Dec 2007
FRIDAY SURPRISE: With gleeful abandon
If you've been reading this
screed for any length of time, you know my fascination with old and
abandoned places. WebUrbanist, a site that deals with various
cultural scenes and artifacts from all over the world, has
sometimes fed this addiction of mine.
This time, they have a collection of great abandoned sites right here in the good ol' US of A.
Now, just to prove to you that I'm not "all hat and no cattle", here's a shot of an abandoned mine I ran across in southern Oregon:
Yes, it's full of water. You're looking at the roof supports, which are about six feet above the floor. No kidding.
(There was an old sign on the entrance that read "extreme danger - do not enter." Ya think??)
-=[ Grant ]=-
This time, they have a collection of great abandoned sites right here in the good ol' US of A.
Now, just to prove to you that I'm not "all hat and no cattle", here's a shot of an abandoned mine I ran across in southern Oregon:
Yes, it's full of water. You're looking at the roof supports, which are about six feet above the floor. No kidding.
(There was an old sign on the entrance that read "extreme danger - do not enter." Ya think??)
-=[ Grant ]=-
|
Whew!
Friday, December 21, 2007 Filed in:
What's
New!, Blog stuff
On Wednesday I managed to
ship out all of the work I'd promised for Christmas. It was the
largest FedEx shipment I've done, measured in both units and
dollars. Lots and lots of dollars.
Somewhere in the ivory tower of FedEx management there is rejoicing: "new LandRovers for everyone!"
Now I'm going to begin a short vacation. I may (or may not, depending on my mood) make blog posts during the next couple of weeks.
-=[ Grant ]=-
Somewhere in the ivory tower of FedEx management there is rejoicing: "new LandRovers for everyone!"
Now I'm going to begin a short vacation. I may (or may not, depending on my mood) make blog posts during the next couple of weeks.
-=[ Grant ]=-
A little too close to home
Wednesday, December 19, 2007 Filed in:
Current
Events, Techniques &
Training
A recently discharged Marine
decides he wants to become a cop - a member of a SWAT team, no
less. So he signs on with a local Sheriff's Office, and prepares
for his new career by practicing his quick draw.
With a loaded gun.
In the house.
With his wife home.
With his finger on the ?#$@!!*&^% trigger.
Unusually strident for me, you say? Maybe it's because the victim worked at the pet store where my wife and I shop. We even know her dog. We're pissed.
Is this another failure of Traditional Rule #1? Possibly - likely, even. One thing is certain: this guy had some mental justification for doing something stupid with a gun, and his wife paid the ultimate price. I haven't seen any interview with him - yet - but I'll bet one of the first things he'll say is "I thought it was unloaded."
(And to think that one of the "talking points" of the anti-gun crowd is that "only the military and law enforcement can be trusted with guns." Yeah, right.
If there are any readers of this blog in Clark County, make absolutely sure Sheriff Lucas understands that hiring this fellow would be a really, really bad idea.)
-=[ Grant ]=-
With a loaded gun.
In the house.
With his wife home.
With his finger on the ?#$@!!*&^% trigger.
Unusually strident for me, you say? Maybe it's because the victim worked at the pet store where my wife and I shop. We even know her dog. We're pissed.
Is this another failure of Traditional Rule #1? Possibly - likely, even. One thing is certain: this guy had some mental justification for doing something stupid with a gun, and his wife paid the ultimate price. I haven't seen any interview with him - yet - but I'll bet one of the first things he'll say is "I thought it was unloaded."
(And to think that one of the "talking points" of the anti-gun crowd is that "only the military and law enforcement can be trusted with guns." Yeah, right.
If there are any readers of this blog in Clark County, make absolutely sure Sheriff Lucas understands that hiring this fellow would be a really, really bad idea.)
-=[ Grant ]=-
I'm going to be scarce for a while...
...because I'm desperately
trying to get all of the work promised for Xmas out the door.
