Nobody asked me, but...

Monday, June 22, 2009

Changes coming

Some interesting news in recent days....

Continental Pilot dies while in air: The Continental Airlines pilot who died on a trans-Atlantic flight from Belgium to the U.S. was in "perfect health" and fellow crew members initially thought he had just fallen asleep..., Begging your pardon, am I the only one who wonders how often pilots are likely to fall asleep at the stick?? This reminds me of an old joke: when I die, I want to go like my grandfather: peacefully in his sleep. Not like his passengers...
There are jokes abound regarding the Iranian elections (including those that state the some 16 million votes were actually cast for Pat Buchanan). Still, the leader of the free world is steps behind the leaders of France and Germany in rhetoric. No one is suggesting military action in Iran, but our posturing in Washington, D.C. is interpreted as weakness, and that weakness is being amplified again and again.
ABC News has pretty much given up any pretense to being non-biased with the upcoming airing of the health care special. Just imagine: had President Bush offered to hold such an important meeting on FOX NEWS. Had the 3 broadcast networks been invited to participate, I would have less to say about the matter, but clearly there is no longer any attempt for the major media to appear unbiased. How far has our nation's free press fallen...

I have been wrestling with various issues in recent months, and many of them intersect with my humble blog.

A lot of changes are in the air. I mentioned this a year ago and it is even more true today. While my job remains largely static (and expects to be so through 2013), I have done little to advance my own cause in education; clearly, that is very wrong in this economy (and my age/status in life).

In spite of the grand efforts by many, and the paltry ones of myself, this move towards Socialized medicine is gaining speed. Some say it won't make it through Congress, others are are convinced it will. I, for one, am scared to death it will. I said over and over: I will work as many jobs as I must, sacrifice anything and everything, in order to prevent my family from relying on any so-called universal health-care, and I meant it. This matter is far too important for me not to be taking a greater role in campaigning against it. It is high time I take a more visible stand against this gathering storm.

In recent months my postings have fallen off the pace set in previous years. This trend will likely increase.... as much I as enjoy reading issues of politics, pop/odd culture, and commenting on them ... as much as I enjoy visiting other blogger's sites, I know I can't keep that pace and do the things I have to do. So if I don't visit your blog much, if I don't post here too often, do not think it is because I've given up. I have a lot of fight in me, and I now have to better direct those energies to where I can affect the most changes.

I'll be around... just not so often.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Standing up to tyrants

Some of the readers to this lowly blog of mine may well be too young to remember a time in our nation's past when an oppressive regime pressed the boot of tyranny on a nation.

In 1981, the People's Republic of Poland enacted Martial Law to quell the uprising against Communist rule. President Ronald Reagan made public the transcript of a phone call he had with Pope John Paul II:

The President. “Your Holiness, I want you to know how deeply we feel about the
situation in your homeland.”

“I look forward to the time when we can meet in person.”

“Our sympathies are with the people, not the government.”

Nine words said it all: Our sympathies are with the people, not the government. That wasn't meddling, but rather compassion for the people.

It's safe to assume now that the Iranian Mullahs are not likely to have any sort of open-door policy in respect to their nation's election; having banned Western media clearly states their intention to keep order. That might have been different had President Obama had exhibited more back-bone when the results first were reported. Instead, the world was treated to Mr. Obama extolling the virtues of his speech in Cairo.

Critics of Mr. Obama weren't surprised of his lack-luster approach to the Iranian crack down. Recall last summer, when Russian tanks rolled through Georgia:

[President Obama] first recommended the UN take action, with a plea for restraint on both sides (as if Georgia was the blame for their invasion). Later on, no doubt after a considerable chat with his 10 score of foreign policy advisers, condemning Russia's actions and a call for a cease-fire (which, reportedly, Russia has ignored).

When liberty and freedom are in harm's way, Mr. Obama has demonstrated two times now that he'll plant his feet firmly on the fence, instead of taking the correct stand. That doesn't mean I advocate US military action in Iran, not anymore than did Mr. Reagan do in Poland.

Words have meanings. Ostracizing Iran could have gone a long way. What President Obama has done (or rather, not done) this week can easily be compared to what President George H. Bush did (or didn't do) to support the Iraqi rebels after the push-back out of Kuwait in 1991.

