Some Perspective...

ANTARES IS THE 15TH BRIGHTEST STAR IN THE SKY.
IT IS MORE THAN 1000 LIGHT YEARS AWAY.

THIS IS A HUBBLE TELESCOPE ULTRA DEEP FIELD INFRARED VIEW OF COUNTLESS
'ENTIRE' GALAXIES BILLIONS OF LIGHT-YEARS AWAY.

BELOW IS A CLOSE UP OF ONE OF THE DARKEST REGIONS OF THE PHOTO ABOVE.

Random Number 2

236.0

Christmas in... May?

I was so excited about the new Star Trek film coming out...

It appears I'll have to wait until May 2009.

Alas.

Every Inch Counted

Recently seen on YouTube (h/t to M*A).

Language warning for those to whom it applies.

Watch the end of the runway very carefully.

Now, having seen the IL-76 in action, she is an impressive aircraft, and a fine demonstration of the Russian brute-force engineering technique.

I've always wanted to fly on her.

But, perhaps not quite this close to the edge.

New Uniform

Bought a new uniform today. Ok, not necessarily big news. But what made me grin from ear to ear is that it was one size smaller!

Starting to trim down and get my Life back in order. I cannot believe the complete disarray, the utter black hole I slipped into last year... but now, one step at a time...

Avon Breast Cancer Walk - Progress

My thanks to all the contributors so far. We've reached 31% of our goal of $1800.... a total of $565!!!

I am grateful for each dollar in contributions, as it goes to help detect this disease early enough for treatment to have a chance of succeeding.

Too many have died. While I walk in Ellicia's memory, in reality, the goal is for there to be no more deaths. For her daughters to not have to face this disease. For so many other mothers, sisters, daughters... so that Breast Cancer can be relegated to history.

Busing a Stray Thought from My Head...

Along the interstate, from time to time, there'll be a sign for the nearest Greyhound/Trailways bus station.

Presumably, if you're aboard one of their buses, the driver will know where the nex station is.

If you're otherwise traveling along the interstate, via motorcycle, car, or truck... You're not likely to be in need of a bus.

So, doe whom are these ubiquitous signs?

And strangely enough, it's been awhile since I've seen a BUS.

The Background of Our Lives

Today is John Williams' birthday. He is 76.

Understandably, many will ask, "Who is John Williams? And, why do I care?"

Good question. Mr. Williams is a film score composer and orchestra director. While many don't know him, few are unaware of his music.

Who hears those timeless slow bass notes from Jaws and don't have an immediate mental picture of a fin slicing through the water... Or vice versa, see a fin and think of the music?

Superman isn't Superman without that triumphant march.

And Star Wars is defined as much by lasers, robots, Darth Vader, and the Force... As by the music.

We hear his music at the Olympics. NBC News has a theme written by him (albeit, the full verson is usually only heard on the New Years' Eve broadcast, but it's iconic nevertheless.

Indy wouldn't BE Indiana Jones without the music. Our heart strings wouldn't be tugged dring Schindler's List or Saving Private Ryan quite the same were the music ordinary.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind... E.T.... Jurassic Park - our imagination crescendoed with the orchestra.

He captures the bravery, hope, and prologue of patriotism in The Patriot.

And, he's won FIVE Oscars for his efforts.


I had the enviable pleasure of savoring a performance of him leading the Boston Pops. It's a treasured memory.

And, I've had the joy of performing his compositions. Ok, sometimes, not joy as he works his instruments VERY hard. But, in return, normally "supportive" instruments (includng my beloved trombone) are often given the rare pleasure of a melody.

Truly, a man who's leaving an indelible mark on our culture and will ne'er be forgotten, and long missed when his baton and pen are put down for the final time... Hopefully, no time soon.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Williams. And, Thank You.

Random Number

241.5

She Flies!

Shuttle Atlantis is well on her way to the Space Station. What a beautiful launch. It is continually amazing the capabilities that we have, and the bravery of those who are willing to strap into the forward tip of a giant bomb and make a ride that the vast majority sense as routine, or worse, unnecessary.

But the beauty and grandeur of the adventure and exploration of the unknown is not abated.

What We Do Not See

The world slides unbeknownst beneath us.
We soar far above it
Isolating ourselves from others in the bus.
Unaware of those beside whom we sit!

Below, Time stands still -
A prologue yet to be read.
Above, our future is written in creations
Once merely a thought in one's Head.

How can we ignore the majesty
Nature has provided to those willing to see?
Instead closing the shades of our eyes
Our minds, if you'll just let us be.

We should be in awe
Stunned and amazed by what we can achieve;
Yet we are complacent and unaware
Refusing even to believe.

We wrap ourselves in imagined distraction
Interrupted angrily by splendor few can perceive.
How can our spirits soar?
If our Hearts will not believe?

There is Beauty and Splendor around us displayed
If only we slow to notice, during our hectic days.

Movies fade, music dims,
And books turn to dust
Yet Beauty of That around us
Behold! We must.

For there is a Timelessness that we seek
The Eternity we desire
Yet GROUNDED we are in the Temporal
Fleetingness so dire.

Soar amongst the Eagles
Life is Not merely a Ride
And then that smile it brings
Will stay when you've died.

The Little Things never matter
Problems seem like ants
Once your Soul takes flight
"By the seat of your pants!"

Breast Cancer Walk

So far, folks... we're at $465 or 26% of the $1800 goal!

Thank you SO MUCH, everyone... I know E would be pleased about the efforts we're making to help other cancer patients.

Please, donate... and donate often.

(Meanwhile, I'm practicing my walking... Left, Right, Left, Left... no, that's not it... still have to keep practicing, I guess.)

Passing Thought

What executives, programming, advertising, or otherwise, seem to think that what I would like to have on TV are commercials which include the phrase, "unbalanced feminine pH"?

Really.

I understand it's a product that is needed, but... really were women's magazines no longer accepting advertising?

Lest We Forget...

