Opaque Lucidity

A Decade Past

On June 10, an artificial harbor on the Indiana side of the Ohio River will be dedicated in the memory of my grandfather, my father's father. The harbor is on land that belonged to my grandfather, father and two of my uncles. They once had a restaurant there and a floating gas station and docks for rent. The restaurant closed soon after my grandmother's death in the 1960's and the rest folded sometime in the early 1970's. They sold the property to the current owners in 1981.

Grandpa's funeral was 10 years ago today. I was living in Texas at the time. I was on a plane by the evening of the day I heard the news; the next four days were a blur. He died just shy of his 95th birthday and had been more or less healthy until about a month before his death. To this day, I don't know what he died of. I guess he just wore out. I'm not trying to be funny when I say that---the human body can only last so long, even under the best of conditions.

My dad asked me to say a few words at the dedication. I found out yesterday that one of my cousins will also be giving a talk, so I'm not exactly free to range far and wide for fear of talking about items she may cover. I actually worked with grandpa for four summers in the mid-80's. The people who bought the land on the river re-opened the gas barge part of the family business and hired me to work there. My grandfather also worked there to have something to do during the day. He was well past 80. I worked on the same gas barge my dad had worked on 25 years before.

So I spent a lot of time with grandpa. My memories of that time are not all pleasant, but not necessarily because of him. I was a teenaged male, so my focus was the many attractive women on the river, not the many little details that the job entailed. Grandpa was the kind of man who liked to have everything in its proper place, from lines to oil to pens. This attention to detail served me well when I was in boot camp a few years later.

Grandpa's relationship with some of his eight children was somewhat rocky. It's hard to ignore when I think about him, but I can't really talk about it in front of people who knew him only as the old man who hung out on the river. To be honest, I don't know how I'll fill the time. My friend Steve told me that humor is the way to go, but I can't think of anything really funny that he did. He loved all things mechanical and all things historical. He loved word puzzles, checkers and a game called "31". The only alcohol he drank came in the form of a highball---whiskey and coke. I can still remember him shaking his empty glass and yelling "Son, (he called every male "son") how about another one of these."

I know I'm rambling and if you've read this far, thanks. I'll figure something out because I've never given a speech without knowing what I was going to say. If you have any thoughts, please let me know.

Speaking Of Internal Combustion...

A stretch of highway in Texas is rolling out an 80MPH speed limit. You can almost hear the cries of anguish from the greenies, even though it only affects 400 miles of desolate road that is very thinly traveled. I think this is a sensible move, for it just recognizes what people are probably already doing. If only lawmakers could apply common sense standards to other types of regulation.

More Rampant Asshattery

I have now read several different sources claiming that "gas rage" is becoming more and more common. Evidently, some drivers are taking their anger at high gas prices out on station employees. It would be an incredible story if I didn't have personal experience in customer service.

I believe that most of this rage stems from how little the average person knows about oil or any other type of energy production. The calamity media do not help much with their phrases like "big oil" (in the story above, for example). When anything gets the word "big" in front of it, you know it has to be evil. Big media? It'll never happen.

Most oil companies make about ten cents on a gallon of gas. While this margin leads to mind-numbing profits, it's nothing compared to the taxes placed on that same gallon. Here in Indiana, the state tax on gasoline is 18 cents per gallon plus 6% sales tax. On a three dollar gallon of gas, that's 36 cents. Every time I fill up my little Focus and the pump price is right at three dollars, I pay the man in Indianapolis almost four bucks. "Big Government"? You betcha.

Here's the deal: take your lumps and pay the price or find another way to travel. Nothing against SUV owners, but if you own one, you should know better than to expect the gas pump to be kind. You bought it, you pay for it. If you don't like it, go buy something else. The kid behind the counter at the Circle K didn't force you to buy a vehicle at all.

The United States could be energy-independent within a decade, but it would take a serious commitment on the part of the American people. First, we need to drill in ANWR (that's in Alaska), off the coast of California, in the Gulf of Mexico, in Colorado and anywhere else there's even a scent of petroleum.

