SilentRun

Dirty bomb test?

2006-12-16T12:25:00.000-09:00

The idea that the polonium poisoning in London might be something other than murder set my imagination going. It focused on questions about why anyone would use such a complex method to kill a person, and what else could a “bad guy” learn from the incident. John Dvorak’s blog entry [1] about a news report [2] speculating on the incident as a dirty bomb trial triggered some thoughts.

Why polonium? Why death by radiation?

A couple of reasons come to mind.

Radiation poisoning isn’t reversible. Once ingested, the victim dies, slowly and unpleasantly.

A tiny amount is enough.

Polonium is essentially harmless unless ingested. The poisoner isn’t at risk if careful.

The killer is well clear before symptoms are detectable.

Radiation poisoning is particularly frightening.

On the other hand:

The method is exotic enough to cause lots of questions.

It hints at state sponsorship to get sufficient polonium to be effective.

That seems inconclusive to me. Why and how one decides to use that method is obscure. So what else could it be?

Dirty bomb trial

Could this be a test? If so, what was being tested? To what benefit?

How far does this stuff spread?

Tracking is easy - the press does it for you.

Radiation danger gets reported, so the “terror effect” is easy to monitor.

How well do authorities respond to the threat?

How well do they detect traces and in what amount?

Did it work

If one were testing the effects of scattering radiation about the countryside, this becomes an effective way to answer these questions. If it also gets rid of a thorn in one’s side, all the better for the poisoning sponsor. The terrorist says to the Russian FIS, “Whom would you like to be rid of? We’ll take care of it if you provide the tools and expenses”. As a test, this seems to work. Cheap for the terrorist, since the polonium is suddenly free, with an allowance for travel. Cheap for the FIS, since they aren’t directly involved.

Are the “good guys” considering this? I should certainly hope so. Of course, they would be silly to tell us either way, but one can nudge them along with a little speculation, gently dispersed on a blog site or two.

[1]: Was London The Site Of A Dirty Bomb Trial Run?

[2]: Outside View: Dirty bomb trial run? by TATYANA SINITSYNA, UPI Outside View Commentator

Collaboration

2006-10-29T12:21:00.000-09:00

Sometimes a dirty word (WW-II, Cold War, et al.), collaboration is now taking on its more general meaning -- cooperating on a project. The internet, especially with higher speed connections, is making possible co-authoring of documents in a way that (should/could?) actually work for many people.

I was an early user of Writely, now known as Google Documents and Spreadsheets. I've followed changes in the transition to Google, and I was recently reminded that this transition is mostly complete when the kid (sorry guy, I really do know your age) mentioned it.

Alas, I found that even my geeky kids rejected collaborative editing as too geeky for real people. My real need, for 75 musicians to participate, seems far out of reach. Which introduces a side issue: why don't people write (or even read) any more? I don't even mean "write well". Just write anything beyond a quick and dirty email.

Just whinging. Sure would be nice if people could catch on, though.

... or get off the pot

2006-09-05T12:46:00.000-08:00

"... we ought to devote every ounce of our energy and will to preventing future attacks on our shores, and also going after the terrorist network."
-- Tony Snow, the White House spokesman, quoted in the New York Times, Tuesday, September 5, 2006

OK, then why are we not doing just that? Why are we playing games with NSA, with the size and structure of the military, with civil liberties? If this is, in fact, our absolute highest priority, then should we not publicly and openly say that sacrifices are necessary from all Americans including our governing officials. If we need to open access for NSA to communications, the let Congress say so. If we need 300,000 troops in Iraq to decisively conclude this foreign adventure, then authorize it, raise and commit the forces, and GET IT DONE.

It seems to me that we have been taking halfway measures. We invaded Iraq on the cheap with insufficient forces to control the population until security was established. We left Afghanistan partly in control. Our government has been blustering about "you must, or else" when we seem to have no effective "else" in hand. One consequence has been to bleed our troops without accomplishing the mission while glad-handing the public with self-congratulations.

I am very jealous of our civil liberties and of our constitution. I don't want to see protections suspended. But if that's what it takes to get our people out of a part of the world where I don't think we should be, then let us openly take those actions, endure the pain, and then reinstate our protections when it is safer to ride a train, fly on a plane, or walk down a street. Stop throwing away lives for an ideological dream of a lean, super-tech army. Do the job right. Now.

Opportunity knocks?

2006-08-24T21:08:00.000-08:00

I watched NPR news this evening, something I have about given up. There have been two big stories around lately, which came together in my mind. One is the war in Lebanon, where Hezbollah and Israel duked it out to the sound of screaming jets and falling rockets. After the big cease fire -- or pause fire -- Hezbollah has made a lot of promises of aid and reconstruction. The bombs had hardly stopped falling when they were assessing damage and offering to provide living space and to rebuild destroyed living spaces. It is certainly an attractive offer if you've just had your roof blown off and are camping in the street or the shelter. On the other side of the border, Israel is proposing to spend $2 billion to rebuild and repair damage from the Katusha rockets dropped into Israel by the Hezbollah fighters. No one has seen anything rebuilt yet, but it is only days since the fighting stopped.

The other big story is about hurricane Katrina, which did much the same kind of damage to the south central US as did the war in the middle east. In American, the government also has promised rapid repair and reconstruction with plentiful aid. The difference is that a year has passed. Judging by the interviews and pictures tonight, much of New Orleans is still in ruins with no water, no electricity, no sewer, and no drains. People have not returned since there is little to which they can go. Houses are in ruins. There are some of what are now called FEMA-trailers, but where and how many, I don't know. Progress is slow.

So what if ...

Can you imagine the consternation if Hezbollah makes an offer to the city of New Orleans and the Louisiana state government to rebuild the city? What if they guaranteed a year's rent and a rebuilt house or apartment to city residents? What if they brought in construction people and actually delivered on those promises? What if they thumbed their noses at FEMA? Would it be cheaper than fighting another war? Would people be grateful enough to switch allegiance from our present leaders to those who, perhaps correctly, have been deemed terrorists?

Hey. Bad guys. Wanna buy a white hat? Cheap?

Satisfaction

2006-07-31T12:12:00.000-08:00

The Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival (FSAF) for 2006 ended this past weekend. My playing participation ended last Friday with a performance of the wind ensemble, a group of 35 wind and percussion players. We had 25 minutes to show off six pieces after 10 days of rehearsal. This was one of the most satisfying musical experiences I've had in years!

As a card carrying introspective, it occurs to me to wonder what made it so satisfying. A quick review of my mental archives yields a few possibilities.

A good mix of people: We had musicians from around the country and from Fairbanks, some "civilians" from Fairbanks and other locations who are not affiliated with a professional music group, members of the 9th Army Band from Ft. Wainright, and our members of the FSAF faculty who are professional musicians of one stripe or another. Our leader is a professional from Indiana who retired from the LA freelance/studio scene to pursue other interests along with his music. We worked well together as a unified group.

How we rehearsed: Adjustments to the music spent little time on learning notes. It took only one suggestion to change something about how we played. Pitch was rarely an issue. We put a piece together and it "just worked", meaning we had time to attend to musicality. We spent a LOT of time on musicality, changing minute details in pursuit of wringing maximum interest from the written music.

How we performed: United seems to sum it up. Nobody wasted time on who said or did what. We adapted, learned, and played together. As a result, the music came out whole -- no fragmented bits that sounded good (or bad), no lines that stuck out or disappeared under other parts. Dynamics were a matter of adjusting the blend for the best sound.

The product: We produced music I would pay to hear.

What I learned: It seems I value teamwork where the whole group shares a common goal, is skilled at what we do, sets aside the ego present in all of us, and pays attention to getting things really right, even in the finest details. When that all comes together, the result is eminently satisfying for me. I come away with a glow that lasts well beyond the moment. I also come away with the feeling that those attributes apply well beyond the immediacy of my recent experience in subject areas far removed from playing trombone on a concert stage. Thanks to my colleagues, our leadership, and the setting which provides this opportunity every summer in Fairbanks, I have had a lasting and positive experience to keep me warm next winter.

Festival

2006-07-16T21:11:00.000-08:00

Busy times. Peter showed up a few days before festival. We did lots of running around to get things organized before next Monday. He is leading the brass choir and the wind symphony this year. No orchestra, which means he is free in the evenings. Me too. I'm playing in both of those, taking a jazz class, and a class in steel drums. Fun times in the city with a lot of old friends. Tonight we went to dinner for Glen's birthday. That's Glen the tuba/viola. Mostly guest faculty there, but all friends -- well, except for the string players, but what can I say. Joan says I was gregarious, engaged, active. Amazing what happens when I get with friends.

Advantages

2006-07-10T19:51:00.000-08:00

There are advantages to aging in Alaska.

I received my property tax bill for next year while I was on vacation. It seems I owe $22 or so, but I can pay in two installments if I choose. The state and the borough both offer waivers for a portion of the property tax for people 65 and over. I missed it last year by nine days. One must be suitably aged on January 1 to qualify. This year, there was no question. I am definitely older than a year ago.

Alaska has several nice little perks like this. I think the idea is that people of all ages are needed to generate diversity of experience and viewpoint. Since there is a tendency for some to abandon their northern homes and escape to the (expletives deleted) climes of southern Arizona when the winters become hard, the governments offer incentives to keep us here. I don't mind that at all.

Supply and Demand

2006-04-26T19:27:00.000-08:00

I hear it all the time. Market price is governed by supply and demand. Nerds are in short supply so they are expensive. Make more nerds, supply goes up, price comes down. Nerds are two for a dollar. Convert a pocket full of nerds to Republican drones and they become scarce. Price automagically goes up.

