A legend is born in the Forest of Dean

A legend is born in the Forest of Dean on the mystical Welsh border. This is the land of Merlin, and the Forest of Dean claims one of Arthur's caves. On a cold and rainy day we left the cozy breakfast room at the Saracens Head Inn (1)  and took a walk along the flooding Wye river. About two and a half miles to the Arthur's cave and a quarter mile short we turned back. Wrong shoes for climbing and no hiking poles. The ground was wet, muddy and slippery.

On the way back along an old railroad bed I noticed a very large brindle hound walking beside and just behind me. I do mean large. Probably the size of a ridgeback. Muscular with a large square head. The dog was walking between us and the woods. Quiet. Keeping pace. He or she was in my peripheral vision, and when I turned to look directly the dog just was gone. It was clearly there one moment and gone the next, so what is the explanation ? Spirit hound comes to mind. This is an ancient forest where magic still can be felt from time to time, and where the shades of Knights and peasants still roam. This is an old and sacred place and not surprising has many spirits in residence.
I think the hound was a kind of shy gardian, patrolling the paths and keeping naive and unwary strangers from harm.
I could find no tales of a large brindle hound patrolling the paths of the Forest of Dean. There is one now.
1. http://saracensheadinn.co.uk/
Image: http://imgur.com/Ekl7x.jpg

"Woody, I need your opinion."

Full time presence. We need more.

“Woody, I need your opinion. A former TU student posted that they would put a gun in their classroom (hidden) in case of a situation like the Conn. school. I told her, if I had a child in her class, I would have them moved. She felt that my response was uncalled for, due to my education level. Do you have an opinion? Thanks.”

 

A former colleague sent this to me yesterday and I have been thinking about it ever since. What helps is that in the last 24 hours a few analyses of mass shootings have been done, and the results show that there is no increase in them over many past years. It seems that way, I guess, because so many have happened in the last several weeks.
Shooters always seem to pick easy targets that they know will be “soft” (no weapons to shoot back). They don’t rush police stations or banks. Schools, malls, theaters all top the list of targets. Even in “carry concealed” states, most have restrictions on where guns can be carried, and schools are off limits. Shooters are cowards. They are mentally sick. They fit a post-event set of common characteristics but defy the ability of society to profile them in advance and secure the public from them. The latest shooter was reported to be a “Goth”. So are thousands of young people who don’t even dream of killing kids in a school.
How to protect ourselves is the question. I think the answer is probably just be vigilant, have a plan and hope for the best. As for gun carrying, maybe it works and maybe it doesn’t. We will never know how many potential shooters thought about the possible guns on the street and decided they were not ready to die yet. But the ones that go through with the attacks seem mostly ready to die, and often kill themselves. Guns in the hands of civilians probably would not deter them. So what about teachers with guns? What about hiding guns in classrooms and theaters and malls so that shooters can be stopped? I don’t think it would make much difference in choice of targets. Shooters are not the rational folks the rest of us are. I think a better solution for schools and other public places would be to have enhanced security arrangements, highly visible, and a plan for everyone to follow in the event of an attack. For schools, maybe more secure entrances. Not prison grade, but something a bit more than a glass door or no fence around the perimeter. A few roving security guards who are child-friendly but vigilant. Strong doors for rooms that lock at the push of a button in the office. Make “lock-down” a really operative process.
I don’t know about arming the teachers. I have a former student, now a teacher who is a retired military man and former police man. He knows how to shoot and when to stand down. Most of the teachers I have taught probably do not.
I think the teacher mentioned above is wrong about my colleague. Her educational level is really irrelevant to the issue. Her choice as a parent is relevant. Her decision to move a child from one class to another for any reason should be hers alone. And BTW TU teacher, no response that is rational is uncalled for. No opinion should be overlooked. As a teacher you should know that.
Image: http://static.news-gazette.com/sites/all/files/imagecache/lightbox_800_600_scale/images/2011/05/19/20110519-204413-pic-837823817.jpg

Something about God I don't get.

Happy murdered children reach for Jesus

I don’t mean to get into some kind of a pissing contest with my Christian friends, but there is something about the religion or the perception of some of the religion that I just don’t understand. There have been several Christian statements on Facebook since the tragic killing of children and adults in Connecticut, some of which just ask for prayer and others get more pointed. One asserted through a graphic of Jesus holding out his hand to happy children who were killed, but now are with him. Another asserted that the Devil walks the earth and this was his work (or something close to that). Yet another simple asserted that although this was a tragedy it was God’s will.

Let’s take these one at a time.

 Prayer. No problem there except in many Christian sects God is portrayed as having started free will and won’t interfere with human affairs. So what good is done by a prayer to a God who doesn’t listen? In other sects God is seen as directly intervening in human affairs, thus prayer should help. Those Christians can pray and hope that God is listening (he is by definition) and cares enough about the specifics to do something. Many times prayers go unanswered.
Jesus wants children with him and they will be happy for ever. If that is true, why not take them all? Why wait until some madman murders them? Will they be happy if they never grow up? Who wants to spend eternity as a 6 year old? Are their parents suffering for some arcane reason (karma coming down?)? Doesn’t make any sense to me.
The Devil walks the Earth. If the Devil is a fallen angel then he should be subject to God’s will like all the rest of us. So why does God let him roam the earth doing evil things to innocents? Just so Jesus can have them to play with? Why doesn’t God just take him out?
Just God’s will. Ok, I know the assertion that we can never know the mind of God, so we can never know why he would do something completely mean and cruel. I thought God loved us so much that he can’t stand to see us suffer. Really? Cancer? War? Rape? Murder of children? This is love? I don’t get it. Really, I don’t get it. And if all those children, and the thousands of other children killed each year in wars and by diseases and by starvation and by murder are killed because it is God’s will, who wants a God like that?
Which brings me to this point: I certainly don’t want one like that.

Image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQuJLXiH-dUEnEfiCQ9qRE0_TDwhCN8o4O6tcu0554rrUd6CtFEB79-jbhL2jSrOcLZwNCvnXG4wWuFa7yF5vkMXr6rPZrsMdWf_G7Wn7Da_EuYhzju8AULmMfgB7aAwhw2x0Vj8Vrfo/s1600/children+reaching+for+Jesus.jpg

Not a Ball or Ovary in Sight.

