Random Contact

Abortion: A Different Viewpoint

2012-01-18T23:50:00.000-06:00

The anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision is coming up. Because this is an election year, the abortion issue will be on people's minds again, at least for a while. The debate will flare up again, with both sides putting forth the same old arguments. Very few minds will be changed.

I gave considerable thought to this issue before I made up my mind. I also did something that few people have done - I have read the Roe v. Wade decision for myself, to see what it actually said..

As a result of this effort, I have developed a view of abortion that I have not heard anyone else espouse. I don't think that Roe v. Wade needs to be overturned. I believe that Roe needs to be ANSWERED.

I say this because the Roe decision applied directly to only one law in one state, Texas. Because most abortions laws had the same basis, the states with similar laws considered them invalid and unenforceable.

What was the basis of the Texas law? The health of the mother.

The Texas law was written in the 1830's, before it joined the Union. Most of the states that had anti-abortion laws wrote them around the same time, and for the same reason.

Abortion was a dangerous procedure back then. Many women died, if not from the procedure itself, then from complications.

By the middle of the 20th Century, medical practices improved enough that abortion could be performed without threatening the life or health of the mother. So, the basis of the law was no longer valid. We do not need laws without a sound foundation.

Now, you might be thinking that I have just made the case for abortion rights. However, the Roe decision did say something that makes me say it needs to be answered.

The Roe decision did say that the state (that is, the government) had an interest in protecting life. It stopped short of recognizing an unborn child as a person covered by the Constitution. That leaves us the issue of personhood.

How can we establish personhood for an unborn child? The answer is simple. Establish identity and you establish personhood. The only way to establish identity for the unborn is through DNA.

Whenever an egg is fertilized, the DNA of both the male and the female combine to form a new DNA pattern. Because the new DNA contains parts of both parents' DNA, it can be matched to both. But it cannot not be matched to only one. Therefore, the argument that the fetus is part of the mother's body is invalid. If it were, it would have her DNA and only her DNA.

It is this property of DNA that allows law enforcement to identify murder victims and murderers, rapists and other criminals. DNA is often used to settle paternity disputes as well.

In light of this, the best way to end abortion would be for some state legislator in a pro-life state to write a law recognizing the unborn as persons with the right to life under the Constitution. Once such a law is passed, signed, and tested in the Supreme Court, then other states will begin to enact their own laws. When enough states have passed such laws, then a movement could be made to pass a Right To Life Amendment.

I could say more, but that explains the core of my perspective on this issue.

Sept. 11th Memories

2011-09-12T19:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Many have shared their memories of that day. Here's mine:

I was sleeping in. Mom was in the front room, but she didn't have the TV on. She was probably reading. The phone rang, and that's what woke me up.

The call was from one of Mom's friends. Most of the times when this particular friend called, Mom would talk to her for a long time. But Mom soon hung up and turned on the TV. A few moments later, she came to my room to tell me that I needed to see what was on TV.

At that time, only the first plane had struck. Most of the speculation then was that this was an accident. But when the second plane hit, we all knew this was probably a deliberate act.

The collapse of the towers stunned me. I'm not sure what I felt at that time, but I do remember thinking about all the live that would be lost. I knew it would be in the thousands.

We watched the coverage for several hours. I believe after a couple of hours the government confirmed that this was a terrorist attack.

That afternoon, when I went to the post office to get the mail, traffic was unusually heavy for the small town I live in. The gas pumps at both convenience stores were busy. Police were also quite visible.

When I heard that terrorists were behind the attack, I immediately thought of Saddam Hussein. Being that he was a dictator, and had control of not only the Iraqi Air Force, but also Iraqi airlines, I thought he would have the knowledge to think up the plan for this attack. As it turns out, Al Qaeda was behind the attack.

In all that has happened since then, I know that mistakes were made in our efforts to combat terrorism, but we must be doing something right, because we have not had another attack on that same scale.

Storm Warnings and the Public- Revisited

2011-04-29T23:30:00.002-05:00

Once again this country has seen a major tornado outbreak, with lives lost, many injuries, and millions (possibly over a billion) dollars worth of property damage. Many people have posted their feelings, and even though I haven't yet shared mine, I do feel the same sadness that others feel.

Because of the high number of deaths, I wouldn't be surprised if the government conducts a study on why so many peopled died. If they don't, they should.

I'm sure that once again warnings would become a major issue. I've posted on this before:

Storm Warnings and the Public

Storm Warnings Revisited - Someone Must Have Listened

I'm not going to rehash those comments here. I don't think I would change much of what I've already said. But I have new thoughts on the issue.

The NWS constantly seeks to improve and to increase the lead time of its warnings. That doesn't need to change, but even with tight budgets, those efforts should receive the most funding we can afford. I believe that the approach to educating the public about watches and warnings does need to change.

I have noticed that several states will have a Severe Weather Awareness Week in conjunction with the NWS. I believe that we need a national campaign as well, to reinforce the state and regional efforts, and to get the attention of more of the general public. I'm not sure if we need a long campaign every year, but a week-long campaign once every 3 - 4 years, with short campaigns of 3 days every year in-between would go a long way towards making the public more aware of the need to keep an eye out for weather hazards. These campaigns need to target schools as well as the general public.

In addition, the way watches and warnings are described need to change. People need to know that warnings are ACTION statements - that if you are in an area named in a warning, you need to do something to ensure your own safety, and the safety of family, friends, co-workers, etc. Watches are only ADVISORY statements - that the NWS sees that severe weather is possible in the watch area, and you should monitor the media for warnings, or keep an eye open for threatening conditions at your location.

So far, the Awareness campaigns I have seen have been conducted by state authorities and local NWS offices. The only time I see a non-government entity involved in a campaign, is when McDonalds does their McReady program, or a local radio or TV station puts on a campaign targeted at their audience. This doesn't mean that non-governmental organizations don't conduct any campaigns, it's just that I don't know of any. I know the American Red Cross publishes booklets and pamphlets about severe weather, but I don't know if they have an organized effort to promote severe weather awareness. A campaign involving NGO's, such as the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, ham radio clubs, neighborhood or homeowners associations, etc., could have a bigger impact because the public might see these people as ordinary people and not as bureaucrats and politicians that want to tell people what to do.

I'm not sure of what else could be or should be done. But I do know that we do need to do something different. Too many people are dying needlessly.

Tulsa Amateur Radio Repeater Club Organization?

2011-04-19T17:28:00.003-05:00

I have received several emails the past couple of days concerning rumors of a merger between the two major ham radio clubs in Tulsa - the Tulsa Amateur Radio Club, and the Tulsa Repeater Organization. No official talks are going on, yet, but some of the responses seem to favor the idea.

I have seen and heard people express a desire for a merger before. I can see why people would like to see it happen. When I became a ham back in 1997, a lot of friction and competition existed between the clubs, despite a large number of people belonging to both. Over the years, the clubs have cooperated more and more. It started with the clubs combining efforts on the Skywarn program. The response to Hurricane Katrina also brought increased cooperation between the clubs. The last few years have seen combined Field Day operations. With clubs struggling all across the country to keep members, they can't afford to waste their efforts. I believe Abraham Lincoln said that you can't build yourself up by tearing someone else down. Combined efforts accomplish more.

I too, would like to see a merger. But I have my doubts.

The clubs have different structures and attitudes, for starters. Then they would face issues of what to do with club repeaters and other equipment, callsigns, websites, newsletters, how much for club dues, etc. Working out all these details will take time to come to a solution everyone will be satisfied with, that is, if the clubs are to do a merger of their structures. Alternative approaches would be to hammer out a new structure, or for one club to fold and donate all its resources to the other. Hmmm, lots to think about... (chin-rubbing emoticon would go here if I could post one)

I do have one suggestion for now. Base the structure on the principles of the Incident Command System. The ICS is a proven organizational tool. We don't have to have the same structure as ICS, just use the same principles the ICS is based on.

Christ In Christmas

2010-12-10T21:48:00.003-06:00

Currently, the Tulsa area, a controversy is going on that is tied to a trend that has been going on for several years. Businesses, schools, and other organizations have replaced 'Christmas' with 'holiday' in the names of their December events, and Christians have resisted this by saying that Christ shouldn't be taken out of Christmas. The local flare-up is over the decision of U. S. Senator James Inhofe, a Tulsa resident, to not ride his horse in this year's parade because the organizers changed the name of the event.

Of course, many criticize him, saying he is close-minded, bigoted, and failing to represent all the people of Oklahoma. But they say this about him no matter what he does or says. Unless Inhofe changes into a liberal Democrat (he is one of the most conservative Republicans in the Senate), he will never please them. Even then, I believe they would remain suspicious of him, just waiting to pounce on him with venom and vigor if he ever again expresses another conservative or traditional thought.

On the other hand, many have applauded him for taking a stand for Christ.

Me? I'm kind of in the middle on this one.

I am glad when anyone takes a stand for Christ, however I do think that he could have taken his stand in a better manner.

Why make an issue of the parade's name? Does this really matter? In this case, maybe not.

Who decides what the parade is called? Whoever puts in on.

I tried to search online to see who that is, and apparently the parade is put on by its own organization. This organization might be an offshoot of the Jaycees, because they were mentioned in a sponsorship application I found. The parade director said the organization is not a religious one, and the parade is just a community event.

Why should we expect a non-religious organization to name their event with a Christian name, just because they called it a Christmas parade in the past? It's their event, they're not a Christian organization, and they have the right to name it whatever they want.

If the outfit behind the parade was a Christian organization, and they changed the name from 'Christmas' to anything else, then they could be taking Christ out of the event. They could also be trying to cover up the Christian nature of the event, a "bait and switch" approach to presenting the Good News of Jesus. Wouldn't that be a really spiritual method!?

Now, I have to admit I have a different perspective on this "Christ in Christmas" business anyway. You see, I'm not sure that Christmas was about Christ to begin with.

Much has already been written and said about how most Christmas customs have pagan origins, and how Christmas occurs on the same date as ancient pagan festivals (Saturnalia in Rome, Yule in Nordic lands). Did the Church do this to make it easier for pagans to believe in Jesus, or to make it easier for the Church to absorb pagans?

Of course, this doesn't mean that pagan customs can't be "saved." See what I wrote about the gittith in my Christmas Meditation post. My contention is that if Christmas is about Christ, it is so only when we make it that way. This is true for individuals, families, churches, whoever.

If Sen. Inhofe wants Christ in the Tulsa holiday parade, he should ride in the parade carrying a Christian flag, or a banner that says "Jesus Is The Reason For The Season."

A New Type of Primary Election?

2010-07-28T23:24:00.004-05:00

Tuesday was primary election day in Oklahoma. That night I looked up the election results online, and also read the comments posted by other readers. Of course, there was the usual back-and-forth about Republican vs. Democrat, liberal vs. conservative views, plus comments on open vs. closed primaries.

On the primaries issue, both sides have a point. In a closed primary, independent voters can only vote on non-partisan offices (judges) and issues (state questions, bond issues, etc.), so a candidate favored by independents could be eliminated and the independents wouldn't have a say in the matter. In an open primary, voters in one party could unfairly strengthen a weak candidate that their own party's candidate can defeat easily.

So, I was thinking, why not a new type of primary? One that allows independents to vote on party candidates, but would not allow voters in one party to vote on the candidates of the other party. I guess you would call it a semi-open primary.

Here's the way it would work:

If you are a member of a party, you get your party's ballot that lists ONLY your party's candidates, candidates for non-partisan offices and non-partisan issues. If you are an independent voter, you get a ballot that lists ALL candidates for all contested offices (including the independent candidates), and non-partisan issues. This will allow independent voters to show their approval of partisan candidates.

Independent candidates must get ten percent (10%) of the vote to continue on to the general election. This will save the cost of added names of candidates that have no real chance of winning or influencing the outcome of an election.

I know this last part will put extra pressure on independent candidates to get out and campaign early, instead of waiting until after the primaries to make a strong effort. But isn't the purpose of a primary election to eliminate candidates? Why not eliminate independent candidates early? I also think it's a fair trade-off for allowing independent voters to vote on partisan candidates.

Besides, strong independents actually tend to muddy up general elections. Remember Ross Perot in 1992 and 1996? He drew voters away from the Republican candidates those years. Democrats tend to think of Bill Clinton as their party's savior after 12 years of Republicans in the White House, but the truth is that Perot was the deciding factor. The same thing happened in the 2002 Oklahoma governor's race. Brad Henry won that year because independent Gary Richardson drew votes away from Steve Largeant. If an independent candidate is strong enough to get past the primary, then that will alert the parties that they must account for that candidate and not focus on each other. Remember Jesse "The Body" Ventura?

Will this ever become a reality? Probably not, but hey, a blog is where people can put their thoughts out there for others to see and maybe discuss. And, you never know who will read this and start a move to make it happen...

C'mon, sir, jump through this hoop...

2010-04-29T20:28:00.002-05:00

I feel as if I have been jumping through hoops since mid-September. I won't go into details , but my mother went into the hospital, then to a nursing home. I had to become her power of attorney so I could manage her affairs.

To get her into the nursing home required getting verification of skilled nursing coverage. Once that coverage ended, I had to get her qualified for Medicaid. That's where most of the hoop-jumping occurred.

Then she got automatically enrolled in Medicare prescription coverage. The company managing the program said I could get a refund for pharmacy bills already paid. I submitted a claim, but it was denied. I can resubmit with extra documentation.

Mom did get approved for Medicaid, but now the nursing home takes most of her income. That means that I am left to pay utility bills and buy groceries that she used to take of. Lately, my income hasn't been as high as it once was, so I have applied for Social Security disability and SSI benefits. I've also been seeking help with some of my own health issues. So, some of these hoops I've been jumping through have been for myself.

I'm not looking for sympathy. I just want my story to serve as a warning to others to not let problems grow too big to handle. Also, I'm wondering, if I have to jump through all these hoops now, how many more will be added when Obamacare takes effect.

Storm Warnings Revisited - Someone Must Have Listened

2010-01-14T20:32:00.002-06:00

Almost 2 years ago, I wrote a piece about severe thunderstorm warnings, and how I thought that the public tends to disregard warnings because the warning criteria were too low. The low criteria caused too many warnings issued where the storms did no damage. People came to expect that storms wouldn't do anything serious, and then when a damaging storm did occur, no one expected any damage would happen. If you want to see the entire post, you will find it here:

http://randomcontact.blogspot.com/2008/02/storm-warnings-and-public.html.

Well, someone must have listened. It doesn't matter if they listened to me or to the others out there that have said the same thing, but someone must have listened. Here's an excerpt from an NWS Public Information Statement:

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING CRITERION FOR HAIL CHANGING...

