Thankful for the timing

There's a trend on Facebook right now to every day list something you're thankful for. Something I'm very appreciative of, but couldn't reduce to a little status update, is the timing of my life.







Growing up, we could ride bikes around out neighborhood. There were maybe a dozen TV channels that worked, and most signed off in the late evening. You were able to buy meat easily at the store, unlike just a few decades before, where it was harder to come by; that meat was still 'free range' and full of omega-3's, unlike the rapid growth grain fed warehouse crap you get today.







We DID stuff. Want everybody's status update? Plan a beach party. Usually, most people came. We'd forage around for wood, save up for marshmallows, claim a fire ring early---maybe go for a sunset swim in the surf with no lifeguards around. Nobody felt the need to bring alcohol; I doubt we would have put up with anyone who did. There'd be some innocent pairing up and sharing blankets around the fire. We'd all go home smelling like a fire ring.






We'd take some trips too. Elsinore, Catalina, Glamis, Skiing. We had friends with toys, friends that could entertain, friends that were the planners, friends that could fix stuff, friends that could wire stuff. Oh and people that would take pictures.







I don't want my kids to look back on their young adult time and only remember time in front of a computer game. I hope they have lasting friendships, photos of their own, memories. I'm thankful for the internet, FB and blogging now; I'm thankful none of this was around back then, so the choice was lie on the couch at home or plan something and get outside. Our generation is unique in that we can post, on the internet, a whole bunch of stuff we did before there was any internet.

All That, and a Bag of Chips!

Thanks, Keeka, for the photo. As of yet the chips that've made Patrick famous haven't reached Sandy Eggo.
Patrick is an exceptional student, can do pull-ups until he gets bored, back had-springs; is full of empathy and is just an all around good kid. But his 15 minutes of fame is from being the right place at the right time.
His friend Ethan's mom applied for and was awarded the National Geographic/Sunchips green grant, and Patrick was there when they did the photo shoot. Pretty cool!

Family Time

We reached that milestone that I'm sure every family across America goes through...You know, where Dad spent all day teaching obstetrical emergencies for the Fire Department, then brings the rubber pelvis home and decides it's high time the kids learned somethin' about birthin' babies. They were pretty unsure about the whole thing.

















We had an OB kit to use, but we talked about what you could improvise if need be--shoelaces to tie off the umbilical cord, and so on. The manikin is pretty complete. It's very hard to get the baby through and it requires a lot of help. We even practiced a nuchal cord delivery.














No one was mentally prepared for the placenta delivery, but Patrick quickly discovered rubber placentas make good frisbees. Who knew?













Everyone wanted a turn holding the newborn. They already had good swaddling skills. I'm pretty sure what they really learned tonight was, if a very pregnant woman calls for help, run away. Oh well, I tried.

The War For Dependence

I'm out of touch. In a facebook conversation, I was defending capitalism. Seems it's blamed for unhappiness and loneliness, and our nation's obsession with greed.
Tried to make the point that from what I've learned about human nature, capitalism is a great way to reward hard work, risk taking, and persistence. I was astounded how quickly the questions started coming---"What is hard work and risk taking? Why do you put a value on those things? What about love, understanding, and helping others? Don't you want everybody to be insured?"
Ironically, it was Veteran's day but I decided not to be patronising...I tried to explain that everything---new medicines, solar panels, turkey basters---all come from entrepreneurial roots. The government can't produce anything, just redistribute it.
I'm now told that people only work because they have some personal need to do so. I was sadly mistaken---America is a 'free' country because the government gives us free stuff, as long as we vote for democrats. It's as if the wild rats are trying to put themselves in cages--sure, they can't roam and find life's adventure, but as long as they are sheltered and fed, who cares?
I love the opportunity to work hard. I think work elevates dignity. I like to build and say, "I built that!" I like to work overtime and realize I can take my family for vacation. I like to earn some extra and donate it to what I see is a worthy cause. I like to volunteer my time---be it the Lake Board, Hospice, Blood Bank, whatever.
I hate that our government takes so much money away from me and spends it on things I don't support. School breakfast and lunch programs that feed our kids crap. After school programs that make it so parents don't have to raise their kids. Environmental laws that do nothing to protect the environment. I could go on.
This is not the freedom our veterans fought for. Madison was right---As soon as people figure out they can vote themselves money, a democracy fails. Man, they tried to block the tyranny of the majority through the constitution.
The vast majority of Americans treasure their freedom and sense this 'healthcare reform' is the biggest threat to it in our lifetime. I sure hope the 'representatives' do what's right.

