As I age, and as I watch my mother age, I have become aware, sometimes painfully, that parts of the human body wear out or do not function as well as they used to. But I have also noticed that one part seems to retain its ability to function, but for many this part will need assistance from artificial devices. Someday, if you find yourself complaining about this or that part of your body not working, or not working like it used to, remember this: even if you are complaining through dentures or implants, you mouth still works!!!
If you can complain, you can also laugh and sing. Which is better?
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
I have a disease...
Yes, I have a disease, I've had it for a long time, and I will probably never get over it. If you think that's bad, well, I don't want to get over it! The disease is known as SDS - Supercell Deprivation Syndrome.
This disease has no cure, but it does have treatments. The clinic that provides these treatments is Tornado Alley. The ingredients used to make these treatments are deep layers of moist air, instability, lift and shear. These ingredients combine to create cumulus towers, anvils, flanking lines, lightning, wall clouds, and sometimes tornadoes. The side effects of these treatments are hail, heavy rain, sometimes flooding, sometimes damage, sometimes death.
No one likes the last two side effects. That's why many storm chasers and all spotters participate in the severe weather warning process by reporting what they see to the National Weather Service and/or local emergency authorities and/or local media.
I almost got a treatment Tuesday. Local TV stations first mentioned the possibility of severe weather that day. Sunday and Monday, I began looking at the Storm Prediction Center's website for Convective Outlooks. Sure enough they showed a moderate risk for most of SE OK, a good chunk of NE TX, and parts of western AR, and NW LA.
The fist significant storm of the day developed west of OKC, dropped a tornado on Edmond, tracked on up to the NNE, dropped tornadoes on Logan and Pawnee Counties, and kept on across Osage and Washington Counties into KS. It was TOR warned all the way, but at the most it produced a rotating wall cloud over portions of Osage Co. Another tornado later tracked in from TX, and hit the town of Lone Grove to the west of Ardmore. The other tornadoes did some damage, and not many injuries, but the last one killed 9 people. I am not happy to hear about that.
I listened to much of the action on ham radio. I had heard about the Edmond tornado, watched some streaming video on chasertv.com, and went outside to take a look to see how things were shaping up in the teeming metropolis of Kiefer, and then laid down for around an hour. By the time I got up, the Edmond storm was already moving into Payne Co. on its way to Pawnee Co. I tried to stay in my room and keep up on the action, but I started to feel chilly. The storms that were headed to Kiefer were still miles away to the south. I wound up staying in the front room close to the fire, and watched NCIS and The Mentalist with my mom. The Mentalist ought to be called The Mental Case. Sometime during those shows, the storms moved in. We got some lightning, thunder, hail (not big enough to report), and mostly heavy rain. Still have some water pooled in the ruts in the strip of dirt and gravel I call a driveway.
So, I didn't get to see anything stormwise. It was too dark out by the time things got interesting locally. I'm probably not going to do any spotting after dark, except from inside my house.
The last treatment for my SDS was on June 1, 2008. While working the Tulsa Tough rest stop at the Kiefer City Park, I heard reports of storms hitting Kellyville to the west about 8 - 9 miles. After the rest stop closed down down and the volunteers working the stop had packed up and left, the storms were close to Kiefer. I drove a mile east to the new school complex to get a better view, away from the ridgeline directly to the west. I watched a shallow wall cloud move from NNW to SSE. If it didn't pass directly over Kiefer, it passed just to the west. On the short drive home, I passed through heavy rain and hail. Despite seeing a supercell feature (wall cloud), I didn't report anything. The wall cloud was too shallow and shrinking as it moved by, so I knew the storm was diminishing.
Oh, well, storm season hasn't officially begun yet. Actually, it never really goes away. It just moves on to other parts of the country and sometimes produces snow or ice storms or hurricanes instead of severe thunderstorms.
This disease has no cure, but it does have treatments. The clinic that provides these treatments is Tornado Alley. The ingredients used to make these treatments are deep layers of moist air, instability, lift and shear. These ingredients combine to create cumulus towers, anvils, flanking lines, lightning, wall clouds, and sometimes tornadoes. The side effects of these treatments are hail, heavy rain, sometimes flooding, sometimes damage, sometimes death.
