In Passing

I have a lot of respect for this man. It is sad to see him leave our world. I'm not a military guy, but integrity commands respect. The book he wrote was a chronicle of difficult times finishing in triumph. 
Grace under pressure is a mark of permanence. During a press conference in the Gulf War, with the eyes of the world on him, he made a very funny remark after a convoluted explanation. " I would love to see anyone diagram that sentence!"

What is Wealth?

The bottom of the step ladder believes that one day without food and water is the crucible. Yet, I have another idea.  Wealth is the knowledge that you have one song in your pocket that everyone loves and you can play it over and over as many times as you wish. It can't be worn out with your family and friends. 

Road Not Taken

        Tale of two Fieros and a like number of unfinished trips. When my oldest daughter graduated from AIT, I wanted to drive down with her mother and see the graduation. Without a doubt, I was very proud, but my Fiero at the time didn't appear to be in form for the journey, so I chose a different vehicle.
        When I retired, my friend Randy suggested that I do something special. The first thing that popped into my brain was a road trip in my newest, old Fiero. Again, age outdistanced dreams, and I didn't take the trip. 
         Road trips lurch to the fore. Ringed bologna, crackers, and a box set of cassettes could be the missing key for a journey of graduation. 
         

Line Survey

     When I returned from Keego-Tampa and Enterprise, a cursory inspection of my laundry equipment revealed a broken clothes line. Two trees had fallen on the stand up garden and ripped down my line too. Four days of rain delayed me, but a beautiful day created the working conditions to mend that little beggar.
      My arrival in Keego-Tampa prompted the remark, "You look like you just stepped out of a wind tunnel!" Well I know   by now that I also need a haircut. Again, I'm behind the eight ball, shaggy hair, dirty clothes, and a cupboard that's bare. 
     I get to the barber shop but it is closed for lunch. I return ten minutes before it is scheduled to reopen, and there are already two people ahead of me. Looks like a little waiting time is the order of the day.
     The barber asks me an immediate question. "I'm taking a survey. Did you watch the debate last night or the Tigers baseball game?" What an easy survey, only one question!
I already know the political stripe of the barber, but the other two guys are unknowns. My response is simple. "After all this time, I can believe that there are a group of undecided people still out there" The guy in the chair comments, "I'm for Obama because of the pell grants." The barber says, "I'm for freedom". I don't bite as I already know  this code reflects abstractions in the body politic.
       I voice my support for our President. The big guy across from me with the leather hat puts down the paper and walks out of the shop. The barber adds, "Well, I guess he doesn't like to talk politics." He never said a single word, but now I'm next in line.

     

     
     

Money Matters

     
     When Romney says what he thinks, journalist often say that he has stuck his foot in his mouth. I believe the problem is much bigger than foot and mouth disease.  The problem is where his brain resides unhinged most of the time. Unfettered from his handlers, he says precisely what he thinks. 
      For example, during the Republican primaries, he voiced one of his joys in the strangest way, "I like firing people!" It is impossible for me to imagine how a responsible person could even think this way, let alone voice his bias. Even if he never had to labor for a living, common sense would dictate that a "wanna be leader" not dis those of us who do work for a living.  
     Now, "There are 47% of the people..." comment illustrates his disdain for almost half of the country. This group includes the elderly, students, veterans and just plain poor people. For a candidate who has only released two years of his own tax returns, paid only thirteen percent income tax, and hid the rest of his money off shore, silence would make more sense.  
          With this view, if you don't have money,  you don't matter now, and you won't in the future. Sort it out, the elephant is in the room. One might say of him, "Politic, cautious, and meticulous: Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse." Is being extremely rich a qualification for leading this great nation?

      
       

A Visit

     Spring in Cherokee country. 

One Size Fits All

       
       I've heard from a number of my sisters who visited Ireland that a stock phrase used when difficulties are mentioned  "Sorry for you troubles". That really says it all. I don't have the power to fix it, but I care that you have the problems of life.
       So, I have a picture with no place and a piece that goes who knows where. 

