I am sad to report that Historical Wit has run his course.

Alright. Here goes. As those of you who are close to me know, I have a new job at my old job. My new job has me on the road a lot. Which has cut into my personal time. Bummer I know. So I have been looking around to see where I can trim the fat. And Historical Wit ended up on the chopping block. This will be my final blog post on this blog. Now that doesn't mean I am don with bloggin. I have another blog I have been moonlighting on for some time. Nothing big, nothing great. Just a fresh start with my real name and what I am really passionate about. And shameless promotion of myself. Does this mean I am cutting ties with all of you? Hell no. All my peeps that I adore, send me an email and I will hook you up with the 411. I will leave this blog up until I get emails from all those whom I am looking for emails from. You know who you are.

Thanks for reading. It has been a pleasure.

2008 Hurricane Season.

Off the hook! I will try to get to this later. Pressed for time right now. Remember the NHC website. It is in my sidebar. Check it out.

Bond update, kind of a funny one.

Daniel Craig Forced To Wear Lifts In New "Bond" Film

There is a typo in there, Craig aint 22.

Greetings. Just an update.

I am sorry for not posting with regularity this past week or so. I have made a step up at my job and now I am out of the office much more than I used to be. But thats ok cause soon I will have a laptop and things should be back to normal or semi normal soon. I can't post like I used to cause I got a shadow at work now and can't have them watch me post up neat stuff I find online. So please bear with me while I weather the storm and I will get back up and running soon enough. Thanks for your patience.

National Hurricane Center

National Hurricane Center

Pretty strange for a storm to go this deep this early in the summer.

Welcome Bertha.

vis-l.jpg (JPEG Image, 1120x480 pixels) - Scaled (90%)
2nd offering of the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane season. Look all the way to the right of this wide view map. We will keep an eye on it.

5th Anniversary of Bush's 'Bring 'em On' Boast on Iraq Is Today

5th Anniversary of Bush's 'Bring 'em On' Boast on Iraq Is Today
Remember this? Compared to other quotes from other presidents, this has got to be near the bottom.

I removed myself from Pro MD Gazzette.

For my own reasons, mostly because I was tired of getting my posts here posted there by mistake. I am a simple guy, there is only so much confusion I can handle.

Can you tell I want to go fishing?

A Fisherman

Studying texts and stiff meditation can make you lose your Original Mind.
A solitary tune by a fisherman, though, can be an invaluable treasure.
Dusk rain on the river, the moon peeking in and out of the clouds;
Elegant beyond words, he chants his songs night after night.

A zen poem for you to ponder as you read your morning rounds. I am experiencing so coffee ground crappy beverage. Tamp that shit down. Don't let is go over the side. Don't make me dump the whole pot. Damn it man!

Impressionism Art is a good find.

Found in Goodwill and auctioned for $40 grrr. It pays to have an interest in art people. I met a friend of my wife recently and as we were touring his new digs, i noticed a nice sea scape painting on the wall with Winslow as the signature. Which if you know, Homer was all about the sea. Its it real? Will let you know when I do.

Tropical Atlantic Visible Imagery - Satellite Services Division

Tropical Atlantic Visible Imagery - Satellite Services Division

Look at that long line of cloud formation at the bottom. Things like that don't happen all the time you know.

Hugo anyone?

Some times I get lost looking at old hurricane data. Like today, most of you stop by and expect to see some witty something or the other and got pretty much nothing. Sorry about that. I got lost in the NHC website. I came to my senses somewhere in the Hugo archive and thought I would bring this back and post it for you to look at. Here we are 25 days into the 08 season and I am already diggin in the past for something to write about. Hopefully this will be a quiet storm year and I get more time to do stuff like hurricane research.

Now that is a sink!

Ammonite washbasin. Those are the words you are looking for. I wish everyone was this creative with their housewares. I don't think I would want to brush my teeth in this, but it would be super phat in my powder room.

Summer Haiku

rabbits eat clover
tomatoes grow rapidly
hummingbirds fly past

Hello summer!

Check out this. What a way to kick off the summer sol. This is in the Austrian Alps. Pretty neat looking. When I lived in Europe, I grew to appreciate the fact Europeans with thrown down a fest for just about anything. Springfest, Summer solstice, Octoberfest, Hrvest fest, Fasching, whatever the occasion there can be or already is a fest. The main point is to get out and join arms with the other villagers, sing and be merry. Or sit around and talk about how the old fest was harder but more rewarding and the new fest is a shadow of its former self. But talk like that comes after a few beers. Anyway I am getting carried away because I went and got a 12 pack of Sol beer and made shelves in my garage all weekend. On Saturday, I did take note of where the sun came up and went down on my horizon around my house for vegetable and gardening tips. Alright look closer at those mountain fires.
Pretty neat stuff huh? What did you do for this fresh new season we are starting now?

I gots some international flava!

Alright peeps from around the world. My little map up there is showin me I get hits from all over. What up South Africa? What up Europe? Sorry to lump all you Europeans together, I know you are all adamant about your independence, but to us lumps across the pond, you are just Europe to us. Its a good thing you put that EU thing together, it just cuts down on confusion. Or adds to it. Depends on where you stand I guess. Either way since its summer again, I want to bring back the food idea of the week. Its summer, time to eat food and enjoy the simple pleasures in life.

First, we grill. We grill a bunch of stuff other than cows, pigs, chickens. Somewhere along the way, even before I met my wife, I decided that beef didn't digest to well in my system. I would eat a steak or a burger and that shit would sit in me like a rock. Eventually it grossed me out. Hey some of you can eat iron and shit bullets. Thats great, it just aint me. So I keep my meat to turkey and seafood. We don't miss much in the way of traditional food, you know the burgers, dogs, kabobs, and all that jazz. So here is a favorite of our household for you.

This come from Rob Rainford. Who? If you don't know, I ain't telling you. Catch his show, you will not be disappointed. This turkey burger works good on a bun or in a pita. Left overs in a wrap kick ass for a Monday lunch.

Turkey Burgers

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 tbsp curry powder (15ml)
• 3 x green onions, finely chopped
• 1 x garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 tsp grated ginger (10ml)
• 1 tbsp cinnamon (15ml)
• 1/2 tbsp all spice (7.5ml)
• 1/2 tbsp coriander (7.5ml)
• Salt to taste
• 1 x large egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs (60ml)
• 1/3 cup silvered almonds, optional (75ml)

Directions:

Turkey Burgers

1. Preheat grill to 375°F/190°C or medium high heat.
2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. With cold-water dampened hands, shape into a 4, ¾ -inch thick patties. Place on tray. Cover and refrigerate until ready to grill.
3. Lightly oil the grate and grill each burger for 6 minutes per side, or until entirely cooked through. Serve as a sandwich in pita, bread or on a burger bun garnishing if desired with tomato, onion, lettuce and yogurt.

