The Tao of Stark

Never forgetting; never forgiving

2011-09-11T13:29:00.001-04:00

10 year anniversary of 9/11 today. Mixed emotions: sadness, confusion, a little fear, and mostly anger. Just like on that fateful day.

Schizophrenia

2011-05-08T19:22:00.001-04:00

It's rough leading a double life....or a triple life, or more. It's takes a lot of energy and is so draining, mostly mentally. I gotta be one person for work, one for Army, one for home, one for everywhere else. It's a lot. And for my Army job, it often requires being multiple people just for itself. Work too. Gotta be "up" and a balance of aggressive and respectful for the bosses. Gotta be simpatico with the working troops. Gotta be elite and aloof with the external parties and vendors.

And then, I'm still struggling to find my "thing", my defining hobby or defining personal schtick. What's my flavor? Craft beer dude, zombie researcher, fitness guru, tactical Jack, academic, surf wannabe? I've always struggled with this. I see people who, on top of having their family and job, also do two or more hobbies. And I mean REALLY do them, like are totally into them, know all the details, really get into it. I think I'm lazy and boring because I don't have MY "thing".

Over-zealous Google bots!!!

2011-01-26T11:45:00.000-05:00

According to the good folks at Federal News Radio,
the good folks at Google (and they are good, great even! and yes this blog resides in their domain so I will say nice things about them) have some bots crawling their blog servers, scanning for inappropriate or un-secure posts, and deleting them. While the intention was probably good, it seems those spic-n-span bots have been a little too zealous in their efforts and have scrubbed away some perfectly acceptable posts along with the chaff.

I do believe that some posts of mine were scrubbed and deleted, dammit. I don't blog much so I didn't really notice until I happened to look at it today after hearing the story this morning.

Adapted, courtesy of http://alexiuss.deviantart.com/journal/17956416/?moodonly=24.

Lotus Notes

2010-07-20T16:49:00.000-04:00

Can I tell you how much I hate it?

I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate it!!!!!!!! Why does anyone use that stupid application anymore? Annoying.

Recent thoughts

2010-07-20T12:13:00.004-04:00

Death of a dream.

Confusion reigns.

Awkwardness.

Paths, choices, regrets.

Faith.

Incredible edible eggs

2010-05-12T12:26:00.002-04:00

This article caught my eye, but after reading it I question its accuracy. While I'm looking into it, anyone else out there care to research and share your results?

Four Myths about Eggs

I just don't think their dismissals of organic, cage-free, and "raised without antibiotics" are justified. Actually they call it "free range" rather than cage-free, which is not how I usually see eggs listed. Makes me envision vast herds of chickens roaming the plains, guided by chicken-boys on horseback. Hmm, would make for a funny cartoon.

Starting point

2010-03-03T22:25:00.001-05:00

Known about this fitness goal for a while, gonna do it myself now.

For my workout tonight I warmed up with rowing. Did a slow, easy 1k in about 10 min, just worked on form. Then did a fast 500m in 2:28. So that’s my starting 500m split mark.

See more progress on: row 2k in under 7 minutes

Words and Grammar: Part 2

2010-02-17T23:52:00.000-05:00

The first of likely many follow-ups.

"Conversate" is not a word. Converse is, and conversation.

"Healthful" is dumb. We all used "healthy" for everything all this time just fine.

I don't really pray, but for those of you who do, don't say you pray "over" something or someone, unless you are physically standing over them or it and praying.

Can't believe I forgot this one in my o.p.: "agreeance." IT'S NOT A WORD! It's used by people so weak that "agreement" is too harsh. Stupid.

Accept and except. Learn the difference. Likewise counsel and council, capitol and capital.

Words and grammar

2010-02-09T22:40:00.008-05:00

Loose instead of Lose

Then when it should be Than

Strength pronounced like Strenth (without the g)

Height pronounced like Heighth (ending in th)

Irregardless (it's just not a word, people)

Do you know where it's at...(dangling preposition)

When you get done school you can go out the house (missing "with" before school and missing "of" before house)

...These are a few of my (least) favorite things...

Cursive: to write or not to write?

2009-09-20T21:35:00.002-04:00

This article is about how the teaching of writing in cursive is slowly disappearing in schools.

Cursive writing may be fading skill, but so what?

Not sure how I feel about this. If push comes to shove, I would sadly but strongly support skipping teaching cursive in order to make time for science, phys ed, history, etc. But I guess I still think learning cursive is important as a part of comprehensive writing and as a part of our culture. Maybe that sounds weird, but that's what I think.

What do you think?

2009-09-15T22:01:00.003-04:00

Tao, zen.

CrossFit, yoga, running, surfing, paddleboarding.

School, work, home, daisies.

Eco, sport, beer, books.

Job, job opportunities, extra "job" with bonus.

Lots to do, lots to consider.

Balance. Patience. Be the empty vessel, Charles.

A Tragedy of Errors and Omissions

2009-09-02T08:02:00.001-04:00

http://m.cnn.com/cnn/lt_ne/lt_ne/detail/359394/full

So sad and infuriating to see how this was allowed to occur.

For sex offenders and any child-affecting criminals...lock 'em up and throw away the key.

Marines do NOT torture; until 20 Oct 2003

2009-05-31T01:14:00.006-04:00

From Marine Corps Institute Order P1550.14D, The United States Marine- Essential Subjects (7 November 1984) (commonly best known as simply "Essential Subjects"); Chapter 1, Section IV:

"C. BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE LAW OF WAR

Discipline in combat is essential. Disobedience to the Law of War dishonors the nation, the Marine Corps, and the individual Marine; and, far from weakening the enemy's will to fight, it strengthens it. The following basic principles require the Marine's adherence in the accomplishment of any mission:

Marines fight only enemy combatants.

Marines do not harm enemies who surrender. Disarm them and turn them over to your superior.

Marines do not kill or torture prisoners.

