The Blog Less Traveled

A couple of days ago there was a little note attached to our mailbox flag by the curb of our driveway. I figured it was the typical advertisement flyer you get for lawn service, maid service or some other commercial enterprise. Instead, it was a note from some high school girl who was trying to raise funds for a trip to Spain with her Spanish class this summer. She asked for any empty soda cans we could spare and to leave them on the porch on Saturday morning and she would come by to pick them up. Well, we figured it wouldn’t kill us to give her some of our empties – we drink way too much soda at our house so there are plenty of cans to choose from. We put the bag out Saturday morning and I then went for a little run – 14 glorious degrees out there people! It was a beautiful crisp morning and I had one of my fastest times in about a year. Ah, but I digress. Anyway, when I returned I found the above little card taped to our door window. What a thoughtful young lady. We certainly didn’t do it with any expectation of thanks. Now I’m glad that we took a few minutes of our time to help the young girl out.

Sometimes it’s the little things in life that make you think there’s still hope in this world. Lately, though, the only stories you see on TV or the Internet are depressing and sad. There is a lot of good out there, but the people who control the media seem hell bent on only giving you the bad stuff. The world needs a lot more random acts of kindness. It’s really not that hard – for us it was a couple of empty soda cans. How about you?

Assuming that you’ve read my blog before, you can tell that I’ve updated the look and feel of the blog. I went with a little cleaner and simpler design. I liked the old look, but for some people the gray text on a black background was a little hard on the eyes.

I do like the newer title display. It has a nice little graphic on the left edge showing the month/day the article was posted. The category name is below the title (“Miscellaneous” for this particular article) and is a hot link to that category, and the link to add a comment is now along the right edge of the title.

Additionally, there is a new “Tag Cloud” section in the right sidebar, a sample of which is shown below. It lists all the tags I used to categorize the articles I wrote. You can tell by the size of the word how often that particular tag was used. The tags themselves are hot links and will display all the articles associated with that particular tag.

Finally, you can collapse any of the sidebar lists by clicking on the little triangle on the right edge. Also, you can rearrange the lists by left-clicking and dragging the individual lists.

Anyway, I hope you like the new look. I tested the website on Windows using IE6 and IE7 and on Mac OS X using Safari and Firefox. If you have any suggestions or comments, they’re always welcome.

Once upon a time, on a farm in Virginia, there was a little red hen who scratched about the barnyard until she uncovered quite a few grains of wheat.

She called all of her Democrat neighbors together and said, ‘If we plant this wheat, we shall have bread to eat. Who will help me plant it?’

‘Not I,’ said the cow.
‘Not I,’ said the duck.
‘Not I,’ said the pig.
‘Not I,’ said the goose.

‘Then I will do it by myself,’ said the little red hen, and so she did. The wheat grew very tall and ripened into golden grain.

‘Who will help me reap my wheat?’ asked the little red hen.
‘Not I,’ said the duck.
‘Out of my classification,’ said the pig.
‘I’d lose my seniority,’ said the cow.
‘I’d lose my unemployment compensation,’ said the goose.

‘Then I will do it by myself,’ said the little red hen, and so she did.
At last it came time to bake the bread.
‘Who will help me bake the bread?’ asked the little red hen.

‘That would be overtime for me,’ said the cow.
‘I’d lose my welfare benefits,’ said the duck.
‘I’m a dropout and never learned how,’ said the pig.
‘If I’m to be the only helper, that’s discrimination,’ said the goose.

‘Then I will do it by myself,’ said the little red hen. She baked five loaves and held them up for all of her neighbors to see.
They wanted some and, in fact, demanded a share.
But the little red hen said, ‘No, I shall eat all five loaves.’

‘Excess profits!’ cried the cow. (Nancy Pelosi)
‘Capitalist leech!’ screamed the duck. (Barbara Boxer)
‘I demand equal rights!’ yelled the goose. (Jesse Jackson)
The pig just grunted in disdain. (Ted Kennedy)

And they all painted ‘Unfair!’ picket signs and marched around and around the little red hen, shouting obscenities.