Then to balance it out, get a big pile of greasy fries and some cold beer. Enjoy!

Big Moon Pimpin cheese...

Taken last night at the Temple of Poseidon in Greece. Pretty Phat.

'Rembrandt Laughing' is self-portrait - Yahoo! News

'Rembrandt Laughing' is self-portrait - Yahoo! News

Good read.

Poems from the commons.

Human Touch

Touch -unappreciated
the feathers tickle,
goosebumps ride your skin,
touch -experience it again
lest we forget
the grace of-
a person who cares
missing the Touch
which makes you aware.

A work from a decade ago. Yeah I was working out some issues. But if you have been tuning in, you can totally see the Dickinson in this work.

Category 2 Storm Could Flood New Orleans

ABC News: Category 2 Storm Could Flood New Orleans
WTF? A cat 2 could roll over NOLA this year. Maybe two. I thought this country had money? WTF? They can build this shit in Holland, but we get some fucked up halfassed shit that can't withstand the spin cycle of a fuckin Maytag? Sometimes I want to hit someone for shit like this.

George Takei

George Takei has some word on marriage equality. He and his partner were among the first to get a license to marry. Live you dreams Mr. Sulu.

Poems from Emily Dickinson.

In this short Life by ED

In this short Life
That only lasts an hour
How much -- how little -- is
Within our power


This is one of the many shorties that ED wrote that I get the most. These little poems of hers is one of the foundations of my writings. Sure I haiku a lot, but before that became a cornerstone in my writing, I was trying to write like ED. Another thing that gets me is her how. I know you saying what? How she puts the right words in the right spot. Good words. The right words. Complicated words, but simple words. Or the random capitalization is something else I love. Her poems remind me of the layered reading you can do online now. Like in this poem, the word Within. Cap on w, a big powerful letter telling us the within is important. Damn it, now I am waxing all poetic and have to get back to work. Talk about confusion Wednesday...

Comet gets eaten by the sun.

c2_big.gif (GIF Image, 512x512 pixels)

Dude this comes from the Space Weather website. Comet goes in, sun kills dead.

Sometimes there are signs...

Three cheers for Cali. Equal Marriage for everyone involved is the way to go. Seriously, hetros have like better than a .500 average for divorce, its not like the "sanctity" of marriage means much to over half the people that try it. Thats harsh, I know, but I stand by it. Either way I don't feel gay people should be discriminated against for who they love. Thats whacked man. So it was with anticipation that at 5:01 Pacific Time my wife and I found ourselves staring at the clock on the cable box like it was New Years Eve. We were celebrating with thousands upon thousands of people at that moment. And it was good. Gay people are going through their suffrage movement. They will see unprecedented equality in my lifetime. Like women and black people before them. I am glad I got to watch this piece of history play out. It will be something if there is a rush of gay people move to Cali and the influx of money from the marriages saves the economy and that becomes the model for economic recovery. I guess Nebraska would go broke. New York and Florida would be fine. Delaware too. But there were signs that this is good. First as 5:01 hit, I was eating rainbow sherbert when my wife and I toasted a celebration with my sherbert and her chocolate chip cookie. Then about 15 minutes later, there was a perfect rainbow in our front yard. I am talkin full on arch from ground to ground. It was there about 10 minutes. Seriously how many times do you see a perfect rainbow? And 15 minutes after one of the most populous states allow a rabid minority to do something they have be wanting for, in some cases, a lifetime? Coincidence? I think not. Just a sign somethings are with good timing.

So all you haters out there, move on to another issue. Actually, to be done with this issue, what needs to happen is government should be taken out of the marriage process. Allow churches to issue the license and marry who they want. It would be up to the government to regulate the transfer of property and all the crazy laws that come with that. If you belong to a church that doesn't want or allow gay marriage, fine you can have that, but be tolerant of other views, cause they are letting you have your hatin views. Haters. There will be plenty of churches lining up to marry all the gay people that wish to embark on that journey. Just like there will churches that will shut their doors to that opportunity to increase their flocks. Oh well, you live and die by what you believe, right?

Morning Poetry with Emily Dickinson

My wife and I were cleaning out the home office and got to thinning out my collection of books. Trust me, it needed to happen. There is a core group of books I must have around and I feel like I got back to that. Cut the white noise out. One of those books I used to read all the time found its way back into my hands, The Complete Works of Emily Dickinson. I love it. I love her. She was the poet that first grabbed me and probably the one I aspire to write the most like. Will I ever be able to tell you why, probably not. Its just that feeling you get when you know your reading or viewing something special. So I went back to the poem. The one that I got down and dirty with to figure out that meaning of what poems were all about. And here it is. Discussion will follow if time permitting. Enjoy. There is a lot packed into this one, so read it a couple of times and think of the imagery used.

Because I could not stop for Death
by Emily Dickinson


Because I could not stop for Death
He kindly stopped for me
The Carriage held but just Ourselves
And Immortality.

We slowly drove, he knew no haste
And I had put away
My labor and my leisure too,
For his civility.

We passed the School, where Children strove
At recess in the ring
We passed the fields of gazing grain
We passed the setting sun.

Or rather, he passed us
The dews drew quivering and chill
For only Gossamer, my gown
My tippet only tulle.

We paused before a house that seemed
A swelling of the GROUND
The roof was scarcely visible
The cornice in the ground.

Since then 'tis centuries and yet
Feels shorter than the DAY
I first surmised the horses' heads
Were toward eternity.

Spring Haiku

bright sun splashes us
hummingbirds buzz by our heads
evening breeze kisses

Pre-dinosaur era burrow discovered in Antarctica - life - 08 June 2008 - New Scientist

Pre-dinosaur era burrow discovered in Antarctica - life - 08 June 2008 - New Scientist

And this is important why? I will tell you why. It proves that life and all the quirks that come along with it were here longer than we thought. Seriously. We know nothing of our past. Hell before we found this pre-dino and a few million years after the great Permian extinction when we thought all was toasted on the planet. Shows us we don't know shit. We only think we do.

In too deep....

Fathers Day passed this weekend. I never gave to much thought about this holiday. Still don't. Why celebrate a person for one day for doing what is right? You should celebrate mom and pops all year. I guess some folks need that recognition. See this is what happens to a human mind after being wiped clean by the military and then dowsed in cynicism from a formal education. Good stuff. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Well almost anything. What brought on all this? Mostly cause I am a dad now. Having a family, providing, caring, being there even when you're sick with a smile on your face is what its all about. So one gets to wonder what make a dad a good dad. So I can't answer that, but I can tell you how I don't want to end up.

