"This is very, very serious, and we need you to heed this warning. We really don't have the resources to rescue you after this." - New Orleans Mayor, Ray Nagin.
Alright, so I really think Nagin lacks enough leadership skills to make a good Mayor. But my opinion doesn't matter as I don't live in that area and the folks there chose their own, right?
But guess what folks, he's right. The government cannot protect you, the government cannot save you. You must do what is necessary for you and your family to survive given your own capabilities and resources.
I would have more respect for Nagin if he'd said this before, and during, Katrina. I'm also very interested to find out if Nagin once again cries and whimpers about state and federal aid... You see, even at the local level you must depend upon your neighbors to save your city, if you desire.
Take responsibility for your own life, safety, and happiness. No one else will. If you are in southern LA or southeastern Texas, get out now. Be safe. And I sincerely hope the best for you.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Motorcycling Wisdom
Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul.
Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that connects the handlebars to the saddle.
Midnight bugs taste best.
Saddlebags can never hold everything you want, but they CAN hold everything you need.
Never try to race an old geezer; he may have one more gear than you.
It takes more love to share the saddle than it does to share the bed.
The only good view of a thunderstorm is in your rear view mirror.
Don't ride so late into the night that you sleep through the sunrise.
Sometimes it takes a whole tank full of fuel, before you can think straight.
Riding faster than everyone else only guarantees you'll ride alone.
Never hesitate to ride past the last street light at the edge of town.
If you don't ride in the rain, you don't ride.
A bike on the road is worth two in the shed.
Respect the person who has seen the dark side of motorcycling and lived.
Young riders pick a destination and go ... Old riders pick a direction and go.
A good mechanic will let you watch without charging you for it.
Always back your bike into the curb, and sit where you can see it.
Work to ride & ride to work.
Whatever it is, it's better in the wind.
Two-lane blacktop isn't a highway - it's an attitude.
When you look down the road, it seems to never end - but you better believe it does.
Keep your bike in good repair: Motorcycle boots are NOT comfortable for walking.
People are like Motorcycles: each is customized a bit differently.
Sometimes, the best communication happens when you're on separate bikes.
When you're riding lead, don't spit.
Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt at 70 mph. can double your vocabulary.
There's something ugly about a NEW bike on a trailer.
Don't argue with an 18-wheeler.
Never be ashamed to unlearn an old habit.
A good long ride can clear your mind and restore your faith.
If you can't get it going with bungee cords, bailing wire and electrician's tape, it's serious.
If you ride like there's no tomorrow, there won't be.
Gray-haired riders don't get that way from pure luck.
Thin leather looks good in the bar, but it won't save your butt from road rash" if you go down.
The best modifications cannot be seen from the outside.
Always replace the cheapest parts first.
Only a Biker knows why a dog sticks his head out of a car window.
Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly.
Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that connects the handlebars to the saddle.
Midnight bugs taste best.
Saddlebags can never hold everything you want, but they CAN hold everything you need.
Never try to race an old geezer; he may have one more gear than you.
It takes more love to share the saddle than it does to share the bed.
The only good view of a thunderstorm is in your rear view mirror.
Don't ride so late into the night that you sleep through the sunrise.
Sometimes it takes a whole tank full of fuel, before you can think straight.
Riding faster than everyone else only guarantees you'll ride alone.
Never hesitate to ride past the last street light at the edge of town.
If you don't ride in the rain, you don't ride.
A bike on the road is worth two in the shed.
Respect the person who has seen the dark side of motorcycling and lived.
Young riders pick a destination and go ... Old riders pick a direction and go.
A good mechanic will let you watch without charging you for it.
Always back your bike into the curb, and sit where you can see it.
Work to ride & ride to work.
Whatever it is, it's better in the wind.
Two-lane blacktop isn't a highway - it's an attitude.
When you look down the road, it seems to never end - but you better believe it does.
Keep your bike in good repair: Motorcycle boots are NOT comfortable for walking.
People are like Motorcycles: each is customized a bit differently.
Sometimes, the best communication happens when you're on separate bikes.
When you're riding lead, don't spit.
Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt at 70 mph. can double your vocabulary.
There's something ugly about a NEW bike on a trailer.
Don't argue with an 18-wheeler.
Never be ashamed to unlearn an old habit.
A good long ride can clear your mind and restore your faith.