Then the farmer (Obama) came. He said to the little red hen, ‘You must not be so greedy.’
‘But I earned the bread,’ said the little red hen.

‘Exactly,’ said Barack the farmer. ‘That is what makes our free enterprise system so wonderful. Anyone in the barnyard can earn as much as he wants. But under our modern government regulations, the productive workers must divide the fruits of their labor with those who are lazy and idle.’

And they all lived happily ever after, including the little red hen, who smiled and clucked, ‘I am grateful, for now I truly understand.’

But her neighbors became quite disappointed in her. She never again baked bread because she joined the ‘party’ and got her bread free. And all the Democrats smiled. ‘Fairness’ had been established.

Individual initiative had died, but nobody noticed; perhaps no one cared…so long as there was free bread that ‘the rich’ were paying for.

Back in 1988-1989 I began taking a vitamin C supplement. There was a scientist named Linus Pauling who had espoused the virtues of vitamin C in reducing the incidence and severity of colds. I did a little research on him at the library (there was no Internet back in 1988-1989!) and found out he was one of only two people to ever win two Nobel Prizes in different disciplines. Marie Curie was the other. I figured if this guy thought it was a good idea, what the heck. I’ve been pretty religious about taking 1000mg each day since then. I used to get the typical cold and sore throat a few times a year like most people. Since taking the vitamin C supplements for the past 20 years, I’ve never gotten a cold or sore throat. However, about a month ago, I decided to stop taking any supplements and see if they were really having any effect on me. This past week I was down in Florida visiting friends. One of them had a cold, and sure enough, I got it from her. I had even bragged beforehand that I never got colds. At the time, I had forgotten that I stopped taking the vitamin supplement. Only on my way back home later that week, did I remember that I was no longer taking them.

If you read all the recent literature on the efficacy of vitamin C in preventing and reducing the severity of colds, the conclusion is that no scientific study supports it. It’s hard to go against the overwhelming body of evidence that points in that direction. My unscientific study of one would not pass muster as being statistically valid. However, even if in my case it’s due to the placebo effect, I’m going to start taking the vitamin C again. Let’s see how long I can go without getting another cold. I’ll keep you posted on the results.

If you choose to believe all the newspaper headlines and stories on TV, we’re in quite a predicament. Most of the news is pretty dire and disheartening – bank failures, auto bailouts, security fraud, etc. Don’t get me wrong. People are suffering. There are definitely some problems out there in the economy and world in general, but news organizations seem preoccupied with only bringing you the worst that the world has to offer. If you just look around a little, it’s not too hard to find the good out there. With that idea in mind, I thought I’d share some of the things that I’m thankful for.

Family – consider yourself very fortunate if you have family members that you love and want to be with. There are a lot of families out there that don’t even want to be together and that is sad.

Friends – I’m not the most outgoing person in the world, so I can’t say I have a ton of friends. However, the ones that I do have, I appreciate very much.

Health – this one’s a biggy for me. If you’re in generally good health, consider yourself very lucky. There are so many people out there that would give anything to have a healthy and pain free body. With the exception of the occasional back problem, I’ve been very fortunate. Knock on wood!

House – a roof over my head and a warm bed at night.

Cheap Gas – a few months ago, people would have been happy to have $3/gallon gas. Now it’s less than $1.50/gallon. I don’t know how long it’ll last, but it sure is nice to fill up the car for less than $20.

Employment Rate – The national employment rate is over 93%. It sounds a lot better than hearing the unemployment rate rose to 6.7%, doesn’t it?

So there you have it. I’m sure if you look around, you’ll find there are many things that you can be thankful for. Have a very Merry Christmas and a super New Year.

