Still a Mac Guy

I'm all about learning. I'm just not crazy about learning that suspicions can come true. For years and years I've had Apple computers. From an old Power PC to a G3 to a G5 (my present Mac). Nick has a 17" Mac Powerbook, an I phone, Rachel has a Powerbook and a newer than mine desktop (also Mac). Sarah has tended toward PC, and that's fine- whatever works for her. To date, unless I'm missing something, none of us Mac users have had any hardware issues in all this time. I had some minor glitches on my G3, but nothing that would preclude using it.
Why am I bringing this up? Well, why am I pecking away on my Mac to send this post? Because. Because my high end, hand built high power PC does not work. Well, it works- it turns on, buzzes, the cooling fans work, the lights come on, it looks way cool, the keyboard lights up, the cap lock works, the mouse is active....... no picture. Neither monitor is getting a signal. Nada.
I call Cyberpower in Los Angeles (tech support). I get a knowledgeable guy, Mike, and explain my problem. Mike asks the standard "are the monitors connected, are you plugged in" questions. Yes is my answer. He goes through the re-boot process, plug in, unplug, etc. and still no pic. Now is where things get dicey. He says- "power down, unplug computer and remove the side panel". S***. Now I'm worried. In all my years as a Mac guy the only need I ever had to open the box involved adding some RAM. This is new territory for me. Anyway, Mike tells me to reach in and remove/replace each RAM stick (3@2GB each). He explains how to un-clip and clip, so I do it. Then he says to plug in and power up the unit (with panel off!). I do, and he says try powering up to see if this process helped. No. Still no pic. So now Mike says to check video card (which is not really a card, but a video cassette sized mechanism with a cooling fan, attached with 2 screws and a clip, monitors plugged into back through computer box, also plugged into mother board and back wall. I say nothing is loose. He says take out screws, un clip and unplug monitors. I do so. He says reinstall. I do. He says try to boot up. I do. No pic. S***. He says he thinks video card is bad. This is a high end, 1 GB on board memory kick ass gamer video card gone bad trying to run a CAD program that requires 30% of the capacity of this thing. It's lasted 2 months. So- they will replace it. All I have to do is pull the thing out, package it and send it to them so they can send the new one which I will kindly install (with my now vast knowledge of PC internal workings). Meanwhile, I can't use my PC.
There must be something said here. To all computer users. While most of you are PC owners, many of whom I've heard the horror stories of crashes, meltdowns, motherboard problems, data losses, other crappola... consider this. Any PC you decide to buy= Dell, HP, Sony, IBM, etc., can have the same components as the other. There is no exclusivity in PC hardware. Different manufacturers produce the components in these units and the controls are on them. While MAC also uses different manufactures for components, they are installed as proprietary items. Mac owns the rights to these components and can take responsibility for their performance. The difference might seem slight, but failures seem to be less when the responsibility is on MAC. My video card can be used in most PC's but not in a MAC. In this case, the video card manufacturer is responsible for it's performance- not Cybercore. It's like a general contractor giving yo the phone number of the plumber instead of taking responsibility and calling for you.
All this being said, I'm sure, when I'm up and running again I'll be happy as a clam.

Palin? Palin. Palin!

I wrote about her quite some time ago but apparently my voice wasn't heard by enough- her name keeps popping up recently.
Keep this in mind: If you want to be an electrician, you must take classes, tests, an apprenticeship, and then be able to perform the work well enough, along with the acquired credentials to get a job in the field. If you want to sell real estate, you need to take tests to gain a license. Lawyer? Doctor? Engineer? Mechanic? Hair dresser?
Now, some Republicans are seeing her as a possible front runner for the party. I am largely a Republican, but I have to pin my hopes on a candidate who has passed a test or two. I'm fairly certain Sarah could pull a C- on the economics final I took in 1976 at Peoria High School. I should be able to assume she knows the difference between macro economics and micro, or has heard the age old term "there's no such thing as a free lunch", but I wouldn't bank on it. I can see her getting ready for a North/South Korean summit by looking at a world globe and then asking the guys "can't y'all just get along? Vietnam was a long time ago!"
I know she hit the library to research her latest book, otherwise she couldn't have heard of JFK's speech about his candidacy and his Catholicism.
I really feel that, lacking a test for candidates, we should hope for the sensibilities of the voters to choose someone who can list accomplishments that show a finisher, not a quitter, someone who achieves without recognition, and succeeds without fanfare at every stop. In short, I want a smart guy (or woman). One who has already spent a lifetime cracking the books and knows a thing or two. Surely the party has qualified candidates who won't embarrass us all. Surely....