There are any number of ways to write memorials, and I can certainly take the time reminisce about where I was and how I remember hearing about the Challenger exploding... twenty-two years ago.

However, I am blessed to have a friend... she's been a good friend for well over a year now. And, of note to me... she was the voice of NASA that morning.

So, I'm going to link to her memory of that day.

Lest we forget... progress is never without a price. And the lessons of safety are always written in blood.

Ad Astra per Aspera

On 27 January 1967, America lost its first astronauts in a spacecraft. In a test. There was supposed to be no risk - there wasn't even fuel in the rocket!

And yet, in less than fifteen seconds, a violent fire snuffed out some of America's brave explorers - Gus Grissom, Ed White (first American spacewalker), and Roger Chaffee.



I think it's important that we remember a quote from Gus Grissom, "If we die, we want people to accept it. We are in a risky business and we hope that if anything happens to us it will not delay the program. The conquest of space is worth the risk of life."

Crazy Highway Planning in North Carolina

While driving through North Carolina, I observed a highway design unlike any I'd seen before.

I'm familiar with the standard right-hand merge and the right-hand exit. I'm also familiar with the rare left-hand exit. Sometimes, it's just necessary.

What I've never seen before, and am flabbergasted that I saw at all, is the left-hand MERGE.

Who's bright idea is this?! Merging is the process of building up the speed of traffic joining the flow of the interstate. Common sense dictates bringing this slower traffic into the slower lanes - traditionally the right lanes.

The left lanes are for the fastest moving traffic So, who I the genius who thought that merging slow traffic into the fastest moving flow would be a safe, and wise, idea?

Just curious...

Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2007

I'm torn.

There are two bills before Congress, a House of Representatives version and a Senate version, titled the "Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2007.

Essentially, and to spare you the legalese in the bills (though I always encourage you to read the bills - unlike our actual lawmakers), it mandates that patients not be sent home from the hospital less than forty-eight hours after a mastectomy is performed.

I remember with Ellicia how happy we were that the Germans held her for quite a few days to ensure everything worked out ok... Mastectomies are MAJOR surgery.

Easy vote. Of course, patients shouldn't be sent home and it's sad that they are.

And I wish, really wish, that such a vote wasn't necessary.

Why am I torn? Because it goes against my beliefs of having the government tell the private sector (and insurance companies are private companies whom we hire to provide a service to us - namely, insurance) how their business should be run.

It's against my core beliefs.

Sigh.

What I feel, essentially, becomes a classic Liberal versus Conservative argument. On the Liberal side, I feel that it should be voted for. These women NEED to stay longer in the hospital to ensure their surgeries go well.

On the Conservative side, I don't want government meddling and mandating the business rules.

So, let's draw a compromise here. Attention insurance companies - here is a MARKET OPPORTUNITY. Differentiate yourself from your competitors by offering better mastectomy care. Customers, especially women at risk, and those who love them, will flock to your company.

Don't make government legislate the morality of good care. Do it on your own.

(Sad note - one of the House bills - HR 119 - was introduced by Rep. Jo Ann Davis, of the 1st Congressional District of Virginia. She passed away last year - from cancer.)

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday. You are missed.

A Christmas Present

As some of you may know, I am a huge Star Trek fan.

For any number of reasons, Star Trek has always excited me. It's vision of the future, not to mention the technical qualities - the writing, the music, the acting - even Shatner's overacting defines Kirk, and the depth of the story lines.

And do you want to know my favorite character? The one whom every time she (there's a hint) appears onscreen, makes my heart race into an excited pitter-patter?

The USS Enterprise. She is a beauty of a ship, with some of the finest lines I can imagine, and am quite pleased that some forty plus years ago, someone did.

After a bit of a drought, there is a new Star Trek movie coming out. Christmas Day of this year.

The studio is scrapping the Next Generation plot lines, and returning to the beginning - well, not the full beginning, but the beginning of the Kirk, Spock, et al, saga.

Watch the trailer, below. If you'd like to see a really great high-definition version, you can go to this website. Click on "Watch in HD".

You've seen my other posts, and know what stirs me... so, imagine this video with the Enterprise being built... and we start with the narratives of America's first forays into space... and then Leonard Nimoy comes in with the famous words...

Oh my.

Oh my, oh my.

Santa's bringing a very special present this year.

New Commercial for the United States Marine Corps

This is for the Marines (I'm looking at you, David). The branch of the military that not only has one of the largest collective egos, but the capability and reputation to back it up is the United States Marine Corps.

They also have, hands down, the best dress uniform for the enlisted. Why, oh WHY, the Army still can't figure ours out is beyond me.

Anywho, they just produced a new commercial. We've seen some good and... well, some not so good ones over the years, but this one... it's impressive like the "Army Strong" series.

Take a look:

Beautiful - What We Don't See

(h/t to M*A, but more ultimately, to A)



Lyrics:

Everybody knows we live in a world
Where they give bad names to beautiful things
Everybody knows we live in a world
Where we don't give beautiful things a second glance
Heaven only knows we live in a world
Where what we call beautiful is just something on sale
People laughing behind their hands
As the fragile and the sensitive are given no chance

And the leaves turn from red to brown
To be trodden down
To be trodden down
And the leaves turn from red to brown
Fall to the ground
Fall to the ground

We don't have to live in a world
Where we give bad names to beautiful things
We should live in a beautiful world
We should give beautiful a second chance

And the leaves fall from red to brown
To be trodden down
Trodden down
And the leaves turn green to red to brown
Fall to the ground
And get kicked around

You strong enough to be
Have you the courage to be
Have you the faith to be
Honest enough to stay
Don't have to be the same
Don't have to be this way
C'mon and sign your name
You wild enough to remain beautiful?
Beautiful

And the leaves turn from red to brown
To be trodden down
Trodden down
And we fall green to red to brown
Fall to the ground
But we can turn it around

You strong enough to be
Why don't you stand up and say
Give yourself a break
They'll laugh at you anyway
So why don't you stand up and be
Beautiful

Black, white, red, gold, and brown
We're stuck in this world
Nowhere to go
Turnin' around
What are you so afraid of?
Show us what you're made of
Be yourself and be beautiful
Beautiful

The imagery is intense and poetic. The lyrics, well, they say it well. So, I think I'll just end here.

