The Laughing Wolf

About Frelling Time!

This week’s TV Guide reports that filming is getting ready to start on a Farscape miniseries that will help tie up loose ends – and I fervently hope will set the stage for movies and more. If you missed it, the show was simply the best science fiction show ever done: superb acting, writing, directing, production, and effects. Even cancelled, it continued to win awards. It died an ugly death when the show, fans, and production company got screwed over by Vivendi Universal, EM.TV, and their minion the SciFi Channel. Since it is not bloody likely that SciFi will or should air the miniseries, at least not until there have been some high-level changes there, the most likely route will be syndication. I hope they do it, do it well, and that things boom for them. I hope they make tons of money off the series, the miniseries and any movies or other events, merchandising, conventions, and more. What is more, I hope they take the spreadsheet with the figures on it and run around the offices of those who did them – and us – so badly going Nah Nah. Who, me childish and bearing grudges? Nah.

Hey, all of you involved in the shameful cancellation shenanigans: Nani Nani Boo Boo!

Bite me. The fans, and the show, win in the end. May you all get it in the end too.

-30-

Master and Commander

I have not gone to see a lot of movies of late, and had I known that Universal was involved I might have had second thoughts this time. That said, however, I am very glad I went. The acting is good, there was good cinematography, and a good story to boot. No spoilers here, but I will say that it is well worth seeing on the big screen. In fact, the story was good enough that I have bought the books and begun reading them. Usually, movies from books fail to measure up, but in this case they did such a good job with the movie that I figure the books have to be pretty good. So far, so good and I will post a review of the books once I’ve had a chance to see how they pan out.

-30-

Welcome To Food For Thought Saturday

Saturday at the Laughing Wolf is a day for good news and food for thought. This got started because of my Blogfather, Joe Katzman, and his good-news-only posts on Saturday. While we will post other news if it is needed, our hope is to keep Saturday’s a fun day, a philosophical day as much as we can. So, enjoy the food for thought, and while you are at it, go check out Sufi Wisdom at Winds of Change. Enjoy your day.

LW

Tis The Season

Yep, it is the season, and I have uttered my first Bah Humbug! As the holiday season starts, take a moment and think what it is you are doing, and the spirit in which you do it.

I say this after encountering my first holiday wonder couple. On the day after Thanksgiving, I try to stay as far away from major shopping areas as is humanly possible. I am a sadist, not a masochist, and derive no pleasure from the madness that is the major shopping day of the year. Yesterday, I did venture out a bit in search of food for cooking this weekend, and made one of my normal stops for coffee.

Where I get my coffee is in a small shopping area, and as it turns out one of the stores was having some sort of six hour sale, and as it was almost noon and the end of the sale, pandemonium reigned. I was coming into the parking lot, gladly exiting the madness that was the major street in the area – which happens to be a feeder road for one of the major shopping malls – when I encountered them.

Coming in off the street, I had no stop sign but has slowed down because of the obvious traffic within the lot and a suspicion about what was to happen. Sure enough, as I came in a car moved, and the SUV behind them elected to run the stop sign without ever once looking ahead. While it was not unexpected, I did have to hit the breaks and I also beeped my horn. My horn, and my saying “Sir, you ran a stop sign” got me a violent outburst from the older man behind the wheel, and a quick flip off from his wife. He then proceeded to try to hit me or force me to hit him. I declined, and probably did not help things by smiling and shaking my head at the couple.

I could take a number of accurate if cheap shots right now, about overcompensation and such. I mean, the SUV was a large one, covered in university stickers, and there was the immediate behavior that occurred. Yet, I will avoid them and ask the following questions?

If you were late for the sale, why? It started at 0600 hours after all, so why should the rest of the world fall away simply because of your poor planning?

Did trying to cause an accident with me (and also apparently with others) do you any good in finding a space and making it in on time to the sale?

Did the temper do you any good in any way at all?

Do you truly practice any of the religions that celebrate at this time of the year? I ask simply because your behavior represents none of them, or what they try to espouse this time of year.

The holidays are not an easy time, and the things going on right now are not going to help this at all. There are sales, demands on time, traffic, and loads of people acting like idiots or worse. Think not only about the message you project, but also about your soul/karma/etc. Are you really doing yourself any good?

