Opaque Lucidity

Mood Ring

Kelli and I went to see 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' this evening. The story isn't world-class or especially enthralling. However, the use of colors and lighting in the film was incredible. It's not very often that we get to see beautiful images on film anymore; this movie was full of them. Even if you don't think a movie like this is for you, check it out; you'll be amazed at what color and light can do to your emotions.

By the way, I'm drinking sangria tonight. God love the Spanish!

CtrlAltDel

You don't know David Bradley, but you certainly know his work. He is the IBM programmer who coded the famous "Control-Alt-Delete" command that restarts your PC when it locks up. He's from IBM tomorrow.

Funny thing about IBM: it's full of guys you've never heard of who have invented extraordinary things. If you work for a corporation, you often have to sign over the rights to anything you invent on company time. This is completely fair, since they are paying you to use your brain for their benefit. However, it has also deprived us of the ability to properly honor the people who have helped to make our lives easier. After all, if Thomas Edison had worked for GE (if GE had existed then), you wouldn't know who he was.

Man Hands?

Sorry, I don't mean to be harsh...but damn! Do you think she could palm a basketball?

Happy

I was all set to type out a very long entry earlier yesterday, but when I woke up, our internet service (via cable) was down. I always forget how much time I spend online until it's not there to use; I guess it says something about me that I feel lost without access.

I got up early last Sunday, something I almost never do. Joe Elliot's Sunday Morning Talk Show was on, and I listened as I puttered around the house in my favorite uniform (sweatpants and a t-shirt; "Queer Eye" guys call your office). His topical question was an interesting one: Are you happy? Why or why not?

The answers both enlightened and saddened me. Most of the happy people were happy because of the simple pleasures they enjoyed. Health, family, physical comfort, faith that there is an afterlife and they're going to the good part of it and having been born in a free nation were some of the most common reasons cited for happiness. This was not surprising; almost no one is happy because they are suffering or are alone.

It was the unhappy people who were both sad and maddening. Almost all of them talked about things outside of themselves over which they have no or very little control. The economy, poverty, war, greed and the national debt were some of the stated reasons for unhappiness. No one mentioned the loss of a loved one or personal regrets. These things may be considered too personal to mention on the air; however, I think there's more to it than that.

Upon reflection, it seems to me that the happiest people I have ever known have accepted some degree of hardship as a prerequisite for living. Everyone will know sickness, everyone will know loss, everyone will know what it's like to not be making enough money. But some people have the ability, either God-given or self-taught, to take those hardships and turn them into wisdom and/or opportunities.

Unhappy people, it seems, like to point fingers. If only the government would end poverty, or create a job for me, or take care of my kids. If only my spouse were a better person or made more money. If only, if only, if only. The unhappy person also needs YOU to be unhappy; if you're not worried about cyclones in Bangladesh or the plight of the humpback whale, you're a worthless human being.

When I concentrate on my own happiness, there's something I try to keep in mind: this is the time I've been given. I was born in 1971 and I'll flicker out some time in the 21st Century. There's not a damn thing I can do about it except play the hand I've been dealt. And it's a good hand.

Something else: if all the problems of our generation were solved right now, there would still be an entirely new set of problems for the next generation. As long as there is greed in the world, there will be war. As long as one man has control of more food than another man, there will be starvation. As long as there is money, there will be poverty. But this is not defeatism; it is the realization that every generation must face its problems and try to leave the world better than it found it. While we have a war on terror that will probably not end for a generation, we have the best medical care in the history of man. Our parents gave that to us. We will leave our sons and daughters a more open world brought about by instataneous and cheap communications. We may even leave a cure for AIDS and other plagues.

My dad's very fond of saying that time goes by no matter what you're doing. You might as well spend it being happy.

Bet Your Cat Can't!

Shamelessly stolen from Terry Meiners' website.

Sell Out

NASA and JPL are missing a great opportunity to sell ad space. Look at all the flat surfaces on that rover; wouldn't a Papa John's logo look good there?

