Let's face it. I love seafood. I like to catch it, clean it, and cook it.
Sometimes, though, I don't actually catch it, due to "conditions".
And, I'm always trying new ways to do all of the above.
That's why I try new baits, rigs, line...you name it, and tell me it works, and I'll likely try it. And, the way I work, I'll think of a modification that I think "could work even better". (Still trying to come up with a mousetrap that out-traps the Victor ones).
So, I tried a variation on preparation for clam chowder. And, if I do say so myself (and, I do), it's pretty darn good.
First, as always,
You take an onion.
In this case, I took two. I chopped them up into medium size chunks.
I fried five (5) slices of bacon.
I diced one medium potato (I am not a fan of "tater-filled-soup").
And, I peeled two medium potatoes, kept the skin, and discarded the rest (yep, I know...I'm "special").
Dice two stalks of celery.
Dice up an anaheim pepper (bell pepper if you can't find the anaheim). Feel free to use additional peppers, if that's what you like. Do not over-pepper...you don't want to disguise the taste of the clams, you want to ENHANCE it.
I opened three cans of Snow's CHOPPED clams. Pour the liquid into a bowl or some container.
I cut about four ounces of crab CLAW meat from a container of frozen crab meat. Use fresh if you can get it.
I cut about four ounces of crayfish, crawfish or crawdad tails (same difference, just different names) from a frozen package...yes, it's available at Super WalMarts.
Assemble salt, crushed red pepper, Old Bay, fila, tyme, can of chicken stock or more clam juice, and a medium carrot
Procedure
Pout the bacon grease into a pot...I like stainless ones, but feel free to use what you want.
Dump the diced taters in, and turn burner to medium high.
When the potatoes begin to sizzle, indicating the pot is hot, add the clam juice.
When it starts to boil, add half the onions.
Then, add the remaining liquid...chicken stock, clam juice, or combination.
Add celey, the potato skins, and the anaheim pepper.
Sprinkle in a couple dashes of salt, maybe a little (very little) crushed red pepper, a sprinkling of Old Bay, a bit of tyme and a very little bit of fila (not always available...not totally necessary).
Now, it's time to add the seafood. Crawdads first, followed by the clams, then the crab meat.
If you like your chowder thick, then don't add a lot of liquid, or add a gumbo-type roux mix.
If you like yours soup-ier, then add more liquid. Water...good old tap water...works nicely for this.
REDUCE THE HEAT!!!!
Add the remaining onions...I like to have a little crunch when I take the first lovin'spoonful.
The meat is done. You just need to heat it up, and allow the individual flavors time to merge.
Taste it once.
Taste it twice.
Add seasonings ever so slightly, until the flavors are just right.
Oh, yeah. The carrot. But, only if you're not my niece (she hates carrots).
I use a vegetable peeler. Once the carrot is totally undressed from its skin, cut small chunks with the peeler; of, if you want to make it look "pretty", slice small pieces, an inch or so long, and leave them floating on top.
If you don't like to see carrots on top, then don't use them. Feel free to sprinkle on some parsley.
Serve with French or Italian bread...I like mine with melted garlic butter.
Good eatin'!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Why isn't solar energy development getting the political subsidy that ethanol producing corn growers are getting?
Ethanol. It's here to stay. That's what marine dealers were told recently, so "you'd better get used to it". With what I, and others, label as questionable and political motives, the Environmental Protection Agency, aka EPA, approved even an higher alcohol content for gasoline.
As I have noted, time and again, this stuff is wreaking havoc with outboard motors. Fresh off the shelf, it's bad enough, burning hotter in engines not designed for rocket fuel. And, when it sets around in gas tanks, as is common for boats, it breaks down into gasoline and alcohol. To refresh, the alcohol absorbs moisture (water, ya'll), and messes up your gas lines and carbs. Outboard motor mechanics, far and wide, point to this gasahol as one of the leading causes of outboard motor problems.
Ok, as I opened with, "it's here to stay". Only it's going to get worse. The EPA has authorized/encouraged distributors to sell mixtures of 15% alcohol instead of the current 10%.
Oh, goodie.
It's an effort to wean us off our dependency on oil. Not a bad long range plan, and we've got to start somewhere. Somehow. The "somehow"makes me a little suspicious, 'cause that's how I am. Can't help it. With such political pressure behind the EPA's decisions, I must wonder who's making money that we don't know about.
Take a look at this table. You may have to increase your "viewing"size to 150%, or more (I did).
As I have noted, time and again, this stuff is wreaking havoc with outboard motors. Fresh off the shelf, it's bad enough, burning hotter in engines not designed for rocket fuel. And, when it sets around in gas tanks, as is common for boats, it breaks down into gasoline and alcohol. To refresh, the alcohol absorbs moisture (water, ya'll), and messes up your gas lines and carbs. Outboard motor mechanics, far and wide, point to this gasahol as one of the leading causes of outboard motor problems.
Ok, as I opened with, "it's here to stay". Only it's going to get worse. The EPA has authorized/encouraged distributors to sell mixtures of 15% alcohol instead of the current 10%.
Oh, goodie.
It's an effort to wean us off our dependency on oil. Not a bad long range plan, and we've got to start somewhere. Somehow. The "somehow"makes me a little suspicious, 'cause that's how I am. Can't help it. With such political pressure behind the EPA's decisions, I must wonder who's making money that we don't know about.
Take a look at this table. You may have to increase your "viewing"size to 150%, or more (I did).
A couple numbers caught my eye. The government (that means a group of elected/appointed bureaucrats, likely folks with little or NO business sense, and I question whether common sense is involed) has decided that the production of ETHANOL should receive a subsidy (from tax dollars) of
$5.72 for each BTU produced. Ok, sounds like nothing but a random number that we don't know anything about, right? Well, yeah...exactly right. I can't visualize what that means any more than I can visualize what $14-TRILLION bucks looks like (our current, as of yesterday, national debt...the amount we're in the red).
But, when you look at the subsidy, on the same chart, that the development of solar energy gets ($2.82 for the same amount of generated BTU's), you just gotta wonder. Solar energy. It's, for the most part, free. Doesn't take corn off the dinner table, either. We just need to be able to throw a saddle on it. It's there. Every day. Free for the taking. Yep, the saddle's gonna cost some bucks. But, if we would channel the combined subsidies for ethanol development plus the current solar subsidy, the sun-energy project would get three times what it's currently getting. It stands to reason that we would be moving towards more advanced solar production THREE TIMES as fast as we are now.
Not to mention, boat owners, antique car buffs, and others would not have to go to expensive extremes to be able to enjoy their hobbies.
Likely, solar energy development WILL get more money, just as soon as the aforementioned bureaucrats figure out how to line their pockets with the subsidies.
That's my opinion. Might be mine alone. But, I don't think so.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Gifford to get what Wounded Warriors don't
The senseless shooting of Rep Gifford and the killing of a nine year old child are tragic. Still not sure why the jerk responsible is still kicking, behind closed doors, likely in isloation "for his own protection". Why, I wonder aloud, is he not in the "general population" where he could, hopefully, get what he so rightfully deserves?
That aside, for now anyway, I turn my attention to a report I just read. In case you're not aware, Tricare is a company that insures our fighting men and women. It pays for treatment and care for them when they're wounded. One would think that our government would make sure that an insurance company they pay would provide the absolute best medical coverage to treat these troops who are hurt while defending our freedom.
Yeah, a reasonable person would think like that. But, according to the ProPublica Reports, not only is that NOT the case, but they report that Rep. Giffords will get treatment from the government's insurance plan for congressmen that the troops are refused. Read on:
As Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords begins rehabilitative therapy in Houston after being shot in the head in Tucson earlier this month, she was transferred today [1] to TIRR Memorial Hermann, a premier rehabilitation hospital renowned for its treatment of traumatic brain injuries [2].
On its website, the hospital calls itself [3] “one of very few hospitals in the country designated as a model system for traumatic brain injury.” Among the techniques it relies on is cognitive rehabilitation [4] therapy, a tailored type of medical treatment designed to retrain the brain to do basic tasks.
That aside, for now anyway, I turn my attention to a report I just read. In case you're not aware, Tricare is a company that insures our fighting men and women. It pays for treatment and care for them when they're wounded. One would think that our government would make sure that an insurance company they pay would provide the absolute best medical coverage to treat these troops who are hurt while defending our freedom.
Yeah, a reasonable person would think like that. But, according to the ProPublica Reports, not only is that NOT the case, but they report that Rep. Giffords will get treatment from the government's insurance plan for congressmen that the troops are refused. Read on:
As Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords begins rehabilitative therapy in Houston after being shot in the head in Tucson earlier this month, she was transferred today [1] to TIRR Memorial Hermann, a premier rehabilitation hospital renowned for its treatment of traumatic brain injuries [2].
On its website, the hospital calls itself [3] “one of very few hospitals in the country designated as a model system for traumatic brain injury.” Among the techniques it relies on is cognitive rehabilitation [4] therapy, a tailored type of medical treatment designed to retrain the brain to do basic tasks.
It’s a treatment that Rep. Giffords will likely end up receiving, if doctors’ general descriptions of her care plan are any indication. Dr. John Holcomb, a retired Army colonel and trauma surgeon at Memorial Hermann, has described Giffords’ treatment as a “tailored and comprehensive [5] rehab plan” that includes “speech, cognitive, physical rehabilitation [6].”
If Giffords does end up receiving it, she’ll be getting a treatment that many troops don’t. As we’ve reported [7], the Pentagon’s health program, Tricare, has refused to cover [8] cognitive rehabilitation therapy for the tens of thousands of service members who have suffered brain injuries in the line of duty. Tricare, which provides insurance-style coverage to troops and many veterans, does cover speech and occupational therapy, which are often part of cognitive rehabilitation.
We’ve called the hospital to get further details about Giffords’ treatment plan but have not yet received that information. News reports have described her treatment as using “high-tech tools to push the brain to rewire itself [9],” with a focus on [10] her physical abilities, speech, vision, cognitive skills and behavior.
Traumatic brain injuries have different types [11] and levels of severity, according to the Office of the Surgeon General. They can include penetrating injuries [12]—like Giffords’—or mild brain trauma [13] like the kind often sustained by troops in an explosion. The latter, as we’ve reported, has been called one of the signature wounds of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and tens of thousands of cases [14] have been left undiagnosed by the military’s medical system.
Though top brain specialists have endorsed cognitive rehabilitation as an effective treatment for brain injury, Tricare officials have said that scientific evidence does not justify [15] providing it comprehensively to troops.
To support that position, officials cite a 2009 Tricare-funded assessment of cognitive rehabilitation therapy—an assessment that internal and external reviewers have called “deeply flawed,” “unacceptable” and “dismaying,” as we reported last month with our partners at NPR.
Last week, Sen. Claire McCaskill, chairman of the subcommittee on contracting oversight, cited our findings [16] while announcing an investigation [17] into the Pentagon’s decision to deny treatment of traumatic brain injuries to troops. In 2008, McCaskill was one of 10 senators—including then-Senator Barack Obama—who signed a letter [18] to Defense Secretary Robert Gates urging the military to provide Tricare coverage of cognitive rehabilitation “so that all returning service personnel can benefit from the best brain injury care this country has to offer.”
(http://www.propublica.org/blog/item/in-houston-rep.-giffords-could-receive-brain-injury-treatment-thousands-of-)
If that doesn't just tick you off, I don't know what will. It certainly points out, one more time, why our elected representatives should receive the same health care benefits that the rest of us do. If it's good enough for Rep. Giffords, it's good enough for our troops. It's time for real equality in this great nation of ours.
If Giffords does end up receiving it, she’ll be getting a treatment that many troops don’t. As we’ve reported [7], the Pentagon’s health program, Tricare, has refused to cover [8] cognitive rehabilitation therapy for the tens of thousands of service members who have suffered brain injuries in the line of duty. Tricare, which provides insurance-style coverage to troops and many veterans, does cover speech and occupational therapy, which are often part of cognitive rehabilitation.
We’ve called the hospital to get further details about Giffords’ treatment plan but have not yet received that information. News reports have described her treatment as using “high-tech tools to push the brain to rewire itself [9],” with a focus on [10] her physical abilities, speech, vision, cognitive skills and behavior.
Traumatic brain injuries have different types [11] and levels of severity, according to the Office of the Surgeon General. They can include penetrating injuries [12]—like Giffords’—or mild brain trauma [13] like the kind often sustained by troops in an explosion. The latter, as we’ve reported, has been called one of the signature wounds of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and tens of thousands of cases [14] have been left undiagnosed by the military’s medical system.
Though top brain specialists have endorsed cognitive rehabilitation as an effective treatment for brain injury, Tricare officials have said that scientific evidence does not justify [15] providing it comprehensively to troops.