When the Flag Goes Down

(h/t to M*A, who h/t'ed Tanker Brothers, who h/t'ed Blackfive. A few more, and we'll almost be six degrees from Kevin Bacon!)

I just wrote about my experience when the flag went down on Langley AFB. Here's another perspective:

Robin Williams was recently in the Middle East. He's doing his act, entertaining the troops...

And then, RETREAT sounds... (no, it's not what the Democrats and liberals would like us to do. Retreat is the end of the day bugle call which lets us know that it's time for the flag to come down.

Watch the Soldiers. And Robin Williams... who's thrown a little for a loop (I'm not sure if he's truly unaware of what's going on... think he's a little wiser and in the know than most people give credit) is very respectful.

Thought I'd share.

Refreshing experience

Took my still unsold Explorer to Langley AFB today to let it sit on their Lemon Lot... Unfortunately, God having only blessed me with one body, I needed a cab back to my van.

Tried calling cab company I know, but they're not allowed on the base. Fine, I'll meet them at the gate... Only about a 2 mile walk. I'm tired, but... Army Strong! Hooah!

Start walking. I don't wear a watch, so I'm oblivious to the time. Am walking on a sidewalk alongside the VERY busy main boulevard off base.

Then I catch it... Barely. Bugle. Quick check of the cell phone clock... 1700 (Angela, you can do it!)... Flag!

Quickly come to a halt. Assume position of attention. About face. Wait. Bugle ends. I am facing 50 plus cars in front of me, staring at them. They've all just seen a Soldier stop cold, and turn around to face the flagpole... Even if their radios are thumpa-thumpin, they know... Flag!

They all come to a stop. I can sense a line behind me, as well, of the cars in the other direction. No movement.

The sun is setting directly behind me, and I am the lone person visibly standing outside...

It gets quiet as car motors turn off.

Then, I hear it... First note of "The Star-Spangled Banner". In my mind, I *hear* the command, "Present, arms!"

I salute... And hold it.

Through the whole song... Though there are times the wind carries the notes away from me, in my head, I'm singing along... So I keep my place.

One car can't hear at all.. Out of the corner of my eye, I see him start to creep, but then looks at me and sees I haven't moved a muscle.

"...and the home of the brave!" I hear the last notes. I think. Leave it to the Zoomies to through a flourish on the end.

Silence.

"Order, Arms!" goes the voice in my head... I return to attention. About face.

And I continue walking out to the gate.

2... Maybe 3 minutes out of the day but quite refreshing.

Some days, I LOVE being in uniform.

What a Difference a Doc Makes

We always wonder... What If?

I, and E, definitely wonder(ed) What If?

And then I read how it could have gone... I can only dream... of what might have been.

From Punk Rock Mommy:

People ask me to describe how I found out that I have this rare cancer. I have read awful stories on the Internet where doctors and women ignored the symptoms of IBC until it was too late. In my case I am not sure when I started to have symptoms. I feel like it may have begun during my pregnancy with Clayton. At first I noticed swelling in my left breast-actually my whole left side. It went away after Clay was born but when he was three months old I noticed the left breast was bigger, had a lot of lumps, and felt hot. I thought that all of these were symptoms of an ordinary breast infection not unlike one that any nursing mom might experience. So I used hot compresses,cabbage leaves, motrin, and eventually antibiotics. None of these relieved my symptoms which kept getting worse. I went to the E.R. at Pennsylvania Hospital on May 5th. They thought I had mastitis as well, but recommended I get an ultrasound of the breast to rule out abscesses. I took my last two finals ever on Monday6th and Tuesday7th. I felt free to focus on my health for the first time in months. I was happy and confident when I went for my ultrasound. When the Dr. remarked that he could find no abscesses, just a thickening of the breast tissue, and that he thought I should go see the breast surgeon, I knew. I asked,” Do I have cancer?”. He said,” I don’t know, but I think we should try to find out right away.” I changed back into my clothing while he made an immediate appointment for me across the street with the breast surgeon. While in the waiting room I noticed a pamphlet on Inflammatory Breast Cancer. I picked it up and read through the symptoms..doing a mental checklist…I have that, I have that, Oh man I have that too! I walked up to the Doctor and said,” I have this.” He said,” oh good you got the pamphlet.” “No, I have this cancer.” He was less convinced than me. I paced the hall for what seemed like hours but was probably more like 30 minutes. I prayed. I called my husband. I read the words..fatal,aggressive,etc. I held in my tears. I met with the surgeon. A wonderful older gentlemen. I told him that I had breast cancer. Deadly bad breast cancer. He said , “Andrea we don’t know that yet.” I said ,”I know. Well at least now I don’t have to pay back my student loans.” He laughed. From that point on I got an immediate biopsy and mammogram. All on the same day. I loved everyone I met. I decided to be nice and try to just laugh about it. Its not that I didn’t feel sad. I did to be sure. But mostly I just thought it was so cliche’. Very Lifetime television. Mom of six finally graduated from college finds out she has deadly cancer the NEXT day? Implausible. I made up a top ten list ala David Letterman. Top ten reasons its good that I have cancer. Some of them are very funny. I let myself cry only a little. I pray. And although I know that the next world is more wonderful than this one, I will hold on dearly and pray for God to let me remain here with my lovely children and wonderful husband. But I won’t be angry or bitter. Life is too short. Especially mine.

My prayers to Andrea and her family - if I know the types of folks out there, I suspect her family has grown quite large.

An Eerily Familiar Story

My mother-in-law called me tonight. She's mailing me an article she read in the local paper.

She read it to me over the telephone.