The Core of it All

As I read back through my 'blog, I realized that I promised you a list on Fridays and a little bit of history every day. Well, I guess it's not going to work out that way. I'm not as disciplined about all this as I used to be.

Anyway, I've been spending almost every waking moment since Tuesday at the hospital. Dad is doing well, although he has a long recovery process ahead of him. He and I don't talk about emotions very often, if ever, and he's certainly not in the mood to concentrate on anything that deep right now anyway. I try to talk about the world, or work, or politics, but he wants to talk about his aches and pains. I guess I would, too.

Hospitals and nursing homes have always been tough for me. Death there is routine and, in some cases, met with some sense of relief. Everyone has a fear of death, but mine is becoming acute. I guess it's about two things: I don't take very good care of myself and I'm becoming convinced that the afterlife is some sort of hocus-pocus foisted upon society to keep us in line while we're alive. I think we all know people who would commit heinous acts if it were not for the promise of eternal damnation. Well, at least I do.

Sickness and the possibility of death are great equalizers. They boil us down to our most basic components, leaving only the minimum required to be considered a human being. It's hard to be a snob when you're wearing a gown that doesn't cover your ass and people are keeping track of how much you peed out today and when your last bowel movement was. All that matters in the hospital is the body you were born with. No one gives a rat's ass what kind of car you drive.

If we, as human beings, were truly honest with ourselves, we would all live as if we were going to die---because we are. We're all dying right now, this minute. You've all heard the old addage that no one looks back on his life and wishes he had spent more time at the office. I think we can also add that no one looks back and wishes he had driven a better car, owned a bigger house, or gotten in that one last dig at the boss behind his back.

In the film "Love Actually" (yes, I saw it and, yes, it's pretty good), Hugh Grant has an opening monologue in which he talks about love. There's a great line in which he says something like, "On September 11th, none of the people who made phone calls from those doomed airliners called to tell people they hated them." I suppose it's human nature, or a societal norm, to hold back on telling people how you really feel about them. But it's my guess that every one of us, on the day Death comes calling, will wish we had spent more time telling those close to us how much they are cherished.

Emergency

The TV show Emergency premiered today in 1972. The show was about the adventures of two paramedics (Roy Desoto and Johnny Gage), who were attached to firehouse in (are you ready?) Los Angeles. The show ran until 1977, when I was six. The show must've run in reruns for a time, for I remember it very well. Our heroes would get to a crash scene, where they would inevitably call the hosptial and speak to the same doctor, a very serious-looking man with thick eyebrows and hair that meant business. Regardless of the time of day, he was there. I guess he lived at the hospital.

There are several TV shows I remember vividly from my childhood. For the most part, they have been relegated to the dustbin of history; after all, who wants to see Jason of Star Command or Whiz Kids?

When I injured my shoulder last winter, I found myself home on the couch in the middle of the day with a bottle of Hydrochodon and the TV remote. I was rolling through the channels (the day before had been spent watching the Teletubbies because I was too zoned out to move) when I stumbled on my numero uno favorite show from childhood---Baa Baa Blacksheep. And to make the day perfect, it was a marathon! Zeus be praised!

Or not. You see, BBB went off the air when I was seven. In my mind, I had built it up to be this really cool show about Pappy Boyington and his squadron of breakin'-the-law, devil-may-care Marine Corps pilots taking it to the Japs during World War Two. I still remember the opening music: "We are four little lambs who have lost our way...baa...baa...baa...(air raid siren)". It was a masterpiece from Stephen J. Cannell, the mastermind behind the A-Team .

As you can probably imagine, watching the show as an adult is, as my friend Mike would say, a suckfest. The dialogue is lame, the plots unbelievable and all the combat footage is used over and over again. The planes used for the series (Vought F4U Corsairs) look like they just rolled from the factory floor instead of resembling the slowly rusting hulks they became in real life because of the humid weather and sea spray of the South Pacific. I was crushed.

So what's the lesson here? Don't go back---to your old high school, to your old workplaces, to your hometown (unless you live there or have family there), to the ship you served on or whatever. Furthermore, don't go looking for old classmates or your old girlfriend. She's married and has children and he's bald and fat. Live in the fantasy that those days were golden and that all the people you knew are still 18. I am beginning to do this and I find that I am better for it. Now, if I could only get someone to convince me that I am still 18, all would be perfect.