Instead of devolving into the masses, try a different approach. Plan ahead as much as possible, allow extra time, and really confuse most people by showing courtesy and consideration. Do this by using your turn signal appropriately; give the right of way; yield; use a turn signal and merge like the signs tell you to do; if you make a mistake, really freak them out by apologizing, and not mouthing off and flipping off; open doors for strangers; show courtesy, manners, and breeding; and, remember that good will towards all is what most of the celebrations are all about. Share it, spread it, live it. It is good for you, it is good for the world, and it is good for your soul in more than one way.

Contrast the wonder couple above with what happened a few minutes later. The driver in the car in front of me and I both spotted cars pulling out. With a few quick and friendly hand signals, we placed dibs on the spaces and worked together to get them. Both of us were parked quickly, efficiently, and with some good cheer. Our signs were waves and thumbs up, not flips. A good time, and good spaces, were had by all.

No matter which religion you practice, remember the reasons for the season. Share them, not just with lip service, but with all that you do.

Bah Humbug! A happy one, to you.

-30-

Food For Thought: Thanksgiving Edition

Thanksgiving is upon us, and it is indeed time to stop, think, take stock, and be thankful for all that we do have. No matter what is going on in our lives, we do have much for which to be thankful, as I have been reminded the last few days.

This may seem strange to some, but it is true none-the-less. No, this year past has not been at all what I planned. My job at NASA went away when I was not made an offer to continue. I passed on one job and took another that went away before I ever started. I resumed full-time freelancing, but that is a choice with lots of ups and downs. The year, therefore, has not been as financially rewarding as years past. I have known people who have died, and I know people who are dying. Instead of being with family as planned, I am by myself because I appear to have picked up a bug somewhere along the way. My shoulder and knee are still keeping me from doing all that I would like to do, and that is extremely frustrating, not to mention painful. I have made the decision not to fly solo or as pilot-in-command because of the hypoglycemia, and have walked away from that part of my life. I am also by myself this day because I have not yet found my other half.

Yet, despite the litany of all that is not perfect, I have much for which to be thankful. Each of us does, no matter how bad things seem to us or to others. Let’s sit down, take stock, and give thanks.

A Day Late, Dollar Short

Sorry for the delay, but three things have conspired. First, I was under the weather most of this week, and am still not 100 percent. Second, I am out of town to be with a friend who -- as usual -- did a great job on something, which unfortunately this time was a concussion. Third, I am on dial-up with a not too great connection. I miss DSL...

More later, and I apologize for being a day late with the Food for Thought Saturday.

LW

Way Of The Wolf: Encouraging Positive Change

In almost every discussion of the need for change, the thing that is most often brought up is a negative: a behavior or belief that is deemed inappropriate. The problem for most attempts at remediation is that everything remains focused on the negative, and seldom on the positive.

Almost every major religion fixates on the negative: sin, blasphemy, and disbelief in some form or another, and almost every one has strong measures to be taken against such, both in this world and the next. Many major philosophies follow this same model, identifying poor behavior and calling for it to be eliminated. Every major political party in the world does the same, demonizing the opposition and positioning things as an either/or proposition. Many so-called “action” groups do the same, and boycotts – or stronger – are often called for as the remedy.

Think about this for a moment. What everyone concentrates upon is the negative, and most often calling for a negative response to this negative. Engineers understand feedback loops, and to make an engineer cringe, start a discussion on the virtues of negative feedback loops. Yet, in our philosophical and spiritual lives, we have a strong tendency to fall into a pattern that is exactly that, and often has the same catastrophic consequences.

What is needed is not more negative, but a moderating force of positive. Evil must be identified and destroyed, but if that is the only focus of our efforts, what will we achieve? In truth, we will not achieve much. In our fixation on what we regard as bad, wrong, or evil, we loose focus and can become that which we fight. Instead, what we need to do is to put equal focus on the good.

Good must be encouraged, highlighted, and held up as a beacon for the world. Not as a thing to be worshipped or deified, but as an example to strive for and a thing to be rewarded and emulated.

One way to do this is through a reverse boycott. As we list companies, countries, and other things to avoid as a means of economic protest, take the time to list those companies, countries, and things to encourage. For example, I encourage people to boycott French products and companies because of the actions of the French government. Yet, I fail to list alternatives to support, which should include Spanish wines and cheeses to replace French. Spain has been a steadfast ally and key player in the War on Terror and in the current front in Iraq. Their wines are superb and I can highly recommend many of their cheeses as well.

