It is a little silly and sometimes a lot silly, but I think you'll like it.
Rambles and Rants about pretty much everything ranging from Bad Service to Political Correctness. Being offensive and making people go "Hmmm" for the better part of two decades.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
The Other Side of the Coin
For those who enjoy my insanity here at SIOTBAA, please feel free to check out my more light hearted Humor/Philosophy blog.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Safari So Goody Day...Um I forget.
After our exhausting trek through the bush yesterday, my faithful guide Paula and I decided that this would be a very good day to stay at base camp and rest up for the rest of this expedition on the morrow. I figured that the day of rest would give me a chance to catch up on my notes and give my guide a chance to get some much needed and deserved rest.
Much to my amazement, Paula awoke before me and went in search of forage for us to eat. She returned with a few bits of bread that she traded a local for and some well cured and very delicious wild pig. I tried very hard to convey my gratitude despite the language barriers that stand between us. I am hopeful that my clumsy attempts at thanking her were interpreted correct.
Now as I sit here trying to organize my notes, I am struck by the extremely militant and often warlike history of this strange land. Almost every trail or village here bears a name that resounds with the beat of drums and the clash of arms. Battlefields of almost unimaginable size and devastation dot the landscape and pretty much everyone here has some story about some ancestor that fought there.
War in any form no matter the justification for it, is a horrible thing. Brothers fight brothers and man dies by the thousands as blood flows over the trampled earth. So, if war is so horrible and we fear it so then I have to wonder why we struggle so hard to commemorate so many aspects of it. We carve monuments to the maimed dead and treat the places where they died with a solemnity that most do not give to places of worship. If war is so horrible, one might wonder why we try to hard to remember it.
Part of the answer might lie in the old quote, "Those who do not remember the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them." Some might argue that we, as a race, are violent and cruel so we honor the scenes of the greatest blood shed I think the answer might lie in a much simpler direction.
We remember the wars and the horrible battles that took place as a way of honoring those who fell there. We carve stone monuments to let us remember that so many sacrificed everything to keep our lands free. We guard an unnamed tomb to remember that so many never made it back and so many will never be known for their sacrifice.
In the end, we should never honor war. War is a bloody and violent thing that any civilized man or woman should always work their hardest to stop from ever happening. However, we should always do everything we can to remember that when war does come, many good men and women have and will lay down their lives. WE MUST NEVER FORGET.
Much to my amazement, Paula awoke before me and went in search of forage for us to eat. She returned with a few bits of bread that she traded a local for and some well cured and very delicious wild pig. I tried very hard to convey my gratitude despite the language barriers that stand between us. I am hopeful that my clumsy attempts at thanking her were interpreted correct.
Now as I sit here trying to organize my notes, I am struck by the extremely militant and often warlike history of this strange land. Almost every trail or village here bears a name that resounds with the beat of drums and the clash of arms. Battlefields of almost unimaginable size and devastation dot the landscape and pretty much everyone here has some story about some ancestor that fought there.
War in any form no matter the justification for it, is a horrible thing. Brothers fight brothers and man dies by the thousands as blood flows over the trampled earth. So, if war is so horrible and we fear it so then I have to wonder why we struggle so hard to commemorate so many aspects of it. We carve monuments to the maimed dead and treat the places where they died with a solemnity that most do not give to places of worship. If war is so horrible, one might wonder why we try to hard to remember it.
Part of the answer might lie in the old quote, "Those who do not remember the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them." Some might argue that we, as a race, are violent and cruel so we honor the scenes of the greatest blood shed I think the answer might lie in a much simpler direction.
We remember the wars and the horrible battles that took place as a way of honoring those who fell there. We carve stone monuments to let us remember that so many sacrificed everything to keep our lands free. We guard an unnamed tomb to remember that so many never made it back and so many will never be known for their sacrifice.
In the end, we should never honor war. War is a bloody and violent thing that any civilized man or woman should always work their hardest to stop from ever happening. However, we should always do everything we can to remember that when war does come, many good men and women have and will lay down their lives. WE MUST NEVER FORGET.
End of rant
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Safari so goody, Day 3 or "What exactly are we eating again?"
So as the sun rose over the majestic but oddly uniform horizon and shown down into our rough camp. My Guide and I awoke to the sound of loud thumping coming from the native dwelling close to our tent. I am certain that it was some sort of religious ritual because I heard a male voice yelling, "Oh God, Oh God" several times during the whole thing.
After we had cleaned ourselves up,we broke our morning fast with rough, but filling fair provided by local cooks. Despite the constant threat of Dysentery that can be caused by eating or drinking items performed under unsanitary conditions, we so far remain healthy. I pray our luck holds because getting proper food such as Grits and Iced Sweet Tea is practically impossible in this primitive land.