We also need to begin working on alternatives. Biodiesel is one answer but it's not the only one. Hybrids are good, but one has to wonder about all those toxic batteries. Ethanol is a political albatross in that it takes more energy to produce and distribute than it provides. I would love to see a Manhattan Project-style approach to research towards energy independence. If I'm going to pay taxes, I would at least like the money to go towards something that will actually help our nation in the long run.

Of course, I know this is all a fantasy. As with most things, nothing will happen until the situation becomes a national emergency. Then what will all the complaining be worth?

Remember

Sorry for the lack of posts over the past few days. My manager was traveling on business, so I worked late from Wednesday on. You know the drill.

Monday is Memorial Day, the day we Americans set aside to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation. Hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens have died so that, as Lincoln said, this nation shall not perish from the face of the earth.

When people talk about Memorial Day, they most often ask others to take a moment and think about those who have given so much so that we may be free. On top of that, I ask those of you who have children to take a moment and explain Memorial Day to them. Please tell them that freedom is not free, and that there is no nobler pursuit than service to one's nation. Please encourage them to look up the names of some of those who have died and read their stories. They will discover that most of them were average people who did extraordinary things under the worst of conditions.

I pray that we never lose our sense of gratitude to these heroes.

The Greatest Inning Ever Played

Take a look at this. Too bad Monday didn't have a bat. Thanks, John, for sending me that link.

Repeat The Lie, Repeat The Lie, Repeat The Lie...

Peter Wehner's article today at opinionjournal.com does more to dispel the myths liberals have been spreading about the war in Iraq than anything I have ever read. If you tire of friends, co-workers and family members trotting out the same old liberal bromides about why we're in Iraq, please, please, please take a look at Wehner's column.

There's an old saying that says history is written by the victors. I would add that it is written by the academic class of the victors. At this point, no success in Iraq (like the swearing in of a democratically-elected government, which happened this week) is going to change the minds of those who decided in 2003 that this war was wrong. Unfortunately, these souls are the ones who write history and teach that history to the next generation.

Backs Turned From Reality

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice addressed the graduates at Boston College today. A small group of them turned their backs as a protest of her and the administration. A few more held signs. It was like the 60's, but lazier.

I'm sure that Sec. Rice gave a great talk, because that's what she does. But if I were in her shoes, my address would've been quite different:

"I'd like to address my comments towards those of you who felt the need to turn your backs as I approached this podium. First, you are rude. I understand that, to a young liberal, any form of protest is OK, even if it makes the protester look like an ass. But some day, you will realize that rude people are generally despised by others, regardless of how well-meaning they may be.

Most of you who felt the need to protest my presence here attend this college on mommy and daddy's dime. How proud they must be. Some day, you will discover that any successful person has had to work with people who are difficult and who do not share their beliefs with regard to politics, religion or any number of subjects. Your child-like antics may have gotten you attention at home, but in corporate America, they will only get you assigned to a broom closet.

While you protest here with no expectation or fear of arrest or imprisonment, better men and women than you are defending your freedoms of speech and assembly and, in fact, your lives. They have not studied Plato and they may not know what a Laffer curve is, but they are smart in ways you could never comprehend. I pray that one day you will respect them as you respect nothing now."

Feel free to drop me a line---I can be at your school, too.

They Already Have The Fusion

When do you think Ford is going to roll out this bad boy? A nuclear-powered car---there's something we can all get behind, right?

The Marlboro Man

A lot of young Marines are going to go through the same thing as this man. I'm probably going to make a lot of people angry when I say this, but PTSD is mainly the result of putting men and women in harm's way under stressful situations that wouldn't exist if the military was given a free hand to do its job, as we have seen time and again in Iraq. This guy was pinned down on a rooftop all night by a group of terrorists in a house. In a different time, an F/A-18 from a carrier offshore would've leveled the house 15 minutes after the problem started. However, our concern for collateral damage makes a bold move such as this impossible. So the Marines fight it out house-to-house like they always have, and this is the price the survivors pay.