Sunday I get up and roll out to the grocery store at like 7:30 am for some breakfast stuff and a couple of other odds and ends. Like wet cat food. We give our cat one pouch of Wiskas once a day. You would think we have a addict the way that cat cries for that stuff. So I am standing in line and I notice that there were quite a bit of dads in the store. I thought that kinda off considering that this was Fathers Day and all. After gathering supplies, I wander up to the only open register in the store and plant myself in wait. After getting my stuff up on the belt and moving up a little, the guy behind me looks at my stuff and says, "You got your kids coming too?". I was like "No, I got my wife and kid at home." The guy just looked at me like I had three heads. Thinking nothing more of it, I paid my tab and rolled out. Then I got settled in the car and started looking around the parking lot. There were a lot of hung over 40 somethings, maybe 50 somethings, walking in and out of the grocery. These were not the men of shining example. These were men who had left their wives, or their wives left them. Struggling to the store for some generosity for their offspring. Life has beaten them pretty damn good. Is there blame? TO who and for what? I don't know. But at that moment I had some clarity in my life. Fathers Day is not a happy day for everyone. Sometimes Fathers Day reminds certain men that when it comes to welding they may be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but in relation to family, they are complete failures. That weighs on a soul because its hard to watch a beautiful person grow out child of your own blood and know you had little or nothing to do with it.

So what to do with these Children of Men? Someone needs to wake up these men. Define the word commitment in your head and live it. Everyone needs to be committed. Good, bad or otherwise.

Have a good weekend.

Here is the wide view of the Atlantic this afternoon. Not much going on. On the other hand it looks like good weather. Have a good weekend and don't forget to cut your grass.

Spring Haiku

early tomatos
small hard green orbs on the vine
summertime will come

Keeping the kiddies safe.

I can't stay away from the CSPC website.





Backyard Leisure Recalls Swing Sets Due to Fall Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Adventure Play Sets and Create N Adventure Wooden Play Sets

Units: About 11,000

Distributor: Backyard Leisure LLC, of Pittsburg, Kan.

Hazard: Hangers holding the chains for the gliders can break, causing a child to fall and suffer injuries.

Incidents/Injuries: Backyard Leisure has received 114 reports of glider hangers breaking, including three reports of minor injuries to children. Injuries included abrasions and a child being hit in the head by a chain that detached from a hanger.

Description: The swing sets are made of wood and feature various types of gliders, slides and swings. The recalled models include:
Adventure Play Sets Model
Pathfinder Swing Set 65008
Conqueror Swing Set 65208
Create N Adventure Wooden Play Sets
Cedar Ridge Wooden Swing Set 30008
Windsor Wooden Swing Set 30108

“Adventure Play Set” or “Create N Adventure,” and “Pittsburg, KS 66762” is printed on a plaque in the middle of the swing sets’ upper beam. The name and model number is printed on the manufacturer’s instructions that come with the play set.

Sold at: Wal-Mart stores nationwide and Wal-Mart.com under the Adventure Playsets brand, and Toys “R” Us stores nationwide under the Create N Adventure brand from January 2008 through May 2008 for between $400 and $1,500.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately remove the gliders from the swing sets and contact Backyard Leisure to receive free replacement glider hangers and repair instructions.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Backyard Leisure at (866) 546-7902 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, visit the firm’s Web site at www.adventureplaysets.com, or email the firm at custservice@adventureplayets.com

Poems from the commons.

Little

surprises happen constantly,
the best unannounced.
small wisps, brushing you as
they pass,
gently surprising
occasionally sometimes
sparingly, small
wonders the little ones.

Impressionism Artist of the Week - Edouard Manet

ahhh Olympia. Where do we start? That gaze? That stare? The orchid? Or the little kitty at the foot of the bed? Or the negress servant with the flowers. I mean all the sexuality in the world is packed into this painting. And isn't it still what men look for in women? That look. That stare. Beautifully confrontational.

What draws me to this painting is the classic feel of the pose. Plus The flatness of the image is drawn from japanese woodblock art. And you know how I feel about that. If you don't maybe I will start throwing in that art for you. Japanese woodblock art is so freakin overlooked. Wake up people! It's bad ass.

Poems from the commons.

Comfort

The arms create the harbor,
a resting place from the torrid
storms that anger the waves.
Waves that beat blissfully
on the small frail vessels.
The weather in the harbor?
It changes the same-
but the waves move along...
obscure in their size.

Impressionism Artist of the Week - Edouard Manet

hmm- how can you discuss modern art and not include Edouard Manet? He should get as much credit as anyone for shattering the preconceived notions of the truly old school about what art is. Manet didn't use kid gloves either. His first real controversy came from this work, The Luncheon on the Grass. As you can see, what sparked the controversy is the nude woman having lunch with two men. I guess the subject matter made people, especially academics, more than a little uncomfortable. So when he submitted this to the Salon for exhibition, they rejected it. Thus kicking off a movement of artist that even though rejected by the standards then, were determined to get their works displayed. And they had support. Napoleon III gave them the "Salon of Rejects" to display the controversial works in. More later.

Spring Haiku

haze permeates all
sticking, clinging, and all hot
Where art thou spring gone?

Dubai still leading the world when it comes to kick ass architecture.

This is what the future Dubai Opera House and Cultural Center will look like. How freakin cool is that building. Its got that appeal you get from Wright for blending with nature, but at the same time it looks like something on the far outpost of Tattooine. Either way it will be a world class gallery with over 5,000,000 sq ft of space for exhibits, an opera house that seats 2,500, and a playhouse that seats 800. Pretty much every artists or performers dream facility. Seriously, Dubai has to be on your list of vacation spots.
They got the neatest toys.

Keeping the kiddies safe.

Below is a recall on the Children's Animal Tracking Explorer Kit. Just some FYI because I would totally want to know if my child's face was going to swell to the size of a beachball if she plays with the plaster of paris.

Name of Product: Animal Tracking Explorer Kit

Units: About 2,200

Importer: MindWare, of Roseville, Minn.

Hazard: The powder in the kit marked “plaster of paris” is actually calcium hydroxide, which poses a risk of skin and eye irritation to children using the product.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: The recalled “Animal Tracking Explorer Kit” includes a bag of white powder marked “plaster of paris” which is actually calcium hydroxide. It also includes nature study tools and equipment (field lens, specimen jars and bags, labels, puff bottle, plastic gloves, spatula, cardboard strips, paper clips, mixing pot, tweezers, spoon, notebook) and Explorer Guide.

