Friday, January 31, 2014

SOTU Revisited

















If you've been reading, you know I like most of what Peggy Noonan writes.  Just about everything really resonates with me.  This week her weekly column in the WSJ is particularly good.  Its called "Meanwhile, Back in America". You can read it here.

Her comments on the distance between Washington DC and the rest of us are spot on.  It really is akin to "Hunger Games".

Of course, she and I think alike when it comes to the so-called progressives.  One of the best quotes I've heard to describe them..."This is the great political failure of progressivism: They always go too far. They always try to rub your face in it."  

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Nature

This seems just slightly...errr...pornographic...


SOTU

What bullshit!  I mean every year it's the same old bullshit.  Blah, blah, blah.  Promise this.  Accuse that.  Divide us as much as possible.  Roll out the sob stories.  I mean...can't they get a new speech writer or choreographer?  His speech was about as relevant as this article on The Onion, which is ridiculous.

All Presidents experience the lame-duck syndrome...but usually not with three years left.  But the simple truth is that he has made so many empty promises, has lied to the people so many times, has threatened Congress so continually, that the grown-ups in the room are no longer paying attention.  Much of the substance of the speech was at best laughable and at worst ignorant.  I mean, increase the minimum wage for Federal workers?  Oh yeah, those folks predominantly living and working in the District of Columbia that are in his pocket but he wants to keep there.  A new retirement scheme that provides for guaranteed return.  Huh?  Who does that?  In what economic scheme is that possible?  Oh yeah, I forgot...the rest of us are paying.  And his comments about women not having equal opportunity?  Huh?  In what world is he living in?  There are more women in law school, medical school, business school, you name it school than men.  Maybe I'm living in a weird alternate universe, but in my world women are doing damn well.  Syria is better off?  Oh yeah...200,000 are dead but who's counting.  We're done with Iraq.  Great, but has he heard of this little place called Falujjah?  And give Iran what they want.  They promised to be good.  Oh yeah...climate change is a settled fact.  Done and done.  Oh really?  That's what these guys do.  Declare their superiority.  Don't bother me with facts.  And inequality.  That's their watchword these days.  Anyone who has two pennies to rub together better watch out because he wants one of them to redistribute in the name of equality.  And on and on.  What total and complete bullshit!!

And the sad thing is that he could have been great.  He could have been a role model, an inspiration to so many.  But it is not to be.

And how about the Joint Chiefs and Supreme Court.  I've always thought and continue to think that it is highly inappropriate for them to attend.  They have no business being there.  Just stop.

I'm not even going to comment on the slimy members of Congress.  They are just, well...ok, I'm not going to comment.

Words Matter

Sometimes you need to think before you write something down...
























Of course, sometimes visuals work well too...



Dogs Are So Cool

I can totally see this happening.


Relativity


Saturday, January 18, 2014

Sobering

Saw the new movie "Lone Survivor" last night.  It is very well done.  It's exciting, maddening, and heartbreaking all at once.  There is a lot of realistic war violence so be forewarned if you go.  It's probably not for everyone.  The thing that came through loud and clear is the "never give up" attitude of the SEALS.  Believe me, if you're in a fight, these are the guys you want with you.


Awesome Place

I spent a couple days in Washington, DC last week.  While there I attended a reception at the Udvar-Hazy Aerospace Museum in Chantilly, VA.  It's very close to Dulles Airport.  It is a companion museum to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum on the mall.  I had heard about this place but never imagined how great it is.  First of all it is huge!  It is a gigantic facility that houses thousands of  aviation artifacts including an SR-71 Blackbird, the space shuttle Discovery, the Enola Gay, a Concorde and other aviation stuff too numerous to mention.  It also has an IMAX theater and an observation tower that gives a 360 degree view of Dulles Airport and the surrounding area.  And the whole thing is just so well done!  If you're in the area and have the time (or better yet make the time) go check this place out.  You'll be glad you did!