Should more deaths arise out of Iran's efforts to crush the resistance, what will the Mr. Obama do then?

Whether President Obama cares to say it or not, the American people's sympathies are with the Iranian people.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Exactly how disgusting am I?

Readers of my humble blog know I've studied Taekwondo for some time now (approaching the 6 year anniversary), and from those posts they know that I tend to perspire. A.Lot.

The instructor used to move me away from the door, because (as he put it) he was afraid prospective students would see me sweaty and panting and that would put them off (true story!). It should be noted our dojang has no air conditioning, and our classes always begin with about 25 minutes of cardio, which means I am always good and sweaty before too long.

The other night we were doing one-step-sparring, where we are paired-off and take turns practicing basic defense moves against an opponent throwing a punch. My opponent, a gal slightly younger than I, blocked my punch and grabbed my shoulders as she was about to sweep my leg in a take down.

Suddenly she recoiled, her face was showing an expression of twisted horror as she held her hands stretched from her sides.

My God, you are so gross! How does your wife stand you??

Her voice was so loud, everyone stopped and turned. Interrupting a class like that is generally answered by the Instructor with push-ups to all offenders, so I quickly answered: Why do you think we have just 2 kids, 7 years apart?

Uncharacteristically, the entire dojang broke down in laughter at that point, including the Master. No push-ups were assigned, but I did get a towel for my partner after class, who profusely apologized for her outburst.

What could I say? It's not her fault that I sweat a lot!

Friday, June 12, 2009

All those who don't suspect the son is responsible for his mom's death...

...raise your hand:

Son charged in fiery death

A 26-year-old former Slatington man told police he had just put his ailing mother to bed and wanted her cat to join her, so he reached behind the bed and flicked a lighter to see if the cat was back there.

The cat never appeared, so Chad Matthew Lever went downstairs to look elsewhere. Before Lever reached the bottom step, his mother, Lisa House, began yelling.

The mattress had caught fire.

After repeated attempts to get his mother, who suffered from Lou Gehrig's disease, out of her burning bedroom, Lever was overcome by smoke. Lisa House, 47, died in the February fire at 424 W. Washington St., Slatington.

OK, I don't particularly like cats (hey, show me one that fetches and I'll reconsider), even though we have one. That much said, I would never think to use a lighter to attract a cat!

During interviews with Detectives Lou Tallarico and Michael Millan with the district attorney's Homicide Task Force, Lever said he had played the lighter trick with the cat in the past. Normally, the cat would be scared by the flicker of the lighter and jump onto the bed, joining his mother, he told the detectives.

What astounds me most is that this guy was arraigned this week after the February fire. Over 3 months to get an indictment on this story?

He said that after hearing his mother yell, he ran upstairs and noticed smoke coming from the side of the bed where he had been flicking the lighter. With his mother still in the bed, he pulled it away from the wall and saw a small flame on the side of the mattress.

Lever said he went into the bathroom, grabbed a dry towel to try and put it out, but couldn't and the fire began to spread.

He said he leaned his mother against the headboard and ran to the basement to grab a fire extinguisher. After unsuccessfully trying to operate the extinguisher, he called 911

Yeah, I can see how that would happen. Leave an invalid in a burning bed, and grab a dry towel. Why do I imagine this guy gets acquitted on a technicality??

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Replacing AVANTGO

Last week I was in complaint-mode because I learned AVANTO was going dark.   Long before web-enabled phones were the norm, AvantGo provided PDAs and certain smart-phones the ability to update content - not unlike a feed reader - whenever the device was docked (or if you did happen to have a data plan).   For years, my smart-phone (and Pocket PC before it) provided me reading material for idle times -- waiting on a meeting to begin, watching data compile, etc.

But as of 30 June, AvantGo will be no more. Actually, it is a good as dead now, since most of the content providers I subscribed to have already abandoned the platform.   So I've been in search of a suitable substitute.

Most of what I found out there require a data plan for updates. That's just not in my budget, especially now (although I've never found justification for one previously). Mobipocket, however, does provide updates via ActiveSync, which means whenever I sync my Outlook contacts and appointments, my reading material gets updated, too.   So far, the actual reading panes are not quite as nice as AvantGo's offerings, but I am getting used to them. I am looking into using Mobipocket's Creator tool to convert PDFs into readable files on my phone, too.

Check it out: Mobipocket.com