Charlie's Back!

This is Charlie. Charlie shows up every year about this time. I'm not exactly sure where he comes from; I just come home from work and there he is on the porch. He never comes inside (not when I'm home at least) and he's pretty quiet. I guess he lost his job as the chef he was dressed as last year, and opted for a more laid back lifestyle. In any event, welcome back, Charlie.

Green Effect winner

PHOTOS










FINALIST VIDEO




Green Classroom Party Kits
Submitted by: triciaoe
Julian Elementary School
Julian Elementary, Julian, CA
Greeneffect WinnerThe average elementary classroom has 25 holiday and birthday parties per year—usually accompanied with disposable plates, cups, and plastic forks/ spoons purchased by the parent or teacher. Think of all that waste…and then multiply that by 14-21 classrooms per school. And multiply that by the number of schools across the county, state, and country….

We can’t cancel all celebrations (that would be just wrong!) – so how can we find a way to party without getting literally trashed?

Twenty thousand dollars would create a $200 Green Classroom Party Kit (washable white plates, clear cups, and silverware, in a rolling storage container) for each classroom at our school. After use, children learn to scrape plates, pack them in the rolling cooler, take it to a staff room or cafeteria, wash, and then re-set for the next party or food activity. The kit would be housed in the classroom, for use year after year.

Because we believe this idea is unique, easily replicable and could catch on with some publicity, we would also create 80 more prototype kits to put in 80 more public elementary schools spread throughout San Diego county (1/5 of public elementary schools). Student leaders would work with parents to create, distribute, and educate about the positive environmental impact and financial savings of these “green classroom party kits.”

School culture is beginning to change with recycling and reducing---but what about re-using? This is an easy way to start----that’s something to celebrate!

Why I will oppose legalizing marijuana

I know, it seems contrary to good conservative principles. The government should not decide what's best for us, and if we choose to do something harmful, we should take responsibility for our actions. We are losing more freedom with every new 'program' and associated tax hike as it is.
"Registered to vote in California?" I was badgered on the way in to Walmart. "It's a petition to legalize pot. We'll balance the budget with the taxes it would raise!" No, thanks... "Don't you support freedom?"
Grrr...Of course. I'm in a hurry and want to get my cheap Chinese products and split. There is no WAY I'll be able to explain to you that submitting to drug use isn't liberating but enslaving....Any more than I could explain that sexual liberty just enslaves you to your libido and the true freedom lies in monogamy or for the really strong, celibacy....But all that is beside the point.
Raise your hand if you don't think drunk driving is a problem. Did you know that driving under the influence of marijuana doubles your likelihood of causing an accident? Did you know that drivers that have caused a fatal accident are three times more likely to be THC intoxicated than the general population? When you add alcohol too, the numbers skyrocket?
Drunk driving is enough of a problem. There IS one advantage, though---quantifying at what point you are 'intoxicated'. Here in California, it's .08% blood alcohol (Actually since I have a class 'B' license, for me it's .01%!)
Pot is a strange drug in that, the more someone uses it, the less is needed for the intoxicating effect. How do you quantify that? Convictions for driving under the influence of Marijuana are very difficult. There is no rapid screen, no cut-off concentration. There is only the officer's subjective opinion---pretty easy to fight in court. "He smelled like pot, acted stoned, and was very hungry, your honor"
I've responded to some horrible accidents where the driver that caused it is obviously stoned, and finds the whole scene really funny.
How much tax revenue is enough to justify a spike in fatal accidents? Do we really want TWO legal intoxicants that have a synergistic effect? With all the problems facing our country, do you really want to expend your energy trying to get high---legally?