Look at the things that matter to you in your life. Are you fixating only on the negative, and failing to reward the good? If so, start looking at ways to reward the good that is around you, or that you identify in the world. Support those who agree with you or uphold the best of what you think is good. Push the positive twice as hard as the bad, and you not only support that which you think is good, you also remove publicity and support for what is bad. You may well be surprised at the difference this can make.

-30-

Go Read Lileks Now!

He is in rare form today, taking on the non-coverage of what has to be the major policy speech of this phase of the war on terror, to a delightful response to the snide and puerile letter to the President from the darling of the blogosphere, Salam Pax. His response is everything I wanted, but much nicer and much more devastating. The only letter I truly enjoyed out of all the filth was the one from Frederick Forsyth. Think I will have to go buy one of his books as a way of saying thanks and rewarding him.

LW

What A Speech

One nice thing about being under the weather a bit was that I got to watch the President’s speech this morning. I will leave detailed analysis to others, but the key points as I saw them were:

1. A commitment to international operations and organizations, provided they do what they are supposed to do. This was a warning to the UN that it needs to get relevant. Note the NATO comments and context
2. A warning to European leaders (France, Germany, others) that they need to shape up and fly right.
3. A clear message to Arafat that he is gone as far as the U.S. is concerned
4. A clear message to Israel that certain things need to change there too
5. A reminder to all of what is at stake, and what must be done to deal with various integrated problems. Some nice historical analogies in there, subtle but powerful.

Quite a speech. The implications here are profound. Now we see how the Old Media tries to spin it, and how Old Europe and the terrorist clique try to spin and wail. Anyone who does not get that this was a major policy speech is dismissed from class, and sent down a grade or two. Interesting.

LW

Snow Or Tornado: Some Thoughts On A Storm

I got an e-mail from a friend this morning, who has to deal with snow a great deal and wondered if they might not prefer dealing with the occasional tornado. I thought I would share my reply, even if it is a bit rough:

Having lived with both, I will take snow. Snow is a pain, it is cold, it can clog and block, and it can collapse structures if care isn't taken. Tornadoes, on the other hand, chew up large sections of landscape, drive leaves and pine needles through bodies and boards, rip off roofs and walls, and generally reign havoc on the world. I've been concerned recently because the last time this area was this unseasonably warm, this humid, this late in the year was when a large tornado took urban renewal into its own "hands" and revitalized a large chunk of south Huntsville. And points west and east. Quite a few dead, millions/billions in property damage, and some things never found. It happened right as I was moving here for the first time, and a friend drove me through the worst hit area a week or two later. There was an apartment complex on the side of a ridge, and one wall had been sheered off as with a knife and you could see into all the apartments in one or two blocks of buildings. It was like carpet bombing, but without the craters. Because this town tends to see tornadoes on a regular basis, they are a bit weather cautious -- some might even say panicky and overly sensationalistic. Ifni only knows that I pretty much don't watch one station here anymore because of how they do severe weather (among other things), but they do have a right to be as they are. Before moving here, I had been through only a couple of tornadoes. Since moving here, I've been through quite a few, mostly small, and that is quite enough, thank you.
*****

It is good that the weather was not as bad as predicted, and that the damage is not worse. The National Weather Service is now saying the tornado spotted in south Huntsville/Redstone Arsenal was not a tornado but just straight line winds. I am going to take that with a small grain of salt simply because this area is a highly political subject for the National Weather Service, but agree that if it was indeed a tornado it was only a small one. Not all were as lucky as we were here, but all in all this area and most of the state seems to have gotten lucky yesterday. For that, I will indeed be thankful next week and now.

LW

Storm Blog

Well, it is 1306 hours and the sirens have gone off. The double line of storms has hit the area, and has hit a bit more than originally predicted. There is a tornado in the south side of Huntsville, may be the one that went south of us just a few minutes ago. Wind got bad for a brief bit, and a very short amount of heavy rain, but has almost stopped for now. Not sure how interesting this will get, but will update as appropriate.

LW

1311 hours: Tornado confirmed on the ground at Redstone Arsenal/Marshall Space Flight Center, moving into south Huntsville.

1315 hours: Things calm here, but the tornado is just to the east of south Memorial Parkway. Significant winds (straight line?) reported north Memorial Parkway, north Huntsville. Sirens going off here again, but nothing on radar. If you live in South Huntsville, you need to be in shelter and not reading a bloody blog.

1320 hours: Strong winds, indicated at 70 mph via radar, reported in souther Lincoln County, Tennessee. Possibly also in northern Madison County in Alabama. Siren has, thankfully, stopped here.