 
Fiscal cliff? What a crock! Pure showmanship at work when the SOBs should be at work getting the mess in the country straightened out. Of course we have a massive problem, brought on by decades of neglect of responsible governing. Of course we have huge debts and not enough income. Nobody denies that. But we also have gutless politicians (and have had for decades) always willing to “kick the ball down the road” and instead go for the pork. For themselves of course.
Well boys (and girls) it is time to cut the crap and get it right. Cut spending and raise income. What does it take to get this simple point over? Look at your own situation: you get in debt, either on purpose or accidental and what do you have to do? Cut spending and/or increase income. The “and/or” here is important. If you cannot cut enough spending then you MUST increase income. Get a part-time job. Get a better job. Something to raise income.
So the government should cut spending but cannot cut enough spending to cover the nut. Income must be raised. How? Now that is the question. Close loop holes; raise taxes; increase tariffs; stimulate the economy to increase production/sales/jobs.
I don’t know what they should do, but my gut tells me all of the above and more will be needed before this mess is over. My gut also tells me that the mess will never really be over. My gut also tells me that the rich will make out like the bandits they are and the rest of us will get screwed somehow.
 My gut also tells me that the gutless bastards in Congress don’t have the balls or ovaries to really do it right. Very, very sad.

What is 2014 for???

An old friend reminded me that I haven't posted for a while. No worries. Just got a bit burned out from the election furor. Like everyone else, I thought that the election was over, and my guy as it turned out, won. By a pretty good margin. He ran on a few simple to understand ideas, one of which was to increase the tax rate on the richest Americans. That resonated with many Americans from both parties. In fact polls show that something like 65% of Americans think taxing the richest people at the Clinton era rate is a good idea. Remember the Clinton era? Higher taxes and growth, prosperity and a balanced budget?
So how come the Republicans in the House and Senate act like Romney won? How come they say things like "We are here to do the People's business" and then ignore the people? Even Fox news agrees that more revenue is needed to get back to fiscal safety. And cuts too. And even Fox news agrees that closing "loop holes" won't generate enough money to do the job.
I actually thought the election was over, but it is obviously not over. What remains is to kick out the remaining conservatives who insist on blocking the real will of the people. That is what 2014 is for.

Image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwK5T7Uo8rSNJMXeoQmsBuxBwmYOXcCJ79tZO4YSNqPj5UKcWqITW3md5AFgIFhVeMTXy_3YDFj6jkYbL4T4LhhcTTGeRMuPYKpt3vS6S1B_P4QPs_-N9SWOrnGnanAT0n_fkVFhtauQ/s1600/GOP+Cockroach.JPG

Unprecedented Storm. Surprise?

We can all take a lesson from these guys.

No, not really. The world can expect storms, more powerful storms and more of them as a direct result of climate change. The Northeast got hammered. They had some notice from the National Weather Service but no one could be prepared for this magnitude of disaster in a short time. So we come to the aftermath. There were 8.5 million people without power, now 1.7 million. The mass transit of several states was off or nearly off. Now many are running, albeit with reduced schedules. Houses in coastal areas are gone, damaged beyond repair or somewhere in between. It is a terrible mess, but getting better.

Brings me to the response. A grand combination of public and private organizations has mostly cooperated to maximize help and minimize delay. FEMA was on the ground early and began doing what they do as soon as they could. What they don’t do is restore power or water or sewer or transportation. They provide disaster relief and coordinate disaster relief with private agencies. The Red Cross, Salvation Army (a religious organization that is for disaster relief and against gay marriage), many social organizations, churches, corporations and individual people have all jumped in to help. Relief after a disaster of unprecedented damage should be a National, State, City and Town, Corporation, Religious and Social group activity. So what pisses me off is for someone to take on one of the groups and claim things are going badly because of them. Case in point: FEMA gets blamed for the slow restoration of power when in fact the restoration has been amazingly fast and restoration is being done by private contractors and municipal units. Not the purview of FEMA to fix power lines. Or the City of New York Mayor being blamed for the time it takes to get water out of the subway. There are only so many pumps.

Blame? Oh Yeah. Blame the politicians for being asleep when 30 years ago they were warned that seas would rise and eventually be swept ashore. They were told that storms would get worse and that a more robust defense should be mounted, like sea walls, and a more robust response plan should have been funded. They didn’t and now the Northeast is in the crapper. Let’s pull together and thank all the participants and put the blame squarely where it belongs: Lazy, partisan, uneducated and shallow politicians. Not the ones in office now, the ones who kicked the can down the block 30 years ago.

Image: http://images.politico.com/global/2012/10/121031_obama_christie_ap_605.jpg

Human-Neanderthal Mating.

Neanderthal family from forensic reconstructions

For starters I resent the separation. I just can’t get around what seems obvious that both “humans” as we are called, though there are a lot of “inhumans” out there, and “Neanderthals” share many traits probably including language ability, art, spirituality and others. I read somewhere somebody saying that if you took a Neanderthal, give him a good shave and haircut and  put him in a suit nobody in New York would notice him. I have personally interacted with several people who seemed to have an unusually heavy concentration or expression of Neanderthal genes.
I have also observed human nature both up close and at a distance, and will assert that under a variety of circumstances, human males will mate with just about anything with an orifice. To put it bluntly, if a hunter will screw a dead deer do you actually think he wouldn’t screw a hairy woman?(Look at the second image of reconstructed Neanderthal female. She remind you of someone you know?) Human conflict is rife with tales of “rape and pillage” with emphasis on the rape part. So why would anyone with a brain not think that after humans kicked the crap out of a band of Neanderthals they wouldn’t rape the women left alive? Of course they would. And did. End of story. (And vice versa too I imagine) I have taught this “theory” for decades, all the while the experts have waffled back and forth. Anatomical and genetic evidence has been piling up for decades as well and once again the world has caught up with Woody. About time, too.