If you can't get it going with bungee cords, bailing wire and electrician's tape, it's serious.
If you ride like there's no tomorrow, there won't be.
Gray-haired riders don't get that way from pure luck.
Thin leather looks good in the bar, but it won't save your butt from road rash" if you go down.
The best modifications cannot be seen from the outside.
Always replace the cheapest parts first.
Only a Biker knows why a dog sticks his head out of a car window.
Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
You won't see us telling doctors or lawyers how to do their jobs...
First, read this. Then come back here.
Silly Border Patrol Agent.
I wonder how many degrees, or even just college level hours this particular Border Patrol Agent has under his belt. Surely nowhere near the number of hours required to be a lawyer or doctor!
But here's my first beef with this idgit's statement. When it comes right down to my health, I will tell my doctor how to do his job. When it comes right down to my need for a lawyer, I will tell my lawyer how to do her job.
Here's the thought that really strips my gears. The idgit believes in his power as a law enforcement officer, not in the power of the laws of the land. He considers himself the authority. It's very clear from his earlier statements that he doesn't respect the law. His sole use for the law is to ensure his authority.
Firstly, I doubt he can read and comprehend as well as the doctors and lawyers he slights... but I would encourage this Silly Border Patrol Agent to go back and read, review, comprehend, and understand the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Especially Amendment IV of the Bill of Rights. Methinks that it is up to 'We the people' to remind law enforcement of what their job is supposed to be.
I guess here is where I'll make a distinction. I have no loss of respect for peace officers. Those are the folks that know the law, know they are NOT the law, and know that their job is to ensure civility and peace. Only using the threat of force as an absolute last resort with the understanding that said threat of force is only a tool. A very blunt one. Law Enforcement on the other hand believes they are the law and their tool set is limited by their lack of ability to realize that it is not the tools that get the job done, but the brains behind the tools.
Silly Border Patrol Agent.
I wonder how many degrees, or even just college level hours this particular Border Patrol Agent has under his belt. Surely nowhere near the number of hours required to be a lawyer or doctor!
But here's my first beef with this idgit's statement. When it comes right down to my health, I will tell my doctor how to do his job. When it comes right down to my need for a lawyer, I will tell my lawyer how to do her job.
Here's the thought that really strips my gears. The idgit believes in his power as a law enforcement officer, not in the power of the laws of the land. He considers himself the authority. It's very clear from his earlier statements that he doesn't respect the law. His sole use for the law is to ensure his authority.
Firstly, I doubt he can read and comprehend as well as the doctors and lawyers he slights... but I would encourage this Silly Border Patrol Agent to go back and read, review, comprehend, and understand the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Especially Amendment IV of the Bill of Rights. Methinks that it is up to 'We the people' to remind law enforcement of what their job is supposed to be.
I guess here is where I'll make a distinction. I have no loss of respect for peace officers. Those are the folks that know the law, know they are NOT the law, and know that their job is to ensure civility and peace. Only using the threat of force as an absolute last resort with the understanding that said threat of force is only a tool. A very blunt one. Law Enforcement on the other hand believes they are the law and their tool set is limited by their lack of ability to realize that it is not the tools that get the job done, but the brains behind the tools.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Nobody's Business
Ain't Nobody's Business If You Do is a good treatise on what America could be.
Why is everyone so worried about what everyone else is doing? Granted, there is a need for law and order. But aren't we all adults? Worrying about what "the kid next door" is doing or has is childish.
We don't need more government or nosy people around. Mind your own business, I'll mind mine.
Freedom -- being able to do as one pleases with one's own resources on one's own property as long as no one else is harmed.
Mental harm doesn't count... read the article.
It's a good read.
Why is everyone so worried about what everyone else is doing? Granted, there is a need for law and order. But aren't we all adults? Worrying about what "the kid next door" is doing or has is childish.
We don't need more government or nosy people around. Mind your own business, I'll mind mine.
Freedom -- being able to do as one pleases with one's own resources on one's own property as long as no one else is harmed.
Mental harm doesn't count... read the article.
It's a good read.
I love the English language, Part II
Ladle Rat Rotten Hut
(Don't read this in your head, you have to speak it.)
WANTS PAWN TERM DARE WORSTED LADLE GULL HOE LIFT wetter murder inner ladle cordage honor itch offer lodge, dock, florist. Disk ladle gull orphan worry Putty ladle rat cluck wetter ladle rat hut, an fur disk raisin pimple colder Ladle Rat Rotten Hut.