It felt like I'd heard it ALL before.

Much of it sounded as if I'd written it.

From the article in the Charleston Post & Courier:

At her home in Fishtown, Pa., Andrea Collins Smith, inveterate hipster, South Street fixture and "Punk Rock Mommy" of the blogosphere, is speaking quickly, racing ahead like the fast-spreading cancer that will take her life.

Smith, 37, the raison d'etre for a New Year's Eve day benefit concert organized by Philadelphia's Paul Green School of Rock to raise money for her care and her family's support, has a rare and virulent form of the disease.

In May, two days after graduating with a psychology degree from Temple University and two days before Mother's Day, the mother of six, whose tattoos and piercings are too numerous to count, learned she has inflammatory breast cancer.

Stage 4. Incurable, her doctors said.

Two weeks later, she started chemotherapy: Six rounds of caustic chemicals pumped into her body, three weeks apart.

Oct. 20: Radical surgery to remove both breasts and underarm lymph nodes.

Nov. 20: The start of radiation treatments.

This month, more trouble: A CT scan revealed cancer in two vertebrae.

It wasn't there in September's tests.

"That's how fast my cancer spreads," Smith said. "That's how aggressive this cancer is."

The last line of the article struck home (as if the rest had not):

Because there is no history of cancer in Smith's family, and her strain of the disease usually hits without early warning signs, she titled her blog "Andrea Collins Smith and the Great Cancer Swindle."

Please... I remember how uplifting E & I found all of your comments during our darkest, and not quite so dark, days. Perhaps, you can stop by and say hi to Andrea. She, like another I once knew, is a woman of indominitable spirit and charm.

Click here to zip on over.

Have We Lost Our Imagination?

When was the last time we had an endeavor that captured our attention?

Truthfully, less than a month ago. The New England Patriots (a professional football team in the NFL, for those not familiar) had the first undefeated season in NFL history.

Ok, it wasn't the first. It was the second. The first being the 1972 Miami Dolphins (who coincidentally came very close to having an unvictorious season this year). The Patriots were notable because this was the first sixteen game undefeated season. The 1972 Dolphins having not played sixteen games in their regular season, but fourteen. Of course, there were also two playoff games, and the Super Bowl... giving them seventeen winning games. Which, as you can see, is different than the sixteen games... or something like that.

Anywho, it was a big deal. The game was broadcast on three different networks. This was to ensure that everyone in America would have the opportunity to witness history being made.

So... before that?

Olympics?

World Cup?

America's Cup?

Presidential Elections? Nah, those sadly define apathy.

Surely there's been something...



Anyone?


Perhaps it's our quest to cure Cancer. AIDS? World Hunger? (Nope, those concerts quickly came and went in the eighties.)

Would you believe that what seems to capture our attention these days isn't success? It's failure.

Britney Spears is losing her mind, career, kids... tune in now to watch the latest. Baseball's steroid scandal. The failing of our schools. The salivating of the continuous death count of the Iraq Theater. Murders. Abductions. Virginia Tech. Even the fallacy (yes, I wrote fallacy) of Global
Warming predicates itself upon the humans failure by destroying the world, environment, children's self-esteem, and ________ insert your own item there.

What do we have to enlighten and motivate our youth?

What can we do to excite them?

Where can we find Hope for their future?

Something... um... dare I dream... positive?


In the 1960s, there was the Space Race. Space has now become a mundanity that excites few. And who can blame them? The Space Shuttle, which we are risk averse to launch after two losses over a seventeen year period, has the perception of being no more than a high-tech pick-up truck. We have the International Space Station, where a continuous human presence has been maintained for over seven years, is quickly becoming an irrelavancy to be checked off of the checklist than to be exalted. We'd once dreamed of it having seven (or more) scientists living and working aboard it using many different laboratories. It's reduced to three with fewer labs, and having taken forever to complete. It's final assembly will be the satisfaction of just finally finishing the race, not by trying to win it.

Our space program is quickly stalling out... the Shuttle is already doomed to no more flights after 2010, whether the replacement program - Constellation - is ready or not. And that continues to be scaled back, redesigned, and set up for failure much in the way the Shuttle was prior to its launch in 1981 (yes, folks, twenty-SIX years ago).

This nation... we need to find a focus. A Positive focus.

Yes, personally, I would like it to be a space focus. A new, fruitful expedition of meaningfulness.

However, we need something. Something that will light the fire of the mind of our next generations.

What do you suggest?

And just a thought, but what do our leaders suggest? Or, our potential future leaders?

Don't know? Let's ask them. And not take a shrug, or a nice form letter, as an answer.

There is more to LIFE than just marking time and waiting for the next event to come to us. It's to be savored, and to be created - We can do it. If we want to, that is.

It's time to lead us to our future, it's waiting for us.

More Than Just Rocks

One thing I've often heard about the Apollo Moon Expeditions is "Well, all they did was bring back a bunch of rocks."

I'm going to avoid going into that discussion about "just rocks".

I would like to share one of the more memorable moments, though.

It proved, after hundreds of years, in a way that could not be done on Earth, that Galileo was right - that his foresight and knowledge were on target.

Dave Scott from Apollo 15:

Bringing History to Life

It is true. One of my absolute passions is flying. And one of the pinnacles of that has been mankind's journey into the vastness of space.

Star Trek's immortal mantra had it right: "Space, the Final Frontier..."

In the 1960's, our technology, our abilities... our imagination made "giant leaps" forward - accelerating our knowledge, our understanding... of both ourselves, our home, and our universe.

We are rapidly approaching that time being a half a century ago. Already, we've passed the fifty year mark for the launch of Sputnik, the first object to orbit the Earth.

And with the passage of Time, the nuances of history begin to fade to dust. The STORY gets shorter and shorter until it will finally be just a paragraph (or Less!) in a history book.

But it's the STORY that makes the adventure so compelling. It's the STORY that makes the experience, the why we did what we did... and why we must continue.