Just one of many references: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/345517/title/Human-Neandertal_mating_gets_a_new_date

Image: http://www.daynes.com/en/reconstructions/neanderthal.php
Image: And check this one out. http://www.daynes.com/en/reconstructions/neanderthal-4,1.php

Response to a Friend on Discourse and Disrespect

Believing isn't the point. Being able to explain your beliefs in a way that makes sense is the point. All of us can be swayed by argument (in the philosophical sense) that is well reasoned and clearly presented. My pointing out the discrepancies in some religious statements is a way of presenting a chance for believers to articulate their beliefs. For example, you are clearly not a Muslim, but probably have challenged the idea that Islam is a peaceful religion when all you ever see is violence and death coming from Islamic countries.  For you not to challenge Muslim friends to explain/support the contention that theirs is a peaceful religion would be ignoring a festering reality. The same with Christianity. Challenging beliefs is the best way to strengthen them. Discourse is the best way to clarify your own thoughts as well as persuade others of the value of your opinion. So rather than disrespect, which is never intended in a rational discussion, you should see opportunity to educate. The example I cited from the Old Testament is a good one to start some discussion of the way religious thought has changed over the time since the “good books” were first written. No one with a rational brain would think that a wife should be stoned to death at her father’s door for not being a virgin is acceptable. But they did just that in the old days, and in many fundamentalist countries where Mosaic Law is practiced they still do. And they use the Bible to justify it. So if one asserts that the Ten Commandments are truly the word of God, and should be followed without any thought, then how can one deny the word of God as articulated in Deuteronomy? See? Here is where the discourse comes in. And you know that many Christians claim that with the coming of Christ, the rules of the Old Testament were no longer valid. The question is “which rules?” In an earlier posting I said that I agreed with Scott, not because I thought he was right, but because his argument was well reasoned and based on a premise he held deeply. No disrespect at all. And I have none for you. To answer the other two points in your posting, I think you do not know what my religious beliefs are. They are certainly not Christian or any other named religion, but even I don’t call myself an atheist. I have had a personally fulfilling relationship with an entity you call Jesus for many years, yet think the mysteries and rules attributed to him are mostly man-made and wrong minded. So I take exception to the people who use “him” to support an agenda that is clearly not at all what “he” is about. Your other point is also worth a mention: Christians do impose their religious beliefs on everybody, or at least try to. Many of the laws we have in this Nation, while supposedly secular are Bible based. Look at all the fuss about stem cell research and abortion and teaching creationism in schools. Behind every one of these is the Biblical argument about what “God” said and wants. Well, many people don’t believe in God, and thus should not have to follow those teachings. For example, if a woman believes that life begins at conception, she shouldn’t use an IUD for birth control. Nor should she make another woman become pregnant by making IUDs illegal to use. That is imposing a religious belief on someone else. Same with abortion. Same with stem cell research. Same with creationism. You probably don’t agree. So explain how outlawing abortion is a secular thing and not a religious thing. In other words what is the basis for outlawing abortion that is not based on a religious belief? If you can’t think of a good and rational reason, then you are in favor of imposing a religious belief on a non-believer.

Whew. See what happens when I get up early?  


Image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6qXC26ZzmFviyMhE9lyJ7hn2ExVCDGxoizzIZBLC84cFcsHggkSF80rv675P7H_dPhpVvFhRR9gRsAeQDk1EMAFdcXmWttMmP0BY2xFzW4qjtJyLTk-AnxYq_biTj9ihtsX7SQ5g9unMnZ6Q/s1600/discourse-into-the-night.jpg

Big Texan and Big Beer(1)

Amarillo started out as a cattle and ranching town. Over the last century it has become a modern city with a broad economic base. And now, finally, it has a craft brewery. Situated in the Big Texan steak ranch, brew master Tom Money crafts a number of memorable brews. The list includes a variety of drinkable beers from a nice honey blonde ale to a tasty "whiskey barrel" stout.

It wasn't very busy when I stopped by to have a pint of my favorite, Rattlesnake IPA. This hoppy ale pours a nice hazy golden color with a creamy head and good lacing. The bitterness is obvious on the front and lingers after the swallow. Exactly the way I like it. Tom was in the middle of getting a boil of Honey Blond going and I joined him in the kitchen where the kettle lives. Remember, this brewery is built within a restaurant, so some of the brewing process takes place alongside grills, stoves and setup counters. Not ideal, but tom has conquered the problems. Anyway, we talked about brewing and what was new or different while the kettle came to a boil. Tom showed me some changes in the brewing room, a reefer box attached to the back of the building. Then, back to the kitchen to begin hopping.

We moved to the bar and I sampled some of the other (besides the IPA) creations currently on tap. First the 1836 Chocolate Bock Ale. It carries a healthy 7.2 ABV and an 18 IBU and has a dark, rich color. The head is fairly thick and leaves fine lacing behind. The serving temperature is a bit low and carbonation level of all Tom's brews is a bit high for my taste, but drops to a pleasant level after sitting. I know that many people like the tingle of cold beer and I have no problem with that. My taste runs to British style cask ales that are served at cellar temperature and pumped from the cask with little carbonation. Back to the ale. It has a solid malty base with bitterness derived from the Belgian cocoa as well as mild hopping. Slight flavors of coffee, also from the cocoa, add to the complexity. The texture is typically of ales, but the color and taste couple easily be found in a porter.

I was looking forward to the Whisky Barrel Stout and was not disappointed. At 9.22 ABV and 26 IBU this stout holds its own. It pours with a creamy head and has a smooth feel as it is sipped. Yes, sipped. The echoes of oak and Whisky are complemented by a caramel base, no doubt from the roasted barley and some possible caramelization during the boil, and a hint of vanilla. Overall a fine brew and one with which I would end a robust meal.

Next up was the Texas Red Amber Ale. This is a quaffable ale that would be a great pairing with a hot Texas (or Florida for that matter) bar-b-que afternoon or a fiery curry. Easy drinking with a crisp taste and here the carbonation is a real plus. This is exactly what you want after a hot day of work. That feeling in the throat from the first long pull, really refreshing.