Occupying Force

     I am baffled, disturbed, and  saddened by the recent killing of Americans in Libya. The cheap shot that the Republican candidate took on this tragedy only underscores the dismal political climate that presently exists. 
     The US attacked Iraq and then occupied the country for a number of years. Neither of these events set well with the Arab world. The U.S. hasn't been occupied by a foreign power since our revolution and we have little memory of what that would mean. To many Arabs occupation memory is still fresh. When our troops left, it didn't mean that it was all over yet.
        Recent Irish history gives at least one example to gain insight into this feeling. Bernadette Devlin was a member of Parliament from 1969-1974 for the Mid Ulster constituency. One of her statements caught the attention of some non-believers. "I can understand why a socialist might not want to be a Christian, but I can't understand why a Christian wouldn't want to be a socialist." 
     In 1981, she and her husband were shot by members of the Ulster Defense Association who broke into her house. Bernadette was shot seven times in front of her children. The British Army was occupying Ulster during this period, and in fact had her house under surveillance when the shootings occurred. When the army left the misery still didn't disappear with the troops.
     The role for the U.S.should be world community service which is much more in line with our values than the occupation/war in Afghanistan. Planet Earth would be a safer place for US all.

     
      

Cras

     
     One meaning of the prefix pro is to be in favor of something. Cras is a Latin adverb that means tomorrow. I suspect that it might be the root word for procrastination(put off for tomorrow).  My crude hammering on the word meaning then: (in favor of putting off for tomorrow).
     One meaning of the prefix con is to be against something. On a number of occasions in week 37, I haven't been procrastinating. My new word to describe this behavior is concrastination. A rather positive experience, but my spell checker wants to throw it out.

Predictable

Emerson believed, "Foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." For a long time now, when I cook up  oatmeal in the morning, I use a glass pan and store it in glass containers in the refrigerator. Pretty consistent. Storage works great, but the cooking pan not so well. It is very hard to clean because protein must love glass for it clings to it like white on rice.  Yesterday, I bought a new cooking pan and broke the spell. Old dogs can learn new tricks.

Ultimate Party

At the end of the day, Patrick will be celebrating a "Near Death Party". Since he is now back to work with his students, his boss suggested this would be a great thing to do on his anniversary. Last year, on September 11, a deer hit him while he was riding his motorcycle. What followed was one hundred and eleven days in a coma. Patrick, among his many other incredible abilities, has the greatest fighting spirit known to human kind. He is back!

September, When it Comes

     Brother Joe said before, "There are believers, deceivers, and in-between-ers". If, for example, I would ask him about somebody who happened to be a bully, he would say, "They are really three people." Well, I could see right away this was a formula that allowed a person to gain insight into many different kinds of folks.
     In the 60's after Vatican II, Wm T. would say that the Catholic Church "Pulled the rug out from under me". My reaction wasn't as strong for I was younger then. A two thousand year old institution needed a tune up. Hope, a convert, wasn't as bothered either. Her bigger goal was to flesh out "Souls in Shoeboxes". Create life, new beginnings, make it happen.
      When I got my first divorce in 1980, I still went to mass for stretches of time, but sat in the back like an in-between-er. Sad state of affairs for a would be monk. After twenty-five years (ok, I'm not a fast mover) I finally got an annulment. Very difficult because I had to admit my mistakes, eat crow, and move on. Confession is good for the soul and opens the door back to belief.
      The continuing scandals in the church leave me angry and baffled. The church should treat women better, let them be priests, and allow priests to marry. After all, Gandhi had a wife didn't he?  Great example of a sterling human being! Plus, it is time for a tune up. I don't see this happening in my life time, but admitting mistakes, eating crow, and moving on is good for the collective soul. 

     
     

Acres of Corn

Iris Dement has a new song on the Tom Russell cd, Man from God Knows Where but I don't believe it has found its way to uTube yet. Another great tune on this same cd is When Irish Girls Grow Up by Dolores Keane and Iris Dement.
Again, this hasn't found its way yet. In fact there are a lot of other great tunes here that depict the immigrant experience in America.

Public Notice

She has always been a great speaker, but in this case,  a hidden persona is revealed. Shed like a skin is the staid quality necessary as an official. Committed,  Jennifer Granholm  jumps out with both hands!

Precision Nature

     
     About a month ago, when I was walking to my truck I noticed a bird had eliminated some of its waste on my door handle. I thought  to myself, "The odds of a bird hitting that exact spot are pretty incredible!" Well this week it happened again. I'm still baffled.
     Then while I was walking out to my cabin, a bee flew in from nowhere and landed behind my ear and started stinging me. Every time I slapped my ear, he just stung me again. I would have had to knock myself out to hit him hard enough to deal a fatal blow.