TO: SUBSCRIBERS: NWS PARTNERS...USERS AND EMPLOYEES

Area
SUBJECT: NATIONAL CHANGE IN MINIMUM HAIL SIZE CRITERION

Description

FOR ISSUING SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING /SVR/
AND SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT /SVS/ PRODUCTS
EFFECTIVE JANUARY 5 2010

EFFECTIVE TUESDAY JANUARY 5 2010 AT 0001 COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME
/UTC/...601 PM CST JANUARY 4 2010...ALL NWS WEATHER FORECAST OFFICES /WFOS/ WILL OPERATIONALLY CHANGE THE MINIMUM HAIL SIZE CRITERION USED TO ISSUE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING /SVR/ AND SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT /SVS/ PRODUCTS FROM 3/4 INCH /PENNY/ DIAMETER OR LARGER HAIL TO 1 INCH /QUARTER/ DIAMETER OR LARGER HAIL.

NO CHANGE IS BEING MADE TO THE SVR AND SVS PRODUCT WIND CRITERION OF WIND GUSTS EQUAL TO OR IN EXCESS OF 50 KNOTS /58 MPH/.

I will be watching things this spring to see how effective this change will be. Stay tuned for further details.

Winter & Spring Weather

2009-12-29T22:14:00.003-06:00

Snow began falling on Kiefer OK this afternoon (29 DEC 09) a little before 5 PM, and it is still coming down. This is on top of what remains from the Christmas Eve Blizzard. Both the current system and the blizzard moved SW to NE. Doesn't that sound familiar?

The systems that create the strongest severe springtime thunderstorms usually travel the same direction. What causes this is a trough will set up to the west of the Great Plains, and this makes the jet stream dip to the south around the trough, creating a "valley" or "long wave" in the jet stream pattern. As the jet stream flows from SW to NE, it sets up smaller low pressure centers that move along the jet stream. These "short waves" become the nuclei of severe weather systems.

Reports came out earlier that an El Nino was forming. El Ninos change weather patterns. If an El Nino is responsible for the current pattern, it might persist into and throughout the spring. We could be in for an active severe weather season in 2010.

Critical Communications

2009-12-21T13:51:00.003-06:00

This post has been 39 years in the making.

In my sophomore year in high school, I took a half-year speech course, and I flunked it. I flunked because I was shy.

I was never very athletic as a kid, so I tended to read a lot. I guess that contributed to my shyness. But it also meant I tended to get good grades, and I didn't like flunking. So, I retook the course the next year and passed. In my senior year, I took Speech II, a full year course that explored more than the usual speechmaking. We had debates, and tried different things related to speech.

Thus began my development as a communicator.

The next big step came on 23 JUN 74. That's the day I joined an Oklahoma Army National Guard infantry unit. I signed up for communications. For 4 of the next 6 years, I was a 'commo' man.

Started as a field wireman, and ended as a field radio mechanic. Before they sent me to Fort Leonard Wood for basic training and the field wireman's course, I went with my unit to summer camp. There I learned the basics of organizing communications in a front line combat unit.

That knowledge proved helpful in my most significant military experience. It was during my last summer camp during the last two weeks of May, 1980. Earlier that year, Fidel Castro opened up Cuba's prisons and mental institutions and let anyone go that wanted to leave the country. It was an easy way for him to deal with political prisoners, and temporarily relieved him of the burden of caring for hardened criminals and the mentally ill.

Many of those "boat people" wound up at Ft. Chaffee, AR, where my unit usually went for summer camp. We went there, but not to the barracks. Most of the barracks were full of Cubans being processed, so the engineers set up tents for us on a ridge southwest of the main post.

During the second week of summer camp, our unit would go out to the countryside for a 3-day field training exercise. That year, only the rifle, mortar and TOW sections went.

One night during the FTX, I heard the battalion commander call for the company commander on the battalion radio frequency. When the battalion commander couldn't raise him, I got on and asked why he wanted the company commander, and if I could help. The battalion commander said that some Cubans had gotten out of the refugee compound and were trying to reach a highway.

He needed some troops to go help bring them back to the compound.

I said I'd do what I could. I got on the company radio frequency and contacted the captain. I told him that the colonel tried to call him on the battalion frequency, and he needed some troops to help round up some Cubans that had gotten loose from the compound. The captain thanked me for the information and said he'd contact the colonel on his frequency.

Ten or fifteen minutes later, trucks and jeeps full of troops rolled into our encampment, stirring up a lot of dust and noise. The troops unloaded, stowed away their excess gear, loaded back onto the trucks and jeeps and headed out again.

During those years I was in the National Guard, I also got in on the CB craze. This was when CB radios had only 23 channels, and you had to have a license to operate one. My call sign then was KEG9546. I won't say what my handle was, jus that it was an old nickname from when I was much younger and had an embarrassing problem.

After the National Guard, I developed an interest in writing. Except for a few courses required to obtain associate degrees in computer science and mathematics, I am mostly self-taught. I have written a few pieces for a company newsletter and a church bulletin.

I obtained the associate degree in math because of my interest in weather. I wanted to go to Oklahoma University to become a research meteorologist. The math degree at Tulsa Community College most closely matched the course requirements for the OU meteorology degree.

After obtaining that degree, I decided to get involved in storm spotting and ham radio. In January of 1997, I attended a spotter training session sponsored by the Tulsa Amateur Radio Club. There, I learned about the Creek County Emergency Management spotter program, and a book I could study to pass the ham radio license test.

In March, I passed the test at the Green Country Hamfest, held that year at the Tulsa Convention Center, and the FCC issued me the callsign of KC5ZQM.

Since becoming a ham, I have reported on storms for both Creek County Emergency Management and the National Weather Service office in Tulsa. I have participated in dozens of public service events such as bike rides and foot races. When hams provide communications support these events, they have an opportunity to practice for emergency or disaster communications.

I have not only participate in these events as a communicator, I have organized the communications support when I was Activities Chair for the Tulsa Repeater Organization. In that capacity, I helped to recruit and organize the response by hams in the Tulsa area to the Hurricane Katrina disaster. I also wrote the article about it that appeared in the March issue of QST magazine, the official publication of the national ham radio organization, the American Radio Relay League.

From my experience in military, civil emergency management, and ham radio communications, I have come up with a concept I call Critical Communications. Critical Communications is when communications is essential to the management of a critical situation such as combat, a disaster, or in an emergency.

The most important thing to remember in Critical Communications is the communicator's job. The communicator's job is to make sure the right information reaches the right person or place at the right time by the best means. That sounds simple, but it bears a closer look. I will break it down phrase by phrase.

"To make sure." This is the responsibility of both the sending and receiving stations. Both must maintain contact until until they are sure a correct copy of the information has been transferred.

"The right information" is clear, complete, and concise. "Clear" means the information is not vague, accurate, and true. It does not present speculation as facts. "Complete" means that you leave nothing out. "Concise" means that you do not include unnecessary details.

"The right person" is the person who needs the information to make a decision, or the person who needs to act on the information. Sometimes you can't directly send the information to the right person, so you have to get it to the right place, where someone there can pass on the information to the right person.

"The right time" is when the right person can still act on it.

"The best means" are the methods or channels for passing the information that allow you to best fulfill all the other aspects of this job. I have heard some comment that two-way voice radio is not an efficient use of bandspace. But sometimes it is the best means. It requires no dialing, encoding or writing down anything before you begin. You key up and you talk. You only have to wait for the receiving station to answer before you start passing information. However, if you have a large amount of information, or if the information is of a sensitive nature, you should use another means.

I could elaborate more on each point, and maybe I will, but this is enough for now.

Pecuniary Interest, Ham Radio & Public Safety Workers

2009-11-02T21:41:00.002-06:00

The current hot button issue in ham radio involves pecuniary interest, public safety employees, and training drills. FCC regulations state that ham radio operators cannot operate if they have a pecuniary interest in doing so. That means hams can't get paid for transmitting.

From time to time, public safety agencies will hold drills where their employees who are hams will use ham radio as part of the drill. The FCC has determined that that is against the regulations, and they will start enforcing the regulations.

The conflict is that volunteers are not constrained by this regulation, and so hams are free to drill and train as much as they want or they can under the ARES banner. Other regulations restrict RACES training activities to one hour each week. If employees cannot train using ham radio frequencies, equipment and procedures, they will have difficulty integrating ham radio into a real emergency or disaster situation. Time and time again, for close to 90 years now, ham radio has gotten the message through in many situations when normal public safety communication channels would not work. It would be a shame to have a resource available, and not be able to use it because of some regulation.

For those interested in this issue, I would like to offer a couple of thoughts to consider.

The FCC has stated that in the regulations and in its positions on this issue, that ham radio is not primarily an emergency communications service. Amateur radio exists to to promote interest in the science and art of radio communications, and to provide a pool of trained and knowledgeable operators in case of a national need. Yet, when the telephones go out, the police repeaters get blown up or blown away, and power lines go down and deprive working radios and phones the juice they need to run, who shows up and gets people talking again? Hams.

Now consider this: A ham routinely takes a handheld transceiver with him to the office every day. He is the engineering chairman for a particular repeater, and he monitors that repeater so he will know if the repeater has developed a problem, or if someone is misusing it. One day, during his break, he hears someone come on the repeater and ask for directions. No one else answers, so the ham at the office responds. Unless he has clocked out for his lunch break, that ham is getting paid while operating. Is he in violation of the regs? No, for he is not being paid FOR operating.
Along that line, what about truck drivers who are hams, and they use ham radio to get directions while on the job? One could argue that the job description of a truck driver does not say anything about radio operations, so even if they use ham radio to get information to they need to complete their assignment, and they are paid WHILE operating, they are not paid TO operate the radio.

Take a clue from Sarah, Mark

2009-07-04T14:05:00.004-05:00

I was kinda surprised by Sarah Palin's announcement that she will resign at the end of this month, but I can see why she did. Despite all the conjecture by the pundits, I think she decided to resign for the best, and most conservative, of reasons: her family. She didn't want to continue to subject them to the scrutiny and pressure they've been under since the campaign last year. If the spotlight was only on her and not on her family, she probably would have stayed. As it is, once the next big scandal breaks, or the next big development in a current scandal occurs, the spotlight will be off of her and her family, probably for good. She also sees this a being good for the state of Alaska, and I can see that as well.

On the other hand, Mark Sanford should resign. The way he acted showed no regard for his family or the people of his state.
He went to see his mistress on FATHER'S DAY weekend when he should have been with his family. This shows not only disregard for his wife, but for his kids as well.
But he shouldn't resign because of how he treated his family. He will have to deal with them personally on this issue.

He should resign for how he treated the people of South Carloina. He took an oath to uphold the Constitutions of the United States and the State of South Carolina, and to faithfully discharge the duties of his office. By acting the way he did, he violated that oath. What if something had happened in SC that required his attention? They had no way of contacting him, of finding out where he was. If an important decision needed to be made, do they wait for him to get word of the situation and contact them? Or does the lieutenant governor step in and assume power, and possibly expose himself to charges later? If the delaying the decision costs lives, who do they hold responsible?

Mark Sanford's actions show he was not thinking of his family or his state. They also show that he did not exercise control of his personal desires. And he thinks he can still govern the state?

I know he will probably never read this, but if I were given a chance to talk to him, I'd say "Think again, Governor, and take a clue from Sarah."

Now, don't take this as that I'm totally against him. I would like to see him reconcile with his family and become the father he should be. But for his political future, unless he shows that he will not allow personal issues to interfere with his official duties and responsibilities, he does not deserve to hold office.
As to wether or not he deserves a second chance in politics, that is for the people of South Carolina to decide. An apology to them would go a long way towards ensuring his future involvement in politics. A resignation would be better, because that would show he is serious about not taking on the duties of a political office until he has resolved his personal issues.

Guess I better update...

2009-06-10T13:54:00.007-05:00

I don't know if this blog has many fans, but if anyone does follow this online journal, I guess I owe you an update.

I've had my car for a year now, and so far the only repairs I've had to have done to it are replacing the starter, drive belt, and belt tensioner. First the starter went out, but it picked a good place to do so - my driveway. Had it towed to the garage, but the tow cost only $30 dollars. The wrecker service is located here in Kiefer, and they give a discount to anyone having a car towed to Hankin's Auto Repair, I guess because he is so close. I had him replace the belt too, because it looked like it needed it. Then a couple of weeks later, the new belt falls off. The battery had enough juice for me to drive it back to the shop, and the mechanic said the tensioner was bad. The new belt had a twist to it when he first looked at the car, and the parts store replaced it under warranty.

The car needs more work, but any car 12 years old needs work. As long as it keeps getting me to where I want to go, I'll be satisfied. Despite things slowing down in my job, I still manage to stay one month ahead on my payments.

For a long time I've had a desire to engage in art, particularly drawing. I used to draw some as a kid, but everything was awkward and off-balance. I turned out to be a good drafter, but that kind of drawing is not artistic by nature. It can be, if someone applies an artistic eye to it. Also, Autodesk has produced a program, Impressions, that can take CAD files and change them to make an artistic presentation. I don't think my computer could handle Impressions, so I don't have it. I'm not really satisfied with Paint or the OpenOffice drawing programs. I recently downloaded Inkscape. I haven't done anything with it yet, except to look at some of the tutorials. Maybe I'll get to play around with it some and learn how to actually make some art.

Here is one of the more artistic things I have done with a drafting program:

One thing I am good at is puns. At church, I never sit in the same spot from one service to the next, I move around. Also, I take my tamborine and shake it during the singing. So, I've been asking people if those things qualify me to be a mover and shaker in the church.

A Little Perspective on Old Age

2009-03-21T22:11:00.002-05:00

As I age, and as I watch my mother age, I have become aware, sometimes painfully, that parts of the human body wear out or do not function as well as they used to. But I have also noticed that one part seems to retain its ability to function, but for many this part will need assistance from artificial devices. Someday, if you find yourself complaining about this or that part of your body not working, or not working like it used to, remember this: even if you are complaining through dentures or implants, you mouth still works!!!

If you can complain, you can also laugh and sing. Which is better?

I have a disease...

2009-02-12T21:30:00.003-06:00

Yes, I have a disease, I've had it for a long time, and I will probably never get over it. If you think that's bad, well, I don't want to get over it! The disease is known as SDS - Supercell Deprivation Syndrome.

This disease has no cure, but it does have treatments. The clinic that provides these treatments is Tornado Alley. The ingredients used to make these treatments are deep layers of moist air, instability, lift and shear. These ingredients combine to create cumulus towers, anvils, flanking lines, lightning, wall clouds, and sometimes tornadoes. The side effects of these treatments are hail, heavy rain, sometimes flooding, sometimes damage, sometimes death.

No one likes the last two side effects. That's why many storm chasers and all spotters participate in the severe weather warning process by reporting what they see to the National Weather Service and/or local emergency authorities and/or local media.

I almost got a treatment Tuesday. Local TV stations first mentioned the possibility of severe weather that day. Sunday and Monday, I began looking at the Storm Prediction Center's website for Convective Outlooks. Sure enough they showed a moderate risk for most of SE OK, a good chunk of NE TX, and parts of western AR, and NW LA.

The fist significant storm of the day developed west of OKC, dropped a tornado on Edmond, tracked on up to the NNE, dropped tornadoes on Logan and Pawnee Counties, and kept on across Osage and Washington Counties into KS. It was TOR warned all the way, but at the most it produced a rotating wall cloud over portions of Osage Co. Another tornado later tracked in from TX, and hit the town of Lone Grove to the west of Ardmore. The other tornadoes did some damage, and not many injuries, but the last one killed 9 people. I am not happy to hear about that.