I finished up with a glass of Pecan Porter. Here is Tom's description: “Dark ale dominated by the rich malty aroma of pecans. Light notes of chocolate, molasses and brown sugar. Northern brewer, Williamette, and Hallertuer hops provide a moderately spice earthy component. 4.5 ABV – 28 IBU”. I usually stay away from beer made with fruit or nuts so I wasn't actually planning to try this one. But as luck would have it, I had a long conversation with a trucker, a regular at the bar, who stopped in for lunch. He had a big mug of this brew with a BBQ plate and raved about both. I didn't try the BBQ but he was right about the Porter. It delivered Tom's expectations nicely, and with an IBU of 28 had enough bitterness for me. The lesson learned was not to pass up a brew because it has strange things in it.
So, after the Pecan Porter I bid Tom goodbye and returned safely to my room for a nap.

All in all a very good day and, I will be back in Amarillo again and back at the Big Texan. Thanks, Tom, for a lovely day. See you soon and on Facebook.

1. Origionally posted on the Southern Beer Magazine site.

A Tale of Three Visits

I was botany graduate student living in a douche bag apartment off of Red Road in Miami. I worked hard and partied hard. Saturday mornings were sleep in times except for early Everglades field work or fishing. So one Saturday the doorbell rings, I get up, look out the window and see an older woman with a younger one standing behind and off to the side. I open the door, wrapped in a towel, politely say “no thanks” and close the door. Next week same people same thing. But I tell them I am not interested. Next week, same thing same people except I answer the door, open it all the way, completely naked. I ask them to tell me about their religion, they turn and walk away. Never saw them again. I hoped the younger one would come back, but she didn’t.

Two Mormons. Different apartment same deal. I was only a couple of years older than these guys and enjoyed talking to them from time to time. Different guys each time. So this one morning I was in a rush to get out when the bell rang. I answered in a towel, told them I was going to take a shower, get dressed and leave because I had something to do. One of them asked if it was OK to come in and talk to while I got ready. Sure, I said. So they followed me into, INTO the bathroom where I dropped the towel and got into the shower. They talked, I washed. I got out, dried off with then still there, went into the bedroom, with them following and talking, got dressed, walked out with them following, got into my car, said “bye” and drove off, leaving them on the curb with their bikes. Never answered the door for 2 young men in white shirts and bikes again.

But, years later I was living in Charlottesville, VA, about  a mile off the main road. One very cold and snowy morning I was under my truck attaching the chains so I could get out to the main road and two pairs of legs appeared. I said something and one of the pairs of legs asked if I had time to hear some news. I slid out from under the truck and saw two young men, winter coats with 2 bicycles. You guessed it. I told them I didn’t have time, got into the truck and backed out of the driveway. They pushed their bikes out and moved on down the hill. There was a foot of fresh overnight snow on the ground and they couldn’t ride. On the way out I passed a car with a bike rack on the back. You figure the rest. One of them was named Elder Romney. (Just Kidding).

Image:Mormons: http://www.fairfaxunderground.com/forum/file.php?40,file=33840,filename=mormons.jpg

Image: Witnesses: http://www.wordsoftruth.net/wotvol10/wotbulletin10252009_files/door-knockers-2.jpg

 

No time for the faint-hearted

U.S. Consulate Buildings Burn in Libia

I know many Muslims are peace-loving people who just want to get on with their own lives. But, and this is a very big “but”, there is obviously a fairly large population of Muslims who believe in the jihadist philosophy of attacking innocents for the perceived crimes of a few. These minorities form a dangerous and easily led core of radicals who pose a threat to the peace of many places in the world if not the entire world.

I have preached tolerance for a long time, but am coming around to the position that many of the governments who tolerate these minorities and their hatred are unfit partners for the free world to court. Further, I think that the world has probably passed another tipping point where the radical Islamists are uncontrollable in the short run and quite probably in the long run as well. So where does that leave us? In a very dangerous world where allies must be chosen carefully, and supported strongly. In a world where none of us would wish to be, but we are forced to be in it anyway. In a world where Islamic nations increasingly hate the “west” (whatever that means) and work for our fall.

I don’t have a proposal on how to navigate this world, but it scares me almost to death. This latest round of riots, lootings and killings are just one more reason to be seriously worried about what the more radical elements of the Islamic world are up to and how far they will go to achieve their goals. We are in serious trouble here people. No time for the faint-hearted.

 http://www.mole.my/sites/default/files/images/120912113709-us-embassy-attack-01-horizontal-gallery.storyimage.jpg

Where Were You When JFK Died?

I was just finishing up the leek and potato soup, having a sit and listening to a retrospective of 9/11, and someone was asked where he was when it happened. I stopped reading and thought "I know exactly where I was". Then thought hmmm, how many other events can I say that about? I came up with three: The assassination of JFK, the first moon landing and 9/11. Sure, there are others that are burned in memory, but mostly they are multi-events like the end of the Vietnam War or the invasion of Iraq.

            The assassination of JFK: I was in a class on fungi in the old botany building at the University of Miami. Someone from the lab came in and said "Kennedy has been shot in Texas. Don't know if he's dead" and left. We all went after him, prof too, and spent the next several hours listening to the lab radio and talking quietly.

            Friday July 20th, 1969, three something in the afternoon. All the grad students from the trailer park got together in my trailer complete with many quart bottles of Bud and lots of Charles Chips and watched the landing. We sweated and cheered. We waited for the moonwalk watched for 2+ hours while they walked and bounced around on the moon. The next day they lifted off safely and eventually landed safely. Wow!

            Tuesday September 1th, 2001 I was driving to Thomasville, listening to NPR, when they interrupted the programing to announce that a plane had hit one of the Twin Towers in New York. I was just outside of Beachton and hauled ass to campus. Faculty, staff and students were already gathered in the student lounge in front of the big screen TV. We watched as the second plane hit the second tower. And then we watched as each in turn came down. We stayed for hours, welded into a single grieving community. And then for days we watched the reruns of both of those hits.

            Some things you can never forget. Some good things and some bad things. And you know what? You better not EVER forget. Yet. Yet. I have students that look at me like I have two heads when I stop for a moment on December 7th. And many think the Vietnam War is in the dim past. They see the black wall as an artefact. I suppose someday 9/11 will be an artefact. But not in my brain, as long as it lasts.

 

Image: http://www.black-and-right.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/WTC-9-11.jpg

Was 9/11 Really Necessary?

 

Let’s get this straight from the get-go: the people who died, or were injured or were the heroes that worked the sites should forever be remembered and respected for their sacrifices.