Or does it?

Does constant or even increasing demand for nerds cause the price of a nerd to go up? Or does it permit those who have nerds in hand to decide to raise the price? Are those two things synonymous? Does demand cause price to rise or does it permit price to rise?

Yes, I understand about the fiduciary responsibility which which is cited by the producers of nerds to force them to maximize the return on investment to owners of the nerd factory. But is there no constraint on that responsibility? Can prices rise until demand elasticity sets in and people choose suits and long neckties over T-shirts and pocket protectors?

Dump the nerds and replace them with oil/gasoline. Are fuel producers free to exploit unbounded price inflation? Or is there some point where one should say that a limit has been reached. Can further profits be excessive and harmful to the overall economy, leading to economic collapse and huge losses for the producers?

I don't know. I quit producing nerds and my family sold their part of southeast Texas without finding oil. Now I make notes (in the key of your choice), but have no answers. Are there readers out there who have something to say?

Akakie

Who ya gonna call?

2005-11-17T15:28:00.000-09:00

Begin rant

If words weigh a milligram each, there surely have been metric tons of them dumped on and around Sony BMG by now over their misbegotten effort to manage our music at any cost. Maybe they will find out that "any cost" is more than even they can afford. But I doubt it. If I had infected millions of computers around the world with spyware, I would be up to my ears in FBI agents. Sony may get away unscathed.

There have been a few more tons heaped on the anti-virus vendors like Macafee and Symantec and on Microsoft's anti-spyware tool, since it took them a year to admit there was something wrong and longer to address the issue. Did they sell out to Sony? Want to place bets?

This means something more to me, though. It means that "trust but verify" isn't enough. My world has devolved simply to don't trust. From Enron to Sony, we can't trust the vendors. We can't rely on the security firms we hire to protect us. We can't trust our government not to lie to us or to keep their hands out of our pockets. Some of it is obvious. I watch discussions on current issues in wonder that two people can loudly proclaim opposite interpretations of what seemed simple observations. But much of the funny dealing is hidden behind National Security Letters and the FISA court.

I look at the Medicare drug benefit our congress and our president have offered us. They tout choice; let the individual decide. But the choices run into the hundreds, the web sites they offer as help don't work. Phone calls to advocacy organizations are answered by a machine and no call back happens. The formularies reject all meds a person takes. Whole classes of drugs are excluded despite the law that says they must not do that. I have degrees in math and business administration, but I find it all hopelessly confusing, obscure, and often self-contradictory. How could the generic wheelchair bound innocent cope with this stuff.

In a world where we are inundated with information, finding any that is trustworthy is getting harder and harder.

End of rant

Politics unusual

2005-11-05T13:54:00.000-09:00

I find the stuff going on in Washington (and Juneau) to be scary. Maybe I scare easily, but I'm old enough to remember scary times and not want to see the signs in my own country. There is all this talk of a cabal (Cheny and Rumsfeld) manipulating the administration and the president. We seem to have secret police who kidnap folks and spirit them away to places where they can be tortured in secret prisons. The senate wants to establish rules for interrogation which exclude torture, but Cheny speaks for an exemption for the CIA. Cheney's lieutenant is indicted on multiple counts of illicit activity. We are in a war of questionable virtue and which may well be unwinable. A former presidential candidate is demanding we bring home 20,000 troops by Christmas, regardless of the military merit in the non-plan.

Bush says he is in charge and on top of everything, but I'm not alone in doubting that he is really in control. The premise that he is the not very bright figurehead fronting for some shadowy group is no longer far fetched.

Now we uncover signs that our government has been misleading us into war at least as far back as Viet Nam. Confidence in the president is down below 40% and still dropping. He is met by riots and challenges in South America. His second supreme court nominee was a bad joke and the new one seems to want to make law from the bench. Defenders of Bush simply say everything is fine and bluff their way onward.

I don't think everything is fine and my confidence in our government is at an all time low. Has anyone else noticed?

Shy and retiring

2005-11-02T12:50:00.000-09:00

Make that retired. I retired from the rat race some years ago, a bit early, but it was necessary. (Why is another story for another day.) So of course I spend my time here on the beach, Margarita pitcher at my side, faithful dog chasing gulls or sneaking sips, and admiring the wandering wonders that pass my chair.

Oh. That was in my last novel. Never mind.

So what I am really doing is hitting rehearsals for three hours a night with the first performance of Bye Bye Birdie two days away. Maybe we will get through the whole thing tonight.

It's really fun to work with a house full of amateur singers, dancers, actors, stage handlers, managers, and musicians like me. In theory we all build our parts individually, then bring them together in ten days or so of rehearsal with cast and orchestra. In practice, that really seems to happen, but it's a little hard on the nerves when the cast is reblocking with two days to go. Or when we add a piece -- same schedule. Fortunately, Fairbanks is well endowed with musicians and artists who are capable of pulling this off, amazingly so for a town in this location and of this size. These things are always a hassle, so much so that I swear off after every one. I seem to swear back on each fall. Too old to learn, I guess, and I enjoy the challenge. After all, what else is retirement for?

Tomorrow night is the goes-on-forever til done final dress rehearsal. One show Friday, two on Sunday. Then a similar schedule next weekend and we've done it again. Fun -- at least in retrospect. Beats practicing scales.

Bones

Collaborative writing applied

2005-11-02T12:38:00.000-09:00

A new experiment takes shape. I want to develop some sense of who my distant relatives are. Distant, in my case means 350, 1,500, or 3,500 miles away. None of this down the block messing around for us. So I have remote grandchildren. I've been inviting them to visit, one a year. (Remember that I don't live at the end of the earth without a reason.) The latest invitee is from the east coast of America, hasn't been to Alaska, doesn't go camping, and doesn't expect to find moose in the back yard in the morning.

Trying to pry out of a youngster a clue to what interests them is always difficult. When that youngster lives far away, doesn't send letters or email, and is one of those mysterious girl-things, about which I know nothing, it gets downright scary. So in my true geekish spirit, I put up a Writely collaborative writing board, seeded it with words about next summer's trip, and invited the young lady, her parents, and her grandparents to, well, collaborate in planning a trip.

Now if I can just keep my finger off the keyboard long enough to let someone else make a change, maybe good things will occur.

Waiting to see,
Long lost Lewy

Words about words

2005-09-09T09:41:00.000-08:00

Complaining about grammar and language is a lot like seeking relief while facing into the wind. One often gets covered in feedback. Nevertheless ...

The word "your" is a possessive adjective. It attaches something to an owner, as in "Your trousers are all wet."

The word "you're" is a contraction of "you are" as in "You're all wet."

To tell the difference, try replacing the word with "you are". If it makes sense, use the contraction or, better yet, don't and spell it out.

Surely after 12 years of public school and some years of college, many people should be able to grasp the distinction.

Entitilitis

2005-09-06T10:33:00.000-08:00

A great new word. Used in a sentence, "your boss's kid has entitilitis, so the morning meeting (that you'd spent all night preparing for) has been bumped back to 2:00 pm".

Found in Merlin Mann's blog 43 Folders.

Quick trip

2005-07-06T22:08:00.000-08:00

Another little camping trip came my way. With granddaughter in tow, Joan and I headed out to the Rosehip Campground located at mile 27 of Chena Hot Springs Road. For the geobloggers, we stayed at site 5, N64 52,559', W146 45.941', altitude 774 feet. It's a pretty site, right next to the river, which we could hear but not see from the tent. The Chena is pretty full from all the rain and thunder storms we have had. We managed to duck the storms until the second day, when one came through Chena Hot Springs Resort while we were in the hot tub there.

These storms that have been charging through are really something. It doesn't just rain. We get the lashing and slashing rain more like what I experienced in Kansas, many years ago. I haven't been counting, but it certainly seems like there have been more storms this year than I've seen before. I've heard reports that Anchorage has had more than ever as well. Although Kansas could produce some whoppers, including those with destructive tails, these are competitive. I've even heard reports of funnels over Fairbank, although none touched down.

Why?

2005-06-29T15:51:00.000-08:00

Why, indeed, am I sitting here in a camp chair, gazing at a wood fire, with rain coming down on the tarp I cleverly put up last night, when I could be home, with all the associated comforts, including a roof? There must be a reason other than that Joan unexpectedly likes doing this stuff.

Requires a bit of thought. I begin with a few stray ideas:

We are miles from home and the cares that go with it. No lawn to mow, garden to tend, carpet to vacuum, dish washer loads to deal with. No phone. No internet. We have only the cares that we choose to bring with us. Decisions, responsibility, duty, these are not banished, but suspended. We have lots of time to visit together, a thirty-plus year habit that I don't want to cure, and with some effort, we can avoid stressful topics. A major factor.

Yes, there are inconveniences here. Coffee making is not automatic. Dishes are hand washed, but there are few of them. I have to stand up in the morning, starting inside a low tent, crawling out, then getting to my feet, which has become a chore in the last year. It is quiet, except for the rushing-water sound of the river. It is quiet at home, too, except for the airplanes above, and the air boats on the river below, but it is generally quiet. I hear more neighbors here than at home. The cars and four-wheelers are closer here, so noisier. The view here is tall spruce trees, while at home there are mountains, a big river, and even spruce, birch and aspen trees. In all, I'm no more uncomfortable here than the condition of the body allows. Inconclusive.