No one likes the last two side effects. That's why many storm chasers and all spotters participate in the severe weather warning process by reporting what they see to the National Weather Service and/or local emergency authorities and/or local media.
I almost got a treatment Tuesday. Local TV stations first mentioned the possibility of severe weather that day. Sunday and Monday, I began looking at the Storm Prediction Center's website for Convective Outlooks. Sure enough they showed a moderate risk for most of SE OK, a good chunk of NE TX, and parts of western AR, and NW LA.
The fist significant storm of the day developed west of OKC, dropped a tornado on Edmond, tracked on up to the NNE, dropped tornadoes on Logan and Pawnee Counties, and kept on across Osage and Washington Counties into KS. It was TOR warned all the way, but at the most it produced a rotating wall cloud over portions of Osage Co. Another tornado later tracked in from TX, and hit the town of Lone Grove to the west of Ardmore. The other tornadoes did some damage, and not many injuries, but the last one killed 9 people. I am not happy to hear about that.
I listened to much of the action on ham radio. I had heard about the Edmond tornado, watched some streaming video on chasertv.com, and went outside to take a look to see how things were shaping up in the teeming metropolis of Kiefer, and then laid down for around an hour. By the time I got up, the Edmond storm was already moving into Payne Co. on its way to Pawnee Co. I tried to stay in my room and keep up on the action, but I started to feel chilly. The storms that were headed to Kiefer were still miles away to the south. I wound up staying in the front room close to the fire, and watched NCIS and The Mentalist with my mom. The Mentalist ought to be called The Mental Case. Sometime during those shows, the storms moved in. We got some lightning, thunder, hail (not big enough to report), and mostly heavy rain. Still have some water pooled in the ruts in the strip of dirt and gravel I call a driveway.
So, I didn't get to see anything stormwise. It was too dark out by the time things got interesting locally. I'm probably not going to do any spotting after dark, except from inside my house.
The last treatment for my SDS was on June 1, 2008. While working the Tulsa Tough rest stop at the Kiefer City Park, I heard reports of storms hitting Kellyville to the west about 8 - 9 miles. After the rest stop closed down down and the volunteers working the stop had packed up and left, the storms were close to Kiefer. I drove a mile east to the new school complex to get a better view, away from the ridgeline directly to the west. I watched a shallow wall cloud move from NNW to SSE. If it didn't pass directly over Kiefer, it passed just to the west. On the short drive home, I passed through heavy rain and hail. Despite seeing a supercell feature (wall cloud), I didn't report anything. The wall cloud was too shallow and shrinking as it moved by, so I knew the storm was diminishing.
Oh, well, storm season hasn't officially begun yet. Actually, it never really goes away. It just moves on to other parts of the country and sometimes produces snow or ice storms or hurricanes instead of severe thunderstorms.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Family again
About a month ago, my oldest nephew Dave, his wife Coreen, and their son Anakin, moved back to Tulsa after living for 2 years in Maryland.
Today, I received word that I have a new great nephew. His name is Micah, and he weighed over 9 pounds at birth.
I haven't had a chance to see him yet, and I will have to wait a few days. He was a bit jaundiced, and so he has to wear this special blanket to help him overcome that.
So, my many fans (hah!), you are warned! Cute baby pictures will appear in this space soon!
Today, I received word that I have a new great nephew. His name is Micah, and he weighed over 9 pounds at birth.
I haven't had a chance to see him yet, and I will have to wait a few days. He was a bit jaundiced, and so he has to wear this special blanket to help him overcome that.
So, my many fans (hah!), you are warned! Cute baby pictures will appear in this space soon!
Bailout?
I haven't looked too closely at the bailout package, but if what I'm seeing and hearing in the headlines is true, it will amount to nothing more than a reward for people who have screwed up.
Here is how I would manage the bailout of lenders and finance companies caught in the subprime situation:
1. Not every company affected would get to take part in the bailout. They would have to qualify by agreeing to certain terms.
2. The first term they must agree to is no bonuses or raises for anyone making $100,000 or more, for 3 years.
3. No new high-risk loans for 5 years.
4. High-risk loans must account for no more than 25% of their available capital.
5. Annual audits reported to the federal government for 7 years.
6. Once the company qualifies, they do not automatically receive the amount needed to cover their losses. The amount they receive depends on their customers who have or are in danger of defaulting on loans.