To support that position, officials cite a 2009 Tricare-funded assessment of cognitive rehabilitation therapy—an assessment that internal and external reviewers have called “deeply flawed,” “unacceptable” and “dismaying,” as we reported last month with our partners at NPR.
Last week, Sen. Claire McCaskill, chairman of the subcommittee on contracting oversight, cited our findings [16] while announcing an investigation [17] into the Pentagon’s decision to deny treatment of traumatic brain injuries to troops. In 2008, McCaskill was one of 10 senators—including then-Senator Barack Obama—who signed a letter [18] to Defense Secretary Robert Gates urging the military to provide Tricare coverage of cognitive rehabilitation “so that all returning service personnel can benefit from the best brain injury care this country has to offer.”
(http://www.propublica.org/blog/item/in-houston-rep.-giffords-could-receive-brain-injury-treatment-thousands-of-)
If that doesn't just tick you off, I don't know what will. It certainly points out, one more time, why our elected representatives should receive the same health care benefits that the rest of us do. If it's good enough for Rep. Giffords, it's good enough for our troops. It's time for real equality in this great nation of ours.
Friday, January 28, 2011
A moving bunch of still pictures...and, that's all? Of course not.
The title is pretty boring.
Accurate, but boring.
The subject, though, is anything but.
A former marine (no such thing as an ex-marine, unless he/she did something less than honorable, right), turned NYC Transit Cop, now retired, captured some pretty cool shots at the Veteran's Day Parade in the Big Apple. Cops and military guys, old and young...they make good subjects.
Looking at the pictures, at the faces, makes you appreciate what these went through, what others are going through right now, and what still others will be dealing with soon enough.
A few signs, lots of tee shirts, all with messages. Important ones, if you'll look at them carefully.
And, think about what they did, what they went through, what they sacrificed...just so we may have the freedoms we have. Yes, including the freedom to ridicule them. And, to act like idiots by protesting at the funerals of returning defenders of your freedom.
Good peace of video.
Turn up your speakers.
And, SPEAK UP when you have a chance.
http://www.youtube.com/user/leeretiree
Accurate, but boring.
The subject, though, is anything but.
A former marine (no such thing as an ex-marine, unless he/she did something less than honorable, right), turned NYC Transit Cop, now retired, captured some pretty cool shots at the Veteran's Day Parade in the Big Apple. Cops and military guys, old and young...they make good subjects.
Looking at the pictures, at the faces, makes you appreciate what these went through, what others are going through right now, and what still others will be dealing with soon enough.
A few signs, lots of tee shirts, all with messages. Important ones, if you'll look at them carefully.
And, think about what they did, what they went through, what they sacrificed...just so we may have the freedoms we have. Yes, including the freedom to ridicule them. And, to act like idiots by protesting at the funerals of returning defenders of your freedom.
Good peace of video.
Turn up your speakers.
And, SPEAK UP when you have a chance.
http://www.youtube.com/user/leeretiree
Violent extremists, my butt!
On this day, we are remembering the events of 28 January 1986. What was a rather routine space shuttle launch, not even, we thought, newsworthy enough for the major networks to carry it live. It had become that routine. It was not long, however, before the day's low key celebration of a routine launch turned horribly tragic. Amazing as it seems today, looking back, we have students in med school who had not even been born at that time. A quarter of a century, 25 years, has passed. But, for those of us who were around in those days, the memories are as vivid as ever.
The tenth anniversary of yet another national tragedy will be marked this year. Hard to believe, but the 9-11 terrorist attacks on the United States happened ten years ago this September. I'm sure you can remember where you were and what you were doing at that time.
A lot has happened in the past ten years. As a society, we have learned that we are vulnerable, that the rantings of what we thought of as radicals were not quite so out there, not nearly as far fetched as the moderate majority would have us believe.
Television news organizations do a lot of research, research that they keep to themselves, for the most part. Research that they use to decide what news you want to know about. Since 9-11, and consistently near the top (number 2) of that list, is---public safety. We want to know what's going on around us that threatens our well being. We want to know what we can do to ensure our safety. We want to know what our government is doing to keep us safe.
It remains apparent that in the wake of 9-11, and the panic that ensued, we did a lot of knee-jerk reacting. At least, that's what many have thought as they stood in long lines, removing their shoes, before they could board their airplanes. A lot of inconvenience and, as time has gone by, more and more think it is totally unnecessary. It's a bit like the warnings and preparations preceding the "possible" attack of a hurricane. Unless that storm results in catastrophic property damage and loss of life, we become complacent. The next threat isn't treated with as much respect. Somelike like crying wolf, many say.
9-11 DID happen. And, it CAN happen again. We are doing what we think is best in this country to stop it before it happens. As it is with rules and laws, there are those who look for loopholes. While we can, as a nation, take every precaution to ensure our safety, there are groups looking for ways around our safeguards. And, rest assured, they will find them. Our job is to make it as difficult as possible, to close up as many easy avenues as we can. That way, it will be more likely that the bad guys will make a mistake as they prepare their attacks.
Lest we forget. 9-11 happened. It was not a dream. We want to make sure it is not a dream that will happen over and over.
I only wish our president would realize and acknowledge that the murders of innocent men, women and children were not carried out by "violent extremists", but by terrorists. They created terror in those World Trade Center offices. They created terror for the relatives and friends who watched as the buildings collapsed, as desperate people jumped out windows. They terrorized an entire nation while their brothers and sisters celebrated in the streets back home.
In his Cairo speech in 2009, our then new president's speech ticked off a lot of us. I only hope he learned a lesson, but from his track record, he has learned nothing.
A partial transcript of that speech:
"...tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a Cold War in which Muslim-majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations. Moreover, the sweeping change brought by modernity and globalization led many Muslims to view the West as hostile to the traditions of Islam.
Violent extremists have exploited these tensions in a small but potent minority of Muslims. The attacks of September 11th, 2001 and the continued efforts of these extremists to engage in violence against civilians has led some in my country to view Islam as inevitably hostile not only to America and Western countries, but also to human rights. This has bred more fear and mistrust".
"Tension". "Violent extremists". "Hostile". What a wuss. Come on, Mr. President. These killers, these terrorists, have scared the crap out of us. They've made us mad. They've killed innocent men, women and children in the name of religion!!!! They have caused us to lock ourselves in our homes like never before. They've caused us to call police when we see a guy with a camera taking pictures of the full moon (yep, in Decmeber, while I was shooting photos of the rising full moon and was greeted by two very courteous and understanding gentlemen in blue) because they feared the camera and long lens could be a gun. Who can blame us? We were attacked in our homes. Terrorists caused this, not violent extremists.
Do not let ten years make you feel any safer. Do not become complacent because we haven't been attacked lately. You can thank our military for the aggressive work they're doing to keep that "tension" on the terrorists' turf. You can thank them for killing as many as they have in the last ten years. You can thank the diligent efforts of our intelligence community for quietly, in most cases, of locating and neutralizing "violent extremists" and their cells. A lot happens we don't know about. And, that's proably a good thing.
The tenth anniversary of yet another national tragedy will be marked this year. Hard to believe, but the 9-11 terrorist attacks on the United States happened ten years ago this September. I'm sure you can remember where you were and what you were doing at that time.
A lot has happened in the past ten years. As a society, we have learned that we are vulnerable, that the rantings of what we thought of as radicals were not quite so out there, not nearly as far fetched as the moderate majority would have us believe.
Television news organizations do a lot of research, research that they keep to themselves, for the most part. Research that they use to decide what news you want to know about. Since 9-11, and consistently near the top (number 2) of that list, is---public safety. We want to know what's going on around us that threatens our well being. We want to know what we can do to ensure our safety. We want to know what our government is doing to keep us safe.
It remains apparent that in the wake of 9-11, and the panic that ensued, we did a lot of knee-jerk reacting. At least, that's what many have thought as they stood in long lines, removing their shoes, before they could board their airplanes. A lot of inconvenience and, as time has gone by, more and more think it is totally unnecessary. It's a bit like the warnings and preparations preceding the "possible" attack of a hurricane. Unless that storm results in catastrophic property damage and loss of life, we become complacent. The next threat isn't treated with as much respect. Somelike like crying wolf, many say.
9-11 DID happen. And, it CAN happen again. We are doing what we think is best in this country to stop it before it happens. As it is with rules and laws, there are those who look for loopholes. While we can, as a nation, take every precaution to ensure our safety, there are groups looking for ways around our safeguards. And, rest assured, they will find them. Our job is to make it as difficult as possible, to close up as many easy avenues as we can. That way, it will be more likely that the bad guys will make a mistake as they prepare their attacks.
Lest we forget. 9-11 happened. It was not a dream. We want to make sure it is not a dream that will happen over and over.
I only wish our president would realize and acknowledge that the murders of innocent men, women and children were not carried out by "violent extremists", but by terrorists. They created terror in those World Trade Center offices. They created terror for the relatives and friends who watched as the buildings collapsed, as desperate people jumped out windows. They terrorized an entire nation while their brothers and sisters celebrated in the streets back home.
In his Cairo speech in 2009, our then new president's speech ticked off a lot of us. I only hope he learned a lesson, but from his track record, he has learned nothing.
A partial transcript of that speech:
"...tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a Cold War in which Muslim-majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations. Moreover, the sweeping change brought by modernity and globalization led many Muslims to view the West as hostile to the traditions of Islam.
Violent extremists have exploited these tensions in a small but potent minority of Muslims. The attacks of September 11th, 2001 and the continued efforts of these extremists to engage in violence against civilians has led some in my country to view Islam as inevitably hostile not only to America and Western countries, but also to human rights. This has bred more fear and mistrust".
"Tension". "Violent extremists". "Hostile". What a wuss. Come on, Mr. President. These killers, these terrorists, have scared the crap out of us. They've made us mad. They've killed innocent men, women and children in the name of religion!!!! They have caused us to lock ourselves in our homes like never before. They've caused us to call police when we see a guy with a camera taking pictures of the full moon (yep, in Decmeber, while I was shooting photos of the rising full moon and was greeted by two very courteous and understanding gentlemen in blue) because they feared the camera and long lens could be a gun. Who can blame us? We were attacked in our homes. Terrorists caused this, not violent extremists.
Do not let ten years make you feel any safer. Do not become complacent because we haven't been attacked lately. You can thank our military for the aggressive work they're doing to keep that "tension" on the terrorists' turf. You can thank them for killing as many as they have in the last ten years. You can thank the diligent efforts of our intelligence community for quietly, in most cases, of locating and neutralizing "violent extremists" and their cells. A lot happens we don't know about. And, that's proably a good thing.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Paid Professional Solicitors...save time, just send your money to me
"Hi", the caller says when I answer the phone.
Recognizing the next standard question, "ïs this Mr."yaddayaddayadda?, I respond with my standard, "depends on who's calling and what you're calling about".
The caller said he was "Joe" with the XYZ Fire Department. My next standard question: "Are you a paid, professional solicitor"?
North Carolina law requires the caller to be truthful. By law I mean that if they lie, they have committed a crime. The callers are told about people like me. They are fully aware of this law.
He answered truthfully, and I politiely told him we did no business over the phone, and requested he put this number on his Do Not Call List.
That's when it started going downhill.
His tone changed, and he indignantly said, "may I ask why"? My tone remained the same (to which even I was surprised). "Because I told you to". He didn't like the response, of course, and by this time, I didn't care. I made sure he understood me. He said he did, and that he would "try to put me on the list".
Let me explain phone solicitations and charities just one more time. Well, one more time tonight. I have not problem with needy, worthwhile, productive organizations collecting funds. Many volunteer fire departments do it to raise money they need to stay in business. And, in most cases, they do a great job. There are any number of similar groups that perform great services for the people in their communities.
Unfortunately, there are as many "professional" solicitors who contract with these organizations, and collect donations or sell tickets to all sorts of events (ever been to one of those circuses to benefit needy children???), and give the profits to the host organization. I hate to once again burst anyone's bubble, but the North Carolina Department of State has compiled figures on such solicitations. The profits are less than 10-percent of the monies collected. More than 90 cents out of every dollar you donate to these charities goes to the expenses of the professional solicitors. No doubt, they have expenses. They were paying my latest caller eight bucks and hour. I did not keep him on the phone long enough to find out what tickets he was selling, or if he was just looking for a handout. I did not, and do not, care.
If you want to give money to a worthwhile organization, I encourage you to do that. Write a check, grab some cash from the ATM...and either mail it or better, yet, TAKE it to that organization. That way, 100-percent of your donation will end up in their hands, not a mere thin dime.