But a larger question looms over the disaster of 9/11: could it have been prevented? Evidence is growing that it could have been prevented and that the White House knew the threat was imminent and chose to believe a different scenario. The battle was between the CIA and the neocons like Wolfowitz and Pearl and their ilk. Below is a small quote from a piece by Kurt Eichenwald (1) that begins to unravel the past. And it puts then President Bush and his crowd in a very bad light.

“The direct warnings to Bush, he writes, date back to the spring of 2001. On May 1, the CIA told the White House that there was “a group presently in the United States” that was planning an attack. On June 22, a daily briefing described the attack as eminent. Administration officials, however, dismissed the warnings, saying that Osama bin Laden was merely feigning an attack to distract the U.S. from efforts against Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

“Intelligence officials, these sources said, protested that the idea of Bin Laden, an Islamic fundamentalist, conspiring with Mr. Hussein, an Iraqi secularist, was ridiculous, but the neoconservatives’ suspicions were nevertheless carrying the day,” Eichenwald wrote. “In response, the CIA prepared an analysis that all but pleaded with the White House to accept that the danger from Bin Laden was real.” (1)

So here we see direct evidence that the White House ignored the CIA in favor of the neocon perspective. One that turned out to be disastrously wrong. Mistakes are made in all presidencies, and some have disastrous consequences. Playing the “blame game” goes nowhere, but uncovering the truth and learning from it is very valuable. Current conservatives will probably cry foul asserting that blaming Bush for 9/11 is a ploy to distract. I disagree. Truth should never be considered a distraction; rather it should be viewed as a clear example. Yesterday I wrote about the road not taken, and in the months before 9/11 just such a divergence of paths were approached, one taken, the other not. There is no benefit in whining and gnashing teeth over the one not taken, but for heaven’s sake, can’t we at least agree to learn from it?

1. http://news.yahoo.com/report-documents-disclose-9-11-warnings-081156564--politics.html

Image: http://media.wnyc.org/media/photologue/images/e7/cache/9.11_Memorial_pools_storyslide_image.jpg

The Road Not Taken

 

I had a chance this morning to reread “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost (1). A small poem full of promise and words to make us wonder: Which roads did I not take, and where might they have gone?

Well, the answer that came to mind was this: too many to count and no point wondering. Every single choice for the last 60 or so years ago, maybe a few more, had alternatives. Thousands of choices. I have no idea which ones I didn’t take. I do know this: some that I took were bad choices. And where might the ones not taken gone? Who knows. And if I am truthful about it, who cares either?

We are all the sum total of the roads we took. Change one and everything shifts. For better or worse there are none not taken I would want to travel if I could, for fear of where I might be now. Consider the last stanza:

“I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”

I really don’t know if I took any that were less traveled by, but I do know that the ones I took made all the difference.

Image: http://miracleworker84.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/tworoads.jpg

1. The Poem read by the author: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie2Mspukx14

I Hate Politicians and War.

In 2008, a young man was driving along a country road when his life was changed forever. An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) detonated next to his vehicle and he was severely injured. In 2011 he was medically retired from the Army and now receives treatment for PTSD, TBI and permanent nerve damage. He is enrolled in college classes, and is my student in Anatomy and Physiology. His goal is to become a practitioner in a medical field.

But first, he must overcome the barriers of his own brain. Barriers that were not there before he went to war. Barriers that we as, a society, put there. He has learning difficulties, attention difficulties, movement difficulties, social difficulties. He went to war for reasons I don’t know and will not ask. He goes to school to become a productive member of the society that put him in harm’s way. It takes all he has and more to get up, face the day, and work towards his goal. Can you say the same?  I can’t.
His story isn’t’ unique, or the worst story either. There are thousands of injured Vets trying to get along every day. Some make it, some don’t. Some could probably do better than they do, and some can never achieve their former goals due to massive destruction of body, mind or both.
In some circles this is called “The Butcher’s Bill”. Personally, I don’t think the end was worth the means. So I ask “how did we get into this mess”, and “how do we get out”? I know the answer to both of these questions, and my vote this November will be the way I respond. In the meantime, I am working with a couple of the “wounded warriors”, trying in some small way to make right the wrongs perpetrated on them.

I hate politicians and war. Well, some politicians anyway.

Image: http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/ied-1.jpg

Said Miss Mona to Ed Earl: You know what really burns my ass?

Sal and Woody, only younger

Over the weekend we, Sal and I, got together with an old friend to celebrate his 84^th birthday. He is showing his age, physically more that mentally, but showing none-the-less. He follows alternative spiritual views of the world, some of which I share, and has no fear of dying. In fact, he firmly believes that the end time is just around the corner. Not necessarily this December, but soon. We talked a bit about it, but in the crowd of friends and family there was no time to explore deeply as we have done in the past.
After thinking about it for a while, I conclude the same: the end time is not creeping, it is thundering upon us. But not the end time he was envisioning. He literally thinks the physical presence of the planet, solar system and the universe will end. I do not. At least not for a very long time. Yet his end time is almost here. His, not ours. Not yet. Not being a believer in any supreme being (my friend is) or any continuance of life after death, I believe that every time someone dies, the universe ends. For them. That is what I see him facing. The extinction of awareness permanently. He believes we all go with him. If you know anyone who has died, you know that is not true. For those of us left after someone dies the universe goes on. Then, “wink”, and it is gone. Forever.

So, I started counting my remaining years, 20 or so with any luck, and then the universe ends. For me. That really burns my ass. So does a fire about 3 feet high. (1)

1. http://www.metacafe.com/watch/an-VrtP2butJhbJmm/the_best_little_whorehouse_in_texas_1982_ed_convincing_mona_to_close_the_whorehouse/

2. Image: http://cineplex.media.baselineresearch.com/images/316964/316964_large.jpg

I Am Not a Boomer!