I am voraciously aborbing as many texts that tell the nuances of the story. Whether it's Andrew Chaikin's A Man On the Moon, Gene Kranz's Failure is Not An Option, Jim Lovell's, Lost Moon, and innumerable more..., the story is compelling.

And I am happy for Tom Hanks. He saw that the story needed to be told. And he backed a project that stepped away from the headlines, and told the story... the texture that makes it interesting. That which makes the story compelling. As we would have once gathered around the campfire, mesmerized by tales of might and wonder... so are we compelled to gather again.

I encourage you to seek out and find (alright, I'd buy it - as you should have a copy) of "From the Earth to the Moon" (available at Amazon.com, and other fine retailers).

This twelve part miniseries from HBO is of impeccable quality, and attention to detail; it seeks to tell The Story.

To give you a taste, here is the opening sequence.

You'll note the music from an earlier post... It's stirring, and moving... and my Heart quivers whenever I hear it.

(If you're a space buff, see how many of the images you can identify.)

An Amazing Motivational Speech

In 1962, at a speech at Rice University, President John F. Kennedy gave a speech which is a stunning example of motivation, and oratory.

I get goosebumps every time I hear it.

(At the end of the clip...)

There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation many never come again. But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?

We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.

One Year

It was a year ago... today... now.

So much has happened... and gone wrong. Some has gone right. But, none has gone the way I/we thought it would... after.

Today is a time to reflect... and maybe, restart.

Pain, No More.

Inspirational and Moving

I cannot listen to this without being moved. And it's one of my favorite oboe performances ever written (and those folks, like trombonists, just don't get nearly enough stand-out parts).

Please enjoy.

Some Musical Interludes

It's a sleepless night, so I thought I'd share some of my musical favorites.

Let's start with Billy Joel...















How about some Journey?











The Churchills




Some Marc Cohn




And one of my favorite composers, sadly passed...

Michael Kamen





(from one of the most beautiful movies, artistically, thematically, and more... "What Dreams May Come")


Toby Keith












Jewel



(With Indigo Girls and Sarah Maclaughlan)


Pink Floyd!

And this is a TRUE favorite, song and video...



Kermit




And some great TV Themes:
(how many do YOU know - without reading it on screen?)












And finally (for now):




Hope you've enjoyed.

Thank You, Billy Joel

He's only one of my favorite musicians (I still treasure the one time I've seen him live...).

And take a look at the new song he's written.

Which Military Aircraft Are You?

What military aircraft are you? EA-6B Prowler You are an EA-6B. You are sinister, preferring not to get into confrontations, but extract revenge through mind games and technological interference. You also love to make noise and couldn't care less about pollution.

Click Here to Take This Quiz Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

Merry Christmas

Thirty-nine years ago...

Mankind ventured for the first time away from the safety of our home planet (not counting UFO abductions for lack of boarding passes).

For the first time, three men were alone in the Universe, as they circled the far side of the Moon - on one side of the Moon, billions of humanity and everything we knew in our day to day existence and on the other side of the Moon, the three Apollo 8 astronauts and eternity.

1968 had not been a pleasant year for the United States, nor for the planet in general.

USS Pueblo

The Tet Offensive

My Lai

Yuri Gagarin is killed

MLK, Jr. is killed

USS Scorpion sinks

RFK, Jr. is killed

The Prague Spring

The Democrat National Convention

It was against that backdrop, that NASA audaciously set out for the Moon. Having restarted the Apollo flights (after The Fire the previous year) in October, NASA found itself not ready to continue its planned schedule. Instead of waiting until the schedule was ready to be engaged, NASA went for a Hail Mary and went for the Moon.

Riding the massive Saturn V booster for the first time, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders, did something no one else had done previously, leaving the Earth's orbit, its gravitational field, and traversing the deepness of the void of space between two worlds, the Earth and the Moon.

There they saw sights that no human eyes had previously seen - the far side of the Moon, the desolation of the Moon from only sixty-nine miles away, and also... the first view of Mother Earth, in her entirety, from so far away...




The crew of Apollo 8 spent just ten orbits around the Moon, before they returned home. As they were orbiting, it was Christmas Eve back on Earth. And as the world watched and listened, near the end of their lunar television broadcast, the following words were read by the crew. It captured the spirit of Christmas, of Peace, and of Hope... cast amongst the splendor, isolation, and wonder of that precious blue marble and the desolation of the first world visited by humans.

I am choked up when I hear and see this... what a Christmas present to the world.

Army Strong!

This was originally posted as a video response to the Blackfive thank you video.

However, I find that not only does it stand well on its own... it's an impressive collage of why we are Army Strong (yes, eagle-eyed viewer, one segment has Marines, but was impressive, still).

Enjoy, my friends.

Hooah!

And a Big Thank You...

A big thank you goes out to all those who lend support. Those who study military history will tell you that one of the keys to an operational success is the strength of the "support tail" (also known as logistics, and many other variants). Essentially, without the support, no matter how strong your force is, victory cannot be maintained.

Our armed forces are the best there are. But, without our support tail... the folks back home, we, too, are drastically weakened.

With that in mind, a big thank you to all who lend that support, in whatever form it takes, both outspoken, and quietly in their Hearts.

Dan Fogelberg, RIP

Today, Dan Fogelberg passed away. You may or may not know him by name, but you likely know his music.

I always enjoyed his music as it was very instrumental in its nature, instead of so much contemporary pop music that is relatively lacking in musical creativity and diversity.

His music flowed.

I, for one, will miss the creation of any more new music, and savor the delights he's left us to enjoy.

You can listen to some of my favorites, but by no means all, here below (courtesy of imeem.com):

Rest in peace, Dan, and thank you...

"We Can Be Bitter Or We Can Choose to Appreciate What We're Given"

An amazingly touching story over at Michelle Malkin.

The original, full story is over at KUSA.