Of course, for security reasons, you should NEVER give anything over the phone to ANYONE who calls you. If you want to do business like that, though, please send me your credit card number, along with that three digit number on the back, plus your birthdate, your mother's maiden name, the name of your dog (one of the most commonly used passwords, along with your birthdate, by the way), and the last four digits of your social security number. Save yourself the hassle of being tied up on the phone while I rip you off.
Recognizing the next standard question, "ïs this Mr."yaddayaddayadda?, I respond with my standard, "depends on who's calling and what you're calling about".
The caller said he was "Joe" with the XYZ Fire Department. My next standard question: "Are you a paid, professional solicitor"?
North Carolina law requires the caller to be truthful. By law I mean that if they lie, they have committed a crime. The callers are told about people like me. They are fully aware of this law.
He answered truthfully, and I politiely told him we did no business over the phone, and requested he put this number on his Do Not Call List.
That's when it started going downhill.
His tone changed, and he indignantly said, "may I ask why"? My tone remained the same (to which even I was surprised). "Because I told you to". He didn't like the response, of course, and by this time, I didn't care. I made sure he understood me. He said he did, and that he would "try to put me on the list".
Let me explain phone solicitations and charities just one more time. Well, one more time tonight. I have not problem with needy, worthwhile, productive organizations collecting funds. Many volunteer fire departments do it to raise money they need to stay in business. And, in most cases, they do a great job. There are any number of similar groups that perform great services for the people in their communities.
Unfortunately, there are as many "professional" solicitors who contract with these organizations, and collect donations or sell tickets to all sorts of events (ever been to one of those circuses to benefit needy children???), and give the profits to the host organization. I hate to once again burst anyone's bubble, but the North Carolina Department of State has compiled figures on such solicitations. The profits are less than 10-percent of the monies collected. More than 90 cents out of every dollar you donate to these charities goes to the expenses of the professional solicitors. No doubt, they have expenses. They were paying my latest caller eight bucks and hour. I did not keep him on the phone long enough to find out what tickets he was selling, or if he was just looking for a handout. I did not, and do not, care.
If you want to give money to a worthwhile organization, I encourage you to do that. Write a check, grab some cash from the ATM...and either mail it or better, yet, TAKE it to that organization. That way, 100-percent of your donation will end up in their hands, not a mere thin dime.
Of course, for security reasons, you should NEVER give anything over the phone to ANYONE who calls you. If you want to do business like that, though, please send me your credit card number, along with that three digit number on the back, plus your birthdate, your mother's maiden name, the name of your dog (one of the most commonly used passwords, along with your birthdate, by the way), and the last four digits of your social security number. Save yourself the hassle of being tied up on the phone while I rip you off.
Veneer and the President. Coming apart at the seams.
Goodness.
It's Thursday, approaching the end of the first month of 2011. I can't quite figure out what happened to the first 26 days.
We have managed to get through another State of the Union Address. Amazing how such an ardent democrat with a full agenda just two years ago has suddenly awakened to face reality. Perhaps for the first time in his young life. Even more of an awakening is the media. Yep, even NBC guys are questioning The Man, aka POTUS (for goodness sakes, if this is the first time you've seen that reference, just Google it). Correspondents are actually asking pertinent questions, actually questioning (not quite challenging) his actions. The next 18-20 months should really be interesting on the campaign trail.
So, POTUS wants to work with the republicans, huh? He didn't want to even acknowledge them when the House was full of democrats. Feel free to check my voter registration, if you wish. I'm registered in Onslow County, North Carolina. And, it says I'm an INDEPENDENT. My definition of Independent is "free thinker". I can like, or dislike, any politician for any reason, but not because of his or her political party affiliation. I am much like the President (not any particular man, every man/woman who takes that office) should be. Once he/she is sworn in, that person should become an INDEPENDENT. The President must not let politics get in the way of leading this great nation. Party politics should take a four year nap immediately after a presidential election. The business of the United States of America is more important than political agendas.
It's sad, though, that it took an election to awaken what many claim is a brilliant man with a lot of foresight. Perhaps we can blame the media. Why not? They get blamed for everything else. I mean, if it wasn't for reporters, we'd have no crime, no disasters. "They"cause it all. At least, that's what I have heard time and again. "If they would just shut up about the gas prices, we wouldn't be paying so much. It's all their fault".
With regards to the President, there might be a little truth in that observation. He was the media's blatantly obvious choice from the beginning. An unknown young man with virtually no experience, who was "discovered" at a political event. A shining star, an articulate speaker. A visionary. He told so many people what they wanted to hear. Not necessarily what they needed to hear, mind you. And, the media, our watchdogs, bought the Bravo Sierra. On the surface, he appeared to have the answers. There was a problem, and the problem remains. Below the veneer of fine oak, there was nothing more than 3/4-inch particle board. You know, a bunch of sawdust held together by glue. Well, as we are all too familiar, particle board can't withstand a lot of water. It falls apart. And, the veneer, 1/16th of an inch thick, has no support. Nothing to keep it from collapsing.
And, that's exactly what's happening to the Great Platform. It's coming apart at the seams. The economy, despite the declaration that the recession is over, is in the toilet. Our national debt--the money we have borrowed and can't pay back--continues to climb. Kinda like the roulette wheel: "Round and round she goes, where she stops, no one knows". Well, folks. It's gonna stop. And, someone's gonna lose. If we can't get the runaway spending under control, one or more of our creditors is gonna bring our house of cards down. If you think your taxes are high now, just wait until you write a check to the IRS that includes an assessment fee. You know, like homeowner associations do when they need more money than the monthly fees you pay will cover.
Unfortunately, President Obama, the media's shining star, believed everything the media said about him. He could do no wrong. The media wrote only good things. Whoa"", you say. Not true. You point towards Fox News, and the conservative talk radio guys. Yep, Rush and the gangs have blasted Obama from the beginning. But, as is all too often the case, they were ridiculed. By TV comedians, by the mainstream media. They were given the same credibility as entertainment tabloids. No one listened except the radical realists.
I only wish that the media was full of INDEPENDENTS. Journalists should have NO friends in politics. They should never attend political social functions. Unless, of course, they're wired with hidden mics and they're looking for a story. I can tell you, from experience, that a politician in a social setting, consuming abundent quanities of truth serum, gives up a lot of good material. Reporters, like cops, must be on the job 24/7. We would certainly know a lot more about the way our government really works. It would be pretty cool if a good investigative team would tell us just how much of your hard earned tax dollars goes for entertainment every year. That would keep the party crowd on their toes.
The next 18 months are going to get interesting. We have a president who is now on the defensive. What he does will determine whether we end up with a seasoned, wiser man who can convince skepticle subjects and reporters that he can actually get something done, or whether we, the voters, are going to elect another unknown, inexperienced person who will promise us anything that we want to hear. By "get something done", I mean just that. Obama has no choice. He MUST work with all members of the House and Senate. He MUST surround himself with experienced advisors and department heads. He has little, if any, real life experience, at least none that anyone has been able to uncover. Successful businessmen are needed.
He needs to seriously examine the Wal Mart plan. You know, the one that is making the internet rounds. In just a few years, Wal Mart has taken over the retail market. It even sells more groceries than grocery stores. How did this happen? I don't know. But, the President of the United States should find out. It sounds like a plan that our Treasury Department should adopt.
It's Thursday, approaching the end of the first month of 2011. I can't quite figure out what happened to the first 26 days.
We have managed to get through another State of the Union Address. Amazing how such an ardent democrat with a full agenda just two years ago has suddenly awakened to face reality. Perhaps for the first time in his young life. Even more of an awakening is the media. Yep, even NBC guys are questioning The Man, aka POTUS (for goodness sakes, if this is the first time you've seen that reference, just Google it). Correspondents are actually asking pertinent questions, actually questioning (not quite challenging) his actions. The next 18-20 months should really be interesting on the campaign trail.
So, POTUS wants to work with the republicans, huh? He didn't want to even acknowledge them when the House was full of democrats. Feel free to check my voter registration, if you wish. I'm registered in Onslow County, North Carolina. And, it says I'm an INDEPENDENT. My definition of Independent is "free thinker". I can like, or dislike, any politician for any reason, but not because of his or her political party affiliation. I am much like the President (not any particular man, every man/woman who takes that office) should be. Once he/she is sworn in, that person should become an INDEPENDENT. The President must not let politics get in the way of leading this great nation. Party politics should take a four year nap immediately after a presidential election. The business of the United States of America is more important than political agendas.
It's sad, though, that it took an election to awaken what many claim is a brilliant man with a lot of foresight. Perhaps we can blame the media. Why not? They get blamed for everything else. I mean, if it wasn't for reporters, we'd have no crime, no disasters. "They"cause it all. At least, that's what I have heard time and again. "If they would just shut up about the gas prices, we wouldn't be paying so much. It's all their fault".
With regards to the President, there might be a little truth in that observation. He was the media's blatantly obvious choice from the beginning. An unknown young man with virtually no experience, who was "discovered" at a political event. A shining star, an articulate speaker. A visionary. He told so many people what they wanted to hear. Not necessarily what they needed to hear, mind you. And, the media, our watchdogs, bought the Bravo Sierra. On the surface, he appeared to have the answers. There was a problem, and the problem remains. Below the veneer of fine oak, there was nothing more than 3/4-inch particle board. You know, a bunch of sawdust held together by glue. Well, as we are all too familiar, particle board can't withstand a lot of water. It falls apart. And, the veneer, 1/16th of an inch thick, has no support. Nothing to keep it from collapsing.
And, that's exactly what's happening to the Great Platform. It's coming apart at the seams. The economy, despite the declaration that the recession is over, is in the toilet. Our national debt--the money we have borrowed and can't pay back--continues to climb. Kinda like the roulette wheel: "Round and round she goes, where she stops, no one knows". Well, folks. It's gonna stop. And, someone's gonna lose. If we can't get the runaway spending under control, one or more of our creditors is gonna bring our house of cards down. If you think your taxes are high now, just wait until you write a check to the IRS that includes an assessment fee. You know, like homeowner associations do when they need more money than the monthly fees you pay will cover.
Unfortunately, President Obama, the media's shining star, believed everything the media said about him. He could do no wrong. The media wrote only good things. Whoa"", you say. Not true. You point towards Fox News, and the conservative talk radio guys. Yep, Rush and the gangs have blasted Obama from the beginning. But, as is all too often the case, they were ridiculed. By TV comedians, by the mainstream media. They were given the same credibility as entertainment tabloids. No one listened except the radical realists.
I only wish that the media was full of INDEPENDENTS. Journalists should have NO friends in politics. They should never attend political social functions. Unless, of course, they're wired with hidden mics and they're looking for a story. I can tell you, from experience, that a politician in a social setting, consuming abundent quanities of truth serum, gives up a lot of good material. Reporters, like cops, must be on the job 24/7. We would certainly know a lot more about the way our government really works. It would be pretty cool if a good investigative team would tell us just how much of your hard earned tax dollars goes for entertainment every year. That would keep the party crowd on their toes.
The next 18 months are going to get interesting. We have a president who is now on the defensive. What he does will determine whether we end up with a seasoned, wiser man who can convince skepticle subjects and reporters that he can actually get something done, or whether we, the voters, are going to elect another unknown, inexperienced person who will promise us anything that we want to hear. By "get something done", I mean just that. Obama has no choice. He MUST work with all members of the House and Senate. He MUST surround himself with experienced advisors and department heads. He has little, if any, real life experience, at least none that anyone has been able to uncover. Successful businessmen are needed.
He needs to seriously examine the Wal Mart plan. You know, the one that is making the internet rounds. In just a few years, Wal Mart has taken over the retail market. It even sells more groceries than grocery stores. How did this happen? I don't know. But, the President of the United States should find out. It sounds like a plan that our Treasury Department should adopt.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Ok, just a recipe. But, my wife says it is a "winner".
Robie says I have now reached a new level with a simple roast I cooked up. You know, those chuck roasts where you throw in some onions, carrots and potatoes, add some salt and pepper, and in two hours, you've got a good ol' pot roast. Tastes great, has for years.
But, as with a mousetrap, there's gotta be a better way to make it, some way to add some yum to it.
Here's what I did. This time. Gotta get it down and in a file because I'm likely to forget how before next time.
I got a roast on sale. Looked pretty good. Just a plain, everyday chuck roast...though this one was, perhaps, just a wee bit thicker than a lot of those they put on sale. Had the gratutious amount of fat. Gotta have that, it adds flavor.
First, I did something I always do with turkeys before deep frying them. I injected this hunk of cow beef with a marinade. This was my first variation on my old recipe. It was a Creole and Butter marinade, but anything you like will work, too. The roast, of course, has little holes in it, but with a little gentle maneuvering, I was able to inject the marinade into several areas. Yep, some ran out, but that's ok, too.