1326 hours: Worst seems to be past for now. Large power outage reported in south Huntsville by Huntsville Utilities. Good news to share is that the tornado that hit in Tuscaloosa, home of the other university in Alabama, produced no -- repeat -- no injuries. No word on damage.

1330 hours: If you live south of Huntsville, along the line of Guntersville, Boaz, etc., hang on to your socks. If you live east and northeast of Huntsville around Maysville, Paint Rock, and Skyline, stay in your shelters. It appears very bad south of here, which is where they initially expected the problems, so stay safe.

1333 hours: The two storm lines, one running east and one running north, are merging north and east of Huntsville. If you live north of Gurley, around New Market and points east and north of Maysville and New Market, hit the shelter and stay there for a while. Things can happen very suddenly when two systems meet like this, and you may hear things coming before you can see them. Be careful.

1338 hours: The worst appears to be past Huntsville and heading east for the most part. This is a line of storms that extends from Nashville to Huntsville to Birmingham to Montgomery. I am going to hand things off the the Georgia bloggers, and any bloggers in central and east Tennessee. Hang on to your socks, and they report heavy rain on the way behind the storms. Take care, and be safe!

A Quick Note To Bell South

A month ago, I switched my long distance to IDT. As a part of this, I called and had all blocks removed. I had placed said blocks to avoid being slammed.

Tonight, I get a bill from MCI because one block had not been removed. I then am told by a representative that the block had not been removed because MCI controls all blocks, not me the customer. Bull. It took almost an hour, and a lot of hassle to get that removed, and I am not a happy camper.

There is a great deal of competition for local service now, and this is a good way to ensure that I start investigating it. To tell me that a block I placed is the property of and controlled by the company that used to have my long distance account is ridiculous. I wonder what the other local service providers have to say on this subject. I think I am going to find out…

LW

Some Quick Thoughts

First, I am going to be discontinuing comments for now. Seems a spammer or three are abusing my bandwidth so until I have the time to get the MT anti-spam stuff up and running, I am just going to shut down comments

Second, I was relieved to see Judge Roy Moore gone, though he will be back in politics. What he was trying to do was dangerous, and I have no doubt that he can ride the issue to high office in the state. Feh.

Third, while I haven’t seen anything on it in about a week, there was a brief flash in local coverage of the case of Child Abductive Services and Marta Alonzo, a teenage mother and child they separated. This case, out of Athens, Alabama, has drawn the attention of Misha, myself, and others and it has gotten even weirder. According to the Huntsville Times, DHR was presented as saying, in best China style, that continuing publicity could hurt the mother and chances for a reunion. According to Channel 48 that night, there was a rally and it was said that the people who originally took the child were not DHR, but that no charges had been filed. Other stories say that the agency did reverse itself and say that they were DHR employees. My thoughts on the DHR comments in the paper, especially given that they have both the mother, who is a minor, and the child in separate custody, are that such do DHR and the state little credit and raise a LOT of questions. As does the fact that if the original takers were not DHR, then why haven’t arrest warrants been issued, and if they were why was it denied for so long? Maybe this needs Federal investigation for possible kidnapping or other malfeasance? At the least, it needs a lot of light shined on it to drive away the darkness.

Fourth, I will make this simple comment on the chickenblogger fracas. I don’t consider myself a warblogger, simply because I don’t think that action/violence/war should be the first thing a person considers. It may have to be the first action taken, but never the first or only consideration. That said, and acknowledging that I have never served my country in uniform, I will say the following: Back when Iran was holding our people hostage, I was in AFROTC and going into the military was very much a part of my plans. This did not keep me from going to the proper officer and volunteering to serve in any potential rescue operation, and stating that I was willing to take enlistment to do so. My offer was declined, on the basis that there were already some very well trained people involved in such an effort, and for the fact that my initial training could not possibly be finished in time to have me take part in any possible action in regards this issue. When the first Gulf War broke out, I made a backchannel offer once again to serve, and once again offered to accept enlistment rather than commission in order to do so. My offer was, probably wisely, declined. While I have never served in uniform, I have been willing to do so and remain willing to do so, if they will take someone in somewhat worn condition. Call me a proud chickenhawk…

That’s all for now. Thanks for all who continue to visit, and for the patience of all.

LW

Welcome To Food For Thought Saturday

Saturday at the Laughing Wolf is a day for good news and food for thought. This got started because of my Blogfather, Joe Katzman, and his good-news-only posts on Saturday. While we will post other news if it is needed, our hope is to keep Saturday’s a fun day, a philosophical day as much as we can. So, enjoy the food for thought, and while you are at it, go check out Sufi Wisdom at Winds of Change. Enjoy your day.