I listened to much of the action on ham radio. I had heard about the Edmond tornado, watched some streaming video on chasertv.com, and went outside to take a look to see how things were shaping up in the teeming metropolis of Kiefer, and then laid down for around an hour. By the time I got up, the Edmond storm was already moving into Payne Co. on its way to Pawnee Co. I tried to stay in my room and keep up on the action, but I started to feel chilly. The storms that were headed to Kiefer were still miles away to the south. I wound up staying in the front room close to the fire, and watched NCIS and The Mentalist with my mom. The Mentalist ought to be called The Mental Case. Sometime during those shows, the storms moved in. We got some lightning, thunder, hail (not big enough to report), and mostly heavy rain. Still have some water pooled in the ruts in the strip of dirt and gravel I call a driveway.

So, I didn't get to see anything stormwise. It was too dark out by the time things got interesting locally. I'm probably not going to do any spotting after dark, except from inside my house.

The last treatment for my SDS was on June 1, 2008. While working the Tulsa Tough rest stop at the Kiefer City Park, I heard reports of storms hitting Kellyville to the west about 8 - 9 miles. After the rest stop closed down down and the volunteers working the stop had packed up and left, the storms were close to Kiefer. I drove a mile east to the new school complex to get a better view, away from the ridgeline directly to the west. I watched a shallow wall cloud move from NNW to SSE. If it didn't pass directly over Kiefer, it passed just to the west. On the short drive home, I passed through heavy rain and hail. Despite seeing a supercell feature (wall cloud), I didn't report anything. The wall cloud was too shallow and shrinking as it moved by, so I knew the storm was diminishing.

Oh, well, storm season hasn't officially begun yet. Actually, it never really goes away. It just moves on to other parts of the country and sometimes produces snow or ice storms or hurricanes instead of severe thunderstorms.

Family again

2009-02-06T23:13:00.003-06:00

About a month ago, my oldest nephew Dave, his wife Coreen, and their son Anakin, moved back to Tulsa after living for 2 years in Maryland.

Today, I received word that I have a new great nephew. His name is Micah, and he weighed over 9 pounds at birth.

I haven't had a chance to see him yet, and I will have to wait a few days. He was a bit jaundiced, and so he has to wear this special blanket to help him overcome that.

So, my many fans (hah!), you are warned! Cute baby pictures will appear in this space soon!

Bailout?

2009-02-06T22:42:00.004-06:00

I haven't looked too closely at the bailout package, but if what I'm seeing and hearing in the headlines is true, it will amount to nothing more than a reward for people who have screwed up.

Here is how I would manage the bailout of lenders and finance companies caught in the subprime situation:

1. Not every company affected would get to take part in the bailout. They would have to qualify by agreeing to certain terms.

2. The first term they must agree to is no bonuses or raises for anyone making $100,000 or more, for 3 years.

3. No new high-risk loans for 5 years.

4. High-risk loans must account for no more than 25% of their available capital.

5. Annual audits reported to the federal government for 7 years.

6. Once the company qualifies, they do not automatically receive the amount needed to cover their losses. The amount they receive depends on their customers who have or are in danger of defaulting on loans.

7. The customers must qualify to participate in the program.

8. The customers qualify by a record of steady employment and consistent effort to make payments.

9. Customers must also agree to financial counseling and to living on a budget until their debt is paid.

10. When a qualified customer makes a payment, the program will match the amount of their payment.

This plan should bring some accountability to both the lenders and the borrowers, and it should stabilize the finance industry.

Will it happen this way? This plan has as much chance of happening as me performing a frontal lobotomy on myself.

Today and the Future

2009-01-20T13:57:00.004-06:00

Well, Barak Obama is now the President of the United States of America. Many people I know are optimistic, and so am I. Some are optimistic because of the President, but not me. I am optimistic because of what America is, and because I believe that God has blessed this land with freedom and resources that few other countries have.

Too many people believe the status of America rises and falls with the President, or with government policy. But many times the people have acted on their own, independent from the goverment, to solve problems and meet needs. Who are the first people to respond to major disasters? The American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and other churches too many to mention by name. When govenment does show up, usually the first ones there are the local fire department and law enforcement, followed by LOCAL emergency management. That is as it should be, for the local agencies are nearby, and they have resources at hand. When those local resources get overwhelmed, that's when the state and then the federal emergency management agencies should come in.

In short, people should try to solve their problems themselves, or with private resources before relying on the government. Government should be the last resource we look to for solutions. But people don't want to do that, because it will require personal effort and sacrifice. Some will say that is a negative view of people, but the opposite is true. What I am saying is that people do have more ability and resources to solve their own problems than what they realize. That is true hope, and a true reason for optimism.

Christmas Is Coming - Again!

2008-12-10T23:25:00.004-06:00

Well, Christmas is coming again. I wrote about it last year, so I won't rehash what I said then. If you missed it, here's the link: http://randomcontact.blogspot.com/2007/12/christmas-is-coming.html.

I do have one crochet to get off my chest. Why do Christian radio stations play "Christmas" songs that don't mention the birth of Jesus? Aren't Christian radio stations supposed to glorify Him? Some Christmas songs don't even mention Christmas! "Winter Wonderland" and "Jingle Bells" are more about winter than anything. They fit in the middle of January as much as they do in December. Have these people thought about this?

I guess these stations are just going along with what's popular. And that brings me to the next topic I want to talk about: Why is Christmas so popular in America? Is it just due to commercialism?

Many of the colonists that came to America were Calvinists. They wanted to get away from the practices of the Catholic Church that they saw as corrupt and pagan-influenced, and so they did not celebrate Christmas. At the end of the American Revolution, most of the people that did celebrate Christmas were Catholic or Episcopalian. The Catholics included many in Maryland and the Hessian mercenaries that had fought for the British. The Episcopalians were dominant in Virginia and the Carolinas. Somehow, the observance of Christmas spread and became acceptable to groups that once ignored it or outright shunned the practice. How did this happen?

I attribute the change to 2 factors: immigration and literature. Music, movies, radio and television continued and amplified the influence of literature.

During the 1800's as the country expanded West, aided by the increasing speed of transportation brought by the development of railroads, and the by the increased speed of communications brought by the telegraph, the promise of new lands and new opportunties spurred an increase in immigration. Many of these immigrants were Catholics, coming from Catholic lands such as Ireland, Poland, and Italy. This increased the number of people observing Christmas.

The contribution of literature to the popularity of Christmas comes from two sources.

First is the poem, Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Moore in 1822. You could probably recite most of it from memory from having heard it so much. This one piece of literature has defined so much of the imagery associated with Christmas. Of course, the sentiment and whimsey make it irresistable! For this reason it has become a tradition no only in many families, but in other places as well. One of the local TV stations every Christmas Eve has their staff, both on- and off-camera personnel, read the poem, one line per staffer in a video presentation.

Charles Dickens was known for the other great piece of traditional Christmas literature, A Christmas Carol (1843). He wrote other works on Christmas, and his novel A Tales of Two Cities (1859), has an important scene take place at a Christmas Eve service. The popularity of these works just added to the popularity of Christmas. Because Dickens was a lifelong Anglican, his works helped make Christmas acceptable to Protestants.

Of course, the popularity of a practice doesn't necessarily justify it. In the case of Christmas, I believe that what you celebrate has more to do with it than anything. Are you celebrating a day, or an event? The Bible doesn't tell us to celebrate Christ's birth, but it doesn't forbid it either. If you're not celebrating His birth, what are you celebrating? Aren't you glad Jesus was born?

A Thanksgiving Meditation

2008-11-27T22:21:00.001-06:00

As I write this, Thanksgiving Day 2008 will be over within a few hours. I wonder how many Americans this day paused to give thanks to God for His many blessings, or at least, if they don't believe in God, to reflect on the elements of their lives they appreciate. Far too many people see this as a day for football, food and family, or preparations for the shopping frenzy that begins tomorrow.

I could go back and discuss the origins of this American holiday, to relate how the Indians and the settlers cooperated to survive a harsh winter and when the following harvest came in with enough to sustain them for the coming winter, they chose to celebrate with a feast. I could mention the various Presidential declarations establishing Thanksgiving as a national holiday. But I wish to go deeper.

First, what does it mean to thank someone? We are told by our parents to say "Thank you," or at least parents used to teach that. Is it just something we say to be nice, to get along with others?

When you give thanks, you do two things.

First, you recognize that someone did something for you, or gave you something. Many times, the thing done was something you could have done for yourself, but maybe you didn't have the time or the means. Sometimes the act was something you couldn't do. In that case, giving thanks can be an act of humility. That might explain why some people are never thankful, they don't want to recognize their shortcomings.

Second, you recognize the value of what the person did or gave you. Think of how hurt you feel when no one appreciates what you do for them.

Now, about national celebrations for the giving of thanks, America is not the first. The feasts of ancient Israel include thanksgiving celebrations, and those celebrations continue today as part of Judaism.

At the end of Passover, or the Feast of Unleavened Bread, people would bring in the first sheaf of the springtime harvest and sacrifice it. This is the Feast of the Firstfruits, and marks the beginning of the springtime harvest. It also recognizes the fertility of the Promised Land that God was going to lead his people to.

Fifty days after the beginning of Passover came Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks. It originally memorialized when Moses received the Torah from God on Mount Sinai, but it also marked the end of the spring time harvest.

Why give thanks to God? I believe John the Baptist said it best in John 3: 27: "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven."

Winter Forecast 2008 - 2009

2008-10-30T20:38:00.006-05:00

My winter forecast is: Cold.

No, wait that's too simple. I actually don't do a forecast where I look over data and analyze things. I have hunches, I guess you would call them. They are the product of my subconscious mind processing my observations of weather trends.

Of course the temperatures will get cold in Oklahoma during the winter. Winter days around here are chilly in the afternoon, and cold overnight, sometimes freezing. Sometimes we have freezing temps during the day, but usually when we have a snowstorm, or worse, an ice storm.

Some are expecting a hard winter. I think we are in for a dry one. We've had 2 wet winters in a row, and Oklahoma winters tend to be dry. I believe we are due for a dry winter. We will have a few winter precipitation events, but only one or two will be major. I also believe we will see several episodes of very dry and very cold air coming straight down from the north.

So far, the only observations I have made that support this hunch are these: we have already had 2 freezes in the Tulsa area, but we haven't had much rain since mid-September.

Elections 2008

2008-10-21T16:28:00.004-05:00

The elections are 2 weeks away. I've not said much specifically about them, and have made only a few political posts. However, I do realize the importance of politics and voting.

If you are one of those that don't see the point in voting, let me propose a little exercise that will open your eyes. Get out a sheet of paper or a notepad and your wallet/billfold/pocketbook. Make a list of what's in your wallet. Then go over the list and put a mark by any item that is issued by a government entity: money (Dept. of Treasury), driver's license (DMV in most states, DPS in OK), etc. Also put check marks by anything that is government regulated: credit or debit cards (banking), business cards from regulated or licensed operations (plumber, electrician, wrecker), etc. Now count the number of marks, and the number of unmarked items.

Now, if you are one of those who chooses not to vote because, "All politicians are crooks," consider this: Where else do you get to choose your crook? If you didn't have a choice about being robbed, but you could choose which crook, would you choose one who would steal only $10, or one who would steal $10,000? Or, would you let someone else decide? Guess what you do when you don't vote.

Back to this year's elections.
Too many of Obama's supporters think he is some kind of a savior. Well, I hate to disappoint them, but there is only one such position, and the current occupant, Jesus Christ, is not planning on vacating His spot anytime soon. I'm sure He's not too happy that people are trying to replace Him.

Speaking of Jesus and politics, I said in an earlier post that Jesus was probably more conservative than some people think. Consider some of His parables.
Parables are not deeply mysterious. They are illustrations of spiritual principles taken from common experience. The most well-known parable is the one about the Sower. This was something very common in an agricultural society where the work was done mostly by hand, because not many people had animals suitable for plowing and such. When Jesus started by saying, "A sower went forth to sow..." I'm sure more than one listener thought, "Been there, done that, my feet still aching from all that walking!"
I won't go into the spiritual side of the parables, but Jesus gave some parables, that just on the level of human experience, they would make no sense except in a capitalist economy.
The best one of these is in the first part of Matthew 20. A landowner needs to hire some men to harvest his crop. He goes to the village square early in the morning and hires some guys to work for a day's wages. He goes back at 9 AM, noon, 3 PM and 5 PM and hires more men. Each time he does, he offers a full day's wages to each group. When he pays everybody at 6 PM, he pays them all a full day's wages, including the guys that had been there only for an hour. The ones hired first thought they deserved more, because they had been there all day. But the landowner pointed out that they agreed to work for one day's wages, and he paid them what they agreed to. If he wanted to pay the other men the same amount for working a shorter time, that was his business and not theirs. He was paying with his own money, and it was his to do with what he wanted.
Of course, this story wouldn't make sense in a socialist or communist economy. The landowner wouldn't be a landowner, it would all belong to the government. Some bureaucrat would tell him when the harvest had to be finished, and how many workers he would have for the harvest, and how much to pay them.
Now, try telling me that Jesus was a socialist. Jesus flat out said that the kingdom of heaven was like the landowner, the capitalist.

I'll admit that McCain is not my ideal candidate for president. But he is not trying to pass himself off as any kind of savior, because he knows he's not, and presidents are not to be saviors.
Too often I hear or read where people say the president runs the country, or he runs the economy. NO HE DOESN'T!!! THAT'S NOT HIS JOB, NEVER HAS BEEN AND NEVER WILL BE!!! IF YOU THINK THAT WAY, STOP IT, STOP IT, STOP IT RIGHT NOW YOU....
Sorry, lost control there for a second. But this kind of ignorance is what gets liberals elected, and leads to the financial problems we are having right now. The government is not responsible for your welfare, you are. We do not have a command economy. No command economy has ever prospered. Communist China is prospering right now, but only because they have adopted limited capitalism. Orientals also have a very strong work ethic, and that is what has sustained them through years of socialism.

For those that doubt Sarah Palin's foreign policy experience, take good look at a map for once. You cannot enter or leave Alaska without crossing an international border or international waters. If you were to take that map, cut out Alaska and place it over the 48 contiguous states, you will see just how big the state is. Even though the population is small, governing that much territory is a challenge.

While I don't agree with all of McCain's positions, I believe he is right about the most important issues, he truly cares about this country and wants what's best for it, and I also like his taste in women.