Wan moaning Ladle Rat Rotten Hut's murder colder inset.
"Ladle Rat Rotten Hut, heresy ladle basking winsome burden barter an shirker cockles. Tick disk ladle basking tutor cordage offer groin-murder hoe lifts honor udder site offer florist. Shaker lake! Dun stopper laundry wrote! Dun stopper peck floors! Dun daily-doily inner florist, an yonder nor sorghum-stenches, dun stopper torque wet strainersi"
"Hoe-cake, murder," resplendent Ladle Rat Rotten Hut, an tickle ladle basking an stuttered oft.
Honor wrote tutor cordage offer groin-murder, Ladle Rat Rotten Hut mitten anomalous woof.
"Wail, wail, wailI" set disk wicket woof, "Evanescent Ladle Rat Rotten Hutf Wares are putty ladle gull goring wizard ladle basking?"
"Armor goring tumor groin-murder's," reprisal ladle gull. "Grammar's seeking bet. Armor ticking arson burden barter an shirker cockles."
"0 hoe! Heifer gnats woke," setter wicket woof, butter taught tomb shelf, "Oil tickle shirt court tutor cordage offer groin-murder. Oil ketchup wetter letter, an den-- O bore!"
Soda wicket woof tucker shirt court, an whinny retched a cordage offer groin-murder, picked inner windrow, an sore debtor pore oil worming worse lion inner bet. Inner flesh, disk abdominal woof lipped honor bet, paunched honor pore oil worming, an garbled erupt. Den disk ratchet ammonol pot honor groin-murder's nut cup an gnat-gun, any curdled ope inner bet.
Inner ladle wile, Ladle Rat Rotten Hut a raft attar cordage, an ranker dough ball. "Comb ink, sweat hard," setter wicket woof, disgracing is verse.
Ladle Rat Rotten Hut entity bet rum, an stud buyer groin-murder's bet.
"O Grammarl" crater ladle gull historically, "Water bag icer gut! A nervous sausage bag icel"
"Battered lucky chew whiff, sweat hard," setter bloat-Thursday woof, wetter wicket small honors phase.
O, Grammar, water bag noisel A nervous sore suture anomalous prognosis!"
"Battered small your whiff, doling," whiskered dole woof, ants mouse worse waddling.
"0 Grammar, water bag mouser gutY A nervous sore suture bag mouse!"
Daze worry on-forger-nut ladle gull's lest warts. Oil offer sodden, caking offer carvers an sprinkling otter bet, disk hoard-hoarded woof lipped own pore Ladle Rat Rotten Hut an garbled erupt.
MURAL: Yonder nor sorghum stenches shut ladle gulls stopper torque wet strainers.
From "Anguish Languish" by Howard L. Chance
Thanks to Kevin Rice's ANGUISH LANGUISH PAGE
(Don't read this in your head, you have to speak it.)
WANTS PAWN TERM DARE WORSTED LADLE GULL HOE LIFT wetter murder inner ladle cordage honor itch offer lodge, dock, florist. Disk ladle gull orphan worry Putty ladle rat cluck wetter ladle rat hut, an fur disk raisin pimple colder Ladle Rat Rotten Hut.
Wan moaning Ladle Rat Rotten Hut's murder colder inset.
"Ladle Rat Rotten Hut, heresy ladle basking winsome burden barter an shirker cockles. Tick disk ladle basking tutor cordage offer groin-murder hoe lifts honor udder site offer florist. Shaker lake! Dun stopper laundry wrote! Dun stopper peck floors! Dun daily-doily inner florist, an yonder nor sorghum-stenches, dun stopper torque wet strainersi"
"Hoe-cake, murder," resplendent Ladle Rat Rotten Hut, an tickle ladle basking an stuttered oft.
Honor wrote tutor cordage offer groin-murder, Ladle Rat Rotten Hut mitten anomalous woof.
"Wail, wail, wailI" set disk wicket woof, "Evanescent Ladle Rat Rotten Hutf Wares are putty ladle gull goring wizard ladle basking?"
"Armor goring tumor groin-murder's," reprisal ladle gull. "Grammar's seeking bet. Armor ticking arson burden barter an shirker cockles."