Next, I cut several small slits with a sharp knife...about a half dozen, in all...half way through the slab of beef. I sliced two cloves of peeled garlic into wedges, and crammed the slits fill. What can go wrong, right? It gets better.
Time to rub the roast. A bit of a gentle, soothing massage? Well, not exactly. I used some of our
Double-R rub. It's our own blend of 11 herbs and spices. But, since you don't have any, you can used any rub you like. Old Bay, if you can't come up with anything else. Then, I put a bit of Worchestershire sauce on one side. Not much. And, I spread it somewhat evenly over the meat.
Add salt and pepper to both sides of the roast. Then, dust it with an all purpose flour. Not too much, you're not looking to coat with a paste; and it shouldn't be as heavy as you would a chicken for Sunday lunch.
Add some light olive oil to a large frying pan. I like stainless steel for this. Got one of those big ones for Christmas a couple years back. When the oil is sizzling hot, stick the beef in, holding it with your hands (yep, they're gonna get grimy, but they'll come clean with some water), and rotate it so that all sides are thoroughly seared.
Then, lay the meat down in the pan. Break out the sturdy tongs, or get a big fork (not one of those pansy things that can't pick up more than one little carrot at a time). After about a minute, or so, flip the roast over, and sear the other side. This will keep all those scrumptious, flavorful juices INSIDE the beef where they belong.
Remove the roast from the pan, and place it on a cutting board. Nope, it's not done. You've just got to get the pan ready for cooking.
Add a dash (maybe several dashes) of wine to the pan. I had some white that Robie had bought for her clam sauce, so that's what I used. Got some merlot, or another red? Sure, why not. I want to discourage you from using that stuff you can buy on the cooking aisle. Not good. And, if you have some leftover Ripple or Mad Dog 2020 from your school days, don't even think of using that.
The liquid will start to boil, and you should use a spoon to stir up up, deglazing the pan. Awakening all that flavor left over from the searing process.
I then added a beef "cube". You know, one of those flavored beef things. Along with a half cup of water. Or, if you prefer, use a can of beef stock.
Now's the time, before the water/stock liquid starts to boil, to add a wee bit of flour. Stir vigorously until the concoction starts to boil and the flour is part of the mix. It becomes a little thicker, and that's what I like.
Return the guest of honor to the now bubbling liquid; reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and get ready to prep the rest of the mess.
I used a large anaheim pepper çause I had several in the fridge. Any peppers you like will work just fine. Slice it, remove the seeds, and cut it into 1/4 x 3/8 inch pieces. Be sure to use an accurate ruler, maybe even calipers when you slice it (please don't tell me you're actually thinking of following that step). Dump the pepper into a holding bowl.
Peel a large onion or three. Maybe four, if you have a big roast. I sliced the onions into quarter inch slices. Add to the holding bowl. If you're feeding my son-in-law, Marty, disguise the onions. Tell him they're a new variety of potato. He doesn't like onions. No kind. No way. Sighhhh.
If you like taters, wash a few. Whatever kind you like. I washed four medium red ones, aka "new potatoes", in soap and water. Nice and clean. Dont forget to rinse thoroughly. Duh. As with the onions, I sliced them into quarter inch pieces. You didn't peel them, did you? If you did, throw them out and start over. Leave the peeling on. It's good for you.
Wash, then slice up several stalks of celery. I cut mine into pieces about 11/16 to 3/4 inch long. Those calipers are getting a workout today. Add to the holding bowl.
Now, peel some carrots. If you're cooking for my niece, Diane, don't add the carrots unless you can disguise them. Not sure why, but she doesn't like them. I cut the peeled carrots into pieces about an inch or so long. No need for the ruler. Just take a guess. If the carrots are thick on one end, you might wanna slice down the middle. Add them to the holding bowl.
Back to the pan...it should be cooking nicely. Remove the lid, and flip the roast over. If the bottom looks like it's cooking a little too fast, reduce the heat. It should, by this time, have a nice "done"look to it. Re-cover.
Look at the holding bowl to make sure it's doing its job. Give it a thumbs-up.
After an hour or so, of simmering, stick a fork into the meat. Is it getting tender? Should be. Twist the fork and see just how tender it is. Smell the escaping steam and say, "ähhhhhh".
Re-cover.
Now comes the tricky stuff.
35-38 minutes before it's time to eat, add the potatoes to the pan.
Re-cover.
30 minutes before chow time, add the celery, pepper and onions.
Re-cover.
20 minutes out, add the carrots.
Salt and pepper the veggies.
Re-cover.
Continue simmering, but you can increase the heat a little to get a head of steam working.
At the prescribed time, check the carrots. They should be TENDER but NOT mushy. If the fork cannot penetrate with relative ease, re-cover and continue cooking for a bit.
In my case, I like the carrots to have a little consistency. They should not be baby-food-mushy soft, but should be able to be stabbed, and remain on the fork.
If you want to add something else to this roast dinner, you might try some wild rice. Cook per the instructions prior to dinner. Or, some butterbeans, string beans...whatever you like...would be simply delicious.
And, if you like this recipe, please send the blog attachment to all your friends and relatives. I am keeping a count on which of my blogs people visit the most.
And, remember, in cooking...First, You Take an Onion.
Who said that. Well, I did. But, my late uncle, a boat captain, said it first when we asked him how he cooked so-and-so.
But, as with a mousetrap, there's gotta be a better way to make it, some way to add some yum to it.
Here's what I did. This time. Gotta get it down and in a file because I'm likely to forget how before next time.
I got a roast on sale. Looked pretty good. Just a plain, everyday chuck roast...though this one was, perhaps, just a wee bit thicker than a lot of those they put on sale. Had the gratutious amount of fat. Gotta have that, it adds flavor.
First, I did something I always do with turkeys before deep frying them. I injected this hunk of cow beef with a marinade. This was my first variation on my old recipe. It was a Creole and Butter marinade, but anything you like will work, too. The roast, of course, has little holes in it, but with a little gentle maneuvering, I was able to inject the marinade into several areas. Yep, some ran out, but that's ok, too.
Next, I cut several small slits with a sharp knife...about a half dozen, in all...half way through the slab of beef. I sliced two cloves of peeled garlic into wedges, and crammed the slits fill. What can go wrong, right? It gets better.
Time to rub the roast. A bit of a gentle, soothing massage? Well, not exactly. I used some of our
Double-R rub. It's our own blend of 11 herbs and spices. But, since you don't have any, you can used any rub you like. Old Bay, if you can't come up with anything else. Then, I put a bit of Worchestershire sauce on one side. Not much. And, I spread it somewhat evenly over the meat.
Add salt and pepper to both sides of the roast. Then, dust it with an all purpose flour. Not too much, you're not looking to coat with a paste; and it shouldn't be as heavy as you would a chicken for Sunday lunch.
Add some light olive oil to a large frying pan. I like stainless steel for this. Got one of those big ones for Christmas a couple years back. When the oil is sizzling hot, stick the beef in, holding it with your hands (yep, they're gonna get grimy, but they'll come clean with some water), and rotate it so that all sides are thoroughly seared.
Then, lay the meat down in the pan. Break out the sturdy tongs, or get a big fork (not one of those pansy things that can't pick up more than one little carrot at a time). After about a minute, or so, flip the roast over, and sear the other side. This will keep all those scrumptious, flavorful juices INSIDE the beef where they belong.
Remove the roast from the pan, and place it on a cutting board. Nope, it's not done. You've just got to get the pan ready for cooking.
Add a dash (maybe several dashes) of wine to the pan. I had some white that Robie had bought for her clam sauce, so that's what I used. Got some merlot, or another red? Sure, why not. I want to discourage you from using that stuff you can buy on the cooking aisle. Not good. And, if you have some leftover Ripple or Mad Dog 2020 from your school days, don't even think of using that.
The liquid will start to boil, and you should use a spoon to stir up up, deglazing the pan. Awakening all that flavor left over from the searing process.
I then added a beef "cube". You know, one of those flavored beef things. Along with a half cup of water. Or, if you prefer, use a can of beef stock.
Now's the time, before the water/stock liquid starts to boil, to add a wee bit of flour. Stir vigorously until the concoction starts to boil and the flour is part of the mix. It becomes a little thicker, and that's what I like.
Return the guest of honor to the now bubbling liquid; reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and get ready to prep the rest of the mess.
I used a large anaheim pepper çause I had several in the fridge. Any peppers you like will work just fine. Slice it, remove the seeds, and cut it into 1/4 x 3/8 inch pieces. Be sure to use an accurate ruler, maybe even calipers when you slice it (please don't tell me you're actually thinking of following that step). Dump the pepper into a holding bowl.
Peel a large onion or three. Maybe four, if you have a big roast. I sliced the onions into quarter inch slices. Add to the holding bowl. If you're feeding my son-in-law, Marty, disguise the onions. Tell him they're a new variety of potato. He doesn't like onions. No kind. No way. Sighhhh.
If you like taters, wash a few. Whatever kind you like. I washed four medium red ones, aka "new potatoes", in soap and water. Nice and clean. Dont forget to rinse thoroughly. Duh. As with the onions, I sliced them into quarter inch pieces. You didn't peel them, did you? If you did, throw them out and start over. Leave the peeling on. It's good for you.
Wash, then slice up several stalks of celery. I cut mine into pieces about 11/16 to 3/4 inch long. Those calipers are getting a workout today. Add to the holding bowl.
Now, peel some carrots. If you're cooking for my niece, Diane, don't add the carrots unless you can disguise them. Not sure why, but she doesn't like them. I cut the peeled carrots into pieces about an inch or so long. No need for the ruler. Just take a guess. If the carrots are thick on one end, you might wanna slice down the middle. Add them to the holding bowl.
Back to the pan...it should be cooking nicely. Remove the lid, and flip the roast over. If the bottom looks like it's cooking a little too fast, reduce the heat. It should, by this time, have a nice "done"look to it. Re-cover.
Look at the holding bowl to make sure it's doing its job. Give it a thumbs-up.
After an hour or so, of simmering, stick a fork into the meat. Is it getting tender? Should be. Twist the fork and see just how tender it is. Smell the escaping steam and say, "ähhhhhh".
Re-cover.
Now comes the tricky stuff.
35-38 minutes before it's time to eat, add the potatoes to the pan.
Re-cover.
30 minutes before chow time, add the celery, pepper and onions.
Re-cover.
20 minutes out, add the carrots.
Salt and pepper the veggies.
Re-cover.
Continue simmering, but you can increase the heat a little to get a head of steam working.
At the prescribed time, check the carrots. They should be TENDER but NOT mushy. If the fork cannot penetrate with relative ease, re-cover and continue cooking for a bit.
In my case, I like the carrots to have a little consistency. They should not be baby-food-mushy soft, but should be able to be stabbed, and remain on the fork.
If you want to add something else to this roast dinner, you might try some wild rice. Cook per the instructions prior to dinner. Or, some butterbeans, string beans...whatever you like...would be simply delicious.
And, if you like this recipe, please send the blog attachment to all your friends and relatives. I am keeping a count on which of my blogs people visit the most.
And, remember, in cooking...First, You Take an Onion.
Who said that. Well, I did. But, my late uncle, a boat captain, said it first when we asked him how he cooked so-and-so.
The New Week, Clam Sauce, Pecan Salmon, and Ethanol. What a combo.
Happy New Week. Yep, it's another one. Time to start over, maybe catch up on what you failed to wrap up last week.
Cute letter to the editor forwarded by my sister.
Great weekend, 'round the household. Worked Saturday at the marina where I have a part time gig, thanks to a couple nice folks. One of those nice folks even managed to score a couple tickets for my bride and me to see Jimmy Buffet in concert in Raleigh in April. Yea! Love his music, especially that from his concerts, and I've wanted to see him LIVE! but I've never done enough due diligence to make it happen. It should be fun.
Speaking of my wife...she took to the kitchen this weekend. Wow! A great tomato/clam sauce and pasta Saturday night. Yum! And, Sunday...great lunch/dinner in mid afternoon. Pecan enrusted salmon, steamed broccoli and wild rice! Double yum. Kudos to Robie. I think my mother enjoyed the salmon, too. Her plate was spotless.
Ok, enough personal stuff. Other than to say I'll be checking out, with my boss's support, my outboards, as long as it's not too, too cold this week. Gotta correct a little issue with one of those bad boys. Got a report this morning of come nice fish being landed, but they're quite some distance offshore. Long run means the engines gotta be performing flawlessly.