Miscellania

2008-10-18T21:18:00.003-05:00

Follow up on the Installing Software? post:
If you do have to call tech support, do yourself and the technician a favor: CALM DOWN!
I deal mostly with students that are installing software so they can work at the dorm or at home to finish their assignments on time. I know the pressure they are under, I've been up against deadlines too. But some people act as if they don't get the assignment in on time, they will fail and they have no hope of success. However, I have flunked courses, retook them and passed. Unless you are studying to be an emergency room surgeon, just how important is this work?
Stress can keep you from having a proper perspective on things. When discussing your problem, relax. Also, prepare for your call. Is the software giving you an error message? The message will have information the tech will need to research your problem. Keep the message up on your computer, or clipboard the text of the message into Notepad. The tech might have to ask you to send him or her the message in an email. Also, you might take some quick notes on what happens when you take the actions that cause the problem to appear.
I'm writing this because I actually hung up on a potential client this week. She had installed AutoCAD on a Mac notebook, and it was acting strange. For those that don't know, Autodesk, the company that makes ACAD, decided long ago to stop producing ACAD for Macs. They only produce it for Windows operating systems. To run ACAD on a Mac, you have to load Windows. I'm not sure if Autodesk supports ACAD in this setup. But that's not why I hung up on her.
I hung up on her because she needed to calm down. From the way she was acting, I believe that if I told her to calm down, she would have just gotten more upset. You could hear the tension in her voice. She talked fast, and threw a lot at me with each breath. If I didn't answer right away, she would start talking again and not give me time to think. When I did tell her that a virus could have gotten on the Windows side of her system, she contradicted me. Macs are NOT immune to viruses! It's just that hackers have easier targets in PC's. If Macs were as popular as PC's, they would have the same virus problems that PC's do. When I realized that she was making me nervous, and she wasn't likely to listen to anything I had to say, I hung up.

On the flipside, I had a very pleasant surprise yesterday. As I have mentioned, I work at home. I record information about the calls I take in a database that I access by a remote connection to a 'puter at the main office. Someone from the office brings my paycheck to me. But they have to deliver checks to other employees in the area, so it's not like they have to come out of their way to get my paycheck to me. The drive directly from the office to my house takes about 15 - 20 minutes. When I used to drive to the office, I would stop at a C-store for something to drink, and the trip was about 30 minutes.
I get a call from Barbara at the office. She asks if I'm going to be home about 30 minutes later. I say I was fixing to go somewhere, but I should be back by then. She tells me she would leave the office about 11:00. She then explains that they're being audited on Monday, and the accountants can't find the W-4's, and she needs to come by with a form for me to sign. In the back of my mind, I though, "Yeah, right!"
I run my errands, and get back in time. I'm actually sitting in my room about 11:30 when I hear a car door slam. I grab my pen just in case, and head towards the front door. Instead of a form, she had a cake, balloons and a birthday card signed by the people at the office. I haven't had a birthday cake in years. Usually, birthday celebrations at my house consist of ordering in pizza, and a card that might be handmade. The cake is chocolate, with lots of butter cream frosting, and it is so rich and deliscious!
I didn't get pizza, but Mom and I went over to Bixby because she wanted to get some fresh okra at Conrad Farms, then we went around the corner to the Apple Barrel Cafe, where she treated me to lunch. We both had catfish, which neither one of us has had in a while.

Just a few minutes ago, while typing in the previous item, I turned off my radio. I listened to the Tulsa University game against University of Texas - El Paso. TU won, 77 - 35! There's been talk about TU getting ranked in the Top 25, and now with a win this big, and 7 - 0 record, and other teams in the Top 25 faltering, it should happen. If it doesn't, well, I'm not saying it's time for pitchforks and torches, but...

Installing software?

2008-09-21T21:07:00.005-05:00

Most people get by with the software that comes with their computer: word processor, spreadsheet, email client, etc. Some need specialized programs to pursue a course of study, or for their jobs, or sometimes just for a hobby. Some of these programs are commercially produced, and that accounts for my present job. I work from home, and I take calls from people that are trying to install and/or register student versions of Autodesk products.

Over the nearly 18 months I have been doing this, I have learned some general things that can save people some grief if they are trying to install a large and complex program.

1. If you need a software package for a course of study (degree or certificate), make sure you get the right product. Later courses might require more advanced features that are not in the basic product. The best people to advise you on this are the instructors or professors who will be teaching those courses. Don't rely on salespeople at a vendor, they probably don't know the difference, unless the vendor specializes in programs for that particular field. This is especially true of college bookstores. Many of the people working at college bookstores are business students, and if the product you need is not business-oriented software, they probably won't know enough about the programs for your field.

2. Before you open the package, check your computer against the system requirements. This is best done before you buy the program if you are on a tight budget. If your system won't take the program, or if your system doesn't meet the minimums, calling tech support won't help much to complain about the program not loading, or running so slow it crashes.
Be aware that companies are issuing large and complex programs on DVD's, and CD drives won't read them. This is a cost-saving measure because they can put on one DVD what would require 2 or 3 CD's, and they don't have to pay as much for raw materials.
One aspect of system requirements that I am aware of is graphics (video) cards. If you are using a program for drafting or animation, the manufacturer of the program might have a list of cards that are compatible, or they might specify how much memory the card has to have. The memory on the card is a separate item from the memory on the motherboard.

3. Make sure you are logged in as Adminsitrator, or with an account that has admin privileges. Not doing this can block you from installing the software.

4. If your computer is over 1 year old, or it has seen a lot of use in the few months since you bought it, clean it up. And I'm not talking about Formula 409 and Brawny paper towels, even though it might need those too. I'm talking about cleaning up old files and excess.
If you have any antivirus or antispyware programs, use them to scan the system for bad stuff. If you do have a virus hiding on your computer, you definitely want it off your machine before you start installing software. You never know what kind of mischief those things can do when you start the installation process.
The next step is to run Disk Cleanup or a similar program to remove excess files and empty the Recycle Bin.
Finish up by defragmenting your hard drive.

5. The last thing to do before inserting the installation disk into the drive: turn off all security software such as firewalls and antivirus programs. You can always turn them back on later. They can block or corrupt an installation, and make you have to uninstall and retry.
From what I have heard, the firewall built into the various flavors of Windows is not that good. You're better off leaving it off and using one from a different source.
Norton antivirus (AKA Symantec) is known for not getting along with Autodesk products, and I suspect that it is the same with other products.
For free alternatives to the Windows firewall and Norton, go to www.komando.com, and click on the Kim's Security Center button.

6. At some point during the installation, you might be asked or given the opportunity to configure the product. If you are a new user of the program, you will probably be better off accepting the default configuration.

7. Many software manufactuers allow you to register the product online over the Internet, or offline over the phone. Online registration works best with high-speed connections such as cable or DSL. Wireless and dialup connections are iffy at best. Offline registration might not be available on the weekends, so I recommend registering during the week. Most software companies allow you to use the program for a trial period before you have to register, and if you wish to use that period, be sure to register during the week if the period is set to expire on a weekend.

8. If during the installation or registration process you cannot go on because you don't see a button at the bottom that says Next or Continue, you need to increase the screen resolution. Minimize the window. Right-click on an empty area of the desktop. Choose Properties in the menu that pops up. In the Display Properties dialog box, click on the Settings tab. In the lower left hand corner should be a slider that sets the screen resolution. Moving the slider one spot to the right usually does it for most people. Then click Apply and OK. Maximize the window, and you should be able to see everything.

Of course, these tips are for Windows, mainly XP. I don't think Mac users have these kinds of issues unless they are trying to run a Windows program.
The one tip I do have for Vista users is, if you do have any problems and the cause looks like it might be related to the operating system, turn off the User Account Control (UAC). It's that feature of Vista that tries to restrict everything you do.

Happy computing!

Forget Aunt Sally, I've got a GEMS for you!

2008-08-12T11:59:00.006-05:00

No, I don't want you to neglect your relatives. You probably do that enough on your own without my encouragement. As a matter of fact, you ought to contact some of those relatives that you have been neglecting that would love to hear from you.

Actually, what I'm talking about is that mnemonic for remembering the order of operations in algebra: PEMDAS, or Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally. Math teachers offer that up as an easy way to remember Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition and Subtraction.

Instead of PEMDAS, I propose a shorter mnemonic, GEMS. Before I explain what GEMS stands for, I have to show you a different way of looking at the basic arithmetic operations.

In basic arithmetic, we learn to associate numbers with amounts of things: 4 apples, 3 oranges, 5 peanut butter sandwiches, for example. In algebra and geometry, numbers are associated with displacement. In algebra, the displacement is along a line, such as an x-, y-, or z-axis. In geometry, degrees and radians are displacement along a circle.

For now, let's just focus on the linear displacement.

You can draw a number line, with the left end representing zero (0). Now you can represent addition graphically with this number line. Let's say you want to add 3 and 5. First you count 3 units to the right of zero, then from that location, you can count 5 more units to the right to arrive at the answer of 8.

Now, I know that is a very simple illustration, but it shows how addition works linearly. Using this linear concept, we can see that the other basic operations are forms of addition.

Now draw another number line, with zero at the center. Numbers to the left of zero are negative. This allows us to see subtraction as negative addition, or the addition of a negative. Let's say we want to subtract 5 from 3. We count 3 units to the right of 0 to 3, then count 5 units to the left of 3 to arrive at the answer of -2.

If you've taken basic algebra, I've not really introduced anything new yet. What I am going to introduce that is new is the way to look at multiplication and division as multiplex operations.

Let's say you are going to use the number line for multiplying 4 and 3. Starting from zero, you could count to the right 4 units, then 4 more units, and finally another 4 units. In other words, you add three 4's. You could also count 3 units to the right 4 times. Multiplication is repeated, or multiple addition. One factor gives the number of times the other number is added.

If multiplication is multiple addition, then division is multiple subtraction. How many times can you subtract 4 from 12? Find 12 on the number line and count 4 units to the left, and repeat until you reach zero.

So, now I can say that GEMS stands for Groupings, Exponents, Multiplex, and Simplex.

Grouping symbols are parentheses, ( ), brackets, [ ], and braces, { }.

Exponents include powers, roots, and logarithms.

Multiplex operations are multiplication and division.

Simplex operations are addition and subtraction.

Now isn't GEMS easier to remember than PEMDAS?

If your name is Sally, and you are somebody's aunt, please don't take this personally.

America again

2008-07-05T22:17:00.005-05:00

Well another Independence Day has come and gone. The day itself was quiet for me because I didn't go anywhere or do much of anything during the day, and mowed the lawn in the evening. It seems a shame to do that on a holiday, but I haven't always been able to mow when I needed to. If the weather stays dry, I shouldn't have to mow again for at least a week.

Also, it costs to go see fireworks displays except for the one that happens here in Kiefer, and I'm not that impressed with them. Sure, they are pretty and interesting, but I would rather see a firepower demonstration. A firepower demonstration is when mortars or artillery from different units, or the guns from several ships, fire at a common target or target area, usually at night. Soon after I joined the National Guard, my best friend from the old neighborhood joined too. He went into the mortar platoon, I went into communications. He got to participate in several firepower demonstrations. I never saw one.

Don't think for one minute that my staying home and mowing indicates I don't love this country. I do love America. Similar to what I said in my previous post, outward expressions of patriotism are not as important as how you live everyday.

I don't want to rehash that issue, but I do want to revisit another issue about America where my view does not match the view of many others.

I'm sure that yesterday that many preachers said that America is a Christian nation, or they will say it tomorrow during Sunday morning services.

I'm not sure that a Christian nation is possible. The view of what many people think a Christian nation is, is not biblical or realistic.

The original use of the term "Christian" in the Bible referred to disciples, or followers, of Christ. Has America followed Christ? Are all Americans followers of Christ? Has any nation ever followed Christ?

Also the term "Christian" is defined as a born-again believer. When someone is born in America, are they born a born-again believer. Obviously not.

I believe that too many believe that you can not be a good citizen of the United States without being a Christian. I reject that notion. To be a good citizen of America, you mainly need to believe in what this country was created to be, a land of freedom.

I do see that America is a nation with a Christian heritage. Certain phrases and principles in our founding documents relate to things in the Bible. I haven't taken the time to research this in depth, but one example I can easily point to is in the Preamble to the Constitution. The clause that says "insure domestic Tranquility," relates to Paul's instruction to Timothy to pray for "all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life."

America

2008-07-03T21:29:00.007-05:00

As I write this, it sounds as if a firefight is happening outside my house. My town has been invaded, but for a good reason. The Kiefer Lions Club holds their Independence Day celebration on July 3rd. It draws in lots of visitors, such that the population almost triples on this evening. The fireworks display will start soon, and then it will sound like a regular bombardment! May locals will blow up their own money, uh, I mean, fireworks while waiting for the big display.

Why celebrate? I have heard negative comments made about America, and I can see that some do not have the patriotic feelings I have. As far as I am concerned, that is their problem, not mine.

It does not matter to me if the United States of America is the greatest country on the face of the Earth or not. I do believe it is, but even if it weren't, I'd still love this country. Why? AMERICA IS MY HOME!

If you were to come into my house and start messing with my family and my stuff, I wouldn't just sit by and watch, or whine and beg you to stop. Why should I be different about my country?

I know we have lost some freedoms, and some have eroded in the name of protecting us from ourselves. But America more than any other country still stands for freedom. Some have called Bush a dictator, but he will leave office peacefully in a few months, and his critics will still be able to speak and move about freely. In many other countries, you criticize the nation's leader, and that might be the last thing you say in public for a while, if not forever.

Now I'm not one of those that waves the flag, or wears American flag shirts or hats all the time. I do have a hat with the flag on it, and another hat with a flag pin on it, but I don't wear them often. I usually wear hats only during the cold weather seasons, and which hat I wear depends on whatever else I am wearing or the occasion. To me, its not as important to show your patriotism by what you wear or display, as it is to show your patriotism by how you act everyday.

And speaking of displays, if you are going to display the flag, be a REAL American and display it RESPECTFULLY. I do not enjoy seeing a flag that is tattered by weather instead of combat. Neither do I enjoy seeing flag flown at night without a light on it. Whenever I see a flag in a storm or even a routine rain shower, I wonder if it is weatherproof. I am glad I no longer see those flags that fly from car windows. All too often they would fall off and the driver would not retrieve it, and if it stayed on, it wound up battered. If you wish to fly the flag to show your feelings about your country, use your brain and find out the guidelines for displaying it properly.

Have a Happy Independence Day!

Family

2008-06-22T22:17:00.007-05:00

I haven't said much about my family on here, mainly because I don't get to see anyone, except for my mother, unless it's a holiday. My brother David who lives in Kansas will usually come down for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and sometimes when Dave Roberson Ministries has a conference.

Well, David and his wife Cyndy came down last month, and they treated Mom and me and his mother-in-law Leota to lunch at Cafe USA in Sapulpa. Afterwards, we went to Leota's apartment where we sat and talked for couple of hours. That was extra nice, because at Christmas, his sons Jon and Phillip come up from Dallas, and there's so much talking going on, so many different conversations going on at once, that you have a hard time getting caught up.
During that visit, my brother mentioned that his oldest son, also named David, and his wife Coreen, and their son Anakin were coming back to Tulsa in about a month for a visit.

*************************************************************************************
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
Cute baby pictures ahead
*************************************************************************************
We eventually met up at Ken's Pizza in Sapulpa for lunch (almost 2 hours later than planned), and again went to Leota's apartment.

This is Anakin looking out the window of the restaurant at Taft Avenue. I'm sorry that I couldn't darken the background, but the dominant feature is a business that's been closed for a long time, so I'm not too worried about it.