From their reporting:

When Rob and Gina Harris found out they were expecting their first child they say were overwhelmed with gratitude and filled with thoughts and plans for their future family.

"We had all these visions and dreams for what our baby would grow up to be," said Gina.

Rob Harris said, "At our 20 week ultrasound we found out that he was a boy so I went out to the Nike store and had to buy a little sports outfit."

An ultrasound also revealed a problem about their unborn son, David.

As all of us parents recall, we always hope to have the "perfect" child, with everything in working order, and those tests at the doctor's are slightly dreaded, because there's always the fear of "What if something's wrong?"

And for this couple, the fear came true:

"I didn't have amniotic fluid because David most likely did not have kidneys," said Gina.

Doctors explained that amniotic fluid is critical for lungs to develop. The condition that the Harris' son had is called Potter's Syndrome. It is extremely rare and extremely serious.

"The doctor told us that the babies usually die of respiratory failure after they are born," said Gina.

The doctor explained that as long as the baby was inside Gina's womb he'd be able to grow and thrive. Gina could provide everything her son needed. The question was: Could their son live on his own?

What would you do?

Not surprisingly, the doctor offered to terminate the pregnancy.

They'd hear nothing of it.

"I decided to hold tightly to my faith and push through my fear," said Gina. "I decided to put myself aside and know that this baby has a life right now and I am meant to be his mother right now."

Her husband added, "We decided we were going to enjoy our time with our son even if he is in Gina's womb and we can't see him yet, he's still alive and he's still kicking."

The couple made the most of their pregnancy, enjoying their time with their son while he was in utero, knowing that his birth would likely cause his death.

Many couples hope the time during a pregnancy goes by quickly. The focus is on the birth. For the Harrises, the time went too quickly.

After 34 weeks together, David was coming.

And then, for so many couples a joyous time...

David Paul Harris was delivered at 3:25 in the morning, but passed away.

Their time together... six short hours... literally, a lifetime.

"We held him and like any mom and dad we examined his features," said Rob. "We were amazed to see how dark and thick his hair was."

"I remember how soft his skin felt," said Gina. "He was perfectly formed. I remember how soft his skin felt, those little things that even a picture cannot ever capture, so I made sure I remembered those things."

They had six hours with their son.

"I found some comfort in the fact that he went from safe in my womb to God's arms," said Gina.

And then, Gina says the quote that I latched onto. I so clearly remember that same crystalline moment for Ellicia and I. I remember when we received our horrible news, and how we decided to face it. Gina sums it up so well:

We have a choice. We can be bitter or we can choose to appreciate what were given," Gina said.

That's something that we often face at times in our lives... and I'm so touched by this story, especially this time of year, as 31 December is marching steadily towards me... I recall that decision, and what a tough, wonderful decision it is.

Not everyone, hopefully, will face this decision in such magnitude as the Davis', or E &I, or countless others every day. Maybe you'll face it in a situation that to the rest of the world as a minor pebble, but to you, is a massive stone rolling towards you. However this question manifests itself, please remember your choice.

And I pray... you'll choose not to waste your time with bitterness. Because then you'll have memories of bitterness, and not happiness and joy.

The Gratitude Campaign

One of my Angels passed this on to me...

She's featured it on her blog.


I've often been torn when people walk up to me and say, "Thank you". It took me quite awhile to learn how to respond. And the best I do these days, I've found, is to simply say, "Thank you," in return.

Apparently, there's an organization out there (actually, I believe there are likely to be several) that has dedicated itself to saying thanks.

I found this very moving, to see their efforts.

To them, and to all like them... Thank You.

Stuck In My Head

There's a set of commercials running these days which have gotten stuck in my head.

They're cute, and catchy.

Don't agree with the product, but... it's fun to listen to the commercial.

So, here to share...

A Few Precious Moments with Herr Kringle

Went to the local mall tonight. Don't often go, and no, I wasn't shopping. Thought I'd get a salad at the local Ruby T's.

And then I wen into the mall. And I didn't go to Ruby T's...

I found myself instead standing at Santa's workshop... Looking in from the outside. Watching the parade of youngsters being plopped onto his lap - some happy, some mortally terrified. The parents as often listening closely for that desperate hint of what their precious munchkin wants Santa to bring... As those parents who just want the "Perfect Picture".

I didn't recognize Santa; at least, not this Santa. I asked one of the indigenous elves if Santa worked in this workshop last year... They thought so, but weren't sure. I asked if I could speak to Santa. (Being in uniform probably didn't hurt my chances at jumping the long line, but being a Soldier had nothing to do with my request.)

The elf held up the line, and I approached Santa. I asked if he'd worked last year, and he had not. He look tired, the weight of many cranky cherubs possibly weighing upon him. I decided to tell him a story.

He held my hand tightly in his gloved one... And I looked right into his eyes, for otherwise I wasn't sure if I could do this.

I told him of a family of small children who'd spent a few Christmases overseas where you Santa doesn't host as many "Open Workshops". How the five of us and two of the grandparents had delighted in watching what was for two of them, a new experience with the great, mystical Mr. C, and for our older, a new memory.

And then, how when all of the children had taken their turn, tugged his beard, and enjoyed their moment of joy, I witnessed a Christmas miracle I'll never forget.

How, purely on a whim, I'd turned to E and asked her, playfully, "Would YOU like to talk to Santa?" and her face beamed as I wheeled her over to Santa. The two shared a conversation that brought PURE JOY AND PEACE to the face of the woman who was so often wracked with pain. No one knows what was said -- and we never will, nor is it important what the words are as the substance was clear.

It became (officially) the Last Picture as E was dead barely a week later.



But, as I told Herr Kringle tonight, for that moment, and ever on now, I have no doubt that Santa is real. He brought E Christmas... And to all of us, the spirit and joy of Christmas.

And so it was, that with tears streaming down my cheek, I THANKED Santa tonight... Something I've waited nearly a year to do. And Santa gave me a big, tight hug.

Merry Christmas.

(Blast from the past...)