Boomers have 5 times the rate of infection of Hepatitis C than the rest of the population (1). They die in disproportionate numbers from liver cancer and cirrhosis of the liver. Why you ask? The CDC is not sure, but proposes one reason may be the use of shared needles when this population experimented with drugs. Whatever the reason, the epidemic is real and lethal.
I am not a boomer. I preceded them by at least 5 years, never used drugs, alcohol excepted, and probably don’t have Hep C. I do get tired, though, of being assumed to be one. Boomer I mean. Ex hippie. Free love generation. Woodstock. The fact is I missed it. Too old by the time they started their “Flower Power” crap. I was ensconced in graduate school, busting my butt to get a master’s degree, fishing and walking miles on weekends in the Everglades. Flower power my ass, I thought, as I veered around snakes and scratched chiggers. “Tune in. Turn on. Drop out.” said Leary. Drop acid more like it and then self-destruct. My highs came from catching big fish in the Keys, and finding new orchids in the ‘glades, and the occasional evening drinking with friends.
My highs now come from the love of my life, the company of friends, and the occasional brew. So I repeat: I am not a boomer. I am not at risk for Hep C. I am at risk though. As we all are. They tuned in and turned on, and now we, the rest of the world, have to pay the freight. Next time one of them shows up in the ER, just give them the “peace” sign, give them a flower, and tell them to stick it where the sun don’t shine. Flower Power my ass.

1. http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/08/16/158935794/cdc-recommends-hepatitis-c-testing-for-all-boomer

Image: http://aweirdthing.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/2.jpg

Time is Up.

An old friend sent me a column by Chris Hedges (1) with this note: “I thought of you when I read this this morning. Our old conversation in heartbreaking prose. Let’s find time again to spend a couple of hours together while we still have them.”
I read the column, published in the online journal “Truthdig”. And the essay, for it was really an essay, was absolutely heartbreaking. Not for the new ideas it presented, but in the cold and crisp way it summarized the state of the world. Hedges leaves no room for survival in his analysis, and I agree completely. As my dear friend said so eloquently “Our old conversation in heartbreaking prose.” Over the last 30 years, to friends, students and anyone else who would listen, I have presented each of the individual revelations that Hedges ticks off, with the predictions for the future that have now come to pass. And each time I was met by disbelief, or hope, or faith.
The future is upon us at last, and it is heartbreaking. So to my old friend I say “Yes, let’s find time to spend together before it is too late.” But in my heart I know it is already too late. Not to spend the time together, but to do anything but mourn. And it comes down to this oft repeated thought: drink the good wine, enjoy the good friends and savor what and while you can, for tomorrow you will surely die, and with you goes all of us, like dominos, inexorably to the end. Depressing? You bet. When there was still time to do something about it all, we did not. When there is no time to do anything, we still do not. We are presented with false choices, Mitt or Barack. No difference really. With one the slide is greased with money, with the other with hope. The end is the same.
Read the essay by Hedges and plan the rest of your life.
 
1. http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/life_is_sacred_20120903/
Image: http://www.truthdig.com/images/eartothegrounduploads/AP120517117806-320.jpg

 

 

Sow and Reap. Just leave me out of it.

It is almost that time again. Almost time to give up, again. Yes, I have given up before, and once even gave up giving up (http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7322716431460132023#editor/target=post;postID=1727575944594939689. But I have to say that I am getting very tired indeed of the reticence of otherwise intelligent people who continually blame Obama for all the ills of the country. I have tried to present what I thought were cogent and well-explained points of view, and get nowhere. Well, I get called things. Never mind. I can and will never believe that the current administration, faced with a massive debt at the front end, the speaker of the house announcing "Our goal in the next 4 years it to make this a one term presidency" and a shuffle of the house to make obstruction a fine art, is the problem. Not one bit. Yes, I think mistakes were made. By both sides. But the egregious ones were on the other side.
So I am not going to try to express my logical opinions for a while. When the election is over we will all see who wins, who loses, who was disenfranchised and who bought what. Until then, I will quietly watch the Republicans attack the Democrats and vise-versa. I will feel bad about all the lies that will fly, and all the distortions of positions that will be presented. I will not make a point about any of it.
Woody is turning over a new leaf.
We reap what we sow. So I say "Sow away pal, sow away. And be ready to reap what you sow."
I think I will consider the merits of beer for a bit. And maybe the merits of bird watching and orchid growing. No point what so ever talking about politics. It is way too late for that.

Image: http://rlv.zcache.com/i_give_up_mug-p168101874498167536enw9p_400.jpg

Merely the Imposition of Religion. What is Wrong With That?

Note Priest on right.Notic all the people getting tortured.

Vatican Investigating Girl Scouts for Links to Safe-Sex Education Groups

Catholics should be embarrassed and the rest of us should be really pissed off. Why? Just who the hell does the Vatican think it is, investigating the Girl Scouts? None of their damn business. Personally I think the Vatican should be investigated for all kinds of infractions of human rights. Kind of like an Inquisition in Reverse.

You see, this is the kind of thing that happens when one religious group thinks they have a monopoly on “truth”. They try to impose their values on everybody else. Burn Christians that disrespect the Quran. Pass anti-abortion laws to punish women who don’t believe in their narrow view of the world. Investigate the Girl Scouts for gods sake. Jail “Pussy Riot” for 2 years for blasphemy. The list goes on. I have railed against the imposition of religious views on people who don’t want them. I will always do that. On the other hand, wouldn’t it be SWEET to have a Scientology majority in the house and senate so they could impose their ridiculous ideas about dianetics on all of us? I didn’t think you would like that. So why impose your ideas about creation or “a day of rest” or Christmas? Sure, atheists love to get the holiday vacation, but what if they want to work on the 25^th of December and their PUBLIC OFFICE is closed? Imposition of religion again. What if Jews took over the government an outlawed Sunday holidays but enforced Saturday ones? Or made it the LAW that all males got clipped? I didn’t think you would like that. And what about laws that exempt religious organizations from paying property taxes? That means you pay a subsidy for the Jewish Temple, the Islamic Mosque, the Mormon Temple and many others. Like that? No, I didn’t think so.

So think twice before you so easily impose your religious beliefs on others. You may be next.

Image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZAjzvdZFcC7m-iMkN6lbZ3gAbtWG9MbLsf2ZdgZZLDXrzxXbfRuyeNjN_eMcG6FtxB3WjD1wyKAuS2bhwmZQWYQ74I-b9f3rmDkLWYvwldojWW2I1bIPtW9R2VZ-vvxGoFXj6iMNY-1c/s1600/inquisition.jpg

Asheville Really Is “Beer City USA”!!