Since I left my shoes at home (I'm wearing sandals), hiking is out this time. Usually, hikes are fun and a positive part of a trip. We still walk to the river and around the camp ground, but no treks this time. Shoes are definitely on the checklist now. I still have my toys, those that I want to use. I have music if I want to play it. I have both electronic and paper things to read. No TV and no news! I didn't leave ALL the goodies at home, but I left the ones that bring in stress. This is positive.

Do I "commune with nature"? Not any more than usual, I think. Home is surrounded by the stuff, after all. Even the moose come around home occasionally, although the porcupine, all grey and yellow and bristly, was cool to see. I don't think nature is much of a factor either way, but it's a small positive.

I don't think I'm done with this track.

Office in the woods

2005-06-28T17:06:00.000-08:00

Porta-tech. I'm in a folding chair in Brushkana crampground, 31 miles east of Cantwell, Alaska at N63 17.475, W148 03.794, elevation 2,537 ft, accuracy 19 feet, according to 8 satellites and my etrex Legend GPS. I think its all magic, but I appreciate the magicians all the same.

We put up our medium tech tent, tossed in the mats and sleeping bags and our travel pillows, and will be turning in shortly. No, this is definitely NOT roughing it, despite the location. We are in a BLM crampground, complete with picnic table and fire pit. I'm sitting under a nylon tarp I put up to fend off the rain, should it manage to climb over the Alaska Range just to our north. When we drove down this afternoon it was raining briskly north of the range. But we are just a few miles from the tallest peaks in north America. Weather on one side is not very related to weather on the other. Rain up north? Go through the pass and you'll be dry. I'm constantly amazed at this place.

We think occasionally of buying a pop-up trailer which we can tow behind our car. It would be nice for places like this, where the neighbors are far enough away that we don't hear or see them. When we checked in with the host, we did get warned that mama-moose had two young-uns this year and she is hanging around the crampground. There is also a bird about five feet away, checking for dinner leftovers. Dogster doesn't let that happen (leftovers), of course, but bird doesn't know that.

I don't know about the trailer, though. It would be easier than crawling around on the ground to get into the tent. Also easier to stand up in the morning, which is getting ever harder. I just hate to go with more stuff than we already drag along. So we are still thinking about it, but the idea hasn't gone away.

Another evening at the lake

2005-06-20T22:26:00.000-08:00

I went to the lake this evening -- Swan Lake, that is, at the Kennedy Center, with the American Ballet Company. In fifty years of playing trombone, some of it for ballet, I had never seen a full performance of the Tchaikovsky's first ballet. Such performances really don't come to Fairbanks and rarely to Alaska. Given the costs involved, they don't get to much of America beyond a few big cities. I am grateful for the opportunity to see and hear such art, brought to Fairbanks by that nemesis of Congress and the radical Republican right, public broadcasting. It seems a pity to me that our modern culture has so little interest in the arts that ballet, orchestra, and (even) opera are always struggling for funds, but I have been pleased that the arts, in depth presentation of current events, and entertainment beyond unreality programming have been supported by our state and federal government. That seems a valid use of pooled funding to support complexity beyond the comprehension of a public so wrapped in instant gratification.

That our congress and our state legislature are hot to cut out all funds for these projects because they present views that do not agree with the legislators really PISSES ME OFF! I will vote that viewpoint at the ballot box as I do with my annual support for public radio and television, but I am afraid, in this era of one party politics, that the radicals will push through their censorship agenda before Americans wake up to what is happening.

Enough for now.

Firsts

2005-06-19T14:07:00.000-08:00

[Typical "what I did last summer". Nothing deep here except the lake.]

First time out for cramping this summer; first time with theDawg ever. Just an overnight, but a good dry run (humor) for later and longer junkets. We three filled the car with assorted stuff and headed out Friday, with a stop at the Alaska Club North for a warm up hot tubbing and shower, going east toward Chena Hot Springs and the Alaska State Recreation Area. After a bout with 237,419 mosquitos, carefully counted, at one of the sites, we settled in at Red Squirrel crampground, where the only open space was just that -- a very open space. Luck found us a way to a more accomodating site, though, when the picnic group broke up in the afternoon and freed a crampsite/pavillion by the lake. I pounced on it and we were off by the woods.

Judging by the sky, this was an astute choice of site. I cleverly put up the tent on the concrete slab under the pavillion roof and we settled in for a relaxing evening. Lily (theDawg) demonstrated her Labrador Retriever side with a swim and a bit of stick fetching from the lake while the German Shepherd side investigated every possible square centimeter of the whole site. Nice combination, that. I didn't know she liked to swim! I DID know she likes to remove water from her coat with a vigorous shake and stood well back on her exit from the water. She was almost dry when we put her to bed for the evening in the car and slipped into the tent, sans pillows. I did say dry run.

Of course, as is customary with our camping, it didn't stay dry. The rain started at 11:00 pm, countinued through the night, and is still at it Sunday afternoon. Rain on the lake was pretty, though, even at midnight. (Alaska summer, you know.) Maybe cramping on a pad under a roof is cheating, but it kept us dry all night and through breakfast. Hot tub and shower on the way home. All in all, a good shakedown cruise in preparation for next week's adventure. No pictures, though. Maybe next time.

Where's Toto?

2005-06-11T20:54:00.000-08:00

On the Fairbanks Evening News today there were reports that people called in last night after the thunderstorm, saying they had seen funnel clouds over Fairbanks. This was reported as "rare". Well, drat. I used to enjoy chasing tornatos in Kansas, at least until I caught one. Are we in Kansas, Toto?

Pondering Il Duce

2005-06-01T19:00:00.000-08:00

This impending debate over calling someone a fascist, which has yet to get underway for want of an agreed upon definition, has led me to writings about the practices of Benito Mussolini, and those who followed after him. In attempting to define just what fascism is, I have come across some uncomfortable observations.

I'm not one who likes to throw around labels like fascist, communist, running dog wierdo, or even that most negative of slanderous terms, compassionate conservative. Part of my objection is that in most cases, the terms are without widely held understanding of their definitions. Nevertheless, in the proper circumstances, labels are useful, even essential. People recognize other people, places, things, ideas by comparing them with their own experiences and by categorizing what they see into similar groups. (Yes, Virginia, I can document that.) Translated into everyday terms, if it walks, talks, eats, defecates, and otherwise behaves like a duck, one may as well treat is as a duck, regardless of DNA.

That's why it troubles me to see these little bits of willow fluff piling up like calories at a party. "The White House and eager Republicans", says the NY Times, are attempting to extend the Patriot Act. That, in itself, isn't necessarily bad. Some of that act is useful and valid. It didn't invent secret courts, for example; they had been around a long time. But the enhancers are meeting in secret. It seems that a lot of our legislative actions are happening in secret at both the federal and state levels. I understand the security issues. But there are ways to desensitize that information.

I dislike secret government. I dislike one sided arrangements, where the minority isn't even consulted. I don't care which side practices government in hiding; I dislike it either way.

I'm just getting started. Maybe I'll calm down. Maybe I'll continue. We'll see.

Besotted

2005-05-30T13:41:00.000-08:00

The grandma came to visit today, spending the morning with Joan potting flowers on the back deck, visiting with the neighbors, apparently having a good time. We came in for lunch and sat about, cooling from the sun. She was offered a glass of chilled wine and, heavens to mercy, downed the whole thing, and a second glass to boot. Now she claims to be tipsy and has captured the rest of the bottle to take home. Don't tell anyone. It's a secret.

Feelin' good

2005-05-27T17:21:00.000-08:00

Sometimes one gets to feel really good about doing something simple. Sometimes I find that I can do things that cost me nothing but a little time or that I even enjoy and offer a benefit to another. It's the old win-win stuff. Last night I got to do it again. Same old thing for me -- I do it every year -- and every year it feels good.

Fairbanks is a small town, but we have several public school programs for young people who, for one reason or another, don't make it through high school. A lot of them complete the GED and graduate. They have a graduation exercise and, thanks to a group to which I belong, get the whole experience, complete with the graduation processional, complete with Pomp and Circumstance. Our Community Band performs a pre-graduation concert of about 30 minutes, then plays the processional and the national anthem.

Yes, one can graduate without the music, but to have a live group doing the honors seems to add a lot to the event. It adds a lot to me as well. This wasn't the most dignified of ceremonies; some of the graduates were scampering to catch up with the line, but it represented the end of what for some was a major struggle. I got to add my little bit to make it memorable. I like that.

Neoconomy

2005-05-25T12:44:00.000-08:00

Daniel Altman provided me a readable, coherent explanation of the George W. Bush moves on economic policy. I've seen a lot of loosely constructed explanations, but nothing which established a basis for what seemed like an incoherent mess of tax cuts and massive spending. Where Democrats were labeled "tax and spend", Republicans seemed to favor "don't tax and spend". At least now I have some clue behind what these obviously intelligent people were trying to accomplish.

Mr. Altman clearly has reservations about the neoconomy, which may put off Libertarians and Republican True Believers, but his views should not be dismissed without supporting evidence. He has documented his sources well, especially when he used readily available (via internet) publications of government.

I recommend the book and would like to hear comments from my many readers (yes, both of you), should you chance upon it.

Bibliographic information


Title                 Neoconomy
Author(s)             Daniel Altman
Publisher             Public Affairs
Publication Date      August 1, 2004
Subject               Politics / Current Events
Format                Hardcover
Pages                 290
Dimensions            5.84 x 8.48 x 1.10 in
ISBN                  1586482297

Local caches

2005-05-13T19:20:00.000-08:00

N 64° 50.741 W 147° 43.378 (probably News Miner)
N 64° 51.216 W 147° 43.955 (bridge to nowhere - has state quarters?)
N 64° 51.247 W 147° 41.041 (at Boston's Pizza?)

