Klent's World

A Tribute: To Our Servicemembers and Their Families

2011-03-29T13:47:00.001-05:00

You stay up for hours,
He stays up for Days,
You take a hot shower to wake up,
He goes days without running water.
You complain of a headache,
…………He sees others get shot and keeps moving forward
You wear anti-war shirts
He fights for your right to wear that shirt.
You make sure you have your cell phone,
He clutches his cross and dog tags.
You talks trash on your friends,
He knows he may never see his again.
You walk down the beach looking for hotties,
He patrols the streets looking for terrorists.
You complain about how hot it is,
He doesn’t dare remove his gear to wipe his brow.
You kiss your lover,
He holds a letter close and tries to smell her perfume.
You criticize your government,
He sees the innocent killed by their own people.
You see only what the media wants you to,
He sees the broken bodies lying around him.
You crawl into a soft bed,
He tries to sleep but is awakened by the sound of mortars.
You’re angry because class went over by 5 minutes,
He is told he will be held over 2 months.
You go to the mall to get your hair done,
He doesn’t have time to brush his teeth today.
You hear jokes about the war,
He hears bombs, gunfire and screams of the wounded.
You complain about the laundry,
He wears the same thing for days.
ALL GAVE SOME, BUT SOME GAVE ALL……
NEVER FORGET THEM.

Link

Bumper-Stickers Seen On Military Bases

2010-12-21T13:09:00.000-06:00

"When In Doubt, Empty The Magazine"

"Marine Sniper - You can run, but you'll just die tired!"

"Machine Gunners - Accuracy By Volume"

"Except For Ending Slavery, Fascism, Nazism and Communism, WAR has Never Solved Anything."

" U.S. Marines - Certified Counselors to the 72 Virgins Dating Club."

" U.S. Air Force - Travel Agents To Allah"

"Stop Global Whining"

Naval Corollary: Dead Men Don't Testify.

"The Marine Corps - When It Absolutely, Positively Has To Be Destroyed Overnight"

"Death Smiles At Everyone - Marines Smile Back"

"What Do I Feel When I Kill A Terrorist? A Little Recoil"

"Marines - Providing Enemies of America an Opportunity To Die For their Country Since 1775"

"Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Anyone Who Threatens It"

"Happiness Is A Belt-Fed Weapon"

"It's God's Job to Forgive Bin Laden - It's Our Job To Arrange The Meeting"

"Artillery Brings Dignity to What Would Otherwise Be Just A Vulgar Brawl"

"One Shot, Twelve Kills - U.S. Naval Gun Fire Support "

"My Kid Fought In Iraq So Your Kid Can Party In College"

"A Dead Enemy Is A Peaceful Enemy - Blessed Be The Peacemakers"

"If You Can Read This, Thank A Teacher.. If You Can Read It In English, Thank A Veteran"

Veteran to Veteran

2010-12-20T15:28:00.000-06:00

When a Veteran leaves the 'job' and retires to a better life, many are jealous, some are pleased, and others, who may have already retired, wonder if he knows what he is leaving behind, because we already know.

1. We know, for example, that after a lifetime of camaraderie that few experience, it will remain as a longing for those past times.

2. We know in the Military life there is a fellowship which lasts long after the uniforms are hung up in the back of the closet.

3. We know even if he throws them away, they will be on him with every step and breath that remains in his life. We also know how the very bearing of the man speaks of what he was and in his heart still is.

These are the burdens of the job. You will still look at people suspiciously, still see what others do not see or choose to ignore and always will look at the rest of the Military world with a respect for what they do; only grown in a lifetime of knowing.

Never think for one moment you are escaping from that life. You are only escaping the 'job' and merely being allowed to leave 'active' duty.

So what I wish for you is that whenever you ease into retirement, in your heart you never forget for one moment that you are still a member of the greatest fraternity the world has ever known.