Sold at: The firm’s Web site, www.MindWareOnline.com, and by MindWare’s catalog from September 2007 through December 2007 for about $25

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled explorer kit away from children and contact MindWare to receive either a free replacement product or for a full refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact MindWare at (800) 588-1072 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. CT, or email the firm at custserv@mindware.com

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Yes Yes, I have finally gone and see the latest and greatest from the Lucas Speilberg collaboration. What can I say? I loved it. Was it the best movie in the series? Probably not. Did it grab me like Raiders? No. But it did grab me. I enjoyed the whole film from start to finish. The action sequence in the middle of the film was kind of drug out, but other than that no complaints. There were so many little things to pick up on, I can't wait to buy this film and watch it about 50 times. There was so much of Lucas packed in this film. The opening sequence with that Ford coupe, that car looked a lot like that yellow ride in American Graffiti. Lucas grew up cruising the strip. He thought he was going to race cars until a bad accident when he was 18. Good thing huh? Or when Indy declared "I like Ike!". It was true to the time of 1957.

So there were two other people in this flick I had to reserve my opinion on. Cate Blanchett and Shia Labeouf.. Well I really had no reservations about Cate. She is always a performer. And a looker too. Now I was never that big on Shia. Why? I can not put my finger on it. It sure isn't his body of work. I dug Transformers. What turned me around about the kid was The Greatest Game Ever Played, which you should watch with the US Open right around the corner. Now for his role in Indy 4, well at first I was not down with him being Indy's kid, but it fits. He pulled the role off great. So kudos to Speilberg for finding this kid. As for turning the franchise over to him, I think that would be a good idea. Another movie for him and Ford to pass the torch and who knows how many cameos Ford can do after that? Dude will be around forever.

All in all I loved it. I liked the attention to detail of the 50's. I liked the story. I liked the characters and the fact the original characters are still the same. And hat tip to Karen Allen for keeping herself together. Girl looks good for her age. And the alien aspect of the story isn't that far fetched people. At all. Dig? Alright thats about I got to say about that. Go see it.

Back to the grind....

Yep, sure am. Hey it was a great 4 days off. My wife and I got a bunch of stuff done. We finished putting the final touches on the home office and cleaned out a bunch of stuff that we have been putting off for awhile. And it looks good. Thursday we went down to OC with the daughter and we watched her ride all the rides at Trimpers that we used to. Talk about messin' with your emotions. It was super fun to watch and go through that with my wife. Our little girl is gettin' so big. But that ain't all bad, we get to do the big girl stuff with her now. We turned her loose on the beach, watched her throw sand, ate some Thrashers fries, got some Fishers popcorn, and beat the hell out of whack a mole. Plus the rides. She was a tuckered out girl. We did some more stuff over the weekend, but more on that later...

Monday Haiku

I am smellin like
a rose on my birthday death
bed. Dead and bloated.

Spring Haiku

mosquitos are coming
puddles litter the landscape
sundogs in the sky

Political Haiku

Obama o-eight
landslide victory for change
No Bush No Clinton

Spring Haiku

peppers and 'maters
green and growin in backyard
basil tickles nose

Vacation Haiku

Taking the time off
lots of fun with wife and child
beach, Thrashers fries, sand

Vacation.

You will not hear from me until Monday June 9th. Peace. Well I do have a string of Haiku lined up for you. They will post daily. Couldn't leave you totally out of the loop now could I?

I sooooo want it.

Anyone who knows me personally knows about my fetish for pocket watches. I still wear them. In fact I am pocket watchless right now cause I just tore my chain and clip up on my Field and Stream job. But this would be an idea replacement. See if I was rich this is the shit I would by. I am such a cracker.

The 9 Most Devastating Insults From Around the World.

The 9 Most Devastating Insults From Around the World | Cracked.com

Spring Haiku

wet air hangs adrift
humidity returns, yes
natures sauna lives

2008 Hurricane Season - Atlantic wide view IR sat

Great Day in the mornin! Or afternoon. How about g'day mate. Here is the afternoon shot of Atlantic activity. Pretty wet out there. Nothing to exciting. Fun to look at. All those pretty colors.

Sorry for the slackin and lackin in postin...

But all my free time has been chewed up with playlist.com. I found that and embedded that music player at the bottom of this blog. Now I can listen to my favorite crappy music, or close to what I like, just about anywhere. Love the free storage. So there it is, some more of me. More insights into my personality, more insight into what I listen to...I feel so naked...so exposed. Please stop looking at me. Stop it. Just listen to the music if you like....oh and you can thank me for not setting it on auto play. I don't like it when I get all jacked up by a loud site. Just click play.

More later....

Spring Haiku

Fast thunderstorms pass
heavy rains fall , the deluge
birds search for the worms

Impressionism Artist of the Week - Vincent Van Gogh

I know, I know, VVG is post impressionism. But that would have messed up my weekly header from auto prefill. And I can't do that because that would break up my routine. That would be like not drinking coffee in the AM. Which isn't right either. Back to our featured artist. Van Gogh. This is a little know piece called Orchard with Blossoming Plum Trees
(1888). I love it. Click on the image and study the brush strokes on this one. It will teach you something.

2008 Hurricane Season - Tropical Depression Arthur

Damn that didn't take long. Here is the technical skinny...

TROPICAL DEPRESSION ARTHUR ADVISORY NUMBER 7
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL012008
1000 PM CDT SUN JUN 01 2008

...ARTHUR DISSIPATING BUT POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAINS CONTINUES...

AT 1000 PM CDT...0300Z...THE CENTER OF DISSIPATING TROPICAL
DEPRESSION ARTHUR WAS LOCATED INLAND NEAR LATITUDE 17.4
NORTH...LONGITUDE 91.3 WEST...OR NEAR THE NORTHWESTERN BORDER
BETWEEN GUATEMALA AND MEXICO ABOUT 95 MILES...150 KM...
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CIUDAD DEL CARMEN MEXICO.

THE DISSIPATING DEPRESSION IS MOVING TOWARD THE SOUTHWEST AT ABOUT 6
MPH...10 KM/HR. THE REMNANTS OF ARTHUR ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE
MOVING VERY SLOWLY SOUTHWESTWARD AND REMAIN OVER SOUTHEASTERN
MEXICO AND NORTHERN CENTRAL AMERICA DURING THE NEXT DAY OR TWO.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 30 MPH...45 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. ARTHUR IS DISSIPATING INLAND OVER SOUTHEASTERN MEXICO.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1006 MB...29.71 INCHES.