Closing a Chapter of the Past

In the paper earlier this week, word of a job closing came out.

A call center in Goose Creek is closing on 31 May 2008. It hosts several telephone departments for National and Alamo car rentals. These companies were recently acquired by Enterprise Rent a Car.

I used to work there. I'm still friends with quite a few people who (for now) work there.

Lots of good memories. I met Ellicia there.

And now, it too, shall move into the past. Obsolete. Not worth the investment.

I'm so sorry for the friends who just received sad Christmas news.

Stand Up! Stand Up! Get Up Off of that Seat!

Scientists apparently are beginning to believe that sitting down turns off the body's fat-burning mechanism (it also causes global warming, but that can't be helped).

Take a look.

There's likely something to this... so, when you have the opportunity, stand up. Get out of that chair. Work standing up... Walk...

This time of year can be hard enough.

Here's the story.

A Beautiful Bird

This weekend, I received this beautiful picture... in a round about way, but this nice picture was taken from the window of my cousin's house.

How nice it must be to be able to have this view outside your window.

Turkey Day Funny

Courtesy of one of my pen-pals... (or is that key-pals?)

What Turkeys Need To Know But Don't

1. By limiting your corn intake to 175 kernels a day, you can lose
thirteen pounds or three hours baking time, whatever the case may be.
2. There is no such thing as the friendly ax-man.
3. Hiding inside old Jack-O-Lanterns never works.
4. Running helps you lose weight, but you will never fly, ever.
5. Stop writing to Benjamin Franklin; he's dead, and you lost that
National symbol argument long ago.
6. No one buys the "you can't eat a turkey with glasses routine."
7. If anyone asks you about your drumstick size, be afraid; be very
afraid.
8. Sweet corn meal is NOT low in calories. Stop eating it.
9. Pretending to be "just a chicken" is not very smart.
10. If there are not pigs or geese on your farm, you should probably
worry about Christmas as well.

Thanksgiving 2007 - A Time to Reflect... And Look Forward

Today was Thanksgiving. For me, it's a bit of a landmark date.

It marks a period of transition. It was Thanksgiving Eve when the whole family arrived from Germany, schlepping our most important worldly possessions with us.

First time I've ever been met at an airport by a TV news crew... Wanting to document the saga of E's journey back.

It marked the closing of the Germany chapter and the beginning of what (we thought) was to be a long stateside one. Amazing what we didn't know.

So, Thanksgiving 2007 marks the beginning (in my mind) of "It's Been One Year..." One year since the whole world changed.

I have a lot to be thankful for... My father, for one. His support has been immeasureable, setting a bar so high, I can only dream of one day meeting that standard with my children. Last year, as we prepared to evacuate (I use "evacuate" due to the nature of our departure) Deutschland... Our adopted home... He realized the effort it would take. This man (and his willing accomplice, Patricia, ex-wife #2) FLEW to Europe just to help us move and make the journey back. And in the year since, in so many ways, including shouldering the ultimate responsibility and burden, I am indebted. I am thankful for my Dad. And love him dearly.

I am thankful for my Angels... M*A (and the angel family), PJ, Andrea, Miss Birdlegs, and countless others, who've defined Angels in whole new ways. Whether it was being there to listen, or to help me keep writing - when just getting out of bed was hard, to knowing when to whisper a wise word... Or just a needed hug.

My Dad has his own Angel, in the form of Miss D... Who's also embarked on an unplanned journey, and without whom, four lives would be much emptier. She's a teacher... In and out of the classroom.

I'm thankful for memories... As painful and tormenting as they sometimes can be.. For just as powerful is their hurt is their *simultaneous* joy.

And for my visions of the future. M & T. Veritable beacons of Hope and Life itself. Watching them grow learn, and develop... And sharing it with them. Two children who've sacrificed much and demonstrate how to keep moving forward. With Hearts full of unending Love, so pure and innocent, and minds already wise with Life's Lessons... I can look at them and see a time machine - able to look into the past, at what was... Just one year ago... And also all that is to come.

For all of this, I am thankful. For as hard as each day is, keeping the sea of thick blackness at bay, these are the beams of sunshine that make it worth going to see the next day.

With Soldiers Like These...

I know I am honored... and believe we ALL should be honored, to count Specialist Hoyt as one of our Army Strong Soldiers.

Don't know who he is?

Not surprised. I did a search for him on CNN.com. Nada.

So, maybe you'll need to mosey over to FoxNews to read about him.

Specialist Hoyt was injured in an IED blast on 13 November while he was on foot patrol. Five feet away from him, one of his comrades was killed by the blast.

What was his reaction?

Specialist Hoyt told his officers his job wasn't finished, and then... RE-ENLISTED!

Like I said... we should all be honored.

The Crud

Great. Just $*@# great. I have "The Crud". Spent all weekend trying to stave it off, to no avail. I was doing shots of DayQuil like it was Friday night at the club (... and the beer bottle glasses just weren't doing enough to help the last girl there* ).

Already thrown up Breakfast #1 AND replacement Breakfast #2. Yay.

Please, oh please, let this be gone by Turkey Day.

(* - Gratuitous sexist comment just to liven up an otherwise disgusting post. Hey, they can's ALL have pictures of cute and adorable children featured... )

A Special Day

Today is a very special day.

Five years ago, I was in India. Running up what had to be one of the most expensive phone bills I've ever had. 8,887! miles away, my daughter was coming into the world.

Delivered by caesarean, she was a beauty. Let's take a peek back, shall we?


(She's still inside - so comfy)


(She's just been hatched!)


(Being born is hard work!)


(Very happy Mommy...)


I finally got to meet my little girl about two months later.

This is my very first look upon her... E had a friend be ready with the camera when she walked in. I don't think I've ever been more excited or nervous to meet someone.


E called this picture "So, this is Daddy!"


Five years. She's such a joy in my life.

I remember her first birthday - I was able to sneak down on a quick pass from Army training.