It's Nearly Thanksgiving

This is the long awaited "short week" of the year- the annual Thursday turkey day and Friday where only the lunatic shopper gangs get up early to empty the checking account for Christmas. I'm proud to say I'm not one of them.
As has been the case the last several years, we're hosting Thanksgiving this year. I have a formula in the kitchen that works well, and each year I tweak it to make things run smoother. In years past, I've thrown in the likes of sweet potato pie and pumpkin pie (hard to tell the difference), two turkeys (one roasted, one deep fried), other stuff..........
This year I will not have any of my kids home. Sarah and Tim are coming for Christmas this year, as is Rachel, and Nick is making faces at monkeys in Costa Rica. This means a paltry 20 people feasting on Thursday. I think I can handle that.

Can't Sleep- New Recipe

It is 4am and I've been awake for 45 minutes. Why? Ask someone who knows. Assuredly it's not my angst over the national economy or concern for the Minnesota Vikings (the fact that Favre has literally nobody to throw to and Randy Moss sits on a Titans' bench notwithstanding).
It might be this CAD program, but I doubt it; I'm picking up little jewels of comprehension every day in that department. It could be I've turned the corner on aging and simply don't need the sleep any more.
So why am I posting? When I sat down, I had no idea. Since I started, I found one. I am going to share a recipe I found on line somewhere. I've prepared it twice. Once at a Wed. feast and once at Tim and Sarah's down in Dallas. I do need to emphasize that any deviation from my instructions will likely result in yuck.
What is it? Crazy Cajun Shrimp Etouffe Cream Over Garlic Noodles.
Here goes:

Serves 8

Need:

Roux:

3-1/2 tablespoons butter
3-1/2 tablespoons flour
1 red onion- chopped
1 green bell pepper- chopped
1 red bell pepper- chopped
2 stalks celery- chopped
6 cloves garlic- minced
1/2 cup fresh basil- chopped
1/2 cup parsley- chopped
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 10 oz. bottle clam juice
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1-1/2 lb. raw shrimp (24 count)
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon Pernod (optional)

Noodles:

1 lb. fettuccine noodles
2 tablespoons butter
5 cloves garlic- minced
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
green onions- chopped (garnish)

How to:

Make etouffe cream by melting butter in deep (I mean big) skillet, stir in flour, develop a brown roux. Add onion, peppers and celery, caramelize (about 3 minutes). Stir in garlic, basil, parsley, tomato paste, clam juice, Cajun seasoning, cayenne and pepper. Add shrimp and cook for 5 minutes at medium heat. Stir in heavy cream, thicken, add salt. Simmer on low while preparing noodles.
Oh, yeah, I should have told you to boil water and cook fettuccine noodles (al dente), shock with HOT water and rinse with HOT water. Do that. Cream can simmer a little more.
Meanwhile, melt butter in sauce pan, add garlic for 1 minute. Stir in brown sugar, add fish sauce, stir for 1 minute. Toss mixture with noodles by hand (yes- hot!) then toss noodles and mixture with Parmesan cheese.
Serve in bowls or on plates. Spread noodles, scoop cream mixture over noodles, garnish with a little chopped green onion and enjoy!
In the near future I plan to list my proven recipe successes. All tried and true, morphed into what I consider worthy of my personal "Great Food" cook book. To date, I have 78 recipes ranging from American to Korean to Middle Eastern to Cajun to French to Italian to German to Mexican to..................you get my drift.
Hopefully my newspaper has shown up and I can get on with my day. Ciao.