ARTHUR AND ITS REMNANTS ARE EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAIN
ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES OVER PORTIONS OF BELIZE...
GUATEMALA...AND SOUTHEASTERN MEXICO WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS UP TO 15
INCHES. THESE RAINS COULD CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND
MUD SLIDES...ESPECIALLY IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

REPEATING THE 1000 PM CDT POSITION...17.4 N...91.3 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...SOUTHWEST NEAR 6 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...30 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1006 MB.




So what are we looking at? That dense ass rain ball climbing on the land there. I gotta say thats probably going to be the theme of this season. Rain. Get you some boots now. Before some one corners the market on them and you end up paying to much. I had a feeling about this storm back in the day. Glad to see my storm instincts are still kickin. Kind like riding a bike i guess.

So over the weekend, we had a line of thunderstorm roll over us a few times. Down here in SoCo we had 3 such storms over the weekend. It was pretty darn fun. That stuff that came over Saturday was creepy. It looked and felt all tropical. And that sunset last night was blood red. Creepy part 2. Both were spectacular to see. I found a new way to be a storm junkie. I got this bad ass phone. It is more like a mini computer than a phone. But you can make calls on it so its a phone. And so much more. It can do all that crap the iphone does. I just don't get the hype over the iphone. Anyway this website has a mobile service that kicks ass for doppler on the mobile device. I was loving it. I could tell when the front was coming over to the 5 to 10 minute range. When the dense rain was coming. All that jazz. It was a learning experience. But thats what life is all about, the experiences. And I like to experience weather. And live to tell about it.

Hurricane Season 2008

Alright people. Today kicks off the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season. There is probably a lot of stuff you need to do to get ready. Don't slack. I want to try to keep this as daily as possible, so check back ofter. I want to start with some education. Here are some terms to know. We are going to start with the tropical range of storm variants. These are the storms I like to get outside and watch as the blow over. There will be a test on this at a later date.

Tropical Depression:

A tropical cyclone in which the maximum sustained surface wind speed (using the U.S. 1-minute average) is 33 kt (38 mph or 62 km/hr) or less.

Tropical Disturbance:

A discrete tropical weather system of apparently organized convection -- generally 100 to 300 nmi in diameter -- originating in the tropics or subtropics, having a nonfrontal migratory character, and maintaining its identity for 24 hours or more. It may or may not be associated with a detectable perturbation of the wind field.

Tropical Storm:

A tropical cyclone in which the maximum sustained surface wind speed (using the U.S. 1-minute average) ranges from 34 kt (39 mph or 63 km/hr) to 63 kt (73 mph or 118 km/hr).

Tropical Storm Warning:

A warning that sustained winds within the range of 34 to 63 kt (39 to 73 mph or 63 to 118 km/hr) associated with a tropical cyclone are expected in a specified coastal area within 24 hours or less.

Tropical Storm Watch:

An announcement for specific coastal areas that tropical storm conditions are possible within 36 hours.

Poem from the front lines of war....

The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner
by Randall Jarrell

From my mother's sleep I fell into the State,
And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze.
Six miles from earth, loosed from the dream of life,
I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters.
When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.

* This is a poem from WWII. Stark? Yes. But isn't all war? I wanted to post this up for Memorial Day, but I got sidetracked. Enjoy.

Monet.

The water lilies are the Monet paintings everyone loves. I am drawn to the earlier works, but the lilies have their place. If Monet never painted the lilies, it would be like Led Zepplin never playing rock and roll or Johnny Unitas never playing football. It wouldn't be right. But the lilies always made me tense when I looked at them. And by looking at them, it gets weird cause I really like to look at shit. I carry a magnifying glass around. I dream of binoculars. Hell my daughter can already say binoculars. So I can claim to be an expert observer. It gets weird with paintings cause when I get in the presence of painting I want to see, I check it out from all angles. I get up close as possible, I stand back at 1,2,3,5,7,9,11 feet. Yea all primary numbers. It just brings something to the experience. Don't ever go to the Louver with me. Or the National Gallery of Art. Hell any art gallery. Anyway I digress, the whole point is the lilies collection always got me on edge and I could never figure out why until it struck me that they were painted while WWI marched past Monet's house. All that uncertainty, violence, fear, destruction, devastation was right there in Monet's backyard. And it comes through in the brush strokes, the colors he made during that time. Again another way WWI changed everything. So enjoy this classic painting, Water-lilies, from the year 1914.

Hurricane Season 2008

Great day in the morning my sparse but loyal fanbase! If you live in, on, or around the east coast, this Bud's for you. To our right we see the glory of the sunrise on the eastern seaboard. Pretty nice. Looks good, and nothing spectacular to really get into. Except that little patch of clouds below Cuba.
So I give you the pan o ram of the Atlantic water vapor and you see that spot is pretty dense. And round. Alright peeps have a good weekend. From a tropical storm stand point, the weekend will be TS free. I'm going fishing. Or at least practice flycasting in my front yard and try and catch the cat across the street. Its a lot funner than you think.

Mars scientists ponder polygon mystery.

I have not got into the Phoenix Mars Lander landing yet, but there sure in some interesting data coming in. Check this article out. Good pic.
Mars scientists ponder polygon mystery - space - 27 May 2008 - New Scientist Space

The youngest supernova found.

Phat! and its in our Milky Way. This supernova is only 130 or 140 years old. Killa.

Impressionism Artist of the Week - Claude Monet

I can not remember if I put this up before. This is the impressionism painting that kicked the whole she-bang off. When this showed up in '72 in Paris, some people lost their freakin minds over this painting. And not in a good way. Here is a sample of the critique,

Impression — I was certain of it. I was just telling myself that, since I was impressed, there had to be some impression in it … and what freedom, what ease of workmanship! Wallpaper in its embryonic state is more finished than that seascape.

Nce huh? What a difference a hundred years makes.

Anyway before I knew I was an impressionist junkie, I was drawn to this painting. I had no idea why. Then I found all those London paintings and found the whole series fab. Love it. Any just get up close and look at this baby. There is a lot going on in there.

A decade later...Phil Hartman.

Really has it been ten years? Its funny what hits you in life as a loss. I feel that about Phil Hartman's murder. Before it happened I didn't give Phil Hartman much thought. Kinda just appreciated the fact he was there. Dude was freakin great. I miss that voice. The Simpsons aint the same. I can't even watch the Clinton impression because I can't laugh at it. A while back, my wife and I were flipping channels and came across that Seinfeld episode where he calls Elaine in the middle of the night. I never got into NewsRadio, but I loved him when he was in CB4. Damn I miss this guy.

Summer / Spring Haiku

the day is long now
birds nurture their young to flight
thunder boomers roam

* Yes it is still spring, but since many think it is summer after Memorial Day, we have Summer / Spring Haiku.