Thursday, January 16, 2014

The Essence of Political Science

Essence of Political Science


FeudalismYou have two cows. Your lord takes some of the milk.
Pure SocialismYou have two cows. The government takes them and puts them in a barn with everyone else's cows. You have to take care of all the cows. The government gives you all the milk you need.
Bureaucratic SocialismYour cows are cared for by ex-chicken farmers. You have to take care of the chickens the government took from the chicken farmers. The government gives you as much milk and eggs the regulations say you should need.
FascismYou have two cows. The government takes both, hires you to take care of them, and sells you the milk.
Pure CommunismYou have two cows. Your neighbors help you take care of them, and you all share the milk.
Real World CommunismYou share two cows with your neighbors. You and your neighbors bicker about who has the most "ability" and who has the most "need". Meanwhile, no one works, no one gets any milk, and the cows drop dead of starvation.
Russian CommunismYou have two cows. You have to take care of them, but the government takes all the milk. You steal back as much milk as you can and sell it on the black market.
PerestroikaYou have two cows. You have to take care of them, but the Mafia takes all the milk. You steal back as much milk as you can and sell it on the "free" market.
Cambodian CommunismYou have two cows. The government takes both and shoots you.
MilitarianismYou have two cows. The government takes both and drafts you.
TotalitarianismYou have two cows. The government takes them and denies they ever existed. Milk is banned.
Pure DemocracyYou have two cows. Your neighbors decide who gets the milk.
Representative DemocracyYou have two cows. Your neighbors pick someone to tell you who gets the milk.
British DemocracyYou have two cows. You feed them sheeps' brains and they go mad. The government doesn't do anything.
BureaucracyYou have two cows. At first the government regulates what you can feed them and when you can milk them. Then it pays you not to milk them. Then it takes both, shoots one, milks the other and pours the milk down the drain. Then it requires you to fill out forms accounting for the missing cows.
Pure AnarchyYou have two cows. Either you sell the milk at a fair price or your neighbors try to take the cows and kill you.
Pure CapitalismYou have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull.
CapitalismYou don't have any cows. The bank will not lend you money to buy cows, because you don't have any cows to put up as collateral.
EnviromentalismYou have two cows. The government bans you from milking or killing them.
TheocracyYou have two cows. You get all the milk. You love God, He loves you.
MonarchyYou have two cows. You give some milk to the King/Queen.
Political CorrectnessYou are associated with (the concept of "ownership" is a symbol of the phallo centric, war mongering, intolerant past) two differently - aged (but no less valuable to society) bovines of non-specified gender.
SurrealismYou have two giraffes. The government requires you to take harmonica lessons.
TalibanismNobody has anything. The government shoots you in the soccer stadium.

Friday Funnies

The best laid plans...


Saturday, January 11, 2014

Worth The Read

Every once in a while it's good to refresh basic and fundamental truths.  This speech has a lot of them.


















Farewell Address to the Nation by Ronald Reagan

January 11, 1989

My fellow Americans:

This is the 34th time I'll speak to you from the Oval Office and the last. We've been together 8 years now, and soon it'll be time for me to go. But before I do, I wanted to share some thoughts, some of which I've been saving for a long time.

It's been the honor of my life to be your President. So many of you have written the past few weeks to say thanks, but I could say as much to you. Nancy and I are grateful for the opportunity you gave us to serve.

One of the things about the Presidency is that you're always somewhat apart. You spend a lot of time going by too fast in a car someone else is driving, and seeing the people through tinted glass -- the parents holding up a child, and the wave you saw too late and couldn't return. And so many times I wanted to stop and reach out from behind the glass, and connect. Well, maybe I can do a little of that tonight.

People ask how I feel about leaving. And the fact is, ``parting is such sweet sorrow.'' The sweet part is California and the ranch and freedom. The sorrow -- the goodbyes, of course, and leaving this beautiful place.

You know, down the hall and up the stairs from this office is the part of the White House where the President and his family live. There are a few favorite windows I have up there that I like to stand and look out of early in the morning. The view is over the grounds here to the WashingtonMonument, and then the Mall and the Jefferson Memorial. But on mornings when the humidity is low, you can see past the Jefferson to the river, thePotomac, and the Virginia shore. Someone said that's the view Lincoln had when he saw the smoke rising from the Battle of Bull Run. I see more prosaic things: the grass on the banks, the morning traffic as people make their way to work, now and then a sailboat on the river.

I've been thinking a bit at that window. I've been reflecting on what the past 8 years have meant and mean. And the image that comes to mind like a refrain is a nautical one -- a small story about a big ship, and a refugee, and a sailor. It was back in the early eighties, at the height of the boat people. And the sailor was hard at work on the carrier Midway, which was patrolling the South China Sea. The sailor, like most American servicemen, was young, smart, and fiercely observant. The crew spied on the horizon a leaky little boat. And crammed inside were refugees from Indochina hoping to get to America. The Midway sent a small launch to bring them to the ship and safety. As the refugees made their way through the choppy seas, one spied the sailor on deck, and stood up, and called out to him. He yelled, ``Hello, American sailor. Hello, freedom man.''