7. The customers must qualify to participate in the program.
8. The customers qualify by a record of steady employment and consistent effort to make payments.
9. Customers must also agree to financial counseling and to living on a budget until their debt is paid.
10. When a qualified customer makes a payment, the program will match the amount of their payment.
This plan should bring some accountability to both the lenders and the borrowers, and it should stabilize the finance industry.
Will it happen this way? This plan has as much chance of happening as me performing a frontal lobotomy on myself.
Here is how I would manage the bailout of lenders and finance companies caught in the subprime situation:
1. Not every company affected would get to take part in the bailout. They would have to qualify by agreeing to certain terms.
2. The first term they must agree to is no bonuses or raises for anyone making $100,000 or more, for 3 years.
3. No new high-risk loans for 5 years.
4. High-risk loans must account for no more than 25% of their available capital.
5. Annual audits reported to the federal government for 7 years.
6. Once the company qualifies, they do not automatically receive the amount needed to cover their losses. The amount they receive depends on their customers who have or are in danger of defaulting on loans.
7. The customers must qualify to participate in the program.
8. The customers qualify by a record of steady employment and consistent effort to make payments.
9. Customers must also agree to financial counseling and to living on a budget until their debt is paid.
10. When a qualified customer makes a payment, the program will match the amount of their payment.
This plan should bring some accountability to both the lenders and the borrowers, and it should stabilize the finance industry.
Will it happen this way? This plan has as much chance of happening as me performing a frontal lobotomy on myself.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Today and the Future
Well, Barak Obama is now the President of the United States of America. Many people I know are optimistic, and so am I. Some are optimistic because of the President, but not me. I am optimistic because of what America is, and because I believe that God has blessed this land with freedom and resources that few other countries have.
Too many people believe the status of America rises and falls with the President, or with government policy. But many times the people have acted on their own, independent from the goverment, to solve problems and meet needs. Who are the first people to respond to major disasters? The American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and other churches too many to mention by name. When govenment does show up, usually the first ones there are the local fire department and law enforcement, followed by LOCAL emergency management. That is as it should be, for the local agencies are nearby, and they have resources at hand. When those local resources get overwhelmed, that's when the state and then the federal emergency management agencies should come in.
In short, people should try to solve their problems themselves, or with private resources before relying on the government. Government should be the last resource we look to for solutions. But people don't want to do that, because it will require personal effort and sacrifice. Some will say that is a negative view of people, but the opposite is true. What I am saying is that people do have more ability and resources to solve their own problems than what they realize. That is true hope, and a true reason for optimism.
Too many people believe the status of America rises and falls with the President, or with government policy. But many times the people have acted on their own, independent from the goverment, to solve problems and meet needs. Who are the first people to respond to major disasters? The American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and other churches too many to mention by name. When govenment does show up, usually the first ones there are the local fire department and law enforcement, followed by LOCAL emergency management. That is as it should be, for the local agencies are nearby, and they have resources at hand. When those local resources get overwhelmed, that's when the state and then the federal emergency management agencies should come in.
In short, people should try to solve their problems themselves, or with private resources before relying on the government. Government should be the last resource we look to for solutions. But people don't want to do that, because it will require personal effort and sacrifice. Some will say that is a negative view of people, but the opposite is true. What I am saying is that people do have more ability and resources to solve their own problems than what they realize. That is true hope, and a true reason for optimism.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Christmas Is Coming - Again!
Well, Christmas is coming again. I wrote about it last year, so I won't rehash what I said then. If you missed it, here's the link: http://randomcontact.blogspot.com/2007/12/christmas-is-coming.html.
I do have one crochet to get off my chest. Why do Christian radio stations play "Christmas" songs that don't mention the birth of Jesus? Aren't Christian radio stations supposed to glorify Him? Some Christmas songs don't even mention Christmas! "Winter Wonderland" and "Jingle Bells" are more about winter than anything. They fit in the middle of January as much as they do in December. Have these people thought about this?
I guess these stations are just going along with what's popular. And that brings me to the next topic I want to talk about: Why is Christmas so popular in America? Is it just due to commercialism?