I just came across this news item in the Star-Telegram, a newspaper in Ft. Worth, Texas. Click here to read the article. I’m not a Dallas Cowboys fan, but what their quarterback did, especially with everything he had gone through that day, was a kind and unselfish gesture and makes you feel good. I wish TV stations would carry more of these stories instead of all the political ads. Go Tony!

Like most of you, I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when the 9/11 attack occurred. For those of us old enough, there is one other event that we can probably remember as vividly – President Kennedy’s assassination. I remember exactly where I was in the hallway when the principal came on the intercom system and announced the tragedy. Few events in our recent history have had as unifying an effect on our country. Regardless of our political affiliation, religion or ethnic group, we were Americans first and foremost.

Unfortunately, as time passes, we lose that galvanizing effect. The immediacy and importance of the event fades into our past. Other events take over and the priority it once had is gone. However, in the case of 9/11, many of the things we now see as priorities, are a direct result of this event. The war on terror, our economy, oil prices, and the airline industry – almost everything today has been impacted.
So, what have we learned and what have we forgotten? Fighting terror and evil in this world is hard – and expensive. We can debate the path we’ve taken on how we’ve conducted the fight to this point. It’s easy to armchair quarterback the steps taken thus far. It’s been far from perfect and mistakes were made. However, I think the President made the most difficult decision imaginable with the best interests of the United States in mind. To think otherwise is just plain wrong. I think few of us would have thought that we would go this long without another terrorist attack on our land. The President should receive some of the credit for this success. Statements from sitting Congressman calling the President a liar or saying the war is lost are disgraceful. It borders on treasonous and is just encouragement for our enemy. Public discourse is fine and part of our rights as Americans. However, personal attacks and blatant lies should not be tolerated. To not hold those accountable for these actions is a failure on our part as American voters.

Right now, the TV is on and I’m watching Senator McCain and Senator Obama at the former World Trade Center site. It’s a powerful image showing America at its finest. Even with the hotly contested Presidential election in full swing, both parties can put aside their differences and can come together long enough to remember and honor the lives lost seven years ago.

Let’s not forget we’re Americans first and Democrats/Republicans second. Our country can’t afford to be divided at this time in our history. The stakes are too high.

Now that the Olympics are over, did we get a true glimpse of the real China or a high-priced imitation? The games sure looked impressive on TV. The opening and closing ceremonies were well choreographed and quite colorful. The “bird cage” and other athletic venues were impressive looking. The various scenic shots of the landscape, the palaces and the Great Wall were certainly a marvel to watch. But was this the real China?

Current estimates put the cost of hosting the Beijing Olympics at 40-60 billion dollars – almost 3 to 5 times the cost of any previous Olympics. Additionally, numerous factories were completely shut down and others were operating part-time. Only a month or two ago, the pollution level in Beijing was that of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington and Atlanta, combined. The photo above was taken at Tiananmen Square before the Olympics started. Tens of billions of gallons of water were diverted from outlying farm areas to provide enough water for the city to irrigate the millions of new shrubs and trees planted as well as to provide safe drinking water for the citizens, tourists and athletes. “Safe” food had to be diverted for the influx of people. It will be interesting to hear of the sacrifices that were made by many of the people in the outlying regions who didn’t have a choice in the reallocation of resources. I also wonder what the long-term economic impact will be on the areas whose resources were diverted or completely shut down during this timeframe.

To appease the International Olympic Committee, designated “protest” zones were set up around Beijing to allow legitimate protests to be heard. However, to use a protest zone, a permit had to be approved. Guess what? Not a single permit was approved and many who had filed for a permit were arrested or deported. Web access was severely restricted to any type of site that had any negative connotations in the eyes of the Chinese government. Most hotel phone systems were being monitored.

Naturally, most of these things were never mentioned during the telecasts from NBC. We wouldn’t want to upset the Chinese government, would we? Virtually all the special story segments showed how great and beautiful and harmonious it is to live in Beijing.

So, was this the real China? Looks like Chinette to me.