A small moment with a big meaning, a moment the sailor, who wrote it in a letter, couldn't get out of his mind. And, when I saw it, neither could I. Because that's what it was to be an American in the 1980's. We stood, again, for freedom. I know we always have, but in the past few years the world again -- and in a way, we ourselves -- rediscovered it.

It's been quite a journey this decade, and we held together through some stormy seas. And at the end, together, we are reaching our destination.

The fact is, from Grenada to the Washington and Moscow summits, from the recession of '81 to '82, to the expansion that began in late '82 and continues to this day, we've made a difference. The way I see it, there were two great triumphs, two things that I'm proudest of. One is the economic recovery, in which the people of America created -- and filled -- 19 million new jobs. The other is the recovery of our morale. America is respected again in the world and looked to for leadership.

Something that happened to me a few years ago reflects some of this. It was back in 1981, and I was attending my first big economic summit, which was held that year in Canada. The meeting place rotates among the member countries. The opening meeting was a formal dinner for the heads of government of the seven industrialized nations. Now, I sat there like the new kid in school and listened, and it was all Francois this and Helmut that. They dropped titles and spoke to one another on a first-name basis. Well, at one point I sort of leaned in and said, ``My name's Ron.'' Well, in that same year, we began the actions we felt would ignite an economic comeback -- cut taxes and regulation, started to cut spending. And soon the recovery began.

Two years later, another economic summit with pretty much the same cast. At the big opening meeting we all got together, and all of a sudden, just for a moment, I saw that everyone was just sitting there looking at me. And then one of them broke the silence. ``Tell us about the American miracle,'' he said.

Well, back in 1980, when I was running for President, it was all so different. Some pundits said our programs would result in catastrophe. Our views on foreign affairs would cause war. Our plans for the economy would cause inflation to soar and bring about economic collapse. I even remember one highly respected economist saying, back in 1982, that ``The engines of economic growth have shut down here, and they're likely to stay that way for years to come.'' Well, he and the other opinion leaders were wrong. The fact is, what they called ``radical'' was really ``right.'' What they called ``dangerous'' was just ``desperately needed.''

And in all of that time I won a nickname, ``The Great Communicator.'' But I never thought it was my style or the words I used that made a difference: it was the content. I wasn't a great communicator, but I communicated great things, and they didn't spring full bloom from my brow, they came from the heart of a great nation -- from our experience, our wisdom, and our belief in the principles that have guided us for two centuries. They called it the Reagan revolution. Well, I'll accept that, but for me it always seemed more like the great rediscovery, a rediscovery of our values and our common sense.

Common sense told us that when you put a big tax on something, the people will produce less of it. So, we cut the people's tax rates, and the people produced more than ever before. The economy bloomed like a plant that had been cut back and could now grow quicker and stronger. Our economic program brought about the longest peacetime expansion in our history: real family income up, the poverty rate down, entrepreneurship booming, and an explosion in research and new technology. We're exporting more than ever because American industry became more competitive and at the same time, we summoned the national will to knock down protectionist walls abroad instead of erecting them at home.

Common sense also told us that to preserve the peace, we'd have to become strong again after years of weakness and confusion. So, we rebuilt our defenses, and this New Year we toasted the new peacefulness around the globe. Not only have the superpowers actually begun to reduce their stockpiles of nuclear weapons -- and hope for even more progress is bright -- but the regional conflicts that rack the globe are also beginning to cease. The Persian Gulf is no longer a war zone. The Soviets are leaving Afghanistan. The Vietnamese are preparing to pull out of Cambodia, and an American-mediated accord will soon send 50,000 Cuban troops home from Angola.

The lesson of all this was, of course, that because we're a great nation, our challenges seem complex. It will always be this way. But as long as we remember our first principles and believe in ourselves, the future will always be ours. And something else we learned: Once you begin a great movement, there's no telling where it will end. We meant to change a nation, and instead, we changed a world.