Memories

Tonight is a catch-up night at work. One of the things I have been meaning to do for months is throw out two water-stained photographs which decorate my desk (There are others, but they survived my battle with a glass of water). They are digital photos, so I can print out new ones; I guess I'm just lazy. The first is of me and some fellow sailors on the day I graduated from Naval Nuclear Power School; the other is of my Texas family on the day my best friend Peter got married.

So here's the weird part, and I'll swear on a stack of Bibles a mile high it's true: the pictures were taken 10 years apart TO THE DAY. The first photo was taken on May 20, 1991; the second was May 20, 2001. Being as slow on the uptake as I am, I didn't realize this until about 15 minutes ago. And I call myself a history buff.

Hero

I didn't mention this before for a variety of reasons, but my father had one of his kidneys removed yesterday. He is fine and is doing as well as one can expect for a man who will be 71 next month. Since the kidney is probably cancerous, it had to be taken out in one piece. That means that the incision was large and will take some time to heal.

All my siblings are in town, which makes the situation much easier to handle. My mom has handled things remarkably well. I suppose 45 years of marriage, five children and great faith will do that to a person. The hardest part of this, I believe, has been seeing a man who has always been so strong and independent in so much pain. There is also a helplessness on all of our parts; we would do anything for him, but we can do nothing. My oldest sister is an RN and works in the same hospital, so having her here has been calming. It would be a much harder road without her.

I'm off to the hospital for the day. I need to write some more about this, but I find that it's very difficult and draining. We'll see.

Lag

Sorry about the last of posts. There will be more tonight; I have a lot of catching up to do.

The Sanctity of Marriage

From Jim Rome's website:

"Hey, maybe Britney Spears' quickie wedding in Vegas wasn't the best idea after all. According to a British tabloid, the skank singer dropped $500,000 on her "husband" to end the marriage. According to sources, the groom was allegedly pressured into signing the annulment papers and then given the cash. "You know in your heart that Britney didn't know what she was getting into. Take the money; it is the best deal you are going to get." Well played bit.

I am sure that everyone who is getting rich off you loved that little drunken play you made in Vegas. Good thinking....And you have to like her saying in an interview that she believes in the "sanctity of marriage" Yeah, clearly. I know that most people who believe in marriage get all tanked up, get hitched, and then have it annulled the next day. How very meaningful. She was also asked if she still had feelings for her "ex-husband". "I don't know. That's a personal question. But I do have a video coming out and it's very cool."

Well, as long as you have a video coming out. That's what matters. She is a very intelligent, well reasoned, and disciplined young woman. She should be very proud of herself. A few more magazine covers with no pants, and she should be nominated for sainthood."

Sheesh.

Today in History

Today in 1991, the first Gulf War started. Allied warplanes destroyed military and command centers all over Iraq, essentially determining the outcome of the war on its first night.

I was in Naval Nuclear Power School then. Two or three months before the war started, we had two instructors-in-training sit in on some of our classes. They had both been in the navy for a while and were pretty easy to talk to. One morning during a break, one of my classmates was reading Navy Times and had it opened to a page with a map of the Persian Gulf. One of these salty guys walks up and says, to no one in particular:

"Here's what's going to happen. These three carriers here will move to the top of the Gulf; that will be your sign that it's going to happen soon. The first attack will happen at night with cruise missles and stealth fighters being used to take out air defenses. Blah, blah, blah..."

We all looked at each other, as if to say, "Um, yeah, MacArthur, let's call in General Swartzkopf so he can write all this down." But damned if he wasn't dead on.

Awareness

Over at Pentrant's Lair, there's a great post about Americans' lack of historical knowledge. The only thing I would add to the post is that Europeans are not immune to this kind of ignorance, either; one only has to look at the present-day response to tyranny in places like France and Germany to understand that they have forgotten their own struggles.