LW

Way Of The Wolf: What Are You In Life?

In modern life, it seems like everyone is Master of this, Expert at that, or Lord of this other thing. We all want to be recognized for our expertise, knowledge, or other good qualities, yet in so doing it is easy to overreach.

No one is an expert in everything, nor should one try to present oneself as the ultimate authority on any one subject. It is impossible to know a great deal about all subjects, and while you may truly be an expert on one subject, how can you possibly know that you are the ultimate expert on it? There may well be, and likely is, someone out there who knows something on that subject that you don’t.

With the advent of the Internet, there is also a tendency to declare oneself Master, Expert, Lord, or some other title without any real practical experience. Everything is learned, read, and “done” on the Internet without any real-world experience. Without roots in the real world, and without real-world practical experience, this simply cannot be.

Instead of declaring oneself as something higher, consider this instead: declare yourself a student. When a student visits a group or place, they are expected to learn. People will often go out of their way to help them with the process, to be sure that they have mastered fine points, subtleties, and other catches in that particular thing, whatever it may be. People share the little things, the important things, that often don’t make it into books or postings; and, they share the wisdom that goes with the knowledge. This is a priceless thing, and a true Master at anything seeks it with a passion.

If you are indeed a leader, an expert, a master, a lord or whatever, it will be seen in your actions. You will show your knowledge, and your wisdom, in your actions and will not have to brag about it. You will show your true status by how you share your knowledge, your wisdom, and the fruits of your efforts. By this you will be judged, and how you act, write, or do will show you for what you truly are in life. Let others award you titles.

As for me, I am proud simply to be a student, in all things

-30-

Thank You

Male and Female, you each answered duty's call
Powder, pitcher, shot, and earth
You did what had to be done
Hearth is warm, safe from harm

Sacrifice you made, so others live
Health, limb, life, and mind
Gave you all, of your all
Lands are free, evil gone

We remember you all this day
Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines
Coastguard too, protects our seas
Each served with honor bright

Remember we must this day
The sacrifice made by few
For many to see a new day
Thank you is not enough
Thank you is all we can say

Thank you all
Each and every one a Man
Stand tall
In memory bright

Remember this day all who served, living and dead. If you value your freedoms, give a veteran thanks.

LW

Anniversaries and Changes

About one year ago my job at NASA went away. Depending on how you count it, about seven months ago I started this blog. Both issues are important, at least to me, and both have relevance to what is to come.

Welcome To Food For Thought Saturday

Saturday at the Laughing Wolf is a day for good news and food for thought. This got started because of my Blogfather, Joe Katzman, and his good-news-only posts on Saturday. While we will post other news if it is needed, our hope is to keep Saturday’s a fun day, a philosophical day as much as we can. So, enjoy the food for thought, and while you are at it, go check out Sufi Wisdom at Winds of Change. Enjoy your day.

LW

A Verse For Thought

Green and white
within my tea
Who knew?

An Open Letter To Ms. Jessica Lynch

I wish that Trent Telenko had been wrong. I wish that I had been wrong. I will not insult you by saying that I am sorry for what has happened, because what was done was not the result of action or inaction on my part. My sincere hope is that those who abused you have paid the ultimate price, or will do so shortly. I regret what happened, just as I regret every injury and death in any military campaign.

In the purest of military terms you are right, you are not a hero. You did not heroically resist those who attacked your unit, for you did not have the chance to do so. It is difficult to be a hero when unconscious or incapacitated. Your weapon was useless, and that was both your fault and very much the fault of the various COs in your chain of command.

CoTV Is Up!

5{ day late yet again. Things have been interesting here.

The Carnival of the Vanities is up with a lot of good posts from a number of blogs that don't get the traffic they should. Go on over and sample the delights, and remember that next week's will be at Dead Ends.

LW

Practical Preparedness: Some Final Thoughts On Bugging Out

Or staying put, as the case may be. I know many of you are rolling your eyes and that there are private comments aplenty about getting backpacks and camping gear. That is your choice, but I will make just a couple more suggestions.

A Democrat I Can Respect

And often do so. Zell Miller was on Fox and Friends this morning, and he got me to laughing so hard I thought I was going to come off the treadmill at the gym. Now, I was originally a Georgia boy, and have watched him for years, and what went on today was vintage Zell.