That's my brother David holding his grandson.

Like most boys, give Anakin a ball, and he's ready for fun! David the younger and Coreen are smart in that they have bought soft balls for Anakin that are less likely to damage anything. I could say more about the fun we all had, but I'll just leave it with this: anyone who says there's no such thing as a perpetual motion machine must not have ever had kids!

At the restaurant, David the younger mentioned something about him and Coreen having another one on the way. Pray for them, especially Coreen!

Amateur Radio Field Day - This one will be different!

2008-06-19T16:04:00.004-05:00

Amateur Radio Field Day, sponsored by the American Radio Relay League, always comes on the last FULL weekend in June. This year it happens on Saturday the 28th, and Sunday the 29th.

Field Day is a combination of a contest, a public relations effort, and an emergency preparedness exercise. The contest period runs from 1300 (1PM) CDT on Saturday to 1300 on Sunday. During the contest, FD stations will try to contact as many stations as possible, on as many bands and using as many modes (voice, Morse code, etc.) as possible. The ARRL awards extra points for stations that operate on independent power sources, such as generators or batteries. Other ways to gain points are to set up in a publicly accessible place and have a public relations display, or to have visits by representatives of agencies served by ham radio during emergencies and disasters. For these 2 reasons, clubs will often set up a FD station at a public park, run the radios by generator or battery power, and have a table with brochures about ham radio, emergency preparedness, etc. Many clubs often incorporate their club picnic or cookout into the festivities.

This year will be no different in that Field Day in Tulsa will have it's share of wire antennas supported by trees or portable masts, droning generators, the aroma of hamburgers, hot dogs and brisket, and the staccato rhythm of a CW (Morse code) station.
What will be different is that, for the first time in Tulsa, several clubs will have a joint Field Day operation.

In the past, the Tulsa Amateur Radio Club and the Tulsa Repeater Organization have had separate operations in different parts of town. The Broken Arrow Amateur Radio Club usually would have a station going, but I'm not sure how consistent they were. The American Airlines Amateur Radio Club usually has their regular club meeting and testing session on the last Saturday of the month. If it fell on the FD weekend, and someone was interested enough to bring out a radio, they might set up a short FD operation.

This year, these 4 clubs and more will coordinate their efforts at a single location. The Tulsa City-County Health Department grounds has a large field north of their building at 51st and 129th East Ave. That's where Field Day will be held; and appropriately enough - it's in a field!

This location is close to Broken Arrow, and not too far from the TRO and AAARC meeting places (21st & Garnett, Pine between Garnett & 129th, respectively). The AAARC will have their regular meeting and test session there that Saturday morning. Normally, they restrict their testing to those who have called or emailed beforehand to arrange for the test, but this time, WALK-INS ARE WELCOME! Other clubs will have stations operating under their separate call signs, but will have a common area for feeding and classes.

FD rules allow for setup to begin after 1300 on Friday, and the TARC usually takes advantage of that provision, so they will start setting up first. If you are in the Tulsa area that weekend, and you have the time, swing by for a visit. Even if you are not a ham radio operator, you can come and learn, maybe even get your hands dirty, so to speak, by helping to get an antenna up in the air. You can also try your hand at operating a radio, as long as there is a ham present with the license for the frequency and mode you want to try, and they are willing to show you what to do and say (Most are!).

I plan on being there late Saturday afternoon and evening. Hope to see you there or talk to you on the air!

Busy Week

2008-06-10T22:19:00.005-05:00

Well, it was actually more than a week, but I went somewhere everyday between Friday, May 29th and Friday, June 6th, except for Wednesday. The highlights include getting caught in storms 2 days in a row, 3 job interviews, and and a search for a pair of pants that cost waaaay more than what I wanted to pay.

On Saturday, I went to visit my oldest brother in north Tulsa. I could see storms approaching, but I thought we might get to where we were headed before they hit. However, the storm hit just as I was getting onto the I-244 bridge southwest of downtown Tulsa. Visibility dropped to near zero due to the heavy rain and my windshield fogging up. I hadn't quite figured out the defrost setting on my car, so we wiped it first with tissues, then I remembered I had a small squegee/sponge combination within reach. I slowed to a crawl, and managed to get us there despite drifting to the leftmost lane when I wanted to be in the rightmost.

On Sunday, I worked the Tulsa Tough rest stop in Kiefer again, as I have for the last 2 years. I could see storms again to the northwest. The line was oriented southwest to northeast, and moving east. From the traffic I heard on the ham radio net, the storms hit Kellyville directly to the west about 30 - 45 minutes before they arrived in Kiefer. The rest stop was scheduled to close down at 9:30, and it did. Once the crew broke down the equipment, loaded up and left, I noticed a couple of bottles left behind. I picked them up and went to my car. Just as I got there, I felt the first drops of rain. I drove about a mile east to the new school complex, and parked facing the storms. I watched a wall cloud move southeast to the west of town. It was a shallow wall cloud, it did not rotate, and it dissipated as I watched. I didn't bother to call it in. I did drive into some hail on my way home.

Two of the job interviews were conducted at the Rowland Group, a professional staffing firm in Tulsa. The first one was on Monday, and was conducted by one of Rowland's staffers. He was screening drafters with 3D parametric modeling experience for a company. On Thursday, the second interview was with the owner and the product development manager for Cyclonic Valve. It was one of the best interviews I've ever had, but no job offer yet.

Before the interview on Thursday, I needed to find a nice pair of pants to wear. I am hard to fit, thick waist and short legs (they just barely reach my feet!). I stopped at a few places on the way home Monday, but no success. I eventually wound up on Tuesday going to The Men's Wearhouse, and paying $140 for a pair of khaki slacks. Ouch! Well, at least I have a nice pair of pants that fits me and I can wear them to interviews.

The last interview was with McDaniel Technical Services. Their primary business is tank and pipeline inspection, but in the course of doing that, they get requests for drawings of what's being constructed, or for what has already been constructed. That was another positive interview, but still no offer.

I hear the demand for drafters and engineers in Tulsa is good, and I have plenty of help for my job search, so I am confident that I will find the right job soon.

Wheels Redux

2008-05-29T23:59:00.004-05:00

Well, I have done it. I have managed to get myself into a new set of wheels that work. As I promised in my earlier post about this, it's not a Ford.

It's a 97 Pontiac Sunfire. Not what I really wanted, but it will get me around to look for something that pays better that my current job. I paid (well, my bank did, actually) only $2K for it, which the least anyone should pay for a used car. For a pickup, you could go as low as a thousand, but I wouldn't recommend it if you're not handy with wrenches and screwdrivers.

I picked it up back on May 9. Kiefer is not a big town. We have a bit of industry, but not many businesses that deal with the public, mostly 2 C-stores and 2 car lots. I got the car from Ed's Car Mall, which is located right off the main road from Kiefer to Bixby.

I didn't tell any of my local ham radio friends about this until Monday, Memorial Day. I had mentioned on the local nets that I might just show up at a ham radio event unannounced, and I did. The Tulsa Repeater Organization has supported the Maple Ridge Memorial Day Run for about 10 years. I haven't worked this event for 2 years, and I just showed up at the staging area, and asked for an assignment. Good thing I did. A couple of volunteers on the list didn't show. We had enough people to handle the job anyway. Several others said they were glad to see me, but I think the Activities Chairman was the most grateful, except for Mark Conklin. Mark has given me many rides to work and ham radio events, and I am still grateful for every ride.

I haven't yet put my mobile radio in the car, but I might this Saturday. I'm already signed up to work the Tulsa Tough rest stop at the Kiefer City Park on Sunday morning.

Where have I been?

2008-05-17T23:00:00.018-05:00

Nowhere, in a physical sense. I know I haven't posted anything in 2 months, but I haven't really been in a mood to say anything.

Since my last post, I have bought a new cell phone. My old cell phone is OK physically, but I had to let it drop in the summer of 2006. I primarily go with prepaid phones because I don't make many calls. I could have paid to get the old one reactivated, but I figured I'd probably pay the same as what I did for the new one.
Why did I get a new cell phone? Well, the battery on the cordless phone I use for work has dropped out on my unexpectedly a few times. Also, with the weather warming up, I'll be walking longer distances, and I like having a phone with me when I'm out away from the house. If something happens to me, or I see something that needs to be reported to the authorities, I will be able to make the call.
The phone is a refurbished unit, one of those skinny flip phones that fits comfortably in my pocket. And it has a camera.

I used the camera to take pictures of an item I use often. The item is a PennyPincher, a device for holding pennies until I have enough to make a roll. I posted the pictures in a thread on CR4 to see if other members of the forum could guess what it was. Here's a link:

http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/20794/Picture-Challenge-Uncommon-Item-Common-Name.

And this is one of the pics:

Sorry about the quality, but the camera is part of a cell phone after all.

Here are a few images that I have created in either in AutoCAD or Inventor and posted on CR4:

The first 3 are from a Challenge Question thread about a design based on a ring of tangent circles. The fourth is from another Challenge Question thread about the distance between cities. Here are the links:

http://cr4.globalspec.com/blogentry/2589/Tangent-Circles-Newsletter-Challenge-07-24-07

http://cr4.globalspec.com/blogentry/5597/Distance-CR4-Challenge-04-22-08

Two other significant changes since my last post: I have started using Firefox, and I have made a major purchase. I'll elaborate on the purchase at the right time.

Distractions!

2008-03-27T21:37:00.003-05:00

I don't know how many people follow this blog, but you if you do, you might have noticed that I sometimes do not post for a couple of weeks. Sometimes, I can't think of anmything to say, and sometimes I get distracted.

One of my biggest distractions is an engineering oriented website called CR4. It is associated with another site called Globalspec, a site that allows engineers or designers to search for parts.
CR4 has forums and blogs. The first blog I went to was the Challenge Questions blog. Each week, the blog owner posts a puzzling situation, and members try to guess the answer or offer their own explanation or solution. Sometimes someone proposes a solution that is better than the official answer.
When I'm on CR4 and I'm not in the Challenge Questions, I'm in the General Discussion forum. I'm easy to find there because I'm the only one from Kiefer OK.
The addy is http://cr4.globalspec.com/.

I used to be on the Stormtrack forum quite a bit, but there has been too much drama there and not enough fun. The only sections I look at there anymore are the Forecast and Post Storm Discussions.

Sometimes I spend time on You Tube looking at videos of a lost art form - the novelty song. Artist that specialize(d) in novelty songs are Spike Jones and His City Slickers, Allan Sherman, and Ray Stevens. Wierd Al Yankovich is only artist today that comes close to producing new novelty pieces, but his works are mostly parodies of pop hits. Novelty songs are more original, but they might use more familiar tunes.
I believe this country is losing something valuable by not having new novelty songs. This might be a sign that we are losing our sense of humor.
If you need a laugh, go to You Tube and watch a few novelty song videos. I recommend you start with Spike Jones renditions of "Cocktails for Two," "Clink, Clink!" and "Der Fuhrer's Face." Then look up Allan Sherman's "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh!" That one is a classic! Then finish up with Ray Stevens' "The Streak," "It's Me Again, Margaret" and "The Mississippi Squrriel Revival."

Politics, politics, politics!

2008-03-27T21:01:00.001-05:00

This presidential election campaign is starting to wear thin, and we're still in the primary stages! Other countries don't have election cycles that run this long. Now, America is not like other countries, but if political activities and processes are to be relevant to the general population, I think it would be okay to take a lesson from some of these other countries.

The big issue in the background is that the Democrats decided not to seat the delegates from Michigan and Florida, and these states will not likely allow re-votes. The Democrat convention is going to be up for grabs, despite what has happened in the primaries and caucauses. So, the Senators from Illinois and NewYork will continue to snipe at each other and maipulate things as best they can to defeat each other.

Here's how I would like to see the presidential primaries go:
States that rank in the lowest 25 in population vote first, up until April 15. Then the bigger states go, and have to finish by June 15. Then the surviving candidates take off from campaigning until a week after July 4th. The national conventions have to be done by the end of August. Campaigning begins in earnest after Labor Day.

I wonder, is there a reason that Election Day comes so soon after Halloween?

Something New

2008-03-10T00:27:00.003-05:00

I just added an RSS feed from the Storm Prediction Center to the sidebar of this blog. It's called the Storm Panel and it is linked to information about watches, warnings, mesoscale discussions, convective outlooks, etc.

I am experimenting with this because eventually I want to start another blog exclusively about severe weather, and that blog will have feeds from the SPC and many of the NWS offices in Tornado Alley.

I'm still new to this webposting stuff, except for forums, discussion boards, and email reflectors.

What I would really like to have is a page that displays current national radar, regional radars for the Alley, each of the Day 1 - 3 and the Day4 - 8 Convective Outlooks, and the Mesoscale Analysis Pages.

Weather makes me poetic

2008-03-06T20:48:00.004-06:00

Actually, many things bring out the poet in me. I wrote quite a number of poems back in high school. I haven't done much lately, but the winter storm that left 3 - 4 inches of sleet crusted on my yard in January of 2007 inspired this piece:

Sleet
Is not neat!
Makes it hard for me to stay on my feet;
Dealing with it leaves me beat;
My hate for it is complete!

These pellets of ice
Are not nice!
Second to freezing rain,
Which is such a pain,
They are nature's most devious device!

Sleet
Packed down hard on the street,
Also solid and hard
On my yard,
Covers my grass;
Makes it easy to fall on my... posterior.

Oh, snow!
I wish you would just go!
As to where,
I really don't care.
As long as you are not on the ground
I'll be glad you're no longer around!

Universal Health Care = Rationed Health Care

2008-03-03T20:43:00.004-06:00

Universal health care is not the panacea it is promoted to be.

For a health care system to be universal, it must be managed by the government because the government is the only universal factor in society. The problem with that is the only way the government to manage health care is to ration it. So, a bureaucrat in a government office somewhere becomes the one to decide who gets health care, what kind of care they get, and how much.

Sound familiar? Isn't that what people have criticized HMO's for doing? With government rationed health care, that's what we can expect, and to a degree worse than what anyone has experienced with HMO's. Why? Because HMO's are businesses, and businesses will change their policies when they lose customers to their competitors. The government doesn't have competitors. People relying on government rationed health care are not customers and do not have the option of seeking health care anywhere else. Without compitettion, the government has no incentive to chage its policies, unless a riot occurs right outside the bureaucrat's door.

Someone recently wrote in to the Tulsa World and stated that Jordanians have a longer life expectancy than Americans, implying that this indicates a deficiency in the US health care system. Chances are, Jordanians eat a healthier diet than the typical American diet. The lettter writer didn't say anything about the type of health care system in Jordan. I don't hear much about people going to Jordan just to get superior health care. But I have heard of people coming from Canada to the US for life-saving surgery.

Health care begins with each individual. We all make choices, good or bad, about diet, exercise, hygiene and safety, that have a greater impact on our health than the decisions of any doctor, nurse, dentist, physical therapist, or government bureaucrat. Do you want the government taking those choices away from you or anyone else? For the government to make those choices for you is tyranny.