For you fishing types out there, whether serious or just weekend fair weather types: I'll have some news about a tournament coming up in June that almost ANYONE who (saltwater) fishes could win. Ever wanted to enter a tournament but were intimidted by those 30-35 foot, sponsor-wrapped, twin and triple outboard center consoles? Those guys fish for a living, at least many of them. And, though anyone stands a chance of snagging the Big King that'll net $20-40 K in prize money, truthfully speaking, the pros have better odds because they do it all the time.
But. It's doubtful the pros will be spending a couple thousand or more to enter the tournament of which I write. It is designed to be more "family-friendly". Entry fee will be modest, and pretty much everyone stands as much of a chance at winning as anyone else. So, stay tuned for that.
Today, as we have at least a promise of better weather sooner-than-later on the horizon, there are a few things you need to think about. You boaters, in particular. The good old EPA has approved the use of E-15. That's what we first knew as gasohol back in the 1980's. and 90's It's more commonly called Ethanol these days. To most boaters, it's known as something that I won't say here.
Until this latest EPA approval , gasoline distributors could and did load up gas stations with E-10...a concoction containing an AVERAGE of 10-percent alcohol. Boaters suffered. And, they continue to suffer.
Ethanol has some side effects that the EPA doesn't mention a lot. Boat owners, many of us, have learned about those side effects the hard way. The hard way means the expensive way.
Ethanol is a great cleaner. It will clean out the bottom of your gas tanks. All those years of regular gas deposits are broken loose. Kinda like plaque in your arteries. These deposits make their way to your engines. Not a good thing for your carbs, let me tell you.
Ok, so you have a fuel filter or two between your tanks and your carbs, right? The deposits will eventually clog those filters, and your carbs will be gas-less. Result is that you engines will leave you high and dry. Hopefully, you won't be too far from land. Hopefully, the deposits don't slip past your filters into your carbs.
And, that's just the beginning. Old gas lines don't like alcohol-laced gasoline. They tend to break down, and come apart. Again, the particles make their way, eventually, to your carbs. Another bad thing.
And, the fun continues.
Ever notice, after your motor sets up for a month or two, or more, without running, and runs pretty rough when you get it started? A lot of us just thought it was because it was "cold". Well, not totally. Good old ethanol has a shorter shelf-life than good old gasoline-without-ethanol. It begins to break down in the gas tanks when it's not used. ""Beaks down into what?", you ask. Gasoline and alcohol, that's what. Alcohol, you may recall from practical experience or from Mr. Pageant, the high school chemistry teacher, ABSORBS water. Water, being heavier than gas, sinks to the bottom of your gas tanks, and thus the cleaning begins. This water-gas mixture is what you burn (or try to burn) when you first start your motor after it's set up for a while. That's why it runs rough. If it runs at all.
This, of course, is my layman explanation. The mechanics out there have the full details. Pretty technical stuff.
Now, the EPA has approved an INCREASE in the amount of alcohol that distributors can sell. 15%, it is. Of course, there are those who say it burns hotter and is less damaging to the environment. Hotter? Perhaps. How is that going to impact your motors? Are they designed to handle hotter-burning fuel? Rocket engines can handle pretty hot fuel mixtures, but I doubt that your 2000 or earlier model Evinrudes, Johnsons, or Yamahas are going to like it so much. EPA does allow for dealers to carry lower percentage ethanol. Wonder how you'll know if what your neighborhood gas station has in their tanks is, indeed, E-10, E-15, or...as some advertise...""ëthanol free""? Maybe we should all demand ethanol-free fuel, not only for our boats, but for our cars, trucks, lawnmowers, chain saws...you get the idea. Older cars aren't capable of handling ethanol, either. Classic car owners are as unhappy as boaters.
Outboard motor manufacturers warn against the use of ethanol. Mechanics warn of the dangers. If we MUST use it, because guaranteed ethanol-free fuel is either impossible or difficult to find, then we are encouraged to use a fuel stabilizer.
Another expense, this stablizer. For 12-bucks, you can buy an additive that will "treat"128 gallons of ethanol. That means you can add another dime per gallon to the cost of gasoline for your boat. And, I'm sure that you haven't noticed any reduction in the price of gas since ethanol was introduced. I haven't. The fuel additives, I admit, are good. They're not perfect, and they won't extend the useful life of ethanol forever. Gasoline doesn't forever, either. I'm sure you've smelled or heard about stale gas over the years. When it gets old, or stale, it's octane rating goes down. Bad for your engines. But, the stabilizers will reduce the rate of degradation. Bottom line...just use it, as long as we have ethanol.
Interesting that, on the 20-meter ham band (yep, I'm one), I heard some guys in the midwest chatting just last week. They, especially a couple guys in Iowa, are thrilled with ethanol. It means they get to sell more corn. On the internet...you might have seen this...there's a story making the rounds, one that I haven't verified, as yet...that you and I, and all other taxpayers, are actually paying farmers to grow corn destined for the production of ethanol. It's a supplement. If that, indeed, turns out to be the case, I, for one, will be even less happy with our less-than-honorable legislators. You know, the ones we hired to represent us, and to protect our interest. Yeah. Those guys.
By the way, I strongly encourage you to take a sample of the fuel from the bottom of your gas tanks before the summer boating season calls you to "start your engines"". You can do this on outboards easily. Just disconnect the hose that goes into the motor, get a clean "moonshine jar", aka Mason jar, stcik a small screwdriver or nail into the little valve on the fuel line connector, and squeeze your primer bulb, pumping a pint, or so, of gas into the jar. Set it on a shelf for a couple hours, and check for water forming at the bottom of the mix. You can also check for particles or rubber or other "foreign"debris. It either is there, you might want to seriously consider taking your motor to a qualified (not shade tree) mechanic BEFORE you try to start it up. If you find water and/or "stuff" in the jar, you do NOT want it in your motor. If you don't know if water has formed, then it likely hasn't. It's about as obvious as a sunglass-and-trench-coat uniform worn by a secret service agent at a presidential event.
Sorry, Stan (not the man, the one assigned, at times, to the man).
Cute letter to the editor forwarded by my sister.
Great weekend, 'round the household. Worked Saturday at the marina where I have a part time gig, thanks to a couple nice folks. One of those nice folks even managed to score a couple tickets for my bride and me to see Jimmy Buffet in concert in Raleigh in April. Yea! Love his music, especially that from his concerts, and I've wanted to see him LIVE! but I've never done enough due diligence to make it happen. It should be fun.
Speaking of my wife...she took to the kitchen this weekend. Wow! A great tomato/clam sauce and pasta Saturday night. Yum! And, Sunday...great lunch/dinner in mid afternoon. Pecan enrusted salmon, steamed broccoli and wild rice! Double yum. Kudos to Robie. I think my mother enjoyed the salmon, too. Her plate was spotless.
Ok, enough personal stuff. Other than to say I'll be checking out, with my boss's support, my outboards, as long as it's not too, too cold this week. Gotta correct a little issue with one of those bad boys. Got a report this morning of come nice fish being landed, but they're quite some distance offshore. Long run means the engines gotta be performing flawlessly.
For you fishing types out there, whether serious or just weekend fair weather types: I'll have some news about a tournament coming up in June that almost ANYONE who (saltwater) fishes could win. Ever wanted to enter a tournament but were intimidted by those 30-35 foot, sponsor-wrapped, twin and triple outboard center consoles? Those guys fish for a living, at least many of them. And, though anyone stands a chance of snagging the Big King that'll net $20-40 K in prize money, truthfully speaking, the pros have better odds because they do it all the time.
But. It's doubtful the pros will be spending a couple thousand or more to enter the tournament of which I write. It is designed to be more "family-friendly". Entry fee will be modest, and pretty much everyone stands as much of a chance at winning as anyone else. So, stay tuned for that.
Today, as we have at least a promise of better weather sooner-than-later on the horizon, there are a few things you need to think about. You boaters, in particular. The good old EPA has approved the use of E-15. That's what we first knew as gasohol back in the 1980's. and 90's It's more commonly called Ethanol these days. To most boaters, it's known as something that I won't say here.
Until this latest EPA approval , gasoline distributors could and did load up gas stations with E-10...a concoction containing an AVERAGE of 10-percent alcohol. Boaters suffered. And, they continue to suffer.
Ethanol has some side effects that the EPA doesn't mention a lot. Boat owners, many of us, have learned about those side effects the hard way. The hard way means the expensive way.
Ethanol is a great cleaner. It will clean out the bottom of your gas tanks. All those years of regular gas deposits are broken loose. Kinda like plaque in your arteries. These deposits make their way to your engines. Not a good thing for your carbs, let me tell you.
Ok, so you have a fuel filter or two between your tanks and your carbs, right? The deposits will eventually clog those filters, and your carbs will be gas-less. Result is that you engines will leave you high and dry. Hopefully, you won't be too far from land. Hopefully, the deposits don't slip past your filters into your carbs.
And, that's just the beginning. Old gas lines don't like alcohol-laced gasoline. They tend to break down, and come apart. Again, the particles make their way, eventually, to your carbs. Another bad thing.
And, the fun continues.
Ever notice, after your motor sets up for a month or two, or more, without running, and runs pretty rough when you get it started? A lot of us just thought it was because it was "cold". Well, not totally. Good old ethanol has a shorter shelf-life than good old gasoline-without-ethanol. It begins to break down in the gas tanks when it's not used. ""Beaks down into what?", you ask. Gasoline and alcohol, that's what. Alcohol, you may recall from practical experience or from Mr. Pageant, the high school chemistry teacher, ABSORBS water. Water, being heavier than gas, sinks to the bottom of your gas tanks, and thus the cleaning begins. This water-gas mixture is what you burn (or try to burn) when you first start your motor after it's set up for a while. That's why it runs rough. If it runs at all.
This, of course, is my layman explanation. The mechanics out there have the full details. Pretty technical stuff.
Now, the EPA has approved an INCREASE in the amount of alcohol that distributors can sell. 15%, it is. Of course, there are those who say it burns hotter and is less damaging to the environment. Hotter? Perhaps. How is that going to impact your motors? Are they designed to handle hotter-burning fuel? Rocket engines can handle pretty hot fuel mixtures, but I doubt that your 2000 or earlier model Evinrudes, Johnsons, or Yamahas are going to like it so much. EPA does allow for dealers to carry lower percentage ethanol. Wonder how you'll know if what your neighborhood gas station has in their tanks is, indeed, E-10, E-15, or...as some advertise...""ëthanol free""? Maybe we should all demand ethanol-free fuel, not only for our boats, but for our cars, trucks, lawnmowers, chain saws...you get the idea. Older cars aren't capable of handling ethanol, either. Classic car owners are as unhappy as boaters.
Outboard motor manufacturers warn against the use of ethanol. Mechanics warn of the dangers. If we MUST use it, because guaranteed ethanol-free fuel is either impossible or difficult to find, then we are encouraged to use a fuel stabilizer.
Another expense, this stablizer. For 12-bucks, you can buy an additive that will "treat"128 gallons of ethanol. That means you can add another dime per gallon to the cost of gasoline for your boat. And, I'm sure that you haven't noticed any reduction in the price of gas since ethanol was introduced. I haven't. The fuel additives, I admit, are good. They're not perfect, and they won't extend the useful life of ethanol forever. Gasoline doesn't forever, either. I'm sure you've smelled or heard about stale gas over the years. When it gets old, or stale, it's octane rating goes down. Bad for your engines. But, the stabilizers will reduce the rate of degradation. Bottom line...just use it, as long as we have ethanol.
Interesting that, on the 20-meter ham band (yep, I'm one), I heard some guys in the midwest chatting just last week. They, especially a couple guys in Iowa, are thrilled with ethanol. It means they get to sell more corn. On the internet...you might have seen this...there's a story making the rounds, one that I haven't verified, as yet...that you and I, and all other taxpayers, are actually paying farmers to grow corn destined for the production of ethanol. It's a supplement. If that, indeed, turns out to be the case, I, for one, will be even less happy with our less-than-honorable legislators. You know, the ones we hired to represent us, and to protect our interest. Yeah. Those guys.
By the way, I strongly encourage you to take a sample of the fuel from the bottom of your gas tanks before the summer boating season calls you to "start your engines"". You can do this on outboards easily. Just disconnect the hose that goes into the motor, get a clean "moonshine jar", aka Mason jar, stcik a small screwdriver or nail into the little valve on the fuel line connector, and squeeze your primer bulb, pumping a pint, or so, of gas into the jar. Set it on a shelf for a couple hours, and check for water forming at the bottom of the mix. You can also check for particles or rubber or other "foreign"debris. It either is there, you might want to seriously consider taking your motor to a qualified (not shade tree) mechanic BEFORE you try to start it up. If you find water and/or "stuff" in the jar, you do NOT want it in your motor. If you don't know if water has formed, then it likely hasn't. It's about as obvious as a sunglass-and-trench-coat uniform worn by a secret service agent at a presidential event.