Marines collect and care for the wounded, whether friend or foe.

Marines do not attack medical personnel, facilities, or equipment.

Marines destroy no more than the mission requires.

Marines treat all civilians humanely.

Marines do not steal. Marines respect private property and possessions.

Marines should do their best to prevent violations of the Law of War. Report all violations of the Law of War to your superior.

Violations of these principles detract from the commander's ability to accomplish his mission, have an adverse impact on public opinion (both national and international), have on occasion served to prolong conflict by inciting an opponent to continue resistance, and in most cases constitute violations of the UCMJ.

These principles are consistent with the principles of war, principles of leadership, and tactical considerations. Violations of these principles disregard these basic military tenets and prejudice the good order and discipline essential to success in combat."

Section A talks about the purpose ("to diminish the evils of war" and "help bring peace". Section B talks about the background, noting the SECDEF has directed the Armed Forces to follow the Law of War. Section D talks about the sources of the Law of War from treaties and customs.

Section C is repeated (with very little change) in the Marine Battle Skills Training Handbook (commonly known as just the BST) Book 1 of January 1993.

.........................................................................................................................................................................

I note that the current Marine Corps Order 3300.4 03 LAW OF WAR PROGRAM (20Oct2003), the third bullet in the Law of War has been changed to "Marines do not torture or kill enemy prisoners of war or detainees."

As a Marine, I find that change incredibly unfortunate and dishonorable.

Quick Post

2009-05-31T00:51:00.004-04:00

More from Magic Hat, again just cuz I like their beer and I like quirky things sometimes:

Life's a garden, DIG IT!

Forbidden fruits make the tastiest Jams

Wikipedia bans Church of Scientology

2009-05-29T13:22:00.003-04:00

This is great! As initially reported in The Register and where I saw it, at The Daily Dish.

Wikipedia bans Church of Scientology

Scientology is a big club of wackos, one of the worst loads of religious bullshit ever propagated.

No wait, that's mean. I meant no offense....to the bullshit. Scientology is far stinkier and less desirable than any cow manure. Scientology has less appeal and veracity than a poop from a goblin.

An Exercise in FAIL

2009-05-26T15:52:00.003-04:00

Some media and researchers demonstrate their complete incapacity for rational thought. I.e., what a bunch of crap.

Exercise not likely to rev up your metabolism

Studies bust myth that working out gives you a fat-burning boost

crap, crap, and more crap. Will edit and add even more insightful comments later.

Air show

2009-05-15T13:11:00.002-04:00

The big annual air show at Andrews Air Force Base is going on right now, so I'm watching the Thunderbirds doing formations and fly-bys out my office window from a few miles away. Kinda cool, for Air Force pukes.

What would the Marine equivalent to an air show be? I don't mean the Blue Angels, who represent the sea services and sometimes have a Marine pilot. I mean a truly Marine show. I guess we could have a fire team move across a field and kick a bunch of ass. That would be cool.

Let kids be kids!

2009-05-09T13:25:00.003-04:00

Lots of people taking notice of this. Newsweek ran a story on it recently, The Daily Dish blogged it, and here's the main site itself:

Free-Range Kids

So what's it all about? It's about letting kids learn their world by exploring it. It's about letting kids grow up, not safely stagnate. And it's partly about a reaction the world had to parents letting their child learn his world a little bit, and the mom's reaction to the world's reaction. Lenore Skenazy is the woman at the center of all this, and Free-Range Kids is her her site. Here's another Newsweek article on it a year ago, not long after the original incident and the start-up of her blog site.

There are many things that we know better about now for helping ensure the well-being of our children, and many are perfectly fine. We knows it's a pretty awful idea to puff your cigarettes around them (and anyone, frankly!). Kills me when I see a mom or dad puff-puff-puffing away in a car with their kids, with the windows up. YUCK. We know that car seats and seat belts are a pretty good idea, that playing with lead in any form is probably bad, and more.

But many parents have just gone too far. Part of the blame goes to our addiction (that I personally must fight all the time) to 24-hour news. Constant headlines about every single crime make us feel so much less safe. But the reality is that crime levels are actually down compared to many of our childhoods (anyone reading who grew up in the 70s or 80s like me). Just because we see tv, print, and online media about sexual predators all the time doesn't mean that the problem is actually worse out there. It actually isn't. Those people are scum and must be destroyed when they commit such an act, but those acts are no more prevalent now than in the past. Actually they're less so.

Some of the blame also goes to just parents not really thinking things through, not thinking long, long-term. At some point your child will no longer be a child, and at some point they will not be under your control. Do you want them to be prepared and ready to face the world, to be able to make good choices? Well, how do you think that's going to happen if you never let them experience the world? A great line from one of my favorite movies (Batman Begins) is, "And why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up." That doesn't just apply to Bruce Wayne, but to every kid. I love that line, and use it to teach my own daughter frequently. The only way to really learn to deal with difficulties or challenges is to face them. Directly. To experience them personally.

Many parents are well-meaning, but their kids need more than good intentions to make it in the real world. They need to learn by getting out there.

This?

or this?

"Footloose" is alive and well

2009-05-09T10:47:00.002-04:00

Not surprising coming from Ohio, which hosts that horrible, horrible school in Columbus. A little bit of NCAA football rivalry coming out there. From Yahoo!, from the AP:

Ohio Christian school tells student to skip prom

So I check out the school, and here's what I learn. They even have a "Response to the Media" page up, actually a wise move. While apparently they ban dancing because they interpret the Bible to say that they should be "fleeing lustful situations", they do participate in music, acting, and photography including "action photo" and "candid photo". So you can do music, but not move and speak. You can move and speak (acting), but not with music. You can move and and 'candidly' move (photography), but again not with music, and no speech. Did I get that all correct? Not sure. Let's see, on the Extramural page it says "Man's purpose is to glorify God. We can do that through our speech and music. Heritage students are equipped to worship God "in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24) through an excellent and Biblically accurate fine arts program." Hmm okay. Not sure how biblically accurate photography and piano are, but....okay. So they glorify their God only to a point. Dancing doesn't glorify God apparently. But I guess dressing up in silly costumes does. Check out the photos of their Fall concert. Is that biblically accurate? Does that kind of irreverant behavior please their God? Costumes, music, funny acting....getting pretty close to dancing their! Maybe Tom Bergeron will go visit them to host a spin-off Dancing with the Squares!