NOW... Civilian Friends vs. Veteran Friends Comparisons:

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Get upset if you're too busy to talk to them for a week.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Are glad to see you after years, and will happily carry on the same conversation you were having the last time you met.
----------------------------------------------------
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Have never seen you cry.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Have cried with you.
---------------------------------------------------
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Keep your stuff so long they forget it's yours.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Borrow your stuff for a few days then give it back.
--------------------------------------------------
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Know a few things about you.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you.
---------------------------------------------------
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that's what the crowd is doing.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Will stand by you no matter what the crowd does.
---------------------------------------------------
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Are for a while.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Are for life.
---------------------------------------------------
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Have shared a few experiences...
VETERAN FRIENDS: Have shared a lifetime of experiences no citizen could ever dream of...
---------------------------------------------------
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will take your drink away when they think you've had enough.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Will look at you stumbling all over the place and say, 'You better drink the rest of that before you spill it!' Then carry you home safely and put you to bed...
-----------------------------------------------------
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will ignore this.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Will forward this.
----------------------------------------------------
A veteran - whether active duty, retired, served one hitch, or reserve is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The Government of the United States of America ' for an amount of 'up to and including my life'.

From one Veteran to another, it's an honor to be in your company. Thank you for your service to our country and defending the freedoms we enjoy.

Motorcycle Riding Explained

2010-12-16T07:53:00.001-06:00

I didn’t write this. But when I read it I knew that would be the best explanation to that age old saying about riding... "If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand"

Cold!

There is cold, and then there is cold on a motorcycle.

Cold on a motorcycle is like being beaten with cold hammers while being kicked with cold boots, a bone bruising cold. The wind’s big hands squeeze the heat out of my body and whisk it away; caught in a cold October rain, the drops don’t even feel like water. They feel like shards of sharp bone fallen from the skies of Hell to shred my face. I expect to arrive with my cheeks and forehead streaked with blood, but that’s just an illusion, just the misery of nerves not designed for highway speeds.

Despite this, it’s hard to give up my motorcycle in the fall and I rush to get it on the road again in the spring; lapses of sanity like this are common among motorcyclists. When you let a motorcycle into your life you’re changed forever. The letter “M” is stamped on your driver’s license right next to your sex and weight as if “motorcycle” was just another of your physical characteristics, or maybe a mental condition.

But when warm weather finally does come around all those cold snaps and rainstorms are paid in full because a summer is worth any price.

A motorcycle is not just a two-wheeled car; the difference between driving a car and climbing onto a motorcycle is the difference between watching TV and actually living your life. We spend all our time sealed in boxes’ and cars are just the rolling boxes that shuffle us from home-box to work-box to store-box and back, the whole time, entombed in stale air, temperature regulated, sound insulated, and smelling of carpets.

On a motorcycle I know I’m alive. When I ride, even the familiar seems strange and glorious. The air has weight and substance as I push through it and its touch is as intimate as water to a swimmer. I feel the cool wells of air that pool under trees and the warm spokes of sun that fall through them. I can see everything in a sweeping 360 degrees, up, down and around, wider than Pana-Vision and IMAX and unrestricted by ceiling or dashboard.

Sometimes I even hear music. It’s like hearing phantom telephones in the shower or false doorbells when vacuuming; the pattern-loving brain, seeking signals in the noise, raises acoustic ghosts out of the wind’s roar. But on a motorcycle I hear whole songs: rock ‘n roll, dark orchestras, women’s voices, all hidden in the air and released by speed.

At 30 miles per hour and up, smells become uncannily vivid. All the individual tree- smells and flower- smells and grass-smells flit by like chemical notes in a great plant symphony.

Sometimes the smells evoke memories so strongly that it’s as though the past hangs invisible in the air around me, wanting only the most casual of rumbling time machines to unlock it. A ride on a summer afternoon can border on the rapturous.

The sheer volume and variety of stimuli is like a bath for my nervous system, an electrical massage for my brain, a systems check for my soul. It tears smiles out of me: a minute ago I was dour, depressed, apathetic, numb, but now, on two wheels, big, ragged, windy smiles flap against the side of my face, billowing out of me like air from a decompressing plane.

Transportation is only a secondary function. A motorcycle is a joy machine. It’s a machine of wonders, a metal bird, a motorized prosthetic. It’s light and dark and shiny and dirty and warm and cold lapping over each other; it’s a conduit of grace, it’s a catalyst for bonding the gritty and the holy.