True story: In 1998, Kelli and I went to see "Saving Private Ryan" with another couple who will remain unnamed. We arrived at the theatre early and were discussing the upcoming film. The female component of the couple mentioned that she really didn't know what the film was about. I can only convey what followed by paraphrasing the conversation:

Her: "So what's this movie about?"
Me: "Well, it's a fictional story set during the Normandy invasion in 1944."
Her: "Where's Normandy?"
Me: "It's a region of France. It borders the western end of the English Channel."
Her: "So who invaded France?"
Me: "The Allies."
Her: "Who?"
Me: "The Allies: the United States, Great Britain, the free French and Poles."
Her: "Oh."

I won't bore you with any more of the conversation. I eventually summed up the Second World War for her, knowing that 99% of it wasn't going to sink in. I found out, when all was said and done, that she had no idea where or when the war had been fought. It might as well have been fought on Pluto in the 16th century. And yes, she was an adult with a high school diploma.

To be fair, I'm a history geek. But I can't imagine going through life having so little knowledge about the world that existed before we were born. The Second World War and its aftermath affected the entire second half of the twentieth century. Had there never been a Hitler or a Mussolini or a Stalin or Pearl Harbor or Stalingrad, all of our lives would be completely different today. Isn't this worth knowing, at least a little bit?

I believe there is something deeper at work here: a lack of awareness beyond self. This is a growing problem, but one that only seems to have come about in the past two generations. It appears, at least to me, that there is a growing segment of our society that knows very little about anything that does not directly impact their daily lives. In other words, if it's not about work, kids, school or some kind of direct leisure, it doesn't exist.

That's not to say that a person's family and work shouldn't be high up on the priority list. Furthermore, most of us work eight hours and sleep eight hours a day. That leaves eight hours for everything else, not all of it free time. But consider this: someone's watching reality television and the Gameshow Network. Not to be too judgemental here, but is your grey matter being enlightened by this kind of crap?

Of course, we've done this to ourselves. Hundreds of TV channels, the internet, game consoles, etc, etc. have given us more options for our free time than ever before. 50 years ago, many cities had more newspapers than TV or radio stations. Were we smarter? Probably not. Were we more in touch with the things that really matter? You bet.

I know that some of you read my little corner of cyberspace every day. I'm going to try to include some history in every post, if nothing more than "so-and-so was born today." Please don't think I'm pulling this stuff from between my ears; I'll have to look up almost everything.

On to the Red Planet

If you watched the news yesterday, you heard the President lay out a plan for NASA: build a permanent base on the moon and send people to Mars. I have mixed feelings about this, but I heard one of George Noory's guests say something this morning that really made me think. I'll explain myself below.

As neat as I think space exploration is, my first thought when hearing about new probes and the like is, "Gee, wouldn't that money be spent better somewhere else?" This is pretty common theme on talk radio and in the press. But when you set the emotion aside and look at the numbers, you see that NASA's budget ($15.5 billion for FY2004) is tiny compared to, say, what we spend on the Department of Education ($51.3 billion requested for FY2004), a department whose purpose is somewhat vague and ever-expanding. At least I know what NASA does with its money.

As most of you know, many historians refer to the 20th century as "The American Century". George Noory's guest posed this question: "Will the 21st Century be The Human Century?". He didn't mean it in a one-world government kind of way, but rather as a way of asking if this is going to be the century when we begin to look beyond ourselves and towards a goal that can be beneficial to all mankind.

As early as 1961, JFK talked openly about his desire to set NASA on a trajectory towards exploring the entire Solar System. How far would we have gotten if the space program had continued to receive the level of funding that it did in the Apollo days? It's not beyond the realm of possibility to think that we would already have people living and working on Mars, at least for short periods. The way I see it, we have two options: we can continue to fund exploration in some half-assed piecemeal fashion, or we can set our sights on something grander that may be multi-generational. I hope we show some faith in the future and do this thing the right way.

This Space for Rent

Bob Knight is selling space on the sweater he wears during games. Right now, O'Reilly Auto Parts is footing the bill for a little patch of the General's chest. Oh, Bob, I knew you when...