Beware of statistics cited by bureaucrats and politicians that seem to favor the government takeover of health care. If they can convince people of the for need government rationed health care, then they have created a need for government. If you "need" the government to take care of your health, you "need" the bureaucrats and politicians. They call that job security.

Before someone begins to think that I am a rich Republican who has gobs of insurance or can afford whatever health care I want, I have not had insurance for a long time. I did not have insurance 6 years ago when I had surgery. I am still paying the bills. If you think that is a pity, that the government should help me by paying my bills for me, my question is: Why? Why should the government do that for me? The government didn't cause my problem, and the government is not responsible for taking care of me. I am.

Wheels!

2008-02-26T23:14:00.003-06:00

I've got a set that doesn't work. My car died close to 2 1/2 years ago. In early 2005, my Ford Tempo developed overheating problems. The water pump went out. When the mechanic showed me the old water pump, the fins on the immpeller were gone! I could tell they had been reduced to rust. I found out later where that rust went.

The overheating problems started up again that summer. Short distances weren't a problem. But long distances during the day were another story. I wound up stopping and waiting for the crumpled compact (that's another story!) to cool down several times before going on to my destination.

At one point, I had the mechanic replace the lower radiator hose. He told me that the bottom of the radiator was full of the rust that came from the water pump impeller. Chances are, the engine coolant wasn't circulating enough, if it was even able to move at all!

The oveheating problems caused me to replace the alternator and the fan motor. Then, one night I went to the Red Cross headquarters in Tulsa to check on the progress of the ham radio operations in support of the Hurricane Katrina evacuee shelter at Camp Gruber. Before I could get out of the parking lot to go home, the muffler drops down! Fortunately, it was under warranty from Midas. Unfortunately, on my way home from getting the muffler replaced, the engine overheated again and got hotter than it ever did before. After that, the Fractured Ford was hard to start and produced a strong smell of gasoline.

Later, while discussing the possibility of fixing the Twisted Tempo with a mechanic who seemed to be very familiar with Tempos and their problems, we determined the problem was most likely a cracked head. Well, the Twisted Tempo is now the Terminated Tempo.

I have thought about taking a picture of it, showing the body damage, and putting it up for sale on e-bay as an ugly lawn ornament. That's about all it is good for, except for storing some tools and a few other things in the trunk.

The good news is that I am in the market again for a vehicle. I have saved up enough that I can officailly start looking for something.
My first choice is a small pickup. Next would be an older half-ton pickup, but I would go for a car if that's the best deal I could get.

I do know one thing already about my next vehicle. It will not be a Ford!!!!!

FORD = Fix Or Repair Daily, Fill Oil Reservoir Daily, Flippin' Old Rebuilt Dodge, Found On Road Dead (Ford LTD = Found On Road Dead, Left There Dead, LTD by itself means Look Twice Dummy!), Failed On Race Day, Foul Obnoxious Repulsive Dud, Future Operation Requires Dementia.

One thing I have noticed is when someone parts ways with a vehicle that is not a Ford, they will say that they sold it, traded it in, gave it away, or whatever. When talking about a Ford, they say "I got rid of it." Nobody gets rid of something they really want to keep.

In case you haven't noticed by now, I HATE FORDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Politics, again

2008-02-11T15:50:00.000-06:00

Well, Super Tuesday was almost a week ago, and the political landscape has changed a bit. Some of the changes were not to my liking, and they are beyond my control, but I did what I could. I voted. In the long run, voting is the most significant thing anyone can do during an election. Of course, you could actively campaign for the candidates and issues you care about, but isn't the goal of your campaigning to influence the votes of others?

Many question the need to follow the issues and vote. They think it doesn't affect them. Oh, but it does! If you want proof, look no further than your own pocketbook.
Get out your wallet or pocketbook sometime, along with blank sheet of paper. Make a list of everything you find in there. Then put a checkmark by anything that is issued or regulated by any government agency. Put a second mark by those items issued by the government. Now count up the number of items and the number of check marks. Divide the number of check marks by the numer of items, and multiply that by 100. That gives you the percentage of how much you should care about politics and government policy.

Of course, some say that all politicians are crooks, and they don't deserve your vote. Well, I will say, that in America, you get to choose your crook. Let's say you are given a choice between a crook who wants $50 of you money, and another who wants $50, 000. Which one would you choose?
And that's not the most relevant aspect of this situation. The politicians are going to get elected anyway. Do you want to let someone else decide which crook takes your money?

Storm Warnings and the Public

2008-02-08T22:20:00.000-06:00

The tornado outbreak on Super Tuesday once again brings up the issue of why some people died and why some people don't heed or receive warnings.

As a storm spotter, I am concerned about this issue. I spot storms because I enjoy looking at the storms and trying to analyze what I see. But storm spotting is primarily a public safety effort, so I don't just watch the storms, I report on anything I see that needs to be reported to either help in the warning decision process or to confirm warnings by providing ground truth.

Many times after a major tornado event, TV stations and newspapers will carry a quote from a survivor saying, "We didn't get a warning!"
With all due respect, many people don't get warnings, not because the warning didn't come out, but because they just don't "get" the warning.

Part of the problem is the criteria the National Weather Service uses to define a severe thunderstorm. The thresholds for wind and hail are too low. The NWS considers a storm severe if winds are at least 58 miles per hour, or hail is 3/4 inch in diameter, about the size of a penny. As a result, the NWS issues severe thunderstorm warnings, the warnings get confirmed because a spotter reports wind or hail that matches the criteria, but no damage occurs. The public then becomes accustomed over time to not expecting anything bad to happen. Then later, a thnderstorm drops golfball-sized hail on someone or strong winds knock out power and tears up some stuff, and people are surprised that something bad happened!
The NWS has improved their warnings. They no longer issue warnings that blanket entire counties.except when the entire county is threatened. Now the warnings will cover only the threatened areas, and the text of the message will mention specific cities and towns.

The biggest element in this issue is the public: how they perceive and receive the warnings.
In some places, the public receives no warnings because of in insufficient delivery system. Many areas do not have sirens to alert those who are outside, or in their cars. Some areas have poor TV and radio reception, and some TV and radio stations will not interrupt their regular programming to give out the warning. To solve this, the FCC could require all TV and radio stations relay storm warnings, and people in communities without sirens could seek government grants and such to buy sirens.

A related problem is that many warning messages make a blanket statement that everyone in the warned area should take shelter. When people do, and then they find out later that all that happened was that someone several miles away lost a few shingles, they start to regard warnings as overblown, and then they tend to disregard any warning that comes out. I believe, that unless a storm has a history of producing damage and injury, or the radar clearly indicates strom characteristics that will definitely mean that damage or injury will occur, then messages should state that people should watch their local area and be ready to move to shelter quickly.

The biggest contribution to the solution would be public education. The public needs to be informed about the difference between watches and warnings, the availability or NOAA Weather Radio with SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding) technology, and the just how real the threats of severe weather are.

Politics and religion

2008-02-01T00:33:00.000-06:00

Two topics you should never discuss in bars and at family reunions. But on a blog -- they're in open season. In this presidential election cycle, I've seen more discussion of the role religion plays in politics. Here's a few of my thoughts:

Most say you shouldn't mix politics and religion. If you are talking about basing political decisions on religous affliation, I would agree. The conflict in Northern Ireland is an example of that. When it comes to political positions based on religous beliefs, how can you keep those separated?

Too many people try to make Jesus into some kind of a social or political revolutionary. Sure, He talked about taking care of the poor. But He never said anything about government doing that. He did say we would always have poor people among us. Why do some then try to eliminate poverty by political or government means? I often hear people say the government shouldn't spend money on the space program, the war on drugs, military defense, etc., that the money should be spent on the poor. Yet I never hear anyone say that candidates for political office shouldn't spend millions on TV ads, that that money should go to the poor. (I will probably add another post later, on whether Jesus is a conservative or a liberal, and go more in depth.)

Many of my fellow evangelical Christians are reluctant to vote for Mitt Romney because he is a Mormon. I do see most Mormon beliefs as false, so I would nver encourage any one to become a Mormon. But does that disqualify him as President? IIRC, President Taft in the early 20th cetnury was a Unitarian. Unitarians' basic beliefs differ from those of most who call themselves Christian. While Taft might not be regarded as a great or outstanding president, he is not considered to be a bad president either. He also served on the Supreme Court after his presidency, and his record as a justice is comparable to his record as president. In light of this, and considering Romney's record, his experience in government and business, and the way he conducts himself, I would have no problems with him as president. Of the candidates left in the race, he appears the most presidential to me.

Are You Ready for Some Football?

2008-01-08T12:26:00.000-06:00

Okay, I know the college season ended last night, and the pros just started their playoffs this weekend. But now, I'm ready to record some comments.

College: I don't care much for either of the teams that played last night, and I don't think that either one is qualified to be national champion this year. They both came in with 2 losses. A champion with 2 losses? I know it happens in the pros, but the pros have playoffs. I'll say more about playoffs in college ball later.

In my book, West Virginia and USC should have played for the championship. Between those 2, I believe WVU would have won, and they deserve the title. I say that because of the way they were not intimidated by OU, and the way they dominated the Fiesta Bowl. The Mountaineers would not have been intimidated by the Trojans, and they would have found a way to upend them.

I am still a fan of OU, and not just a fan of the football team. I am a fan of the school, especially their school of meteorology.

Now about those playoffs for NCAA Division I football: I believe the case has been made for having them. But 2 questions remain.

The first question is how to conduct the playoffs. Forcing freshmen and sophmores to play too many extra games would overload them, so I would say that no more than 2 rounds should be held. I suggest dividing the country into half and taking only conference champions, one from the East and one from the West. The East representative would be determined by a game between contenders chosen from the Big 10, the SEC, the ACC and the Big East, whichever 2 conference champions have the best records. The West representative would be chosen from in a similar manner from the Big 12, the Pac 10, and the WAC. (I know that the WAC champ wouldn't often qualify, but BYU and Boise State sometimes produce very good teams that could be considered contenders) To make this system meaningful, the conference champions would have to be determined by a title game. If this rule had been in effect this season, Ohio State might not have been in consideration for the national title.

The second question is how to make it happen. No matter how much fans might want it, and no matter how badly the Botched Championship Series chooses the wrong teams to play in the title game, a playoff will not happen for one reason - money. Too much money has been invested in the current bowl system for the bowls to go away. The bowls don't have to go away completely for a playoff system to bve implemented.
The bowl games started as a "reward" for teams that had a good season. For teams from other conferences, this can remain the same. A few of the smaller bowls might have to be converted to playoff games, but the playoffs can be added. But the question is still where the money will come from.
Fans could boycott the bowls,and that could cause the money to be redirected towards a playoff system, but I don't see that happening. The most likely way I can see a playoff being instituted at the college level is for one sponsor, or a group of sponsors, to approach the NCAA and offer to back the playoff games. But it would have to be someone with enough bucks to make the NCAA say yes.

On to the pros: My team, the Washington Redskins, has been eliminated, so of course I am sad about that. I am also saddened to see that Joe Gibbs has resigned as their coach and team president. He will stay on as a special adviser to the owner, and that will be a good thing as long as the owner actually listens to Coach Gibbs.
I am not surprised or shocked to see this happen. Coach Gibbs was out of the game for quite a while, and the game changed while he was away. I'm not sure he kept up with all the changes. But what he did with the team is a testimony to how great a coach he is. Despite the loss of their best player to murder, the team went to the playoffs. As I see it, Coach Gibbs has earned his retirement.

I am by no means an expert on football, but I will say that the winner of the Seattle / Green Bay game will probably go to the Super Bowl.

Public Prayer

2008-01-02T23:17:00.000-06:00

The Tulsa City Council recently decided to no longer open their meetings with prayers offered in the name of Jesus. Some in this area have expressed the opinion that this amounts to discrimination against Christianity and Christians. I would agree that is the motivation for many of the lawsuits, petitions, etc. for curtailing or eliminating expressions of Christianity from government activity, in this case, I don't care if any government meeting opens with a prayer in the name of Jesus.

Of course, Jesus instructed His followers to pray in His name. He also said that if you believe in your heart, you shall have what you say. Just simply appending the phrase, "in the Name of Jesus" to a prayer is no guarantee that your prayer will be answered. You must also have faith in your heart. Too many times "in the name of Jesus" becomes just a meainigless formality.

This brings up two things that I often hear about religion or faith that I do not agree with.

"You should respect other people's beliefs." Really? Have you compared the teachings of Christianity with Buddhism, or Hinduism, or any other religion? Quite a bit of conflict there in some cases. Satanism is a legally recognized religion, and is the polar opposite of Christianity. How can Christians and Satanists respect each others' beliefs?
I'm not saying that any religion should be outlawed, or anyone should be forced to accept any particular belief system. I might not agree with or respect what you belive, but I respect your right to believe what you believe.

"Religion is a private affair and does not belong in public." Boy, Jesus should would have a problem with that one. He said He would deny before His Father any one who denied Him before men. Christianity is meant to be publicly expressed, not hid away in houses and churches. This saying that religion should be private goes against the First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech.

New Year's Resolutions

2008-01-01T00:06:00.000-06:00

I don't believe in them.

Why wait for January 1 to try to solve a problem or change your behavior? If you have a problem, start working on it as soon as you become aware of it, or as soon as you are able. If you need help, get help. Otherwise, do the best you can. If you fail or have a relapse, don't give up. If what you are doing doesn't work, try something else. Keep looking for solutions.

I once read an article about the US Army Ranger School. Most of the soldiers that drop out do so within 2 weeks of finishing. That is a shame, because all they have to do is hold on for 2 weeks.
Maybe some soldiers weren't fully prepared for the load. I don't remember if the article said anything about if anyone was allowed to take the course again, but if they aren't, they should be allowed to after a while. Sometimes, you need two attempts to complete a difficult task.

I have succeeded at things that I have failed at before. I once failed a one-semester speech course in high school, but retook the course the next year and passed, and then went on to the two-semester speech course my senior year.

Winter Weather Woes

2007-12-19T21:39:00.000-06:00

You might have heard of the ice storm that knocked out electricity to much of Tulsa, Tulsa County, and nearby areas. Fortunately for me, I only experienced brief blink-outs, and sometimes when they happened repeatedly, I had to leave the computer off for a while. The worst effect on me is that electricity is still out at my employer's main office, and they have not been able to forward any calls to me. My employer did contact the software distributor and gave them my number, but so far I've received only one call.

The only other complaint about winter I have is the cold temperatures. My mucous membranes don't like it. I can see the beauty in snow and even a glaze of ice. Skiing, snowboarding and skating do look like fun. I can see why some people like winter, but the rest of us are sane.

Christmas is coming!

2007-12-13T21:53:00.000-06:00

Yes, Christmas is coming in less than 2 weeks. Many in Tulsa and surrounding areas aren't thinking too much about it right now. They are waiting for their electricity, phones, Internet, and in some cases, water to come back. Until then, they are coping as best they can.

Still, this is a good time to think about Christmas and what it means. What is Christmas about anyway?

