Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas all! This song is "Christmas Eve Sarajevo" by the Trans Siberian Orchestra. I like to think back to when I was in Bosnia, during the harsh Baltic winter, watching the locals dig through the dumpsters on the post looking for plastic to cover their windows to keep whatever precious heat they could make, inside their house. During this Christmas season, please take time to remember how truly fortunate we really are.

Hero performed by Michael Israel in New York

Proof not all artists are anti-American freaks...

Jury Duty (almost...)

I was to be on jury duty this whole week. Showed up Monday morning ready to go dish out some good old fashioned justice. Back pack full of books to entertain myself during any down time. Was placed on one panel to be picked for a jury. AFter a series of questions regarding the case, I was rejected. Got to go to lunch early, so I made the best of it and went to one of my favorite restaurants in the 'burg Molly Branigans. I enjoyed the company of my special lunch guest and got my Irish on with a corned beef boxty.

1 o'clock, back to wait to be chosen for another jury panel. Waited until 2:30, then 3 more panels were chosen. Still rejected. Those of of left were then told we would be very happy with the next announcement. Me, being one for the small rewards in life figured we wouldn't have to come in until like 10 the next morning. Wrong. We were sent home with letters to prove we had been on jury duty for the day. Just one day? I had a whole week of lunches planned in my head. I was finally going to read the Constitution like I have been talking about doing for quite some time now. Oh well, maybe in 3 years when I am eligible to be picked again...

This Is Too Funny...

Food For Thought...

Got this as an email, not sure if it is true or not:

Love This Comeback

One of my sons serves in the military. He is still stateside, here in California. He called me yesterday to let me know how warm and welcoming people were to him, and his troops, everywhere he goes, telling me how people shake their hands, and thank them for being willing to serve, and fight, for not only our own freedoms but so that others may have them also.

But he also told me about an incident in the grocery store he stopped at yesterday, on his way home from the base. He said that ahead of several people in front of him stood a woman dressed in a burkha.

He said when she got to the cashier she loudly remarked about the U.S. flag lapel pin the cashier wore on her smock. The cashier reached up and touched the pin, and said proudly, "Yes, I always wear it and probably always will." The woman in the burkha then asked the cashier when she was going to stop bombing her countrymen, explaining that she was Iraqi.

A gentleman standing behind my son stepped forward, putting his arm around my son's shoulders, and nodding towards my son, said in a calm and gentle voice to the Iraqi woman: "Lady, hundreds of thousands of men and women like this young man have fought and died so that YOU could stand here, in MY country and accuse a check-out cashier of bombing YOUR countrymen. It is my belief that had you been this outspoken in YOUR own country, we wouldn't need to be there today. But, hey, if you have now learned how to speak out so loudly and clearly, I'll gladly buy you a ticket and pay your way back to Iraq so you can straighten out the mess in YOUR country that you are obviously here in MY country to avoid."

Everyone within hearing distance cheered!

Pennsylvanians - by Jeff Foxworthy

Hold on folks... two days, two posts...

Forget Rednecks - here is what Jeff Foxworthy has to say about Pennsylvanians:

• If your local Dairy Queen is closed from September through May, you may live in Pennsylvania
• If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't work there, you may live in Pennsylvania
• If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you may live in Pennsylvania
• If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you may live in Pennsylvania
• If "Vacation" means going anywhere south of Philadelphia for the weekend, you may live in Pennsylvania
• If you measure distance in hours, you may live in Pennsylvania
• If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you may live in Pennsylvania
• If you have switched from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day and back again, you may live in Pennsylvania
• If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you may live in Pennsylvania
• If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both unlocked, you may live in Pennsylvania
• If you carry jumpers in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you may live in Pennsylvania
• If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you may live in Pennsylvania
• If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph -- you're going 80 and everybody is passing you, you may live in Pennsylvania
• If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, you may live in Pennsylvania
• If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction, you may live in Pennsylvania .
• If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car, you may live in Pennsylvania
• If you find 10 degrees "a little chilly", you may live in Pennsylvania
• If you actually understand these jokes, and forward them to all your Pennsylvania friends & others, you definitely live in Pennsylvania .

I don't know if Jeff Foxworthy really said all this or not, but to this Pennsylvanian it was all hilarious!!!

Seven Days, Three Concerts, One Roller Derby, Oh My!

Dear God, I need time off from my time off. Friday, live, in concert at Hershey Stadium, The Police. It should go without saying that this was a near religious experience. Sting and the boys were AWESOME!!! Saturday was the roller derby. My sister is a genuine roller derby queen, Mimosa Mama, with the Dutchland Rollers, the rockinest bunch of ladies to ever grace (or is it disgrace) a roller rink. Sunday was mostly a day of rest, but in the evening it was time to go see my brother in law's band, The Butchers. They describe themselves as "No-Fi 60's Garage Rock at its Finest". I have no need to disagree. They rock! I highly recommend catching their show if you can. Last night, Pete Yorn at the Chameleon in Lancaster. I wasn't 100% sure about this show, but came away quite impressed. Someday I may finally grow up, but probably not.

Hey Mr. D.J.