Zanshin: The Remaining Mind

2005-05-12T10:35:00.000-08:00

From a post by Merlin Mann in 43Folders
* Trackback for links
* Posted on: Thu, May 12 2005 2:45 AM

Zanshin means “the remaining mind” and also “the mind with no remainder.” This is the mind of complete action. It is the moment in kyudo (Zen archery) after releasing the arrow. This is “Om makurasai sowaka” in oryoki practice and drinking the rinse water. In shodo, it is finishing the brush stroke and the hand and brush moving smoothly off the paper. In taking a step, it is the weight rolling smoothly and the next step arising. In breathing in completely, it is this breath. In breathing out completely, it is this breath. In life, it is this life. Zanshin means complete follow through, leaving no trace. It means each thing, completely, as it is.

When body, breath, speech and mind are broken from each other and scattered in concept and strategy, then no true action can reveal itself. There is only hesitation, or trying to push oneself past hesitation. This is the mind of hope and fear, which arises because one is trying to live in some other moment, instead of in the moment that arises now. One is comparing, planning, or trying to maintain an illusion of control in the midst of a reality which is completely beyond control.

A change in the wind

2005-05-08T21:48:00.000-08:00

Apple's OS X 10.4 Tiger brings with it a fairly simple concept that I predict will make a significant change in how I use my computer for information retrieval. Apple introduced Spotlight, their name for a local search tool which indexes the content of files and folders for very quick location and retrieval. They did a nice job of it, although I till expect refinements to Spotlight. Some of the nice parts are good integration with the rest of the OS, a simple interface, and the ability to save searches as active folders. There are still some glitches to work out, but that will happen.

The implications are just now beginning to sink in as I play with it. For example, I have problems sometimes remembering where I put stuff. Not just computer files; real stuff. Like the summer quilt for the bed. We've been breaking heat records lately and it became time to put away the winter comforter for something lighter. Neither of us could remember where Joan put the comforter; it wasn't where she expected to find it. We looked for a couple of days before it turned up in the drawer of a chest, a very reasonable place, once we thought of it. This happens often with stuff that gets used once or twice a year. So what if I make a text file stored anywhere on this computer. In it I put a line of key words: where is, locate, find, look for ... whatever is likely to be a part of finding something. Then I add a line of text: comforter is in drawer in west bedroom chest. Presumably, I can then type in the Spotlight search field: find comforter and get back the answer I want.

Another example. When I get an email or web notice confirming a purchase, a delivery, or some other kind of receipt, I print it as a pdf file, an OS print option, and store it in a folder of receipts. I can then ask for receipts in the last month, for example, with a query such as "kind:pdf date:last month" and get back a list. If I add a word about the topic, I'll get the file itself. I don't have to organize this stuff in detail or add a bunch of key words, although there is a tool for that as well. It's all found for me regardless of where I put it. Combine that with smart folders, a tool called Automator, and Spotlight provides really simple information retrieval without having to write code. THAT will change computing where it matters, in the hands that touch the keyboard. Major change, cleanly done.

Cool.

The Wall

2005-05-04T21:01:00.000-08:00

After our brass concert Tuesday night, I went with a group of young musicians to the pub on campus. This was the last concert of the spring season for all of us, making it a good time for a bit of levity and a pint or two of a good porter. We arrived to a wall of sound coming from an equally impressive wall of speakers, all managed by a DJ. The only live musicians were looking for a table. We had to arrange where to sit by hand signals, since none of us could hear a thing except for the Latin din.

My impression is simply that I saw little purpose in going there with friends. There was no way to communicate except by touch or gesture and my touchable is 350 miles to the south. The others grumbled a bit, but managed to communicate at least enough to hit the dance floor, in itself somewhat humorous when the two gals dragged the (very good looking) gay guy out to dance. Clearly, though, I'm not in the target audience for the DJ. Not only am I un-thrilled with DJ's replacing live bands but I just don't get the point of the mind numbing roar. It could have been fun with about a 180-degree turn of the gain control. As it was, however, we were all isolated by the musical cannonade; each person left to what thoughts could survive.

I will say that after swapping tastes of the brews, most wound up drinking what I had ordered. That was flattering, which felt good, but the environment was beyond me. Anybody care to explain to me what I'm missing?

PostSecret

2005-05-03T12:12:00.000-08:00

PostSecret

Aaron said:

It's been mentioned on Boing Boing and NPR already. I think it's fascinating.

Lewy said:

Oof! Wow! ... and I agree. Thanks, Aaron.

Red Rock Canyon

2005-04-24T21:30:00.000-08:00

When I got back from our vacation in Las Vegas, I actually managed to post some photos on line. I set them up as an open pool under my administration. Lo and behold, another person, with my permission, has added to the pool. The collection is now up to 22 photos. You can see it here.

This shared stuff is kind of nice. Try viewing it as a slide show (upper right corner).

The Story of O(uch)

2005-04-24T21:04:00.000-08:00

Some kid I know claims it was a bar fight, but that's not really the way it happened. I really was on my way into the little white church by the river — OK, for a rehearsal with my trombone — when I slipped on ice and went down hard. I admit to chatting with friends instead of watching where I was going. They were nice enough to get me back on my feet and even retrieved my hat and horn bag. Things didn't really start to hurt until I was moving.

Twenty minutes later I had called my favorite bear and asked for ice and a bandage. Bless her heart, she brought them and I finished the rehearsal with my left wrist wrapped. Then she took me to the ER.

There I met the new digital x-ray machine up close. The ER doc announced no break and "gave" me a splint for the wrist. It's very hard to play the trombone with one's left wrist encased in armor, but I got through the performance on Sunday. Much swelling and a fair amount of pain, but at least it wasn't broken. Except ...

After the doc came the radiologist, who found the break in the triquetral bone, shown here. Alas, the hospital notified me by letter, so I went nine days before I found out. Ugh.

Follow up with my doc. More x-rays. A different splint.

The next day, phone call. Wrong splint. A consultation with the orthopedist saying cast and my guy saying mobility led to a custom made plastic splint which seems to meet both needs. The process of making the splint was fascinating, but must await another day to tell.

I don't think these guys get the message that these things cost money and that insurance companies stop paying after a while. That leaves me with two splints in the bank and one on the wrist, 24/7 for month. With summer on the way. And mosquitos.

Sillliness

2005-04-07T12:57:00.000-08:00

If I write about it, maybe the annoyance will go away.

Fairest of the fair took my mother to the hospital this morning for a scheduled test at 7:00 am. At 8:15, I went by to pick her up, asking at the information desk for directions to where that test was conducted. The path led to the second floor, where a fellow poring over an EKG said, "No, not here. Try radiology down stairs", with directions. Nice, helpful guy. At radiology I provided her name, the name of the test, said I was there to pick her up, and asked for information about her location. I was told, "I can't release any information. Wait in that room."

Uh, OK, and I waited. Then I waited. Eventually my cell phone rang. Bad reception, but it could only be one source. I called back and found out where my mother was REALLY waiting -- and had been for 30 minutes before I got there. We were in different waiting rooms, different departments, 100 yards apart, and probably would be there still if not for the chance call.

Yes, I understand about HIPAA regulations, privacy concerns, and the overpowering need for secrecy in today's world, but isn't there some limit on how stupidly that can be carried out? Must people be so overwhelmed with fear of lawsuits, fear of regulations, and near total lack of reason that they can't find a way to convey that the test is down the hall, or to find out where the patient is?

Are we really all afraid, or are we just too bored or too self-centered to do a reasonable job of interacting with the public?

Do you suppose the annoyance will go away, or must I write to the hospital, providing the daily amusement for administration?

Bah. Humbug!

Break time

2005-04-04T19:18:00.000-08:00

Concert week, day one. I'm on break between two sessions. Rehearsals today on the tenor trombone, and a workout it was. Eight or so bones in a room, half the time with a trap set in the middle. Looks like we are playing some AC/DC (Back in Black), a funk rock thing, and a bossa nova/swing version of Fly Me to the Moon. Believe it or not, that's for next Sunday.

Between now and then the Brass Choir is playing in a recital as accompaniment to a trumpet concerto, Jojoe is playing a bass trombone recital, the community band is rehearsing for a later concert, there is a master class (Friday) and another rehearsal. Plus a lesson and a couple of classes. Retirement is soooo nice. Just lie back and enjoy the ... snowfall.

Diogenes, where are you?

2005-03-12T10:28:00.000-09:00

The following is from a letter to a youthful enthusiast:

You asked if I had read any of Lyndon LaRouche. Yes, I have, or at least I've tried. I find his writing to be fairly obscure, written, I suppose, for an insider-group to whom his jargon is well known. He seems to me to lose focus, to go on too long, and not to know when to stop after a point is made. He could be right or wrong, but I find him unconvincing because he is not concise in his arguments.

I think he suffers from a problem described by Nicholas Kristoff (who was writing about something unrelated in the NY Times). He said (liberally emended), "The fundamental problem, as I see it, is that [some] groups are too often alarmists. [For whatever reason,] they've lost credibility with the public. Some do great work, but others can be the [left on the fringes -- right, left, or otherwise]: brimming with moral clarity and ideological zeal, but empty of nuance."

I put Bush, LaRouche, religious fundamentalists (Baptists, Muslims, Catholics, whatever), the Sierra Club, OPEC (maybe), and too many others into this class. They lack credibility with me because they are so totally sure that their way is THE way that they don't hear or see other sides as having any merit. In my world view, even the "bad guys" have a point, however obscure it may be. To deal with them in whatever fashion, one must be aware of their self-justified motives.