Okay my opinions now. What a bunch of clowns. I can't believe people in modern America still act like this. If you are worried about rock music, then your life is pretty damn good. Hunger, homelessness, addictions, rape, and murder are all still prevalent in the world, but no no! We're gonna worry about that darn rock music all the young whipper-snappers are a-listenin' to. And don't get me started on dancing! Why, you may as well just start callin yerself Lucifer right then and thir if ya do that!

Pffffft. Yes I know the kid agreed to these rules before starting, but seriously, haven't these people ever watched "Footloose"? The kid's gonna graduate, and then hopefully get away from that hell-hole of puritanical insanity.

Ender's Wacko

2009-05-08T14:17:00.002-04:00

Orson Scott Card is a complete nut. AmericaBlog does it again.

He is the comsumate Mormon moron, an insurrectionist wacko, an evilly prejudiced asshole. He's been an icon of sci-fi for a long time, but I'll never read nor support his works again. In fact I'll encourage others to boycott him completely. I had head a long time ago that he was Mormon but never thought much of it. Didn't really care. Till now, when I learn that he is a hateful monster.

Ender's Game was on the Commandant's Reading List. I'll look to see if it still is, and write a letter asking them to remove it. No one who denies the nationa's authority at their own whim and advocates violent overthrow of that nation should be featured by our beloved Corps.

We're all brothers

2009-05-08T14:06:00.003-04:00

From over at AmericaBlog:

We are all San.

I lived in Botswana for a little while, and learned a little more about these people. The term I learned for them there was "Basarwa", which while not perfect is better than most others. If I knew how to properly enunicate in their language, I would say !Kung, which is apparently how they often prefer to refer to themselves.

Odd though, it's like a whole lesson in labels. How about they're just People, like everyone else?? And where's the equivalent music group like Midnight Oil was (for Australia's Aborigines) for the Basarwa? If anyone knows please tell me, I'll check it out.

A couple links of related interest:

Kalahari Peoples Network

Kalahari Peoples Fund

Denied!

2009-05-05T15:49:00.002-04:00

Love it! From MSNBC.com...

U.K. reveals who’s banned from entry

Michael Savage among those barred for allegedly fostering extremism, hate

To Buddha or not to Buddha?

2009-05-04T13:52:00.004-04:00

Interesting.

Up from Buddhism

Detachment, escapism, enlightenment, denial. These and others are traits of many Eastern religio-philosophical traditions. Actually looking at that aspect of Eastern thought, it's really not very different from the Christian tradition, and at a stretch, from Judaism and Islam.

I think it's too much of an over-generalization to say they ALL prescribe detachment and denial (of the self, others, the world). Taoism in its many forms follows some different tracts. A degree of detachment certainly, but not the escapism or denial so much. In fact you could say to follow the Tao is to actually embrace everything, not to worry about what is or is not real. There's a detachment from 'things', but not necessarily from 'life'.

Are you insured?

2009-05-03T22:04:00.006-04:00

Interesting info from over at The Daily Dish about where the uninsured are in America.

I really just don't get why people would not want universal health care. The increase in taxes would be less than what we each pay on average for health care now, so........logic, anyone?

Arlen Specter changes sides!

2009-04-28T13:40:00.002-04:00

WOW. U.S. Senator Arlen Spector (R-...I mean, D-PA) has changed from the Republican to the Democratic Party. Wow. Shockwaves going throught the halls of Congress and across the land. He now gives the Dems a likely 60-vote majority in the Senate, which enables them to defeat Republican filibusters. That 60 though is contingent on Sen. Franken (D-MN) being seated soon if his challenger will FINALLY relent. Jeez. That 60 also counts Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) who usually caucuses with the Dems. Good ole Bernie, very liberal and great guy!

Anyway, big big political news there. Remains to be seen if the Dems will make use of it and do some actual good work.

Cuckoo!

2009-04-27T21:40:00.002-04:00

Was listening to some Thom Hartmann podcasts today, and he was talking about U.S. Rep Michelle Bachman (R-MN) and U.S. Rep Spencer Bachus (R-AL). I just gotta say, they are freakin fruitcakes!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Bachman

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spencer_Bachus

Quick post

2009-04-27T21:37:00.002-04:00

Magic Hat bottlecaps, just cuz I like 'em:

"Life is Tragic without Magic"

"When plans Fail, blaze new Trails"

Happy Arbor Day!

2009-04-24T12:00:00.002-04:00

On this Arbor Day, one of my favorites, being the tree-lover (not just -hugger) I am. From MSN, an Encarta article they have up for this week:

10 Wacky Tree Facts
By Megan Shay

Trees remove carbon dioxide from the air, produce oxygen and help fight global warming. They are home to birds, squirrels, monkeys and other critters, and many kinds produce food, wood and other resources that we use every day. Planting trees around your house can add value and even lower your energy bills! As Arbor Day and Earth Day approach, let's take a moment to learn some lesser-known tree tidbits.

Flower Pollination and Fertilization
1. The secret life of trees
True story: Some trees do have genders. Species that have either male or female flowers are called dioecious. In dioecious trees, the male flowers produce the pollen that fertilizes the female flowers, causing them to bear fruit. Things get complicated in monoecious trees and bisexual trees. Monoecious varieties like sugar maple and red oak have both male and female flowers on the same tree. Bisexual trees have what are known as “perfect” flowers, meaning the flowers have both male and female parts.