This past weekend was my reserve duty weekend. Saturday was our Battalion change of command. For the uninitiated, an Army change of command ceremony work like this: the troops spend most of the morning "practicing' in formation. The problem here is that the troops are only taking the commands from the leaders, who are the ones really practicing. I've always thought maybe they should practice without the troops and we could show up for the actual ceremony. If the commanders are of high enough rank, they may be fortunate to get an actual band to play at the ceremony. A LTC is not quite high enough to get a real band. That's where the Mr. D.J. comes in. At one point during the "festivities" I was asked if I had a job for the ceremony, I replied other than standing in the sun with everyone else, no. I was then given the option of running the sound equipment, which I of course was all over. Over the past 18 years I have been in more change of command formations than I care to count. My job was to follow the change of command script and at the appropriate places, play music. The selections were: Ruffles and Flourishes, The Star Spangled Banner and The Army Song. Grammy nomination anyone?

Looks Like My Blog Isn't The Only Thing That Gets Updated Every 26 Years...

The first new Pac Man mazes in 26 years have been released. Oh the hours and quarters spent chasing ghosts...

Memorial Day

In 1868 Memorial Day was not about the first vacation of the summer. Barbecues. Or that great sale at the megaplex. Memorial Day was created to be a day the reflect on those who have made the ultimate sacrifice so we may enjoy our lives. On Monday as you're stuck in traffic; stuffing yourself with burgers, dogs or whatever; or waiting in line to checkout with your amazing bargains - please take some time to reflect on those who are no longer with us. Those who have ensured that we still have the freedom to enjoy our lives.

Remembering...
© 2001 Jessica F., 3rd Grader, Academy Elementary School, Madison, Connecticut.



Red, white and blue
For those we knew
Who marched off to war.
We honor them now
And show them how
Their bravery we can't ignore.

Heroes of war,
They were so much more,
Father and brother and friend.
Flags at half mast
For those of the past
To whom our gratitude we send.

We place flowers on the graves
Of those who were brave,
We salute them far and wide.
Seeing poppies galore
While our hearts soar,
remembering proudly those who have died.

Thank you, Jessica.

No Explaination Needed

I think this picture is worth far more than the proverbial 1000 words:




















Happy 5th of May!
(Commonly known as Cinco de Mayo, but this is America)

Disgusting, but Interesting

http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/070228_snail_mucus.html

Happy National Engineers Week

This week is National Engineers Week (yes, everybody gets thier own week these days). Why this week you ask? George Washington is America's first engineer, so Engineers Week is celebrated along with his birthday. Tonight, I will be celebrating with a special dinner at work with cocktail hour. Free food and drinks, two of my most favorite things.

I'm Still Here

Guess it's time for my monthly post. I've been super busy at work, the guy that does the same job as me and therefore shares my workload was out on medical leave for all of January. That meant I had to pick up most of his share of the work. My boss and a couple of the other engineers helped out.

I had a good birthday weekend, went out with my sister and her husband on Friday, hung out at the Midtown on Saturday, just had a small Super Bowl party on Sunday and Carnealian took me out for a birthday steak dinner and drinks last night.

Guess I'll sleep when I'm dead...

From The "You Can't Make This Up" Files

Helped my Mom, Aunt (her sister) and Uncle (her borther) move into their house yesterday. Yes, they all live under the same roof, should save a little on Christmas card and postage this year. The three of them have been a rather Nomadic bunch lately. My cousin remarked that they will all die in that house. I was a little kinder, I said you don't have to die here, but the next move will be by a moving company, even if we have to all chip in.

Speaking of postage, from Fox News:

No Wonder They're Disgruntled
OWENSBORO, Ky. (AP) -- Postal workers apparently have no special clout when it comes to being told the check's in the mail.
That's the case in this western Kentucky city, where post office employees are still waiting for their Jan. 12 paychecks.
They seem to have been lost -- in the mail, Postmaster Kristine Fox told the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer.
"Somebody somewhere made a mistake," she said. "And nobody has 'fessed up yet."
Fox said she called several postal centers to try to track down the missing checks but had no success. She said she waited to ask for new checks because she kept thinking the old ones would surface.
"I wouldn't have waited this long," she said. "But Monday was a holiday. And I kept thinking I would find them."
The biweekly checks come from Egan, Minn., she said, and are sorted several times along the way.

Diet Is Die, With A T

I have discovered why there are so many fat asses in this country. Dieting sucks. I put myself on Weight Watchers, to lose about 30 pounds. I need to get myself back into shape to get ready for drill sergeant school, which would be much eaiser if I wasn't carrying 30 pounds I really don't need. So far, I have not been able to get myself on a regular exercise routine, partially due to laziness, partially due to a cough that just won't go away. Wish me luck!

I'm not dead, yet...

Let's see... what's new. I got my annual Christmas cold, spent the holidays totally miserable. Still have a nasty cough, went to the doctors last Friday. He told me we need to get that cough under control. No shit, really? Maybe I should go to medical school, doesn't seem that hard.

I got an A- in my first master's class. WOO HOO!!! I was hoping for a B, since that is the minimum GPA I need to graduate, but I'll take the higher grade.

I have been giving presentations to the sales people at my company this week. Everyone comments how well I do. What, just because I am an engineer, I need to be socially inept??? Oh well, I guess a lot of engineers are socially inept, so I should just enjoy the limelight for now.