He did the super southern bit, but made some very telling points. It is no wonder the DNC and the Georgia Democratic Party are upset with him: He has called it straight as he sees it, and what is worse from their viewpoint, is that it is how a lot of the voters see it. He is the boy calling out that the Emperor has no clothes, and they can’t stand it.

Take a look at what he says, what he has done, and you will see a truly effective politician, sometimes even a statesman. Take a good look, because unless something happens I think you are going to see a lot more of Zell in the days ahead.

I must disagree with him a bit on one thing. He apparently has said that the leaked memo from the intelligence committee is the next thing to/first cousin to treason. He is right on saying that the Democrats need to do much more than just say that they are sorry they got caught and asking how it got leaked. I must respectfully say, however, that I think a valid case may be made for treason.

America is at war, and the survival of the Republic is at risk both from internal and external threats. The memo clearly shows one of the internal threats, and given all circumstances it is not unreasonable to view it and to pursue it as treason. This isn’t going to happen, because if the Republicans or any other party did so it would create a huge smokescreen and counter-cries of politics. The only chance of that happening would be if a Democrat had the courage and integrity to come forward and call it for what it is.

A smart Democrat might do so. If the party line continues to be “we are sorry we got caught” then irreparable and permanent harm will be the result for the Democratic party. If heads roll, even a sacrificial victim, then they might have a chance. The best chance of all is for someone to step forward and call it – and Zell Miller has come the closest of any of them so far. One wonders if he might have some higher ambitions than Senator, if he sees it as a chance to yank the party back towards the center, or maybe a combination of these.

Pay close attention to this story, and to Zell Miller in the days ahead. Something other than the stench of partisan politics at its worse is in the air. What comes out will have a profound impact on America and the Republic, one way or another.

-30-

Interesting Time With Autos

 saw a neighbor of mine that I say hi to in passing, and we talked a bit. He and I both like hot peppers, and I have shared a few of my home-grown Thai-bombs with him. I hadn’t seen his car for a few days, and I found out why. He had experienced a blow-out on a tire on the interstate, at speed, and the car was totaled. With good luck, he was sore but not totaled.

Today was my turn. Just a bit ago I went and ran some errands and had ended up at the Barnes & Noble to do some research and feed by coffee addiction. When I left, I rolled down the window to blow out the warm air in the car, and heard something odd.

It sounded like something caught around the axle or a tire rim, but nothing dire. I went to get onto a pseudo-interstate and that is when the fun began. Pups, my car, handles like a fighter and has racing tires as a result. The entry to the pseudo-interstate has two sharp turns of 90 degrees or better, along with a nice secondary curve. Going into it, things didn’t feel quite right, but not bad. Then at the top of ramp and the final 90, things nearly got out of control. Pups fishtailed and heeled over, and it took some serious correction and driving to catch things.

Well, it was obvious there was a problem, so I pulled over at the next exit into the triangle between the exit ramp and the traffic lanes as there is no emergency strip on this road. The left rear tire was flat, having gone so since I left the bookstore. The culprit was easy to find: a nail that may or may not have been leaned against the inside portion of the tire. No matter how it got there, it got into the tire and did some damage. I am just glad that the tire did not truly blow, especially in the turns. As it is, I am not sore or even shaken, just glad it was not much worse.

Go check your tires, right now. Let’s not let there be a third in this series of mishaps.

LW

Rand Makes A Good Point

In a post at his site, Rand makes a good point. I will just say that I don't think it was the first, but it was indeed one of the worst in the slide towards 9-11.

LW

A Prime Example Of The Problem

I woke up this morning to a wonderful example of the problem with the Old Media. Not exactly what I would prefer to wake up to, but…

Fox had two people debating The Reagans and that most interesting and wonderful memo out from Democrats on the Intelligence Committee. The kicker was, that the person on the left, literally and figuratively, was an employee of a bastion of the Old Media. To counter her, they had someone from a Republican polling firm.

Think about that a minute. You have someone from the fair and balanced, we-would-never-distort-or-shade Old Media on the air, and to balance them you had to have someone from a Republican polling firm. The mind boggles.

I don’t think much of anything else needs be said.

LW

Practical Preparedness: Snivel Gear For Bugging Out

Yesterday, I gave a quick overview on bugging out and the need to be prepared to do it in stages. There are many circumstances that can require one to abandon your vehicle, from it dying to officious orders. Be prepared for it, and be prepared to make the best of it no matter the circumstances.