What do you think?

Spring?

2005-03-07T13:04:00.000-09:00

Nah, too soon. The tripod only went up this week. (For the uninitiated, that refers to the Nenana Ice Classic, an annual lottery for when the ice goes out on the Tanana River at Nenana, AK. They don't even start selling tickets until April 5. The (liquid) water dripping from my roof and pooling on the roads just can't be serious. That isn't to say I haven't seen grass -- green grass, even -- in March, but there is still a lot of snow out there.

All that said, it is beautiful outside today. A day to share with the world. Bright sun, blue sky, warm enough that just a sweater is plenty. It's great. Not earth shaking, just great.

Show, not tell

2005-03-01T11:14:00.000-09:00

The fundamental principle in many writing classes is to show what is happening in your story by having characters speak and act, not to narrate events. This has often seemed to me to be a good model for daily living. Don't rely on telling people what to do. Show them what you mean by your own actions. Be a role model. Lead instead of push.

Unfortunately, the American government today doesn't seem to have caught this message. As reported in the New York Times, the State Department has detailed an array of human rights abuses last year by the Iraqi government in the department's annual report on human rights. [Link]. The report cited "reports of arbitrary deprivation of life, torture, impunity, poor prison conditions - particularly in pretrial detention facilities - and arbitrary arrest and detention," but did not mention abuses at Abu Ghraib.

Is this the same American government of which we hear charges of abuse in Abu Ghraib, about detention without legal recourse in questionable conditions at Guantanamo Bay, about seemingly arbitrary arrests of people on suspicion of terrorism, and the remarkable practice of extraordinary rendition?

Before I am written off as a bleeding heart liberal Bush basher, let me slip in the idea that my concern is with fundamental principles of our government and of future treatment of our troops in the field. I understand that it is much harder to stay within the law when the other guy doesn't bother. It is difficult to have open trials while protecting your agents. And it is enormously frustrating to be convinced that another is a threat and evil to boot, but not to be able to do anything about him (or her) because of legal restraints.

And yet, if we do not follow "the rules", it becomes that much more difficult to demand that the other guys do so. Were I the other guy, I would laugh at the posturing of a government that demands a nuclear free condition for me while building a new generation of nuclear weapons. I would say to America, "Show, don't tell" me what to do.

Predictable surprises?

2005-02-25T19:34:00.000-09:00

Here is an interesting concept which I read about in a comment in the blog of Bruce Schneier. I can think of many applications for the principle.

Why are we predisposed to wait for a major disaster before we start regulating? "Predictable Surprises" by Bazerman and Watkins, 2004, have a pretty good answer. They claim the following general characteristics of predictable surprises:

- Leaders know a problem exists -- and that the problem will not solve itself

- People recognize that the problem is worsening over time

- Fixing the problem will certainly cost money, while the reward is an avoided cost that is uncertain (but likely to be large)

- The up-front costs will be significant, but the benefits will be delayed

- And last, but not least, a small but vocal minority benefits from inaction and is motivated to lobby for its private gain

Consider the problem of global warming and go through the list. Would we be surprised if the Atlantic Conveyer stops and the temperature in Europe starts dropping?

I see

2005-02-25T16:01:00.000-09:00

Nitzan Haroz, principal trombonist for the Philadelphia Orchestra, will perform the Trombone Concerto by Simon Cohen with the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra on Sunday February 27, 2005 at 4:00 PM in the Davis Concert Hall on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Yesterday he led a master class for members of the University of Alaska Trombone Studio. Four young musicians played solos and received instruction on their performances while many of the musicians from the university watched and listened. Under the coaching of Mr. Haroz, we could hear significant improvement in their musical delivery. Mr. Haroz was gentle, but firm about how he presented guidance, revealing skill as both teacher and performer.

After the master class, different ensembles played for him and for the public in a short, informal concert. I had my own brief moment of attention when, standing on stage next to Nitzan Haroz, with six other trombonists to my right and our leader to the left beyond Haroz, I took out my music glasses. They literally fell apart in my hand -- one hand held glasses with an earpiece broken off; the other held a trombone. These are glasses I had made especially for playing trombone. They have a tint across the top of the lenses to cut down on glare, but more importantly, they are an intermediate prescription cut to optimize vision at the distance of a music stand. I found years ago that lenses for distance focused beyond the music and reading lenses, comfortable for books, didn't reach far enough to see the music clearly. Bifocals simply produce two out of focus images with a line across the middle. It's kind of nice to see the music, especially when, as last night, I was reading a part new to me -- in concert!

I dug quickly for my reading glasses. Nope, can't see far enough. Quick, bring out the distance pair, which I usually don't keep with me on stage. Yep, those look a lot like notes. Step back. Oh, of course, that's a G, or maybe an F. I confess to missing a note or two and an entrance, but got through all four numbers somehow. Life is such fun. Never a dull moment in the frozen northland.

Oh, God. Save us from ourselves.

2005-02-23T21:16:00.000-09:00

I never really thought much about who George W. Bush would nominate for supreme court justice (or chief justice?) until I looked at a NY Times article about tapes of his early conversations. Four to five years ago, he appears to have said, "John Ashcroft would make a fine supreme court justice."

John Ashcroft. Supreme court. First thought: is this possible? Second thought: why not? Third thought: oh, Lord, no!

When the Roll is Called Up Yonder

2005-02-21T09:12:00.000-09:00

More Alaskana. When it came time to board our flight back home to Fairbanks from Anchorage, the good folks at Frontier Flying Service called the roll of passengers. They were checking "to see if everyone is here so we can board." Back to school, or check-in at Heaven's Gate. We had to wait a couple of minutes while the copilot put the two unaccompanied kids into seats. And I didn't bang my head on the door. Flying in Alaska is fun.

The Eagle

2005-02-19T14:23:00.000-09:00

I was stopped for a traffic light in Anchorage this morning when a bald eagle passed over about 20 feet up. Maybe I'm just easily impressed, but it seems so cool to see that kind of sight, long missing from so many places.

Travel in Alaska

2005-02-19T09:58:00.000-09:00

Friday morning we packed a bag and wandered out to the airport, checked in with Frontier Flying Service, and climbed the stairs to a Beechcraft 1900C Airliner. As usual, I banged my head on the entryway above the door before I duck walked to a seat labeled 7E. Fairest of the Fair was in 7A, just to my left across the mini-aisle. I had both an aisle seat and a window. One seat left of the aisle, one on the right, makes a row on this slim bodied airplane. There are 19 seats for passengers in the aircraft. The cockpit door doesn't go all the way to the ceiling. No baggage search, no metal detectors, no body search, keep your shoes on, no hassle. Fairbanks to Anchorage is still about an hour, close to the time you would spend on a jet. The turbo-prop is a bit louder, but the ear plugs are free. The hour that you don't spend in security is well worth the bother.

Brass Playing

2005-02-16T21:31:00.000-09:00

I've been reading The Art of Brass Playing, by Philip Farkas. He goes into great length in describing proper formation of the embouchure for brass players, including the structure of the muscles around the mouth, placement of the teeth and jaw, and placement of the mouthpiece on the lips. He talks about the use of the air stream, and the use and avoidance of pressure in playing, and on and on. I wish I had read this, or at least been coached on this stuff 50 years ago when the trombone and I were new friends. It didn't happen, and I grew into playing with little coaching on the fundamentals. I formed a few bad habits, many of which are still with me. I work around them and, on occasion, try to make corrections, but carefully, so that I don't totally disrupt my playing.

Farkas is an interesting person. He met his wife to be in sixth grade, when they were both young students of music. He never dated anyone else. When he went out to seek work as a professional musician, he auditioned with the Chicago Symphony, at the time the premier American symphony orchestra for brasses. To his surprise, and probably that of everyone else, he was offered the job of principal horn. He held that seat for 53 years, until he retired. That is an amazing career.

Dog days

2005-02-15T12:26:00.000-09:00

It's the season for sled dogs in Alaska. The annual 1,000 mile race of dog teams between Fairbanks, AK, US and Whitehorse, YT, Canada began Sunday, 13 Feb 2005. This is the Yukon Quest, one of the big two races in Alaska. (The other is the Iditarod from Anchorage to Nome.) The Quest starts one year in Whitehorse, the next in Fairbanks, alternating direction each year. It begins in Canada on the Yukon River. It will end this year, and start next year on the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks.

Owning and using dog teams is traditional in the north and continues as a means of transportation in rural areas, although the snow machine, nicknamed the "Iron Dog" is replacing them to a large extent. As a sport, however, mushing remains popular, both in the long distance format and in shorter races from sprints to about 300 miles. It pits a team of human and dogs against northern winters. Both person and dogs must be in good physical shape and well trained. The dogs are lean, well fed atheletes, subjected to rigorous examination by veterenarians before and after each race and, in the longer races, at checkpoints during the event. They probably get more attention than the mushers.

I used to have the impression, from childhood impressions of a radio program, Sergeant Preston of the Yukon, with his sled dog, King, that mushing was a noisy affair, what will all the dogs barking. It turns out that it is very quiet. The only sound one hears is that of sled runners hissing across the snow. The dogs, sensible creatures, don't waste their breath on barking. But on radio, barks are the only way to tell that there are dogs around -- so the sled dogs barked.

