Category: Entertainment

Posted on

Lets not forget the purpose of Flight Tests People!

Morpheus test lander

I’ve been noticing a lot of negative spin from the media about the Morpheus crash.

To the MORONS in the media…

That’s WHY you have flight tests.  

You test the machine before you put cargo or people or anything of real value in it. It’s unfortunate that there was a problem during the flight. However you can be sure that the information gathered from the failure will be used to make the next craft better, more stable, and safer.

Unfortunately, the Media Idiots bitching about the cost of the program and the cost of the lost vehicle… WEREN’T on the craft or under it at the time of the crash.

You want to talk about wasted money???

Look at the presidential campaign, how about congress pissing away billions on social programs that don’t create anything except a sense of entitlement and a class of people for whom getting off public assistance isn’t an option. 

How about reporting that our politicians haven’t maintained the nations infrastructure, or that many politicians today seem to be far more interested in regulating what goes on in American bedrooms or how best to subvert the constitution than actually providing leadership?

7 Million dollars to research and build a device that flew and is designed to leave Earth to deliver supplies to the moon?

That’s nothing!

I’ve heard of  20 million dollar military projects that pissed away 20 million and NEVER produced a damn thing or saw the light of day.

At Least NASA made something tangible.

And one thing the Media has failed to mention at all…

This wasn’t the first test of the Morpheus. There had been a number of tethered tests that preceded this flight. So it’s not like NASA engineers just wheeled this craft out onto the tarmac and pushed a button flushing 500K down the tubes.

All the data that had previously been collected said that the craft was ready to fly. But as with any new device, glitches happen. The preliminary information suggests there was some kind of hardware failure.

I prefer that the machine fails now, rather than when it’s carrying a billion dollars worth of materials and equipment wouldn’t you?

Posted on

$60 well spent

IMAG0235

Went to Guitar Center today, and spent some time with Beauty and a professional instrument technician.

I learned how to change strings, how to do minor maintenance and do intonation. Plus I learned how to do a bunch of easy little things that will make the guitar sound better, and last longer.

When I got home, I practiced for about 2 hours during a thunderstorm and am excited.

I’ve been trying to learn to sight read standard musical notation and the TAB standard. The miracle is that I’m getting it. 

For someone that has believed for a large portion of their life that they were musically inept and incapable of learning to play an instrument, this experience is really good for me as it’s allowing me to have a sense of accomplishment.

Right now this is really important since the job search isn’t getting much in the way of results.

Learning something new, that is also artistic seems to recharge me so that the next set of indignities I have to deal with in the job search don’t seem so bad.

If you’r e looking for a new job and not having much luck, I highly recommend learning something new, or that you dig out an old hobby and use it as a means to relax.

Have fun, play with the dog, or the kids. But make sure that you set aside some time for something that you love to do alone.

It might help you see a new way to pursue the jobs you’re seeking or just see a new path.

I’m sure as heck not going to become a rocker. My next career isn’t going t be on stage but I can learn to make music and enjoy myself.

Isn’t being happy what it’s all about?

Posted on

This has to be a major WTF???

18961899 BG1

I heard of an instance a couple of months ago where a brave young life guard was fired from his lifeguard job because he saved someone that was drowning.

The problem is… The drowning person was beyond the area the young lifeguard was supposed to be tending to. 

This occurred in Hallandale Beach FL, and the young heroes name is Thomas Lopez

So the message is Save a life, as you’ve been trained to… BUT ONLY in your area! 

I suppose that if during the save, the lifeguard and the drowning victim had drifted out of bounds that young Mr. Lopez was supposed to let go of the victim, commending his soul to Poseidon’s mercy. 

What the hell is wrong with our society you may ask… Well here is one example of litigation and liability taken to it’s insanely logical conclusion.

382854 lifeguard t640

I just heard of another instance where someone saving a life was penalized for their trouble.

In this case it was a young man In Oregon. Seventeen year old off duty lifeguard John Clark jumped into rough surf to save a 12 year old that was being swept out to sea. 

How did the ambulance company hospitals and doctors tell him he’d done the right thing? They sent him a bill for nearly $2600

When Johns story appeared on the local news the good people in his local area began donating to cover the bill. You see, Johns family doesn’t have health insurance or the cash to cover the cost. 

Johns bill will be paid I’m sure of that, any extra cash from the donations, John is putting into a college fund or donating to help cover the medical bills of the victim, because he’s a good kid.

It’s exactly this kind of selfless people we need more of in our society. And yet… we punish them indirectly for doing the right thing.

I suspect that the trouble is just beginning. I’m sure that John or his family will be taxed on the donations he’s received to pay for the hospital charges that he never should have been billed for!

Hospitals go through $2600 bucks of toilet paper in the emergency room lobby every day just due to illegal aliens.

The ambulance company should have waived their bill to say;

“Good Job, Well Done, you’re a hero and made of the right stuff” 

The hospital and the doctor that checked him out should have done the same.

Instead they’ve sent a message not only to this heroic young man but to everyone nationwide.

The message is Human life is worth $2600 or in the case of Mr. Lopez… Your Job!

Sadly, this is one of the reasons I no longer have a current CPR or first aid card.

It works like this… If I have the card and don’t help I’m liable and If I do help and something bad happens once I’ve accepted the responsibility to help someone I’m liable.

I don’t have 8 Million in liability insurance and couldn’t afford the premiums even if I wanted to.