Countries across the globe are turning to free markets and free speech and turning away from the ideologies of the past. For them, the great rediscovery of the 1980's has been that, lo and behold, the moral way of government is the practical way of government: Democracy, the profoundly good, is also the profoundly productive.

When you've got to the point when you can celebrate the anniversaries of your 39th birthday you can sit back sometimes, review your life, and see it flowing before you. For me there was a fork in the river, and it was right in the middle of my life. I never meant to go into politics. It wasn't my intention when I was young. But I was raised to believe you had to pay your way for the blessings bestowed on you. I was happy with my career in the entertainment world, but I ultimately went into politics because I wanted to protect something precious.

Ours was the first revolution in the history of mankind that truly reversed the course of government, and with three little words: ``We the People.'' ``We the People'' tell the government what to do; it doesn't tell us. ``We the People'' are the driver; the government is the car. And we decide where it should go, and by what route, and how fast. Almost all the world's constitutions are documents in which governments tell the people what their privileges are. Our Constitution is a document in which ``We the People'' tell the government what it is allowed to do. ``We the People'' are free. This belief has been the underlying basis for everything I've tried to do these past 8 years.

But back in the 1960's, when I began, it seemed to me that we'd begun reversing the order of things -- that through more and more rules and regulations and confiscatory taxes, the government was taking more of our money, more of our options, and more of our freedom. I went into politics in part to put up my hand and say, ``Stop.'' I was a citizen politician, and it seemed the right thing for a citizen to do.

I think we have stopped a lot of what needed stopping. And I hope we have once again reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts.

Nothing is less free than pure communism -- and yet we have, the past few years, forged a satisfying new closeness with the Soviet Union. I've been asked if this isn't a gamble, and my answer is no because we're basing our actions not on words but deeds. The detente of the 1970's was based not on actions but promises. They'd promise to treat their own people and the people of the world better. But the gulag was still the gulag, and the state was still expansionist, and they still waged proxy wars in AfricaAsia, and Latin America.

Well, this time, so far, it's different. President Gorbachev has brought about some internal democratic reforms and begun the withdrawal fromAfghanistan. He has also freed prisoners whose names I've given him every time we've met.

But life has a way of reminding you of big things through small incidents. Once, during the heady days of the Moscow summit, Nancy and I decided to break off from the entourage one afternoon to visit the shops on Arbat Street -- that's a little street just off Moscow's main shopping area. Even though our visit was a surprise, every Russian there immediately recognized us and called out our names and reached for our hands. We were just about swept away by the warmth. You could almost feel the possibilities in all that joy. But within seconds, a KGB detail pushed their way toward us and began pushing and shoving the people in the crowd. It was an interesting moment. It reminded me that while the man on the street in the Soviet Union yearns for peace, the government is Communist. And those who run it are Communists, and that means we and they view such issues as freedom and human rights very differently.

We must keep up our guard, but we must also continue to work together to lessen and eliminate tension and mistrust. My view is that President Gorbachev is different from previous Soviet leaders. I think he knows some of the things wrong with his society and is trying to fix them. We wish him well. And we'll continue to work to make sure that the Soviet Union that eventually emerges from this process is a less threatening one. What it all boils down to is this: I want the new closeness to continue. And it will, as long as we make it clear that we will continue to act in a certain way as long as they continue to act in a helpful manner. If and when they don't, at first pull your punches. If they persist, pull the plug. It's still trust but verify. It's still play, but cut the cards. It's still watch closely. And don't be afraid to see what you see.

I've been asked if I have any regrets. Well, I do. The deficit is one. I've been talking a great deal about that lately, but tonight isn't for arguments, and I'm going to hold my tongue. But an observation: I've had my share of victories in the Congress, but what few people noticed is that I never won anything you didn't win for me. They never saw my troops, they never saw Reagan's regiments, the American people. You won every battle with every call you made and letter you wrote demanding action. Well, action is still needed. If we're to finish the job, Reagan's regiments will have to become the Bush brigades. Soon he'll be the chief, and he'll need you every bit as much as I did.

Finally, there is a great tradition of warnings in Presidential farewells, and I've got one that's been on my mind for some time. But oddly enough it starts with one of the things I'm proudest of in the past 8 years: the resurgence of national pride that I called the new patriotism. This national feeling is good, but it won't count for much, and it won't last unless it's grounded in thoughtfulness and knowledge.