Grind Stone City

     Frank McCourt said you can't write when your angry. Well, I guess you could, but it wouldn't be very good. During the waning years of the second millennium, politics in this little town were comparable to Ford Vs Chevy in friendly rivalry. One party ran the country for a while, and then the other became more popular and took over the job.
     The third millennium signaled a major change. The first new President started two wars and bankrupted the country. Proof that one man can make a difference. I was so angry I couldn't even talk politics. Heretofore a former joy turned to dust. 
      Things changed again when a new President salvaged the financial structure, the American auto industry and a host of other concerns. But something else also changed this time. All I ever heard in my little town was our President being bashed. How could they forget so soon? The political world looked bleak. Four years of hopes constantly being eroded. As it took its toll Dylan would sing, "Desolation Row".
     My ace in the hole was a memory of the most positive person I have ever known. Nature hates a vacuum, get busy and make it happen. Win or lose, you will feel a whole lot better.

     
      

      

Face Off

My first entries into FaceBook didn't fare well. I got snared in a comment I made on a post of a political fringe movement. The responses lacked the saving grace of a dialogue. A friend of my friend jumped on my remark until rational thought dried up. Consequently, I bailed since monologue is rarely entertaining and often leads to acrimony. Toleration, not confrontation should be the prevailing wind here.

"Although we are all the same in not wanting problems and wanting a peaceful life, we tend to create a lot of problems for ourselves. Encountering those problems, anger develops and overwhelms our mind, which leads to violence. A good way to counter this and to work for a more peaceful world is to develop concern for others. Then our anger, jealousy and other destructive emotions will naturally weaken and diminish."       
Dalai Lama

The Undiscovered Country

My sister Pat said to me many times over the years that I'm into symbols. Perhaps I even look through them as a lens of life.
Well, I suspect this is true. But a question has popped into my mind that I have been unable to answer.
I have always considered myself very patriotic, but am doubly confused by the symbol of the American flag people wear on their clothes. What is in their heads when they wear them to a public gathering? Do they assume that those of us not wearing this symbol are from Mexico or Canada? Are we less patriotic somehow?  
It might come down to, "My country, may she always be right, but my country right or wrong". Not the way I see it. What is right isn't alway indigenous to our native land.

Don't Make No Never Mind

My second attempt to join the Face crowd organization ended with identical results. Political ads from a fringe source kept appearing on my page. All efforts on my part yielded scant results. So I say to myself, much as I love the pictures and chit chat, the ads are like a slap in the face. Inner space pollution in an election year of rampant mania.

Peer Group

The reunion went well. I was a little apprehensive at first. It had been forty years since the last one. Name tags with pictures really filled the gaps. My rule of thumb is never to wear a name tag at a social gathering, but this time it was helpful. 
The past wasn't really the topic of conversation in most cases. Life's work, number of spouses, married or un-, never really entered into most conversations. Group think mirrored Henry Ford II's statement when he was spotted out with his secretary, "Don't complain, don't explain."
Metaphysically akin to the Eastern belief, "Be here now", for we were all certainly in the present. Perhaps the biggest rush was the total sense of being "Accepted and accepting"

  

Recant/ Postdon't

My question for today is it possible to recant? When you separate the word parts the prefix re-(to do over) coupled with the verb and its negation, cant (contraction-can not)leaves an impossibility. How can you re-do, what you couldn't do in the beginning? 
Two things in mind here. Galileo, a proponent of the concept that the sun was the center of our universe had to reverse himself in the face of political pressure. The rancher, who discovered the flying saucer in Roswell, had to come back to the papers three hours later and say, "It was only a weather balloon". Looks to me like a Black Swan(the Impact of the HIGHLY IMPROBABLE).

Cloud Slide

Ever a tracker of Mac, I installed Mountain Lion last week. Of the 200 new features, the innovation that I wanted most to implement was iCloud. Going to iTunes, the cloud gave me the ability to download again the twenty four hundred songs that I had bought over the last ten years. Many of these songs I had already misplaced. The process took about six hours but worked like a charm, as the Beatles would say, "Baby, You're a Rich Man." 
Then I stepped forward for a new coup. "What if I coordinated calendars on the IPhone, iPad, Mac Air, and the Mac Pro?" Sure enough, another glowing success ensued.
Now, I had the same two events for August listed in five locations. Of course, the need isn't that great for such a capacity, but it was the "Achieve of, the mastery of the thing" that carried me over the top.
A couple of hours later, I open the calendar with great anticipation. My two events are gone, along with most of my contacts! When I tried to recover this information, I cleverly erased the 750 songs that I had placed on my phone for traveling. Clearly, there are a lot of things about clouds that I still need to learn.