Many of the colonists that came to America were Calvinists. They wanted to get away from the practices of the Catholic Church that they saw as corrupt and pagan-influenced, and so they did not celebrate Christmas. At the end of the American Revolution, most of the people that did celebrate Christmas were Catholic or Episcopalian. The Catholics included many in Maryland and the Hessian mercenaries that had fought for the British. The Episcopalians were dominant in Virginia and the Carolinas. Somehow, the observance of Christmas spread and became acceptable to groups that once ignored it or outright shunned the practice. How did this happen?
I attribute the change to 2 factors: immigration and literature. Music, movies, radio and television continued and amplified the influence of literature.
During the 1800's as the country expanded West, aided by the increasing speed of transportation brought by the development of railroads, and the by the increased speed of communications brought by the telegraph, the promise of new lands and new opportunties spurred an increase in immigration. Many of these immigrants were Catholics, coming from Catholic lands such as Ireland, Poland, and Italy. This increased the number of people observing Christmas.
The contribution of literature to the popularity of Christmas comes from two sources.
First is the poem, Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Moore in 1822. You could probably recite most of it from memory from having heard it so much. This one piece of literature has defined so much of the imagery associated with Christmas. Of course, the sentiment and whimsey make it irresistable! For this reason it has become a tradition no only in many families, but in other places as well. One of the local TV stations every Christmas Eve has their staff, both on- and off-camera personnel, read the poem, one line per staffer in a video presentation.
Charles Dickens was known for the other great piece of traditional Christmas literature, A Christmas Carol (1843). He wrote other works on Christmas, and his novel A Tales of Two Cities (1859), has an important scene take place at a Christmas Eve service. The popularity of these works just added to the popularity of Christmas. Because Dickens was a lifelong Anglican, his works helped make Christmas acceptable to Protestants.
Of course, the popularity of a practice doesn't necessarily justify it. In the case of Christmas, I believe that what you celebrate has more to do with it than anything. Are you celebrating a day, or an event? The Bible doesn't tell us to celebrate Christ's birth, but it doesn't forbid it either. If you're not celebrating His birth, what are you celebrating? Aren't you glad Jesus was born?
I do have one crochet to get off my chest. Why do Christian radio stations play "Christmas" songs that don't mention the birth of Jesus? Aren't Christian radio stations supposed to glorify Him? Some Christmas songs don't even mention Christmas! "Winter Wonderland" and "Jingle Bells" are more about winter than anything. They fit in the middle of January as much as they do in December. Have these people thought about this?
I guess these stations are just going along with what's popular. And that brings me to the next topic I want to talk about: Why is Christmas so popular in America? Is it just due to commercialism?
Many of the colonists that came to America were Calvinists. They wanted to get away from the practices of the Catholic Church that they saw as corrupt and pagan-influenced, and so they did not celebrate Christmas. At the end of the American Revolution, most of the people that did celebrate Christmas were Catholic or Episcopalian. The Catholics included many in Maryland and the Hessian mercenaries that had fought for the British. The Episcopalians were dominant in Virginia and the Carolinas. Somehow, the observance of Christmas spread and became acceptable to groups that once ignored it or outright shunned the practice. How did this happen?
I attribute the change to 2 factors: immigration and literature. Music, movies, radio and television continued and amplified the influence of literature.
During the 1800's as the country expanded West, aided by the increasing speed of transportation brought by the development of railroads, and the by the increased speed of communications brought by the telegraph, the promise of new lands and new opportunties spurred an increase in immigration. Many of these immigrants were Catholics, coming from Catholic lands such as Ireland, Poland, and Italy. This increased the number of people observing Christmas.
The contribution of literature to the popularity of Christmas comes from two sources.
First is the poem, Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Moore in 1822. You could probably recite most of it from memory from having heard it so much. This one piece of literature has defined so much of the imagery associated with Christmas. Of course, the sentiment and whimsey make it irresistable! For this reason it has become a tradition no only in many families, but in other places as well. One of the local TV stations every Christmas Eve has their staff, both on- and off-camera personnel, read the poem, one line per staffer in a video presentation.