It's a pity that watching these races isn't much of a spectator sport. One stands in the cold -- most noticeable since one is just standing around. Then, "Here comes a team." Whoosh. "There goes the team." That's it. The dogs are pretty when they run, but only for a momentary glimpse, especially since, on the trail, they often run at night. Our summer long distance outboard races are at least held during the daytime, perhaps because there IS no night at that time of year. This year, however, the weather is mild and sunny, unlike some years when the mushers face 50 below temperatures. The dogs will be out, running in their booties, maybe with coats on, hauling sleds and musher across a varied terrain of largely unsettled Alaska and Canada in one of the big annual events around here.

Composers

2005-02-13T10:07:00.000-09:00

It occurred to me, while sitting in a Brass Literature class, that all the major works of classical music were written by penguins. That's how they are signed, after all. Symphony No. 5 in D (by) Opus 211.

Are you nervous yet?

2005-02-11T20:26:00.000-09:00

I mentioned in a note about “Fear coming” that an act before congress grants really interesting powers to the Secretary of Homeland Security, in what seem to me clear violations of provisions of the US Constitution. I also have a small bet with Spouse of the House about the imminence of a national id within the United States. Well, folks, both are covered in a bill which has now passed the House of Representatives.

I’m talking about HR 418. For text of the bill, go to Thomas and specify HR418, which includes these points:

Section 102(c) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1103 note) is amended to read as follows:

`(c) Waiver-
(1) IN GENERAL- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall have the authority to waive, and shall waive, all laws such Secretary, in such Secretary's sole discretion, determines necessary to ensure expeditious construction of the barriers and roads under this section.
(2) NO JUDICIAL REVIEW- Notwithstanding any other provision of law (statutory or nonstatutory), no court shall have jurisdiction—
(A) to hear any cause or claim arising from any action undertaken, or any decision made, by the Secretary of Homeland Security pursuant to paragraph (1); or
(B) to order compensatory, declaratory, injunctive, equitable, or any other relief for damage alleged to arise from any such action or decision.’.

So much for judicial review.

Section 103 is also interesting. It defines as a terrorist:
`(i) IN GENERAL- Any alien who— (among other things)

`(II) a consular officer, the Attorney General, or the Secretary of Homeland Security knows, or has reasonable ground to believe, is engaged in or is likely to engage after entry in any terrorist activity (as defined in clause (iv));

In other words, you are a terrorist if one of those people says you are.

This bill goes on.

SEC. 104. REMOVAL OF TERRORISTS.

(a) In General-
(1) IN GENERAL- Section 237(a)(4)(B) (8 U.S.C. 1227(a)(4)(B)) is amended to read as follows: ...
(2) EFFECTIVE DATE- The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and shall apply to acts and conditions constituting a ground for removal occurring or existing before, on, or after such date (*emphasis added*).

So much for ex post facto laws.

Section 201 ff. goes on to the supposed purpose of the bill according to its title. It establishes national requirements for a driver’s license or a state identification card which must include a common list of items (license number, name and address, photo, etc.) and, in 202.b.9, includes “A common machine-readable technology, with defined minimum data elements.”

And, in case you thought your Social Security Number was to be used only for retirement and disability purposes, not as a national ID number, 202.c.1.C requires “Proof of the person’s social security account number or verification that the person is not eligible for a social security account number.”

There goes privacy of the Social Security accounts.

This passed the house as HR 418 “REAL ID act” on 10-Feb-2005 at 2:41 PM by a vote of 261-161. It has not yet passed the senate.

Are you nervous yet? IF NOT, WHY NOT?

I’m as anti-terrorist as the next guy, maybe more than some. But if we abandon our principles in defeating the bad guys, then they win. I don’t really care if I have to carry a national ID card. I have the thing in my wallet anyway. I am in favor of linking data bases. If we have the things, make them useful. I would like some assurance that they are protected from hijacking for nefarious purposes, which is hard in today’s atmosphere of distrust, but there must be ways somewhere. But I am really concerned when congress passes laws that:

make past events a crime

define criminals based on an accusation only

pass laws exempt from judicial review

pass laws that preempt any unspecified existing law

Fruit flies

2005-02-11T18:04:00.000-09:00

Catchy title. I wonder if that is a nour+verb or an adjective+noun.

I’ve never been one to care much for or about computer programs creating music. By this I don’t mean annotation programs that write down what a composer specifies, but a program that creates on its own. Now there comes along something in between. This fellow has written that produces music based on encoding a natural phenomenon. Specifically, he encoded the genome of a fruit fly: Drosophila melanogaster. The result surprised me; it is hauntingly pretty.

He also wrote a short story for Analog Science Fact and Science Fiction magazine and describes the idea behind the story here. The tune itself can be downloaded from here as an MP3 file. I used QuickTime to play it on my Mac.

From Boing Boing.

Papa plays alto

2005-02-10T17:54:00.000-09:00

My new toy and current challenge is a Conn alto trombone, on loan from the university. I’m slowly learning to play it, but it is something of a struggle. For one thing, the instrument is pitched in E-flat, meaning that the fundamental tone is E-flat instead of the B-flat of my tenor trombone. For another, it is tiny. All the notes are in different positions, the slide is proportionally shorter so the positions aren't as far apart as my arm expects, and to make matters worse, the music is usually in alto clef. It isn't quite as bad as learning a not-trombone, but it's still tough. I love it.

It's always nice to have something new to play with. I had a lesson today. We played unison etudes and duets. All in all, it’s great fun. It just takes practice, as always, and is progressing fairly well. There is some hope of playing the alto with groups in coming months, and doing spring solos on it.

Rocky and Bullwinkle

2005-02-09T15:53:00.000-09:00

While zooming along the expressway today, I was passed by one of those aggressive, gotta get there now pickups that we have here. We don't put much salt on our roads, mostly because it doesn't work well -- just makes the roads wet and more slick. But we do put down tons of little rocks to give us enough traction to get through an intersection before the light changes back to red. Pickups with blocky tread on their tires are nasty about picking up the little rocks and throwing them at the car behind.

Bullwinkle, the moose of a pickup, did just that today. OK, unintentionally, I admit, but it left a nice ding in the windshield anyway.

That meant I bought two bottles of wine instead of one (for later, mind you), picked up a little box of popcorn chicken with soda, and dog and I munched our way along to Novus windshield repair. Windshields are short lived creatures here, or at least they used to be, when even major roads were unpaved. Left untended, those little dings become great long cracks. It isn't uncommon to see cars and trucks with cracked windshields in Alaska.

The fellow at Novus was most helpful. He knew more about my insurance than I did. One phone call cleared the way for repair, including waiving the insurance deductible. I pulled into the garage and watched the whole process, sharing the chicken with the drooling German Shepherd that was leaning on my shoulder.

It was fascinating. He used a dremel-like tool to drill into the crack, then put a pointed pick into the hole and tapped it once with a small hammer. Positioning a complex looking, three legged cup over the chip, he moved inside and heated the inside of the windshield with a mini-torch. The cup came off and a piece of clear, flexible, transparent plastic went over the chip, along with some epoxy. An ultraviolet light, supported by two suction cups illuminated the patch with UV for a few minutes. A bit of scraping removed the excess material. He cleaned the window, handed me a receipt to sign, and dog and I, now sated with chicken bits, were on our way. The whole process took about 15 minutes and I shelled out not a dime.

I can barely see the ding, and then only with light coming through. Great work, well organized, and done quickly. I'm impressed at how easy and efficient this was. It's really nice to see work done well. Thank you, Novus and All State.

Fear makes rules

2005-02-07T11:28:00.000-09:00

An article in Wired News, as of 10:04 AM Feb. 06, 2005 PT,
discusses a proposal to knock down some hills and fill in a canyon in order to close part of the US/Mexican border north of Tijuana. Environmentalist are opposed, as expected. What bothers me isn't that this is being supported in the atmosphere of (selective) fear rampant in our government lately, nor that environmentalists who often seem opposed to everything, are protesting. What bothers me is this paragraph:

A provision in an immigration bill expected to pass the House next week would give the homeland security secretary authority to move forward with the project regardless of any laws that stand in the way, and would bar courts from hearing lawsuits against it.

That is scary. Our congress is proposing to authorize action:

regardless of any laws that stand in the way, and

to prohibit judicial review.

Down that road lurk many bad things. Judicial review and three independent branches of government seem to be a fundamental principles of our constitution directly threatened by this proposal. Our country long has promoted, or claims to promote, the rule of law, and, at least on occasion, the idea that no one is above the law. This isn't the first threat to our principles to startle and to alarm me. Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib raised concerns, for example. It troubles me that we are threatening Iran over the possibility that they might build a nuclear weapon, but are beginning design of a new generation of our own such weapons. I don't want to produce a laundry list of things I find troubling about US policy and direction; the list is too long and probably easy to find if one looks.

This item, however, really rang an alarm for me, and not because of environmental concerns. Where are we going? What are we doing? How will the great experiment in continue if we shoot ourselves in the constitutional foot upon which we stand?

The Outback

2005-02-06T13:06:00.000-09:00

I've been looking out the back window while tinkering with the blog template. In between adding the current weather block and link to Wunderground, and the Creative Commons license, we had a visitor. Mama moose passed through, with calf in tow, to sample some of the tastier bites of tree in the back yard. While it isn't uncommon to see a thousand pounds of moose ambling around the house and through the yard, they still merit attention.

Moose have the prettiest ears around: a soft grey inside, dark brown outside, longish and erect. [Note: if the ears are laid back, the moose is not laid back. Great discretion is advised.] They have incredibly long and slender legs with which they can easily clear a six foot fence or wade through five feet of snow. They are amazingly graceful and fun to watch -- from a safe distance.

