are interested people lined up to get "checked out" on the B-25 so they can say they too are a B-25 pilot. It's going to be one of those guys in the right seat.
I hope I'm wrong.
Anyway, there's big money in the warbird business, and as I said, it's a millionaire's hobby. It seems that they are now scouring the jungles for warbirds that crashed in WW2. Here's a link to an interesting article about that.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2009/05/25/remains_are_lost_in_race_for_relics/
For whatever reason, Paine Field has become something of a concentration of warbird activity. There are two flying collections, plus a restoration facility for the Museum of Flight in Seattle. There are other privately-owned warbirds stored there as well.
The Historical Flight Foundation opened their doors not long ago with their flying collection. Since then, there has been a B-25D (old USAAF number 43-3318) in the air most days and making numerous flights most weekend days. Paul Allen's P-47 and P-51 have been zooming around lately as well.
I'm starting to wonder about the safety of all this flying of 65 plus year-old planes. I know these planes are well-restored and maintained, but still the fact remains that on average over the past 20 years, there have been about ten warbird crashes every year in the US. All those B-25 flights keep piling up against probability. I know some morning, I'm going to pick up the newspaper and read about a splash-down. It's going to be on take-off or landing, and it's going to be by a low-hours pilot.
Not too difficult to understand is that buying, restoring and flying warbirds is a millionaire's hobby. But we see some of these people at the gun shows all the time, it's just that they don't have the millionaire's money. They watch "Saving Private Ryan" or "Band of Brothers" and the first thing they've got to do is buy an M1 Rifle so that they can be "part of history." I'm thinking this may be the same deal with wannabee B-25 pilots. I'm sure that pilots with plenty of experience are flying that B-25 much of the time, but I also imagine that there are interested people lined up to get "checked out" on the B-25 so they can say they too are a B-25 pilot. It's going to be one of those guys in the right seat.
I hope I'm wrong.
Anyway, there's big money in the warbird business, and as I said, it's a millionaire's hobby. It seems that they are now scouring the jungles for warbirds that crashed in WW2. Here's a link to an interesting article about that.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2009/05/25/remains_are_lost_in_race_for_relics/
Thursday, April 15, 2010
The time I saved the day in Vietnam
On the softball field. I worked in the headquarters of the 79th Maintenance Battalion in Long Binh. Some of the athletically-inclined soldiers in my unit played softball against teams from other units. One day a game was scheduled with another unit, the team was loading up to go play and discovered one of the players was missing. I was still piddling around in the building and one of the men on the softball team rushed in, looking for a live, breathing body - any body - to avoid a forfeit of the game due to not having nine players. I wasn't a softball player and wasn't really interested in the whole deal. Still, they grabbed me and hauled me along to the game. I was sent to the place where I was likely to do the least damage, left field. I had no glove as the regular players brought their own. I was cannon fodder, a body being used to plug a hole in the line. After a couple of innings, I was standing out in left field, watching the birds fly across the sky when I heard a commotion and a lot of people yelling at me. I shifted my gaze to the game and noticed the ball was aloft in a high fly coming right at me. I put my hands up in a defensive gesture and the ball fell right into my bare hand and by some miracle didn't fall out onto the ground. As it happened, the opposing team had men on base and two outs. My astonished would-be team mates were pleased with my unexpected and accidental performance. After that, I commanded a little more respect from the softball players.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Ladder Work is My Least Favorite
I avoid it as long as possible. At long last, I got down to some of this work this week. The ladder I borrowed from one of my sons-in-law has a fully extended length of 21 feet. My own extension ladder is in two sections of ten feet each, but only telescopes about 16 feet. The one I borrowed is of the design where it is hinged in the middle, and has extensions on both halves. This is a handy feature, as it can be folded up and transported inside my station wagon. Regular extension ladders are longer and more cumbersome. I think this product is called "Gorilla Ladder"
It doesn't help that I just read in our local newspaper recently about an incident where a homeowner was trimming a fruit tree, fell from a ladder, and broke his pelvis in three places. Ladders must rate up there pretty high on the CDC list as causes of household misadventures. Right up there with table saws and chainsaws (more about that below).