An informed patriotism is what we want. And are we doing a good enough job teaching our children what America is and what she represents in the long history of the world? Those of us who are over 35 or so years of age grew up in a different America. We were taught, very directly, what it means to be an American. And we absorbed, almost in the air, a love of country and an appreciation of its institutions. If you didn't get these things from your family you got them from the neighborhood, from the father down the street who fought in Korea or the family who lost someone at Anzio. Or you could get a sense of patriotism from school. And if all else failed you could get a sense of patriotism from the popular culture. The movies celebrated democratic values and implicitly reinforced the idea that America was special. TV was like that, too, through the mid-sixties.

But now, we're about to enter the nineties, and some things have changed. Younger parents aren't sure that an unambivalent appreciation of America is the right thing to teach modern children. And as for those who create the popular culture, well-grounded patriotism is no longer the style. Our spirit is back, but we haven't reinstitutionalized it. We've got to do a better job of getting across that America is freedom -- freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of enterprise. And freedom is special and rare. It's fragile; it needs production [protection].

So, we've got to teach history based not on what's in fashion but what's important -- why the Pilgrims came here, who Jimmy Doolittle was, and what those 30 seconds over Tokyo meant. You know, 4 years ago on the 40th anniversary of D - day, I read a letter from a young woman writing to her late father, who'd fought on Omaha Beach. Her name was Lisa Zanatta Henn, and she said, ``we will always remember, we will never forget what the boys of Normandy did.'' Well, let's help her keep her word. If we forget what we did, we won't know who we are. I'm warning of an eradication of the American memory that could result, ultimately, in an erosion of the American spirit. Let's start with some basics: more attention to American history and a greater emphasis on civic ritual.

And let me offer lesson number one about America: All great change in America begins at the dinner table. So, tomorrow night in the kitchen I hope the talking begins. And children, if your parents haven't been teaching you what it means to be an American, let 'em know and nail 'em on it. That would be a very American thing to do.

And that's about all I have to say tonight, except for one thing. The past few days when I've been at that window upstairs, I've thought a bit of the ``shining city upon a hill.'' The phrase comes from John Winthrop, who wrote it to describe the America he imagined. What he imagined was important because he was an early Pilgrim, an early freedom man. He journeyed here on what today we'd call a little wooden boat; and like the other Pilgrims, he was looking for a home that would be free.

I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That's how I saw it, and see it still.

And how stands the city on this winter night? More prosperous, more secure, and happier than it was 8 years ago. But more than that: After 200 years, two centuries, she still stands strong and true on the granite ridge, and her glow has held steady no matter what storm. And she's still a beacon, still a magnet for all who must have freedom, for all the pilgrims from all the lost places who are hurtling through the darkness, toward home.

We've done our part. And as I walk off into the city streets, a final word to the men and women of the Reagan revolution, the men and women acrossAmerica who for 8 years did the work that brought America back. My friends: We did it. We weren't just marking time. We made a difference. We made the city stronger, we made the city freer, and we left her in good hands. All in all, not bad, not bad at all.

And so, goodbye, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

Stinging Indictment

I can't wait to read Robert Gates' new book.  The WSJ has had two excerpts of it this week.  You can read the latest here.  If the book is as good as the small excerpts, it's going to be a great read.



Anyone who reads this blog knows of my disdain for Obama.  He is easily the worst President of my lifetime.  And maybe of all time.  But if Gates' descriptions and stories are to be believed, it's even worse than I thought.

Like anyone, my life is shaped by my experiences.  Retired military.  Worked all my life.  Family.  Baby boomer.  Child of the sixties and all that entails.  I'm probably the epitome of that old saying that "if you aren't a liberal at 20 you have no heart and if you're not a conservative when you're 40 you have no brain".  I say that by way of explanation that I'm not some right wing nut.  I disdain the Tea Party as much as the liberal idiots who want to give away the store.

I will likely have more comments as I read the book.  But if the initial info regarding Obama's incompetence, his disdain for the military, and worst of all, his non-belief in the mission he was sending our troops to fight and die in are true, well then he's worse than I thought.  How in Gods green earth could a Commander in Chief do that?  How can he look at himself in the mirror?  How can any American not think he is the lowest of the low?  It's shameful!  It's morally bankrupt!  It's decidedly un-American!

Friday, January 10, 2014

Staying Healthy

I'm fairly healthy...at least for an old guy.  This is a pretty good list that, if you do some of these, contribute to good health.  The only one that gives me trouble is the red wine...it gives me a headache!