"0 hoe! Heifer gnats woke," setter wicket woof, butter taught tomb shelf, "Oil tickle shirt court tutor cordage offer groin-murder. Oil ketchup wetter letter, an den-- O bore!"
Soda wicket woof tucker shirt court, an whinny retched a cordage offer groin-murder, picked inner windrow, an sore debtor pore oil worming worse lion inner bet. Inner flesh, disk abdominal woof lipped honor bet, paunched honor pore oil worming, an garbled erupt. Den disk ratchet ammonol pot honor groin-murder's nut cup an gnat-gun, any curdled ope inner bet.
Inner ladle wile, Ladle Rat Rotten Hut a raft attar cordage, an ranker dough ball. "Comb ink, sweat hard," setter wicket woof, disgracing is verse.
Ladle Rat Rotten Hut entity bet rum, an stud buyer groin-murder's bet.
"O Grammarl" crater ladle gull historically, "Water bag icer gut! A nervous sausage bag icel"
"Battered lucky chew whiff, sweat hard," setter bloat-Thursday woof, wetter wicket small honors phase.
O, Grammar, water bag noisel A nervous sore suture anomalous prognosis!"
"Battered small your whiff, doling," whiskered dole woof, ants mouse worse waddling.
"0 Grammar, water bag mouser gutY A nervous sore suture bag mouse!"
Daze worry on-forger-nut ladle gull's lest warts. Oil offer sodden, caking offer carvers an sprinkling otter bet, disk hoard-hoarded woof lipped own pore Ladle Rat Rotten Hut an garbled erupt.
MURAL: Yonder nor sorghum stenches shut ladle gulls stopper torque wet strainers.
From "Anguish Languish" by Howard L. Chance
Thanks to Kevin Rice's ANGUISH LANGUISH PAGE
Monday, August 25, 2008
I love the English language
I take it you already know,
Of tough and bough and cough and dough.
Others may stumble, but not you,
On hiccough, thorough, laugh and through.
Well done! And now you wish, perhaps,
To learn of less familiar traps.
Beware of heard, a dreadful word,
That looks like beard and sounds like bird.
And dead - it’s said like bed, not bead,
For goodness’ sake, don’t call it ‘deed’!
Watch out for meat and great and threat,
(They rhyme with suite and straight and debt).
A moth is not a moth in mother,
Nor both in bother, broth in brother.
And here is not a match for there,
Nor dear and fear for bear and pear.
And then there’s dose and rose and lose –
Just look them up – and goose and choose.
And cork and work and card and ward,
And font and front and word and sword.
And do and go and thwart and cart –
Come, come, I’ve hardly made a start!
A dreadful language? Why man alive!
I’d mastered it when I was five.
- Anonymous
But with props to Gallagher and Carlin.
Of tough and bough and cough and dough.
Others may stumble, but not you,
On hiccough, thorough, laugh and through.
Well done! And now you wish, perhaps,
To learn of less familiar traps.
Beware of heard, a dreadful word,
That looks like beard and sounds like bird.
And dead - it’s said like bed, not bead,
For goodness’ sake, don’t call it ‘deed’!
Watch out for meat and great and threat,
(They rhyme with suite and straight and debt).
A moth is not a moth in mother,
Nor both in bother, broth in brother.
And here is not a match for there,
Nor dear and fear for bear and pear.
And then there’s dose and rose and lose –
Just look them up – and goose and choose.
And cork and work and card and ward,
And font and front and word and sword.
And do and go and thwart and cart –
Come, come, I’ve hardly made a start!
A dreadful language? Why man alive!
I’d mastered it when I was five.
- Anonymous
But with props to Gallagher and Carlin.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Most Played Music in the HMA
Since I haven't done this in a while, figure its about time. The songs below are the Top 25 Most Played in the Hykkonen Music Archive as of today. Wow, guess I have been in a starry kind of mood! Although Heather will find it amusing that '99 Luftballoons' is, yet again, in my most played list.
Heaven and Hell (Part I)
Alpha
Yeager's Triumph (From "The Right Stuff")
Stargate SG-1 Main Title
The Planets, Op. 32: I. Mars, the Bringer of War
The Planets, Op. 32: IV. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity
The Last Starfighter
Best Years Of Our Lives (Port Aransas Edit)
Almost
Orinoco Flow
The Enterprise
Pistolero
The Planets, Op. 32: II. Venus, the Bringer of Peace
99 Luftballoons
Moonraker
Mr. Chow
A Narnia Lullaby
The Search For Another
March from Superman
The Planets, Op. 32: III. Mercury, the Winged Messenger
The Planets, Op. 32: VII. Neptune, the Mystic
I Will Go Sailing No More
Has Been
Piano in the Dark
Big Victory March; Alex Returns
Additional information about the HMA...