I still think of myself as just another rider, but by now I’ve had a handful of bikes over a couple dozen years and slept under my share of bridges. I wouldn’t trade one second of either the good times or the misery. Learning to ride was one of the best things I’ve ever done.

Cars lie to us and tell us we’re safe, powerful, and in control. The air-conditioning fans murmur empty assurances and whisper, “Sleep, sleep.”

Motorcycles tell us a more useful truth: we are small and exposed, and probably moving too fast for our own good, but that’s no reason not to enjoy every minute of the ride.

A moving video about fallen heros, PGR, and funeral protesters

2010-11-17T11:11:00.001-06:00

http://lifeofduty.tv/#/home/VideoModule/141

The winning hand

2010-11-02T14:10:00.001-05:00

Bacon Ice Cream

2010-07-27T14:19:00.002-05:00

The Great Bacon Odyssey: Is Bacon Ice Cream Worth the Effort?
Bacon Ice Cream

My New Ride

2010-07-21T08:14:00.000-05:00

2010 Kawasaki Voyager

Twelve Important Things My Motorcycle Has Taught Me

2010-04-22T08:06:00.001-05:00

Twelve Important Things My Motorcycle Has Taught Me

1. The only good view of a thunderstorm is in your rear view mirror.

2. Four wheels move the body; two wheels move the soul.

3. I'd rather be riding my motorcycle and thinking about God, than sitting in church thinking about my bike.

4. Life may begin at 30, but it doesn't get real interesting until about 75 mph.

5. Midnight bugs taste just as bad as Noon time bugs.

6. Sometimes it takes a whole tank full of gas before you can think straight.

7. A bike on the road is worth two in the shed.

8. Young riders pick a destination and go; old riders pick a direction and go.

9. When you're riding lead, don't spit.

10. Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt at 75 mph can double your vocabulary.

11. If you can't get it going with bungee cords and duct tape, it's serious.

12. Only a biker knows why a dog sticks his head out of a car window.

Bacon Cheeseburger Turtles

2010-02-17T08:35:00.002-06:00

Recipe Link

Great Quote

2010-02-04T13:31:00.000-06:00

Bikes don't leak oil, they mark their territory. ~Author Unknown

Great Tea Party Article From the Cato Institute

2010-02-04T09:29:00.002-06:00

Tea Partiers Shouldn't Date the GOP

Good Quote

2009-12-10T21:26:00.000-06:00

Democracy is when 2 lions and a lamb can vote on lunch. Liberty is when a well armed lamb can dispute the vote outcome. - Ben Franklin.

UNDER THE LEATHER AND BEHIND THE SHADE

2009-12-06T08:34:00.001-06:00

Patriot Guard Riders

UNDER THE LEATHER AND BEHIND THE SHADES
Author Unknown

Under the leather and behind the shades stands a biker. We ride for the sense of freedom it gives us. The encouragement to take the road less traveled in the chance that we may encounter something new. We ride for the friendships we make along the way, as well as, the solitude of the open road. We don't really care what you ride, just that you do.

Under the leather and behind the shades is a beating heart. A heart filled with compassion that on any given day will be riding for those in need. Ask one of us for help, but don't be surprised when all of us show up.

Under the leather and behind the shades stands a proud American. We are as diverse a group of people that you could possibly assemble. We are men, women, tradesmen, doctors, lawyers, retirees, military, civilian and on and on and on. We stand silently with reverence and one voice that, in the silence, can be overwhelming.

Under the leather and behind the shades stands an invited guest to the funeral of a soldier that we most likely have never met. We hold the flag of our nation as a tribute to the greatest sacrifice anyone can make. Out of respect for the fallen, we travel to stand firm for a family, a community and a nation to lean on.

Under the leather and behind the shades stands a biker with sons, daughters, brothers and sisters of our own. Beneath the rough exterior we tremble and weep at your loss. You may not see that, for we are there to support you. That’s why we stand so silently under the leather and behind the shades.