Apologies in advance if I'm not around as much as usual.
Oh, by the way: I'm going to take a short vacation after this is all over! Don't expect many (if any at all) blog entries from the 22nd 'til after New Year's. If you send an email during that time, expect to wait a while for a reply.
-=[ Grant ]=-
Oh, by the way: I'm going to take a short vacation after this is all over! Don't expect many (if any at all) blog entries from the 22nd 'til after New Year's. If you send an email during that time, expect to wait a while for a reply.
-=[ Grant ]=-
It could have been much worse
Monday, December 10, 2007 Filed in:
Current
Events, Techniques &
Training
By now you've no doubt heard
about the attempted massacre at the New Life Church in Colorado
Springs, CO.
To recap: man takes rifle into church parking lot, where he proceeds to shoot four people (two would later die) before making his way into the sanctuary. Luckily for the 7,000 people there, the church had a volunteer armed security staff, one of whom engaged and killed the attacker before he could get fully into that "target rich" environment.
It's no secret that many churches have, in the last decade, recruited armed volunteer security forces from their members. The media is doing it's level best to imply that the security person involved was an off-duty cop or paid security guard, but the fact is that she was a volunteer member of the church's security team. She was a concerned member who donated her time and skills to help protect her fellow congregates.
The outcome was, at least in my point of view, quite acceptable. I'm sure, however, that the more left-leaning religious organizations in this country will fail to learn from this example. (Were I a member of such an organization, I would reconsider my affiliation.)
Contrast this with last week's mall attack where eight people died - the mall was, like many others around the country, posted to be a gun-free zone. (Interesting tidbit: the mall management apparently removed all signage regarding their weapons policy shortly after the shooting occurred. Perhaps they're trying to cover their rears for the inevitable civil suits heading their way...) The result was the creation of a huge pool of potential victims, of which the gunman took full advantage.
Sadly, the lesson is lost on a surprisingly large percentage of the American public. The media certainly isn't on our sides, so it's up to us. When you find yourself in gatherings this holiday season, and the topic comes up, be sure to give a calm, rational, and factual response to those who fail to grasp the concepts ivolved. The more people whose minds we change, the fewer victims we'll have.
-=[ Grant ]=-
To recap: man takes rifle into church parking lot, where he proceeds to shoot four people (two would later die) before making his way into the sanctuary. Luckily for the 7,000 people there, the church had a volunteer armed security staff, one of whom engaged and killed the attacker before he could get fully into that "target rich" environment.
It's no secret that many churches have, in the last decade, recruited armed volunteer security forces from their members. The media is doing it's level best to imply that the security person involved was an off-duty cop or paid security guard, but the fact is that she was a volunteer member of the church's security team. She was a concerned member who donated her time and skills to help protect her fellow congregates.
The outcome was, at least in my point of view, quite acceptable. I'm sure, however, that the more left-leaning religious organizations in this country will fail to learn from this example. (Were I a member of such an organization, I would reconsider my affiliation.)
Contrast this with last week's mall attack where eight people died - the mall was, like many others around the country, posted to be a gun-free zone. (Interesting tidbit: the mall management apparently removed all signage regarding their weapons policy shortly after the shooting occurred. Perhaps they're trying to cover their rears for the inevitable civil suits heading their way...) The result was the creation of a huge pool of potential victims, of which the gunman took full advantage.
Sadly, the lesson is lost on a surprisingly large percentage of the American public. The media certainly isn't on our sides, so it's up to us. When you find yourself in gatherings this holiday season, and the topic comes up, be sure to give a calm, rational, and factual response to those who fail to grasp the concepts ivolved. The more people whose minds we change, the fewer victims we'll have.
-=[ Grant ]=-
FRIDAY SURPRISE: Perpetual music
Friday, December 07, 2007 Filed in:
Friday
Surprise!, Completely
irrelevant
I'll admit that today's
Friday Surprise is a bit "out there" - but it's also awfully
neat.