Memorial Day

Never forget those we lost, do something for those we still got. Seriously, do you think you can do what he is doing? Never forget those that serve.

Memorial Day, Plus 1

August 1st, 1918

The morning of August 1st, 1918, the 27th Aero Squadron was assigned the duty of escorting 2 aerial recon planes. This was the 4th day of First Lt. Oliver T. Beauchamps service in the war. The events of that day are somewhat vague, but there is one fact that remains, it was one of the worst days for losses in The Great War.

The pilots gear up and take flight. They meet up after take off and head out to meet the two aerial recon planes. The squad is flying the same mission the 27th still has, air superiority. The recon planes were flying in a zig zag pattern across the front lines, snapping pictures of artillery and troop movements. After a few trips across the front, the squad is attacked by The Red Baron's Flying Circus. The Germans wax the Allies with a quickness. The fate of First Lt. Oliver T. Beauchamp is sealed. How he met his end has some debate, but it is known he did not live out the day. The first account (and probably the most accurate) is two German Fokkers jumped Beauchamp and shot him into the ground. He would have had one of three option there. I like to think the machine guns ended him quickly and he didn't suffer. The Spad he was probably flying at the time was made of little more than wood and cloth. The second account has him returning to base only to die from a crash landing. I have even read somewhere he crashed behind enemy lines and dies at the hands of the Germans. Who knows at this point. What we do know is enough. One of our best and brightest young men from Somerset county, MD went to war and he didn't come back.

I read the story of First Lt. Beauchamp and it reminds me of the word sacrifice. Hell his service is the definition of the word. Which brings me back to Memorial Day. I know many remember the names, but thats to individual for me. The families that lost those loved ones will keep the names. They need no help remembering the loss, they live with that everyday. Anyone who died for duty, honor, country is a hero. And thats what I like to think about on Memorial Day, the nameless hero, the unknown soldier, the pilot who saw three days at the front.

You are missed.

Memorial Day, Plus 2

The Pilot

What drives a man to take flight? Better yet what drives a man to take flight with the intention to kill and the notion of being killed? The way I think about it, water and air are as hostile to man as the enemy. I guess thats what sets people apart. I need my feet on the ground, but thats just me. The combat pilot has a special place in the annals of our nations history. During our darkest hour, it was a pilot with nads of steel that pulled a nation up off it knees and got it in the fight. People need something to believe in and pilots can give you a hero to believe in. Sure we love our generals, the commanders, or the occasional CMOH recipient, but its the pilots that become legends. Bastards. Its all about the aces, but if your a determined hard ass pilot, this country will love you too. As a country, we cherish our military. Its a source of pride, sense of identity, and for some a life style they can't live without. The pilots, especially the aces, are the cream of the crop.

Pilots of The Great War were remarkable. Air combat was something that was new to the military. There was not a lot of history to fall back on so the rules were made by trail and error. Sucks because on the field of battle, the margin of error usually costs you your life. If you gotta throw down, you want the tools to succeed. Think about that for a minute. A good example is imagine the surprise of the pilot who figured out the machines guns mounted on the front of his plane just blew his own propeller to hell. And if you got shot down in The Great War, you usually had one of three options: Jump and close your eyes so you don't know when you hit the ground, more than likely your wooden plane has burst into flames and you can burn all the way in with it, or you could pull out the pistol in the cockpit and blow your own brains out. Hard core. Harsh I know, but this is what these guys that flew in combat during WWI were living. Hey its wasn't all doom and gloom, they flew hard and they partied hard also. World War I pilots were the reason the stereotype of the whore loving, hard drinking, cocky ass pilot were made. Thats what endeared them to us. They way they lived. Don't think so? Alright then, how cheap would it feel if this guy's story as a World War One flying ace was never told?

Memorial Day, plus 3

The Airplane
The airplane was just coming into its own in the year 1914. By 1918, the warplane would be born into the pages of history. At the start of The Great War, planes were little more than observation and recon tools. That worked great for what it was. The officers on the ground loved the intelligence they got from the flying eyes in the sky. With artillery tearing people apart and causing destruction of entire towns, ground commanders wanted to avoid that reign of terror. But from the jump, pilots were trying to figure out how to shoot down enemy blimps and planes. They would carry small arms with them and take pot shots with pistols. It was like the wild wild west but in the skies over Europe. Once the concept of the fighter interceptor came to be in the minds of all sides engaged in combat, air supremacy would be critical to all future ground battles for the next century.

By the time First Lt. Oliver T. Beauchamp made it to the front lines of The Great War, the airplane had evolved to the point of the Nieuport 17, the plane pictured here. Made of wood and canvas, its a far cry from the F-22's of today. Air combat was in its infancy and the fighter pilot was about to become the newest hero for public consumption. What drove these brave men to the skies? I guess they all had their own ambitions or motivations. There was a chivalry attached to air combat, a sense of knighthood. It was like pistols at 40 paces. That gentlemanly conduct in combat feeling. Then again some of these kids may have been nothing more that wild cowboys looking for barnstorming excitement and this was the best fix out there. Fly by the seat of your pants, life and death type of stuff. The beginnings of the g junkie. Was this the kind of man Beauchamp was? I don't know. I have yet to talk to the family about Oliver, but it will come up one day and maybe I can back fill in this story with that. But from where he came from, I have to think his actions to become a combat pilot were along the lines of how many soldiers that signed up after 911 felt. They wanted to do something about it. And that immediate satisfaction can be had by signing up for the service.

By 1918, the airplane was in full blown combat duty. The Red Baron was on his way to 80 kills, air bombing had become rather popular, recon, pictures, interceptor duty, you name it, the airplane was helping with that mission or was the only tool to carry our that mission. The pilot quickly became a player. He was a national hero, a lone warrior with a sense of honor, something to hold up to the public as a bright spot in an otherwise horrid war of which the likes none had seen before. It was important for a country to have its aces. Moral depended on it. Even today the names from wars past you remember are Yeager, Rickenbacker, and Duke. Or the daddy of them all, The Red Baron. So to all those pilots, you will have a special toast this coming Memorial Day.