ALR Sendoff

2009-12-03T21:23:00.001-06:00

(12/5/09-Saturday) – Please Join ALR 406 (Andover) for a Sendoff to Honor 50 to 60 Members of the 226^th Engineer Company (National Guard) as They Deploy from Augusta to Salina for Training, then to Afghanistan - We will meet at Augusta High School, 2020 Ohio Street, in Augusta at 11:45 A.M. to flag up and prepare to ride to the National Guard Armory. KSU at 12:15 for the short ride and small ceremony put on by the Augusta American Legion, and then escort the bus down to Highway 54 and out of town, where we will dismount and send these youngsters off. We will have Augusta P.D. support. Ride captains will be Wayne (Shark) Friedel and Bashful of ALR 406.

New Patriot Guard Mission

2009-11-24T16:23:00.001-06:00

Fallen Hero US Army Staff Sergeant John James Cleaver

US Army 82nd Airborne Division Trooper, Staff Sgt John James Cleaver, age 36, Joplin, MO. was killed in action on 19 November 2009 in Afghanistan.

The family has invited the Patriot Guard to attend the funeral.

The Patriot Guard extends our sincere sympathy to the Cleaver Family.

Please keep this family in your prayers.

God bless John and his family.

If you are on the Patriot Guard email list, a confirmed mission with final details will be emailed and posted when finalized.

Tentative funeral services: Saturday 28 November 2009 in Galena, KS.

Salute to Veterans Ride

2009-11-06T10:01:00.000-06:00

(11/8/09-Sunday) – ALR 401 (Wichita) Invites All ALR to LEAD the First "Salute to Veterans Ride" at 2:00 p.m. at Alefs Harley Davidson in Wichita. Alefs has purchased 50 3x5 state flags for this Ride, and they would like to see all 50 states flying in honor of the Veterans from all 50 states. Stage at Alefs (I-35 & 53rd St. N.) at 1:00pm. Alefs has asked the Legion Riders from this area to lead the ride with service flags flying behind the US flag and the Kansas state flag, then all the other state flags following, then riders without flags. The ride will end at the Wichita Veterans Park. When we arrive at the Veterans Park, riders will park in the right lane, dismount and gather together to pay Tribute to all the Veterans of the USA. We will then present welcome home flags to area veterans who well represent veterans from WWII, the Korean war, the Vietnam war, the Gulf war, etc. This ride is open to all riders and you do not need to be a Veteran. This is for anyone who just wants to salute our Veterans and their service to our country. RC is Mike Macy, Director of ALR 401, at (316) 461-2639.

Renaissance Daze at Post 4

2009-11-06T09:58:00.000-06:00

(11/7/09-Saturday) – ALR 4 (Wichita) Renaissance Daze at Post 4 (818 N. Water St.) from 3:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. – There will be belly dancing by Dreama Dancing Gypsies, heavy sword fighting by Barony of Vatavia, European & Middle Eastern Dance, fencing by Acadme’De Duello, bag pipes by The Saltire Piper, Medieval Photo Booth, hair brading & basket weaving, games for the kids, crowning King & Queen Medieval costume contest, and merchants with knives, swords, dragons and leather. Turkey Leg Dinner. Linda’s Famous Fish Fry at 6:00 p.m. Karaoke & dance at 7:00 p.m. DJ by Dollar & Tall Tim. Join us in helping our active duty and disabled veterans to be remembered and honored. All proceeds go to them.

Wichita Veterans Day Parade

2009-11-06T09:55:00.002-06:00

(11/7/09-Saturday) – ALR 4 (Wichita) Invites All ALR to Participate in the Wichita Veterans Day Parade –For the second year, we have the honor of escorting the Gold Star Mothers in their float. The parade will begin at 11:00 am in downtown Wichita. The parade route begins at Central & Murdock and goes south on Main to Douglas. The parade will end on Douglas at Kennedy Plaza on the north side of Century II. Following the parade there will be a celebration at Kennedy Plaza and on Douglas Avenue between Water and Waco. You will have the chance to meet the parade participants; view vehicles and other displays; and listen to patriotic music. ALR Staging: Breakfast will be available at Post 4 from 0800-1000. We will be lining up at 10:00 just down the street to the east.

Great Quote

2009-08-13T09:33:00.001-05:00

PA Dutch Proverb of the day: "A ship in harbor is safe. But that is not what ships are for."