Still here, still working at it

I find a vast difference between what I need to know and what I want to know. Something akin to being told you're smart and wondering by what reference the statement was determined. Might it be similar to: not bad for someone your age, or: you don't look 52, or: (fill in the blank).
I'm still deciphering the program. Friday I attended a Webinar, which consisted of a valley girl's voice describing her actions on screen, replete with "like", "oops"' "I messed up there" ; I am not paraphrasing. I did pick up a few pointers, though. I hope she was cute. She sounded cute. If she has a job at Chief Architect and she can operate the program, there might be hope for me after all.
I have never been fond of memorization, and a large part of this program is memorizing the procedure. If I start from scratch each day, little by little I pick up little by little (by little).
I must admit I felt good today when I had Amy try what I've been working on. I immediately realized she may be more typical as a beginner. She doesn't build, so she had no idea about realistic spatial relations and proportions. That part, or design, or sizing, or appearance- not hard. Knowing how to get there through the program interpretation- still working on it. So, am I smart? Certainly smarter than the chair supporting my ass (and he never fails to do his job!

I'm back on the post wagon

I'm sorry to say that I am no where near as prolific at posting as my wife or eldest child, but once in a while I do spill to the public. This is one of those times.
Soooooo.............. I have been diligently hacking away at the ridiculously layered mega program "Chief Architect", and tonight I feel I've shot up to around 60% cognition, which is to say that I have worked my way through the easy, obvious stuff and still need to tackle the part of the program that expects me to think on my own, analytically, through deductive reasoning and deft aplomb. My short set consists of the fact I graduated high school in 1976, before calculators were big, (I actually found math solutions on a slide rule, having mastered the abacus) ending my formal education that year. Since then I've logged a million miles of cut wood and a million nails driven. Don't get me wrong- I can draw a house plan- I don't hold myself short on ability beyond the Jesus trade. I simply need to convince myself I'm as smart as the next CAD guy, supplanting my years in the trenches with his years learning Autocad. I'm hoping my transition to his desk is easier and faster than his transition to the field might be. I'm betting I don't know a single CAD jockey who'd last 2 days doing what I do; I'm also betting the law of reciprocity won't apply.
I'm now setting a time table: By Thanksgiving I will be at 90%+ and ready to buy the real thing. I will immediately produce a full set of a 2,500 square foot ranch home to use as a demo, design and produce business cards, flyers, a letterhead and a web site (need help here), and take my first (hopefully) assignment by first of year. Go, go, go.

Heading to Work

Look for some posting beginning tonight. I need a writing fix. A lot to talk about.

It's here, it's hooked up and now I have no excuses-

Today is Saturday, and I've just gone beyond 24 hours since I uncrated my Cyberpower computer. Briefly, set-up was as easy as plugging it in, with the minor faux paux of my having neglected to have installed an internal wireless connect when I hand selected the components. After a half hour hollering at Comcast I gave up and called the computer company to learn what I had begun to suspect. So, 45 minutes to and from Best Buy put me on line and semi-happy. Semi because I could not, no matter what monitor configuration I chose, get both monitors to come up. I did, however, manage to download the trial version of Chief Architect and have shortened (or is that straightened) the learning curve by a great deal in only a couple of hours. As evidenced in the pics, I can do walls, windows, roofs, foundations and convert from 2D to 3D with only a few stumbles. Next Friday I am scheduled to participate in a virtual live classroom where I can interact with instructors through conversation. Cool. Oh, I did (today) figure out the monitor thing. I have the desktop spread over both so I can simultaneously draw, listen to online help (or online anything), watch a movie, etc. Notice my first CAD house, Evans blog, Firefox Google page and Toys, all active at the same time. Incidentally, the main reason for 2 screens is that it allows me to reference any scanned houseplan to the left and compare the modified CA plan I'm working up. All this plus the MAC to the right blasting i-tunes while I work should enhance my multitasking ability or drive me insane. Sarah, can't wait for you to see this puppy in person. Everybody rock on! T.

Don't Ya Just Think?

That Lindsay Lohan simply needs a spanking (maybe in jail)?
Last night I finished another Cormac McCarthy book "Outer Dark". The guy can write Appalachia like an Appalachian. Easier reading than Blood Meridian. Still good. I'm taking a break from 'Mac for a while to get up to speed on Stephen Hawking's new book. You know, catch my breath stuff. The difference between reading McCarthy's books and Hawking's is that with Cormac, he frustrates me with his timely narratives and an equally timely vocabulary (for which an I-pad with definitions would ease my frustration), whereas Stephen's physics (when he gets into the mathematics) flies so far over my head that it's invisible so I don't care. Anyway, I've read 4 McCarthy books so far and I will say he's not for everyone, but I can also say that his diversity of narrative makes each little novel a surprise. Ciao.