At the Pisgah brewery

This past weekend Sally and I went to Asheville to visit family. Of course the real reason was to visit some of the breweries in this “Beer City” mecca. (Just kidding kids.) We didn’t have much time so we passed up the Highland Brewing Company, the home of a nice IPA called Kashmir IPA (1). We had quite a few pints of that tickle our throats in past trips and we were anxious to try some others.

Ever notice how you can tell you are in an authentic brewery by the beards, hats and attitudes of the people who work there? Well, the three we visited were no exception. And I have noticed over the years how many craft breweries are located in out-of-the-way old warehouses. Hard to find but worth the effort. So we started our quest looking for the French Broad brewery in Asheville. Sure enough: old warehouse and not easy to find. Beards, hair etc. We tried several brews including the Wee Heavy-er Scotch Style Ale, Anvil Porter and the IPA, and the Ryehopper Rye Pale Ale.  They were all nice to the pallet, the Porter particularly smooth, but the IPA was just a little sweet at first taste so the Ryehopper got our "IPA" nod. No surprise huh?

Next we stumbled on the Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company (2). Situated in an old building in down town Asheville on a side street makes it hard to stumble on. Usual folks in evidence. We sat in the outdoor seating area and while we drank our brews we were treated to an animated game of “Corn Hole”.  We only tried the Shiva IPA since we were well on the way to happiness when we arrived, and were not disappointed. Nice color, head and at 69.3 IBU a nice long hoppy finish.

Next day, Sunday, we set out for the Pisgah Brewing Company in Black Mountain, N.C. Hard to find, warehouse, beards, the whole nine yards. We got there about 15 minutes before they opened, but got in and started on the IPA. Nice. Really nice. They were out of Wet Hop Ale, a fresh hopped ale that I really wanted to try, but the IPA was enough. They also had a Framboise Lambic on tap that was very tasty (not theirs, but an import). After a few pints we wended our way home to get ready for dinner and whatever. In a really surprising turn of events, the Italian place we went to for dinner, Nona Mia Ritrovo, had a brewery, the Altamont Brewing Company, in the adjacent space. Not theirs, just another craft brewery. We didn’t have time to sample their wares, but will put that on the list for next time.
All in all, Asheville well deserves the title “Beer City USA”.
 
1. http://www.highlandbrewing.com/craft-brews/style/kashmir-ipa

2. http://www.ashevillebrewing.com/

3. http://pisgahbrewing.com/beer/whats-on-tap

Yearning for Simpler Times.

Chicken and Beer. Simple.

That is it in a nutshell. The last few months have been filled with terror, angst, uncertainty, depression and yes, joy. Mind you not all of these are my personal emotions. Some angst, quite a bit of uncertainty and a good dollop of joy would more accurately characterize my recent past.
The most recent (no, this is NOT about politics) political moves from both major parties have left me a bit drained. Neither side seems to be willing to just tell the truth, unblemished. I see that unilateral “disarmament” wouldn’t work, so the political season will be more of the same.

This morning I think about the times when life was simpler. When terror was not a daily occurrence. When there was some civility among the elected officials. When the future was viewed as limitless possibility rather than limited by resources such as water and food. When climate was stable, or at least predictable. When hard work was rewarded with advancement and security.
I think that every generation that ever was probably looked back to the “good old days” and looked forward to the “golden years” one way or another. I am not so sure about now. For me and my generation the good old days were in many ways good. Maybe even another “golden age” of civilization. At least for the developed world, my world. Clean water, abundant food, cheap energy, “miracle” drugs, rising economic status for many. And somewhere it began to go wrong. Terribly wrong. Partisan politics got entrenched. Class conflict (denied by many) but none-the-less a reality. Over strained resources. Global climate shifts. International terrorism threatening everywhere.
So I yearn for the simpler times. And I really, really hope (and pray if that would help which I sincerely believe it won’t) that the generations growing up today will have their “good old days” and their “golden years”. I am not sanguine.

Image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiffGUfxIR30R2W6Eqq1iWOHqtgJ585t37XPyfzKI1S8fpAsAeiP6o_ppXF1KVTsDlNqxeyyupFSC6esXdcSJDLKo7SCaMzsgbcdR34jT1r1drlz6IHq3iPd25rkukgRM03VmNBd2_BlRbY/s1600/DSCN4871.JPG

Don’t turn you back on a cute squirrel.

The other day I was sitting at my desk writing something when a movement caught my eye. I turned and looked out and saw a squirrel with something in its mouth. Looked like maybe a baby. As I watched, it jumped up on a 4 x 4 short post and sat there. The object it was carrying was a very dead mouse. No doubt at all. And then it was gone. No time for a picture.
Today I looked around the internet for “squirrel carries dead mouse” and found only one blog that mentioned it. Pam Roach (1), Washington State Senator, reported the same thing in 2009. The only mention. Not good enough. So I entered “squirrel eats mouse” and bingo. Several hits including the article (2) below that has a video of a veterinarian talking about squirrels that do eat meat on occasion, a picture of a squirrel eating a baby bird, and a video of a squirrel eating a fresh-killed mouse.

So I wasn’t nuts. Next time you see one of those cute little critters, don’t turn your back.

Image: http://www.scarysquirrel.org/special/carny2010/carny2.jpg
1. http://pamroachreport.blogspot.com/2009/09/squirrel-carries-dead-mouse-up-tree.html

2. http://www.scarysquirrel.org/special/carny2010/index.html

My “Coming Out Story”

Our sons and their spice

It was the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Sally and I were sitting at the dining room table with our oldest son. He was getting ready to go back to his place, a couple of hours away, having spent the holiday with us. He said in a somewhat nervous voice “I have something to tell you”. Pause. “I’m gay”. I looked at Sally and said “And - - -“. And then one of us started the conversation by saying something like, yes, we know. He may have been a little surprised. He looked a bit like it. I asked if he had a steady and the said yes, I am seeing someone. I said in return that any partner of his would be welcome to join the family but there was a deal breaker. He looked suspicious and a maybe a little resigned.
Gays are rejected by a lot of people in their lives. Friends who didn’t know and can’t accept them as they are. Strangers who hate them but have no idea who they are. Religions that think they choose their life in some blasphemic statement. Families who are frightened or ignorant and cannot get past their own feelings of hate or guilt or whatever. And parents like the Dad that wrote the letter (1) that prompted this essay.
So our son was probably prepared to be disappointed while at the same time knowing that we were loving parents and liberal to the core. I dropped the bomb. Yes, I said there is a deal breaker. We don’t care what religion or color or age or occupation he may be. We do want him to be a loving and caring man. But the deal breaker is this: I don’t want him here if he is a Republican.