With the help of our native Guide, Magellan whom we affectionately call Mags, we managed to locate the Native who is helping us study the various native dwellings in the area. Thus we spent a grueling day cutting our way through the thick undergrowth and observing different crudely built but serviceable huts. Some had obvious infestations of possible dangerous insects and many others showed the serious effects of the horrendous weather conditions that often occur here.
By the time we were too exhausted to travel any further, we had studied well over a half dozen native huts and narrowed down the possible sites of our future permanent Base. Only careful study and pondering will tell us if we can indeed survive in these harsh conditions. I have high hopes that we can live here as we study the flora and fauna here. It will not be easy, but should be definitely possible.
As we returned to our temporary base camp, we ate a final meal at a Native's Eatery. I was disappointed that, despite the name, no actual Robin was offered on the menu of any color. Still, the food was actually palatable and very filling. We may return there before we return to our homeland.
Our return to base took a very long time because so much of the local wildlife was congregated along our path of travel. I documented Impalas, Jaguars and other animals that seemed to gather together with surprisingly little animosity. I can only think that the various predators had fed before wandering into the prey animal's territory.
So now, my faithful guide, Paula and I are resting and planning our next course of action. We are both exhausted and home sick for the civilized lands, but determined to learn as much as we can about the harsh lands that we will be living in over the next few years. I remain confident that we shall return home alive.
After we had cleaned ourselves up,we broke our morning fast with rough, but filling fair provided by local cooks. Despite the constant threat of Dysentery that can be caused by eating or drinking items performed under unsanitary conditions, we so far remain healthy. I pray our luck holds because getting proper food such as Grits and Iced Sweet Tea is practically impossible in this primitive land.
With the help of our native Guide, Magellan whom we affectionately call Mags, we managed to locate the Native who is helping us study the various native dwellings in the area. Thus we spent a grueling day cutting our way through the thick undergrowth and observing different crudely built but serviceable huts. Some had obvious infestations of possible dangerous insects and many others showed the serious effects of the horrendous weather conditions that often occur here.
By the time we were too exhausted to travel any further, we had studied well over a half dozen native huts and narrowed down the possible sites of our future permanent Base. Only careful study and pondering will tell us if we can indeed survive in these harsh conditions. I have high hopes that we can live here as we study the flora and fauna here. It will not be easy, but should be definitely possible.
| Interesting foods, but no robins anywhere |
As we returned to our temporary base camp, we ate a final meal at a Native's Eatery. I was disappointed that, despite the name, no actual Robin was offered on the menu of any color. Still, the food was actually palatable and very filling. We may return there before we return to our homeland.
Our return to base took a very long time because so much of the local wildlife was congregated along our path of travel. I documented Impalas, Jaguars and other animals that seemed to gather together with surprisingly little animosity. I can only think that the various predators had fed before wandering into the prey animal's territory.
So now, my faithful guide, Paula and I are resting and planning our next course of action. We are both exhausted and home sick for the civilized lands, but determined to learn as much as we can about the harsh lands that we will be living in over the next few years. I remain confident that we shall return home alive.
End of rant
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Honor, Courage and Commitment
As I mentioned in yesterday's blog. Paula and I went to the USMC Museum today. For anyone who has not been, you should make the effort to go at least once in your life. It is a sombering and deeply emotional thin to experience. By the time our tour was done, both of us were close to tears and deeply moved.
My family has a long tradition of military service ranging from WW I all the through to Afghanistan. You can hear all the stories but the intensity of it all just doesn't hit you. It is just stories told about places and events you cannot really understand. You listen and nod.
As you walk throughy the museum. you see the actual equipment.se the actual places and hear the stories of the men and women who experienced it often times in their own words. You walk through the dioramas that show some of the most violent moments of war. All of these aspects combined should be able to move the hardest souls.
Then, as if everything you have experienced before wasn't enough. as you are leaving you walk through the 911 display. You see a chunk of shattered stone taken from the Pentagon. You see a twisted steel girder from the World Trade Centers. Finally you pause in front of the thousands of cards filled out by visitors telling where they were and how they felt when the attacks happened.
Everyone knows, at least on an intellectual level, how much the men and women of our Armed Forces sacrifice to protect us. Going to this amazing place and experiencing evert part of it will drive it all home physically and spiritually. If you, make the journey. It will be worth it.