So, the work in part entailed trimming back some low-hanging cedar branches that were crowding my deck. They haven't always been thus, but trees have a way of growing over the years. Appropos of nothing, that phrase reminds me of a line in the movie "The Maltese Falcon" with Humphrey Bogart. While explaining a situation to the police, Sam Spade (Bogart's character) says something like, "...and the gun went off, as guns sometimes will..." Yes, don't they.
Anyway, I don't climb trees as a means of trimming. There are plenty of skilled climbers who have the equipment, the training, and the bodily strength to do it, but I cannot and will not. The closest I can get is with a ladder. When I run out of ladder, that's the limit on how high I can go.
One of the pieces of advice that comes in the instructions with a new chain saw is, "Never use a chain saw from a position on a ladder" or words to that effect. I do have hand saws for trimming trees, but I've decided that hacking back and forth while on the far end of an extension ladder is nigh as or more dangerous than trying to use something in some ways easier and many times faster. After all, the sooner you get the cut made, the sooner you can move on and maybe not fall off the ladder. That said, I'm not comfortable carrying up and operating from a ladder anything with both a gasoline engine and a moving, linked blade. Of course, you don't go up the ladder with the chain saw running. But when you get up there, you've somehow got to get the thing running, and of course you still wind up with the whirring saw chain nearby. As to getting the saw running, yes, of course you fire it up on the ground to make sure it will go, get it warmed up, turn it off, then hod the thing up the ladder, hoping it will replicate its performance up the tree. Chainsaws are supposed to operated upside down and at all angles, but there are times when they don't like to be tipped this way or that. What I'm saying here is, even after being warmed up, once you get one up a ladder, sometimes chainsaws get balky and don't want to start. Then you find yourself 20 feet off the ground, trying to yank the starter rope, etc. Not my idea of fun. Another obvious point is that gas-powered chainsaws are not as light as a pair of pruning shears, so you're also dealing with the weight of the machine up on the far end of the ladder. Yes, the pros who climb carry a chain saw suspended on a rope hooked to their belt. Sorry, I can't and won't do that. Mostly young pros who climb, etc, etc.
My answer to the problem described above was to buy an electric chain saw just for doing pruning from a ladder. These typically are much lighter than gas saws and therefore easier to handle, and they don't have the prospective problem of being balky once you get up on the ladder. They have the disadvantage of trailing a cord, but I've found that this is worth the trouble for the pluses received. Once you have the extension cords properly knotted, you just press the trigger on the electric and it goes. Along this same line, I have a tree pruning blade for my reciprocating saw ("Sawzall" or "demolition saw") and this works quite well.
It might be suggested that I look into those small chainsaws that are attached to the end of a pole for tree trimming. I have. These are suitable for pruning fruit and other roundish-shaped trees, but not much use for 75 to 100 foot conifers that go straight up. The reach on the pole of these machines can only be X far before they are either two "wavy" or sufficient pressure cannot be brought to bear with them.
I do not like working from heights, be it on a roof or on a ladder. I'm not afraid of heights, but I'm not comfortable working from them either. After while, you do get your "roof legs" but I never really like it.
After the tree pruning work was finished, I had the job of cleaning the roof and rain gutters along the tallest side of my house. The house is what is called a tri-level, with one side of the house being two storey, and the other side an intermediate storey with stairs up or down to the two storey side. It's a design that lends itself especially to sloped lots, and we are on a gently sloped property. The westerly side of the two storey section is about 50-some feet long and the rain gutter is 19-1/2 feet up. I hate doing this chore, and always have to push myself to do it. I've found that the borrowed 21 foot ladder to which I fit a stabilizer on the top end is just about the right combination for this job. I can rake about 2/3's of the lower part of the metal roof and clean the gutters out at a rate of about five feet at a time. That means that I have to reposition the ladder about ten times to clean this 50-some foot long section. I spread a tarp out on the ground as I go so I don't scatter the gutter compost around too freely. The U-shaped ladder stabilizer works as its name implies, and instills a bit more confidence in you when you're 20 feet up there. The stabilizer also keeps the ladder rails off the gutters because it sits on the edge of the top of the roof. It's also good for standing the ladder away from the wall when you are working on walls, painting, etc.