On the Croatian shore is a very unusual musical instrument: an organ powered and played by the sea. The engineers installed a rank (the organ term for a group or line) of pipes beneath some concrete stairs. As the waves lick the shoreline, the water pushes air out of individual pipes, and the size and duration of those waves controls the volume and sustain of each note.
Here's an MP3 clip of the organ playing. Yes, it's a bit abstract but also hauntingly compelling. While not directly comparable, the spare, open sound of the wave organ reminds me a bit of the wide sound that Aaron Copland was able to coax from the orchestra - particularly in his Symphony #3. I find myself waiting in rapt attention for the next note.
Should I ever find myself in Croatia, you can bet I'll visit!
Courtesy of the Oddmusic homepage. Be sure to check out some of their other unusual entries!
-=[ Grant ]=-
On the Croatian shore is a very unusual musical instrument: an organ powered and played by the sea. The engineers installed a rank (the organ term for a group or line) of pipes beneath some concrete stairs. As the waves lick the shoreline, the water pushes air out of individual pipes, and the size and duration of those waves controls the volume and sustain of each note.
Here's an MP3 clip of the organ playing. Yes, it's a bit abstract but also hauntingly compelling. While not directly comparable, the spare, open sound of the wave organ reminds me a bit of the wide sound that Aaron Copland was able to coax from the orchestra - particularly in his Symphony #3. I find myself waiting in rapt attention for the next note.
Should I ever find myself in Croatia, you can bet I'll visit!
Courtesy of the Oddmusic homepage. Be sure to check out some of their other unusual entries!
-=[ Grant ]=-
What a mess!
Wednesday, December 05, 2007 Filed in:
Current
Events, My Life
First off, thanks to those
who sent emails inquiring about my welfare in the wake of the
storms that battered Oregon. I guess we made the national
news!
The storms dropped a huge amount of rain in our state, as well as our neighbors to the north in Washington. There were places that recorded in excess of a foot of rain inside of 48 hours, and the result was widespread flooding.
Particularly hard-hit are the smaller tributaries and shallower rivers. Interstate 5, the north-south route between California and Canada, is under water at Chehalis, WA and not expected to reopen until at least Thursday. Several towns in Oregon, notably Vernonia and Tillamook, are just now digging out from the muck left behind - that is, if the water has even receded yet.
Of course, the old debate about subsidizing (through government-backed flood insurance) the continuous rebuilding of houses in flood plains has been re-ignited, and the result will no doubt be the maintenance of the status quo. (Isn't that always the case?)
My wife and I live well above any flood-prone areas and have soil which is well drained; we have had no problems other than short power outages and some internet connectivity issues. I am glad, however, that last Saturday I looked up at my gutters and decided to clean out the maple leaves!
-=[ Grant ]=-
The storms dropped a huge amount of rain in our state, as well as our neighbors to the north in Washington. There were places that recorded in excess of a foot of rain inside of 48 hours, and the result was widespread flooding.
Particularly hard-hit are the smaller tributaries and shallower rivers. Interstate 5, the north-south route between California and Canada, is under water at Chehalis, WA and not expected to reopen until at least Thursday. Several towns in Oregon, notably Vernonia and Tillamook, are just now digging out from the muck left behind - that is, if the water has even receded yet.
Of course, the old debate about subsidizing (through government-backed flood insurance) the continuous rebuilding of houses in flood plains has been re-ignited, and the result will no doubt be the maintenance of the status quo. (Isn't that always the case?)
My wife and I live well above any flood-prone areas and have soil which is well drained; we have had no problems other than short power outages and some internet connectivity issues. I am glad, however, that last Saturday I looked up at my gutters and decided to clean out the maple leaves!
-=[ Grant ]=-
Can you hear me now?
Monday, December 03, 2007 Filed in:
Blog stuff, Current Events