Good Message

I've been seeing a lot of press about how many folks are on welfare, food stamps, etc.  And how many have stopped looking for a job.  And how we really need to extend unemployment benefits to be able to give people more money, more benefits. And how many don't mind being dependent on the government.  BULLSHIT!  To me it's a pretty damning condemnation of just how idiotic the policies of the jackasses in the White House are, especially the number one jackass.  It will never get better until people start taking personal responsibility.   I think The Rock's message is about as relevant to the problems we're facing as anything I've seen..."embrace the grind, lower your shoulder, and keep drivin' thru that motherf*cker"!


Holy Shit!

Flying a helo (IMHO) takes some special talent.  Lots of moving parts.  Flying in all dimensions.  It is really fun but you have to pay attention 100% of the time.  Trust me on that.  I've got about 4000 hours of helicopter pilot time.  Flying in formation requires paying special attention.  The tendency is to get too close.  Not really sure why.  But once you figure it out and get the sight picture, the lightbulb pops on and it's not bad.  And doing inflight refueling is really just formation flying on a big tanker.  Once again, get the sight picture and you can slide right in and get a drink.  At night it gets a bit sporty but if you're on goggles, well then no problem.  And carrying around a big load underneath is not a big deal after you figure out how to adjust speed and attitude to ensure the load is stable and in control.  But this?  I've not seen this.  Inflight refueling two big MH-53Es carrying double loads!!  What comes to mind is...Holy Shit!



Friday, January 3, 2014

Covey

When Steven Covey came out with his original "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" I didn't think there was much profound thought involved.  I mean, "begin with the end in mind"?  Duh.  But the reality is that there are a lot of people (most?) who don't really have a clue about managing and leading.  Many get thrust into positions that they either aren't ready or trained for or they just don't want the responsibility but do want the pay.  So they muddle through.  So over the years I've come to grudgingly admire his original list.  Everyone can take something from it and make themselves better leaders, better managers, better people.

A friend posted the list below on FB.  I'd never seen it before but I think it's got a lot of great points and is pretty relevant to anyone trying to figure out how to be better at work and in life.  There are no easy answers to any of it, and some list isn't going to offer a magical solution.  But perhaps someone will read these and glean something out of it that will help them be better.  Better at work, better at life, better in relationships...just better.  And that would be a good thing.

Twelve Thoughts from Stephen Covey--
1. The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities. 
2. The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. 
3. Live out of your imagination, not your history. 
4. Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships. 
5. Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important. 
6. I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions. 
7. You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage – pleasantly, smilingly, nonapologetically, to say “no” to other things. The way you do that is by having a bigger “yes” burning inside. The enemy of the “best” is often the “good.” 
8. I teach people how to treat me by what I will allow. 
9. Love is a verb. Love – the feeling – is the fruit of love the verb or our loving actions. So love her. 
10. Live, Love, laugh, leave a legacy. 
11. There are three constants in life…change, choice, and principles. 
12. Life is not accumulation, it is about contribution.

Clever

I've looked at this several times and am still amazed at the visual.  Very cool.


In Trouble

I'm sure his owners were not happy...but you couldn't help but laugh...


This Looks Like Fun

Cold...but fun!


Cool Pic

Wow!  I'm pretty sure this is a tug in front of a super tanker.  Not a lot of room for error.


Friday Funnies


Thursday, January 2, 2014

Celebrities

Some people go ga-ga over celebrities.  I guess there is a fascination by some regarding the kind of life those people are living.  I totally admit to admiring some musicians and actors and the like.  I mean, they do things I could never do.  They have a special talent.

But I've never gotten paying any attention, much less paying to see, no-talent knuckleheads.  These two fit that bill.  I literally wouldn't walk across the street to see them.  But hey, maybe I just don't get it.  Yeah...right...


Advice

Check out the speech at the link.  It's good.  In fact, it's really good!  You won't be sorry...

http://www.upworthy.com/this-is-the-most-inspiring-yet-depressing-yet-hilarious-yet-horrifying-yet-heartwarming-grad-speech?g=2&c=reccon1

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Rules

I see a lot of interesting, funny, thought-provoking, crazy things on the net.  Like everything else, some are better than others.  This little list seems about as perfect a list of rules for life that I've ever seen.  Follow these and you'll be okay!