The Anti-Wife

I found an interesting article about Howard Dean and his wife, Judith Steinberg Dean. I use the term "wife" rather loosely here, kind of in the same way (but for different reasons) I say that Hillary Clinton is Bill Clinton's "wife". Take a moment to follow the link above.

Let me be clear: I applaud independent women. I can't imagine a life in which my wife has to live precariously through me and my accomplishments. I believe that marriages are better when they are partnerships, not co-dependent support groups. Being the "little woman" in a marriage can lead to resentment over missed opportunities and the like. I never want my wife to think, "I could've done (insert accomplishment here) but Matt stood in my way."

That said, I believe there is a line beyond which a marriage stops being an intimate relationship and starts being an arrangement for the sake of convenience. I am by no means an expert here; everyone has to find what works for them and their spouse. But if you're running for the Presidency of the United States, shouldn't your wife at least show some interest in politics? If you have a career that requires your attention, it's commendable when you stay devoted to it. But this is your husband's chance at being the leader of the free world---isn't it a little more important than the laundry?

There is also something deeper here. I believe, maybe wrongly, that a man can be fairly judged by the relationship he has with his wife. If a man is bullied by his wife and she makes all the major decisions, then you find a man who is not overly successful in his career because he can not or will not take command decisions and responsibility for his actions. On the other hand, a man who must dominate his wife is simply an asshole who has no real authority in his life except at home because he controls nothing else.

Dean is outside these two extremes. From everything I have read about him and his comments (or lack thereof) about his wife, they have a marriage in name only. I don't necessarily have a problem with this, but when is he going to get around telling us the truth? Is he afraid that all the tolerant, enlightened liberals and other Dems out there are going to give him the boot? Furthermore, is this the kind of obfuscation you want in your candidate? I ask you Democrats out there: if you're all about openness and truth in your President, is this the guy you want? If not, you'd better get to work.

That thing is gone, that thing is gone...it will come back no more.

There was an enormous fire in downtown Jeffersonville last night. We live just a few blocks from the area as the crow flies; the air still holds the stench of burnt wood and electrical insulation. Fortunately, almost everything that burned was business-related and the fire started early enough in the evening that the weather was not below freezing (tough for fire-fighting) and people who live in the area were still awake. I have never seen so many fire trucks and police cars in one place. Jeffersonville, Clarksville, New Albany, Sellersburg and Louisville were all well represented.

Most of the buildings lost were built before the turn of the last century. The companies involved can be rebuilt with insurance money; the history this town lost tonight can never be replaced. As big a history buff as I am, I have no problem with the price of progress. Buildings must sometimes be torn down to make way for something newer or better or safer. But this fire is different---no progress was made here. Those blocks of the city will be rebuilt, but the town that my parents and my parents' parents knew will be changed forever.

I am going to go take some pictures of the area this afternoon. Part of me believes this is morbid, but no lives were lost and this is history that must be preserved. I'll post a picture or two when I get back; hopefully, it wil make you understand.

Klingon Wedding

Just click here. I'm out.

Delay

It's official; I'm not moving to days until February. The reason has nothing to do with me, but rather the company doing our data conversion and the fact that some of the client reports we produce have contained unnoticed errors for quite a while. I'm suprisingly calm about the whole thing---it will happen when it happens.

One good thing, though: I'll probably be working 7-3:30, prime hours if you plan on avoiding traffic. However, it also means I'll be rolling out of the rack at 5:30 in the AM, something I haven't done for over four years. I can already imagine that my coffee consumption is going to go through the roof.

The Battle of Linux

This will be a fairly "geek-centric" post, so I won't be offended if you want to skip it and come back later.

Ahhh, Linux. For the uninitiated, Linux is an operating system for PCs and servers, like Windows or the MacOS. When you say "Linux", you are actually talking about only the kernal of the operating system; that is, it's core components. Software companies have taken that Linux kernal (written by Linus Torvalds in 1991) and fleshed it out until it looks like something you would be familiar with. Most distributions of Linux (called "distros" by cool people) feature a point-and-click interface like Windows and are pretty easy to use. In fact, if you are willing to tinker around a bit, you can get rid of Windows entirely.