No End of rant this time, just Semper Fi
My family has a long tradition of military service ranging from WW I all the through to Afghanistan. You can hear all the stories but the intensity of it all just doesn't hit you. It is just stories told about places and events you cannot really understand. You listen and nod.
As you walk throughy the museum. you see the actual equipment.se the actual places and hear the stories of the men and women who experienced it often times in their own words. You walk through the dioramas that show some of the most violent moments of war. All of these aspects combined should be able to move the hardest souls.
Then, as if everything you have experienced before wasn't enough. as you are leaving you walk through the 911 display. You see a chunk of shattered stone taken from the Pentagon. You see a twisted steel girder from the World Trade Centers. Finally you pause in front of the thousands of cards filled out by visitors telling where they were and how they felt when the attacks happened.
Everyone knows, at least on an intellectual level, how much the men and women of our Armed Forces sacrifice to protect us. Going to this amazing place and experiencing evert part of it will drive it all home physically and spiritually. If you, make the journey. It will be worth it.
No End of rant this time, just Semper Fi
Monday, April 1, 2013
Safari So Goody Day Two or "Made his house out of twigs"
So as the sun rose over our primitive campsite, I ventured out into the wilds to try and find food to break our fast. I lucked upon a watering hole where I quickly gathered a filling meal of Eggs and Pork. I returned to our camp in time to find my trusty guide, Paula cleaning the camp and preparing our packs for the continuation of our travels. We ate quickly and mounted our trust red steed. I was more excited than the time I had hunted the Dreaded Foo Bird in the Pacific Ocean.
Our plan was to scout the lay of the land while looking for a good place to set up a permanent Base Camp. We hoped to search some of the local dwellings for suitable shelter. The huts here are primitive, but should serve our needs easily enough. Paula had made arrangements for us to meet with a Local Native Guide who claimed that she could help us locate suitable lodgings.
As we traveled along a fairly well beaten game trail that I hoped would lead to our new Guide's Village, I spotted a magnificent structure looking above the jungle tree tops. As always, my faithful guide Paula was versed in the local tribal lore. She told me that the ancient temple was a holy site built to honor the Elite Warriors of the Local Tribes. She told me that these "Devil Dogs" (Which oddly enough weren't dogs at all.) were feared and respected across the globe and were some of the fiercest warriors that jungles had ever seen. I hope to arrange permission with the local Chieftains to actually visit the site one day.
Our meeting with our native guide went very well. Despite the rough terrain and occasionally unfriendly natives, she was able to show us many rude but serviceable huts that could very well serve as our permanent base. We had hoped to visit more structures, but with the weather turning foul and Paula feeling the effects of the jungle, we decided to return to our original camp and get some rest. These harsh environs can easily drain the very life out of you if you aren't careful.
Come the Sunrise, we intend to set out on our own to explore more of this strange new land. We have made arrangements to meet again with the native guide on the day after, but any seasoned explorer knows that sometimes you have better luck setting out on your own and seeing where the winds and trails take you.
I will make further entries into my journal when (And possibly if) we return from our exploration tomorrow.
Our plan was to scout the lay of the land while looking for a good place to set up a permanent Base Camp. We hoped to search some of the local dwellings for suitable shelter. The huts here are primitive, but should serve our needs easily enough. Paula had made arrangements for us to meet with a Local Native Guide who claimed that she could help us locate suitable lodgings.
 |
| You could almost sense the sheer power of the structure. |
Our meeting with our native guide went very well. Despite the rough terrain and occasionally unfriendly natives, she was able to show us many rude but serviceable huts that could very well serve as our permanent base. We had hoped to visit more structures, but with the weather turning foul and Paula feeling the effects of the jungle, we decided to return to our original camp and get some rest. These harsh environs can easily drain the very life out of you if you aren't careful.
Come the Sunrise, we intend to set out on our own to explore more of this strange new land. We have made arrangements to meet again with the native guide on the day after, but any seasoned explorer knows that sometimes you have better luck setting out on your own and seeing where the winds and trails take you.
I will make further entries into my journal when (And possibly if) we return from our exploration tomorrow.
End of rant
Merging Issues
So as we are driving to meet our new Realtor, we run into a major bottleneck on the highway. As we inch along, I notice signs on both sides of the lanes that read "Left Lane Closed, Merge right" with diminishing distance markers that start at 2000 feet. The whole time we are moving forward, I see dozens of cars racing along the left hand lane (You know, the one that is ending? So when we finally reach where the lane ends, you have a line of vehicles a half mile long with their right blinkers flashing trying to cross over into the other lanes. These lanes are full because the idiots ignored the signs and are now trying to change lanes.