SHRIMP BOG - One of my favorite recipes

2009-08-09T10:52:00.000-05:00

SHRIMP BOG

1 1/2 cups uncooked rice

1/2 pound sliced bacon, finely diced

2 medium-size onions, finely chopped

2 1/4 cups chicken stock

2 medium-size, ripe tomatoes, peeled, finely chopped, and juices retained

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 pounds medium-size shrimp, shelled and deveined

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

In a fine sieve, rinse the rice well under cold running water and drain. In a large, heavy pot, fry the bacon over moderate heat, drain on paper towels, and set aside. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the grease, add the onions to the pot, and cook for 3 minutes over moderate heat, stirring. Add the rice and stir well. Add the stock, tomatoes with their juices, lemon juice, Worcestershire, salt, nutmeg, and black and cayenne peppers, bring to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in the crumbled bacon and the shrimp and continue cooking, uncovered, for 10 minutes, adding a little more stock if the rice seems to be drying out. Stir the bog with a fork, taste for seasoning, and sprinkle the parsley on top.

Yield: 6 servings

One of my favorite George Orwell Quotes

2009-07-30T21:31:00.001-05:00

" We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm. "

Great Quote

2009-07-07T16:02:00.001-05:00

The very purpose of existence is to reconcile the glowing opinion we have of ourselves with the appalling things that other people think about us. - Quentin Crisp

Haircut

2009-02-17T14:33:00.002-06:00

I took my grandson in for a haircut. A handsome lad if I do say so myself.

Outrage at NBC

2009-02-01T16:16:00.004-06:00

Just wanted to take a moment to vent my outrage at NBC. I turn over to watch some Super Bowl pre game and they are airing an interview with the President. What a lame attempt at BS on both Obama and NBC news. Just proves to me that NBC is actually the DNC broadcasting network.

A new ride

2008-07-03T21:07:00.001-05:00

I decided I needed a new ride. :)

Beer and Wings Night

2008-07-01T09:39:00.003-05:00

A while back we started a tradition of boys night out. Buffalo Wild Wings is Brandon's favorite place to eat when visiting grandpa. Tonight is the night so we will hoist a few and celebrate life.

Make A Wish

2008-05-22T11:06:00.002-05:00

We recently returned from Florid where we had an amazing time at Disney World. I would like to thank the Make a Wish people for making one little boys dreams come true. Here is B in his NASA space suit.

Colonel Brandon

2008-02-14T15:34:00.003-06:00

My son, Jason, is in the Air National Guard and decided to outfit Brandon, his son and my grandson, in a genuine Air Force flight suit. Brandon looks dashing in his jumpsuit, jacket, hat, and regulation sunglasses. When Jason went in for his Security Forces hair cut Brandon insisted he also have one.

New Fall Hat

2007-11-02T08:39:00.001-05:00

Fall is in the air which means it is time to switch to a new Fall hat.

Switching Cell Phone Carriers

2007-10-16T13:13:00.000-05:00

I have been a loyal Verizon Wireless customer for a number of years, but I have finally had enough of two year contracts. I firmly believe WiMax will change the cell phone landscape and free us from the shackles of the big wireless providers. However, that time is not now.

With my contract ending soon I decided to give Cricket a shot. I will admit to some anxiety about using Cricket. I have always considered it a network for collage students who did not need a mission critical communication system. My son has used Cricket for years so I thought I would give it a try.

My reasoning was this.

Unlimited talk time in a Cricket area
Unlimited text and pic messages
Access to Nationwide roaming
Unlimited National long distance calls
Extremely attractive low monthly rate without a longterm contract

I realized I was giving up the Verizon network which has served me well, and I would not have a large selection of phones. However, I wanted a new phone, my trusty Razor had served me well but I wanted newer technology. I was not interested in signing a new contract so I was going to have to pay full price for the phone no matter which provider I selected.

I reviewed the plans offered by all the major carriers. All wanted one to two year contracts unless I wanted to go with some kind of limited prepay plan. All of which was unsatisfactory to me. Cricket offered the plans that were most appealing to me, and were a good fit for my current needs.