Diamond Jubilee

August 11 this year is my fiftieth class reunion. I have missed most of them through the years, but this one will be a goal of mine.
I remember saying to Wm T. in the second semester of my senior year that I was going to quit school. I was hoping for a reaction of sorts or at least a few words to talk me down. "Go ahead, you'll only hurt yourself."
Taking that practical advice, I went on to graduate. 
One year later, Hope (ever the social engineer) suggested I move in with Bill. I couldn't turn my mother down, but the thought seemed incongruous to nth degree. Free at last, why would a guy choose to live with his dad?
We both stuttered severely, but that wasn't the impediment between us. We didn't really know each other well in a conversational sense. He talked, I listened. As luck would have it, those years in the Bat Cave are still some of the best in my live.

  

Shifting Mystery

Seems like only a fool would say it, but here goes, "I Love my truck." So, as I shift from town to town, a mystery picked up speed. This little bugger (4 wheel drive, 5 speed, 5 cylinder ) had been averaging 25-27 mpg so to class the mask up, I added a tonneau cover. The advertising claimed it would add a ten percent increase in mpg, but I wasn't fool enough to even anticipate that outcome. 
Reverse engineering! The miles per gallon went down to twenty four (what kind of a deal is this?) Today, the painter in the postoffice parking lot told me he smelled gas. We investigated, and sure enough, my love was leaking that precious commodity.

Detente

Day two was unlike day one. Wagner Park in Huron County was absolutely beautiful! I have never seen any park, any where, that would ever compare. 
When morning broke, the cooking fan did too. A ladder on loan and some duck tape later, we were ready to hit the road with some misgivings and an inept repair.
Hoping to camp closer to home, we were able to find a site on Troll Rd which was aptly named. Passing up this opportunity, we moved to South State Park on Higgins Lake. Motown under canvas, no rest for the wicked here. I bolted and camped at home for day two. 

Comics Code Authority

As a nine year old on the farm in the early '50's, I used to read any comic available. Some of the periodicals were really gruesome, with vampires, blood pools, etc. It was terror that I inflicted on myself. Whenever I had to do an outside chore in the dark, I was imagining horrors that I hadn't yet seen in script. 
My dad was a "Practical Man" with a simple solution, "Stop reading 'em." He wasn't giving me a suggestion as much as an injunction. Well my problem was solved quickly. Later the comic industry (sounds funny even saying it) policed themselves with their own code. William T. was the original Comics Code Authority for me.

Ai

AI (Artificial Intelligence) is an effort to enable computers to think more like human beings (good luck). SETI is another investigation (Search Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) that has been so far conducted without much success. When the internet first blossomed, I thought a person could educate themselves (liberation!). Instead, I discovered a major pitfall in the connected computer alliance. Input could be in error, untruthful, or ignorant and all of this would fly in the face of good science. 

Like myself, a scientist friend of mine has had to deal with some Tea Party folks. Their opinions often are based not on history or science, but the bias built into the input. He coined a phrase about this movement that I love,  "They are angry and ignorant." AI has taken a new twist.

Recycling Coup

Bothered me for the longest time, my Mac G5 in the closet, unused and useless. Procrastinating for a year, I finally took it to repair. The verdict was swift and sure. Too costly to fix, but I couldn't take it to the dump which would have culminated in a life curse of regret.
I had the hard drive saved and the balance recycled. As I stated to the tech when I picked it up, "I am here for the remains of a G5". He laughed and said, "Put it in a Folger's can."

Bit of Dancing

Joe would say, "Hotter than a mug!" I never understood the meaning, not that it mattered. I had no concept of the scale, but innately understood that whatever it was, it was all the way. Been that way all night, and now into the dawn, it continues. The only thing that could make it hotter is a bit of dancing!

No Phone-No Service

Motored to Gaylord today in search of a receiver, and was rewarded with a bargain. When cashing out, the clerk asked my phone number to initiate closure. This left me at a loss. "I don't know my phone number, and hate cell phones anyway". I ad libbed the non sequitur just to muddy the water and make a standard protest. "Well, we have to have the number to complete the sales transaction." I missed the rationale of the whole policy and blithely walked away from a stoned silence, "I guess we don't have a deal then."

No Direction

"There are drops of dew that show like sapphires in the grass as soon as the morning sun appears, and leaves stir behind the hushed flight of an escaping dove."- Thomas Merton

What's in a Name?