Randomless Observations: In The Beginning................

Randomless Observations: In The Beginning................

In The Beginning................

As of today, the ship date for my computer is 9/22. That means I can expect delivery a couple days later. Maybe three. Meanwhile, my 23" Asus widescreen LED's sit at the ready. Ready for what, you ask? Got me. I'll be happy to navigate the PC to operational mode. I have no idea whether this company has pre-loaded Windows 7 or whether I have to do it. I'll have to download drivers for my printer. I'll have to properly hook up the monitors, figure out how to set orientation.............
After all that, I must be sure I can get on line properly, then attempt to download the trial version of Chief Architect and see if I can navigate my way through. If I can, and am convinced this is the program for me, at some time I need to bite the bullet, drop $2,600, order the full version and watch it stream the monster to my PC. I have a 1 Tb hard drive so space shouldn't be an issue. Nor should speed. (quad core Intel i7), nor RAM (6Gb) nor graphics (1Gb video card). Success will depend on the skill of the operator (me)- I can't use equipment limitations as an excuse.
Whenever this CAD drawing thing gets to the stage where I feel comfortable to advertise, I will be creating a blog and/or website showcasing my accomplishments to date. Once I get the gist o the program, I plan to design a home from scratch, adding detail as I figure how. Call it my Cadfolio. The company name will be simply "Boettcher Design"

Just so you know..........

I received my monitors the other day- two Asus 23" LED widescreens, and I have them on my desk, plugged into the wall outlet with nothing to do until my computer shows up (ship date 9/22). I don't think it will arrive until the 24th or 25th, and by then Amy will be in Dallas, so I'll be on my own for the inauguration. Bummer.

What subject.........?

What subject would elicit a response from the most people? Generally, readers are more likely to shout back at an outrage than to acknowledge an observation. I know that sometimes I write in the oblique, and I suppose it's hard to get mad at or support any notions that just seem strange or weird, especially if you know me (or thought you did) and the subject matter disturbs. Keep in mind that when I travel down those many roads Lovecraftian, I'm simply exploring the angles of consideration left lost to the practical mind.
You wanna know what I think? No problem- I'll tell ya. Ya wanna know how I think? That might require more than can be put to paper. That might require experimentation. Suspension of disbelief. Warshak testing. Subliminal observation. Restraints. A control. Leverages against PETA. Paying umbrage to old Catholic beliefs. Maybe even an enactment of Buddha wrestling Confucius.
I'd suggest sticking with finding out what I think. That way we won't have to break any international laws.
See ya.

A Shout Out To Sarah Evans!

Sarah, as of Monday, you have the distinction of being the only member of the immediate family who has not skydived. I suggest you contact "Skydive Dallas" and join the rest of us to make it unanimous.

To Begin With...............

The new picture to the right is of my wifey and my daddy, taken a year ago in Peoria at an outdoor music festival in which Nick was performing. The relevance to this blog? Don't know.

First Steps

OK, so today I made the first move toward my oblivion. I have ordered a PC. Yes. A PC. Me. A lifelong MAC man. Had to. The CAD program I want will only run on an Apple computer if I install a conversion program and load Windows 7. Too much hassle and probably too glitchy.
So.............. ya wanna know what I got? Do ya care? Do I care if you care? It's easy to answer a question with a question when there's no one available to berate me. Here's what I got:
Just a few borings- Intel Quad core i7-950
6 Gb RAM
1Tb hard drive
1 Gb video card
Liquid cooled

lots of other borings I will not drill you with...............
I am considering two ASUS 23" LED monitors-
After I run some trial CAD programs, I'll decide which to buy- as of now, I'm leaning toward Chief Architect (if for no other reason at least I've seen this in action).
FYI: As of today I have christened my as yet non-existent company "Boettcher Design" and will accept any and all donations to the cause for my future celebrity in the world of CAD system desk junkies. If I fall on my face and this project dies with me, at least Amy's artistic talent will enable her to create a beautiful cadaver outline on the office floor. I'm sure she'd sell it for a discount.

New Career?