I signed up for the Cricket $55 a month plan that gave me all of the features listed above, 100 minutes a month of Nationwide roaming, and unlimited Web access. I signed up for the service and bought the brand new Kyocera Lingo from the Cricket web site. I was a little nervous about buying a phone sight unseen but I thought if I did not like phone I could exchange it at one of the local Cricket stores.

The phone arrived and I activated the service. This was a straight forward process and I was up and running in about 10 minutes. In my local area I found the signal to excellent. Voice was crisp and clear and text and picture messaging worked without issue. This would be expected in my home area, but I wondered how would the phone and system work on the road? I would not have to wait long as I was attending a conference in Phoenix that very week.

My first stop was DFW in Dallas. After I deplaned I turned on my phone and noticed I was in a roaming area. I though this was a little odd so I checked the coverage map on the Cricket web site and found that Dallas was not a Cricket area. I decided to make a call to see how the roaming system worked. The call went through without issue and the quality was excellent. The call used 2 minutes of my 100 minute allotment which should be plenty for my needs. Text messaging still worked fine but mobile web was off line as I was not in a Cricket area.

Upon arrival in Phoenix I found I was once again in a Cricket service area. All services worked fine and the call quality was once again excellent. The more I used the phone in Phoenix the greater my comfort level with the Cricket system.

The only negative I have found while using Cricket so far is that my Google calendar alerts do not work with the Cricket service. This is not a deficiency on Crickets part, but rather Google does not support Cricket. Perhaps this will change in the future as Cricket adds more services.

Speaking of services, I would like to see Cricket provide GPS services so Google maps would work. I would not mind paying for this service because I think it would be a real value add to my overall communications package. The Cricket web site says they are working on rolling GPS out so hopefully I will not have to wait long.

A day under sail

2007-09-03T17:09:00.001-05:00

Today was a good day. Used my new power washer to clean the Kathryn and get her all shipshape. The rest of the day was spent under sail and watching the regatta. Good food, good fun, and a great day!

I have a new hat

2007-08-17T15:59:00.000-05:00

Woot!!!!! I got a new hat! I love going to Hatman Jacks and I always come home with a new hat. I wish hats would come back into style. I think they add a lot of class to your wardrobe.

Playing with the Mac

2007-07-12T13:37:00.000-05:00

Jason and Brandon came over for dinner and Brandon discovered the joys of iSight. :)

Clothing items needed for wounded troops

2007-07-06T11:18:00.000-05:00

These is a pressing need for clothing items for wounded troops at Camp Anaconda Hospital, Balad Iraq. When wounded are brought to the hospital from the field the first process is to cut off all of their clothes so they can be examined. Once they have been treated they are moved to the recovery wards. Since all of their clothes are destroyed, they only have a gown to wear around the hospital.

Depending on their wounds, they are able to move around and go to the chow hall. This is not a fun thing to do wearing only a hospital gown. If their wounds are severe enough to be moved to Germany, they would like something more to wear than a gown.

Clothing items most needed are tee shirts, shorts, and flip flops (please do not send pink, Marines do not react well to wearing pink flip flops. :). When the temperature gets colder sweatshirts and sweat bottoms are also great to help keep the patients warm.

Please send donations to:
Flight Commander
332 EMDG/EMDOS/ICW
APO AE 09315-9997

The word "Donations" should be clearly written on the outside of the box to help speed its delivery to the hospital.

I cannot begin to express how much a small clothing donation like a tee shirt can mean to an injured service member. Shortly after a large donation from a Kansas American Legion post arrived the chow hall was full of smiling people all wearing matching Legion Post tee shirts and shorts. It made everyones day!

Yard Day

2007-06-10T11:35:00.000-05:00

There was a farm girl working in the yard yesterday.

Zoo Day

2007-06-03T16:00:00.001-05:00

Master Brandon accompanied us to the zoo today. His favorite exhibits were the penguins and the elephants. The elephants were receiving their baths and dinner while we watched and they did some amazing tricks.

Ride

2007-05-30T18:08:00.000-05:00

It was a pretty night tonight so I jumped on my bike and knocked out 10 miles. It was nice feeling the wind in my hair and the sun on my face. I loved the feeling of the blood pumping through my veins and the adrenaline rush of charging a hill. Good times!