I’ve never been a real fan of people that wear tattoos. For the most part, it seems like an attempt to garner attention. In particular, those with a large portion of their bodies tattooed seem to scream, “Look at me!” Others seem to do it as a novelty or to be cool and hip. There is also the full range of tattoos from tasteful to totally tasteless.

Last night, I was watching a TV show on The Learning Channel (TLC) called Miami Ink. It’s a show about a tattoo parlor in Miami, Florida. The show follows the daily experiences of its tattoo artists and the customers that come in to get tattooed. I have to admit, some of the tattoos that are created are truly artistic. The quality and realism of some of them really leap off the skin. From a purely artistic point of view, some of the workers are exceptionally gifted. Their craft really shows.

What has made me change my mind concerning tattoos is listening to some of the reasons that people are giving for their decision. For some, it’s a way of memorializing a friend or loved one. For others, it’s to commemorate a significant or memorable event in their lives. Last night’s show featured a young lady who was getting a tattoo of a piece of Kryptonite with the name Ivan stenciled below it. Ivan is her brother who is severely handicapped and is probably not going to live much longer. He is a big fan of Superman and she wanted to get the tattoo to always have a little something to remember her brother by. If I had seen that tattoo on her without knowing the story behind it, I probably would have thought it was stupid. There was another person, a pastor, who got a picture of a Phoenix on his chest and arm. He had been close to dying due to a medical misdiagnosis, but has since recovered. The Phoenix was a symbol to him that he was getting another chance at life, rising from the ashes, if you will. Again, had I not known the story behind it, I would have probably thought it a foolish display.

So there you have it. Sometimes what you initially perceive about an individual may be misguided. People have many different ways of dealing with events in their lives. For some, a tattoo is a sincere expression of their love or respect for someone or something. Try and factor that in the next time you meet someone. I sure will try.

Yep. You heard it here first. I know everyone and their grandmother are predicting that oil prices will continue to rise into the stratosphere reaching 6-8 dollars per gallon in the not too distant future. There’s peak oil theory, increased use in other up-and-coming industrial nations, etc. I, however, think oil price increases are not sustainable. Look at what’s happening right now. At four dollars per gallon, people are finally starting to get the picture. It’s actually beginning to affect more than just their discretionary spending. Until now, most people just ended up saving a little less of their income each year to continue their energy-wasting lifestyle. Now, it’s hitting them to where they are actually thinking about many of their trips to the store or whether or not that trip to the beach is worth it. You can see it in the number of trucks and SUVs for sale in everyone’s front yard.

Obviously, the price of oil has increased costs of almost everything that we use. Most consumer products are made from oil; if not directly, then certainly in the plastic packaging that it comes in. Transporting the products from the manufacturer to the retail outlets is also going up. If the price of oil were to continue unabated, there would be a worldwide recession. No nation could continue its oil-based economy at those higher price levels. With a collapsing economy, sales of goods would plummet, unemployment would skyrocket and oil prices and its use would decrease accordingly.

It’s just not in the best long-term interests of either the oil producers or consumers to see the price of oil go up unchecked. The price is reaching the point where a real hard look is being made at alternative energy sources. Oil extraction from shale and tar sands is becoming feasible. Nuclear power and offshore drilling have proven themselves as a safe means of providing energy. Increasing their use at this point in time may not affect the price of oil in the short term. However, it will have an impact on our energy independence and long-term future. Politicians need to get off their collective butts and start thinking long-term.

I’m not saying that the price of oil will collapse to 2-3 dollars per gallon, although it’s not an impossibility either. I do think that we’ve reached a peak and prices will either stay level for some time to come or will slowly decrease below the four dollar mark.

Well, folks. There you have it. My prediction on oil prices. No credentials or advanced degree (or undergraduate degree, for that matter) in Economics to back this up. Just my take on the world. Of course, if there’s a major war with Iran, or some other catastrophic event in the Middle East, all bets are off. Stay tuned.