It's not about presents, Santa Claus, reindeer, decorated evergreen trees, wreaths, candles, carols, candy canes, angels, camels, shepards, Magi, snow, snowmen, parties, pies, turkey, dressing, cookies, fudge or any of the trappings of the season. It's about family. More specfically, it's about God's family.

The Father wanted a bigger family, so He sent His Son to die for our sins, rise from the dead, and provide a way for us to join God's family.

I know the objections that some have to celebrating Christmas. They don't matter to me.

One objection is that we don't see Christians celebrating Christ's birth in the Bible. Well, we don't see Sunday School or many of the everyday practices of the church in there either.

Some then would get "spiritual" and point out that Jesus said He only did what He saw His Father do, and we should follow His exapmle. In that case, we then have a good reason to celbrate His birth. Read the accounts in Matthew and Luke and you'll see the Father celebrating! He had angels singing and invited people from all social classes, from shepards to royal advisers. He even set a beacon in the sky to invite the Magi.

Then some point out that from the Bible and historical/cultural/geographic background information about that time and place, Chirst could not have been born on December 25th. They say the clues point to the Jewish feast of Succoth, which occurs in September and includes the more well-known celebrations of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. In that case, He was probably conceived in late December, and we can celebrate His conception.
This indeed is something to celebrate. The Incarnation (God became flesh) sets the birth of Christ apart from the birth of every other person. As C. S. Lewis pointed out, the Incarnation is the grandest miracle associated with Christ, for this one miracle made all of His other miracles possible. That indeed is something to celebrate!

Now, some will ask if we need to, or if it's right to use some of the trappings of Christmas because of their pagan origins. Well, let's look at something Chirst's earthly ancestor, David, did centuries earlier. Look at the heading of Psalm 8, often regarded as one of David's most beautiful psalms and as a prophetic description of Chirst. You will see a note there in the heading. It's not part of the psalm itself, but it is part of the orginal text. Many psalms have such notes, and they serve either as a despcritpion of the psalm or instructions to the choirmaster in the Temple.
This heading note mentions the Gittith. A Gittith was a musical instrument of the Philistines, the enemies of Israel. David stayed with them for a time when he was hiding from Saul,and he must have heard their music and liked it. He must have acquired a few Gittiths for the Temple music, and wrote some songs to be played on them. So, David the Lord's anointed, a man after God's own heart, appropiated a pagan instrument and pagan music for worship in God's own house, to be used before the Ark of the Covenant where God's Holy Presence would dwell. And we worry about using a few evergreens and such for celebrating the Incarnation.

Of course some will grouse about the commercialism. I don't have any problem with merchants getting commercial with Christmas, because that's just part of our capitalist system. I'd be more surprised if mercahnts didn't get commercial this time of year. What disturbs me more is if Christians don't take advantage of the season to spread the Good News of Jesus.

Let's hear it for Capitalism!

2007-12-03T23:21:00.000-06:00

Yes, you read that title right. Capitalism had been getting a bad rap lately, and I feel it is undeserved. The insidious thing is that no one comes right out and says that capitalism is bad, but they blame social problems on business and suggest that some government program or regulation is the answer. That sounds like socialism to me.

Capitalism has given this country the highest standard of living in history. Many of our citizens that we regard as poor would be seen as rich in other countries. People often criticize big corporations, but what would our lives be like without the products made by big corporations (cars, TV's, phones, computers, etc.), or the services they provide (TV programming, Internet service)?

I am tired of hearing about corporate greed when gas prices go up. When the prices come down, I don't hear anything about corporate generosity. Why is that? Is it because people don't understand how the price at the pump is set? Do people really know how much of what the pay for gas goes to the oil company and how much goes to taxes? Do people know how much the oil industry is regulated?

Ironically, one of the most capitalistic things a person can do is to produce a book, a song, a movie or TV show criticizing capitalism. The next time you read such a book, look at the name of the publisher. Chances are, the publisher is a big corporation. The next time you go out to see a movie, the theater you go to might be locally owned, but the movie was most likely made and/or distributed by a big corporation. Think about this also the next time you watch a TV show on one of the major networks.

Have you ever thought about going into business for yourself? If so, you've wanted to become a capitalist! Good for you!

So, let's hear it for the entrepreneurs and capitalism!

Wisdom?

2007-11-21T22:31:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure if you can count the following items as wisdom, but they come from my observations of life. Read, relish and reflect on them if you wish.

Knowing how to operate the controls doesn't mean you know how to run the machine.
You might know how to start the car, shift the gears and press the brake pedal, but if you try to shift into first or drive before you put the key in the ignition, you're not likely going anywhere.
A larger application of this is that you can have good basic life skills such as cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc., but you could still make bad decisions about which job to take, using drugs, or continuing a bad relationship.

It isn't what you have that counts, it's what you do with it.
I have 2 stories that go with this one.
First, when I was young, my family liked to play a game called Moon. It is similar to Spades, but you play it with dominoes. When 4 people play, they usually play as 2 teams of partners. One time, my oldest brother and I were playing a 3-way game with my best friend, and he started to gloat over his success. Well, my brother and I "teamed up" to keep him from winning any more.
Later, when I was working at an auto parts warehouse, some of my co-workers liked to play regular dominoes in the breakroom during lunch. One time this one guy looked at what his hand and made a sound to express his disgust at not drawing anything he thought was useful. That's when I remebered the earlier incident and said, "It ain't whatcha got that counts, it's what you do with it!" I decided to polish up the language a bit for here.

Numbers don't lie, but they don't tell the whole story either.
I could have said that "Numbers don't lie, but people do," but that applies mostly to statisitics.
What I'm really talking about is how math is sometimes limited in its applications. For example, if a toddler sees 2 balls in her yard, one green and one blue, and if she picks up one and throws it, the laws of physics expressed as equations will tell how far the ball will go if we know how much force she applied to it. What math can not tell us is if she will pick up the green one or the blue one, which direction she will throw it, or if she will even pick one up to beign with.
If you need further proof of this, Google or search YouTube for "Abbot Costello math" and watch some of the videos.

The best way to keep up is to stay ahead.
I'm not necessarily talking about competition. This applies to business and technology. These fields change so much and they affect each other so much, you need to be aware of and ready to adapt to the changes. AutoCAD is 25 years old now, and the latest release (AutoCAD 2008) barely resembles the original. The 3D capabilities introduced in ACAD 2007 resemble the work environment of the higher-end 3D products. Those higher-end products are changing the way some companies work because they can create models of large complex assemblies, make changes to the assemblies or parts as needed, visualize everything, use the model data to produce the parts or prototypes, and also use the model data to generate bills of materials or other information for accounting or sales purposes.

Read the sky, taste the wind, find the storm...dodge the lightning!
This is my signature on Stormtrack.org/forum, a discussion board for stormchasers, and it's similar to the Numbers saying. Many stormchasers will do their own forecasting so they don't spend a lot of time, money, and effort on a busted chase. The numbers in the forecast model can give an indication of what could happen and where it could happen, but to actually find the storm, you have to get out there and use all your senses, maybe even use some intuition. Even when this approach works, don't forget safety and common sense.

Most rules can be summed up in two words: Play Nice!
I think this one is self-expanatory. If there's anything to add, it would be that this statement is not an endorsement of pollitical correctness, something I regard as oxymoronic and a poor substitute for the Golden Rule.

Illegal Immigration - I finally get political

2007-11-18T22:00:00.000-06:00

I skirted around politcs in my posts on Global Warming, but this time I get political. The following opinion is my own viewpoint, and even though it may resemble or coincide with the views of others, I am not merely echoing what someone else has said.

For most people, school is where they learn the basic rules of society. I'm not talking about laws or morals, but the practical guidelines that keeps society more or less functioning normally.

One of those rules is: Don't cut in line. Those that cut in line, unless they have a good reason, or are given special premission, are acting unfairly. Everyone needs to wait their turn.

Illlegal immargants, no matter which country they come from, Guatamala, Mexico, or China, are cutting in line. They are unfair to all the legal immigrants who have waited for their turn to enter the United States. They are even more unfair to those still waiting.

Yet, these illegals have the nerve to protest laws against open borders, hiring of illegals, etc., and they claim these laws are unfair! It seems to me they want us to just accept them with open arms and let them have their way with our country.

Maybe our immigration policy and procedures do need a good review to loosen things up a bit. But a whole scale amnesty is out of the question. We need stricter enforcement of current laws and more security of our borders - FIRST! Then we can talk amnesty.

Even then, the only amnesty I would support is for those who wish to become citizens. I would also have a limited enrollment period and enrollment happens only at designated processing centers. The processing centers would be given 3 months to prepare for the enrollment period. The centers would be open for limited time, where the illegals come in, give their information, and receive a card that gives them permission to stay. The cards will be only temporary. After the initial intake period, the immigrants would come back and receive a card that is good for one year. During that one year they have to start a citizenship course. Those caught with an expired card will be arrested and deported. Those without any amnesty card will be arrested and deported. If someone has an amnesty card and they are found guilty of a felony or major misdemeanor, they will be kicked out of the amnesty system.

I know this sounds like a new bureaucracy, but I would also give the entire program a limited lifespan of no more than 5 years without a chance of renewal. At the end of the enrollment period enforcement of immigration laws would be stepped up.

More on Global Warming

2007-11-15T22:28:00.000-06:00

I have been thinking more about Global Warming.

I am not a highly educated, trained, or experienced meteorologist or climatologist. That might work to my advantage because I have to stick to the basics in my understanding of scientific issues.

One of the basics of physics is the Conservation of Matter. Matter can be neither created or destroyed, but it can experience a change of phase such as when ice melts into water. The mass of the matter undergoing the phase change remains the same, but the volume (amount of space taken up by the mass) usually does change.

Much of the GW debate nowdays focuses on the amount of carbon dioxide added to the air by human acitvity. In my previous post on GW, I brought up the question of whether or not we are changing the compostion of the atmosphere. This time I wonder if the GW scientists have considered the role of Conservation of Matter.

Let's say the atmosphere has a mass of x, and the amount to carbon dioxide added to the air is y. That means the mass of the atmosphere is now x + y. The mass of the atmosphere has increased. My question then is, are the GW studies based on the the assumption that the CO2 content of the atmosphere = y / x, or y / x + y ?

I finally got started!

2007-11-03T23:19:00.000-05:00

I wrote a story treatment a couple of months ago, and I finally got started on writing it today. The story is a cross between a spaghetti western and science fiction. I'm not going to give away many details, but I'll share a few nuggets.

The story mostly takes place in an area called The Corridor, a strip of planets that do not belong to any kind of an alliance and most are lawless like the Old West, at least the West depicted in spaghetti westerns.

I am a big fan of the Clint Eastwood westerns, and the hero of my story does borrow from The Man With No Name. My guy is refered to by only one name.

The principle outlaw is a crude and ruthless cretin. But the hero counters this crudeness with shrewdness. It also helps that he's handy with guns.

The planet where the most of the action takes place is partly tamed, and partly wild. The authorities have a law that as long as you don't break their laws while you're on their planet, they'll leave you alone. So, some outlaws hide out there. Some that want to leave the outlaw life will go there to live a normal life. Because of this law, it is often called Sanctuary. So, far the working ttile for this story is Sanctuary.

I've written most of the opening portion that introduces the hero and his motivation for becoming a bounty hunter and why he targeted the outlaw he goes after.

Changes

2007-10-27T22:31:00.000-05:00

The weather this past week has been cooler, so Fall is definitely here. I doubt that we will have any more days in the 80's until next spring, unless we get a tropical system moving right over us. That is possible, but I doubt it. Last winter was wet, this whole year overall has been wet. We had several dry years before this one, and a year ago the entire state of Oklahoma was under a ban on outdoors burning. The ban even included rules for outdoor welding. Wildfires affected large parts of the Tulsa area, including some towns close to me. I'm glad that threat is over.

Many people look forward to winter weather, but I don't! I can handle heavy rain, but I prefer to do without snow, sleet, and ice. Snow I can live with if I have to. But sleet and ice are another matter.

We usually don't get much sleet around here. When it does happen, it doesn't build up much before it turns onto snow. Back in January or February, we had a winter storm that laid down about 3-4 inches of sleet. It looked like snow, but it sure wasn't! I managed to get outside and on the ground right in front of my house where there was a strip that was bare because it was on the sheltered side of the house. I noticed the sun had loosened up a corner of the sleet on top of the concrete porch. I took my shovel and pried off a chunk and tossed it out onto the yard. It didn't sink like it would have it had landed on snow. It just hit with a thud and slid. That sleet pretty much kept me inside the house for the better part of two weeks.

The part of winter that affects me the most is the cold. My mucous membranes defintely do not like the cold! I usually have at least one bad cold every winter.

The weather is not the only thing that is changing at my house. I haven't said much about my family or home life. I live with my mother in a house that once belonged to my grandfather.

My uncle was staying with my grandfather, then my uncle got sick and died. He had heart problems and I believe that's what did him in. My granfather needed someone to stay with him, I was out of a job, my mother and I were living in a garage apartment in Sapulpa and she was paying the rent. We moved in with my grandfather because it was a mutually beneficial arrangement for all of us. My grandfather left the house to Mom, even though she was not his daughter.

Mom has retired since then, and about 3 - 4 years ago she began volunteering to spend Sunday nights at a Christian women's halfway house in Sapulpa. She has been pretty steady there since the place opened. She was the first volunteer they called on to spend the night when their first resident came in. She has volunteered on other nights when they needed someone.

Things have changed at that place, and not for the better. Mom will be spending her last Sunday night there tomorrow night. I think she would like to continue, but she does not agree with some of the things they do, and going there has become a burden. I am concerned, because that place has helped several women that have become Mom's friends. I hope the place doesn't close. Maybe Mom's leaving will send them a signal that they need to change.

I was used to having the house to myself on Sunday nights. I usually did things that I normally wouldnt' do when she was home, because she wasn't in my way. Oh, well, I'll learn to adjust.

Global Warming

2007-10-25T00:03:00.000-05:00

I've been reading some discussions on Global Warming lately on a website I check almost daily, the Stormtrack.org forums. I've not posted anything there, because the site is for storm chasers, and I'm mostly a wannabe. I suspect that my opinions would not be highly regarded, and so they would probably not add much to the discussion.

I am a skeptic. I not only have doubts about anthropogenic GW, but GW itself. I admit I have not looked into the research behind GW claims, so I classify myself as a doubter more than a denier.

GW proponents claim they have the numbers to show that worldwide average temperatures have risen. My question is, where did those numbers come from? In the few college-level science courses I have taken, the validity of numbers from measurements depend on the accuracy of the instrument used, and any envrionmental factors that could affect the measurement. Are the thermometers of 100 years ago as accurate as the ones we use today? The placement of those thermomters could also be an issue. Before WW2, in the US, themometers for the Weather Bureau (now the NWS) were placed in downtown areas where the Bureau offices were. As the use of radar spread, NWS offices moved to airports where the radars where. With the modernization of the NWS, Automated Surface Observation System (ASOS) stations were placed at airports near the ends of runways. Sure the sensors are now placed in areas away from heat-retaining buildings, but they are now exposed to jet exhaust. Have these GW studies accounted for these changes?