Stone's Opus

Oliver Stone has made a movie about a group of NYC policemen on 9/11. If the trailer is any indication of what the rest of the movie is like, take some kleenex.

Even though it's been almost five years, I still think of that morning every day. The phone call from Peter, the panic to call my brother in D.C., waiting to hear from my other brother who was trying to fly home from Chicago, my inability to do anything but stare at the television for the rest of the day. Millions of other people had the same feeling that day, or at least I assume they did.

I'll be interested to see how we handle the fifth anniversary this September.

Viral Asshatedness

It would seem that the website I pointed out yesterday was a hoax. A boot to the head is in order.

Tony's Crying

Haven't we moved past the point where an adult man crying in public is news? Is the idiotic "men don't cry" crap we all grew up with still valid? The very idea irks me.

I am a grown man. I have worn the uniform of my nation's armed forces. I love looking at beautiful women. I like fast cars. I know stuff about tanks.

And I cry. I cry at movie previews, acts of heroism and, sometimes, at the news of other people's joy. Am I somehow less a man? Is it newsworthy?

That Goofy Chavez Guy---Again

Venezuela is considering selling its fleet of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets to another country, perhaps Iran, in response to a U.S. ban on arms sales to President Hugo Chavez's government, a military official said Tuesday.

Gen. Alberto Muller, a senior adviser to Chavez, told The Associated Press he had recommended to the defense minister that Venezuela consider selling the 21 jets to another country.

Entire article here.

How do you ship 21 F-16s to another country? Do they send pilots to pick them up and fly them, or does Venezuala deliver them? Do they go by ship? If they go by ship, wouldn't it be terrible if the ship ran into a Mk. 48 or Tigerfish torpedo? I mean, it happens.

For Fun-Loving Adults Only

Please help this poor guy out. The girl on the site is cute, but I have to wonder: how many woman would do this for a guy friend? Wouldn't there be weirdness afterwards?

Basic Fairness?

XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX MON MAY 15, 2006 20:37:17 ET XXXXX

Developing...

Inadvertently? Yeah...sure.

Addressing The Albatross

The President's speech tonight was exactly they type he had to make: fairly safe and middle-of-the-road. The only thing I found missing was real punishment for US employers who knowingly hire illegals. Employers were only mentioned in passing as a way of introducing new ID cards for legal immigrants. Illegal hiring will continue as long as people are willing to work illegally.

The President needs to be careful here because this issue is one in which Dems in close races could actually move to the RIGHT of the Republican Party. Watch what Hillary Clinton does; if she moves further right after tonight's speech, you can bet that every Dem Congressman will do the same.

Predator-In-The-Making

In 30 minutes I will travel down the hall to the company training room. Once there, I will be exposed to a harassment-diversity seminar of some type. Attendance is mandatory. I was lucky enough to be in the Navy when the infamous Tailhook Scandal broke. At that time, everyone in the service had to attend an all-day harassment workshop. It was more fun than human beings should be allowed to have. There’s nothing better than being treated like a criminal because you’re a man.

Workplace behavior comes down to this: be friendly but not chummy and don’t talk about things you wouldn’t discuss with your grandmother (if your grandmother was a stripper, disregard this advice). I would also advise you single folks not to date people you work with. Statistically speaking, you will break up one day and there will be weirdness between you and your ex. Hear me now, believe me later. And yes, I understand that the woman reading this are thinking “but I’m friends will all my ex-boyfriends”. Newsflash: if he’s still single (as in not married), then he’s friends with you in the hope that you might hook up again.

How’s that for harassment?

Home Sweet Home

After a 94 minute flight, we are back from our Texas home. The drama of earlier visits is gone. Although we have always been treated as family, North Texas has become comfortable again. This is the way it was meant to be.

I mentioned this during the last episode of my podcast, but I want to thank John again for the introduction to the Porsche 911. Golly!!!