Well, not really. I've been fascinated with Linux since the mid-90's, but my affection was always from afar. It wasn't until about two years ago that I first actually installed Mandrake Linux on a spare PC I had. I used it for about a week and wasn't overly impressed. It was easy to install, but updating applications and installing new ones was a pain in the rear. I soon abandoned my little Linux project when the new apple of my eye, Windows XP, debuted in late 2001.

Enter Novell. Novell makes an operating system for servers called Netware. We use it extensively at work, so I'm slowly becoming familiar with it. Late in 2003, Novell bought Suse, a company that produces a Linux distribution. Suddenly, my hankering for some Linux action was reawakened. I actually bought a version of Suse 9.0 (you can download most distributions for free, but I wanted the manuals; go figure) and repartitioned my PC's hard drive to make room. In no time flat, I was online downloading updates and tweaking my little heart out.

Well, not exactly. My first problem was video-related---nothing that required 3D worked. I found my answer in a newsgroup posting, but it was several pages long and took me a few tries to get it right. My second problem was with a TV tuner I have on my PC: Suse completely ignored it, despite having the correct drivers. I still haven't solved that problem.

Here's my point: There isn't a Linux distribution out there that's ready for prime-time on a desktop. When I say this, I mean that most people who are competent with Windows would quickly become frustrated with Linux. It may run most of the web servers on the 'net, but if my neighbors can't use it, no one is going to buy. And without a plan to turn a profit, all the "open source" mumbo-jumbo in the world isn't going to save it.

You may now begin your flame-war. And for the record, I still have Suse on my box and I still use it.

Nattering Nabobs of Negativism

According to a recent Gallup survey, Republicans tend to be much happier than Democrats. When the people at Gallup say "Democrat", I'm assuming that they really mean "liberal", the word that none dare utter in the Party of Dean. For the sake of this discusssion, I'm going to use the "L" word, because that's who runs the party now. If you are a conservative Democrat, wake up---Harry Truman's dead. Go become a Libertarian or something.

In seeking to understand why our liberal bretheren are unhappy, we have to examine how human happiness works. We all know people who got married or had children or had an affair because they thought that was the one thing that would make them happy. Alas, they failed to understand that happiness is something that must be created within each of us. A person or thing can not make you happy. It can bring joy or elation, but that must be an expression of the happiness which already exists in our hearts. This is why severely depressed people can not enjoy social situations; there is no happiness from which to grow enjoyment of the moment.

This is the fundamental flaw of liberalism, and thus, the Democratic Party. Liberals rely on others for fulfillment and happiness. Don't believe me? Look how they react to a tax cut: "It's a break for the rich." Putting aside the fact that I received a tax break and I'm not wealthy, consider what a tax cut does: it leaves people with more money in their pockets to do with what they will. However, they are responsible for making wise decisions with that money. If it all gets spent on hookers, liquor and blow, then it's wasted. But it's your call.

In the liberal's mind, it's the government that should decide how our money is spent. They need the Big Hand to give them things in order to MAKE THEM HAPPY. But since happiness can not be ultimately derived from without, then the handouts must continue indefinitely, or a sort of depression sets in. It's like a heroin addict, except we are all paying for the drug and the needles.

The Democrats of today are filled with "If onlys". If only Al Gore had won the election. If only we hadn't invaded Iraq. If only we could all sit down, hold hands and teach the world to sing. If only, if only, if only. The problem is that, even with all these wishes fulfilled, the Dems would still have to come up with more demands. Consider Jesse Jackson: if there was suddenly an end to all racism, where would he be? Nowhere. Thus, racism must always continue. And if it is quelled, then we must change the definition of what racism is.

One more thing: if you're a Dem and you're unhappy now, just wait until November. Buy some tissue.