My ladder chores for this year are nearly caught up now. I still have a few maple branches that I want to get at before I surrender the ladder. If I were to suddenly become wealthy, one frivolous thing that I would spend money on would be to have a barber come to my house every day and give me a shave. I don't like to shave, but I don't like to be unshaven either. I don't want or need a yacht or a private jet; what I do need every day is a shave. Another little luxury I'd engage in would be to have someone come out and clean my gutters and roof for pay.
It doesn't help that I just read in our local newspaper recently about an incident where a homeowner was trimming a fruit tree, fell from a ladder, and broke his pelvis in three places. Ladders must rate up there pretty high on the CDC list as causes of household misadventures. Right up there with table saws and chainsaws (more about that below).
So, the work in part entailed trimming back some low-hanging cedar branches that were crowding my deck. They haven't always been thus, but trees have a way of growing over the years. Appropos of nothing, that phrase reminds me of a line in the movie "The Maltese Falcon" with Humphrey Bogart. While explaining a situation to the police, Sam Spade (Bogart's character) says something like, "...and the gun went off, as guns sometimes will..." Yes, don't they.
Anyway, I don't climb trees as a means of trimming. There are plenty of skilled climbers who have the equipment, the training, and the bodily strength to do it, but I cannot and will not. The closest I can get is with a ladder. When I run out of ladder, that's the limit on how high I can go.
One of the pieces of advice that comes in the instructions with a new chain saw is, "Never use a chain saw from a position on a ladder" or words to that effect. I do have hand saws for trimming trees, but I've decided that hacking back and forth while on the far end of an extension ladder is nigh as or more dangerous than trying to use something in some ways easier and many times faster. After all, the sooner you get the cut made, the sooner you can move on and maybe not fall off the ladder. That said, I'm not comfortable carrying up and operating from a ladder anything with both a gasoline engine and a moving, linked blade. Of course, you don't go up the ladder with the chain saw running. But when you get up there, you've somehow got to get the thing running, and of course you still wind up with the whirring saw chain nearby. As to getting the saw running, yes, of course you fire it up on the ground to make sure it will go, get it warmed up, turn it off, then hod the thing up the ladder, hoping it will replicate its performance up the tree. Chainsaws are supposed to operated upside down and at all angles, but there are times when they don't like to be tipped this way or that. What I'm saying here is, even after being warmed up, once you get one up a ladder, sometimes chainsaws get balky and don't want to start. Then you find yourself 20 feet off the ground, trying to yank the starter rope, etc. Not my idea of fun. Another obvious point is that gas-powered chainsaws are not as light as a pair of pruning shears, so you're also dealing with the weight of the machine up on the far end of the ladder. Yes, the pros who climb carry a chain saw suspended on a rope hooked to their belt. Sorry, I can't and won't do that. Mostly young pros who climb, etc, etc.
My answer to the problem described above was to buy an electric chain saw just for doing pruning from a ladder. These typically are much lighter than gas saws and therefore easier to handle, and they don't have the prospective problem of being balky once you get up on the ladder. They have the disadvantage of trailing a cord, but I've found that this is worth the trouble for the pluses received. Once you have the extension cords properly knotted, you just press the trigger on the electric and it goes. Along this same line, I have a tree pruning blade for my reciprocating saw ("Sawzall" or "demolition saw") and this works quite well.
It might be suggested that I look into those small chainsaws that are attached to the end of a pole for tree trimming. I have. These are suitable for pruning fruit and other roundish-shaped trees, but not much use for 75 to 100 foot conifers that go straight up. The reach on the pole of these machines can only be X far before they are either two "wavy" or sufficient pressure cannot be brought to bear with them.
I do not like working from heights, be it on a roof or on a ladder. I'm not afraid of heights, but I'm not comfortable working from them either. After while, you do get your "roof legs" but I never really like it.