Get this: I am more than toying with and less than certain that I will be entering my old '70's brain into the 21'st century of Computer Assisted (or aided) Drafting. After (and during- I'm still building) contracting residential projects for 25 years I feel- and have been reminded- that I'm not Superman any more and my construction expertise needs to find a new level. The world at large doesn't need another 50 something know it all carpenter working at a hardware store, a lumberyard or Walmart, and I can't be saddled with a 9 to 5 and still visit my grand kids a dozen times a year, so the only logical step is to get back to my roots and start drawing house plans again. However.......... nobody draws house plans. The days of drawing with a Pentel .o4, a T-square, a 45 degree triangle, a 30/60/90 triangle (for isometric), an eraser, an erasing shield, velum, eraser shavings to keep the plan smudge free and a horse hair brush to clean them off, a triangular scale, an architectural template for door swings, toilets and bathtubs, masking tape.. you get the drift... are gone. Today it's all on computer. The prints look like it. Not much artistic flair. OK. I'm done. I am not about to say something about the good old days. You know- when men were men. When you'd pull your hair out if the client didn't like the first draft. When the eraser was your best friend and worst enemy at the same time. When fatigue affected your line work. When you had to draw the same damn wall section for every single plan. I could go on but I choose not to.
This is not a case of "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em". It's more like " I could do that!". Though I'm not any kind of computer wizard, I can usually figure things out eventually what with my new found OCD gene. I work with CAD plans all the time now, I visit a young lady who draws (there's a laugh) for my lumber company and she freely educates me on CAD drafting, I build houses from the prints and can spot an anomaly a mile away, and on occasion I've been asked to aid CAD designers to correct their roof designs.
Look, I know more about building a house than nearly anybody. I have to deal with the practical application of every house plan that comes by. I know what's lacking on these prints, and the problems are more related to omission than error. I can also offer structural information that a drafts person would not know- steel beam load calculations, bearing points, trib loads, torsion, shear, bending, lateral wind pressure calcs, header span limitations, joist spans and proper sizing, live load. Dead load. Heat loss calcs- u-factor r-value, infiltration, air exchange rates................
I could go on and on (as I have), but the bottom line is that I know what needs to be presented in a set of plans. I know builders and home owners would like more information, and I have that information. All I need to do is to study these mechanical drafting programs, get tutored, work hard, learn the system required to get the information on the screen and then it's a cake walk. (not exactly). Why? Because I already have all the answers. All I need to do is learn how to present them on a computer screen and sell them to the consumer. Wish me luck. T.

Isaac Glen Evans

This is a belated first look at my second grandson, Isaac, with mom and dad. I would round out the redundancy chart if I posted that which you can already find on Sarah's blog, so, to see more of him, and Alex, his big brother, visit her blog. If you're one of the two humans reading this, you already know how.

Russia 2010

Has anyone really looked at what's going on in Russia? 100 degree heat in Moscow, raging fires smoking out the city, 700 deaths a day, possible radioactive dust within the smoke (thank you Chernobyl)................ Thank God Three Mile Island is contained (or is it?).

Journalistic Waste

Last night I spent some time watching CNN, and I caught part of an interview with the guy (idiot) picked up in Pakistan with a pistol, a sword, night vision equipment and a mind to find (and I presume kill) Osama Bin Laden. Thirty seconds into his rant crystallized his state of mind. He couldn't stay on track within even a single sentence. Crackpot. Wacko. Not even worthy of print in a tabloid. It escapes me how a non story like this warrants air time on a (once) respected news outlet. It's not like we've been having slow news days lately (oil, Afghanistan). For me, I'd rather the authorities let him continue his mission without publicity. Giving international credence to a job like him draws into question the professionalism of American journalism. With the world view of the United States as it stands today, stories like this guarantee to provide ammunition to bring us even lower in their eyes. I have to wonder- what were they thinking?

A long drought

I haven't even looked at this site since......... April? A lot going on and little thought of blogging. Well, I am putting forth more effort now and plan to twist my mind once again. Look for new stuff and be sure to let me know you're hungry for my diatribes to re-emerge. T.

Still dingbats? I need to know how to re-do posts. I changed font............

Dingbats?

Amy says I posted gibberish (see Palin). Did anybody else see dingbats? If so, let me know. If not, did you read the post? Care to comment?