Getting to know folks

I used to believe the best way to really get to know somebody was to share an inheritance with them. That's still probably true, but very limited usefulness since there are too few people I share an inheritance with...There is another useful tool, though, and a larger subset of the population----dog owners.
This is NOT an absolute. It's just clue, sort of a 'heads-up'. I can already think of exceptions to this, so I'm open to other views on this.
People with happy dogs are pleasant people. If I run a 911 call to someone's house and the retriever brings me a tennis ball, it's a good bet those are going to be kind, compassionate people. If the family dog is something vicious, they will be suspicious edgy type folks. Be careful. If they have small yappy dogs, they will be loud, close talkers and not good listeners. Maybe they've gone deaf. I've noticed people with hyperactive dogs tend to be fitness minded; I haven't made the connection yet as to why.
If you own cats, you're staff. Snakes, spiders, scorpions--- If you are an adult and your life revolves around these as pets, I'm going to keep my distance. Fish people live a long time.

Tall poppies and a bucket full o' crabs.

We watch on average 2 hours of television. Per week. We are usually getting something else done that doesn't require too much concentration so we don't just sit with our eyes glued. A show AnnaMarie and I both like is Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations". We like how he brings you to a place. We like how he gets to know locals and targets the poorer quarters where the food is great and the people are happy.
We don't like Sweden.

Well, Sweden's actually just fine. What was bothersome was the attitude Bourdain gleaned from the Swedes, and he built the program around it----the attitude of "Lagom"......"You Americans are always thinking you are so great and better and want more and more things, the biggest cars, big refridgerators. Here, we are all about 'Lagom'. Just enough. Just give me enough so I can get by"
Here's the thing---if you want to live a minimalist lifestyle, that's terrific. There are many benefits. If you want to insist others live that way too, I have a problem with that.
Obama ran and won on a platform I saw as anti-American. He has been vocal about not wanting to promote American exceptionalism. If we are the same as the second world contries, no one will want to hurt us. As Americans we should settle for "Just enough" and let the government re-distribute the extra. The Tall Poppy is the first noticed, but when the other poppies start talking, who is it they want to tear down? Do they strive to grow tall too or just want all poppies the same?
Did you know you can throw one crab in a bucket and he'll crawl out and scuttle away---but you can fill a bucket to the brim with live crabs and not lose a single one? They are so set on clawing their way to the top they continually pull each other back in. None escape.
The moral high ground of Lagom is, you are only expending enough resources to get by. For those of us that want to do more with our lives than just 'get by', we are like the crab trying to climb out, or the tallest poppy just trying to do our best. If you want to embrace Lagom, just study Jante's Law. It's a good way to keep everybody down. If, however, you think hard work should be rewarded and applauded, if you think there are distinct advantages to exceptionalism, then do all you can to encourage it.
To me, what makes our nation great and free and the tall poppy is, anybody the works hard and works smart can succeed.

Where the levees broke

New Orleans was a working vacation. The DHS User's Working Group meets a few times a year, always a different location. Typically some tours are planned for exposure to local response challenges to help our group understand technology needs...One of our tours this trip was to the very spot the levees failed, and the nearby pumping station. This is a giant sluice gate on the levee built since Katrina.





Bad picture, but I was trying to stand on the barricade and not fall into traffic; the actual spot the levee breached is blocked by the cab of the passing pickup. Note the water level, in a dry month, relative to the neighborhood.







The cemeteries are all crypts. The water table is too high for burial. You can see what levels the floodwaters stained the crypts. These are great, spooky cemeteries.






Looking up the canal. Lake Pontchartrain is just on the other side. The pumping station is to the left, an abandoned (soon to be demolished) condo complex to the right. Here's how it works---New Orleans is in a giant bowl, much of it below sea level. The three main canals normally drain water from the city into the lake. When it rains a lot, the lake rises and the canals flow backwards towards the city. They can close the sluice gates and pump the water away from the city. This station can pump 9,200 cubic feet of water every second, with 12' of head pressure. That's a lot----at that rate you could pump Lake Cuyamaca dry in ten minutes.






Want to buy a house? The levee in the backyard is the one that failed. You can still see lots of the Urban Search and rescue marks on the exterior walls; some were from task force 8 (my team, from San Diego) but I didn't get any pictures of them unfortunately.

New Orleans

I couldn't get AnnaMarie away from the crab boil pot....Incredible smells. Mostly good.















Eating on the balcony of Bourbon Street. Every meal we've had has been outstanding






















Audubon Park. There are little canals everywhere feeding the tail end of the Mississippi River.

















Anne and Gary Are a couple of friends from the User's Working group. They joined us for dinner the first night
















"Shotgun houses"..... One theory is the name comes from an African word "Shogun" for the tribal longhouses