First cake - can't you tell?


Life is good...

Life is VERY good


Grandpa


Marmee

Second birthday, we shared in Germany (girl gets around, doesn't she?)... The family had just arrived a month earlier...

Third birthday. Sigh. M's third birthday will always be linked... to... Cancer. E received her diagnosis on 18 November 2005. And M STILL had a party that day. To this day, I am in awe of E's strength.

M's birthday in 2006 was a tad bit truncated as the house was being packed and we were in full swing for our evacuation to the States.

And now, it's 2007. Five years old. A whole handful of fingers!

M has grown so much. She's extremely intelligent. E and I were often struck with wonder, pride, and just a tad bit of consternation, as we watched her devilish self learn how to hide sweets. And her first Easter, sorting the candy by type and color. Watching her learn and develop. She still speaks two languages, remembering her German well.

I could write pages, I'm sure... but I reflect on how much this little girl has endured, and the strength that oozes from her. She seems wise beyond her years. So grown up... And more to come!


Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!

(Also, happy birthday to Josie and Charlie!)

PTSD

I can't comment too much on this topic. Not even sure what I'd comment.

But I've read this over and over...

Something to Think About

It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently. - Warren Buffett

The Coup Was Successful!

The coup was successful! I'm happy to announce that there will be many changes coming shortly.


Taken during the recent visit to the Pentagon...

Cat Caught WebSurfing

Did you know that cats often like to surf the web? They even read blogs...

They just don't like to get caught doing it.
F

Can Never Have Too Many Children Pictures

We're going to make a Jack-O-Lantern


Reading is FUN! (And so are cool shoes)

Some Things in Life Can't Be Avoided

Some things in life can't be avoided, right? Recently, there was even this article about a cow landing on a car in Michigan. If you can't avoid falling cows, what can you avoid?



Well, apparently, for a deer crossing the highway, you can avoid motorcyclists.

Enjoy.

Pentagon Visit

Today, as part of my duties, I drove to the Pentagon. My unit's Command Sergeant Major, about six Sergeants Major, Two First Sergeants, and several Master Sergeants, and my NCO were going to take a tour. There may have also been a Partride in a pear tree, somewhere.

My day started at 0400, with being at work by 0500. Had the van set for full VIP service, and was ready to go. We finally departed around 0545 for the drive to DC.

Nothing like arriving in DC during rush-hour.

And there's also the joy of blissfully cruising the (largely empty) HOV lanes while the regular interstate sits in gridlock. (Hint: Use carpools or Metro... you'll get to work sooner.)

We get to the Pentagon, make our way through, and wait for our tour. A nice PFC from the Old Guard came and led us on our short tour. He was resplendent in his Dress Blues. I found it amusing that he stuck with his script insisting we call him by his first name. Right.

We started off at the Medal of Honor room. It included the recently added name of LT Michael Murphy, USN. There are both too many names... and too few.

We were led through several different themed corridors... until we reached a very poignant destination.

The America's Heroes Memorial. It's set in the Pentagon at the spot where American Airlines 77 slammed into the building. The very spot. And when you look out through the window there, you can see the USAF Memorial. One of the interesting facets of that memorial is that the center spire is aligned along the flight path of flight 77. You look out the window and can see the evocative path of the plane's approach. Chilling. Stunning. And, for me, for whom the USAF Memorial has always symbolized the soaring of flight and of the Thunderbirds, it was a complete reversal.

From there, we were led along an interior corridor and stopped after a good walk. The guide told us that we were now standing at the spot of the furthest point of impact of the plane into the building. We turned around, facing outside... and we were several hundred yards inside. The corridor was so long... It's beyond description the idea of the plane making it that far through such a stout building (remember, the workers on the other side of the Pentagon had no idea that anything had happened). The effectiveness of the attack was crystal clear. And yet, simultaneously, the futility.

I think I'll always remember that visit today.

Since When Do I Qualify?

Great, just great...

Another one of those funny emails gets forwarded around, and wait-a-second... I fall into the group it's talking about.

Lovely.

Take a look:

If you are 30 or older you will think this is hilarious!!!!

When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were when they were growing up;
Like walking twenty-five miles to school every morning ...uphill BOTH ways yadda, yadda, yadda

And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way in hell I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!

But now that... I'm over the ripe old age of thirty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today.

You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a dream Utopia! And I hate to say it but you kids today you don't know how good you've got it!

I mean, when I was a kid we didn’t have The Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the stupid library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog!! There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter ..with a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox and it would take like a week to get there!

There were no MP3's or Napsters! You wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself! Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio and the DJ'd usually talk over the beginning and screw it all up!
We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called they got a busy signal, that's it! And we didn’t have fancy Caller ID Boxes either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your mom, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, a collections agent, you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!
We didn't have any fancy Sony Play station video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like "Space Invaders" and "asteroids". Your guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!

When you went to the movie theater there no such thing as stadium seating! All the seats were the same height! If a tall guy or some old broad with a hat sat in front of you and you couldn't see, you were just screwed!

Sure, we had cable television, but back then that was only like 15 channels and there was no on screen menu and no remote control! You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your butt and walk over to the TV to change the channel and there was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I’m saying!?! We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little rat-tards!

And we didn’t have microwaves; if we wanted to heat something up we had to use the stove or go build a frigging fire ...

imagine that! If we wanted popcorn, we had to use that stupid Jiffy Pop thing and shake it over the stove forever like an idiot.

That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy.
You're spoiled!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980!

Regards,
The over 30 Crowd

A New Blog

Another new blogger is taking the first tentative steps into a whole new world.

Take a look over at Miles on the Wind.

Tell her the SCEagle sent ya...

Need Some Blogger Help

Nothing exciting in this post. Just looking for some help with Blogger. Want to expand the size of this template a bit, so the main posts and the sidebar are a bit wider... basically a higher resolution compatibility. If you can help, I'd appreciate you dropping a line in the comments. Thanks.