Palin Makes a Splash in East Peoria

Sarah Palin came to East Peoria and did what she does best. She took the podium like an Alaska cowgirl and "you betcha'd" her way into the hearts of a crowd looking for cheerleader detachment from reality. Her strong suit relies on catch phrases, sound bytes and zingers to elicit crowd cheers. Save me! Am I the only one in America who finds irony and patheticism in Palin's call for family values and leadership when we all know she heads a dysfunctional clan and quit the only real job she had that could have shown her leadership qualities (or lack thereof).
I know her motivation. She wants to be popular. She wants to make money. She wants to have her 15 minutes of fame (albeit extended ad infinitum). Well, she's got it. She can say anything she wants. She is not representing any constituency, she's not holding any office; heck, she doesn't really have a job! Fox News something or other is as much of a job as Ozzie Osborne's on his reality show. Anybody can spout rhetoric if they hold no responsibility for their words. Rush can say anything. The lefties on MSNBC can say anything. None of them is held to any scrutiny (except by each other) because none of them hold political office. None of them have any responsibility to implement their views in the real world. None of them chance losing their jobs by lobbing vitriol.
If Palin really wanted to be anything more than a cheerleader, I think we'd have seen a different approach to her future. I saw Palin lobbying for John McCain in Arizona (where he's battling), and body language showed me that he would have given his lame arm not to have to share the stage with her. He will never fully recover from his misguided decision to draw her out of Alaska. He might have done better with Octomom (had she been an octomom when John was looking for a VP running mate).

Amy Says............

.............if I post about wondrous things like rainbows and twinkling stars, then people will respond. Well? I COULD write about such things, if merely to illicit a response, but I need some kind of feedback that tells me it's worth my time. ???????????????

At War

In Afghanistan:
Where do you stand? Do you want the troops out? In? Bolstered? Do you want more international help? Should we drone more in Pakistan? Should we help the Afghan people? Their government? How should we deal with Karzai? Do you even care? Should you? Are you aware of the American interest in Afghan agriculture? LET ME TELL YOU MY TAKE.
First, a constant military presence in Afghanistan help to keep Al Quaida on the defensive and thwarts their ability to coalesce and organize their efforts to arrange attacks against the United States and elsewhere. The rugged terrain makes it as difficult for them to connect with each other as it is for us to find them. They slip into, and gain support from Pakistan, crossing back and forth, so I say follow. Don't give me that crap about cooperative Pakistan- with continual government turmoil, Al Quaida, Taliban and feudal skirmishes with India, not to mention nukes, logic dictates to me that taking out insurgents in Pakistan might be more important than it's neighboring country.
We are not in Afghanistan to help re-build their government, their economy, their society. We are there to oppress the organization that is Al Quiada. Some officials seem to feel the need to inject western culture into every theater of conflict we enter . Currently some government officials are attempting to convince the Afghans that with some preparation, they can grow corn in the valleys and fields of their country. Have you seen any pics of this place? Can you say "rocks everywhere"? Besides considering the physics involved, consider the potential viability of such an undertaking. Farmers there would be trading $1,000 a bushel (well, maybe an exaggeration) for poppies, which can grow unattended between a rock and a hard place, to around $6.00 a bushel (no exaggeration) for corn that requires tilling, organized planting and harvesting efforts far exceeding the work level of the poppy trade. While you're digesting that lame brained idea, consider it's source, and keep in mind the lobbying efforts surely behind such a plan- Caterpillar, John Deere, - those in the states out to make a buck. Now don't give me the value in honest trade argument. This is pure opportunism. Don't let the focus slip from the real reason we're there- to capture or kill Al Quaida guys. Don't think for a second they'd be less mad at us if we pulled out. They will always be mad at us- we just have to keep them frustrated.
On President Karsai? Anyone who threatens to join the Taliban in response to pressure for him to clean up corruption within his government needs to look around and determine exactly who is safe to piss of and who is not.

What? No Takers?

Huh.

Healthy Debate

It feels good to broach a subject that conjures enough interest to respond. My question to those of you who have or have not voiced an opinion would be: Would you want to be given credible evidence of an encounter with aliens, Demons, God or other, or would you prefer to hold on to the hope that all such anomalies are a hoax, and that all other worldly manifestations would remain so. For me- bring it on- my curiosity will always trump my apprehension.

The Fourth Kind- the movie

We recently watched this movie- panned by critics- and I must say it stretched my ability to resist the suspension of disbelief. If you haven't seen it, I might suggest you do before you read further and draw your conclusions based on my observations. I'll run a few lines of nothing so you won't be tempted to cheat....