2. Oldest living tree on Earth
Bristlecone pine, move over: There's a new old tree in town. According to National Geographic, an ancient Norway spruce (Picea abies) sprouted in Sweden's Dalarna province at the end of the last ice age, 9,550 years ago. Though the visible portion of the tree is not as old, parts of the root system were radiocarbon dated to determine its age. Scientists say the Norway spruce's ability to clone itself contributed to the specimen's long lifespan: When one stem dies, another grows from the rootstock.

3. Teeny-tiny tree
The dwarf willow (Salix herbacea), also called least willow or snowbed willow, receives the award for tiniest tree species. This native of the frozen north makes its home on the harsh terrain of Arctic and sub-Arctic tundra and rocky moorland. At just 1 to 6 centimeters high, it's a tree only an insect would climb. Dwarf willows are dioecious, and you can tell if you're looking at a male or female tree by the color of the catkins: Male catkins are yellow, while female catkins are red or yellowish-brown.

4. Big Baobabs
Baobab trees, native to Africa and Australia, are among the most ancient trees on Earth. Though they are usually about as tall as maple trees, the trunks are sometimes as thick as 9 meters (30 feet), and the branches spread out to form masses of foliage up to 150 feet around. Some baobab trees are so big that their hollowed-out trunks have been used for shops, bus shelters and even prisons. One baobab in Zimbabwe is so big it can shelter as many as 40 people in its trunk, according to South Africa's Kruger National Park.

5. Sausage grows on trees
The sausage tree (Kigelia africana) of sub-Saharan Africa is named for its gray, sausage-shaped fruits that can grow to more than 1 foot long and weigh up to 10 pounds. The large, deep red flowers of the sausage tree don't smell pleasant to people but attract the dwarf epauletted bats (Micropteropus pusillus) that pollinate them, along with insects and birds. Though the "sausages" cannot be eaten, they are burned or ground and used to treat various skin ailments.

6. Palm trees in the snow
Although most of us associate palm trees with tropical beaches, some species of palms are actually very hardy in cold weather. In fact, windmill palm trees (Trachycarpus fortunei) can survive in temperatures that get down to just 5 degrees Fahrenheit! Some other cold-hardy palms at 15 to 18 degrees are true date palms (Phoenix dactylifera) and Canary Island date palms (Phoenix canariensis). Mediterranean fan palms (Chamaerops humilis) and California fan palms (Washingtonia filifera) are both cold hardy at a very chilly 5 to 15 degrees.

7. Money doesn't grow on trees
Unfortunately, money doesn't actually grow on the money tree (Pachira aquatica). Native to the tropical wetlands of Central and South America, the money tree also goes by the names of Malabar chestnut, Guiana chestnut, provision tree, or saba nut. It is a very popular ornamental plant in East Asia, associated with good fortune and wealth, and often found in offices. Easy to care for, money trees are often used as beginner bonsai plants. But even if your money tree is well cared for, no amount of fertilizer will cause it to start sprouting currency.

8. Tea from a tree
The essential oil of the tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) is naturally antifungal and antibiotic, and can safely be used topically to treat minor cuts, burns, acne, athlete's foot, mild fungal nail infections and more, according to WebMD. Native to stream banks and swampy areas of Australia, the tea tree belongs to the myrtle family (Myrtacae), which also includes eucalyptus and guava. Some say tea trees are so named because the leaves were historically used as a substitute for tea. Others say the name comes from streams and lakes that turn the color of tea from the tannins of tea tree leaves that fall into them.

9. Sweet tree
Sugar maple trees, native to the hardwood forests of North America, are tapped for their sap, which is used to make maple syrup and maple sugar. It takes about 10 gallons of sap to make one quart of syrup, which is about how much one mature tree can produce during the four- to six-week sugaring season (February through April, depending on the weather). Though sugar maples are probably best known for the sweet treats they produce, the wood of the sugar maple is also prized for making furniture, floors, bowling pins and baseball bats; the trees are also very popular as street and garden trees.

Apples
10. Yes, they're related
Apple trees are actually part of the rose family (Rosaceae), which includes 3,000 to 4,000 species such as roses, blackberries, raspberries, pears, almonds and many others. The apple itself is a type of fruit called a pome, or a type of fruit characterized by seeds encased in an endocarp which is covered by the mesocarp (flesh) and the exocarp (skin). Though they're cultivated all over the world today, apple trees likely came from Central Asia where their wild relatives can still be found.

Profiteering

2009-04-21T23:05:00.003-04:00

How is this possible?

Exxon bumps Wal-Mart to top Fortune 500

Big Oil knocks Wal-Mart out of first place.

How does this fit with common decency? Is it really okay for such massive profiteering to exist alongside abject poverty, starvation, homelessness, and all suffering?

Taxes, tea bags, and tedious stupidity

2009-04-16T19:17:00.002-04:00

More info coming out about the real nature of these "tax day tea parties".

This...

or this...

???

Dick Armey has been proudly proclaiming his Freedom Works organization's role as one of the primary motivators for them. Freedom Works is a major conservative interest group, so that's not very grass roots. In fact Freedom Works also fights health care reform, supports life insurance deregulation, and supports oil trade interests. So, tell me how any of those issues help the common, "grass roots" person in America? What they help are the health care companies, life insurance companies, and oil barons here and abroad. How can that be?! Isn't Freedom Works working for the common man? No. They are not. In fact they are funded by all three of those industries. Start here: Wikipedia link.

Funny thing, people are at these rallies are protesting taxes, but which ones? 95% of Americans just got a tax cut. I doubt many of these "tea-baggers" are millionaires, so they got a cut. Are they protesting taxes on the rich? Seriously? Are mid- and lower-income people actually protesting higher taxes for the rich? Tell me how that makes sense. It doesn't. Go here for a timeline on Alternet on the whole right-wing Tea Party chaos. Shows exactly how Faux News (or Fixed News, or Fox Noise, if you like) and others helped the whole thing along. What a joke.