Close to twenty years ago, I heard the greatest anti-war song ever and recorded it onto my cassette recorder. There were some immediate problems. I didn't know the title, or the artist, quality was poor, volume was low, and it was dead in the middle of a ninety minute tape. Retrieval was quite a task, but at least I could barely hear the song when I accomplished that end.
All changed this morning, and "Terrible beauty is born."

Minority Report.

Health care, medicare, why care? I know I'm in a minority with my opinion, but I am very excited that some 33 million Americans will have some form of medical coverage soon. The same government that can send thousands outside the country and put them in harms way should have a system to mitigate against nature's way with the rest of us. Oh, did I forget, age takes us all out in the end anyway, but that is another story.

Gucci Search

I was stunned when Handbag reappeared two days ago, dancing on the passenger side seat of a new Ford, chauffeured by good looking lady wearing a baseball cup. The lid shadowed a suntanned frame, embellished with tattoos. Where does that boy live when he isn't being a dog?

Owl Connection

Walking the wilderness trail yesterday, I little knew what treat lay in store. An owl moved along in the trees just ahead of me. It seemed we were connected and that was good.

Looking out the clean river window for the last couple of weeks, I have seen so many pretty yellow and red birds that I wonder why I haven't paid more attention to them in the past. Raising consciousness is additive magic.
Heretofore, the birds that I noticed were on the road in the right hand lane and barely escaped with their fame. Have birds been getting slower over time? The counterpoint to this argument is the eagle that swooped in front of my truck for some road kill. Nothing was slowing this boy down!

A Cut Above

Long ago, a friend of mine went to the barber to get his hair cut.
Nonchalant- hot from the summer sun, he failed to realize his transgression. The barber, a man from a different time, noticed it immediately-he was fully launched when Mike turned the doorknob to step into the shop.
"What are you doing in here wearing a t-shirt and drinking pop?!
Blindsided, Mike's response, "Getting a haircut." Not good enough for the owner/operator, "Oh, no you're not, get out of here with your lack of respect." A twist of bitter would be, as William T. expressed it in another field, "If you can't cut 'er, you can't stay." 

Stonehenge Loaf

I just finished Terry Brook's novel, a Measure of Magic. Really great! The first chapter begins with a character from left field, the Rag Picker who makes up little verses while he works, picking up rags of course.

There were no Hobbits in the story, but somehow it brought to my mind this question. How did Hobbits make that special food that nourished them on all of those long trips? Some sort of bread I suppose. So I put my own ingredients together. If I combined corn meal with whole wheat flour, would I be able to travel a far distance? The jury is out- experiment incomplete-none the less, I have high hopes.

Disturbed Birds

I picked up some equipment today to clean my windows. It wasn't  nearly as expensive as I had imagined. Why had I waited so long?
Anyhow, my bird neighbors were not in favor of this radical move.
Both parents flew in as close as they dared, to check my work sooooo.... close to their nest. No harm was done, except that I can now see better with my glasses on.

Back Track Tech

The "Allis" in the picture is still here, but both the car and truck have disappeared from the planet in their  recognizable form. Like stone and leather, the tractor remains elemental.

Reprieve

Handbag escaped his handler last year and the authorities brought him back. Some thought he would have to serve time, but instead he was released on his own cognisance. Today, a local veterinarian saved the same canine from the Catchers by sheltering him for thirty minutes until he could be picked up by his mistress. It would appear here that we have tapped into the vast network of the dog underground.

Devil in the Details

The lady in the car behind me was definitely a first responder. She was on the street, car door still open, making cell phone calls by the minute. In about three minutes, the state police, county deputies, fire trucks, and EMT units were on the scene while I was still in my car shaking my head in wonderment as to why the black car crossed into my lane and wrecked my car. I guess I will have to retract all of my comments about how useless smart cell phones are now.
Today, my trip north of the 45th parallel was quite windy, but enjoyable. I needed to begin the process of repairing the collateral  damage (my car). The spin off effect was that I got some great bargains on bulk food. For example, two pounds of raisons for $4.49

Grand Prix Down

It seems taking the backroad to the grocery store doesn't always payoff. If this were face plate, a condition contrary to fact, I'm posted. One car hit another car, then took the opportunity to eliminate another driving candidate, all in one fell swoop. 

Poem Song

It is said that Gerard Manly Hopkins intended to set this particular poem to music, but the evidence for this has been destroyed. 
Natalie Merchant does a great job anyway.