Nome, Alaska- October, 2000. In a nutshell, Abagail Tyler, psychologist (purportedly real) hypnotises residents and concludes they have been abducted, supposedly by aliens. Yup. Purported actual video and audio footage parallels actors' reenacting same. Things like levitation, images from the sky, Sumerian speech, murders, suicides, goings on of this nature. The alien speak even includes "I am God".
Here's what I think. Wait- here's what I have found that other people think and with that I have my thoughts on their motivations.
Critics- plays out to be reality based, like Blair Witch, Emily Rose, therefore unoriginal and uncreative. Motive: supposing it's a hoax movie, actors come out as too blatant in identifying film as real- unbelievable because they don't want to be weighted down with the possibility it is real.
Friends (not all)- don't believe in aliens (either here or anywhere) and believe this kind of thing is the work of the Devil or Demons. Motive: fear of God, His nemesis, Evil, failure to accept any concept not biblical based, belief that ancient cultures were influenced by the evil side and played with the devil. To people like this- young earthers, new testament junkies, scared rabbits- anything pre-Christ was open season for Beelzebub. Poor delusional souls. (But that's just me).
As for the "I am God" phrase, take into account these beings, either terrestrial or extra, can tap into the minds of people at will, wouldn't they want to fool their subjects into terror in the most effective way? Wouldn't this phrase do the trick?
Anyway, I might add that most of the "facts" in this story have been debunked, if not denied, so if you're really worried, I'd say the story is steroided up enough and simplified enough to give the viewers the entertainment they want, likely leaving out any circumstances that could cloudy the water or give credence to any more "earthly" explanations.
Amy found the concepts and movie frightening while I found it scary as a flick and fascinating as a possibility. My suspension of disbelief, as I said earlier, was stretched. I guess if I had a similar experience I'd be scared shitless like any other-
If aliens read blogs, or demons read blogs- in particular, this one- go ahead, abduct me! I want to see what this whooey is all about.
PS- look for a post soon to be penned (that's a laugh) giving my readers a glimpse into my mind on the subject of God, science and the other unknowns of the universe!

Polarizing Effect of Polarized Political Views

Today, and following historical preference, political bias runs in a line. Imagine political viewpoint as a straight line, maybe infinite (consider how radical one might be), running from left (far) to right (far), and place yourself. Don't forget to align your position with a party, following party line politics, to left or right of the pinpoint that is exact center. In the interest of fractioning wholes, you can never declare the center spot. Divide enough and you have no choice but to be claimed by a side. This is linear politics. This is us or them. This is bi-polar. No matter how diverse your beliefs, you are forced by any one of them to be an "us" or a "them". With or not. Friend or Foe.
Now try to imagine the political universe as spectrum- the key word being "spectrum"- a sphere of viewpoints with a disc as the bisecting agent, blurring the pinpoint division of line politics, and load up the disc with similar considerations that can weave the fabric of liberal and conservative and negate the "walk left or walk right" mentality of "enemy at the gate" perception. Lest we work for political solidarity and unity in a common goal, our future system of government will become as polarizing as the battle raging everywhere over God. (a viewpoint still to come........).

Just to see if anyone reads..........

Loo for some controversial drubbing of a handful of subjects, such as political bi-polar disorder, religious redicularness, my thought on young-earthers, - stuff like that. If you don't have an opinion or an argument, in the future I'll try to warp the senses more with even more far-fetched dialogue on more far-fetched idiocies. I'll continue to push until someone responds, even just to yell at me (do that by using all CAPS!)

Toyota, Ford, GM, Chrysler, Hyundai...............Euro Cars

Before you junk your Toyota, do a little digging and pull the recall stats on the major car manufacturers of our time. Go back a ways- before recalls were invented. Look up Pinto, Vega, any AMC piece of crap. Step into the 90's and see what comes up. Consider the state of American car companies and ask yourself if any of them has hard feelings over the fact Toyota is now the world's largest car builder. I'm not saying Toyota doesn't have some problems- big ones- but given the timing, the opportunity and the local stat sheets, a few well placed bytes could go a long way toward feeding the fire burning in Japan. We all must hope that Toyota's problems will be corrected and that the fallout lasts only a few weeks. Meantime, given the general business tactic to knock down the top guy is going strong in this country, we might want to keep a close eye on Caterpillar and the guy down south who was paralysed while operating a Cat scraper (25mil)

APPARENTLY NOT!