On both a green and fiscal note, is it smart to go buy hundreds of tea bags just to waste them? Not sure how that fits into the ethos of the protests. Dumbos.

Brilliant piece over on Alternet about how low taxes really are now, due to the Kennedy and (mostly) the Reagan tax cuts. Go here for the exact numbers, but it's something like, if the 139,000-some people who make $2 million or more were taxed today at the same rates as in 1955 under Republican President Eisenhower, the gov't would have taken in something like an additional $200 billion. Yeah. Recall that the largest real economic growth in this country was in the couple decades after WWII, NOT during the fake bubbles of the 1980s and 1990s. Those were shams, houses of cards on a windy day.

So what's the real background on tea parties? How did they really go down way back in 1773? Go here to read Thom Hartmann's lesson on it over at CommonDreams.org.

The Solitary Reaper

2009-03-29T22:44:00.004-04:00

(Another one I like. Memorized this for recitation in a class in high school. Again, a news article about poetry is coming. Really never thought I'd be discussing poetry on here, but things happen. Streams collide, Tao flows.)

William Wordsworth. 1770–1850

528. The Solitary Reaper

BEHOLD her, single in the field,

Yon solitary Highland Lass!

Reaping and singing by herself;

Stop here, or gently pass!

Alone she cuts and binds the grain,

And sings a melancholy strain;

O listen! for the Vale profound

Is overflowing with the sound.

No Nightingale did ever chaunt

More welcome notes to weary bands

Of travellers in some shady haunt,

Among Arabian sands:

A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard

In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,

Breaking the silence of the seas

Among the farthest Hebrides.

Will no one tell me what she sings?—

Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow

For old, unhappy, far-off things,

And battles long ago:

Or is it some more humble lay,

Familiar matter of to-day?

Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,

That has been, and may be again?

Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang

As if her song could have no ending;

I saw her singing at her work,

And o'er the sickle bending;—

I listen'd, motionless and still;

And, as I mounted up the hill,

The music in my heart I bore,

Long after it was heard no more.

Pan with us

2009-03-28T02:01:00.003-04:00

(Just a poem I happen to like, one of the few. Have a news article about poetry to post soon also, made me think of it.)

Robert Frost (1874–1963). A Boy’s Will. 1915.

26. Pan with Us

PAN came out of the woods one day,—

His skin and his hair and his eyes were gray,

The gray of the moss of walls were they,—

And stood in the sun and looked his fill

At wooded valley and wooded hill.

He stood in the zephyr, pipes in hand,

On a height of naked pasture land;

In all the country he did command

He saw no smoke and he saw no roof.

That was well! and he stamped a hoof.

His heart knew peace, for none came here

To this lean feeding save once a year

Someone to salt the half-wild steer,

Or homespun children with clicking pails

Who see no little they tell no tales.

He tossed his pipes, too hard to teach

A new-world song, far out of reach,

For a sylvan sign that the blue jay’s screech

And the whimper of hawks beside the sun

Were music enough for him, for one.

Times were changed from what they were:

Such pipes kept less of power to stir

The fruited bough of the juniper

And the fragile bluets clustered there

Than the merest aimless breath of air.

They were pipes of pagan mirth,

And the world had found new terms of worth.

He laid him down on the sun-burned earth

And ravelled a flower and looked away—

Play? Play?—What should he play?

In wildness is the preservation....of our sanity

2009-03-27T12:43:00.004-04:00

Good article over at newsweek.com, "Why we need more time in the natural world." I have thought about this extensively. What happens to us as we lose our connection with nature?

In Our Nature: A look at our primal connection to the natural world and the surprising psychological consequences of not getting enough time in the great outdoors.

I grew up playing outside ALL the time, constantly running around the woods and fields with my friends as a lad. Whether in Michigan, Massachusetts, Illinois, etc, we just had fun being "out there." In college briefly at Michigan, spent a lot of time in the "Arb", same one mentioned in the article. Great place. Maybe fitting then for me to join the Corps and spend a lot more quality time outside, albeit in a far different capacity. But still, some of my favorite memories from the infantry are being out in the middle of the desert or jungle and really taking in the environment around me.

Back at Newsweek again, this was followed by another article, or rather a photo montage story. A Moment of Zen. A few pictures and some words about the spiritually therapeutic benefit of just even looking at nature photos.

I agree with the premise. I find it relaxing and enriching even to just watch nature programs like Planet Earth. Love that stuff. So does my daughter.

Mysterious Diseases

2009-03-27T10:08:00.004-04:00

Saw this article this morning over at MSN news. Interesting.

Top 10 Mysterious Diseases

There really are so many medical mysteries out there affecting so many people. I think range of medical inquiry gets obfuscated for most average people by three things:

the overwhelming scourge of advertisements for prescription drugs
the hogging of public attention by a few key medical causes; they're legit, but not the only things out there (breast cancer, heart disease)
the quixotic state of health care in America where you are in some ways publicly and financially discouraged from seeking medical attention for odd symptoms, but then if you do take the plunge and get evaluated, you must dive in to the sometimes deep, deep bottom. All or nothing, as it were.

Based on my background in professional medical training....i.e., absolutely NONE.....I'll bet that Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is much more complicated than a single as-yet-unknown disease. It's likely that it is a product (a suite of symptoms) of several diseases, or that there are multiple diseases/conditions that all share similar symptoms, debilitatingly chronic fatigue being one of them.

No, I don't cotton to Tom Cruise's cry that sick people should just take vitamins and exercise. That's stupid. BUT......I do think (and often get flack for it) that in addition to medical care, most people should also exercise a LOT more and probably take vitamins and other natural nutritional supplements (fish oil, etc).