Tejas

I didn't mention this earlier, but Kelli and I are in Texas for a long weekend. We haven't been down here since October, so the trip was long overdue. I always tell people that I need to come down here twice a year to keep my Texas citizenship papers up to date. Otherwise, I have to get a green card, a work permit and a construction job.

Leave The Gun, Take The Caliphate

Here's something to keep you up at night. After you read the article, think of the problems in France this past year and the bombings in London last July.

"In Europe they tell Muslims that they have to create parallel societies and that they should not follow European laws,"

When the Caliphate is reborn, and I believe it will be in our lifetimes, Europe may become the center of it.

Second Life-Podcasting Connection

I posted about Second Life at the end of last month. I haven't been "in" SL much since then and I can't say that I miss it. There's something about flying around and looking at weird homes and people in a virtual world that grows boring after a while. I set up a free account after hearing Adam Curry rant on and on and on about how cool SL is and how it was going to change our lives. Many other podcasters and listeners did the same thing as I, and that's part of the problem.

There is a typical response to games such as Second Life---the people who spend time there have no lives. I don't think this is the case, because several of the podcasters I know who play the game have very full lives with work and children. But I find it troubling how quickly so many people flocked to what is, in the end, a medicore simulation with quite a few technical problems and an oversexed population.

I podcast because I want to teach people about history. But now, after seeing how many fellow podcasters have flocked to Second Life, I realize that many people podcast because they just want to belong to something. I have to admit that this disappoints me a little because the promise of the medium is so much larger and more important than that. Frankly, it makes us all look like lemmings. I know I sound elitist, and maybe I am.

I used to play Medal of Honor online with a group of people from all over the US. I enjoyed it because it was, for the most part, a good group of people and there were actually conditions for victory in the game. But it became boring after a while and it took away too much time from real life. Counting the time I spend getting ready and driving to and from the office, I work, on average, 12 hours a day. It takes 2 hours a day to do the podcast. I sleep 7 hours a day. That leaves 3 hours a day for everything else. I'm not going to spend it in a virtual world when I like the real one so much.

Who has time for this stuff?

My Personal Arsenal

I'm waiting to whip this out on someone. Not for the kids.

What does Uncle Sam say to the nice liberals, boys and girls?

Big Brother Is Watching

CLERMONT, Iowa (AP) -- The city isn't going to pussyfoot around when it comes to stray cats. The City Council has decided that anyone who feeds the cuddly creatures are aiding a nuisance.

"We have people who feed the wild cats and the cats leave something behind," he said. "One guy won't be able to use his hot tub."

Beside the fact that I don't understand the last sentence, this is the dumbest story I have read in a long, long time. The local PD is going to photograph people so they can fine them for feeding stray cats? Really? I can't wait for a bloodsucking leech lawyer to take a case involving this.

Here's a crazy idea: instead of punishing people for being compassionate, why doesn't the city fine the inbred, white trash mouthbreathes (UPDATE: that would be "mouthbreathers", Peter) who don't get their cats spayed and neutered?

That's A Lotta Honey

Pooh is 80. That may seem old for a bear, but is Pooh really a bear? Or is he that friend we always wanted: funny, loyal, not better looking than us, non-judgemental. I'm no expert here, but you can rest assured that my wife is. While on our honeymoon in Florida, she ran across Pooh (or, as I called him a Pooh Pretender) at Disney World and promptly screamed like a little girl. A man just can't compete with that kind of fame.

You've Been Warned

The Democrats are confident that they will win back the House of Representatives this November. I believe it's not only possible, but very likely if the Republican Party doesn't start getting aggressive. A Democratic House, Senate or both would, I believe, be the worst thing that has happened to this country politically in a generation.

There are several reasons why I believe this to be true. First, there's Nancy Pilosi. Chances are high that she will be the House Majority Leader if the Dems win big in November since she is now the Minority Leader. If you've ever heard her speak, you know why I'm worried. Her entire career seems to be based on attacks and tin-foil hat theories about Republicans. I have never heard her say anything of substance that was not an attack or a weird assumption.