Silence, then a smile then hugs and some tears of joy. We have a fine Democrat son-in-law. Loving and caring. Matt did all right. So did John. So did we.

Image: Author

1. http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/fathers-hateful-letter-to-gay-son-after-coming-out-goes-viral/news/2012/08/07/45756

Private Prison Anyone? Invest and get Rich.

Here is a sure way to get rich: Build a private prison then contract with a State or the Federal government to house prisoners. Set the daily rates high enough to make a tidy profit while cutting costs to the bone. Want more money? Lobby the State or Federal government to increase the number of laws that require incarceration and lobby for stronger sentencing guidelines to put more people away for longer sentences.
Want a surefire population to incarcerate? Go after illegals. Lobby for strict state laws that require arrest without deportation. Lobby for less money to be spent on public defenders and more on prosecution. Lobby for no bail or high bail to keep the illegals from running back to their home country.
Want a surefire way to get your way? Donate tons of money to politicians and parties that will support you lobby efforts.

Oh, I forgot. The private prison industry is already doing this. You missed your chance at riches by about 10 years. Sorry. Never mind.

BUT WAIT!!! You could do the same for PRIVATE EDUCATION and call it a Charter School Movement. Ooops. Already done. Sorry. Never mind.
Image: http://www.paulsjusticeblog.com/pic10/PunishmentforSaleC1.jpg

http://news.yahoo.com/immigrants-prove-big-business-prison-companies-084353195.html

How do you spell “GUTS”?

I spell it with three words: Oscar and Ellie.

Oscar, the runner without lower legs and Ellie, the little girl without lower legs or lower arms. These two people are such an inspiration that it makes me weep to see and hear able bodied people whine and carp about their abs, or their upper body strength or their fat asses. Take one look at these pictures and the accomplishments of the two of them and be forever humbled. Abs my ass. I have legs and arms and don’t even think about them. No more speeches. Just look at the pictures and Google the people: Oscar Pistorius and hers is Ellie Challis. Just look at the images and you will have a better day. I promise. You can’t help but be inspired.

Image:http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/8PpPTSo9eSVj3eZNFJb__w--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusolyexperts/Azj8lh5CAAI-OKB.jpg

Image: http://www.whatsonshenzhen.com/news_images/ccc4ecd0a0c5ca786ec822ae_Ellie%203.jpg

Image: http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/14/42/13/3285735/3/628x471.jpg

A Theist. Atheist.

Easy to Tell What You Are.

If someone tells you that they are a Theist, you don't think much about it. But if they say they are an Atheist, you may get nervous. So relax. I am not an Atheist but I definitely do not believe in any kind of god. As I understand religion, all of them, you have to take the “god” on faith. That is what belief is all about. NO EVIDENCE.
The Atheist's problem is the same: no evidence that there isn't one somewhere. So personally I think there isn't one.
I also think that there is much absence of any god actually giving a damn.
I was raised to be a Christian. Confirmed. Baptized. Even thought about becoming a priest! Then the science soaked in. Where is the evidence? I asked myself. Couldn't find any I answered. Why not I asked? Isn't any I answered.
So. I had to "come out" as an atheist. Not easy to a lapsed Catholic mother and a "pillar of the church" father. They "clucked" and essentially told me that I would eventually come to my senses. I have, and there still is no evidence.
Even now I avoid the inevitable fruitless discussions by answering to the inevitable question: "I don't go to church. I'm not a Christian." Very few follow up. One of the perks of being a non-believer is no fear of eternal punishment and damnation from a loving god. I sleep at night. Another perk is no tithe to a sexist homophobic chauvinist bunch of old men (yes, some young ones too).
And, I don't always have to find out WWJD before doing anything. I pretty much know WWJD and pretty much agree with him. Instead I ask WWWD, and then just DO it.
On balance I probably miss some social contact with nice people, but many are kind of closed minded, and wouldn't want to hear the facts as I understand them anyway. Over the years the majority of my friends have been and are believers. Real friends. The kind that accept you for what and who you are, not what they think you should believe.
And as for being a former Atheist? Well, the absence of proof does not in and of itself constitute proof. So having no proof of the absence of any kind of god makes those who claim no god a kind of reverse believer. So in that sense I am definitely a believer. I believe that there are no gods. Many of you believe that there are. Who is right? Why I am, of course. “Woody said it, I believe it and that is the end of it.”

Image:http://thebarkingatheist.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/315360_393279067399032_955795267_n.jpg?w=604

"Dear Dr. Search" It Started

“Dear Dr. Search, I was a student of yours in the early 1980's. I just wanted to let you know that you had a profound influence on my life. You gave me the confidence to pursue a degree in biology which lead to a degree as a doctor of optometry which I have been practicing for almost 20 years. Thank You for making a difference.

Sincerely, Dr. L.C.M, OD.”

Knock me down with a feather! She took my courses more than 25 years ago and yesterday took the time to send me a note. This is the kind of feedback all teachers crave above salary and honors. This is the real Honor. When one goes into teaching it is often in the face of better career paths with greater financial payoffs at the end. The profession is a “calling” of sorts. We thrive on the success of our students, and only rarely get feedback years later. This is one reason I love to “friend” former students on Facebook. I get to see what they are doing and sometimes get to interact one way or the other.
Dr. M. doesn’t live too far from here, and one day I may drop in to her office and just say “Hello and Thanks.” I have already sent her a thank you email.
The Search Lesson here? If you remember a teacher that made a difference in your life many years ago, track them down and let them know. I swear it will be like giving a Vampire a fresh neck to bite. Yes, that good.


Image: http://rochestersage.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/chalkboardtomlinson.jpg