After the tree pruning work was finished, I had the job of cleaning the roof and rain gutters along the tallest side of my house. The house is what is called a tri-level, with one side of the house being two storey, and the other side an intermediate storey with stairs up or down to the two storey side. It's a design that lends itself especially to sloped lots, and we are on a gently sloped property. The westerly side of the two storey section is about 50-some feet long and the rain gutter is 19-1/2 feet up. I hate doing this chore, and always have to push myself to do it. I've found that the borrowed 21 foot ladder to which I fit a stabilizer on the top end is just about the right combination for this job. I can rake about 2/3's of the lower part of the metal roof and clean the gutters out at a rate of about five feet at a time. That means that I have to reposition the ladder about ten times to clean this 50-some foot long section. I spread a tarp out on the ground as I go so I don't scatter the gutter compost around too freely. The U-shaped ladder stabilizer works as its name implies, and instills a bit more confidence in you when you're 20 feet up there. The stabilizer also keeps the ladder rails off the gutters because it sits on the edge of the top of the roof. It's also good for standing the ladder away from the wall when you are working on walls, painting, etc.
My ladder chores for this year are nearly caught up now. I still have a few maple branches that I want to get at before I surrender the ladder. If I were to suddenly become wealthy, one frivolous thing that I would spend money on would be to have a barber come to my house every day and give me a shave. I don't like to shave, but I don't like to be unshaven either. I don't want or need a yacht or a private jet; what I do need every day is a shave. Another little luxury I'd engage in would be to have someone come out and clean my gutters and roof for pay.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Goof-Proof Consumer Products
I wonder when the day is going to arrive when the risk of making and selling a consumer product will be so high that companies will no longer make anything. The risk/reward ratio, driven by product liability will just be so great so as to stymie all production of any kind.
Here is an old product that became unsafe. It wasn't unsafe when it was made, and it still does what the manufacturer intended and the consumer wanted at the time of manufacture.
This is an old three speed oscillating fan. I say old, but it hasn't been used all that much from its appearance. It works fine on all three speeds and the oscillation feature works. It weighs about twelve pounds, and has a cast aluminum base; all parts are metal of some sort or another. It has a nice, industrial-type heavy electrical cord. The motor head has a little built-in handle on the top of it for carrying.
This fan is dangerous and no longer suitable for use. The reason for this is because the fan blade guard is not idiot-proof. When this fan was made, it was supposed that normal, thinking people wouldn't put their fingers in between the spokes of the blade guard to "see if the fan was running." Fans were made this way for a good number of years, but the lawyers hadn't gotten ahold of the issue yet. When they did, fan manufacturers had to come up with fan guards that had many more spokes in them to keep idiots and children's fingers out of them. Back in the old days, thinking people would place a fan out of the reach of children, but like everything else, we now must have everything in life made safe for us lest we not have the common sense to hurt ourselves.
This fan is just like the hefty ones we used to have in the army, if we were lucky. If you wonder what I mean by that, just watch "Soldier in the Rain" with Jackie Gleason and Steve McQueen sometime. I was lucky enough to have one of these in my hooch when I was in Vietnam. It was mounted high up on the wall, screwed into plywood to discourage theft or some other form of disappearance. I inherited that fan not from someone "who didn't make it" but from a soldier who rotated home and happily left all of his scrounged and acquired comforts of Vietnam behind in his rush to leave. That fan was very dear to me when I needed it while I was there, but when my time came to go home, I forgot all about it and left it for someone else.
Unsafe or not, I'm going to go ahead and give this fan another life here at my home. I bought the fan at the Goodwill "Outlet Store" (yes, such a thing really exists) for $2.99 and I'm sure I'm going to get my money's worth. I think I can refrain from the urge to stick my fingers into the moving blade
Monday, February 8, 2010
How I Wish Sarah Palin Would Go Away
That stupid woman Sarah Palin is in the news again, mouthing off. I can't stomach listening to her. After listening to her speak, I've resolved to stop dropping my g's from -ing endings as I sometimes do. She sounds so hokey and unrefined. I can't understand how so many otherwise normal people on the right embrace her. She's ignorant, uncouth, opportunistic, spiteful, and I believe dishonest. If these same people find "common" refreshing, they've certainly found it in Palin. Recently it's come out in the news via publicly disclosed documents that her stupid-ass, non-elected husband was running part of the show in Alaska. Just how did she/they hoodwink all those Alaska voters in the first place? With all due respect to liberated women, I can't help but think of the old phrase that Don Rickles has used in the past, and that is, "Dummy-broad!"
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