My electric fence usually keeps them out of the garden, but I suspect that's because the neighbor's garden is unfenced. It certainly isn't because they can't jump the fence. Tracks show they don't like it, though. We found tracks showing an approach to the fence by a young one, encountering the wire, probably while reaching for a succulent cabbage, then flying backward several feet. With easy pickings next door, why bother?

These critters are common, generally unconcerned with puny humans -- except during hunting season, when the males mysteriously vanish -- and wander about freely, even inside the city limits. One hung around a picture window at the library, providing great moose admiration views. Others just walk about, browsing, distracting drivers. For the curious, there is a picture of my lady, giving directions to a backyard moose about what and what not to eat here. Alas, the moose wasn't receptive to her choices, and is displayed here, moving on to finer treats.

Securing seniors

2005-02-05T09:33:00.000-09:00

The Golden Heart City, right here in the middle of the Last Frontier, Fairbanks, Alaska, isn't the place where one would think to look for compassion. Isn't this the home of rough, tough, pioneer types, braving the elements, driving our sled dogs through blowing snow at -40C (or F), being hardy and self sufficient? Sure it is. That's the Alaskan ideal. Isn't it?

Well, maybe not. Last week a group of people went before the borough assembly to ask for $10,000 in support of a plan to establish a retirement community here. There aren't many places in interior Alaska where people can live when a house or a cabin becomes too much work to maintain. A local group decided that is a shame, and set out to do something about it. I went to some of the planning meetings, but couldn't attend the assembly meeting where the request was presented. I heard part of it on the radio, though. The assembly was discussing the proposal, after raising the amount from $10,000 to $15,000, in a budget that isn't full of easy money.

The discussion was reassuring. In general, the members said, one after another, that we need seniors in our community. We need the sense of history, the mentoring, the ideas, and yes, the skills that people with experience bring to our area. It is worth some money to keep seniors here instead of shipping them off to the mercies of the crowded, busy, mile a minute cities to the south. Supporting seniors is a duty for the community, not a chore for individuals. Our seniors need and deserve our support, not to be forced into reliance on private investment schemes. We have all seen what happened to the stock market after 9/11 and to the return on investment that went through the floor. We don't need to leave our elders to depend on that never happening again.

I found it really reassuring, one of the reasons I live in this place. Despite the cold and the dark, there is a warmth here that keeps me going -- and growing.

Preachers and singers

2005-02-04T14:46:00.000-09:00

I love discussion. I believe that if two people totally agree, then one of them is unnecessary. This doesn't worry me, because I have never met another person with whom I totally agreed. Not even my beloved spouse is at risk here. Our discussions, in which one of us tries to convince the other, have led to hours of exploration to the extent that just talking with each other is our preferred pastime. Our discussions, sometimes passionate in intensity, are guided by principles of mutual respect for the other person. We are able to separate the speaker from the message, loving the speaker while at the same time, casting that silly idea far into the landfill, to be covered over by appropriate piles of moose nuggets and garbage.

Occasionally, I bump into situations where the distinction between message and messenger is missing. I find this sad and immensely frustrating. Since I value diversity of opinion and firmly believe that nuggets of gold are as likely as nuggets of moose in social intercourse, I'm willing to consider almost any viewpoint. The thought that I would discard a friend or a relative because we hold different opinions really goes against my personal value system. Preaching to the choir seems pointless to me. If preach I must, I want to talk to the people whose values differ from mine. I can't convince them that I see more clearly than they if we don't interact. That they will convince me that they own truth is just one of the risks that make the game worth playing.

Question everything!

-- EA Games

Balanced on the sharp edge

2005-02-03T13:04:00.000-09:00

I was recently asked to contemplate Federalist Paper # 41 and Aristotle Contemplates the Bust of Homer by Rembrandt van Rijn. No context was given other than that the two works represented different points of view in a discussion between two people I know fairly well. That seemed challenging enough for a winter morning, so I did as suggested. With a nod to the obvious beauty of both works, but looking for something more, I began with the painting.

Aristotle seems to have moved from 350 BCE to the early 17th century. He has a longish beard and long hair, not typical of Aristotle's time and not at all like the statuary of him. His clothes are typical of 17th century Europe. In the upper left of the painting is a stack of what looks suspiciously like bound books, somewhat unlikely since Aristotle lived some 1,800 years before the time of Gutenburg and and his printing press. What would be Rembrandt's purpose in placing a modernized Aristotle before a bust of Plato? Perhaps this marks the end of the geocentric and highly regular Aristotelian cosmos, in favor of the heliocentric design from Galileo? Is Aristotle, hand on the head of Plato, eyes fixed on something distant, thinking that, like Plato, his work has at last been superseded? Is it a statement that time moves on unfettered by what we think of it?

And what of Madison, a federalist in a time when people said the United States "are" instead of today's verb, "is". He is highly suspicious of vesting too much power in the central government, yet he understands that not everything can be done by independent and squabbling states. I would like to drop this paper on the desks of some of our current leaders, just to remind them that (I hope) there are limits to their power and we (I wish) are watching. As nice as it would be to live without the Defense Department, Madison makes the point that, as long as one country anywhere maintains a standing army, we would be foolish not do do so as well. Granting that power, and the concomitant funds to support it, does not, however, grant unlimited power to government. Freedom from government interference in our lives is inherently limited by the actions of others. In granting power to government to protect our freedoms, we must be vigilant that we do not sacrifice the very things we need government to protect.

Now for the hard part. How do these two images interact? What do Rembrandt's painting and Madison's Federalist Paper say to each other? I drew from this effort a sense that nothing is permanent. We can respect our predecessors, study how and what they thought, bring their views forward in time, and learn from them. We cannot, however, expect to find an ultimate, final, unchanging truth and must rely on the interpretation of principles from the past, informed by current events. We need not -- must not -- abandon first principles when we find them flawed in light of later discoveries or events. We must sift through history and the wisdom of great thinkers for the building blocks of new ideas, avoiding rash impulses to rush off in one direction or another without the contemplation evident in both of these works. Rembrandt's attention to light and shadow, to eyes and expression; Madison's attention to sentence structure, word choice, the placement or absence of a semicolon; these represent the level of care we need to apply to changes in the way our world is structured and restructured. Pay attention to the devil hiding in the details. Ferret it out before acting, but work quickly. We do not work alone in the world. Remember the adage: "Look before you leap if you like, but if you mean leaping, don't look long."

Aha! It fits.

2005-02-02T13:29:00.000-09:00

Information overload is rampant in my life. Yesterday, while sitting in a class on brass literature, I picked up another pair of web sites which look really useful. One led me eventually to a database of all published literature for brass quintets, a project of the American Brass Quintet, and clearly a nice thing to have while investigating literature for brasses. I noticed two things in this process.

First, I got the original web site addresses by copying onto paper an address from a computer display, projected somewhat blearily onto a screen, then transferring the address by hand to my browser. Getting computer output into another computer by retyping it has always annoyed me.

And, second, we should be able to share this stuff, so that what I find can be easily used by others in the class. More to the point for me, so that I can easily use what others find. Yup. Pure laziness. So?

My first thought, in my usual overly complicated way of doing things, was a Wiki solution. Put up a wiki page and let everyone add their own stuff. Easy, yes? Well, no. It quickly became apparent that this is overkill. A much more sensible approach, one directly to the point, is to use and promote del.icio.us which does exactly what I want, allows any or all of us to share bookmarks to sites of interest.

Del.icio.us is a tool I found a while back from the 43folders productivity web site by Merlin Mann. It looked interesting, a tool hunting an application. I knew I needed that, but only today did I know why. It fits the current need, is simple to set up and use, is free, and eminently sharable. Aha. It fits! How's that for cool?

Lessons

2005-02-01T10:04:00.000-09:00

This week the Robin Cox Ensemble is in residence at the UAF Music Department here in Fairbanks. Last night, the group came to our brass choir rehearsal and, after playing two pieces, talked with us for an hour about their work, musicianship, and performance in a group. They said some things which to me are applicable well beyond the realm of professional musicians and worth sharing.

The fundamentals are simple to describe, if not always easy to practice.

Familiarity with the task at hand

This doesn't mean practice; it means repeated performance before a paying audience, people who put up money to hear you and expect a return on their investment. One can practice forever and still not achieve a completely satisfactory product. It is necessary to put it out before the listener/user/consumer, listen for feedback, and pay attention. Fine tune the product. Every time you release the music -- the product -- into the air will be different. That's what live music is all about, and why we don't replace musicians with computers which can be programmed to perform perfectly every time. Perfection isn't the issue. Communicating the underlying intent to satisfy is more the point.

Professionalism

One doesn't succeed by going into a room, sitting in a chair, and producing sound or any other product in a vacuum. A flawless performance requires blending the capabilities of several people into a working whole and to achieve that blend demands full attention every time. That's why it takes years to develop a musician, a systems designer, a carpenter, or a cook. Just as there are no two concert halls with identical acoustics, there are no two office settings, system configurations, or new houses which will be exactly the same. Just as the carpenter adapts on the spot to the lumber in hand, so does the musician adapt to the acoustics, the audience, and the way each player in the group is feeling on any particular day.

Communication

Robin Cox, who plays violin in the group, also writes most of their music, of necessity. There isn't a large, published repertoire for two percussionists, a (bass) clarinet, a cello, and a violin. I asked if having the composer playing in the group affected their approach to interpretation. The reply, consistent between Robin and other members, was that they worked together to build the product, adjusting the scored piece as needed from both directions, author and performer. In other words, the designer must listen when the performer says that a passage is out of range, whether the subject is music or software or a bridge over a river. Creativity done well is a group effort. Approach each rehearsal, each performance, as a professional, paying full attention and giving your best. It is difficult and tiring to work this way, but the result is oh so satisfying to performer and audience alike.