Sorry, Stan (not the man, the one assigned, at times, to the man).
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Drunk as a monkey, a skunk, an elephant, a warthog??? Bottom's up,ya'll.
Along comes e-mails, from time to time, that just crack me up.
Such as the one I recently recived, complete with a snippet of a French produced documentary. Below, read the info about the video. And, if you watch it, and don't find it as funny as I did, then you get double your money back.
Cheers!
This is a real video (2 min. 49 seconds) from a French
documentary about Africa . You may not understand a word, not
that you really need to.
There is a tree that grows in Africa which, once a year,
produces very juicy fruits that contain a large percentage
of alcohol. The tree is known as the "Elephant Tree,"
because elephants have a fondness for the fruit. Because
here is a shortage of water, as soon as the fruits are
ripe, animals come there to help protect themselves from the
heat.
What happens next, you can see for yourselves!
The tree is the Marula tree. You can buy a liqueur named
"Amarula," made with Marula fruit and cream.
Such as the one I recently recived, complete with a snippet of a French produced documentary. Below, read the info about the video. And, if you watch it, and don't find it as funny as I did, then you get double your money back.
Cheers!
This is a real video (2 min. 49 seconds) from a French
documentary about Africa . You may not understand a word, not
that you really need to.
There is a tree that grows in Africa which, once a year,
produces very juicy fruits that contain a large percentage
of alcohol. The tree is known as the "Elephant Tree,"
because elephants have a fondness for the fruit. Because
here is a shortage of water, as soon as the fruits are
ripe, animals come there to help protect themselves from the
heat.
What happens next, you can see for yourselves!
The tree is the Marula tree. You can buy a liqueur named
"Amarula," made with Marula fruit and cream.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Congressional Reform Act
There's an e-mail that's been making the rounds for a while that just seems to have a lot of common sense logic behind it.
It started after a lot of us got a little ticked off about the ObamaCare plan that was pretty much shoved down our throats.
If it's such a good plan, why aren't those who proposed it, and those who adopted it, using it?
What's good for the goose should be good for the gander.
Right?
So, after your read it, there's nothing stopping you from sending your thoughts to everyone you know, as well as to your DUTIFULLY ELECTED congressman and senators. There's one congressmen for your dsitrcit, and two senators that serve your entire state. You hired them, and they need to know that you can fire them. As Bill Cosby's "doct character"put it, when talking with his "son", "...I brought you into this world and I can take you out".
Proposed Congressional Reform Act of 2011
demanded it. That was in 1971...before computers, before e-mail, before cell phones, etc.
Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to become the law of the land...all because of public pressure.
I'm asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.
In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.
Congressional Reform Act of 2011
1. Term Limits.
12 years only, one of the possible options below..
A. Two Six-year Senate terms
B. Six Two-year House terms
C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms
2. No Tenure / No Pension.
A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay
when they are out of office.
3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social
Security system, and Congress participates with the American people.
4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.
5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.
8. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/11.
The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.
Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.
If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S. ) to receive the message.
Maybe it is time.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Kodachrome has disappeared
A dear friend sent me a link to a piece on the history of Kodachrome. That's the color film developed in the 1930's that is no longer manufactured or processed by Kodak. It was the original, and a standard, especially among professional photographers, for several decades.
It was THE FILM to which all others were compared.
Unfortunately, times have changed, and the end of another era has arrived.
Attached are some pictures from the late 1930's and early 40's, pictures taken with Kodachrome film.
http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2010/07/26/captured-america-in-color-from-1939-1943/2363/
I replied to my friend with some thoughts, thoughts that went beyond the demise of Kodachrome. Many of you will disagree, especially those who never mastered photography when it was an art. But, that's ok. That's why there are two ball teams playing a game. There are always at least two points of view.
I have often commented about the difference between film and videotape, and between film and digital photographs.
I was in television news when the first transition occured, dropping 16 mm film and switching to videotape.
And, of course, there's the more recent transition from film to digital photography.
In both cases, I say that videotape and digital photogrpahy have a "PLASTIC" look. It's all shiny, it's totally "perfect", and without flaws. But, it's convenient, and almost "stupid proof".
Much like fiberglass (a form of plastic) on boats.
Film has character, it has a "feel" to it. One that is totally lost with tape and digital.
Fiberglass has no character, either. Wooden boats have tons of character.
Plastic or "composite" gun stocks are without character. Give me a wooden stock any day.
Guess I'm really showing my age.
Or, perhaps it's not age, but an appreciation of fine workmanship.
Not today, though. We prefer it fast, clean, and simple.
We prefer it "without character".
That's why so many people dine at chain restaurants, shop at chain stores, buy their groceries at chain supermarkets.
They want it cheaper.
They want it now.
They get it without character.
It was THE FILM to which all others were compared.
Unfortunately, times have changed, and the end of another era has arrived.
Attached are some pictures from the late 1930's and early 40's, pictures taken with Kodachrome film.
http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2010/07/26/captured-america-in-color-from-1939-1943/2363/
I replied to my friend with some thoughts, thoughts that went beyond the demise of Kodachrome. Many of you will disagree, especially those who never mastered photography when it was an art. But, that's ok. That's why there are two ball teams playing a game. There are always at least two points of view.
I have often commented about the difference between film and videotape, and between film and digital photographs.
I was in television news when the first transition occured, dropping 16 mm film and switching to videotape.
And, of course, there's the more recent transition from film to digital photography.
In both cases, I say that videotape and digital photogrpahy have a "PLASTIC" look. It's all shiny, it's totally "perfect", and without flaws. But, it's convenient, and almost "stupid proof".
Much like fiberglass (a form of plastic) on boats.
Film has character, it has a "feel" to it. One that is totally lost with tape and digital.
Fiberglass has no character, either. Wooden boats have tons of character.
Plastic or "composite" gun stocks are without character. Give me a wooden stock any day.
Guess I'm really showing my age.
Or, perhaps it's not age, but an appreciation of fine workmanship.
Not today, though. We prefer it fast, clean, and simple.
We prefer it "without character".
That's why so many people dine at chain restaurants, shop at chain stores, buy their groceries at chain supermarkets.
They want it cheaper.
They want it now.
They get it without character.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
One of the "Good Guys"
Way, way back, about 40 years back, I worked at a family-owned, 1000 watt, daytime AM radio station. Yep, a dinosaur, these days, but a popular Top 40 station in those days. FM was still, for the most part, "elevator music". Yeah, I know. Hard to believe, isn't it?
During my several decades in radio and TV, plus a stint in law enforcement and commercial photography, I've had a lot of bosses. Depending on my position at the time, I either reported to an immediate supervisor that was a news director, a sergeant, or the general manager. It depended on where I was in the food chain.
I can honestly say that of the dozen or more "bosses" I've had, I can only recall two real jerks. The others were dedicated, hard working guys, and I had a lot of respect for them.
Back to the radio days. At the aforementioned station, our program director was always looking for promotional, for lack of a better word, "gimmicks". One that proved popular was the daily Good Guy Award. From newspaper articles, our own news stories, various civic club announcements, as well as from our listners' suggestions, we selected a "Good Guy" each day, someone with outstanding character, someone who's actions earned him/her our recognition. Not a bad thing to be airing, for sure. The actual award wasn't much, at least it didn't seem that way. Just a certificate, as I recall. Maybe a movie pass or two. But, our "Good Guys" got their names mentioned, several times each day, on the air. And, according to them, that was more than enough recognition.
Three years ago, today, 12 January 2008, I lost a friend...a boss. Karl F. Davis was, without a doubt, one of those "Good Guys". At 59, just a few months shy of his 60th birthday, this energetic man was doing one of the things he loved best. He was riding his motorcycle, along with a group of other riders, in Bladen County. It was a nice day, not too cold. As it happened, on a curve, his bike slipped off the pavement, and in attempting to regain control, he was thrown from the motorcycle. Karl did not make it.
I first met Karl about 2001, could have been 2002. My boss, at that time, introduced us, and we had dinner. Karl was applying for the position of general sales manager at the station where I was news director. I immediately took a liking to this man. As it turned out, we were born the same year, only a few days apart. The town, Wilmington (NC) was not exactly where Karl envisioned working, but, as he put it, he came for the interview because the then general manager had asked him to "just come take a look". Many times, over the coming years, Karl recalled how he called his bride, Kathleen, and told her that he'd leave it up to her, but that he just wanted her to "come for a visit", check out the place. The rest became history. They came, they saw, they liked, they settled. Karl intended to work there until he retired, at age 66. We had a bit of a deal in the works. We'd retire at the same time, on our 66th birthdays.
The folks in Wilmington, first at the station, then pretty much the entire community, came to like Karl and Kathleen. Efficient, mostly no nonsense...Karl made a difference. A great legacy to leave behind, for sure. He was easy to work with (he, like my dad, said folks didn't work for him, they worked with him), he was interested in the station's busienss, he was concerned about problems, personal and professional, that his co-workers had.
As time went by, and two general managers came and went, it was time, in late 2004, for Karl to "get the nod" from the corporate big guys. He was named general manager and took over on 1 January 2005. His personality didn't change. His style didn't change. The pressures on him did change, but he handled them well. Even though that meant spending even more than his normal extra time at work.
His commitment to the station and to Wilmington was remarkable. He showed up at station events; he showed up at weekend events where station personnel were the guest hosts (yep, reporters and anchors spend a lot of their own time at community events); he was pretty much everywhere. And, he did editorials. He didn't like it, at first, but he actually got into the swing of things. That's when he found out that he could not go anywhere, incognito. He was a star in his own right. And, his public loved him. His common sense approach to editorials, well, they just made sense. And, people loved them. I know, because I was on the e-mail stream for all comments made about the editorials.
Karl was visible at all hours of the day and night, weekends, holidays...whenever...at the station. He'd pop in, not because he had some sort of business to discuss, but...just because. He was like that. He was concerned. He was involved. He cared.
Karl had a way of managing operations that others can learn from. Involved as he was, he not only allowed, but he insisted, his department managers run their departments. He was always available for consultation, at any hour, and he almost never second-guessed a department head's decision. He was like that. He was, with a doubt, a "Good Guy".
Karl F. Davis.
1948-2008.
During my several decades in radio and TV, plus a stint in law enforcement and commercial photography, I've had a lot of bosses. Depending on my position at the time, I either reported to an immediate supervisor that was a news director, a sergeant, or the general manager. It depended on where I was in the food chain.
I can honestly say that of the dozen or more "bosses" I've had, I can only recall two real jerks. The others were dedicated, hard working guys, and I had a lot of respect for them.
Back to the radio days. At the aforementioned station, our program director was always looking for promotional, for lack of a better word, "gimmicks". One that proved popular was the daily Good Guy Award. From newspaper articles, our own news stories, various civic club announcements, as well as from our listners' suggestions, we selected a "Good Guy" each day, someone with outstanding character, someone who's actions earned him/her our recognition. Not a bad thing to be airing, for sure. The actual award wasn't much, at least it didn't seem that way. Just a certificate, as I recall. Maybe a movie pass or two. But, our "Good Guys" got their names mentioned, several times each day, on the air. And, according to them, that was more than enough recognition.
Three years ago, today, 12 January 2008, I lost a friend...a boss. Karl F. Davis was, without a doubt, one of those "Good Guys". At 59, just a few months shy of his 60th birthday, this energetic man was doing one of the things he loved best. He was riding his motorcycle, along with a group of other riders, in Bladen County. It was a nice day, not too cold. As it happened, on a curve, his bike slipped off the pavement, and in attempting to regain control, he was thrown from the motorcycle. Karl did not make it.
I first met Karl about 2001, could have been 2002. My boss, at that time, introduced us, and we had dinner. Karl was applying for the position of general sales manager at the station where I was news director. I immediately took a liking to this man. As it turned out, we were born the same year, only a few days apart. The town, Wilmington (NC) was not exactly where Karl envisioned working, but, as he put it, he came for the interview because the then general manager had asked him to "just come take a look". Many times, over the coming years, Karl recalled how he called his bride, Kathleen, and told her that he'd leave it up to her, but that he just wanted her to "come for a visit", check out the place. The rest became history. They came, they saw, they liked, they settled. Karl intended to work there until he retired, at age 66. We had a bit of a deal in the works. We'd retire at the same time, on our 66th birthdays.
The folks in Wilmington, first at the station, then pretty much the entire community, came to like Karl and Kathleen. Efficient, mostly no nonsense...Karl made a difference. A great legacy to leave behind, for sure. He was easy to work with (he, like my dad, said folks didn't work for him, they worked with him), he was interested in the station's busienss, he was concerned about problems, personal and professional, that his co-workers had.