So If you’re bleeding out, or have a heart attack around me, and you’re not my best friend or a member of my immediate family… well YOUR’E GOING TO DIE. Sorry about that, Can’t be helped but you will have the joy of actually seeing all the ambulance chasing  attorneys in a special circle of hell reserved JUST for them…

I figure that my best friend and immediate family members aren’t likely to sue me for trying to save their lives.

Our overly litigious and greedy society is unfortunately filled with tons of people looking for an angle… A way to get rich quick, even if it’s on the back of a Good Samaritan whose only sin is that they tried to help.

After reading articles like these… It’s obvious that a value has already been set. A human life is worth $2600. If it costs more than $2600 to treat you then you’re dead! Obamacare take note!

I suppose that the converse is also true… As a Good Samaritan I could only be sued for $2600.

Hmmm, maybe I could go get that CPR/First Aid card renewed. I could afford to be sued for that amount….

Nahhhh, I’m a white guy I’ll be sued for millions, especially if I happen to help a lawyer. I can see it now…

“Is it true that you prevented me from bleeding out from a gunshot wound? ‘Uhh Yes.’ But you weren’t trained to deal with gunshot wound were you? ‘Uhh No.’ Your honor, the prosecution rests it’s case. The defendant wasn’t qualified to save my life and therefore should pay restitution for bruising me with the tourniquet that saved my life in the amount of 20 million dollars.”

The Obscene part is that I and millions of other people just like me will hesitate for a second or two to consider the ramifications of getting involved.

That second or two could mean the difference between someone living and dying. Is this really the society that you want to live in?

Something to think about…

Posted on

I saw this little jewel on TOWLEROAD a while back

I’ve let this one steep a while since I wasn’t really sure that I wanted to be quite this out there. But I’m thinking aww what the hell?

I’ve gotta file this one under the WTF category…

Friend of Norwegian Mass Murderer Anders Behring Breivik Thought He Was Gay, Closeted

Read more: TOWLEROAD

I have to ask what does this guys sexuality have to do with the fact that he’s on trial for killing 77 people?

This guy has confessed to committing the murders but claims that he did so to protect his beloved homeland and culture.

The piece also comments on the fact that Breivik had a nose job “so he could have a more “Aryan” nose”. So what?

I’m not sure what the attorneys in Norway are trying to prove.

Breivik, had he been the leader of a revolution that won… would be described as a liberator and hero to his people for protecting the purity of Norwegian culture.

However since Breivik was acting alone he’s perceived as a nutcase and murderer. Now it looks as if the Norwegian court is trying to marginalize the crime and his stated reasons for committing it by painting him as a vain, closeted homosexual who acted out.

This suggests to me that perhaps Norwegian society isn’t ready to consider that they may have a larger problem…

They’re hoping that the Breivik case is a “one-off“.  Perhaps it is.

Images

But what if it’s not?

Lets look at this another way…

What kind of social pressure, cultural change, and abuse does it take for a vain, closeted homosexual to make, plant and detonate a bomb, or pick up a rifle and start shooting people?

The Norwegians had a bit of civil unrest several years ago because one of their cartoonists drew a picture. That picture while protected under Norwegian free speech rights still had to be apologized for. The artist still had to flee his home. The Norwegian government, instead of expelling those who sought to deny the artist his rights made concessions to a radical minority.

The imposition of foreign cultural taboos on a society will inevitably result in unrest. 

Vivid examples include Palastine, and Iran.

The Shah of Iran was deposed at least in part because his policies were too progressive, and  too Western. Apparently the religious infrastructure of the country perceiving a threat to their tradition, power and culture incited a coup. The ruling government then exiled all foreigners, nationalized all the resources and descended into an almost isolationist (from the West except for oil sales) period.

The Palestinians resented in 1947 and do to this day control being imposed on them by the West in the creation of the State of Israel.

I’m not suggesting that Breivik was in any way correct in what he did.

What I’m saying is that perhaps Norway should look more carefully at it’s rising nationalism and the factors that are contributing to it.

Otherwise the next  Breivik will organize an insurgent movement. Such a movement could easily be aimed at focusing Norways’ rising nationalism against the Norwegian government and all people that are perceived as a threat to Norwegian cultural values.

Posted on

Last night, I lost another two hours practicing

Who knew you could lose yourself in practicing? When I tried Piano… I couldn’t sit still for more than 10 minutes and I like piano. I hated the teacher though… God she was an unpleasant person.

Last night, I just lost track of time while I was just working on simple stuff at the beginning of the primer.

I’m not even to the level of sucking yet, but I’m having a damn good time practicing the guitar. 

My finger tips hurt and I don’t mind. 

I’ve even been able to play 8 notes of Ode To Joy in a recognizable way. (Told you I wasn’t yet to the level of sucking) But damn! I’m enjoying myself.

If I’m enjoying myself half as much in a month I’m going to be a happy guy.

I’m still working the chords and when I’ve had enough of that I’m trying to pick out the notes of some of the more recognizable songs in the primer.

Yeah it’s not the “Traditional” way of learning music but each day the chords sound better and the notes ring clearer… Even if it sounds like I’m a 78 record being played at 33 1/3.

There are a whole bunch of young folks out there who are saying what??

For those of us that know what I’m talking about… You get the picture.

I’m not close enough to Geddy Lee or The Edge to even breathe a single molecule of the same air.

But someday before I die I’m hoping that I can play some music on my beauty that actually sounds like music.

Only time and practice will tell.

In the mean time… I’m having a good time and well the guitar doesn’t seem to mind.

I guess there’s some truth to you’re never too old to try something new.