I do think so-called Seasonal Affective Disorder is just that, sad, bogus, a conjured term for a non-existant condition. I do believe in actual clinical depression, but short of that I think a lot of people need to do the following therapy: suck it up.

I've had bad days, weeks, months, even years. It happens, that's life. To me, if you are depressed/down/sad but still can function, then you don't need any more help than a good friend, some nights out with the boys/girls, etc. If you cannot function, if your health seriously deteriorates, if you really cannot meet job requirements, or your depression is measurably affecting the well-being of your family (especially kids or spouse), then ok. You better go see a doc, and a shrink. No harm, no foul there.

I did mention in my bullet list up above (#3) the bizarro world of our health care system in America. That is part of the problem, unfortunately, rather than part of the solution. Because we (collectively, all we Americans in a general, averaged sense) don't get "covered" for everything, we have to make hard choices about what to take care of medically. Without a lick of research and analysis, I'm gonna bet that in countries where there is comprehensive and universal health care (you know, modern countries where they are actually using their brain cells) you don't have as much dilemmas about crazy health problems. If you need to go to the doc, you go. You can go right away, nip things in the bud (or find out they're nothing) early. If in fact someone does have a problem, it can be identified and start being treated. No pressure or embarassment about going to the doc, no financial worries- EVERYBODY can go for ANYTHING. And right along with that I bet it all works out to be cheaper. I know that's true. Don't have the facts or a reference available right this second (just trust my pretty face), but I've seen the stats where we spend far more on health care here in the States per capita, per whatever, than they do in other places, but we aren't getting returns on that. No bang for the buck, quite the opposite in fact.

Ok, enough on this one for now.

some good Magic Hat bottlecap sayings

2009-03-25T19:09:00.000-04:00

Magic Hat Brewing Company puts odd, funny little sayings on the underside of their bottlecaps. Along with fine craft beer, these are another good reason for popping one open. Some of these sayings apply to friends, colleagues, or acquaintances of mine. You know who you are.

"Present this Cap to one Full of Crap"

"All would Rather you didn't Blather"

"What is the Cost of the things you have Lost"

"Do not Stroll through an Open Hole"

"to truly Live, You have to Give"

Pirates of the Corporation: Curse of the Black Bonus

2009-03-25T17:52:00.002-04:00

Interesting opinion piece over at newsweek.com (go to it here) on the public's outrage over the whole executive pay mess. I'm cribbing a couple salient paragraphs here that I think really hit the mark:

"The public has finally woken up to the obscene distortion of values in the corporate world, which includes salaries and bonuses that are simply out of whack. In 1980, CEOs at Fortune 500 firms were paid 42 times the average worker's salary. By 2007, they were being paid on average 364 times as much.

The public has figured this out, and has begun to figure out solutions, too—and demand them. Shareholders, the true owners of corporations, should have the right to vote on major business decisions, including executive compensation. The accounting loophole that allows companies to sequester stock options from regular expenses must be closed, and options should be accounted for in every company's balance sheet. Congress should also do away with the ridiculous tax loophole for managers of hedge funds—the ability to claim their income as capital gains and pay only 15 percent in federal taxes—and put a conclusive end to excessive executive pay by capping tax deductions for executive compensation at 25 times the salary of any company's lowest-paid employee. If that worker received the minimum wage, the deductible for an executive would be capped at $304,200. The company could pay the executive more, but would not receive a tax break for the excess. This would generate more than $5 billion in extra revenues while acting as a check on grossly excessive compensation."

The writer goes on to talk about how the system needs to be fixed, not just these temporal problems rectified. I agree with that, but not necessarily with her methods to do so. More on that later.

Fading newspapers

2009-03-18T23:36:00.002-04:00

Extracted from a message I sent to WTOP radio, in response to their question out to listeners about so many newspapers around the country are failing:

"I for one do Not lament the fading of newspapers. I enjoy traditions but progress much march on. I get most of my news from the web, and WTOP of course while commuting.

The web is accessible and updated nearly 24/7 and has almost infinite subject matter available. For those who comment on the lack of depth in web news, I suggest you dig deeper (no with no hazard of ink-smeared fingers) and check out sites like Slate, rolling stone, msnbc, and the plethora of serious blogs and aggregators.

All those web news articles, thousands more daily than could ever be in all the papers, are written by journalists and reporters just like the ones on pulp. Many are the same stories, so it just becomes a question of delivery method.

Radio and tv news serves its purpose, to be timely and brief, and does it well. Web news does all that newspapers do, or did, and more. Oh yeah, and it's greener than newsprint. The news is dead; long live the news."

So what do you think?

Travelog

2009-03-18T22:33:00.002-04:00

Extracted from an email conversation I recently had, thought it would make for a decent blog.

So you haven't been to California? I think you'd like it. Though there isn't just an "it" to like, there are so many its. Each area is different with so many things to offer. SoCal is great, but I love the San Fran area a lot too. SoCal wins on weather, but I might prefer San Fran and NoCal, and I have a feeling you would too. Lots of great beers, on top of so many fun and interesting things to do and see. Ahhh, perchance to dream....

Noelle loves Cali too, especially L.A., and NYC. She wants to do whatever it takes for us to live in either. If you asked me this second I'd probably go for San Fran, but when you go to places like San Diego, you never wanna leave. It is so nice there, so beautiful and perfect.

We've both lived in Cali. She was married previously (long long ago) and lived in exciting (not) Barstow (her husband was an Army puke). I lived in San Diego...well, I existed there anyway. Three months of boot camp hell doesnt count as living! Then I was just north of SD for a while in infantry school, then a year out in Twenty Nine Palms. That's smack in the middle of the high desert, the Mojave. Near Joshua Tree Nat'l Monument. Nice place to visit if you're into outdoorsmanship or if you're a weirdo. Bad place to live.

Yes I'm just writing a long rambling email. Ava is in Daisy Scouts so I get a few minutes of papa time.