As time went by, and two general managers came and went, it was time, in late 2004, for Karl to "get the nod" from the corporate big guys. He was named general manager and took over on 1 January 2005. His personality didn't change. His style didn't change. The pressures on him did change, but he handled them well. Even though that meant spending even more than his normal extra time at work.
His commitment to the station and to Wilmington was remarkable. He showed up at station events; he showed up at weekend events where station personnel were the guest hosts (yep, reporters and anchors spend a lot of their own time at community events); he was pretty much everywhere. And, he did editorials. He didn't like it, at first, but he actually got into the swing of things. That's when he found out that he could not go anywhere, incognito. He was a star in his own right. And, his public loved him. His common sense approach to editorials, well, they just made sense. And, people loved them. I know, because I was on the e-mail stream for all comments made about the editorials.
Karl was visible at all hours of the day and night, weekends, holidays...whenever...at the station. He'd pop in, not because he had some sort of business to discuss, but...just because. He was like that. He was concerned. He was involved. He cared.
Karl had a way of managing operations that others can learn from. Involved as he was, he not only allowed, but he insisted, his department managers run their departments. He was always available for consultation, at any hour, and he almost never second-guessed a department head's decision. He was like that. He was, with a doubt, a "Good Guy".
Karl F. Davis.
1948-2008.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
He bought the gun "legally". Bull!
The 22-year old described by oh, so, so many people as "troubled" or worse, "legally bought" the pistol he used to shoot Rep. Gifford and a host of others in Tucson last weekend.
"Legally bought"? Yep, that's what NBC's Brian Williams (and, no doubt others) reported in their Monday evening reports.
"Legally...".
Let me see, now.
First, to buy ANY firearm, whether it's a rifle, a shotgun, or a handgun, a prospective owner must fill out the required FEDERAL form. It's the one that requires one to acknwledge whether he's nuts, a drug user, or a crook.
Not sure about the third one (law enforcement says he has had "legal" issues), but from ALL reports, including said Anchor Williams' on Monday, Jared Loughner, the accused shooter, was certainly a drug user, and his behaviour can certainly be described as one that would cause me to believe he had a mental problem.
He dropped out of a community college last fall when school officials told his parents that he "...would have to get a mental health evaluation" if he was to remain in school. He had started to "...act oddly during his classes at Pima Community College, causing unease among other students."
Internet postings have surfaced, including videos "...filled with rambling statements on topics including the gold standard, mind control and SWAT teams".
Ok, Mr. Williams, please explain how this pistol was purchased "legally".
I haven't checked Arizona's state laws regarding pistol sales. But, even if "anyone" can buy a handgun there (without a state permit), then there is still the federal ATF forms that Loughner ILLEGALLY filled out. If he had admitted to being a drug abuser, or admitted that he had a mental problem, then he would not have been sold the gun.
Of course, as I and others have pointed out over the decades, this form is little more than a joke. If a crook admits that he's a crook, or a nut fesses up, or a drug user tells the truth, then they wouldn't be able to get a gun. At least, not one from a gun dealer. So, they lie. And, they commit a FEDERAL crime in the process. So, where is the ATF in all this? Instead of the agents running around intimidating legitimate gun owners and dealers, would it not make a lot more sense to do screenings of those folks who fill out federal forms? It took a matter of minutes for journalists and anyone else who googled Loughner's name to find out that he's a nut, all but certified. It certainly would have presented enough probable cause to knock on his door, perhaps even enough to snatch him up for filing a false FEDERAL application.
The point is this: we have enough laws on our books (problably too many) to take care of people like Loughner. Our problem is that we don't enforce those laws. By "enforce", I don't mean that the cops aren't doing their jobs. "Enforce", in this instance, includes the fact that our judicial folks don't do theirs.
Perhaps the ATF guys should learn from the CIA. That agency doesn't use "spooks" like they once did. Instead, they have a whole heard of geeks sitting around, looking at the internet, evesdropping on foreign cell and satellite phone conversations, monitoring broadcast networks all over the world. They are electronic snoops these days.
If the ATF would move into the 21st century, and employ little more than the same internet the rest of us use every day, they might even be able to prevent a number of senseless acts such as the one in Tucson.
The ATF forms could be entered into a data bank, and the names scanned against known or suspected nuts, drug users and the like. Some, including a lot of gun enthusiasts, will say that this is unfair. The data has already been taken, and comparing it to internet nuts will only protect the legitimate gun owners from getting black eyes every time a nut goes off the deep end.
And, the rest of us are just as guilty. In this day and time, we should express our concerns with the likes of the Loughners out there. Seems like the school did what it was suppose to do, and that was to recommend a mental evaluation. The parents? I am not sure what they did at that time. I'm not sure if they knew he had a gun, or was thinking of buying one. How about others around him? Sure seems like any number of people, after the fact, in gettting their 15 seconds of glory, say they always thought something was wrong with Loughner. Too bad they didn't come forward a bit earlier.
As a parting "shot", I have a thought or two about the extended magazine in the middle of the story, what some ill informed journalists refer to as a clip. It matters not whether it holds a maximum of 10 rounds or can hold 30. One bullet is too many if it's going to be fired at innocent people. Seems like some people feel that it's ok to shoot just one person.
A half-trained shooter, with a semi automatic handgun and a half dozen 10- round magazines, can actually reload in about a second per magazine.
Personally, I would not want to use the longer magazines. They may give the shooter a "tough look", but...pracitcally speaking...they make concealing the weapon more difficult, and they are more prone to jam than the "stock" magazines that come with the gun. Just a personal thing.
Controlling the sale of guns to legimate, law abiding citizens is not the answer.
Controlling the sale of guns, cars, or any other weapon of mass destruction, to drug users, kooks, and bad drivers should be at the top of the list.
One nut with one gun is a lot more dangerous than 10,000 law abiding gun owners, each owning fifty guns.
"Legally bought"? Yep, that's what NBC's Brian Williams (and, no doubt others) reported in their Monday evening reports.
"Legally...".
Let me see, now.
First, to buy ANY firearm, whether it's a rifle, a shotgun, or a handgun, a prospective owner must fill out the required FEDERAL form. It's the one that requires one to acknwledge whether he's nuts, a drug user, or a crook.
Not sure about the third one (law enforcement says he has had "legal" issues), but from ALL reports, including said Anchor Williams' on Monday, Jared Loughner, the accused shooter, was certainly a drug user, and his behaviour can certainly be described as one that would cause me to believe he had a mental problem.
He dropped out of a community college last fall when school officials told his parents that he "...would have to get a mental health evaluation" if he was to remain in school. He had started to "...act oddly during his classes at Pima Community College, causing unease among other students."
Internet postings have surfaced, including videos "...filled with rambling statements on topics including the gold standard, mind control and SWAT teams".
Ok, Mr. Williams, please explain how this pistol was purchased "legally".
I haven't checked Arizona's state laws regarding pistol sales. But, even if "anyone" can buy a handgun there (without a state permit), then there is still the federal ATF forms that Loughner ILLEGALLY filled out. If he had admitted to being a drug abuser, or admitted that he had a mental problem, then he would not have been sold the gun.
Of course, as I and others have pointed out over the decades, this form is little more than a joke. If a crook admits that he's a crook, or a nut fesses up, or a drug user tells the truth, then they wouldn't be able to get a gun. At least, not one from a gun dealer. So, they lie. And, they commit a FEDERAL crime in the process. So, where is the ATF in all this? Instead of the agents running around intimidating legitimate gun owners and dealers, would it not make a lot more sense to do screenings of those folks who fill out federal forms? It took a matter of minutes for journalists and anyone else who googled Loughner's name to find out that he's a nut, all but certified. It certainly would have presented enough probable cause to knock on his door, perhaps even enough to snatch him up for filing a false FEDERAL application.
The point is this: we have enough laws on our books (problably too many) to take care of people like Loughner. Our problem is that we don't enforce those laws. By "enforce", I don't mean that the cops aren't doing their jobs. "Enforce", in this instance, includes the fact that our judicial folks don't do theirs.
Perhaps the ATF guys should learn from the CIA. That agency doesn't use "spooks" like they once did. Instead, they have a whole heard of geeks sitting around, looking at the internet, evesdropping on foreign cell and satellite phone conversations, monitoring broadcast networks all over the world. They are electronic snoops these days.
If the ATF would move into the 21st century, and employ little more than the same internet the rest of us use every day, they might even be able to prevent a number of senseless acts such as the one in Tucson.
The ATF forms could be entered into a data bank, and the names scanned against known or suspected nuts, drug users and the like. Some, including a lot of gun enthusiasts, will say that this is unfair. The data has already been taken, and comparing it to internet nuts will only protect the legitimate gun owners from getting black eyes every time a nut goes off the deep end.
And, the rest of us are just as guilty. In this day and time, we should express our concerns with the likes of the Loughners out there. Seems like the school did what it was suppose to do, and that was to recommend a mental evaluation. The parents? I am not sure what they did at that time. I'm not sure if they knew he had a gun, or was thinking of buying one. How about others around him? Sure seems like any number of people, after the fact, in gettting their 15 seconds of glory, say they always thought something was wrong with Loughner. Too bad they didn't come forward a bit earlier.
As a parting "shot", I have a thought or two about the extended magazine in the middle of the story, what some ill informed journalists refer to as a clip. It matters not whether it holds a maximum of 10 rounds or can hold 30. One bullet is too many if it's going to be fired at innocent people. Seems like some people feel that it's ok to shoot just one person.
A half-trained shooter, with a semi automatic handgun and a half dozen 10- round magazines, can actually reload in about a second per magazine.
Personally, I would not want to use the longer magazines. They may give the shooter a "tough look", but...pracitcally speaking...they make concealing the weapon more difficult, and they are more prone to jam than the "stock" magazines that come with the gun. Just a personal thing.
Controlling the sale of guns to legimate, law abiding citizens is not the answer.
Controlling the sale of guns, cars, or any other weapon of mass destruction, to drug users, kooks, and bad drivers should be at the top of the list.
One nut with one gun is a lot more dangerous than 10,000 law abiding gun owners, each owning fifty guns.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Bill Mauldin. A man to remember.
What?!?
It's snowing.
Again.
ON THE COAST in North Carolina!
Please. Alert Al Gore.
Somebody has stolen his global warming plan.
Oh, well.
On to another topic.
Seems the US Post Office has gotten something right.
Very right.
This is from an e-mail making the rounds, and I'm please and proud to spread it around. I don't know the author. But, it was a man who knew Bill Maldin.
"Bill Mauldin?", you ask. Who in the world was that.
Time to listen up. And, read a little about a young cartoonist who was, perhaps, one of the biggest morale builders during all of WWII.
The story picks up...
…get out your history books and open them to the chapter on World War II. Today’s lesson will cover a little known but very important ‘hero’ of whom very little was ever really known. Here is another important piece of lost US history, which is a true example of our American Spirit.!”
Makes ya proud to put this stamp on your envelopes........
Bill Mauldin stamp honors grunt's hero. The post office gets a lot of criticism. Always has, always will. And with the renewed push to get rid of Saturday mail delivery, expect complaints to intensify. But the United States Postal Service deserves a standing ovation for something that happened last month: Bill Mauldin got his own postage stamp.
Mauldin died at age 81 in the early days of 2003. The end of his life had been rugged. He had been scalded in a bathtub, which led to terrible injuries and infections; Alzheimer's disease was inflicting its cruelties. Unable to care for himself after the scalding, he became a resident of a California nursing home, his health and spirits in rapid decline
He was not forgotten, though. Mauldin, and his work, meant so much to the millions of Americans who fought in World War II, and to those who had waited for them to come home. He was a kid cartoonist for Stars and Stripes, the military newspaper; Mauldin's drawings of his muddy, exhausted, whisker-stubbled infantrymen Willie and Joe were the voice of truth about what it was like on the front lines.
Mauldin was an enlisted man just like the soldiers he drew for; his gripes were their gripes, his laughs their laughs, his heartaches their heartaches. He was one of them. They loved him.
He never held back. Sometimes, when his cartoons cut too close for comfort, superior officers tried to tone him down. In one memorable incident, he enraged Gen. George S. Patton, who informed Mauldin he wanted the pointed cartoons – celebrating the fighting men, lampooning the high-ranking officers – to stop. Now!
"I'm beginning to feel like a fugitive from the' law of averages."
The news passed from soldier to soldier. How was Sgt. Bill Mauldin going to stand up to Gen. Patton? It seemed impossible.
Not quite. Mauldin, it turned out, had an ardent fan: Five-star Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe . Ike put out the word: Mauldin draws what Mauldin wants. Mauldin won. Patton lost.