Would I?

...............get more responses to my posts if I brightened up the backdrop?

Palin in Peoria

1. My first inclination is to cringe. After that I begin to realize that celebrity draw has nothing at all to do with political prowess, and that celebrity draw trumps ignorance on all levels. Palin is the spokesperson for this reality by example. It doesn't matter what she says, how she says it or where she speaks as long as the curious, the enamored, the fans, fill the seats. It is easy to play political spokesperson when you carry no political risk- Limbaugh, Matthews, left, right- doesn't matter. Palin quit her day job to garner celebrity. Her Worhol 15 minutes have stretched ad nauseum. It scares hell out of me that her aspirations run from the presidency to a daytime talk show- whatever falls in place. With all the problems facing our government, our country, the world, I guess my last inclination is to cringe- at the thought that a woman who probably can't balance her own checkbook could preside over it all.

Birthday Fun in Chicago

Now I am 52. Not really a milestone age, just a year older than 51. Still, due to the always thoughtful diligence of Amy, another great birthday has swept into the past. We drove up to Chicago Friday, punched into the "W" hotel downtown, took the train to Murphy's in the burbs (Forest Park) and caught "Drivetrain" until 2:30 am. Haven't heard them for months- serious fun. Nick returned us to downtown, we slept in, visited the Field Museum (didn't see Ben Stiller), hooked up with Nick and dined at a great steakhouse (Rosebud's?)- a birthday gift from Nick (over and beyond, I'll be addressing that). Cabbed to Nick's place in Wicker Park, checked out his 17" Mac laptop (ugh!), trained back to the "W", hit the road home on Sunday. All in all, a great respite for a couple of days. I have a great family.

Home Alone

For the last week and a half, I have been without my spouse, who is visiting our daughter, son-in-law and grandson in Dallas. Not a lot to say about that. Sucks. 'Bout sums it up.

Mood Haberdashery

Don't believe for an instant that I wear a hat. I'm not a baseball cap sort of guy, nor stocking cap, beret, fedora or cowboy. I simply prefer hoods. Hats make my head itch. Making that clear, I wear all sorts of hats. Depending on my state of mind, my head coverings, though symbolic, represent an array far exceeding any less spectacular physical cap in existence. Run the emotional gamut from joy to rage and you'll sense my mood from white to red, though way, way beyond the limitations of physical color. While I can't fully explain my cornucopial psyche in technicolor, let it be known that my mind knows what it's thinking and my reaction relates the thoughts. Blue mood. Red rage, pastel passivity, yellow.......... well, I don't really know what yellow represents- canaries? Some might see purple rage- I see grape. Colors from the spectrum lay out a weak representation for emotional content and hats do little more than give a lame example of the same. A black ski mask might suggest different symbolism from one to the next. A blue beret has little meaning to me, but might influence another. A Nazi helmet with a bullet hole it it will always procure positive connotations in my mind, and a dirty girl scout cap will always cause me to worry. If I find one on my head, I'm certain to be REALLY worried. Nuff said.

I'm Back!

Just a reminder that my new year's resolution did not include not posting on this blog. JUST YOU WAIT! (and not for long)

New Year, New Year

For those of you insulated from the cold, the recession, the job losses, the war thing(s), Tiger Woods, the benching of Payton Manning, girl's basketball at St. Vincent's, our dumped governor, Stephen King's 1,100 page book, kooks taking up their own plan to kill and terrorize in the name of al qaeda, probably unknown to them, Mayweather's ploy to sabotage a fight he's scared to make, Downey Jr.'s brilliance, Tasmanian Devil's fight with cancer (yes).........yada, yada, yada..................... consider this your year to find the time in your busy lives to collect diverse information from around the world. Make what's happening out there part of your collected intelligence. Then you can consider yourselves a part of it. Awareness can prohibit the rise of ignorance. Don't turn from events that you believe have nothing to do with you. The only way to really survive in this world is to know it. Otherwise, like voting, if you don't, you affect nothing, and as a result you're simply a supplicant. Either be aware, be involved or be nothing.