Second, there is the war. The American voting public generally sees Republicans as strong on national defense and Democrats as weak. Perception is reality in politics, but this time the perception is dead on. The next decade is going to present us with many overseas challenges and I don't see the likes of Teddy Kennedy or Dick Durbin being helpful.

Finally, there is Hillary Clinton. If the Republicans don't run an incredibly likeable candidate in two years, it is very possible that Sen. Clinton will become President. Imagine a Democratic Congress and a Democrat in the White House with a Socialist agenda; it's a nightmare scenario. Imagine federalized health care for starters.

I know some conservatives who almost want a big Republican loss in November so as to remind them of who their base is and what they expect. While I understand that sentiment, I'm not willing to risk the damage The Party Without A Plan could do in 2 or 4 years.

The Arrogant Bump In The Road

June 18, 1812: The United States, barely a generation old, declares war on the British Empire, the world's greatest military power. As the war drags on, the Royal Navy sails up the Potomac and burns part of Washington, DC, including the White House. The nation survives.

April 12, 1861: Confederate soldiers fire upon Federal troops stationed at Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. The ensuing Civil War costs the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans and destroys the southern states. The nation survives.

October 24-29, 1929: Stock prices collapse, helping to usher in the Great Depression. By 1933, unemployment is over 25%. The economy remains in a depressed state until 1941. The nation survives.

September 1, 1939: Germany invades Poland, starting the Second World War. At the time, the United States has the world's 16th largest standing army. Over 400,000 Americans are killed in the war. The nation survives.

October 16, 1962: President John F. Kennedy is shown pictures of Soviet ICBM installations on the island of Cuba. The political wrangling and blockade that followed will be known as the Cuban MIssile Crisis. As far as public records are concerned, it is the closest the US and the Soviet Union came to actual war. The nations survives.

May 1, 2006: Millions of immigrants, both legal and illegal, stay home from work and take to the streets in an attempt to show the American people how large an effect their work has on the economy. Some immigrant groups maintain that Americans will be hurt by this "day without immigrants".

Um......ok. Whatever. How'd that work out?

Blast From The Past

As much as I love history, I try not to live there. You'll know what I mean the next time you run into someone you went to high school with and they pepper you with questions about your old classmates. My answer is always the same, "I keep track of the people I care about." That probably sounds rude, but the fact remains that other than my wife, I keep in contact with about five people with whom we went to high school. When the dust settled and the drama went away, that's all that was left.

I'm sort of bitter about high school, but not for the usual reasons. I'm not bitter becuase of the people I knew there and my experiences with them; I'm bitter about the school itself. I won't bore you with the details here, but my bitterness started my senior year and reached a crescendo years after I graduated because of something I was involved with that followed me for five years after I graduated. And it all centered around a play.

I have attended two spring musicals since I graduated and I went to both of those against my will. Theater productions at my high school were and are a huge deal because they raise a tremendous amount of money. I was proud to be a part of it because I was a pretty good actor, enough so that I had a lead in the musical my senior year. I have not been on a stage since.

I stumbled across my high school's website today. I had never visited it before and I was shocked to learn that a new theater center opened there this year. I was told that a video was presented on the opening night that showed highlights from the last twenty or so years of spring musicals and that yours truly was in the video. Somehow, that bothers me, but I don't know why. It's as if I want it all wiped away, as if I never existed there for those years. Instead, to some people, I will always be the Cowardly Lion in 1989, the guy who finished the play with a dislocated shoulder. That story has been told so many times in high school theater departments in this area that I've had it told back to me by people who did not know that I was the guy who did it.

But I'll be 35 this month and I'm too damn old to care about something that happened 17 years ago. Most of the kids in this year's musical had not been born when I was last on stage. To them, I'm just a picture on the wall and a costume that gets brought out for special anniversaries. So why does it matter? Is there something missing that I should've picked up back there?

Wow...if you've read this far, thanks.