In Kansas City

2007-05-26T09:51:00.000-05:00

In Kansas City for the long weekend. Plan on soaking up BBQ sauce, eating lots of seafood, and drinking and dancing till dawn. Should be a fun time!

Just Stuff

2007-05-23T14:23:00.001-05:00

I am on vacation this week helping Kate acclimate to civilian life. Today I went out to the lake to make sure the Kathryn was all snuggled into her slip. She was happily floating along waiting for the afternoon storm.

Kate is home

2007-05-20T08:26:00.000-05:00

After many misadventures Kate is finally home. She made it out of Balad without much difficulty but sandstorms kept her on the ground in Doha. Thankfully she is home safe and sound and our lives can return to normal.

Dog Attention

2007-05-17T21:14:00.001-05:00

A bowl of ice cream will make you very popular.

Kate is coming home

2007-05-14T14:51:00.000-05:00

I just got word that Kate will start home from Iraq at 11:30am CDT on the 15th (tomorrow). Yeah!!!! I am so excited I can hardly stand it. I will be relived when she is out of Iraqi airspace.

Saturday

2007-05-12T08:43:00.000-05:00

It is a gorgeous morning here in the mid-west. It is calm and cool outside and the sun is shinning brightly. I laid in bed for a while and now I am up and about. As is often the case, I am torn between what I need to do, and what I would like to do.

I would like to be out on my bike. The windy blowing in my hair, my blood racing through my veins as I charge down the road. Unfortunately, at the moment, I have other obligations. Dang, in a perfect world I could take care of my have to's and my want to's at the same time. :) After obligations are done maybe I will go to the zoo.

My Birthday

2007-05-09T10:08:00.000-05:00

My birthday was Monday and someone special was very nice to me. :)

Airport Extreame

2007-04-27T10:30:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I bought the new Apple Airport Extreme 802.11n router. I will have to say I am very impressed with the equipment. It has good range, excellent signal propagation, and is rock solid stable.

The only downside I have seen so far is the alternate DNS settings do not work. I like to use Open DNS for my DNS servers and so far the Airport Extreme ignores the settings. The Apple forums say the engineers are aware of the problem and will look into it. We will see.

TTFN

Mac's Rule

2007-04-18T08:43:00.000-05:00

Those of you who know me know that I have been a Linux geek for years, and have always stayed away from Microsoft and Macintosh computers for industrial grade applications. That has all changed in the last year.

With Apple moving first to a Unix based undercarriage and then the adopting the Intel platform I thought it was time to give Mac a try. I bought a Mac Mini to test the waters. I was very impressed with its ease of operation, stability, and overall good look and feel of the hardware and software.

After 3 months I was hooked. I abandoned my big high end Dell and was using my Mini for all of my work. The only downside was the graphics card did not have enough memory to play Second Life at a level that made the game fun.

So my next purchase was an 20 inch iMac with 2 gig of RAM and 250 meg of VRAM. All I can say is it is sweet. It plays Second Life like a dream, is stable, and fun to use. I have not found one work of research related task that I could not perform on the Mac. I do have Parrelles with a copy of XP loaded and ready in case I do need a Windows app for some reason but I have not needed to use it for any major tasks.

I now own a MacBook Pro which has replaced my 2 year old HP laptop as my primary carry around computer. The poor HP has been moved to the kitchen for TV viewing via Slingbox.

I have been in the IT business for over 26 years and I never in my wildest dreams would have thought I would be using a Mac at home but I am totally sold on them. I plan on selling my big Dell box and moving all of my systems to the Mac platform. I can highly recommend the new Mac for all users no matter what their computing needs.

Tragedy

2007-04-16T13:26:00.000-05:00

It has been a long time but I am back. Unfortunately, it took the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech to bring me back. What a tragic loss. I have always worried about the security on our campus. and this tragedy highlights how insecure our public buildings are if faced with a determined attacker.

Welcome

2005-07-15T20:29:00.000-05:00

Hello All,

Welcome to my blog. I have tried to avoid having a blog for a long time now, but I feel it is time to come up to date with the state of the art. I plan on using this site as a test bed and launch platform for Podcasts. If you have not explored Podcasts, check it out.