A large part of my philosophy of life is not merely to survive, but to survive with comfort and style. Yes, I can still go out with very little and get by, but why do so if you can avoid it? Also, the fact is that if you are going out as a family that not all the family members are going to be able to handle that, especially children and the elderly. Think ahead a bit, and be prepared.

At a minimum, you are going to want shelter and warmth: some form of dining fly or cover that can be put up, a tent, a means of cooking, sleeping bags and ground cloths for all, and some food and water. This is indeed a lot, but there are ways to double things up a bit.

Some Truly Despicable Anti-Gun Bias

This is another story found at many sites yesterday, but I am going to once again give the hat tip to Momma Bear at On The Third Hand because I like what she did about it. If true, and I have little doubt about it, what Symantec has done is beyond despicable and constitutes to my mind deceit and fraud. I plan to send them an e-mail as well, and let them know not only what I think but that I will not renew or buy any new software from them, and will be strongly recommending their competitors from now on.

LW

Congratulations Belicose Young Ladies!

And a very well done for your actions. I saw this at several sites, but will give the hat tip to Momma Bear at On The Third Hand just because. The young ladies in this story deserve a large round of applause for their actions. Keep up the good work!

LW

Practical Preparedness: Bugging Out

It has been too long since I posted anything on practical preparedness, so wanted to get something useful out especially given the recent firestorms in California. Also, Kim du Toit did a post a few weeks ago on his bugout weapons and means of carry, all of which reminded me that most people are not prepared to bug out when disaster strikes.

Letting Go A Client

I had to do a very hard thing yesterday. I had to inform a client that I was no longer interested in working for them. This is never easy, and I feel a bit bad because part of the problem was that I misread something they had put up in regards payments.

The client was a space encyclopedia, and the job should have actually been quite easy. The pay was not good, but it was a job and would give me some more current clips. One difficulty in finding myself doing full-time freelancing again was that I did not have any current non-NASA clips to show, so this seemed to be an easy way to get some quickly.

The problem was, that I misread the pay scale. I agreed to do several entries, believing that I would get some cash and a copy or two of the encyclopedia. What I got yesterday was a notice saying that the payment would be “Full credit for the Entry in the Work and one copy of the encyclopedia.” Oh, and a discount on a second copy if I so wanted it.

I’m sorry, but I have been a professional writer for more than 20 years and have all the credit (and debt) I can handle. No cash, and despite what was posted not even two full copies of the encyclopedia. Of course, I may have misread that too… No professional writer should ever work just for the clips, there should always be money.

So, I have walked away. Not an easy choice in that this will burn some bridges, but it is the right choice to make. Now to go find some work that will pay…

-30-

CBS Cancels The Reagans

According to the Drudge Report CBS will not air the movie The Reagans after all. Instead, it will go out over Showtime with only one change. If true, then this is very interesting and may show that sponsors were not happy with things. Stay tuned...

LW

Iraq: Signs of Desperation

The recent events in Iraq show a clear sign of desperation on the part of the leadership. Frantic efforts are being made to halt the spread of a malignant entity into the body politic there, to restore order, and to deal with the inevitable slide into the unthinkable. The ill-considered and haphazard actions clearly show the fear that has gripped the leadership, as more things are rushed into play without proper consideration.

Carnival of the Capitalists Is Up

Robert Prather of the well-worth-reading Insults Unpunished is hosting the Carnival this week. Take a good look at it and enjoy the many good posts.

LW

Book Review: There Will Be Dragons

John Ringo is at it again. He is taking a break from the Posleen universe he created and has come up with a new and wonderful universe to explore. I had the chance to read a good bit of the book before it was published, but chose not to so, and am glad I waited.

There Will Be Dragons is a delight, and so far he has avoided his usual great-battle-and-everyone-dies routine. The world is our own, a few thousand years in the future, where utopia is shattered and civilization must reform amid war and strife. Yet, part of it is a war of the gods, part is of the legions, and throw in the fact that there are sentient AI’s, modified individuals who range from were-bears to unicorns, and a race of Elves and you get something truly unique that appears to combine portions of the Norse Eddas, Paradise Lost, Celtic Mythology, and more into a realistic and self-sustaining whole. There are some insider jokes, and I was glad to see Heather Alexander and Bun-Bun make guest appearances. If you don’t know who these people are, shame on you. Click and learn. :)

I admit, one of my favorite characters is Bast, the nymphomaniacal Wood Elf, because she does seem like my ideal date: deadly warrior, wild lover, thoughtful philosopher. And an apparently ongoing feud with Bun-Bun, which to mortals would be deadly. There are many other good characters here, and a lot more thought below the surface than may be readily apparent.