Wide Open

For me, a different trail in the forest today. To be sure, quite at peace with myself, as I'm tooling along. Suddenly, I hear heavy feet on my trail. I thought I was alone, but spin to find a huge dog bearing down. It had the silhouette of a Doberman (eight hands high and weighing ten stone). Lucky for me, the owner yelled out from a far distance, "He is a friendly dog", and the dog believed him.

Road Not Taken

I love walking, but hate walking on the side of the road. Which direction is always the question. So... today, I took an alternate route through the national forest. It turned out to be a better trip. The icon on the sign showed a hiker with a backpack, but I felt free enough to leave without it.

Roof Relief

Winter snow, summer rain, amounts to the same, if your roof leaks.

Given the slow passage of time, relief will bide its time with the patient. For the impatient, I say go with metal.

First Year Trip

Sun was warm, river was moving, perfect day for a trip. Perhaps better yet in the proper chair!

Universal Snare i.e. Fish Hook

One of my cell phone customer service representatives told me his story. Before working for the carrier, he was happy with his track phone of 200 minutes per month and didn't give it much thought. Once he became an inside man, it was clear how far folks would go to sustain cell phone stature. Customers would come to the store to pay their bill, even if their old car was broken down, and they had to walk. Eyes open wide, he quickly realized, without the cell, the environ was isolation.  To be one of the Borg, but outside the hive, is disconnect.

Close Call

I found myself in a dilemma. My smart phone was becoming an obsession. I was beginning to take it with me when I left the house. So I called Verizon with the intent of canceling. The lady suggested   suspending the service for ninety days. Well, texting had been a joy, but something had to be done about the problem. 
Then I had an idea. Why don't I just get a dumb phone to text? This move would save the $220 penalty for dropping out of the contract early. Alas and alack, the equipment was so shoddy that I couldn't force myself make the switch. 
During my suspended animation, I discovered an iPhone could text another iPhone without using a carrier. Wow! Pretty cool, a potential tool for the future, but I was still suspended with the debt hanging by a thread over my head.  

After talking to all these phone folks, I choose the conservative course and decided to just run out the clock and save the 220 large.

Immovable Object

My father, William T., was an accomplished boxer. He fought for the Golden Gloves championship of Michigan three times before he turned nineteen. One Christmas, the sons got boxing gloves. We quickly went into training in the basement. Only seven or eight years of age at the time, my record quickly advanced to zero and nine in a weeks time. Taking a jaundiced view of the game, I tossed in the towel for good. Number two contestant, Butch (JD), took to the sport with a holiday spirit, as did Mike, the oldest son.

Later, our family moved to an urban area, and JD began running the streets. One night, he climbed down the tree from the second story to further investigate night life. At the end of the evening, when he climbed back up the tree to return home, little did he suspect William T. would be waiting for him. An irresistible force met an immovable object. 

Taking a Break

Among Wm T's many accomplishments was the fact that he was a great cook. In fact, he taught Hope how to cook. "A practical man"  would teach his wife to cook, since they were coupled with the enterprise of raising twelve kids. Pictured below is William T. contemplating the "God of things as they are"

Recoup the Soup

Third time is the charm.  Second attempt miserably missed the target. I had to ramp up my efforts to achieve the missing element, flavor. The smoked ham hock in the center tipped the balance.

Bear Facts

Via SMS, I got the message - there are bears in the neighborhood. They haven't tipped over any cars or done demonstrable damage, but Guicci (aka Mr. Handbag) is barkative in the presence of sentient beings. This has the potential of undoing everything he has learned about meeting new life forms.

Debris

Love the sound of that word. It has such an impact, and yet isn't read as it appears. Anyway, as the world turns, there has been a lot of  debris at the Outpost. Now, like magic it is gone. Thanks to the hard working Matt and Layla Team, coupled with the home made trailer.

Eyes Have It

I went yesterday for an eye exam. Since it has been about three years, I figured it was time. Two very nice people helped me in my effort to see farther down the road. When the doctor was finishing up, I related my favorite three stooges skit to him. Larry, Moe and Curley barge into a dentist office. The patient is in the chair with his mouth braced open. Curley looks at the hardware in his mouth and says, "You're eyes are bad, they will have to come out." The doctor's back is turned to me as I relate tale, but he says to me, "I'll have to use that some time."

Then, the lady fitting my glasses, keeps gently suggesting that I pick something more modern for my frames. This continued for a while until I made my basic philosophic point, "People expect more of you when you are in style." She laughed and let me go in my own backward style.