NYC is cool too. Never, ever a lack of cool new places to go, eat, drink, and be merry. Not just wild party places mind you, but an unending sea of cool joints in which to just hang out and chill. Plus all the big events, central park, etc. Weather sucks tho, strong winters. I think maybe I've lost my taste for true winter.

Have you been to NYC? Sorry should have asked. Don't wanna tell you what you already know.

I've never been to the Pac NW so I can't comment on that. Chicago is cool, and if we wanna go rural I can easily live in parts of Colorado, etc. Most other places in the country I think I like visiting, but not to live. Vegas, no way. Don't like "the South" much. Actually Charleston, South Carolina is very nice. We actually looked at houses there (got married there) and had a long shot of getting a job there when I was with Booz Allen (there's military stuff there). But didn't really pursue it hard,and I know in the long run Noelle would have been bored. She likes her cities. I keep telling her then we should go overseas to Hong Kong (lived there) or Tokyo, but she says they are NYC on crack! Ha.

Satori Wars Episode VI: Return of the Buddha?

2008-11-26T21:25:00.004-05:00

This story has been makign the rounds of international news lately:

Nepal 'Buddha Boy' returns to jungle

I think it's pretty safe to say he's not really the reincarnation of Siddhartha Gautama the Buddha. But that's not really the point. The point of Buddhism and the Buddha's teachings is not about awaiting the triumphant return of the king, as in Xianity. No one need the Buddha's return to achieve enlightenment themselves. We each act individually in our quest toward nirvana, and also help others in their own spiritual quests. The ultimate of course is the bodhisattva, the enlightened one who remains with we who are still seeking to help us along.

So no reincarnation is promised, needed, nor do I believe, desired. Buddhists do not 'worship ' the Buddha, they emulate because they too, indeed every single person, can be a Buddha too. We all have a Buddha-nature, is the belief. Plus I think this charlatan somehow distracts and obscures some easy-believing people. They have been focusing on him, rather than their own development.

It is not the greater world nor other people that need to change for us to realize our goals, it is ourselves. Conveniently, Buddhism and Taoism teach that the only thing we can control and change, is ourself. Expending time and energy on a false Buddha is an illogical waste.

Dexy

2008-11-23T02:28:00.002-05:00

Have other topics to blog about later, but for now just want to say how much I miss my dog. Love you Dexter, you were the best boy ever. You'll always be with me, in my heart, at my side, and me at your side. You were a perfect being, living for love and for the moment. You make me believe in an afterlife, because I know we'll be together again. We have to. Somehow, somewhere, someday, we'll walk together again, I'll scratch that spot you like right in front of your ears, that spot on your neck that makes you kick so funny, will give you treats, will rub your belly, and will just sleep in the bed with the whole family. Love you always, always, Dexter.

anguish

2008-11-20T21:50:00.002-05:00

a piece of me died tonight. my dog died, Dexter, my beautiful boxer boy. i love you so much, i miss you. my heart is broken, it will never mend. i love you.

Truly Motivated

2008-11-18T08:56:00.003-05:00

This guy shows some real motivation. As a Marine, I know how physically demanding the life is, and I remember seeing the "fat bodies" in boot camp struggle with cutting their weight and keeping up. So to hear that this guy was motivated and dedicated enough to take on a big weight challenge just to get in.....that's great!

Man drops 140 pounds in 11 months to join Marines

Nice to see the Marine recruiters step up to help him, too. Like the gunny says in the article, you're not helping by telling him to just go away and lose weight. How bout offering some tools and insight to do so? That's what the Marines did. Tell it to the Marines, they say. In this time of sagging recruitment with still pressing needs for Marines, sailors, soldiers, and airmen, it's hard to understand turning away people.

A good lesson here for others too. We have a lot of overweight, unhealthy folks in this country. Heck, we have a lot of people with a whole lot of different problems or issues. We can point fingers, we can laugh and deride, ......or we can help. I'm guilty of derision myself, too. Gotta watch that.

In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is one who attains enlightenment and remains here to help others, everyone actually, to also reach that goal. So we should all be the fitness equivalent of bodhisattvas.

Fit Town

2008-11-17T18:32:00.002-05:00

And we also have a good note:

Burlington, Vt., is healthiest city, CDC says

Nice. Sub-headline says it's due to lots of exercise and proper eating, but......I think it's their proximity to the Magic Hat brewery!

Vermont is a great place: liberal, good beer, great outdoors, and healthy people! Nice.

Fat Town

2008-11-17T18:23:00.002-05:00

Wow, this is pretty disgusting.

W. Virginia town shrugs at being fattest city

I'm not sure what's worse, being the fattest, least healthy, most disgusting city in America, or not caring about it?

I really don't understand how they talk about not being interested in fitness, that it's not part of their culture, lifestyle, or upbringing. And? So? MAKE it part of your lives! I will say that I tried to keep my revulsion in check, and look at this as an opportunity. In two ways. One, for enterprising people to go in and make some bucks helping the community move toward fitness. Two, and more honorably, an opportunity to simply help people. If I had the funds and expertise, I'd go in with a team and fix the town.

Gotta start with the kids, get the right patterns of behavior started early. Also have to begin the education early. Fix the school lunch programs, ensure p.e. is part of school at all grade levels at least a couple times a week, and provide educational materials and forums for their parents.

Adults come second, cuz frankly, they should know better.

Hope lives

2008-11-11T21:55:00.002-05:00

A little late, but I wanted to cheer the country on electing Barack Obama. Noelle and I did a little bit to help: kept ourselves very aware, shared lots of info with friends and family via email, contributed a little money, and attended a big (huge) rally. The rally was in Cleveland, the Sunday before the election, just an intimate gathering of our 80,000 closest friends. Oh, and The Boss was there. Very cool. Obama is much more a Taozen President than McCain woulda been.