In Introductory Meteorology, I learned that the earth's heat budget is always balanced, unlike our federal budget. All the heat that enters our atmosphere eventually leaves by radiating out into space. Greenhouse gases are said to retain heat, so the questions that come to my mind are these: How long do the gases "hold on" to the heat? What will happen because of this reatined heat? How much heat is retained?

Another thing I learned in Intro Meteorol. is the compostion of the atmosphere is a known mixture of gases of known porportion. If man is adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, are we changing the compostion of the atmosphere? Is it enough to account the amount of warming claimed?
Combustion of fossil fuels not only produces carbon dioxide, but water vapor as well. Water vapor is also a greenhouse gas. Do the climate models account for water vapor? Have humidity values gone up?

Averages are statistics. We hear of scientists conducting studies that produce the GW claims, but have statisticians reviewed the math?

I suppose I shall have to look at these studies for myself to find the answers to these questions.

Sometimes things work out better than you think!

2007-10-24T23:33:00.000-05:00

I created a form for keeping track of the number of cases I handle each day. I log calls from new clients into a database that automatically generates a number for each record. I record the number of the first and last case for each day. One day about a week ago, I thought I had taken only 6 calls, but when I checked the database to get the numbers for my form, I had 9 calls! It just didn't seem like it had been that many. I guess I'm getting better at this job.

Yesterday I had a chance to get into Sapulpa to take care of some things. I got to buy some much needed pants. I'm hard to fit and I have several pairs wearing out. In particular, I was looking for jeans. I was wearing a pair with a 54" waist (yep, I'm a big boy!), and found 2 pair of 50 x 32. In my haste, I thought I was getting 52 x 30, which I was sure would fit because the 54's are a bit loose. Last night I tried on a pair of the 50's and they fit almost as if they were made for me. Actually, I need about a 28 - 29 inch inseam.

Sometimes things do work out better than what you think they will.

A Strange Thing Happened Today

2007-10-19T23:11:00.000-05:00

I've been working at home providing installation support for Autodesk student products for 6 months. I have served about 300 clients. I have had a few send me e-mails to say thanks for the help I provided. Those client were ones that I had sent instructions to by e-mail on what to do.

Today, for the first time, one client called just to say thanks! I had sent him some instructions yesterday, and today he had an unexpected warning come up in the middle of the process. He called me to determine what to do. Workng from clues in the warning message and the instructions, I determine he could proceed with the process. The warning said he had restricted the permissions on a particular item to the Owner. According to the instructions, he would be granting Full Control to Everyone.

After I told him to go ahead and finish the process and that he might have to repeat the process to clear a bunch of error messages. But he had to go through the process only once to get his program installed.

I'm not posting this to brag on myself, but to brag on him. He could have gone on using the program and not said anything.
Most people that call will say thanks towards the end of the call, and I believe that this guy did on his previous call. He still had some of the process to go through after that call, and he could have not called back just to say thanks. But he did.

This illustrates how often we don't take time to appreciate the good things we take for granted. Also, we often don't take time to express our appreciation to others. We may say "Thank you," to someone who holds open a door, or to the clerk that waits on us at the convenience store, but are we just being polite, or do we recognize the value of what they did? Something to think about...

Oh, and if you live in California and you know a guy named Ron Holt who uses AutoCAD 2004, treat him like a special person, because he is!

More on weather

2007-10-18T22:28:00.000-05:00

While I was watching the radar loops of the storms that moved through eastern Oklahoma last night, I noticed something that I'm not sure is nomal. Some of the squall lines seemed to fragment. I'm not talking about gaps in the line but the forward edge of all segments stay aligned. I'm also not talking about a bow echo that breaks away from the rest of the line. What I saw was a portion break away and move forward a few miles ahead of the rest of the line. I don't know what it means, but I wouldn't be surprised if topography contributed to this happening. I also noticed that as the main squall line approached the Arkansas line, it solidified.

I wish I knew more about interpreting the forecast models. I read the forecast threads on the Stormtrack forum, and much of what they say on there goes over my head when they mention the models. I think I may have a strategy to simplify things.

In spotter training, the NWS mets always mention the four ingredients for severe weather: Moisture, Instability, Lift, and Shear. Moisture is needed because moist air is buoyant, that is, it is less dense than dry air and so it tends to rise. Instability is the tendency of rising air to keep rising once it starts. Lift is a mechanism, such as a front or a hillside, that gives the process a start. These first 3 ingredients will account for rain or basic storms, but shear is needed to make a storm severe. Shear is a change in either wind direction or speed as altitude increases.

If you look at the the initials of those ingredients, they spell MILS. I think that I shall call my system the MILS system.

The models show all kinds of parameters plotted on maps. I could look at the models and try to figure out what all the numbers mean. Or I could look at just these ingredients.

Before I launch this system, I need to do a little study to determine the critical values for each ingredient, and then figure out a way to plot these values on maps. Sounds like a good winter project to get ready for next spring!

Not a bad birthday

2007-10-17T21:52:00.000-05:00

Well, I didn't get to see much today in the way of directly observing severe weather. But I did get to follow some of the coverage of storms that blew through my area. I am still listening to the weather net on the Tulsa Amateur Radio Club's UHF link system at this time (2200 CDT). Storms have moved out of Okahoma, and I suspect the net will end soon.

My problem with storm watching right now is a real estate issue - location, location, location! I live close to the bottom of a ridge line that runs mostly north and south, and the ridge is to my west. Another ridge that runs east and west lies to my north. The ground to my east gently slopes uphill, but the treeline of a creek sits about half a block away. Lots of trees to the south, too. So, unless something is almost right on top me, I can't see diddly, or the storms!

Not long after 1 PM, I made my run (walk, actually) to the PO and then headed towards one of the two convenience store for something for a special b-day lunch. As I approached the local car wash, I noticed a young police officer WASHING a brand new patrol unit! I stopped and told him he must have really wanted it to storm! We talked for a bit about the storm threat for today. I had talked to him some last year when I volunteered to do some spotting for the town. (That hasn't worked out so well, due to my limited transportation options.) I found out he is taking over as Chief for a year as the regular Chief is going to Afghanistan for a year as a consultant to the police forces there. I told him that I might be able to get a car soon, and then I can start working on helping the town put together a spotting program.

Later, as I headed south down my street, I could feel outflow from a cell to my southwest hit me in the face. When I got home and woke up my computer, it showed me the Press Cntrl-Alt-Del screen. A power spike must have struck while I was away.

Anyway, I enjoyed a lunch of salad, boneless chicken strips and nacho cheese flavored tortilla chips. The first wave, mostly rain, moved through soon afterwards. I didn't bother to look at it bacause a gap developed in the squall line and guess where the gap headed - right at Kiefer. Redevlopment filled in the line, but with rain that lasted a while. Skies cleared between 4 and 6 PM, and then next wave moved in.

Storms that first developed west of I-35 moved into Pawnee and Osage Cos. A crescent shaped line popped up in Creek Co. south of I-44 with the center of the arc near Bristow in the middle of the county. This crescent moved northeast towards Sapulpa and Sand Springs. Part of this storm developed a funnel between Sapulpa, Sand Springs, and Tulsa.
Soon afterwards, around 7 PM, straightline winds lifted, then dropped a large tent and its poles in west Tulsa in a park on the Arkansas River. A private, corporate event was going on at the time in connection with Tulsa's Octoberfest, and about 40 people were injured. The genereal manager of KTUL-TV, the local ABC affliate, was there and reported from the scene. One of my fellow hams, Fred Williams, KD5NBR, and a chaser for the station, reported in and also sent in video of the first responders and the downed tent.
The sad irony of the Octoberfest incident is that Jim Giles, the chief meteorologist for KOTV, the CBS affliate, had been very involved with the event in the past. He passed away late last year, and he had worked so hard throughout his career to protect lives.

Anyway, in between the storms, I had pizza, which has been a rare treat for me the last two years.

I didn't get any presents, unless you count the pizza my Mom paid for, and she gave me a handmade 'card'. That doesn't matter much, as I pretty much enjoyed myself today. In case you're wondering how old I am, I've reached the point where I don't mind having a birthday, I just don't care to count them anymore!

And now for the weather...

2007-10-16T20:44:00.000-05:00

The Storm Prediction Center in Norman OK is forecasting severe weather for my area tomorrow, October 17, 2007. That would be a fitting present for my 53rd birthday! It would also help with this disease I have, called SDS. I know it sounds ominous, but it is just Supercell Deprivation Syndrome.

SDS started as a joke on the website of Texas stormchaser Steve Miller. (Not to be confused with the Oklahoma storm chaser, Steve Miller of Moore) Many storm chasers, wannabes, and other severe weather enthusiasts have picked up on this and speak of it as a real disease, and for some, it is a very serious condition. But even those people will probably admit that SDS is a humorous way to deal with an extended lack of severe weather.

I look forward to seeing at least parts of some storms. The last supercell activity I witnessed was in the spring of 2006. I saw a storm near Mannford in northern Creek County that was moving to the northeast into western Tulsa County. It had a vigorous flanking line of towers quickly growing into the main storm tower. I tried to report this to the NWS in Tulsa, but the batteries in my handheld transciever ran out of power. I'll try not to make this mistake tomorrow. I've got one HT charging up right now, and I'll plug in the other one before I go nighty-night.

For those who don't know what a supercell is, it is the type of severe thunderstorm that is most likely to produce a tornado. Not all supercells produce tornados, in fact, most don't. But supercells are always considered severe because they often produce large hail and potentially damaging winds.

You might have seen a supercell and not realized it. The most visible features of a supercell are a main storm tower at its center, an anvil cloud that spreads downwind from the top of the main tower, pouch-like mammatus under the anvil, a rain-free base, and a wall cloud extending down from the rain-free base. If the wall cloud is rotating, the storm could be ready to drop a tornado, or at least a funnel cloud.

This is a "picture" of what a basic supercell looks like, minus the mammatus under the anvil. You can also see a backsheared anvil on the backside of the storm, and an overshooting top, or dome above the anvil. Some supercells will have striations on the main storm tower that will give it a "barber pole" or even a "stacked plates" appearance. These indicate strong rotation in the middle of the storm, and the potential for severe weaher or tornados. I might add these extra features later, but you can see a much, much better illustration of a supercell look around at www.spotterguides.us for a drawing by Charles Doswell. The view is to the northwest, and the storm moves from the southwest to the northwest.

Well, this thread is not intended to be a tutorial on severe weather. I just hope I get to see a real supercell soon instead of a drawing!

Chances are good that I will see something. The Day 2 Convective Outloook shows Tulsa in the middle of a Moderate risk, 45% hatched area! Some of the chasers posting on the Stormtrack forum forecast thread have noted the possibility of busting tomorrow, but we shall see!

Some Thoughts About Work

2007-10-15T22:33:00.000-05:00

I had a busy day today. I took 9 cases. Some cases required more than one call, several required sending e-mails. I struggled through most of the day because of an addiction I have. Yes, I am about to reveal a deep, dark secret.

I am addicted to Stargate SG-1. I don't have cable, so I don't see any first run episodes until they are shown on the air in Tulsa. The local station that carries Stargate SG-1 doesn't show it until 1 AM Sunday nights. So, most of the day I was dragging a bit, even at my best.

I get paid by the case. Some days I don't make much, some days I do fairly good. Today was one of my better days. The annoying thing is that most of the calls came in the afternoon, after my paycheck arrived, and they kept preventing me from leaving to go to the bank. I have to walk to the bank, and I didn't get there until well after the lobby closed. Even though I was on foot, I used the drive-thru. The teller is familiar with me, so she was willing to serve me.

On busy days like this, I do have to remind myself of my philosophy of work. Work is worthwhile. Nothing happens in this world without it. Work has given this country the highest standard of living anyone in the world has ever known. I do not work just to get a paycheck, but to earn a paycheck. Anyone who takes that attitude will eventually succeed.
Too many people see their jobs as just a function they perform. Every job exists to solve a problem. If you approach your job that way, you will see the value in it. One of the greatest feelings in the world is to solve a problem, to finish a task, to do a job well.

Having said that, I also see the value of rest and recreation. So I will end this post with this:

A deputy was patrolling the backroads near the county seat when he comes across a farmer and a sheep walking towards town. He pulls over and asks the farmer what is going on. The farmer replies, "I'm taking this sheep to the sale barn to get the money to buy the part I need to fix my truck." The deputy informs the farmer that the sale barn is closed that day because the owner is sick, but it should be open the next day.
The farmer says with a sigh, "I guess I'll just go tomorrow," and turns back the other way with the sheep following him. He doesn't go but a few steps when the deputy says, "I'm sorry, sir, but I must give you a ticket."
"Why? What did I do wrong?" the farmer reacts in disbelief. "Well, sir," the deputy replies, "you did make a ewe turn!"

My first entry

2007-10-14T22:16:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Random Contact, the blog of Douglas D. Lee. I will post here information, thoughts and ideas on a variety of subjects that interest me. Two of my biggest interests are weather and ham radio.

The title came from a title I thought up for a column I wrote for a while in the Tulsa Amateur Radio Club's newsletter. The editor decided not to use that title, but made up one that sounded more like I was writing a series of opinion pieces. My intent, then as now, was to present more than opinions. I will present opinions here, but sometimes I will just present information.

First some background info about me.
I was born in Wichita KS, and have lived most of my life in northeast Creek County, to the southwest of Tulsa OK. Currently I live in Kiefer, a small but growing town southeast of the county seat, Sapulpa. I also work at home providing installation support for people that have bought student versions of Autodesk software. Autodesk makes the leading computer drafting program, AutoCAD, as well as a popular animation program, 3D Studio Max.

The company I work for is Star Training Institute. Their main business right now is workshops about AutoCAD and other software. They used to have regular classes in drafting, computer animation, and computer systems. I went through those classes to learn drafting. About a month after finishing those classes, they hired me to do drafting and 3D modeling on a contract basis. My drafting experience covers various areas, but most has been mechanical parts or overhead cranes. My car died a couple of years ago, and I couldn't always get rides in to work when I was needed, so I was out of work for about a year. Six months ago, Star set me up to work at home because they needed an extra person to help with the support calls. I've been saving up to get another vehicle and get back into drafting.

Ten years ago, I became a storm spotter and a ham radio operator. I spotted for Creek County Emergency Management from 1997 to 2000. Since then, I have spotted from home or work, and reported directly to the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Tulsa by ham radio.

My interest in weather led me into ham radio. Beyond storm spotting, I also enjoy public service and emergency communications, antenna building, and hidden-transmitter hunting (foxhunting). Just before my car died, I was involved in the ham radio response in the Tulsa area to Hurricane Katrina. I spent one week recruitng and scheduling HF operators to run the station at the Red Cross center in Tulsa. Then I spent two days recruiting and scheduling hams to provide communications at Camp Gruber, a National Guard training base near Muskogee that became a shelter for evacuees. This exerience led to my first published article as a writer. It appeared in the March 2006 issue of QST, the magazine of the American Radio Relay League.

I guess that's enough for now. Further posts will range from the personal to the intellectual, from the political to the spiritual.