Grandpa Bill

I went to Grandpa Bill's funeral yesterday. He was not my grandfather, or my wife's; his title was honorary, given to him by my youngest sister-in-law. I met Bill when he was an older man, already in the autumn of his life. He was always invited to family gatherings at my in-law's house, where he would sit in the living room with his hands folded on his lap, gently listening to the conversations swirling around him. He was kind, gentle and talkative if the subject turned his way. It saddens me to think of all the opportunities I had to sit and talk to him about his life and the world and didn't. The chance will never come again.

Bill was very active at St. Augustine, our parish here in Jeffersonville. For years, he delivered Communion to the sick and shut-ins, a volunteer job that is time-consuming and often thankless. He was also very active with the parish's youth program; he lived next door to the "youth house" in his later years. I knew nothing about Bill's involvement in these activities until his final days. He never mentioned any of it, and I didn't know enough to ask.

As I stood by his grave and wished the wind would stop blowing, I tried to imagine how many people Bill had come into contact with in his 80 or so years. Easily 10,000? I guess. He lived in Jeffersonville most of his life, but, like almost all the men of his generation, he served in the military. So, considering that, maybe more---let's say 20,000 people talked to, met, or had some kind of personal relationship with Bill. That's a town full of people.

I couldn't help but think that we are like Bill. We will meet, leave, love, despise, tolerate, like or just recognize thousands of people in our lifetimes. And when we die, all that will remain of us here on Earth are those peoples' memories of us. Not all will be positive; but taken together, those memories, no matter how brief, will tell the story that was us. In my 32 years, I can say that I've probably left some pretty crappy impressions with people. But I've left some great ones, too. When all is said and done, if the image I leave is half as positive as the one Bill left, I'll be able to say I did OK.

Steve Irwin, Idiot

Top 5 Computer Annoyances

With this screwy holiday week, I almost forgot that it's Friday night. Thus, I will now inflict another Top 5 list on you. So here, in no particular order, are my Top 5 Computer Annoyances:

1. I am forced to use Windows. I know I'm going to hear from some of you hardcore Linux types now, but let's face it: if you want to game or bring home stuff from work, you have to own a box that runs Windows, at least with some sort of emulation software. It's Bill's world; we just use it.

2. Everything is made in China. I realize this is not exclusive to PC hardware, but it's beginning to bother me more and more. I read somewhere that 80% of the motherboards in use now on the planet were made in a 100 square mile area of China in some huge industrial park. Scary. Hey, Wal-Mart: if you would get off your sorry, country-stupid, undercutting, screw-the-little-guy ass and put the word out that you want to sell a Made in the USofA PC for $399, someone would start building them.

3. My computer is more secure than my home. I run anti-virus software (AVG) and two anti-spyware utilities (Spybot Search & Destroy and Ad-Aware). My wireless router has a firewall and the wireless connection to our laptop is encrypted. I shouldn't have to do any of this. Remember when the Internet was going to be a Panacea of free stuff and good will? Well, it turns out that it's more like Compton after the Lakers win the championship. What these script kiddies and anarchists don't realize is that they are going to end up screwing it up for everyone with more and more government regulations, all done in the name of protecting us.

4. PCs are still too complicated. I understand PCs very well. But I'm a computer geek, not someone who just wants the damn thing to work so he can get his e-mail and surf the Web. There is still no PC for the average user; everyone I know who owns a PC has had to hire someone to come fix it at one time or another (except my parents, who I owe for putting up with me for so long).

5. The IT industry is going to do away with my job. In another 15 years, most companies' networks will consist of something the size of a shoebox that only has to be plugged in and turned on. I guess I'll go back to working on turbochargers.

Montecassino

During the campaign to retake Italy in early 1944, the Allies ran up against formidable German defenses known as the Gustav Line. The Germans intended to stop the Allies from taking Rome, a move that would be both a strategic and political setback for Germany.

One anchor point for the Gustav Line was the Abbey of Montecassino, an enormous monastery that sat atop a mountain and had a commanding view in every direction. The Germans were using the Abbey as a base for their artillery positions, a move which slowed the Allied advance to a crawl. The American and British generals on the scene had a real moral dilemma on their hands: try to take the Abbey on the ground (less building damage but more casualties) or bomb the Abbey out of existence. The Abbey had been plundered, burnt and rebuilt several times in its 1500-year history, but a modern strategic bombing campaign would certainly mean its total destruction.