Charles Dickens was known for the other great piece of traditional Christmas literature, A Christmas Carol (1843). He wrote other works on Christmas, and his novel A Tales of Two Cities (1859), has an important scene take place at a Christmas Eve service. The popularity of these works just added to the popularity of Christmas. Because Dickens was a lifelong Anglican, his works helped make Christmas acceptable to Protestants.
Of course, the popularity of a practice doesn't necessarily justify it. In the case of Christmas, I believe that what you celebrate has more to do with it than anything. Are you celebrating a day, or an event? The Bible doesn't tell us to celebrate Christ's birth, but it doesn't forbid it either. If you're not celebrating His birth, what are you celebrating? Aren't you glad Jesus was born?
Thursday, November 27, 2008
A Thanksgiving Meditation
As I write this, Thanksgiving Day 2008 will be over within a few hours. I wonder how many Americans this day paused to give thanks to God for His many blessings, or at least, if they don't believe in God, to reflect on the elements of their lives they appreciate. Far too many people see this as a day for football, food and family, or preparations for the shopping frenzy that begins tomorrow.
I could go back and discuss the origins of this American holiday, to relate how the Indians and the settlers cooperated to survive a harsh winter and when the following harvest came in with enough to sustain them for the coming winter, they chose to celebrate with a feast. I could mention the various Presidential declarations establishing Thanksgiving as a national holiday. But I wish to go deeper.
First, what does it mean to thank someone? We are told by our parents to say "Thank you," or at least parents used to teach that. Is it just something we say to be nice, to get along with others?
When you give thanks, you do two things.
First, you recognize that someone did something for you, or gave you something. Many times, the thing done was something you could have done for yourself, but maybe you didn't have the time or the means. Sometimes the act was something you couldn't do. In that case, giving thanks can be an act of humility. That might explain why some people are never thankful, they don't want to recognize their shortcomings.
Second, you recognize the value of what the person did or gave you. Think of how hurt you feel when no one appreciates what you do for them.
Now, about national celebrations for the giving of thanks, America is not the first. The feasts of ancient Israel include thanksgiving celebrations, and those celebrations continue today as part of Judaism.
At the end of Passover, or the Feast of Unleavened Bread, people would bring in the first sheaf of the springtime harvest and sacrifice it. This is the Feast of the Firstfruits, and marks the beginning of the springtime harvest. It also recognizes the fertility of the Promised Land that God was going to lead his people to.
Fifty days after the beginning of Passover came Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks. It originally memorialized when Moses received the Torah from God on Mount Sinai, but it also marked the end of the spring time harvest.
Why give thanks to God? I believe John the Baptist said it best in John 3: 27: "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven."
I could go back and discuss the origins of this American holiday, to relate how the Indians and the settlers cooperated to survive a harsh winter and when the following harvest came in with enough to sustain them for the coming winter, they chose to celebrate with a feast. I could mention the various Presidential declarations establishing Thanksgiving as a national holiday. But I wish to go deeper.
First, what does it mean to thank someone? We are told by our parents to say "Thank you," or at least parents used to teach that. Is it just something we say to be nice, to get along with others?
When you give thanks, you do two things.
First, you recognize that someone did something for you, or gave you something. Many times, the thing done was something you could have done for yourself, but maybe you didn't have the time or the means. Sometimes the act was something you couldn't do. In that case, giving thanks can be an act of humility. That might explain why some people are never thankful, they don't want to recognize their shortcomings.
Second, you recognize the value of what the person did or gave you. Think of how hurt you feel when no one appreciates what you do for them.
Now, about national celebrations for the giving of thanks, America is not the first. The feasts of ancient Israel include thanksgiving celebrations, and those celebrations continue today as part of Judaism.
At the end of Passover, or the Feast of Unleavened Bread, people would bring in the first sheaf of the springtime harvest and sacrifice it. This is the Feast of the Firstfruits, and marks the beginning of the springtime harvest. It also recognizes the fertility of the Promised Land that God was going to lead his people to.
Fifty days after the beginning of Passover came Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks. It originally memorialized when Moses received the Torah from God on Mount Sinai, but it also marked the end of the spring time harvest.
Why give thanks to God? I believe John the Baptist said it best in John 3: 27: "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven."
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