Memorial Day, plus 4

The Great War

The Great War changed everything we know as a culture, a race, as humans. The amount of death from the ferocity of weaponry was something people were not prepared to see. All the benefits and rewards of modern industry lent a hand to the deaths of millions upon millions of souls in the years from 1914 to 1918. The effect of The Great War is beyond profound. One of the examples I like to use is this etching from Otto Dix. Dix fought for the Germans in The Great War. He didn't shy from the action. He was with an artillery unit and commanded a machine gun unit. He was wounded several times and came away from the army a pretty decorated soldier. What he did and saw got to him. He etched the "Stormtroopers Advancing Under Gas" in 1924. It doesn't look gory, but it sure as hell is creepy. See Dix changed after the war, in fact he became incredibly anti war. He saw himself as the enemy. Thats why he shows the Germans advancing here. Its a view from the enemies standpoint. Hey don't think this didn't mess with him. The Nazi's came after his ass cause he stuck to his guns on the anti war sentiment. Dix lived with a recurring nightmare that stuck me as odd also. He kept dreaming that he was crawling through the rubble of destroyed houses. He didn't get haunted from the killing, but the devastation around him. That was the impact of this war. The utter destruction of the landscape. Entire swaths of uninhabitable land, pounded into uselessness under the heel of modern artillery.

War is truly horrific. People argue all the time its necessary. I don't agree with that. If you feel war is the answer, sign your name on the dotted line, get your weapon and fall in lock step. There is nothing wrong with that. I joined the army the summer after high school. I was in basic training when we started the build up for the first gulf war. Life got very serious very fast. You never want to think you are near the end of your life at the age of 18, but that was on the brain. So I resigned to my fate. I figured if I was going out, I was going out with a fight. Consequently, I really got into basic training. It wasn't a far stretch from life in the Pocomoke Forest. A lot of camping, a lot of walking, a lot of shooting. All I wanted was some money to go to college and suddenly I was in the army and we were going to war. How life can change. Even with that fate hanging over us, we kept at it. We learned how to be the team. And when duty called we were ready to do what was asked. And when you get down to it, thats what we should remember on Memorial Day. The individual effort for the greater good. But lets get back to Oliver T Beauchamp and 1918.

The Great War should have been the war to end all wars, but it wasn't. It was actually the source of many a conflict after The Great War ended. The advances in modern industry and technology introduced some powerful weapons to the battlefield: the airplane, the tank, the machine gun, modern artillery, the automobile, the telephone. Its pretty incredible when you think about it. All that technology used to wipe millions from the earth. And we wonder about hope. But youth springs eternal and by the time 1918 rolled around, Oliver T. Beauchamp was 21 years of age. He was seeing the world with unlimited possibilities. Americans were feeling good about themselves and wanted to help it friends in Europe. No one wanted to feel the teeth of the trenches, modern technology made that tour of duty a virtual death sentence, but there were men that wanted to fight that fight. The comrades in arms. Strength in numbers. That didn't appeal to the soldier that wanted that one vs one combat. There was one piece of technology that drew that certain kind of soldier to this war. The airplane.

Memorial Day, plus 5

Memorial Day has become a bittersweet holiday for me. Before my service, I thought of Memorial Day as the start of summer or a reminder that school was winding down. It was the beginning of the lazy days. All that changed after enlisting in the army. You never really think about the sacrifice that ordinary people make under extraordinary circumstances until you realize you may be put in that position and asked to do the same for duty, honor, and country. Memorial Day. The past few years have been different because I have married and we have a young daughter. So there is more of an emphasis on the family for the first warm 3 day weekend of the summer season. But I always find the time to reflect on the many. This year I want to take just one of the many and tell his story to the people who read this pathetic diary of a common man. So I did some digging and I found that story in Somerset county Maryland in the name of First Lt. Oliver T. Beauchamp. Come back everyday until Memorial Day for this look at one of Somerset counties finest citizens.

November 1896

Oliver T. Beauchamp was born in the fall of 1896 and grew up in Somerset county, Maryland. In the early part of the twentieth century, life on the eastern shore of Maryland was a far cry from the docks in Baltimore or the politics of Washington, D.C. At that time, Somerset county was at the height of its growth. Of the lower 3 counties, in 1910 when young Oliver was 13, Somerset county had the largest population of the 3. Life was all about working the land. Much like Somerset county today, but with some notable differences when you look at the data. In 1910 there were 1986 farms in the county, in 2006 only 301. The farms were more numerous back then, but smaller in size. These smaller farms had very different crops than the Somerset county of today. Back in 1910, Somerset county claimed to be the strawberry capital of the world. The county produced some 2859 acres dedicated to growing those delicious berries, growing some 4.5 million quarts of strawberries. Now there are less than 10 acres with strawberry patches in the county. Oh how times have changed. This is one of those things that our great grandparents had that was better than what we got today. In 1910, no one had an idea that soybeans would be one of the biggest crops we grow. Why would they when they were growing some of the best sweet potatoes, figs, apples, and grains? But we aren't here to talk about the quality of food that our distant relatives enjoyed, are we?

Oliver T. Beauchamp would have seen things that would have excited him around this time. Somerset county was not the poorest country in Maryland back then. Some of these farmers had money. If they didn't, the people that packaged the food did. So things that were considered expensive and so freakin new they defied logic a few decades ago started showing up. A good example is the automobile. Somerset county at the time was mostly a horse town. The concept of a car to get into town was just that, a concept. The world was changing around Oliver and Somerset county. It was getting faster and didn't seem to be the big place it was made out to be. Seriously, you could get on a boat in 1910 and be in England in 3 days. THREE DAYS! Yes the world was and is getting smaller all the time.

The turn of the 20th century saw inventions being patented at an astonishing rate. Ideas that were science fiction just a few decades before 1910 were reality: the airplane, the automobile, electric light, and the telephone. Things that we take for granted today were the cutting edge back then. These inventions made us adventurers and more efficient killers on the battle field. They helped transfer information faster. This in turn kept us in tune with news from around the world. We knew about wars in other lands. We knew about the politics of Europe. For the first time, humans were in the know. And we liked it. It was exciting times indeed. Even for a farm boy from Somerset county Maryland.

Hubble still gets the job done.

The Hubble is like the little telescope that could. It just keeps on giving. Check out this shot of Saturn's auroras as seen through the ultraviolet spectrum of light. Pretty. Click on the image for a close up.

Did you know the only thing constant through out the solar system is weather? I find that ironic cause weather is unpredictable and unstable, but its a constant on all the planets. That has nothing to do with this but I like to throw that out there when I talk space smack.

Spring Haiku

hear the rain again
a high tide crests the river
the day sleeps us by

GO Penguins!!!!!

Yes the Penguins are in the Stanly Cup finals. Yes my head hurts a lot. Yes this will be the only post I make today.

Super awesome picture of the day.

Chile’s long dormant Chaitén volcano is now erupting. Check out this lighting storm that is created in the clouds. Just awesome.

Photo: Carlos Gutierrez/UPI/Landov

2008 Atlantic Storm Names

I am loving this future post feature in blogger now!