By February, 1944, the situation had come to a head. On the morning of the 15th, Allied bomber pilots were given their orders. In almost every unit, Catholic chaplins explained to the men that the Pope (Pius XII) understood the situation and had given his "blessing". Squadron commanders gave Catholic pilots the opportunity to skip the mission (this may or may not have happened everywhere), although it is doubtful that many of them did. The heavy bombers went in first, with the medium bombers following up to hit specific targets. The Abbey was turned to rubble, with almost nothing left standing.

As a long term plan, the bombing of Montecassino was a blunder. The Germans were able to put up an effective defense, even in the rubble. Eventually, it took British and American troops scaling the heights and fighting the Germans on the Abbey grounds to bring the battle to an end. Unbeknownest to Allied planners, hundreds of civilians were living at the Abbey; most of them died in the bombing. After the war, the Abbey was rebuilt to original specifications and can be visited today.

So why do I bring this up? Because of this story from Reuters about a US raid on a mosque in Iraq which netted weapons and explosives. Ironically, the Sunni Muslims present were upset that the Americans wore shoes in their shrine. I guess hiding weapons is OK, but bare feet are a must.

I guess it grates on me at some level that a 1500-year old Catholic monestary was bombed to dust 60 years ago, but it doesn't get much play in our history books. However, western news media (Reuters is British) run with the story of a raid on a mosque (which was hiding weapons) and make it look like there is some sort of moral parity between radical Muslims with guns and the American military. Did anyone get a word with the local Abbot in charge of Montecassino in 1944? If so, did he curse the Americans and say that the artillery was only there for self-defense? Why is no one pointing out the absurdity of these anecdotal stories?

Still Waiting...

Well, Happy New Year, albeit 24 hours late. Kelli and I went out with friends last night (I drove and, thus, stayed sober) and had a very, very good time. I had the opportunity to talk with some old co-workers and the experience was pleasant. I miss those guys more than I ever thought I would.

While driving home last night, I began thinking about all the nifty technology I thought we would have by now. I remember being 10 or so (1980ish) and wondering what the year 2000 and beyond would be like. I was big into space exploration then so most of my thoughts concerned that. Here's a sample:

1. Moon base. I don't know why we need a base on the moon (maybe mining or specialized manufacturing), but it sure sounds cool. The way things are looking now, the Chinese will have one there before we do.

2. People living in orbit. Picture a giant bike rim and you know what I'm talking about: gravity, lush gardens, magnetic vehicles and the like, all stuffed into a giant space station.

3. Cars that fly. Am I asking too much here?

4. People visiting Mars. Back then, it seemed logical that we would be sending people to the red planet. The psychological issues of being cooped up for years with other human beings in a metal tube escaped me.

Actually, all these things are possible right now to some degree. We don't have them because of economics or lack of desire on the part of the populace. And if you think about, wouldn't flying cars be a nightmare? And who would live in orbit? And why send a human to Mars when we can send robots?

On a different note, I had a rather disturbing dream last night. It was one of those quick flashes of a dream that comes when you're in that twilight between wakefulness and sleep. I was looking at a map or satellite photo of the Earth. The North Pole icecap was huge, covering most of Canada and Russia. Near the South Pole, the icecap was larger than normal, but not quite as pronounced. Between Australia and South America was a land bridge that looked like a giant sandbar. I couldn't see the entire map, so I don't know if there were other "dry spots" in the oceans.

Not being much of an oceanographer, I had to look up a topographical map of the ocean floor in that area to see if the Pacific is more shallow there. Sure enough, there is a ridge line that starts south of Australia and runs to the tip of Baja California. At one point, it splits off and runs to Peru/Chile (it's hard to tell). However, I'm sure that the ocean is thousands of feet deep in this area. For such a low water level to occur, water would have to accumulate somewhere like the icecaps and that cap would have to be hundreds of miles thick. This is all pretty unlikely unless something catostraphic happens, but it shook me up a little.