They also stressed being a part of the larger community. Network. Talk to people outside your group. Be visible in settings where your clients appear. And be professional in demeanor. Don't argue with a client or patron. Make your points with respect for the views of the other. If the director insists on a particular interpretation, discuss it quietly and privately. Ultimately, the director of the group makes the decision, whether that director is of a software development team or a musical group.

Innovation vs. Improvisatioin

Most of the ensemble members are not improvisors, although one of the percussionists is comfortable in the improvisational setting. Improvisation requires a specific skill set and a lot of development. Their music is largely scored and the performers follow the script, interpreting as necessary how to play what is written. Such is true of most builders, regardless of product. Scores, blueprints, plans, even sketches play a major role in development, and the importance of these expands as the size of the group grows. Once upon a time, software development was largely improvisational, but today, with notable exceptions, even FOSS (free open source software) is built by teams working together. Improv has it's place and, done well, is an exceptional delight. Improv in building spacecraft, however, is largely frowned upon.

Innovation is a different story. A constant theme in the group was to try new things. Attempt new music. Perform every chance you get, for an audience, with an expanding repertoire. Play the music of student composers. It will lead you in new directions and show the composer where his concepts work and where they need adjustment. Ideas are wonderful things, but they are tested only when put into practice. Results matter. Use the old adage from creative writing: show, don't tell.

Transfer across Media

I gained a lot from our time with these people. I listened first as a musician, then as a retired developer of software and systems, and then through the lens of my MBA. If I have a strength, it is the ability to see things from many sides, with many mind sets. This essay, longer than I had intended, is still but a part of what I learned. The more ways I can look at a subject or an event like this, the more fun I have with it. This rotating of ideas under different perspectives brings me much enjoyment and keeps me going. I recommend it to one and all.

Coming together

2005-01-31T13:58:00.000-09:00

I’ve been reading a bit about faults and noticing how disparate things serendipitously come together to form new patterns of thought. I’m not talking about the faults of people, though I may get around to that some day soon. I’m talking about fault lines and tectonic plates, geology and anthropology, and the coming together of ideas about far away places.

My next-door neighbor is a widely known geophysicist and a fascinating guy in a conversation. He was going on about two books he just read and loaned them to me. One is Krakatoa The Day the World Exploded: August 17, 1883 by Simon Winchester. Winchester is a fascinating writer who spins a tale around the development of geology as a science, how it relates to the famous volcano, and the effects on people, both native to the area and the colonials who moved to Indonesia.

Krakatoa was, and still is, a volcano which blew itself completely apart, shrouding the planet with enough dust to affect climate around the earth. It killed over 30,000 people in nearby areas which, until 2004, accounted for half of all the people known to have been killed in tsunamis. Krakatoa is re-growing today in the center of the Sunda Strait, 15 miles west of Java and 15 miles east of Sumatra. It sits on the boundary where the Australian plate is subducting under the Eurasian plate along a line just west of Sumatra. On this fault line, at the other end of Sumatra, December 26, 2004, a major earthquake initiated another tsunami the results of which are still being tallied. So far I have read numbers like 150,000 people killed and recently seen estimates that put the number above 200,000.

Last night I was reading in Scientific American for February 2005 about the discovery of Hobbit bones in Liang Bua cave at Flores, Indonesia, just east of Java. Okay, Hobbit is only a nickname for what appears to be a new species of homo, at least for now called H. Fiorensis. These are the tiny humans which have been in the news lately. Based on the skeletons found so far, these people were only about three feet tall with very small skulls. It appears that they may have made and used complex tools, and how they did that with such small brains is one of several conundrums about these little people. Other questions include how these people got there, and how they lived there until only 15,000 years ago.

All of this comes together in Indonesia, a place which until recently was largely a mystery to me. Isn’t coincidence wonderful?

Waiting for Baudot

2005-01-30T13:40:00.000-09:00

Once upon a time, oh, a very long time ago, while living in another galaxy altogether, I had a very dear friend, a student at another university from where I was laboring. She was, of course, poor as a pauper, that being the proper state for a student and all that. She had no telephone.

Now I, good geek that I was, found that hard to imagine, but my pleas fell upon poverty burdened ears and no phone materialized. I was bereft because, although this was well before the time of email, and the USPS really was able to deliver my ever so important words to her, I was impatient. If I wanted to say, “I’ll be passing through your town on Thursday,” there was no way to do that. At least, no way before Thursday. In the process, I discovered that I really don’t like waiting for communications. I mean, I REALLY don’t like waiting for words or bits to travel.

Eventually, email was invented, cell phones were created, networks proliferated, and when I want to make contact over something not so trivial (in my mind, of course), it is usually possible to find a way to get the word out. Yes, I do see an advantage to store and forward messaging, where one can read the mail at a convenient time, not interrupting a conversation with the boss about the raise so desperately needed. A wait of hours, days, eons, really still gets me in the nervous system. The brain sends out “Warning! Warning! Person not responding.”

I mutter, “Yeah, sure, so shut up about it. I got that message.”, but the yammering goes on.

My, we do get spoiled, don’t we.

... and if you don't know Baudot, look here.

On a clear day ...

2005-01-29T11:31:00.000-09:00

You can’t see forever, but on a day like today, the mountains 90 miles south of my deck look like they are in the back yard. These are not little hills; they are part of the Alaska Range which includes Denali (sometimes known as Mt. McKinley), the tallest mountain in North America. When I drive home alongside the Tanana River, Denali rises over the intervening ridges like the master of mountains, clearly visible straight ahead, 160 miles to the southwest. From my house, and from the approach to it coming down from the ridge instead of along the river, it is the Alaska Range itself that dominates the view.

The views are much better in the winter, when the air is clear and cold. Temperature layers in the air, which diffract light toward warmer air, act as a lens to magnify the mountains and they really stand up to be counted. If is daylight here (Alaska time is GMT -9 hours), there is a view of the range from a local webcam [Link] and explanations of the magnifying effect [Link].

Trust

2005-01-04T17:59:00.000-09:00

I found myself this week looking around the internet for web sites with information about a contentious topic. In particular, I wanted to separate the sites where I could rely on the information from those with their own agenda, often not explicit, which would bias the viewpoints expressed there. This is, of course, a difficult issue. Anyone can publish nearly anything, on the internet, with ease, or elsewhere with a bit more cost and trouble. Whom do we trust, why do we trust them, and how do we decide among the alternatives.

My first criteria were fairly simple. Sites obviously published by those supporting the cause in question were eliminated. I scanned some of them, read some of the material, and reached some conclusions about credibility. Beyond that, however, I discarded their viewpoints, assuming them to be biased in favor of the cause I was investigating, perhaps even blind to faults. I also found sites with an obvious axe to grind. I read some of this material to see what they had to say, but generally discarded their views as also biased. That left startlingly few web sites to review. I began looking at local agencies or organizations where assistance might be available. Again, there were few.

I finally settled on the state troopers after looking into assorted crisis lines, NGOs, and other groups here. Since the issue did not involve an apparent crime -- perhaps any crime -- the trooper could provide limited help. His one most interesting recommendation was to call the local police in the relevant big city (out in the 48), suggesting that they deal with far more oddities than either local or state agencies in Alaska. That seemed pretty sensible to me.

All this led me to a broader consideration. Just where does one go for independent, unbiased, reliable assistance in a situation of concern which is not a crisis? Whom can we trust?

Once upon a time, I believed that I could turn to defenders of the law: FBI, local and state police, leaders in industry and government, newspapers or other news organizations, educational institutions, and other information providers. After living through Enron and other scandals in industry including the collapse of auditing firms, assorted scandals in government including obvious fabrications in our national administration and congress, fabricated stories in major news media like the New York Times, CBS and ABC news, corruption and abuse in police agencies, and a few arrests in local educational institutions, I've come up against a real wall. I simply don't know whom to trust.

It has also dawned on me that this may be the essence of the American resistance to legislation like the patriot act. I really don't have a problem with a federal agency, even a secret court, investigating me, since I don't think there is anything to investigate, provided I can trust that the investigation is confidential and legitimate. I also believe that federal, state, and local data bases should be linked and extended across law enforcement. It's sensible to make the best use of our communications resources. But I once managed a law enforcement information system. I caught a trusted programmer, one who maintained a judicial information system, dinking with data for himself, friends, and those who paid him. Do I trust these systems? Well, no. I was there. I saw that we could not rely on our existing methods of vetting and trusting people to do "the right thing", meaning to be trustworthy and reliable.

So, to me, trust of those in positions of responsibility is in doubt. I am simply afraid that people cannot be trusted with important data. Were it used for the stated causes -- catching and prosecuting criminals -- I wouldn't object. But to put it in the hands of people who will misuse it for their own benefit or, for whatever reason, to my detriment, whether by intent or simply through ineptness, just leaves me with a chill in my spine.

I believe that we as a nation need to pay attention to the issues of trust and reliability, both in those we put in charge and in those who do the grunt work down in the guts of our support systems. This may be far more important than those grand plans of the guy who is so enamored of the title Commander-in-Chief. We ought to be able to trust SOMEONE out there. I just have to wonder who.

[Republished from my former blog site.]

Silence

2004-07-26T09:09:00.000-08:00

It's quiet here. Just wind in the trees for a background.