Read it once for pleasure, and then go back and start picking at that which is below the surface. See how many mythological and historical references you can find, for there are a large number there.

Recommended.

Some Interesting Observations On Halloween

From Steve at Little Tiny Lies. He has some good suggestions for next year, and I hope people do pay them some heed.

As for me, I had a very nice one with fewer trick-or-treaters than I would have expected. Cutest had to be the young lady cat who came by, and had to be all of about 3-4. Her big sister was cute too, and it was touching the way she was encouraging her sibling. Parents were along as well, and I was glad to see as many out as there were. I think Steve, or the Cubans as the case may be, has a good point about getting the whole family out and involved. No real worst costume, though the first two to hit my door were a bit long in the tooth to be doing the candy thing.

I did Scotsman on Thursday for a party, and a monk on Halloween. I was of the order of Reisen, because we like to chew things over, as opposed to the Benedictines who are always in high spirits or the Dominicans who let so much go up in smoke. Bad puns, but that is me: I live for the pun, I die for the pun. :)

Hope you all had a good one and a safe one.

LW

Helicopter Down

A U.S. helicopter has been downed by a ground-to-air missile near Fallujah. This has long been a hotbed of pro-Saddam elements, so the location is not a surprise. If there is any surprise here, it is that something like this has not happened before, but it is interesting that it appears to have been part of a larger effort that included attacking a convoy in the town.

This is going to bring out immediate calls for us to pull out, that the Iraqi’s don’t want us there, and all the usual hysteria. To leave now would be a huge mistake, and would betray yet again people that are taking us at our word. Who are those people? The majority of the citizens of Iraq, who want peace, who want prosperity, and who want freedom.

I think it a crime that most Americans never get to hear from these people, and hope that the blogosphere can continue to get the word out and help make the media a bit more accountable.

My thoughts go out to the families of the troops who were killed or injured in this attack. May the light shine on all of them, guard them and guide them in the days ahead.

LW

Safety Alert

It is getting cold in many places, which means that people are going to start bringing out space heaters. Well, someone in this area apparently did that, and we now have our first space heater fatality of the year.

If you have space heaters, check them for things like frayed cords, dust or other things that can burn, working tip safeties, and proper operation. If you don’t know what to look for, call your local fire department and see if they offer a free inspection – many do. If not, I am pretty sure that they can tell you who does offer one.

If you have an elderly relative or neighbor that you think might use space heaters, offer to check them out for them and take a minute to do a good deed. Look after those who may not be able to do it for themselves.

Remember, your heater or others, the life you save could be your own.

LW

Welcome To Food For Thought Saturday

Saturday at the Laughing Wolf is a day for good news and food for thought. This got started because of my Blogfather, Joe Katzman, and his good-news-only posts on Saturday. While we will post other news if it is needed, our hope is to keep Saturday’s a fun day, a philosophical day as much as we can. So, enjoy the food for thought, and while you are at it, go check out Sufi Wisdom at Winds of Change. Enjoy your day.

LW

Way Of The Wolf: A Time To Renew

At least once a year, you should take stock of your life and commit to a new life. No, not taking of vows or anything like that, but of being what you want and can be.

For me, the time for this is Halloween. I look back on the year that was, and appreciate it for what it was. I remember the times of joy, happiness, success, and more. I remember the things that were not so great, and let them go. Cherish the good, study it, and look at how it came to be. Examine the bad, study it and how it came to be, and then send it off into the flowing river that is time.

Then, look at yourself and take stock of your good qualities and your bad. Cherish and encourage the good, and work to change those that are bad. We each have a choice given unto us on how we act and it is we who choose – not society or some other abstraction. Take this up at least once a year and work to change yourself for the better.

Think of it as starting a new life. As the old year ends and the new one begins, choose to live a new life, a better life, and work towards it. Make some concrete act towards this, from cleaning your house to going through your things and donating that which you no longer need or use to a favorite charity. Pick some thing to remind you of the changes you wish to make, and work towards those changes.

Each of us can change, and change for the better. We have to choose to do so, and work hard at it, but anything worth doing is worth the effort. What can be worth more than making positive changes in oneself and ones life? For we will reap the reward, and those around us and with whom we have dealings will benefit as well.

LW