Here they are, the 08 line up! Who gets to be famous or should that be infamous? time will tell.

Arthur
Bertha
Cristobal
Dolly
Edouard
Fay
Gustav
Hanna
Ike
Josephine
Kyle
Laura
Marco
Nana
Omar
Paloma
Rene
Sally
Teddy
Vicky
Wilfred

I like Gustav. Just sounds strong. Any takers on the strongest storm?

Haiku

presidents speak words
the world will analyze much
respect can't be bought

Strata Luxury Tower in Dubai.

I used to think that I was going to be saving all my duckies to take my wife and daughter to Europe in like 10 years, it might be Dubai. I got a kink for architecture and some of the most exciting things going on with buildings in in Dubai. So far Dubai has made the Palm Islands, the Burj Al Arab hotel which kicked off all this architecture adventurism, and...you know what instead of making all of the html tags, just carry you ass over to this aol webpage and check out the photo gallery. It will amaze you at all the stuff they got going on in Dubai. It will be the place to vacation.

Time lapse street art. Freakin awesome.

Israel turns 60.

Thats your bit of history today. If you don't know anything about the brief history of Israel, well you aint gonna get it here today. If you want to know, start at Wikipedia for the vanilla version. I don't see the whole Israeli occupied territory and countless wars and incursion they have fought over the last 60 years anymore important than any other violent acts committed by any other sovereign state against another sovereign state. Who ever the Israelis fight its over the same shit everyone is fighting for: land or resources. You think that Israel cares about taking over all of Lebanon? Hell no, they just want enough of Lebanon to get access to more resources, you know farm land and rivers. If you don't think we will all be killing people over bottled water in the near future, you're in denial. Anyway happy birthday Israel. Try not to get trigger happy today.

What up Germany!

I notice I get a lot of German traffic on my website. Well not a lot, but enough to be 20% or so of my total. Holla all my German friends!

Post Impressionism Art

Check out this from Mr. Vincent Van Gogh. Its not what you think of when you think VVG. You get me? I like the color, mostly cause I am a sucker for yellows. Those calming soothing yellows and when you start mixing with the black I get Steelers and Penguins flash backs. That in turn gets me all fired up and then my coworkers get all worried. But I digress, this painting makes me think about Hemingway stories. It just looks like something from the African plains. Anyway have a good look.

Hurricane Season 2008

Alright, I know that the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season doesn't kick off until June 1st, but the eastern pacific starts on may 15th, so lets get it on. It was this late Nor'easter that got me thinkin about the upcoming tropical storm season and how I should be getting my supplies in order. Update, rotate, and inventory. So if you don't have a list, this is from the NHC website. It is a good start. Don't forget batteries. But if you want to get all hardcore on me and got with the crack radio/weather band, I got no problems with that. And all my amigos that relocated to the Carolinas, they don't call your hockey team the Hurricanes for nothin.

Water - at least 1 gallon daily per person for 3 to 7 days

Food - at least enough for 3 to 7 days
— non-perishable packaged or canned food / juices
— foods for infants or the elderly
— snack foods
— non-electric can opener
— cooking tools / fuel
— paper plates / plastic utensils

Blankets / Pillows, etc.

Clothing - seasonal / rain gear/ sturdy shoes

First Aid Kit / Medicines / Prescription Drugs

Special Items - for babies and the elderly

Toiletries / Hygiene items / Moisture wipes

Radio - Battery operated and NOAA weather radio

Telephones - Fully charged cell phone with extra battery and a traditional (not cordless) telephone set

Cash (with some small bills) and Credit Cards - Banks and ATMs may not be available for extended periods

Keys

Toys, Books and Games

Important documents - in a waterproof container or watertight resealable plastic bag
— insurance, medical records, bank account numbers, Social Security card, etc.

Tools - keep a set with you during the storm

Vehicle fuel tanks filled

Pet care items
— proper identification / immunization records / medications
— ample supply of food and water
— a carrier or cage
— muzzle and leash

And here is your sunrise on the eastern seaboard and all points south. Good cloud spread out there. I ain't gonna lie to you, I am eagerly anticipating this season. I think its gonna be active. Look at the plethora of natural disasters going on right now. Earthquakes in China, cyclones in Burma, the Tampa Bay Rays in first place, tornadoes in Virginia, all over the world we are seeing what humans have witnessed through out time- a violent planet. And we are just along for the ride. So you better get ready, cause thats all you can really do at this point. Peace out, enjoy this fabulous sunny 77 degree day on Delmarva peeps.

People.

I work with some characters. They all have ummmm unique qualities. I don't get it sometimes. Like advice. Why ask for it if you don't use it? What is the point of counsel if you don't take what they say into consideration? So when you ask me something and I tell you what you didn't want to hear, don't get mad. Especially if you are the one in the wrong.

Spring Haiku

cold spring rain soaks bone
rising tides encroach on the land
Nor'easter strikes back

Monday Haiku

coffee is to cold
gassed from weekend adventure
work is such a drag

Look at the sky.

Check it out. A nice threesome in the sky. Enjoy.

Hydro everything.

This is pretty damn cool. I would totally work out on the old treaddy if this were my tread mill. I mean my crap is okay, but it still pounds you to death. This would have me projecting back to the days of fighting the waves and currents trying to survive another summer at the beach. Ahh the days of being drug by the rip current along the bottom. The joys of scraping your face across the broken seashells and coarse sand. The thumping of another wave pounding you back into the surf. I miss childhood. And I think if this were available to me in my childhood, I would have fought better against the waves Howard, but they just seemed to fade away and come back...

Spring Haiku

scattered showers blow
the first warm rain of the year
seagulls squawk over food

History tid bit.

1879 - George Selden applied for the first automobile patent.

or

1847 - The rubber tire was patented by Robert W. Thompson.

I wish it were that simple these days. You can't invent something like the rubber tire anymore. Something that simple yet needed everywhere. Something that wears our, can be punctured, need repair, have an entire industry dependent on you like the auto industry. Sure it was the 1800's, but think of how complicated an invention has to be today. Even simple ideas like the cheap ass folding metal chairs are more complicated than the rubber tire. Man I yearn for the days of yesteryear.

Bad ass mini car design.

Man this thing reminds me of those odyssey atv things from the 80's. Do you remember them jitneys? And how is it jitney gets by spell check?
I would totally use one of these. On the beach, around town, off road, whatever. But the whole thing about these minis (called the Vortex mini car) is
they are safety and crash effective so to speak. Those forms that surround the car absorb most of the impact and spread the shock around the outside of the car. Pretty cool.

You do have some time to think about options tho- these will not hit the public market until 2045. THAT sucks.