So anyway, congrats America on waking up and moving towards real change. Change We Need. Keep Hope Alive. We Did It! Yes We Can and Yes We Did!

Autumn in central Maryland

2008-11-11T21:26:00.007-05:00

Took these pics today just cuz I wanted to capture, in some small way, the wonder that has been this autumn. The conditions have been just right to produce fantastic colors in the leaves. Has reminded me of parts of Michigan, and New England when I was a kid. I snapped all of these on my way home today just spur of the moment, and unfortunately there were many shots I just couldn't get. Also, all were made using my Blackberry Curve 8300's integral camera, not some photog's dream, so the quality is mediocre at best. Oh well. There were some views I saw that were gorgeous: old barns nestled in the trees; full view of a river valley with the rocky stream and all; and more. But again, couldn't capture all them whizzing by on the highway, one had on the wheel, one had pointing my phone out the window.

Flat Belly Farce and Silly Water

2008-10-28T22:48:00.004-04:00

Flat Belly Diet and Sassy Water
Stark's comment: Have you heard about this? Again, why do people think that some special diet by itself is gonna achieve their fitness goals? Most of us do need to improve our diets, but it needs to be a natural diet plan, something nutrionally correct and sustainable. I like the Zone, which is just about perfect. Anyway, the Flat Belly Diet is crap, but the first link to Prevention magazine won't tell you that. Go to the second link, about Sassy Water (more b.s.), and read the comments at the bottom. Good gouge there. Comments are always one of my favorite parts of sites, articles, and blogs. The comments reveal the truth we should all know: the diet is nothing special, and so-called Sassy Water is just a way to dress up regular water. This "diet" makes you actually sign up (and I think pay) to get their "recipe" for Sassy Water. What a joke.

Recent fitness updates

2008-10-28T22:10:00.005-04:00

Been noting some news stories on Yahoo! about various fitness topics. Will share the wealth here. Some common sense stuff, but a few good reminders and tips.

Burn 500 calories in half an hour? Seriously
Stark's comment: Here Bob talks about how spinning (modern term for using a stationary bike at the gym) is good. I'll confirm- yes, it is. I've done a spinning class, and use a cycle on occasion myself. You have to push yourself hard, and do it for at least a real good 15 - 20 min at a pop. But yeah, you'll work up an awesome sweat, and work your legs and core pretty good.

The Banana Diet myth
Stark's comment: Shocker alert- it doesn't work! Just in case anyone out there would actually believe this kind of crap fad diet, it's bogus, which the author here sums up nicely.

Worst appetizer in America: One order of cheese fries can be the calorie equivalent of 21 fast-food hamburgers
Stark's comment: We try to deny it, but eating this crap is killing us.

Restart

2008-10-28T21:56:00.009-04:00

Okay I'm sort of restarting my blog, changing focus and feel. I deleted a couple old posts about some tragic stories. Sad things occur, and we shouldn't ignore them, but- I can't focus so much on them anymore.

So let's talk Tao, Zen, fitness, progressive/liberal issues.......let's go!

A warrior's return

2008-02-27T11:04:00.010-05:00

Got some good news this morning, one of my best friends got back from Iraq last night. So he's home, safe, sound, and alive. 1stSgt Mike Burke, USMC, infantry company First Sergeant out of 3rd Marines in Hawaii. Burke and I first met at Marine Security Guard School way back in early '95. He was a Lance Corporal, me a Corporal, and after completing the school we were both assigned to Africa. I went to Gaborone, Botswana, and he to Bujumbura, Burundi: the stinky sphincter hole of the world.

Don't get me wrong- I LOVED Africa, can't wait to go back to visit or even live for a while. But at the time, Burundi was in the midst of civil war and genocide, so it wasn't exactly an "Akuna Mathata" Disney African wonderland. Machine guns, grenades, and disease were apparently as common as anything else. Poor people, they really suffered back then (and continue to), and unfortunately the world community didn't do enough to help end the suffering. I'm sure I'll write more about Africa in the future.

We kept in touch across the distance. He next went to Madrid, and a little later I stopped there to visit while on leave enroute to my next post in Hong Kong. Had a great time in Madrid- saw an actual bullfight at the Plaza del Toros, etc. We stayed in touch and have visited through the years.

Burke is a warrior's warrior, a super-fit, multi-discplined martial artist, recon-trained, expert rifleman, Marine's Marine with the legacy of his dad (rest in peace) having retired as a Marine Sergeant Major. Pretty impressive. At the same time Burke is a big sci-fi dork like me, and we have spent as much time discussing the intricacies of Star Trek as we have drinking beers and looking at pretty girls. Burke also introduced me to CrossFit, which is a....no, the best, most hardcore and effective fitness program there is. I'm not fully up to it yet, but it's my goal. He also influenced me back toward martials arts, which I'm glad to say has become a big part of my life.

I was pretty worried about him going to Iraq, but am glad he's back and safe. A good friend.

Here's to hoping that more of our dedicated warrior men and women make it back safe and sound from Iraq, from this terrible, misguided, deceptive war. I love the troops (I was one), but not their current political leaders.

The blog that can be written, is not the eternal blog...

2008-02-20T13:05:00.001-05:00

Hello, this is my first ever blog. I don't know what to expect, and won't make any promises about it yet. I'll probably toy with it for a while before posting anything worthwhile. Chances are that I will write about my family, martial arts, Tao and Zen, progressive politics, Redskins, microbrews, the Marine Corps, etc. I haven't lasted too long in my other web 2.0 ventures- I started but got bored with MySpace and Facebook pretty quickly. I would much rather spend my time in other wasteful activities like Wiki-surfing and solving world problems over copious amounts of microbrews. Apparently I like to talk a lot so maybe blogging will help relieve close family and friends from having to put up with my rants and lectures.

So perhaps someone out there will cross my path and read, perhaps not. Wei wu wei, Action without action. I'll be content to simply ruminate in silence and solitude. Bye for now.