If, in your line of work, you've ever considered yourself a young hotshot, or if you've ever known anyone who has felt that way about him or herself, the story of Mauldin's young manhood will humble you. Here is what, by the time he was 23 years old, Mauldin accomplished:
"By the way, wot wuz them changes you wuz
gonna make when you took over last month, sir?"
He won the Pulitzer Prize
He was featured on the cover of Time magazine.
His book "Up Front" was the No. 1 best-seller in the United States.
All of that at 23. Yet, when he returned to civilian life and grew older, he never lost that boyish Mauldin grin, never outgrew his excitement about doing his job, never big-shotted or high-hatted the people with whom he worked every day.
I was lucky enough to be one of them. Mauldin roamed the hallways of the Chicago Sun-Times in the late 1960s and early 1970s with no more officiousness or air of haughtiness than if he was a copyboy. That impish look on his face remained
He had achieved so much. He won a second Pulitzer Prize, and he should have won a third for what may be the single greatest editorial cartoon in the history of the craft: his deadline rendering, on the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, of the statue at the Lincoln Memorial slumped in grief, its head cradled in its hands. But he never acted as if he was better than the people he met. He was still Mauldin, the enlisted man.
During the late summer of 2002, as Mauldin lay in that California nursing home, some of the old World War II infantry guys caught wind of it. They didn't want Mauldin to go out that way. They thought he should know he was still their hero
"This is th' town my pappy told me about."
Gordon Dillow, a columnist for the Orange County Register, put out the call in Southern California for people in the area to send their best wishes to Mauldin. I joined Dillow in the effort, helping to spread the appeal nationally, so Bill would not feel so alone. Soon, more than 10,000 cards and letters had arrived at Mauldin's bedside Better than that, old soldiers began to show up just to sit with Mauldin, to let him know that they were there for him, as he, so long ago, had been there for them. So many volunteered to visit Bill that there was a waiting list Here is how Todd DePastino, in the first paragraph of his wonderful biography of Mauldin, described it: "Almost every day in the summer and fall of 2002 they came to Park Superior nursing home in Newport Beach, California, to honor Army Sergeant, Technician Third Grade, Bill Mauldin. They came bearing relics of their youth: medals, insignia, photographs, and carefully folded newspaper clippings. Some wore old garrison caps. Others arrived resplendent in uniforms over a half century old. Almost all of them wept as they filed down the corridor like pilgrims fulfilling some long-neglected obligation."
One of the veterans explained to me why it was so important: "You would have to be part of a combat infantry unit to appreciate what moments of relief Bill gave us. You had to be reading a soaking wet Stars and Stripes in a water-filled foxhole and then see one of his cartoons."
"Th' hell this ain't th' most important hole in the world. I'm in it."
Mauldin is buried in Arlington National Cemetery . La st month, the kid cartoonist made it onto a first-class postage stamp. It's an honor that most generals and admirals never receive.
What Mauldin would have loved most, I believe, is the sight of the two guys who keep him company on that stamp. Take a look at it.
There's Willie. There's Joe.
And there, to the side, drawing them and smiling that shy, quietly observant smile, is Mauldin himself. With his buddies, right where he belongs. Forever.
What a story, and a fitting tribute to a man and to a time that few of us can still remember. But I say to you youngsters, you must most seriously learn of and remember with respect the sufferings and sacrifices of your fathers, grand fathers and great grandfathers in times you cannot ever imagine today with all you have. But the only reason you are free to have it all is because of them.
Those who remembered Mauldin, I'm sure, can remember this nostalgic moment. Others, those who have not studied yesteryear, may have learned something.
It's snowing.
Again.
ON THE COAST in North Carolina!
Please. Alert Al Gore.
Somebody has stolen his global warming plan.
Oh, well.
On to another topic.
Seems the US Post Office has gotten something right.
Very right.
This is from an e-mail making the rounds, and I'm please and proud to spread it around. I don't know the author. But, it was a man who knew Bill Maldin.
"Bill Mauldin?", you ask. Who in the world was that.
Time to listen up. And, read a little about a young cartoonist who was, perhaps, one of the biggest morale builders during all of WWII.
The story picks up...
…get out your history books and open them to the chapter on World War II. Today’s lesson will cover a little known but very important ‘hero’ of whom very little was ever really known. Here is another important piece of lost US history, which is a true example of our American Spirit.!”
Makes ya proud to put this stamp on your envelopes........
Bill Mauldin stamp honors grunt's hero. The post office gets a lot of criticism. Always has, always will. And with the renewed push to get rid of Saturday mail delivery, expect complaints to intensify. But the United States Postal Service deserves a standing ovation for something that happened last month: Bill Mauldin got his own postage stamp.
Mauldin died at age 81 in the early days of 2003. The end of his life had been rugged. He had been scalded in a bathtub, which led to terrible injuries and infections; Alzheimer's disease was inflicting its cruelties. Unable to care for himself after the scalding, he became a resident of a California nursing home, his health and spirits in rapid decline
The news passed from soldier to soldier. How was Sgt. Bill Mauldin going to stand up to Gen. Patton? It seemed impossible.
Not quite. Mauldin, it turned out, had an ardent fan: Five-star Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe . Ike put out the word: Mauldin draws what Mauldin wants. Mauldin won. Patton lost.
If, in your line of work, you've ever considered yourself a young hotshot, or if you've ever known anyone who has felt that way about him or herself, the story of Mauldin's young manhood will humble you. Here is what, by the time he was 23 years old, Mauldin accomplished:
gonna make when you took over last month, sir?"
He won the Pulitzer Prize
He was featured on the cover of Time magazine.
His book "Up Front" was the No. 1 best-seller in the United States.
All of that at 23. Yet, when he returned to civilian life and grew older, he never lost that boyish Mauldin grin, never outgrew his excitement about doing his job, never big-shotted or high-hatted the people with whom he worked every day.
He had achieved so much. He won a second Pulitzer Prize, and he should have won a third for what may be the single greatest editorial cartoon in the history of the craft: his deadline rendering, on the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, of the statue at the Lincoln Memorial slumped in grief, its head cradled in its hands. But he never acted as if he was better than the people he met. He was still Mauldin, the enlisted man.
Gordon Dillow, a columnist for the Orange County Register, put out the call in Southern California for people in the area to send their best wishes to Mauldin. I joined Dillow in the effort, helping to spread the appeal nationally, so Bill would not feel so alone. Soon, more than 10,000 cards and letters had arrived at Mauldin's bedside Better than that, old soldiers began to show up just to sit with Mauldin, to let him know that they were there for him, as he, so long ago, had been there for them. So many volunteered to visit Bill that there was a waiting list Here is how Todd DePastino, in the first paragraph of his wonderful biography of Mauldin, described it: "Almost every day in the summer and fall of 2002 they came to Park Superior nursing home in Newport Beach, California, to honor Army Sergeant, Technician Third Grade, Bill Mauldin. They came bearing relics of their youth: medals, insignia, photographs, and carefully folded newspaper clippings. Some wore old garrison caps. Others arrived resplendent in uniforms over a half century old. Almost all of them wept as they filed down the corridor like pilgrims fulfilling some long-neglected obligation."
One of the veterans explained to me why it was so important: "You would have to be part of a combat infantry unit to appreciate what moments of relief Bill gave us. You had to be reading a soaking wet Stars and Stripes in a water-filled foxhole and then see one of his cartoons."
Mauldin is buried in Arlington National Cemetery . La st month, the kid cartoonist made it onto a first-class postage stamp. It's an honor that most generals and admirals never receive.
There's Willie. There's Joe.
And there, to the side, drawing them and smiling that shy, quietly observant smile, is Mauldin himself. With his buddies, right where he belongs. Forever.
What a story, and a fitting tribute to a man and to a time that few of us can still remember. But I say to you youngsters, you must most seriously learn of and remember with respect the sufferings and sacrifices of your fathers, grand fathers and great grandfathers in times you cannot ever imagine today with all you have. But the only reason you are free to have it all is because of them.
Those who remembered Mauldin, I'm sure, can remember this nostalgic moment. Others, those who have not studied yesteryear, may have learned something.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
In purging my Spam Folder today, I actually scanned the list of spammers before deleting. Every now and then, I'll find one e-mail that has found its way there inadvertently. Most often, though, I just hit DELETE and move on.
But, as I had recently placed an ad on Craigs List (hey, it's free...what do you expect?) promoting scenic photos I've taken, this spam message caught my eye:
On Wed, Jan 5, 2011 at 8:44 PM, Curtis Smith <hsiaoshenghsiuoo@hotmail.com> wrote:
Attention Cl User,
My name is Curtis Smith, Chief executive officer of Craigslist. We have recently partnered up with Apple for a one-time promotional event today, we are giving away complimentary Apple iPads to randomly selected folks who have posted an advert on Cl. You have been picked as one of our most recent winners for today. We randomly select numbers to match up with ads on Cl and your advertisement matched with our latest drawing.
We have partnered up with Apple to advertise their hottest product yet, the Apple iPad. Once yet again, we are running this campaign for one-day only. All you need to do is CLICK HERE to check out our website made for this promotion and type in your email to obtain yours for free. Simply make sure you enter your email so we can locate our records to ensure that we have reserved one for you. That's it!
Congratulations on winning a free Apple iPad (valued at $800). In case you have any question or concerns, feel free to email me back. However, you should claim your free iPad 1st to ensure one will be reserved for you before the deadline ends. We do understand that you may well not receive this e-mail until after the deadline, however, we suggest you check out the site and enter your email to see if we still have yours on hold, which we often-times do because others haven't claimed theirs in time.
Curtis Smith
CEO, C-list
(My reply to Mr. Smith)
Ok, cool.
So, you're from Craigs List. Not only "from" Craigs List, you're the CEO.
Wow! I'm privileged.
So, I would assume that you're a pretty bright person, with a position like that, right?
But. Your e-mail address: <hsiaoshenghsiuoo@hotmail.com>
Hotmail? Really?
For the CEO of Craigs List?
For the CEO of Craigs List?
And, I wonder how your "offer" ended up in my Spam Folder? Somebody, or some anti-spam software, out there is much smarter than the CEO of Craigs List?
Cool...I think I'll keep my smart spam filter and pass on your "opportunity". Makes me wonder, though, what your scam is and how many folks who post ads on Craigs List actually fall for it.
I did NOT click on the offer. There's no telling where that would have taken me. Either a scam-site, a porn site, or some site loaded with viruses, no doubt.
One more time (I say that because all of us have heard it time and again): if it sounds too good to be true, you can rest assured that it isn't true.
There are very few free rides out there. That is, unless you're an illegal alien. You didn't think I'd let this day go by without taking at least one shot, did you?
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
It's a Day to Look at Pretty Pictures
Just because.
That's why.
From time to time, I like to look back at photos I've taken. Over the past week, month, year...or longer. Not that they're great. Partially because they bring back memories. But, mainly because I like looking at nice scenes.
So...here goes. I may include some info, but I am not going to bore myself (let alone anyone else who decides to take a look) with one of those "slide shows" we were often forced to view.
That's why.
From time to time, I like to look back at photos I've taken. Over the past week, month, year...or longer. Not that they're great. Partially because they bring back memories. But, mainly because I like looking at nice scenes.
So...here goes. I may include some info, but I am not going to bore myself (let alone anyone else who decides to take a look) with one of those "slide shows" we were often forced to view.
A few snaps from 2010. Just a few of the "I have no idea how many I actually took" files. A fishing trip, if we're not catching many fish, might net a lot of pictures. Hey, if the fish ain't bitin', I gotta do something. And, as it was with a trip to Fontana, a fog bank rolled in over the stream, and there was no way I couldn't shoot. Or, even a test ride downriver and a beautiful osprey on her nest. Who could pass it up? Robie, my wife, has said one of the worst things about "being with you" is that "you're always taking pictures of me". Well...(that's all I'll say on that topic).
Point is, my camera is always with me. How many times have you said "oh, what a great picture, or it would be IF I had my camera". I guess those cell phone pictures are better than nothing. Wait! I didn't say that, did I? Actually, they aren't. That "great" shot, captured only with a cell phone camera, is so, so very limiting. Sure, you can show it to your friends. On your cell phone. Hopefully, they've got good eyes and can see it as you remembered it.
Cameras are cheap. Images are precious.
I will admit that some of my "photos for hire" assignments do allow me to have access to areas that provide better than average opportunities. I'll dig through some files and post a few from a day aboard the nuclear submarine, USS North Carolina. A day at, and below, the sea. And, some of the most feel good pictures came when I was shooting a tall ship as she was hoisting her sails, headed out to sea.
One day, soon.
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