There are 8,704 music items in the library, totaling 23.2 straight days of music (almost a month, if listened to start to finish. Wonder when I will cross 30 days of music?!?) for a combined size of 35.6 gigabytes of tunes.
Presently, I have 37 movies in the library totaling 1.7 days of viewing and comprising 28.58 gigabytes of storage. Hrm, there's an interesting thing to look at... most of the movies are DVD rips (c'mon MAFIAA... it's my right!) and a few iTunes store purchases. Comparison of music to video, almost a 1:14 ratio of movies to music but nearly 80% of the storage.
I remember the days, not too distant in the past, where storing a lot of music was difficult. The day is quickly approaching that storing all of our movies on local storage is going to be easily doable.
The HMA currently hosts 89 TV Shows for 2.8 days worth of viewing pleasure for 44.60 gigabytes of storage.
Finally, as a child of the 80's I'm attached to the Music Video of which there are 17 for 2.7 hours of display totaling 1.76 gigabytes. Not MTV yet, but give me time!
Heaven and Hell (Part I)
Alpha
Yeager's Triumph (From "The Right Stuff")
Stargate SG-1 Main Title
The Planets, Op. 32: I. Mars, the Bringer of War
The Planets, Op. 32: IV. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity
The Last Starfighter
Best Years Of Our Lives (Port Aransas Edit)
Almost
Orinoco Flow
The Enterprise
Pistolero
The Planets, Op. 32: II. Venus, the Bringer of Peace
99 Luftballoons
Moonraker
Mr. Chow
A Narnia Lullaby
The Search For Another
March from Superman
The Planets, Op. 32: III. Mercury, the Winged Messenger
The Planets, Op. 32: VII. Neptune, the Mystic
I Will Go Sailing No More
Has Been
Piano in the Dark
Big Victory March; Alex Returns
Additional information about the HMA...
There are 8,704 music items in the library, totaling 23.2 straight days of music (almost a month, if listened to start to finish. Wonder when I will cross 30 days of music?!?) for a combined size of 35.6 gigabytes of tunes.
Presently, I have 37 movies in the library totaling 1.7 days of viewing and comprising 28.58 gigabytes of storage. Hrm, there's an interesting thing to look at... most of the movies are DVD rips (c'mon MAFIAA... it's my right!) and a few iTunes store purchases. Comparison of music to video, almost a 1:14 ratio of movies to music but nearly 80% of the storage.
I remember the days, not too distant in the past, where storing a lot of music was difficult. The day is quickly approaching that storing all of our movies on local storage is going to be easily doable.
The HMA currently hosts 89 TV Shows for 2.8 days worth of viewing pleasure for 44.60 gigabytes of storage.
Finally, as a child of the 80's I'm attached to the Music Video of which there are 17 for 2.7 hours of display totaling 1.76 gigabytes. Not MTV yet, but give me time!
We Are Star Stuff
From the stars I am birthed, at immeasurable length,
to the stars I will journey.
Aeons have these elements been roaming this Universe.
Made and unmade.
Formed and reformed in the forge-like hearts of the Ancient.
For ageless aeons after I cease to exist will these essence continue,
afloat upon this ocean of time.
The elements of I an infinitesimal constituent, striving to be a new I.
Much as I, assembled of elements that once made the Other.
At the final entropy.
All that have been will cool to infinity, an eternal state of rest.
And dream of all the I that have been.
- Pat Hykkonen, August 2008
to the stars I will journey.
Aeons have these elements been roaming this Universe.
Made and unmade.
Formed and reformed in the forge-like hearts of the Ancient.
For ageless aeons after I cease to exist will these essence continue,
afloat upon this ocean of time.
The elements of I an infinitesimal constituent, striving to be a new I.
Much as I, assembled of elements that once made the Other.
At the final entropy.
All that have been will cool to infinity, an eternal state of rest.
And dream of all the I that have been.
- Pat Hykkonen, August 2008
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