This is hardly the first time I have seen this and it always amazes me. IF these drivers had just changed lanes back when the signs first showed up, there would have been less congestion. Everyone would have made it to their destination much sooner. However, the drivers rushed down the "faster" lane (Faster because more sensible drivers had already moved over a lane or two) because they could get ahead of everyone else. So out of their own sense of urgency, they inconvenienced pretty much everyone else.
Like I said, this is hardly the first time I have seen this happen and I really think that it all goes back to the incredible sense of entitlement that a lot of people have where they believe that their needs and desires are more important than everyone else. THEY have to get to work or some other destination so THEY have the right to break the rules and ignore the laws. Never mind that pretty much everyone else has the exact same need.
I read in the news feeds every now and then how some person has injured workers or emergency personnel because they ignored signs, flags etc. The excuse that almost always shows up is "Well, I was in a hurry and Needed to get somewhere." The laws and regulations don't apply to them because their need is more important than other people's.
I sometimes wonder exactly where this nearly maniac sense of entitlement that so many people feel has come from. How did we, as a race and a culture, become so obsessive that we truly feel that our rights are more important than our fellows? I see this Shift going on all around me and I just don't understand.
No Individual's rights and needs are more important than others. Maybe some people want that to be true, but it isn't. Unless you are transporting someone who's arm has just been severed in a freak salad shooter accident, you aren't entitled to cut in line. Unless you are rushing to disarm a Gazillion Mega-Ton Whoopie Cushion, you aren't allowed to swerve around road blocks or ignore flag waving type people.
As I point out in my book, Driving is one of the few areas where practicing your inner Ass is not a good thing. Try to be considerate of others out there. Obey the laws and signage so that everyone arrives at their destination a little earlier and a lot safer.
This is hardly the first time I have seen this and it always amazes me. IF these drivers had just changed lanes back when the signs first showed up, there would have been less congestion. Everyone would have made it to their destination much sooner. However, the drivers rushed down the "faster" lane (Faster because more sensible drivers had already moved over a lane or two) because they could get ahead of everyone else. So out of their own sense of urgency, they inconvenienced pretty much everyone else.
Like I said, this is hardly the first time I have seen this happen and I really think that it all goes back to the incredible sense of entitlement that a lot of people have where they believe that their needs and desires are more important than everyone else. THEY have to get to work or some other destination so THEY have the right to break the rules and ignore the laws. Never mind that pretty much everyone else has the exact same need.
I read in the news feeds every now and then how some person has injured workers or emergency personnel because they ignored signs, flags etc. The excuse that almost always shows up is "Well, I was in a hurry and Needed to get somewhere." The laws and regulations don't apply to them because their need is more important than other people's.
I sometimes wonder exactly where this nearly maniac sense of entitlement that so many people feel has come from. How did we, as a race and a culture, become so obsessive that we truly feel that our rights are more important than our fellows? I see this Shift going on all around me and I just don't understand.
No Individual's rights and needs are more important than others. Maybe some people want that to be true, but it isn't. Unless you are transporting someone who's arm has just been severed in a freak salad shooter accident, you aren't entitled to cut in line. Unless you are rushing to disarm a Gazillion Mega-Ton Whoopie Cushion, you aren't allowed to swerve around road blocks or ignore flag waving type people.
As I point out in my book, Driving is one of the few areas where practicing your inner Ass is not a good thing. Try to be considerate of others out there. Obey the laws and signage so that everyone arrives at their destination a little earlier and a lot safer.
End of rant
Magic happens here
When I was kid some of the things that so many people take for granted weren't even within the realm of fantasy. Miracles that people use every single day without thinking would have been considered some form of magic. Great examples of this are ultra thin portable computers and wireless phones that do more than mainframe computers did thirty years ago.
A good example of this is the device I hold in my hands to make this post. It stores hundreds of books electronically, plays music and allows me to surf and post to the internet. All this is done on a gadget the size of an old Readers Digest. If you had tried to convince someone this was possible even tw odecades ago then they would probably have laughed at you or thought you were nuts.
So myy Kindle which even the most advanced model is proof that technology still has more than a few surprises left for the world. I personally cannot wait to see what is next. The mind boggles.
End of...well a non Rant
A good example of this is the device I hold in my hands to make this post. It stores hundreds of books electronically, plays music and allows me to surf and post to the internet. All this is done on a gadget the size of an old Readers Digest. If you had tried to convince someone this was possible even tw odecades ago then they would probably have laughed at you or thought you were nuts.
So myy Kindle which even the most advanced model is proof that technology still has more than a few surprises left for the world. I personally cannot wait to see what is next. The mind boggles.
End of...well a non Rant
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